Call for Papers: Human Rights Conference on Testimony and Ethics in Human Rights Research
The organizers of a one-day conference on 14 May 2009 in York, United Kingdom invite abstracts on the ethical implications of the rise of testimony and testimonial human rights research. The conference coincides with the launch of the Journal of Human Rights Practice, hosted by the Centre for Applied Human Rights, University of York (UK), and Oxford University Press, in collaboration with Amnesty International, the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, and Panos.
This conference will bring together academics, practitioners and artists to explore ethical concerns surrounding the use of testimony. Human rights research has grown exponentially in the academy over the past decade in a range of disciplines (law, politics, anthropology, literature). Cultural output ranging from child soldier autobiographies to documentary films about transitional justice is similarly prominent. Practitioner research has had to adapt to its own forms of expansion (growing interest in social, economic and cultural rights; use of new media such as the internet). Both the use and the study of testimony have been a driving force behind these developments. But the ethical implications of the rise of testimony and testimonial research, particularly in the global media age, are under-explored.
Submissions are sought which engage with the following questions.
- Obtaining the story
How are participants selected? What interviewing skills are required, especially in relation to vulnerable groups? What differences exist between open-ended life story interviewing and gathering testimony as evidence of human rights violations? How is genuinely informed consent secured, particularly over time and for evolving patterns of distribution? Are there occasions where consent is not needed or can be over-ridden? Are ethical considerations informed at the outset by the identity of the testifier (victim, perpetrator), the category of right being addressed, or the particular testimonial site (court room, blog, documentary film)? - Shaping the story
How is testimony modified in the research process? How does the wider story of a report or monograph or novel build on individual stories, but also other data (from observation to autopsies)? Should interviewees be involved in shaping this wider story? How are clashes dealt with between validating the victim (the catharsis of telling, recognition) and validating the story (through corroboration and questioning)? Should the testimony of perpetrators be treated differently from that of victims? What particular ethical concerns are raised by the manner in which qualitative and quantitative methods shape the story? - Presenting the story
What degree of control should the testifier have over the presentation of his or her story? As testimony appears in diverse research products, or beyond research in campaigning and fundraising materials, what ethical issues emerge? What are the ethical implications of the different objectives of human rights materials (education, recognition, acknowledgement, mobilisation)? What innovative strategies have emerged to combine ethical practice with innovative representation? - Consequences of the story
What effect does giving (and re-giving) testimony have on individuals? How do interviewees respond to the way they are represented (in print, on the internet)? Should interviewees benefit from research, and if so how? What balance should be sought between individual benefits and broader impacts? Is there a clash between ethics and effectiveness or impact?
The deadline for abstracts of no more than 500 words is 31 March 2009.
Please see the detailed submission information: Information for Authors