Call for Papers: Embracing Solidarities through Sharing Stories of Struggles to Resist Empires
Call for Papers
The Global Kairos for Justice Movement, a worldwide coalition of concerned Christiansfrom different churches, denominational and faith persuasions was formed in 2019 as a response to the Palestinian people's struggle against an apartheid, colonial regime thatdeprives them of their right to life, land and livelihood. With a view to expand the reach of the global solidarity movement, a similar initiative was launched in Asia Pacific regions to bring together social activists,theologians and church leaders who are advocating and promoting the call of Global Kairos for Justice. Being challenged by the convivial relationship of Asian religions and faith formations,the Global Kairos Asia-Pacific Solidarity (GKAPPS) has grown into an inter-religious/inter-faithsolidarity network.
GKAPPS has at its initial stage focused on creating a theological and inter-religious space to link issues of what is often referred as 'Nakba-like political happenings in Asia' with the continuing Nakba in Palestine. We are conscious that the debilitating hegemony of the Empires over the social, economic, and political life of the diverse oppressed peoples in Asia has a similar dynamic. People struggles in Palestine and Asia are not unrelated, rather they are directed against the same forces, overriding the rights of the people who are kept outside the constructed totality to exist. History tells us that people in the margins are not only negating the totality erected by the empire, but counter pose alternatives, drawing from their painful experience of oppression, nevertheless informed by the rich cultural heritages, the excluded people have. To fulfil the critical political function of creating alternatives, we assume, calls for greater solidarity and cooperation among the various people's movements that strugglesfor justice and self-determination. It is also assumed that solidarity among the movements in Asia is an imperative to forge a critical solidarity with thestruggles of the people in Palestine. The urgency of building collective resistance in solidarity with those across the borders has increased with the rapid growth of Christian Zionism, religiousnationalism, Islamophobia, and the attacks on democratic space, with a rippling impact on the bizarre forms of economic,cultural/social, and gender marginalization in the Asia Pacific region including that of Palestine.
To take forward this common concern, GKAPPS in collaboration with Academy for Contextual Theologies in Taiwan, has decided to organize a three-day conference at the Asia Pacific level titled "Embracing Solidarities through Sharing Stories of Struggles to Resist Empire" towards the end of April 2022. The conference will listen to the stories of the peoples who are engaged in distinct struggles in the margins with the spirit of life and freedom that confront the deathdealing approaches of the Empire. It is expected that these stories will reveal a common thread among these struggles and energise those who are engaged in each struggle creating space for horizontal solidarity. Such a move will strengthen the peoples' collective resistance, including that of Palestine, to Empire and its Asian allies that deny peoples' freedom and dignity.
The conference presentations will focus on various issues including the following:
Stories of peoples' struggles in the Asia-Pacific region in resistance to Empire and it's regional allies, and finding a common thread amongst them in forming solidarity;
Connecting the Asian stories of peoples' struggles to the Palestinian struggle and mapping the scope for solidarity;
Probing the spread of Zionism (both Christian and Jewish) in Asia as an oppressive ideology and Israel's increasing relationships with the Asian states;
Interrogating the rise of religious nationalisms, Islamophobia and attack on democratic space in the Asia Pacific region and identifying different forms of resistance.
Delineating the ramifications of global (disaster) capitalism in climate crisis and identifying the common features in the struggles for climate justice in Asia Pacific and Palestinian land.
Mapping the struggles for self-determination, resistance to settler colonialism, struggles of the indigenous people, the Dalits, and women for the right to life and dignity.
To orchestrate strategies for common action each presentation will be followed by two responses, one from an Asian/Pacific perspective and another from a specifically Palestinian perspective.
At the conclusion of the conference, there will be Statement of Asia-Pacific solidarity to the Palestinians calling for Unity of the Oppressed based on our learnings.
Host
The Global Kairos Asia-Pacific Solidarity (GKAPPS)
Academy for Contextual Theologies in Taiwan （ACTT）
Time and Venue
Time: The end of April 2022
Venue: Online via Zoom
Important Dates
Title, abstract and short-introduction and photo submission deadline: 2022 January 15th
Full-paper Submission deadline: 2022 April 7th
Power-point submission deadline: 2022 April 15th
Conference: The end of April (Three-day Conference)
Contact person: Nguyen Thi Thinh, email: nguyenthinh.khxhvnb@gmail.com