2009 will mark several revolutionary anniversaries: 60 years since the Chinese Revolution of 1949; 50 years since the Cuban Revolution of 1959; 30 years since the Iranian and Nicaraguan Revolutions of 1979; and 20 years since the Velvet Revolution and the “Revolutions of 1989” in the former Soviet Bloc.

What are the legacies of these various revolutions? What lessons have we learned — or perhaps failed to learn — from them? What is revolution, and does it have a future? If so, will future revolutions resemble those of the past? What continuities and discontinuities might there be between the revolutions of previous centuries and those yet to come?

These are some of the questions we will explore over the course of this four-day conference. We will approach these questions through global and interdisciplinary lenses, examining Latin American, African, Asian, European, and North American experiences of revolution, with the expert knowledge of historians, sociologists, anthropologists, philosophers, journalists, and political scientists.

For More Information, Please Contact:

Hamid Akbari, Conference Co-Chair and Professor at hakbari@neiu.edu

Yasmin Ranney, Assistant Dean, Academic Development, at Y-Ranney@neiu.edu