2023 CSA Conference

CSA Annual Conference 2023


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Call for Abstracts

47th Annual Conference, Caribbean Studies Association (CSA)

“Transforming Our Caribbean: Sustainable Educational Research, Cultural Creatives, Sacred Traditions, Economic Development and Environmental Solutions”

St. Croix, Virgin Islands (US) | June 5th to 9th, 2023

Submission Deadline: 31 January 2023 (midnight, EST).

Transforming Our Caribbean through proactive exchanges grounded in society building efforts are essential. The Caribbean- Caribbean isles blended with Central and South America bordered by the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic/Pacific Oceans- continue to navigate life beyond global pandemics, social unrest, hurricanes, earthquakes, climate change, environmental terrorism, international wars, disaster capitalism and more. In many respects, the Caribbean has survived and continues to progressively thrive beyond the tremendous losses experienced during and within the on-going aftermath of the C19 pandemic. This is a time for the integration of interdisciplinary and transcultural frameworks for existing and developing educational programs promoting respectful, diverse, equitable and inclusive analyses of the Caribbean historical, social, economic, cultural, spiritual/religious, and sustainable civilization experiences.  These are important parts of the Caribbean transformative experiences. Inclusivity of research, teaching, and production beyond the centuries of inaccurate narratives and institutional erasure via “colonialocracy” (Corbin: 2020) are essential. The practical traditions essential in contemporary times for incorporating life-centered liberating expressions central to the history, culture, heritage, and traditions of Caribbean civilization require increases in creative, innovative, futuristic, and holistic constructive critical theories balanced with practice for designing, implementing, and managing social frameworks for development of a more humane society within the Caribbean and the world.

Major Themes for the CSA2023 Conference:

Sustainable Educational Research for Transforming Our Caribbean

Sustainable development that encourages community-centered, public, and private sector interdisciplinary resource building are essential for creating more productive and humane Caribbean.  Diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential elements for theoretical discourse on practical approaches for creating sustainable educational exchanges within Caribbean communities for civilization building. Public awareness and educational programming that addresses the Caribbean realities of the UN Sustainable Development Goals require research, study, and actionable deliverables for the restoration of shared humanity fostering life. This theme welcomes papers inclusive of research-based data related to: Comprehensive sustainability resource plans for select Caribbean communities; New educational teaching strategies for sustainable social development; Epistemic and decolonizing initiatives of Caribbean educators; 21st century sustainable developments of health and human welfare, clean energy, and water systems; and related areas. 

Cultural Creatives and Praxis within Transforming Our Caribbean

Caribbean transculturalism and translingualism continue to create a diverse tapestry of the ancestral, indigenous, traditional, and new contemporary philosophical principles and praxis grounded in decolonization of cultural creative expressions and systems.  The integration of multidimensional aspects of the arts- dance, theatre, music, visual, performance and complemented with digital creations- continues to provide a new framework for transformation of Caribbean civilization.  This theme welcomes presentations related to: Interdisciplinary and new media presentations of contemporary cultural creative productions addressing human rights and public awareness; limited visibility of decolonized Caribbean mindsets in creative performance art productions; methodological paradigms of wisdom teachings linked to Caribbean cultural traditional and new modern artistic expressions with humanities research/content; creative productions/performance/exhibitions on Caribbean culture, heritage and education; current practices among Caribbean Cultural Creatives; and related research, study and implementation.

Sacred Traditions and Influences on Transforming Our Caribbean

The inclusivity of socio-religious and socio-spiritual philosophies and practices in the Caribbean within colonized spaces seeking authentic decolonization of spiritual, political, economic, and other social affairs and lenses demand transformation.  The realities of invisibility and intentional erasure of Indigenous, Afrakan, or other Caribbean sacred traditions by colonial primary religions of contemporary Christianity, Islam and Judaism have created new dimensions of divisiveness and antagonisms in the region and globally. Explorations and reclamation of spirituality, intercultural sacred heritage traditions, identity and socio-spiritual practices among Caribbean persons and the wider society’s acceptance continues to be a serious issue as human rights violations in this arena are abundant. This theme welcomes research-based papers and innovative presentations on topics inclusive of yet not limited to: Caribbean-centered restorative spirituality practices; traditional religions and spiritual systems within 21st century Caribbean regions; impact of colonization on public expressions of Caribbean-centered sacred traditions; Human rights, discrimination and social developments of spirituality perspectives in the Caribbean; and related theme-based study, practice and realities impacting Caribbean civilization.

Economic Development for Effectively Transforming Our Caribbean

Current economic realities of Caribbean civilization continue to have challenges with historic links to colonization, socioeconomic exploitation, disaster capitalism, and other actions of domestic and international inequitable engagement within economic affairs regionally and internationally.  21st Century strategies and new economic programs of action are being implemented to transform and diversify economic futures for the Caribbean.  This theme welcomes papers on topics inclusive of: Comprehensive integration of Caribbean economies in current industries; Inequities of economic opportunities in other than 3rd world societies/communities; Challenges and possibilities for functional sustainable economic development in the Caribbean; and related areas of study, research and more.   

Environmental Solutions in Design and Process Modes for Transforming Our Caribbean

The Caribbean continues to be exposed to dangerous and challenging environmental practices linked to remnants of colonization, socioeconomic exploitation, and disenfranchised physical environs with limitations of water, air and related natural resources disappearing and being contaminated with little if any concerns to the humans living in these spaces.  The customary model of exclusion of the respective communities impacted the most by institutionalized environmental violations and developments is common in the Caribbean and other geographic spaces with ancestral indigenous legacies. This theme welcomes papers on topics inclusive of yet not limited to: Social and environmental design models for creating better survival outcomes for preparedness for increasing hurricanes and natural disasters in the region; agribusiness, eco-tourism, and related investments impacting Caribbean environs; Food security and sovereignty; Civil society networks creating solutions for Caribbean environmental crises; Creative energy resources impacted by limitations of land and water resources; Effectiveness of Maritime/Agriculture research and commercial practices; and futuristic planning for climate change impacting the Caribbean; strengthening liberating perspectives of Caribbean environmental culture; and related areas of study, research and development.

CSA accepts individual papers, as well as collective panels and workshops. CSA wishes to make the CSA2023 St. Croix Conference as interdisciplinary as possible.  CSA warmly encourages our members to propose ideas for panels, workshops, round tables, film screenings, poster presentations, and related creative research presentations based on multiple disciplines and languages in alignment with the overarching theme of Transforming Our Caribbean. CSA welcomes a wide range of participants: researchers, academics, teachers, students, community activists, cultural managers, performance/visual artists, archivists, writers, philanthropists, environmentalists, and creative persons of diverse experiences supporting the Caribbeanist vision, mission and focus of CSA- regionally and internationally.

Sending Your Abstract Proposals:

CSA Members are to submit all proposals online via the CSA’s website http://www/caribbeanstudiesassociation.org (no emails).

The deadline for sending abstract proposals for CSA2023 is Sunday 31 January 2023.

  • All proposals of participation, both individual and collective, must be articulated to one of the major themes/topics of the Conference. You MUST select the theme/topic of your choice to start the submission process.
  • Collective proposals include fully constituted panels (3-4 presenters and presentation titles needed for each presenter), workshops (1 or more facilitators), poster presentation (1-2 presenters), film screening (1-2 presenters), or round tables (3 to 4 presenters inclusive of presentation titles as needed).
  • Those proposals of participation that are collective (i.e. fully constituted panels, workshops, round tables) must select ONE PERSON to act as coordinator and representative of the proposal (preferably the chair/moderator). This person will submit the ENTIRE collective proposal indicating the panel/workshop/round table title, the abstract and the names and information of all its members. For fully constituted panels, all presentation titles must be included in the collective panel proposal; abstracts for those presentations can be uploaded with the submission as well. Round table panels should include all presenters and abstract but no individual presentation titles are needed. Letters of acceptance of collective proposals will include the names of all members and will be sent out to the coordinator (chair/moderator), and all presenters/speakers listed on the proposal will receive a copy of the acceptance. The coordinators of collective proposals are responsible for any changes to their panels and presenters’ information, and for communicating about scheduling concerns or changes as may be required.
  • The abstract (or summary) of the proposal should be no more than 125 words for individual papers and 250 words for collective proposals (i.e. fully constituted panels, workshops, round tables). Fully constituted panel proposals must be coordinated and submitted by ONE person and include all the co-presenters’ information and presentation titles.
  • The titles of individual proposals and collective proposals (fully constituted panels, workshops, round tables) should not be more than 70 characters (CSA reserves the right to edit them if needed).
  • The participants should indicate in which language they will present.
  • Please send the titles and summaries of your proposals in at least two languages (English, Spanish, French, Dutch, Creole languages such as Haitian creole, Papiamento, and others). Multilingual summaries/abstracts will be published in the online version of the program.
  • Be sure to include any technological, working and translating support you may need in the proposal.
  • Fully Constituted Panels should include at least three (3) and no more than four (4) people, including the moderator of the panel, whose name should be included in the proposal. This person should be the coordinator and key contact person of the collective proposal.
  • Fully Constituted Panels should include multiple disciplines, institutional affiliations, and languages (for example, the participation of postgraduate students and junior professors with senior professors, scholars, activists or professionals in the social sciences, arts and humanities, and other disciplines would be welcome).
  • CSA welcomes film presentations, visual art exhibitions and performances related to the themes of the conference. Please submit those proposals through the Submissions Portal on the CSA Website – and follow the Call for Submissions for Film, Visual, Creative, and Performance Arts on the CSA website.
  • CSA welcomes presentations in the Author Celebration and Literary Salon. Please submit those proposals through the Submissions Portal on the CSA Website – and follow the Call for Submissions for Author Celebration and Literary Salon on the CSA website.
  • CSA welcomes Poster Presentations. Please submit those proposals through the Submissions Portal on the CSA Website – and follow the Call for Submissions for Poster Presentations on the CSA website.

Membership rates are payable on or before Sunday 1st January 2023 (membership rates apply on a calendar year basis and all memberships end December 31st of each year). ALL presenters must be registered dues paying members in good financial standing. You should register and pay registration fees by Wednesday 15th February 2023, so that all proposals appear in the program.  Details about membership rates and registration are published on the CSA’s website. Registration fees are non-transferable.

CSA offers a limited number of travel scholarships to support our current and future members who are not funded by their institutions/countries and who would not be able to attend the conference without support. Further details on how to apply for the travel scholarships, criteria, and deadlines, will be available by request to secretariat@caribbeanstudiesassociation.org

For any further inquiries or assistance about the CSA2023 Conference, please contact:

Program Committee Chair, Meagan Sylvester at the following email address: program.chair@caribbeanstudiesassociation.org

NOTE: Please note that that the 47th CSA Conference continues to be guided by the policies governing the payment of membership dues and conference registration fees which are non-refundable and non-transferable. Please view the registration webpage for the payment guidelines and stay tuned to updates on the CSA website: http://www.caribbeanstudiesassociation.org/. To present at the conference, you are reminded that you must pay both membership and registration fees as the CSA website allows for renewing and new members to pay both membership and registration payments using one payment portal.

Looking forward to your contributions, support and active participation for a successful live and physical CSA Conference in St. Croix, Virgin Islands (US) from June 5th to 9th 2023. https://www.caribbeanstudiesassociation.org/annual-conference-2023/

[ CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT ]


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