CALL FOR PAPER, PANEL & POSTER PROPOSALS:
LIBERIA--PERFORMING SYMBOLS OF THE PAST,
REINVENTING SYMBOLS FOR THE FUTURE

Liberian Studies Association 39th Annual Conference (LSA39)
Friday, March 23rd to Sunday, March 25th, 2007
Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

A myriad of symbols-visual, spoken, sung, and enacted-continueto engender a rich communicative pallet for Liberia.

* Lone Star * Rice * Drums
* Matilda Newport Day * Cassava * Elephant Horns
* "The love of liberty * "The time is * Poro Masks
brought us here" now"(taxi)
* Child Soldiers * Palm Wine * Masked Performers
* Blue Helmets * English * Stilt Dancers

Some are indices rich with historic and political meaning;
others are associated with a broad range of cultural and
aesthetic responses.

Liberians, whether as a nation, as ethnic groups, voluntary associations or individuals, have always employed symbols to interpret their past in light of the present and to envision their future, often drawing upon the past. The Deshield Commission Report (1978) gave serious consideration to possible changes in the national motto, seal, anthem and constitution. Others have addressed the need to revisit Liberia's symbols and find ways to re-fashion them to reflect the true national identity, unity, brotherhood, oneness and reconciliation among all Liberians.

QUESTIONS to be addressed include but are not limited to:
(1) How have the symbols on which your discipline
focuses been interpreted in the past?
(2) What symbols are emerging in the post-conflict period
and how are they being enacted?
(3) What symbols might be adopted for the future and how
could they be employed?
(4) What symbols have implications for education,
curriculum, rehabilitation, reintegration?

SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS:
(To be submitted no later than December 1, 2006):

We invite your participation in the following ways:
(1) Submit a 200 word proposal for a 20-minute paper
(with 10 minutes of discussion to follow).
(2) Submit a 200 word proposal for a thematically
organized panel; include proposals for each paper to
be included on the panel.
(3) Students may submit a 200 word proposal for a poster
presentation on any Liberian topic.