The newly established interdisciplinary research cluster “Resisting the Path to Genocides” at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, addresses the fundamental question, what enables people to oppose or resist racist ideologies, state discrimination practices or the active participation in mass atrocities in three steps, focusing consecutively on societies, groups or individuals (for more details see our web page: http://college.usc.edu/2020-resistance).

For the first of three international workshops, which one will take place in Los Angeles from May 5-7, 2011, we now seek applications from scholars of any discipline for papers about the question, what prevents states and societies from pursuing genocidal policies and practices? We appreciate case studies (ranging from colonial genocides of the 19th century to contemporary examples) as well as comparative work on genocidal states and societies, but also on countries which did not turn genocidal, such as South Africa. What kind of conditions may prevent societies from tipping into murderous actions? Are institutions or organizations (inside and outside of a country) identifiable which resist genocidal tendencies? We also encourage counterfactual research, e.g. about alternatives which existed but were not chosen in genocidal states as Nazi Germany, Guatemala and others. Since the aim of the cluster is to enhance our understanding how to resist genocidal processes, we also seek contributions which will discuss opposition and resistance in a theoretical way.

The University of Southern California provides unique research resources: the Shoah Foundation Institute Archive with more than 52,000 interviews on the Holocaust as well as on other genocides, The Lion Feuchtwanger collection and a new Holocaust studies collection.

Please send a CV and a one-page abstract of the proposed paper before November 30th, 2010 to: gruner@usc.edu