PROLONGAMENTO DO PRAZO PARA SUBMISSÃO DE PROPOSTAS ATÉ 31 DE OUTUBRO

The Congress

Slavery is not a uniform phenomenon; it has adapted and manifested in various forms over time, across different geographies and cultures, complicating its detection, understanding, and eradication. The diverse historical trajectories of slavery continue to affect the present and must be considered in shaping our collective future—a future that we wish to engage with, at the forefront.

Although the African slave trade is the most prominent and far-reaching due to its scale, legacies, and enduring impacts, slavery is a global issue that pertains to all of humanity, not just specific ethnic groups. Historical records indicate practices of slavery in ancient civilisations such as Greece, Rome, Egypt, and Mesopotamia; within the Islamic world; in Asia, including countries like China, Japan, and India; as well as among indigenous civilisations in the Americas.

While formal abolition has been achieved in most countries, some contemporary forms of slavery persist today, causing significant individual, group, and societal harm. These include human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and child exploitation.

Several factors and their interconnections in contemporary society may contribute to the persistence and prevalence of this abhorrent practice. These factors include economic, political, labour, and demographic crises, armed conflicts, and socially disruptive technologies. Additionally, systemic threats such as climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss may act as catalysts.

Given that slavery is a complex, multidimensional phenomenon involving distant and challenging histories, legacies, and heritages, characterised by fragmented and polarised perspectives shaped by often irreconcilable beliefs and ideologies, we aim to engage in difficult and unlikely dialogues while agreeing to disagree. We seek to recount all narratives, from dominant groups to the marginalised, from resistance movements to abolitionists.

Our goal is to give voice to the silences, celebrate diversity, pursue equity and social justice, all while avoiding objectification, blame, victimisation, demonisation, or glorification, and incorporating historical and archaeological facts into the debate.

As a systemic and structural phenomenon that has accompanied humanity through the ages, our discussions will encompass both historical and contemporary forms of slavery, addressing secular and religious issues. Contemporary topics such as decolonial modernity and the decolonisation of science, art, culture, and design will also be considered.

The Unlikely Dialogues on Slavery Across the Ages will be a pluralistic, inclusive event aiming for a transdisciplinary and ethical discussion of slavery throughout history. It will focus on honouring human dignity and designing a future of flourishing for humanity.

Scientific Committee

ARLINDO CALDEIRA

CHAM – FCSH/UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA

ELENA MORÁN

UNIARQ/UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA -
CÂMARA MUNICIPAL DE LAGOS

EMÍLIA DUARTE

UNIDCOM - IADE/UNIVERSIDADE EUROPEIA

ISABEL CASTRO HENRIQUES

CesA/CSG/ISEG/UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA

JOÃO PEDRO MARQUES

JOSÉ D'ENCARNAÇÃO

JOSÉ LUÍS NETO

CECAP/FBA/UNIVERSIDADE DE LISBOA

LÍDIA FERNANDES

TEATRO ROMANO/EGEAC/CÂMARA MUNICIPAL DE LISBOA

RAFAEL PEREZ GARCIA

DEP. HISTÓRIA MODERNA/UNIVERSIDADE DE SEVILLA

STEPHEN LUBKEMANN

DEP. DE ANTROPOLOGIA/CCA&S/GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIV.

TÂNIA CASIMIRO

IAP - HTC/CFE - FCSH/UNIVERSIDADE NOVA DE LISBOA

Call for Papers

The International Congress on Past and Present Slaveries: Servitude, Rebellions and Oppressions aims to be a pluralistic and inclusive event that seeks a transdisciplinary and ethical discussion of slavery throughout history, seeking to reflect and debate issues related to slavery and servitude from Classical Antiquity to the contemporary period, without any restrictions regarding diachronies and geographies. 

We are now looking for the submission of proposals framed according, but not limited, to the following thematic axes:

• Archival or oral sources for the study of slavery;
• Slavery routes;
• Slavery and servitude;
• Visual representations of slavery over the millennia;
• Material culture of slavery;
• Child slavery;
• Slavery for ritual or religious purposes;
• Slavery and population displacements;
• Assimilation and segregation of slave communities;
• Hereditary slavery;
• Slavery as a result of conflict;

• Revolts and insurrections;
• Slavery in Literature;
• Slavery in the Arts;
• Slavery and economic policy;
• Abolitionism, campaigns and propaganda connected with slavery;
• From captives to combatants: the participation of slaves in military campaigns;
• Human trafficking: from Antiquity to Contemporaneity;
• Archaeology of slavery.

As a first step, communication proposals should be sent to: paulo.n.costa@universidadeeuropeia.pt, by October 31, 2024 (already extended deadline).

Proposals must contain an abstract, in Portuguese or English, of up to 500 words, and must contain the title, names and contacts of all authors, as well as their institutional affiliation.

There will be a formal pre-selection of proposals, a decision that will be communicated to the authors by November 15, 2024. Authors will then be able to prepare their oral communication on a PowerPoint or similar format, of their choice, which should not exceed 20 minutes.

In a second stage, the aim is to publish the communications in an indexed volume, to be published in English, by an international scientific publisher. The model for this article will be communicated later, anticipating that the text will be mandatory in English, limited to 12 pages in font size 12. These articles will be peer reviewed in a double blind review.

Publication is scheduled for 2025.

By the time of the Congress, the submitted and accepted abstracts will be published online with the program.

Oral communications should not exceed 20 minutes.

Registration

Participation in the Congress is free but requires prior registration, here, until December 1st, 2024, being guaranteed up to the maximum number of places available.

Any additional enquiries should be sent to this email.

 paulo.n.costa@universidadeeuropeia.pt

Streaming

Microsoft Teams links for remote access to the congress streaming:

• Day 1 (11/12) 
  
• Day 2 (12/12) 
  
• Day 3 (13/12) 
  
• Day 4 (14/12)

Congress Venue & Accessibility

Unlikely Dialogues

Unlikely Dialogs is a series of events organized by UNIDCOM/IADE dedicated to addressing humanity's great challenges, the complex and multifaceted issues known as wicked problems. These problems, poorly defined and diffuse, require new approaches to be understood and solved. Promoted through the lens of Design, these dialogues aim to bring together voices from different disciplines, promoting critical, open and plural conversations and debates. We believe that creativity and diversity arise from unlikely encounters, where different perspectives intersect, and it is in this space of transdisciplinary exchange that we can find innovative ways to face global challenges.