2nd Intl Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment

[Alfred Snider]

Create a global academic footprint for your work and your career.

Great keynote speakers, international draw, quick turnaround on 
submitted abstracts, invitation letter to show your administration and 
help gain support. Last year 120+ attendees and 84+ papers. Join us for 
year two.

2nd International Conference on Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the 
Pedagogy of Empowerment
11-12-13 April 2008, Ljubljana, Slovenia
The conference begins with registration at 1200 11 April 2008.
The conference ends with the closing ceremony at 1500 13 April 2008.
The conference sessions will be held on the beautiful campus of the 
University of Ljubljana Faculty of Administration.

The World Debate Institute at the University of Vermont USA, the 
National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia and ZIP, Za in 
proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga/ Pro et contra Institute for culture of 
dialogue Slovenia invite all scholars and practitioners of 
argumentation, rhetoric, debate, and educators using deliberative 
education methodologies to the International Conference on 
Argumentation, Rhetoric, Debate and the Pedagogy of Empowerment -- 
THINKING AND SPEAKING A BETTER WORLD, 11-13 April 2008, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Main website: http://debate.uvm.edu/betterworld.htm
Application form: http://debate.uvm.edu/conf08appform.doc
News website: http://betterworldconference.blogspot.com/

The conference will welcome scholars and educators from diverse fields 
for vigorous dialogue and exchange.  This conference will unite scholars 
of argumentation and rhetoric, teachers, and organizers of local, 
national and international debating networks to discuss critical 
thinking and advocacy discourse through pedagogy.  We intend for the 
conference to welcome all who are involved in public discussions and 
debates about different issues.
This conference is extremely timely.  A global information society which 
seeks reasoned solutions to problems through broad citizen involvement 
needs to develop and refine techniques for criticizing and validating 
ideas through discourse and then impart these to new generations of 
citizens if we are to create a better future and avoid looming crises.  
This conference represents a unique opportunity to share ideas, network 
and cross-fertilize with global critical thinkers.

The conference will generate a proceedings volume in the form of a book 
with completed papers.  Submissions will be selected from the papers 
available at the conference.

The program for the conference will have three themes.  Submissions are 
encouraged to center their work on one of the three themes and to submit 
proposals to the appropriate conference division.  Interdisciplinary 
work that might fit into more than one category is welcome.

    * Argumentation and rhetoric.  The study of the use of logic and
      reason to criticize and analyze ideas through communication is
      important to our world.  Those interested in research on
      argumentation theory, criticisms of communication acts and
      scholarship on argumentation practice are encouraged to submit to
      this division.
    * Debate.  The use of formal argumentation forums and debating to
      educate and empower citizens is a growing movement throughout the
      world. Those interested in work on the practice and theory of
      debate competition, public debates, research on the impact of
      debate for participants, and theorizing about debate paradigms are
      encouraged to submit to this division.
    * Critical thinking/pedagogy.  Teaching and the methodology of
      teaching in the active classroom is an extremely important field. 
      Those interested in using debate, discussion and argumentation in
      classrooms, discussion of experiences and teaching lessons
      relating to communication and critical thinking are encouraged to
      submit to this division.


Keynote Speakers:

    * *Argumentation - Frans van Eemeren, University of Amsterdam.*
      Frans van Eemeren, perhaps the most noted argumentation scholar in
      the world, has agreed to be the keynote speaker in argumentation
      at the 2008 conference. Professor van Eemeren will also serve on
      the argumentation evaluation committee along with David Williams
      of Florida Atlantic University will also be on that committee.
    * *Debate - Omar Salahuddin bin Abdullah, MultiMedia Univerity,
      Malaysia. Recognized* as the "father of Asian debating" and recent
      winner of the first distinguished service award by the World
      Universities Debating Championship, Dr. Salahuddin has agreed to
      be our keynote speaker.
    * *Pedagogy - Kate Shuster, Claremont Graduate School, USA. *Kate
      Shuster has been a worldwide leader in understanding and applying
      active methods in the classroom at various levels. One of her
      areas of emphasis has been oral literacy and how it can be
      successfully taught. Kate has eight recent books to her credit and
      a number of important works in submission. She is perhaps best
      known for her efforts to promote debating and critical thinking in
      middle schools.


Paper proposals (a less than one-page abstract) should be submitted as 
soon as possible but not later than 15 February 2008. The committees 
will evaluate proposals in hand each month and inform those submitting 
papers of the committee's decision. Full copies of papers should be 
provided electronically by the beginning of the conference. ALL PAPERS 
AND PRESENTATIONS MUST BE IN ENGLISH.

Format for papers will be that of the Modern Language Association. For 
information, see http://www.docstyles.com/mlacrib.htm . You can download 
a copy of the guidelines at http://debate.uvm.edu/dcpdf/mlacrib.pdf .

A committee of conference organizers and scholars will examine 
submissions to each division.
The members of the argumentation division committee are:

    * David Williams, Florida Atlantic University, USA
    * Frans van Eemeren, Department of Speech Communication,
      Argumentation Theory and Rhetoric, University of Amsterdam

The members of the debate division committee are:

    * Bojana Skrt, ZIP Slovenia.
    * Sam Nelson, Cornell University, USA
    * Loke Wing Fatt, SAID, Singapore

The members of the pedagogy division committee are:

    * Alfred Snider, University of Vermont USA
    * Zora Rutar, National Education Institute, Slovenia
    * Maria Wolrath Söderberg, Department of Rhetoric, Södertörn
      University College, Sweden

Proposals and full papers for argumentation should be sent to David 
Williams at davidcratis at hotmail.com
Proposals and full papers for debate should be sent to Bojana Skrt at 
bojana.skrt at siol.net
Proposals and full papers for pedagogy should be sent to Alfred Snider 
at alfred.snider at uvm.edu

Those wishing to attend the conference without submitting a paper are 
very welcome but must register.

The Conference will be held on the beautiful campus of the University of 
Ljubljana Faculty of Administration. The participation fee is 65 Euros 
and covers the conference sessions, reception, coffee breaks and 
materials as well as a banquet. The participants will be accommodated in 
different locations in Ljubljana, depending on the budget option they 
choose. There are different accommodations possible, from low cost high 
school dormitory to moderate hotels in Ljubljana to the best hotels in 
Ljubljana. Low cost accommodations must register through Bojana Skrt, 
while all others must be booked by the attendees. We will be supplying a 
list of suggested hotels soon. The conference is a non-profit project 
and all organizers are unpaid. The participation fee is designed to 
cover costs only.

Please note that registration for admission to the conference and low 
cost housing must be coordinated through Bojana Skrt 
bojana.skrt at siol.net. Registration deadline is 15 March 2008.

The payment for the participation fee should be transferred to ZIP bank 
account by March 15 2008 or in cash on arrival. All inquires about 
application, payment and other information should be sent to Bojana Skrt 
at bojana.skrt at siol.net.

Travel to Ljubljana is possible through many forms. Regular air service 
from most European cities is available, including on a number of 
discount airlines such as Easyjet. Train and bus service is convenient 
with arrivals at the city center. We will not be arranging pick ups from 
arrival points because it is quite easy. We will be publishing low cost 
options for airport pick up.
Ljubljana travel guides can be found at: 
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/europe/slovenia?_http://www.randburg.com/si/ljubljana.html_http://www.ljubljanalife.com/

Organizing committee:
Bojana Skrt, Za in proti, zavod za kulturo dialoga, Slovenia
Alfred C. Snider, World Debate Institute, University of Vermont, USA

-- 
Alfred C. Snider aka Tuna
Edwin Lawrence Professor of Forensics
University of Vermont
Huber House, 475 Main Street, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
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