Ukraine 2014: Maidan, Insurrection(s), Geopolitics 

10th Annual Danyliw Research Seminar on Contemporary Ukraine 

Chair of Ukrainian Studies, University of Ottawa, 23-25 October 2014 

http://socialsciences.uottawa.ca/sites/default/files/public/ukraine/fra/documents/danyliw2014-callforpapers.pdf

CALL FOR PAPER PROPOSALS

**Application Deadline: 26 June 2014**

The internationally renowned Danyliw Seminar will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary this Fall with an ambitious gathering devoted to the extraordinary events that have engulfed Ukraine in the past six months. Entitled “Ukraine 2014: Maidan, Insurrection(s), Geopolitics,” the Seminar will feature more than 30 presentations on topics ranging from Euromaidan, the fall of Yanukovych, political violence, social media, Crimea, Russia, the European Union and more. The Seminar will be held at the University of Ottawa on 23-25 October 2014.

Since 2005, the Danyliw Seminar has provided an annual platform for the presentation of some of the most influential social science research on Ukraine. Studies on the Orange Revolution, electoral and constitutional politics, historical memory, language, and political economy have been particularly prevalent. The seminar generally featured fifteen or so self-enclosed presentations, based on full-fledged papers, and special events. To mark its 10th Anniversary and take into account the scope and fluidity of ongoing developments in Ukraine, the Seminar will be structured around panels, with shorter papers (3000-4000 words). The texts of the presentations, and a summary of the discussions, will then be widely disseminated on the web.

The Seminar invite proposals from doctoral students and scholars (in political science, anthropology, sociology, history, law and related disciplines in the social science and humanities), practitioners from non-governmental and international organizations, journalists, and policy analysts on topics falling under the following ten thematic clusters (the examples given below are not exhaustive):

*Maidan as a Civic and Cultural Revolution: the “revolution of dignity”, civic pressure on structural reforms (and against corruption), citizens and political parties, the role of art in revolution, the shifting meaning of “Ukrainian” and “Russian” culture;

*Constitutional and Legal Challenges: towards a new constitution; the legal dimension of the fall of Yanukovych, Crimea and international law, investigating political violence, lustration, international arbritage over energy, the procuracy and legal reforms;

*President and Parliament—Elections & Politics: the reformation of political parties (a parliamentary election will most likely be held in the Fall), the regional factor in post-Maidan elections, parliamentary groups and behavior in the post-Maidan Rada, new coalitions, the changing role of governors;

*Political Violence: the Maidan insurrection and the role of the police, urban violence in the regions, the Donbas insurrection and the Ukrainian counter-insurrection, state capacity and law enforcement (Army, SBU, police, National Guard, Border Guards), the paramilitaries, Russia’s role, the annexation of Crimea, the historical context of violence (Civil War, famines, purges, WWII);

•The Far Right: Pravyi sector, Svoboda, Russian National Unity, Russian Orthodox Army, Rodina, the far right and the Ukrainian government, the European Far Right and Russia, the Jewish question;

*Regionalism: decentralization, federalism, language politics, regional representation at the center, the perception of Maidan in the East, the reformation of national identities in the East; the regional factor in Ukrainian history;

*The War Over Narratives: the role of social media, the use of Russian TV domestically and abroad, the instrumentalisation of “fascism” and “terrorism”, the resurgence of historical memory over World War II, the role of international media (traditional and new web outlets), the pro-Ukraine and pro-Russia narratives in Western elite and public opinion;

*The Economic Agenda: the energy and debt dispute with Russia, structural reform and social protection, the EU Free Trade Agreement, procurement and the fight against corruption, the resilience of the oligarchic system, the IMF and external aid;

•Maidan and Geopolitics: Russia’s policy towards Ukraine, Russia-Ukraine in historical perspective, the EU and Ukraine, American policy and interests; NATO, the Ukraine question in Europe and North America, the OSCE, the Geneva Accords, international mediation;

•Canada and the New Ukraine: Canadian policy during and since Maidan, the Canadian observation missions, the role and weight of the organized Ukrainian Canadian diaspora, Canada as a mediator, Ukraine in the Canadian media;

Interested parties are invited to submit a 500 word paper proposal and a 150 word biographical statement, by email attachment, to Dominique Arel, Chair of Ukrainian Studies, at darel@uottawa.ca AND chairukr@gmail.com. Please also include your full coordinates (institutional affiliation, preferred postal address, email, phone) and, if applicable, indicate your latest publication or, in the case of doctoral applicants, the year when you entered a doctoral program, the [provisional] title of your dissertation and year of expected completion.

The proposal deadline is 26 June 2014. The Chair will cover the expenses of applicants whose proposal is accepted by the Seminar. The proposals will be reviewed by an international selection committee and applicants will be notified in the summer.

The Seminar is made possible by the commitment of the Wolodymyr George Danyliw Foundation to the pursuit of excellence in the study of contemporary Ukraine.