The Algerian War 60 years on: Memories in Conflict

The Algerian War 60 years on: Memories in Conflict

International Conference
( Zoom sessions:2 days-Virtual platform:5 days)

Thematic Approach
GIRES, the Global Institute for Research, Education & Scholarship and the Center for Conflict, Peace and Justice Studies (CCPJS) invite you to explore the complex multiple memories of the Algerian War and the ongoing repercussions of that conflict in both France and Algeria. 

The Algerian War (1954-1962) was a war of independence from France that created deep divisions in both the Algerian and French population. Within Algeria, members of the National Liberation Front (‘FLN’) launched attacks against French forces, while the ‘harkis’ were Algerians who chose to fight on the side of the French. Another significant group in Algeria were the ‘pieds noirs’, the French nationals born in Algeria who embarked on a mass exodus to France at the end of the war. Within France, opinion was similarly strongly divided between supporters of Algerian independence, and those in favour of maintaining a “French Algeria.” Significantly, it was only in 1999 that the prolonged conflict was officially recognised as a “war” by the French government. Up to that time, it was referred to in vague terms like “events” and “operations to maintain order”. 

The memories of the Algerian War are still regarded as an unresolved source of conflict in contemporary French society. It is also a conflict that continues to make front page news even sixty years after the end of the war. Why does it continue to be so divisive? How does the memory of the Algerian War impact on notions of identity both for persons directly impacted by the conflict and for their descendants?  In our conference, we invite contributions in either English or French that explore the different perspectives of stakeholders and scholars on these and other key issues relating to the Algerian War. 

GIRES, dedicated to interdisciplinarity, invites scholars from diverse fields including but not limited to sociology, history, cultural and political studies, linguistics, literature, art and music to contribute to the discussion and to debate these issues.

Proposed Topics
– Identity
– Religion and Society
– Colonialism and decolonisation
– Charles de Gaulle and Algeria
– The ‘harkis’ in France and Algeria
– The ‘pieds noirs’ in France and Algeria
– The activities of the French OAS secret paramilitary association
– General Aussaresses and the admission of torture by the French
– Commemoration of the Algerian War in France under Presidents Hollande and Macron
– The 2021 report by French historian Benjamin Stora on the Algerian War
– Algerian reactions to the 2021 Stora Report
– Repercussions of the Algerian War in Algeria  
– Immigration and integration in France
– Second and third generation Algerians in France
– Literature, art and music evoking the Algerian War and/or issues of post-war identity and integration
– The Algerian War in film

Proposed Formats (Lingua franca: English and French)
*Individually submitted papers (organized into panels by the GIRES committee)
* Panels (3-4 individual papers)
*Roundtable discussions (led by one of the presenters)
*Posters

Publication Opportunity 
The Organizing Committee and GIRES Press will publish the most powerful and dynamic presentations of the conference and include them
in a collective volume in the form of short articles and/or long essays. For more information please contact us.

Live Sessions & Recording
All speakers are offered up to 30 minutes to present their work. All speakers have the option to have their presentations recorded (during live sessions) in HD quality. The recordings will be uploaded to GIRES media for unlimited access and dissemination.

Asynchronous Options
All participants have the option to have their presentations (video/audio/text) uploaded to our Virtual Platform. All  registered participants will have access to the material for 5 days.

Our proposed topics & formats are not restrictive and we invite additional germane ideas
Due to the restrictions of Corona Crisis our event (for the time being) will take place VIRTUALLY  

USEFUL INFO:
DATES OF CONFERENCE: 28-29 May 2022 (+5 days Virtual Platoform)
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: 1 April 2022
ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION:10 April 2022
FORMAT:Synchronous & Asynchronous 
ACCREDITATION: Official Certificate Issued by GIRES 
SUBMISSIONS: Please submit your proposal electronically via the webpage.