Slavery Past, Present & Future: 10th Anniversary Global Meeting - Call For Papers

Slavery (the treatment of humans as chattel) and enslavement through conquest, birth, gender, race, ethnicity, kinship, and exploitation of indebtedness have been an intrinsic part of human societies.

Slavery and a variety of other forms of exploitation existed in ancient societies across the world, and in many other states and territories.  The Transatlantic Slave Trade furnished at least 10 million Africans for slavery throughout the Americas. 

Controversial and contested estimates indicate that up to 40 million people worldwide are enslaved today.  This modern re-emergence of slavery into public view, following legal abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade over two hundred years ago, is said to be linked to the deepening interconnectedness of countries in the global economy, overpopulation, and the economic and other vulnerabilities of individual victims and communities.

But should we think of these people as enslaved? And, if so, is slavery an inevitable part of the human condition? Like ‘consumers’ of past eras, such as early industrialization, are we dependent on the exploitation of others? What do the persistence and mutations of different forms of exploitation mean in the context of abolition and recognition of universal individual and collective human rights? 

The varieties of contemporary forms of exploitation appear to be endless. This interdisciplinary conference will facilitate a multidisciplinary exploration of slavery and enslavement in all its dimensions. 

Submissions are sought from people from all walks of life and identities, including:

• Academics: from all disciplines, such as art, film, anthropology, sociology, law, history, ethnic studies, politics, social work, economics, mass communication and any field that touches the study of exploitation
• Civil society members: human rights activists, leaders in non-governmental organizations, and others in the NGO or social advocacy fields
• Professionals: social workers, lawyers, corporate social responsibility and business ethics professionals, business leaders, and health care professionals
• Government actors: representatives, policymakers, lobbyists, and analysts
• Global citizens with personal connections to slavery or exploitation: former enslaved persons or indentured laborers and their descendants, descendants of enslavers, members of at-risk populations, migrant or guest workers, non-regularized immigrants, and refugees

Potential Themes and Sub-Themes:

We particularly encourage submissions from those in the Global South.

As our conference venue is in Dublin, we are especially interested in hearing from those researching and/or knowledgeable about the histories and legacies of Irish or British participation in, connections to and experience of slavery in different forms and eras.  As always, however, we welcome papers on a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to those listed below.

1. Defining Slavery
2. Slaveries of the Past

The Transatlantic Slave Trade

The Arabic/Islamic Slave Trade 

Indigenous (African/Asian/European/Native American/Pacific) Slavery Practices

The Involvement of Africans/Asians/Europeans/Native Americans/Pacific Islanders in the Perpetration of the Slave Trades

Hidden Figures/Methods of Enslavement

The Role of Indigenous (African/Asian/Europeans/Native American/Pacific Islander) Traditions and Religions

3. Public Health Policies in Enslaved Societies

Health Deficits and Disease among Enslaved People

Slavery and Health on Plantations

Forced Medical Experiments

Freed Blacks’ Post Abolition Health Inequalities

4. Human Trafficking and other Forms of Contemporary Exploitation

Geographic Routes

Corporate Involvement

Root Causes      

International Institutions and the US TVPA Regime

Anti-Slavery Politics and Funding

Hidden Figures of Human Trafficking

(Dis)similarities Between Historic and Contemporary Forms of Human Exploitation

Consideration of the Modern Trade in Human Beings as a Business and Enterprise

5. Voices of the Enslaved, Enslavers, and Descendants

                Oral Histories

                Written First Person Narratives

                Visual Art, Music, Fiction and Poetry

                Published Histories and Biographies

6. Legacies of Slavery

Scientific Racism

Racism and Tribalism

Gender Discrimination

Social and Economic Inequalities

Underdevelopment

Colonialism and Neocolonialism in Britain and its Former Empire

The Challenges Posed by Law Enforcement        

7. Anti-slavery and Abolitionism – Past, Present and Future
8. Transitional Justice

Reparations

Memorialization

Monument Building

Sites of Resistance

Living Quarters and Burial Grounds of the Enslaved

Human Auction Artifacts

Historic Marker Campaigns

Archive Development

9. Education Initiatives

Global Initiatives- Comparative Perspectives

Role of Museums, Exhibits, and Archives

Mis/Non-Educating About Slavery and its Legacies

Tentative Schedule:

• 23^rd June, Tuesday: ‘Legacies of Slavery in Dublin’ walking tour, exploring Dublin's connection to the slave trade, highlighting the historical sites involved and their legacies. The tour will profile a range of Dubliners – from investors and philanthropists to widows and profiteers – who participated in slave ownership in the Caribbean between the years 1763 and 1833.
• 24^th June, Wednesday: Conference proceedings
• 25^th June, Thursday:  Conference proceedings 

Submitting Your Proposal:

Please use this form linked below to submit your proposal. The form gathers a small amount of contact information and then allows for a file upload of your proposal, which should be in Word.doc or docx.

Submit your proposal here.

Proposals should be submitted no later than Wednesday, Feb 11th, 2026.

Queries to Dr Rachael Scally, scallyr@tcd.ie