Evil - Traditions and Transformations
3rd Global Interdisciplinary Conference

Friday 16th April 2021 - Saturday 17th April 2021
Vienna, Austria

Both essentialist and contextual notions of Evil – the things we do as well as the things that happen to us – continue to be a stubborn and destructive presence in our lives. But what is “Evil”? What are the moral, political, philosophical, pragmatic, individual and global implications of calling something or someone “Evil”? What impact does that have on personal and social identities? How are concepts of Evil mediated and represented through different cultural forms? If ascribed too loosely is the intended effect of the term (whatever that may be) diminished?

Despite often repeated slogans of ‘never again’ and ‘lessons will be learned’, and in the face of all of the monuments, memorials, speeches and books designed to keep the ills of the past ever in our thoughts, the sheer savagery of the evils we are individually and collectively capable of performing is writ seemingly larger every day.

People increasingly feel we have entered a time of ‘big’ evil – actions and events which play out on national, international and global stages, using the tools and machinery of the state and supported by the deliberate and cynical manipulation of all forms of media. The re-emergence of slavery, the continued growth of trafficking, the apparent invulnerability of corporations and the unaccountability of political actors create a rising sense among us all of injustice, powerlessness, indifference, irrelevance, hopelessness, resignation and despair. In what ways are “old” evils simply being transformed to seem like new ones? Are there new ones? What role does tradition play in the persistence of “evil” (both conceptual and practical)?

How do people represent and contend with evils through artistic forms and other media? How are evils portrayed in fictional and non-fictional contexts and how do those types of representation impact our understanding of evil? Should evil be portrayed?

Our third meeting of this inclusive interdisciplinary conference will explore these ideas with a view to forming a publication to engender further collaboration and discussion.

Evils operate across numerous levels and layers, inviting responses from people from all disciplines, professions and vocations. This inclusive interdisciplinary conference will open a space for us to come together in dialogue and wrestle with questions that cross the boundaries of the intellectual, the emotional and the personal. Underlying these efforts is the sense that in grappling with evil we are in fact grappling with questions and issues of our own humanity.

Proposals are invited for presentations, papers, panels, workshops, readings, performances, screenings and installations on any aspect of evil(s), but particular attention to the notion of tradition and transformation, to the ways in which evils of the past are reimagined in different context, perspectives, cultures, forms, are encouraged:

Key Topics
Key topics, themes and issues for discussion may include, but are definitely not limited to:

~ The uses, benefits and disadvantages of using ‘evil’ as a label, description or classification.
~ Philosophical and historical theories of evil.
~ How (if at all) are the evils of today different from the evils of previous centuries?
~ Whose Evil? Naming and owning evil. The status and responses to actions considered justified by some groups and evil by others
~ Evil by name or evil by nature: Considering the use and implications of the rhetoric of inherent or culturally acquired evil in relation to social, political, religious and cultural issues
~ Evils, law and order (including immigration, asylum, human rights, slavery, trafficking)
~ Evils and Geopolitical issues
~ Evils in business and corporate environments
~ Evils, religion and religious movements
~ Evil and education/research
~ The anthropocentrism of evil and challenges to that (killer robots, evil animals, aliens)
~ Health, medicine, pharma, mental health, pain and suffering,
~ Technology and Evils
~ Anarchy, Revolution, Legitimate and illegitimate protest
~ The state and oppression; surveillance; privacy
~ Personal and Mass Violence (Genocides. Single Killings. War. Terrorism. Torture.)
~ News, fake news and misinformation: free speech
~ The physicality of evil – Otherness, the abject.
~ Response and Representation: how such evils are portrayed in visual media, storytelling, music, opera, ballet, sculpture, graffiti, street art, and other forms of art. Film, radio, television and theatre. Literature, social media, news and information outlets.

What To Send
The aim of this interdisciplinary conference and collaborative networking event is to bring people together and encourage creative conversations in the context of a variety of formats: papers, seminars, workshops, storytelling, performances, poster presentations, panels, q&a’s, round-tables etc.

300 word proposals, presentations, abstracts and other forms of contribution and participation should be submitted by Friday 25th September 2020. Other forms of participation should be discussed in advance with the Organising Chair.

All submissions will be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Development Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed.

You will be notified of the panel’s decision by Friday 9th October 2020.

If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 12th February 2021

Abstracts and proposals may be in Word, PDF, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order:
a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in the programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords.

E-mails should be entitled: Evil 3 Submission.

Where To Send
Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to the Organising Chair and the Project Administrator:

Jen Baker: jen@progressiveconnexions.net
Project Administrator: viennaevil3@progressiveconnexions.net

What's so Special About a Progressive Connexions Event?
A fresh, friendly, dynamic format : at Progressive Connexions we are dedicated to breaking away from the stuffy, old-fashioned conference formats, where endless presentations are read aloud off PowerPoints. We work to bring you an interactive format, where exchange of experience and information is alternated with captivating workshops, engaging debates and round tables, time set aside for getting to know each other and for discussing common future projects and initiatives, all in a warm, relaxed, egalitarian atmosphere.
 
A chance to network with international professionals : the beauty of our interdisciplinary events is that they bring together professionals from all over the world and from various fields of activity, all joined together by a shared passion. Not only will the exchange of experience, knowledge and stories be extremely valuable in itself, but we seek to create lasting, ever-growing communities around our projects, which will become a valuable resource for those belonging to them.
 
A chance to be part of constructing change : There is only one thing we love as much as promoting knowledge: promoting real, lasting social change by encouraging our participants to take collective action, under whichever form is most suited to their needs and expertise (policy proposals, measuring instruments, research projects, educational materials, etc.) We will support all such actions in the aftermath of the event as well, providing a platform for further discussions, advice from the experts on our Project Advisory Team and various other tools and intellectual resources, as needed.
 
An opportunity to discuss things that matter to you : Our events are not only about discussing how things work in the respective field, but also about how people work in that field : what are the struggles, problems and solutions professionals have found in their line of work, what are the areas where better communication among specialists is needed and how the interdisciplinary approach can help bridge those gaps and help provide answers to questions from specific areas of activity.
 
An unforgettable experience : When participating in a Progressive Connexions event, there is a good chance you will make some long-time friends. Our group sizes are intimate, our venues are comfortable and relaxing and our event locations are suited to the history and culture of the event.
 
Ethos
Progressive Connexions believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract or proposal for presentation.
 
Please note: Progressive Connexions is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence, nor can we offer discounts off published rates and fees.
 
Please send all enquiries to: viennaevil3@progressiveconnexions.net
 
For further details and information please visit the conference web page: https://www.progressiveconnexions.net/interdisciplinary-projects/evil/the-changing-faces-of-evil/conferences/
 
Sponsored by: Progressive Connexions