A Comparative and Interdisciplinary Conference

February 8-10, 2002

Claremont Graduate University Claremont, California

This conference examines the increasingly potent role of apology as a social force. We will explore in a comparative and interdisciplinary framework the role and function—as well as the limitations—that apology has in promoting dialogue, tolerance, and cooperation between groups confronting one another over past injustices. Our aim is to facilitate an exchange among scholars and students in a variety of disciplines—including history, international relations, sociology, legal studies, psychology, and religion—so that we can better understand the real and symbolic transactions that lie at the core of apology.

Featured speakers will include:
Roy Brooks, Professor of Law, University of San Diego.
Neil Kritz, Director, Rule of Law Program, United States Institute of Peace.
Melissa Nobles, Professor of Political Science, MIT.
Robert Rotberg, Director of the World Peace Foundation Program on Intrastate Conflict, Conflict Prevention, and Conflict Resolution, Harvard University.
Ruti Teitel, Professor of Comparative Law, New York Law School.
Vamik Volkan, Director, Study of the Mind and Human Interaction, University of Virginia.

All papers should represent original research. Submissions from younger scholars are particularly encouraged. Deadline for submission is October 15, 2001; notifications will be made by November 1, 2001. Please e-mail abstracts (350 words) to Amy Donnelly (amy.donnelly@cgu.edu). Please also provide the following: name, mailing address, telephone number, e-mail, institutional affiliation, and academic degrees.

"Apologies: Mourning the Past and Ameliorating the Present" is planned for February 8-10, 2002. The conference will be hosted by The Claremont Graduate University Humanities Center and Scripps College Institute for the Humanities. It will take place on the campus of the Claremont Colleges, a short (25 mile) drive from downtown Los Angeles. Participants should be prepared to cover the costs of travel and lodging. Pending further notice, small sums for travel reimbursement may become available.

For more information, please visit our web site: http://www.cgu.edu/hum/apologies.