Conference and publishing project to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 1989

The global 1989

29/30 May 2008, London School of Economics

The ramifications of ‘1989’ are not limited to Europe. Of course, the collapse of the Soviet empire, the revolutions of 1989, and the dissolution of state socialism in Europe were important events in their own right. But their impact spread much further afield, generating a period of uncertainty and turbulence in world politics which is still being felt today.

In anticipation of the twentieth anniversary of 1989, we invite contributions to a workshop focusing on how to explain and interpret ‘the global 1989’. In particular, we are interested in thinking through the ‘time’ and ‘space’ of 1989, looking at:

  • The place of 1989 in world historical perspective: How significant is 1989? How does it compare to comparable landmark events, moments and processes? What are the principal global legacies of 1989?
  • The impact of 1989 around the world, in terms of: a) invigorating debates about a range of global issues from the extension of US power to exploring new forms of interventionism, the changing role of the EU, the rise of China, the impact of global terrorism, and the emergence of culture as an important site of geopolitical conflict; and b) stimulating novel forms of inter-state and intra-state politics, including the extent to which regions have becoming fully fledged actors in their own right.

Confirmed participants

  • George Lawson (London School of Economics) and Chris Armbruster (Research Network 1989) – The Global 1989
  • Saskia Sassen (Columbia University) – 1989 in space
  • John Hobson (Sheffield University) – 1989 in time
  • Aviezer Tucker (Queen’s University Belfast) – Authoritarian/Totalitarian legacies
  • Marc DeVore (St. Gallen University) – 1989, the Revolution in Military Affairs and the Balance of Power
  • Nancy Fraser (New School for Social Research) – 1989’s normative scapes
  • David Held (London School of Economics) – 1989 and globalisation/cosmopolitanism
  • Mick Cox (London School of Economics) – 1989, the United States and Transatlantia
  • Fred Halliday (London School of Economics) – 1989 and the Greater West Asian Crisis
  • Arne Westad (London School of Economics) – 1989, China and East Asia
  • Rick Saull (Queen Mary, University of London) – 1989 and the Global South
  • Laure Delcour (Institut de Relations Internationales et Stratégiques, Paris) – 1989 and the EU
  • Barbara Falk (Canadian Forces College) – Reflections: Were the “Wrong” Lessons Learned from the Fall of Communism?

Organisers

LSE IDEAS: Diplomacy and Strategy @ LSE (www.lse.ac.uk/collections/IDEAS/)
LSE Centre for International Studies (www.lse.ac.uk/collections/CIS/)
BISA Historical Sociology and IR Working Group (www.historical-sociology.org/)
Research Network 1989 (www.cee-socialscience.net/1989/)

Format

  • 14 authors selected from a competitive call for papers
  • Draft version of 7-8,000 words ready for circulation among workshop participants: 30 April 2008
  • Workshop at LSE: 29/30 May 2008
  • Deadline for revised submissions: 30 August 2008
  • Launch of the publication: May 2009

Editors

George Lawson, Lecturer, Department of International Relations, LSE; Convenor, BISA Historical Sociology and IR working group (g.lawson@lse.ac.uk)
Chris Armbruster, Executive Director, Research Network 1989 (chris.armbruster@eui.eu)

Sponsorship

Prospective sponsors are invited to co-finance the workshop in 2008 and to co-organise a public launch event in 2009.

The launch event at the LSE in May 2009 will be a major conference bringing together students, scholars and practitioners from around the world to think about the legacies of ‘1989’. It will act both as a vehicle for critically engaging with the core themes of the book, but also as a means for exploring some of the central issues in contemporary world politics.

last modified: 2008-02-06