The Hrant Dink Foundation, the Turabdin Syriac Culture and Solidarity Association, the Mardin City Council, the Mardin Bar Association, the Mardin Chamber of Physicians and KAMER Foundation Mardin Branch announce a conference on the topic of “the Social and Economic History of Mardin and the Region”. The meeting will take place in Mardin on 2-3 November 2012.

In the course of the 19th century and the first quarter of 20th century the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Turkey have undergone a significant social and economic transformation. While academic interest to study these developments has been quite substantial regarding western provinces of these states, academic curiosity regarding eastern provinces has largely lagged behind. Although eastern provinces certainly experienced similar processes, scholarly works on their economic and social life as well as their transformation are few. Rather, a sharp neglect and amnesia can be observed regarding eastern Anatolia in the 19th and early 20th century. Likewise, records, archives and monographs on its economic and social life, as well as records on the social movements that took place in the region are very limited.

The aim of this workshop, similar to conferences previously organized by Hrant Dink Foundation on Adana region and Diyarbekir region is to understand and analyze in detail the social and economic transformations between 1838 and 1938 in Mardin province, a province which embraced a variety of religion, language and culture over centuries, and to promote and publicize recent academic research on the subject.

The meeting will be held in Mardin, the venue will be communicated in due course; Working languages of the meeting will be English and Turkish;

In order to reserve time for Q&A sessions and discussions, speakers will have 20 minutes for their presentation;

Transportation and accommodation expenses of participants from outside Mardin will be covered if institutions they belong to cannot ensure coverage;

The meeting is organized from an interdisciplinary perspective. It is open to the participation of researchers working on the history, economic history, sociology, political science and demography of Mardin and its region between 1838 and 1938;

Papers that would focus on the interaction between the various communities living in the area at the time are encouraged;

Researchers who would like to participate in this meeting should submit by 30 July 2012 a 250-word summary of their papers, along with a CV to the address below:

Hrant Dink Foundation / Hrant Dink Vakfı
Halaskargazi Cad. Sebat Apt. No: 74/1 34371 Osmanbey - Şişli Istanbul / Turkey
or via e-mail to eminekolivar@hrantdink.org.