CALL FOR PAPERS
Contemporary Rome: Changing Faces of the Eternal City Bilingual Conference (English and Italian)
The American University of Rome
26–27 November 2010
Keynote Speaker: Michael Herzfeld

The city of Rome, the Caput Mundi of Antiquity, has been studied predominantly as a historical monument. But what of contemporary Rome; its people, its politics and economy, its environment, the challenges of globalization? The fast-changing urban realities of Italy's biggest city and capital are the focus of this two-day conference which will bring together Italian and English-speaking scholars from a variety of disciplines.

Papers will be selected on the basis of empirical or theoretical originality and should focus on contemporary Rome. Historical approaches are also welcome as long as they deal with the issue of change and offer perspectives that directly relate to the contemporary scene. The organizers will subsequently present a selection of papers from the conference to put forward a book proposal to a British or American publisher.

Rationale
Both within and outside Rome's historic centre, a variety of transformations are currently underway. Recent decades have seen the arrival of large numbers of immigrants, many of whom are becoming permanent residents and are changing the outlook of the city. This new multicultural reality is affecting the arts, Rome's nightlife, its economy, and neighborhoods. It has also become a highly contested issue in local politics. Mobility is not restricted to Rome's newcomers and the city is undergoing gentrification, labor market transformations, geographic expansion. Conditions in its peripheries are now the subject of intense study and urban planners are seeking new approaches to developing the city for a sustainable future. The issues of pollution, congestion and calls for decentralization are more urgent than ever. Rome's identity as national capital is also an issue for debate as moves for increased regional autonomy and questions concerning the role of the nation state itself develop. The many ways in which the city of Rome is changing its faces deserve critical attention and analysis. The conference intends to create a forum for such a multidisciplinary dialogue.

Themes
The organizers welcome papers across the subject disciplines of the arts, humanities and social sciences, including sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, geography, urban planning and any other relevant discipline or background. There are no limitations to research methodologies used: survey analysis, interviews, demography, life history analysis, discourse analysis etc. Comparisons with other cities are acceptable as long as the primary focus is on Rome. We particularly welcome contributions that relate to one or more of the following thematic areas:

1. Practices of space and place
2. Dwelling practices and the stretching of the city (the 'sprawl city')
3. Segregation, ghettoization, homelessness, gated communities
4. Conflict and cooperation
5. Spaces of social and political resistance
6. Gentrification and changing neighborhood identities
7. Rome as a global city
8. Minorities, civil society, and political representation
9. Encounters between 'old' and 'new' Romans
10. Religions and inter-faith relations
11. Evolving labor markets
12. Formal, informal and ethnic economies
13. Legality and illegality
14. Post-industrial renewal and regeneration
15. Urban and environmental policies and planning
16. Changing political identities, political activism, and mobilization
17. Memory politics
18. Contemporary museums, art galleries, and architecture
19. Popular culture and new media

Deadline
Deadline for submitting an Abstract (max 300 words) and a brief biography (max 150 words) is 1 June 2010.
Abstracts should be in the language in which the proposed paper will be presented

AUR home from the HNMUN- With a Prize!

15 students from the American University of Rome spent the past four days representing Saudi Arabia at the 56th Harvard National Model United Nations. The students spent approximately 20 hours in committee sessions in addition to working with allies outside of committee. They made speeches, collaborated on working papers, and defended or opposed resolutions in each of 11 different committees. In the Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis committee, delegates Abdulrahman al Zamil and Tess Shapiro proposed an Islamic Banking system, while delegate Stephanie Derner was faced with the challenge of representing Saudi interests twenty years in the future as a member of the Futuristic Security Council in 2028.

Head Delegate Sallie Pisch and delegate Andrea Vrankovic represented Saudi interests in the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM) of the General Assembly, where the topic was ending world hunger. The pair was awarded an Honorable Mention at the closing ceremonies on Sunday, February 14th. Out of more than 160 countries represented in SOCHUM, Saudi Arabia was one of only seven to receive an award. The awards are given to those delegations which demonstrate the ability to remain faithful to the policies and interests of their countries while also showing a dedication to reaching a comprehensive solution through cooperation and compromise with other nations. Delegates are also evaluated on the content of their speeches, input on working papers and resolutions, and overall performance in their committees. The award is a great honor, and it made the two faculty advisors, Professor Bjørn Thomassen and his wife, Francesca Cantarella, proud and happy.

Overall, the AUR students demonstrated dedication to the policies of Saudi Arabia and an ability to work under pressure, speaking in front of their committees and passing resolutions which could be supported by Saudi. The group made new friends, was introduced to the world of international negotiation, and most importantly had a wonderful weekend representing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at HNMUN 2010.

Students who attended HNMUN 2010 were Abdulrahman al-Zamil, Alexa Caesar, Stephanie Derner, Taylor Drobnicki, Anais Englemejer, Karen Kawas, Refat Ontora, AdrianPetrilli, Sallie Pisch, Alessandra Potenza, Elizabeth Ray, Rory Rohan, Jenifer Roma, Tess Shapiro, and Andrea Vrankovic.

International Relations Upcomming Events 2010-2011

November

18th-21st.
Second Field study trip to Vienna. Visiting Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

January

February

April

International Relations Past Events: Spring 2010 - Fall 2009

March 2010

23-25 March 2010
AUR sponsored MUN in cooperation with the Uniting Global Communities through Aid and the WFP. Participant students from Roma La Sapienza. Organised by Marzieh Talebi and Shayna Macready.

February 2010

November 2009

16 November 2009 –Col. Sandy Gupthill and others from NATO Defence College, Rome, “NATO’s role as a peacekeeper”

13 November 2009 Third AUR Conference on Racism in Italy. “The Second Generation”.

5 November 2009 Mark Ward, Special Advisor at the UN Mission in Afghanistan “The challenges for development in Afghanistan”

September 2009

29 September 2009 – Screening of “Inside Buffalo” documentary by the Italo-Ghanaian filmmaker, Fred Kuwornu on the reality behind Spike Lee’s “Miracle at Sant’Anna”. The director introduced the film and discussed it afterwards.

January 2009

15 January 2009 – Screening of “Inside Buffalo” at the W.E.B. DuBois Centre, Accra, sponsored by AUR, the US and Italian Embassies

27 January 2009 – Screening of “Inside Buffalo” at UPTER, Rome, with director Fred Kuwornu.