Antifascism in the 21st Century

Call for Papers

Theme: Antifascism in the 21st Century
Type: Interdisciplinary Conference
Institution: Hofstra University
Location: Hempstead, NY (USA)
Date: 2.–3.11.2022
Deadline: 15.4.2022


On October 28, 1922, armed fascists converged on Rome and paved the
way to the establishment of a dictatorship led by Benito Mussolini,
which would dominate Italy for the next 20 years. The March on Rome
marked the birth of an Italian fascist regime and laid the foundation
for the spread of fascist idology around the world. From the
beginning, Italian fascism generated resistance. As fascist ideology
developed into a global phenomenon, so too did anti-fascism. The
initial phase of the conflict between fascist and anti-fascist forces
climaxed in World War II with the defeat of Italian fascism, German
Nazism, and Japanese militarism. Although defeated militarily in
1945, global fascism continued to find expression during the decades
that followed.

As recent events have shown, fascist ideology and its attendant
components – oppostion to working-class movements, hyper-nationalism,
anti-democracy, white supremacy, and xenophobia – remain a threat to
democratic institutions and practices worldwide. As in the past, the
rise of fascism has been met with anti-fascist opposition.

To coincide with the centennial of the March on Rome, we will hold a
two-day interdisciplinary conference, Anti-fascism in the 21st
Century. The purpose of this conference is not to retell stories of
past anti-fascist movements, but to consider anti-fascism as a
contemporary global movement with myriad forms and to explore the
challenges of organizing against fascism for a new generation.

We encourage participation by activists, educators, and artists, as
well as scholars. Nontraditional (i.e., nonacademic) panels and
presentations in a variety of formats are welcome and enouraged.

We invite proposals on topics including but not limited to the
following:

- Strategies and tactics for mobilizing and organizing against fascism
- Anti-fascism in the classroom
- Anti-fascist rhetoric
- Anti-fascist literature (books, graphic novels, etc.)
- The arts (music, dance, theater) and anti-fascism
- Global anti-fascist solidarity
- Social media and anti-fascist activism
- Anti-fascism and the question of violence
- Anti-fascism and the struggle against neoliberalism
- Working-class anti-fascism
- Historical memory and contemporary anti-fascism
- Struggles over fascist and anti-fascist monuments and memorials

The offical language of the conference is English. All presentations
should last no longer than 20 minutes, including audio and visual
illustrations.

Deadline for submissions:

Please submit a summary of presentation (up to 500 words) along with
a brief narrative biography to hofculctr@hofstra.edu by April 15,
2022.

Please note: Funds are not available for travel, accomodations, or
meals. Local hotels will offer discounted rates to conference
participants.

Send inquiries to conference organizers:

Mary Anne Trasciatti
Professor of Writing Studies and Rhetoric and Director of Labor
Studies, Hofstra University
mary.anne.trasciatti@hofstra.edu

Fraser Ottanelli
Professor of History, University of South Florida
ottanelli@usf.edu

The conference will be coordinated by the Hofstra Cultural Center.


Contact:

Hofstra Cultural Center
127 Hofstra University
Hempstead, NY 11549-1270
USA
Phone: +1 (516) 463-5669
Email: hofculctr@hofstra.edu