Call For Papers - Conference 2027

Abstract Submissions for the 2027 Conference

Theme Description

The 13th Genocide and Human Rights Conference is organized by the Center for Genocide and Human Rights Research in Africa and the Diaspora (GHRAD) at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), Chicago.

Conference Theme: Refusing Silence: Genocide Education as an Act of Resistance

This year’s conference will focus on the special challenges and opportunities raised through the practice of teaching genocide, not only as history but also as an active social intervention in the present. Approached with care, education can spread awareness, prevent the mindless reproduction of stereotypes and recognize the experience of those whose lives have been touched by violence. Even experienced teachers may falter, however, before the political complexities and charged emotions of violent pasts. Too often, these impediments contribute to the intentional or de facto silencing of atrocities, polarizing narratives and risking renewed conflict. While some may believe that time heals all wounds, the enduring scars of war, colonialism, enslavement and genocide find lasting expression as structural inequality, stigma and resentment. To facilitate healing, the personal experiences of survivors and their descendants must be brought into sync with collective memory, cultivating the ground for future generations to thrive.

As articulated in the 2023 UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, a critical approach to the study of history and society acknowledges the value of diverse viewpoints without omitting evidence of responsibility and collaboration. This is no simple task, particularly under conditions of political contention, socioeconomic precarity and rapid technological change. In many parts of the world, nationalist propaganda, historical distortion and the denial of atrocities serve as powerful forms of political manipulation. It has never been more important to encourage dialogue and mutual understanding, with sensitivity towards the ways in which gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation inflect participation in the learning process. In a fractured world, genocide education is an act of resistance.

We welcome submissions of critical work from scholars, researchers and students from various disciplines whose research explores the link between education and collective violence, past, present or future.

PRESENTATION TOPICS

Suggested presentation topics include:

• The meaning of memory for survivors of genocide
• Silence as a political tool
• Culturally-appropriate pedagogies
• Methodologies of global, cross-cultural and peace education
• Bias, fairness and historical representation in AI systems
• Ownership, governance and ethics of AI models and historical data
• Generative AI, misinformation and genocide denial
• Social media, digital platforms and the construction of collective memory
• Genocidal memory and attitudes towards refugees
• The genocidal legacy of colonialism
• Neocolonial education as humanitarian intervention
• Information technologies and communication strategies
• The ethics of witnessing, archival collection and management
• Teaching restorative justice
• The pedagogical impact of memorialization
• Ubuntu and the work of (re)building social networks
• The tension between identity and solidarity
• The victim-perpetrator dichotomy and mutual humanization
• Gendered experiences of genocide and resilience practices
• Breaking the impact of intergenerational cycles of violence on youth
• Education, human resources and economic development in post-conflict societies
• Healing the land through environmental education in post-conflict societies
• The role of religious education during and after conflict
• The diasporic politics of genocide education

Submit a Proposal

If your work aligns with the conference theme, please submit an abstract. Abstracts should be 250 words summarizing the purpose of your paper/research, methodology/conceptual framework and findings/analysis. As the only genocide center in the U.S. focused on Africa and its diaspora, GHRAD particularly encourages submissions about and from the Global South.

All abstracts should be submitted through the Call for Papers Form by September 25, 2026.

Conference Dates: March 23–25, 2027
Location: Virtual and in person at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), Chicago, Illinois

Authors will have the choice to present virtually or in person. Accommodation information will be provided upon acceptance.

Questions

If you have any questions about the Call for Papers, please email us at humanrights@neiu.edu.