The Rouge Forum News seeks articles, graphics, and related material addressing the pedagogy of World War II as we approach the 60th anniversary of the end of the war.

In the current context of the US engaged in what its leaders promise is a perpetual war, clearly a war for resources, raw materials, markets, social control, and cheap labor; it is reasonable to expect that there will be an outpouring of scripted curricula which seeks to position the US as central to the defeat of German and Japanese fascism, nearly 60 years ago, in 1945. The official school curricula will probably underline existing standardized material, and be linked to directive forms of teaching, and high-stakes exit exams.

We are especially interested in articles from classroom teachers, from academics, and from independent researchers who take up the history, the methods of teaching, and the social context that surrounds that. However, we also seek material from historians and others, directed mostly to re-examining the history of WW II.

We believe it is possible to teach children from the perspective of their class, their future class, or the class where they locate the greatest hope. It is not necessary, then, to teach children along the lines of a retreating telescope; neighborhood, city, state, nation, etc., which may be a profound base for parochialism and nationalism.

We also believe that children need to know that while the US played a significant role in WWII, key roles were played by the Soviets, the Chinese, and the working classes around the world. The dispossessed were, we think, key in defeating fascist aggression. Investigations that work along those lines would be of special interest.

The Rouge Forum News is juried by k-12 teachers, university professors, students, and parents. It is published online and in hard copy. The online version of the Rouge Forum News is visited by 14,000 people per month. 5000 copies of the print version circulate. Most of the readership is in the US and former UK.

Abstracts are due August 25 2004. Final papers due November 30 2004. MLA format suggested. Direct abstracts to Agoslee@pipeline.com