The international symposium DEMOCRACY, PARTICIPATION, ACTIVISM will be held from 12th – 14th of November, 2014 at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Zagreb.
At this moment in history, parliamentary democracy is acknowledged as the least deficient social arrangement, yet it simultaneously draws more attention to its weaknesses than ever. Problems such as low citizen participation, manipulation and exploitation of the democratic processes, limitations of democracy, and its utilization for ideological purposes, are increasingly plaguing citizens’ minds, especially in view of the increased prominence of negative phenomena such as the “tyranny of the majority” and the forceful export of democracy. They propel our reflection on the responsibilities of the political subject, possible alternatives, and, above all, the role of activism. Contemporary society has placed the phenomenon of activism at its center, which surfaces the following question – did activism, on one side, arise due to a lack of participation, on the other, or are they coexistent?
Such a set of phenomena necessarily demands interdisciplinary treatment, so we are expecting contributions not only from sociology students, but from other disciplines as well (philosophy, political science, history, anthropology, journalism, etc.) Aside from a presentations section, we are planning on organizing public fora and roundtable discussions in cooperation with professors and civil society associations.
The official language of the symposium is Croatian, with the possibility of presenting in English.
Participation at the symposium is free of charge. Accommodation for the presenters will be financially covered by the organizers.
For additional information, feel free to contact us at simpozij.kssd@gmail.com
We are looking forward to your participation!