Humanity and the challenges of the contemporary world
L'humanité et les défis du monde contemporain
Man and catastrophes
L'homme face aux catastrophes
Published on Monday, June 03, 2013
Abstract
Over the last few decades our increasingly complex and globalized world has witnessed a constant increase of disasters, cataclysms and natural or provoked catastrophes. What has man been doing and what can he do, when confronted with catastrophes for which he is responsible and with which he has to deal ? A vast issue for humanity is the need to decide how to act either individually or collectively in the face of disasters. Our focus will be on man’s actions and reactions when facing catastrophes. The questions of responsability and conscience are particularly relevant in an interconnected world which is characterized by an unprecedented acceleration in time and space. Crossing research in human and social sciences and in the exact sciences can shed light on the complexity of man’s behaviour and that of state policies.
Announcement
"Humanity and the challenges of the contemporary world: Man and catastrophes”, International Conference, University of Lille 3 Charles de Gaulle, France, April 16-17, 2014
Argument
Over the last few decades our increasingly complex and globalized world has witnessed a constant increase of disasters, cataclysms and natural or provoked catastrophes. Even if it is sometimes possible to anticipate them thanks to technological progress, they often greatly increase the mortality rate, devastate the natural environment, adversely affect ecosystems.
How does man show his creativity when confronted with catastrophes ? How will human ingenuity enable us to respond to the challenges of tomorrow’s world ?
What has man been doing and what can he do, when confronted with catastrophes for which he is responsible and with which he has to deal ?
A vast issue for humanity is the need to decide how to act either individually or collectively in the face of the disasters that have struck our planet, are striking it today or that may strike it in the future. By disasters we mean both human catastrophes (political catastrophes-wars, genocide, despotism) , technical catastrophes (ecological disasters such as Fukushima for example) and natural disasters ( considered in their impact on humanity).
The aim of our conference is to focus on the relationship between catastrophes and humanity, on the different ways in which catastrophes impact upon humanity .
Our focus will be on man’s actions and reactions when facing catastrophes. The questions of responsability and conscience are particularly relevant in an interconnected world which is characterized by an unprecedented acceleration in time and space.
Crossing research in human and social sciences (philosophy, sociology, linguistic, literature, psychology, economy, management) and in the exat sciences (biologists, chemists, astronomers) cas shed light on the complexity of man’s behaviour and that of state policies.
Suggested plan
The participants at the conference will have the opportunity to choose to have their paper included in one of the three main parts as well as in one or several subdivisions as indicated below.
The book is structured according to the chronological stages of a catastrophe :
- Before the catastrophe
- During the catastrophe
- After the catastrophe.
Possible subdivisions
(a few proposals are given as examples)
- Predicted catastrophes (the idea of Apocalypse, demographic catastrophes, etc.)
- announced or denounced catastrophe (on climat for example in Copenhagen)
- avoided catastrophes (thwarted attacks, the nucear disaster avoided at the last minute at the Three Mile Island power plant in the USA)
- invisible catastrophes (the nuclear energy, debates around GMOs, cultural or linguistic catastrophes, the legacy of asbesto, chemical products, drugs).
- explained catastrophes (role of scientists, of the media, of films-documentary films)
- represented catastrophes (role of media)
- forgotten catastrophes (such as humanitarian catastrophes : nowadays millions of people live in situation of forgotten catastrophes, The Red Cross speaks of 91% of the catastrophes are forgotten, such as the nuclear disaster of Tcheliabinsk which occurred in 1957 : 50 years after the disaster a man who stays one hour in the area dies of radiation sickness)
- imagined or evoked catastrophes (in literature or any other artistic medium)
- resisted catastrophe (preparing populations to face catastrophe, prevention of catastrophes, helping populations by means of international law, « the right to catastrophes ».
- useful or justified catastrophe (the cyclical aspects of the upheavals in nature or in the history of humanity, nuclear experiments in Mururoa, a question which leads to the question of ends and means)
Submission guidelines
Please submit your proposals (the title, a short abstract -300 to 500 words maximum, and short CV)
by July 1st, 2013
to the following addresses: najib.zakka@univ-lille3.fr and catherine.dalipagic-malavaux@univ-lille3.fr
Please try to relate your proposal as closely as possible to one of the conference themes, as outline above.
The Conference Proceedings will be published. They may be written either in English or in French.
Organizers
- M. Zakka Najib, Directeur du département d’études romanes, slaves et orientales, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3.
- Mme Dalipagic Catherine, Maître de Conférences de Russe, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3.
Scientific committee
- M. Zakka Najib, Directeur du Département des Etudes romanes, Slaves et Orientales, Professeur, équipe CECILLE, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3, Français
- M. Sobhi Boustani, Professeur d’Arabe, équipe CERMOM, Institut National des
- Langues et Civilisations orientales (INALCO, Paris), Français
- M. Michel Bozdemir, Professeur de Turc, équipe CERMOM, Institut National des langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO, Paris), Français
- Mme Olinda Kleiman, professeur de Portugais, équipe CECILLE, université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3, Française
- Mme Laurent Maryla, professeur de Polonais, équipe CECILLE, université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3, Française
- Mme Fourez Cathy, maître de conférences, agrégé d’espagnol, équipe CECILLE, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3, Française
- Mme Dalipagic Catherine, maître de conférences de littérature et civilisation russes, agrégée de Russe, équipe ALITHILA, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3 Française
- Mme Takenchi Rie, maître de conférences de japonais, équipe CECILLE, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3. Française
- Mme Cedarna Camilla, Maître de conférence de littérature et civilisation italiennes, agrégée d’Italien, équipe CECILLE, Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3, Française.
Subjects
- Modern (Main category)
- Mind and language > Psyche
- Mind and language > Language
- Periods > Modern > Prospective
- Society > Geography
- Mind and language > Information
- Mind and language > Representation
- Society > Political studies
Places
- Université Charles de Gaulle, Lille 3 - 3 Rue du Barreau
Lille, France (59)
Date(s)
- Monday, July 01, 2013
Keywords
- catastrophe, défis, humanité, action, responsabilité, prise de conscience
Contact(s)
- Catherine Dalipagic
courriel : catherine [dot] dalipagic-malavaux [at] univ-lille3 [dot] fr - Najib Zakka
courriel : najib [dot] zakka [at] univ-lille3 [dot] fr
Information source
- Najib Zakka
courriel : najib [dot] zakka [at] univ-lille3 [dot] fr
License
This announcement is licensed under the terms of Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.
To cite this announcement
« Humanity and the challenges of the contemporary world », Call for papers, Calenda, Published on Monday, June 03, 2013, https://doi.org/10.58079/np7
