Many Faces of War 2024 Call for Papers, and Why I Won’t Attend

The International Ancient Warfare Conference Many Faces of War conference will take place in roughly June or July 2024 at Brookings, South Dakota. I attach the Call for Papers then my reply to the organizers why I do not expect to attend this one as I did in 2022 and 2023.

Dear all past IAWC participants,

I am delighted to send you the call for papers for the next iteration of my annual interdisciplinary conference Many Faces of War held here at SDSU in March 2024. 

This year’s theme is Invasion, insurgency, escape, and Citizens in honor of the 80^th anniversary of the D-day landings, the formation of the Italian Liberation Corps, and ‘The Great Escape’.

2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the D-day landings. This conference will examine D-Day and the roles of citizens in insurgency and aiding prisoners of war. It also encourages papers on warfare throughout history on all aspects of invasion, insurgency, and the role of citizens in war both as liberation movements and counteroffensives against an invading force.

The conference aims at an interdisciplinary approach and underappreciated aspects of war and nation building are especially welcome. All periods of history are of interest.

Full consideration will go to those attending in person from North America. Zoom is strictly for those worldwide scholars or those unable to travel to South Dakota. 

For inclusion in the publication volume following the conference you must attend in person if in North America, or be based in another continent.

My response was as follows:

I am writing from the first place (and the first academic event) outside the Salish Sea which I have visited since September 2020.

However, as long as the IAWC MFOW has a policy of favouring people who plan to attend in person, I do not think I will apply for either in-person or remote attendance. Remote attendance at conferences is too important for those vulnerable to infection, those with care responsibilities, and those with limited access to funds to attend conferences. Keeping that option is just as important in the COVID era as wheelchair accessibility or options for special food preferences.

It has become especially difficult that if one decides to accept the risk of attending a conference, there is often additional pressure to take on extra risk at short notice such as attending indoor meals without scoping out the local infection rates and the site’s air quality. And given the systematic removal of monitoring and public health measures (and the chaotic world situation), it is increasingly difficult to estimate risks in the first place.

I can’t keep the big (and expensive and risky) classics and ancient history conferences from pretending its 2019, but I can speak up on this one with a few tens of attendants.

Edit 2023-10-24: corrected the name (sometimes these conferences go under the name IAWC, but this one will be a Many Faces of War)

(scheduled 17 October 2023)