Congress on Cultural Motion in the Arab Region
4-9 October 2012
Beirut, Lebanon
Organized by the Orient-Institut Beirut
The Congress on Cultural Motion in the Arab Region, organized by the Orient-Institut Beirut between 4 and 9 October 2012, aims to explore arenas and manifestations of cultural change effective in the eventful and disruptive outbursts of the Arab Spring. It addresses the manners and means of articulation and self-imaging, the medial catalysts of change, the framing that encourages both mobilization and individual action towards change, and the tools and inspirations of nonviolent resistance. The metaphor of inversion relates to both the moment when established orders were toppled and the momentum carrying cultural change in the region. The political vagueness of popular unrest and of its various backgrounds, as well as the complexity of the ensuing political itineraries, strongly encourage inquiry into the broad cultural resonances and diverse expressions which feed the aspirations for change and inspire resistance.
Within this context, we invite you to consider both the regional and cross-cultural aspects of the spring movements in the Arab world. The Congress on Cultural Motion organizes four panels – “Open Rebellion, Hidden Scripts,” “Linear and Non-Linear Narratives in the Context of the Arab Revolutions,” “Sound Messages: Popular Music and Social and Political Transformation,” and “Humour, Suffering and Resistance” – each of which invites activists and academic researchers to engage in debate and exchange. Deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 July 2012.
Please visit www.orient-institut.org/English/EventsDetails.aspx?pageid=1894 for further details.