The RPA Conference Program Committee invites submissions of talks, papers, workshops, roundtable discussions, posters and other kinds of conference contributions, for its fifth biennial conference on Rhode Island, United States.

In the spirit of collaboration, and in the recognition that radical philosophy is often done outside traditional philosophical settings, we invite submissions not only from philosophers inside and outside the academy, but also from those who engage in theoretical work in other academic disciplines-such as ethnic studies, women's studies, social sciences and literary studies-and from those engaged in theoretical work unconnected to the academy. We especially welcome contributions from those often excluded from or marginalized in philosophy, including people of color, glbt persons, persons with disabilities, poor and working class persons.

The Radical Philosophy Association is approaching its 20th year. It is appropriate that we reflect on radical philosophy-the endeavor that has brought members of the RPA together for a generation. Accordingly, the theme for its sixth national conference will be radical philosophy itself, its relation to social and political activism, and its potential to contribute to one or more counter-hegemonies.

Despite (and often because of) differences in the kinds of activism in which we engage, in our philosophical styles and emphases, and even in our far-reaching goals, we in the RPA seem still to have an affinity that makes collaboration fruitful. We are all concerned about oppression-generating inequalities, about the limits of reform that is oblivious to the need for structural change, and about philosophies that leave no room for reflection on their own roots.

But is this affinity strong enough to be the basis for cooperating both among ourselves and with other broad social groups to create an effective movement? Or is this affinity so unsuited for that kind of cooperation that we can only wish each other luck in our separate struggles?

Does the conception of "radical philosophy" travel intact across borders, or does it have a distinctive meaning in the US? What sort of meaning, for example, does radical philosophy now have as a practice in Eastern Europe? Or China? Or the former Soviet Union? Or Cuba? When Marxist philosophy has been the establishment philosophy of state socialism, what has that meant for the concept of radical philosophy in that context?

Does radical philosophy have to be inclusive (i.e. address all forms of social domination, such as racism, class exploitation, male dominance, heterosexism, able-ism, etc.), or can someone be a radical philosopher if they critique only one kind of social domination? Must radical philosophy support identity politics or must it insist on a solidarity politics beyond identity?

As radical philosophers, we face with particular urgency the barrier between the theoretical work of philosophers and the practice of activists. How are we doing so? How might we do so?

We encourage submissions that employ formats and media that challenge the standard conference presentation. For instance, we urge presenters to use formats that allow for greater interaction between participants and audience. Please consult the web page for detailed information about submissions. Submission deadline: 31 January 2002

Fifth Bi-annual Holocaust Studies Conference

The Holocaust Studies Committee of Middle Tennessee State University invites proposals for individual papers and complete panels at its fifth bi-annual Holocaust Studies Conference, "Generations of the Holocaust: Legacy and Responsibility" to be held at Murfreesboro, TN, February 28-March 2, 2002. MTSU is located 30 miles SE of Nashville, TN. Nechama Tec will be the keynote speaker.

Papers by faculty members, researchers and advanced graduate students on all aspects of Holocaust studies will be considered, but those on generational questions are especially solicited. Panels should consist of 2-3 presenters and a moderator.

All proposals are due October 1, 2001. Paper and Panel decisions will be made by October 16, 2001. Please send a one-page paper proposal and a vita of no more than 200 words to the address below. In the case of panels, send a proposal for each paper and a vita for each participant. All submissions should be sent to:

Dr. Sonja Hedgepeth
Conference Chair Holocaust Studies Committee
Box 467
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Phone: (615) 898-2280
Fax: (615) 896-2673
E-mail: shedgepe@mtsu.ed

Diversity Within Unity: Laying the Foundations Meeting

You are invited to participate in a meeting of scholars and public intellectuals to exchange ideas on the societal adaptations of democratic societies to growing diversity that preserve albeit changed societal unity and identity.

The meeting will instruct a drafting committee as to the content of a statement of principles on diversity within unity. The statement will be submitted to those in attendance for review and individual endorsement. A second meeting to follow will include elected officials and community leaders. The conclusions will also be presented to various NGOs, community leaders, and government agencies, thus following the successful pattern applied when the communitarian movement was initiated in 1990.

Our purpose is to change the public dialogue and policy makers' thinking about diversity, on the basis of solid social science considerations and findings.

All participants will fully participate in the deliberations. Papers can be circulated ahead of time or during the meeting but none will be orally presented in order that the meeting be dedicated to dialogues and attempts to formulate shared principles.

For more information, visit the homepage http:// www.gwu.edu/~ccp or email comnet@gwu.edu.

ISSEI-Workshop 2002:

The 8th International Conference of the International Society for the Study of European Ideas (ISSEI) will be held from 22-27 July 2002 in Aberystwyth, Wales. At that meeting, Jens Rydgren will organise a workshop on "The Politics of Ethnic Mobilization: Democracy or Extremism?".

The topic of this workshop is the politics of ethnic mobilization, indicating a political movement using an identity politics that claims recognition for being different, and which fight for this recognition. Ethnic mobilization in the name of the particularity of a community is sometimes used by minority groups claiming their right to an own nation, as well as by majority groups, as when radical right parties claim the French or Austrian, etc., people's right to be different. Moreover, the politics of ethnic mobilization, understood in this way, has been used by left and right wing groups alike. There is usually a clear-cut division of labor between scholars studying the mobilization of ethnic minorities and those studying right-wing extremism or populism. One of the principal aims of this workshop is to initiate a dialogue between these different traditions and perspectives, in order to map common theoretical implications. All papers should in some way or another deal with the question of how the politics of ethnic mobilization relates to the notions of 'democracy' and 'extremism'. More specifically, I would like to see papers addressing the issues of:

• Mechanisms and effects of the politics of ethnic mobilization.
• Under what circumstances it might be justified to use a politics of ethnic mobilization.
• The possible risks of xenophobia and 'cultural' racism arising from movements mobilizing in terms of ethnic identity rather than in terms of social justice.
• Consequences for liberal democracy.
• Case studies that discuss how political parties and movements have used the politics of ethnic mobilization as strategic means and/or as ideological devices.

Hence, papers can be purely theoretical as well as more empirical in scope. It should also be noted that papers on historical cases are as welcome as papers that address contemporary cases.

Please send an abstract (no more than 500 words) to Jens Rydgren: jens@sociology.su.se Deadline: December 1 2001.

If you need more information about the ISSEI 2002 conference, see http://www.aber.ac.uk/tfts/issei2002