International, transnational, and trans-local histories can address acts of solidarity – events, figures, or organizations that can either unify groups and communities across existing boundaries, or create new ideological, intellectual, or cultural borders. What are the conditions and processes that lead to the formation of new solidarities, and what are the consequences? We have selected “solidarities” as our theme in order to explore how they shape both transnational histories and intellectual communities.

The graduate students of Columbia University’s Department of History invite the submission of papers from all disciplines using the following questions as possible guidelines:

• How and why are solidarities formed along social, political, ethnic, class, familial, intellectual and cultural lines?

• What is the role of political economy in forging solidarities, particularly in a global context structured by unequal power relations? (i.e. international aid, remittances, charity, etc.)

• What are the lessons of failed solidarities? Are certain structural barriers to solidarity insurmountable, or does failure lie in the mechanisms of particular solidarities? Why are some solidarities limited to momentary conditions, while others are more sustained?

• What are the consequences of drawing power from solidarity with an ideal community in mind? How can this facilitate or inhibit solidarities with people in their respective political and material situations?

• How does academic writing contribute to the creation or disruption of solidarities? Do our choices as scholars, and the ways in which we frame our work – regionally, nationally, or transnationally - indicate acts of solidarity and/or complicity?

These guidelines are meant to generate ideas and are suggestive rather than exhaustive. Other possible topics could include solidarities related to: diasporas, colonial-metropolitan relations, ecological conditions, religion, language, or cultural media (print, film, fashion, art, music). We are especially interested in papers that deal with typically unexplored solidarities, meaning alliances which may have passed beneath the radar of previous historiography. Proposals with a historical perspective are particularly welcome; however we will also consider anthropological, literary, political, economic, and interdisciplinary approaches, and work on any time period. Please send an abstract of no more than 300 words in English and a recent CV as email attachments (Word preferred) before January 5, 2007 and any inquiries to Meha Priyadarshini at the following address: mp2417@columbia.edu.

For more information regarding the conference’s schedule, guest speakers and possible accommodation for participants, please refer to the Centre for International History’s website (beginning December 1, 2006): http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cih.
Limited funding for travel may be available, as well as some assistance in the arrangement of accommodation.

Important dates:
Submission deadline: January 5, 2007
Acceptance notices: January 30, 2007
Conference: March 30, 2007