From the wartime atrocities of the 20th century through the military clashes and aggression acts in contemporary world, the outbursts of violence are frequently paralleled by efforts to counter the forces of destruction through acts of empathy and support. Whilst every manifestation of violence is a story – a harsh and bitter one, this story is impossible to tell without the expressions of solidarity that seek to prevent, alleviate, and repair for the violent acts. Remaining sometimes in the shadow of public attention, the acts of solidarity are indicative not only of societies’ moral standards, but also of the power that mutual aid holds to rebuild social bonds and maintain humanity.
The workshop “Outbursts of Violence, Networks of Solidarity” will address societies’ response to violence through various acts of solidarity and support, and to approach these issues through diverse angles – historical, anthropological, humanitarian, artistic, etc. At the background of the abundant studies on interpersonal and mass violence, and collective memory of traumatic events, the workshop will put an emphasis on the networks of support that span across communities and nations and that permit rethinking past and present experiences through humanitarian and peace-building initiatives.
Among the themes to be addressed are mass atrocities and narratives of salvation; • wars and peace-building movements during the 20th and 21st c.; • civil society activism and transnational solidarity organizations; • violence and solidarity in contexts of migration; • refugee protection and solidarity policies; • international law and violence prevention; • representations of violence in media, literature, and arts. The conference brings together researchers working in different fields (history, international relations, sociology, cultural studies, etc.), and will stimulate a cross-disciplinary discussion on the responses to violence and the social networks for its opposition and prevention.
Image; Exhibition about the anniversary of World War I - "Expo 14-18: It's Our History," organized jointly by the Museum of Europe and the Royal Museum of Army and Military History, Brussels, 2014 (Photo: Nikolai Vukov)