CfP: Hrant Dink Memorial Workshop 2011

Hrant Dink Memorial Workshop 2011

Freedom of Expression

Istanbul, May 26-29, 2011

Sabancı University

in collaboration with the International Hrant Dink Foundation & Anadolu Kültür

“If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” 

(J. S. Mill, On Liberty) 

This year’s Hrant Dink Memorial Workshop centers on the theme of “freedom of expression,” one of the most contentious issues in Turkey as well as in many other contemporary societies. We would like to explore the legal, philosophical, ethical, aesthetic, political and practical dimensions of this principle defined in the broadest possible terms. Although we are interested in comparative discussions of the laws and legal frameworks pertaining to the limitations of the freedom of expression in different social contexts, considering that most limitations on this freedom may today be found outside the realm of legal actions, we especially welcome contributions that analyze impediments to the freedom of expression beyond the dynamics of simple state bans, and probe how acts of silencing, suppression and foreclosure are made broadly acceptable within different social-political and national settings. What are the processes through which certain expressions are deemed or made illegitimate while others are not? How do gender, class, ethnicity, and other forms of difference and inequality affect these processes? Who are the actors involved, what are their motivations and relative degrees of effectivity? What types of speech, if any, may cause harm, and who is thought to be protected by delimiting free speech? How do competing values come into play in the exercise and limitations of this freedom? These and related questions can be explored with reference to the following issues, although the topics of the contributions need not be limited to them:
 

• laws and legal frameworks concerning freedom of expression
• censorship in literature and the arts
• public policies addressing, enacting, and limiting freedom of expression
• academic freedom
• the role of international institutions in the governance of freedom of expression
• self-censorship and peer pressure
• hate speech and hate crimes (sexist, homophobic/transphobic, racist/ethnicist, religious/sectarian, and others)
• linguistic engineering and censorship
• representations of violence
• pornography

Please send a paper abstract (max. 300 words), together with your name, affiliation, address, email and phone number to hrantdink-workshop@sabanciuniv.edu.

There are limited funds for accommodation only available for those participants who do not have other sources of funding to attend the workshop. When submitting your abstract, please indicate your need for an accommodation grant.

 
The application deadline is March 1, 2011.

 For more information: http://myweb.sabanciuniv.edu/hrantdink-workshop/

 
Organizing Committee:

Hülya Adak
Ayşe Gül Altınay
Sibel Irzık
Ayşe Kadıoğlu
Banu Karaca
Gülayşe Koçak
Nedim Nomer
Işık Özel