What Should Be Included in My Abstract
Your abstract should do two things: 1) it should describe what you plan to share at the conference and 2) it should help us understand the link between what you plan to share and the idea of a better world. Part of our decision about whether to accept your proposal to the conference will be based on how clearly you convey the connection between your idea and building a better world.
What Type of Project Do I Have
Visual – Visual presentations are displays that include photos, paintings, drawings, sculptures, blueprints, fabric, text, models, posters, props, etc. but do not include video or audio. Participants in this category will have their project displayed for 50 minutes in an assigned exhibition space. They are encouraged, but not required, to stay with their project to explain it to viewers.
Lightning Round – These are 5-minute spoken presentations. You will have access to a computer and screen, so we encourage the use slides as a visual aid. Slideshows should contain between 3 and 5 slides. Although Lightning Rounds are often used to present academic research, anyone is welcome to present in this format if you feel it best fits what you are trying to share. For example, students in the Arts or Humanities may choose a Lightning Round to share their artwork or storytelling.
Performance - Participants wanting to showcase dance, theatre, music, spoken word or other types of performance art will submit using this category. Performances will be limited to 10 minutes.
Film/Video/Multimedia - This category can include excerpts of documentaries and films created by the participants, short videos relating to the theme, or other multimedia presentations (e.g., digital graphics). These projects must not exceed 10 minutes in duration.
How do you decide what proposals to accept?
Decisions to accept or reject a proposal will be based on 1) the relevance of your project to the conference theme, 2) how well you communicate the link between your project and the conference theme of Building a Better World, 3) the creativity and originality of your project, 4) the clarity of your writing and the organization of the content presented in your abstract, 5) the contribution of your project to peace studies/non-violence, and 6) the overall quality of your project and abstract.
What topics are appropriate?
The only restriction on what you can present is that your project must relate to the idea of creating a better world. Otherwise, you are limited only by your imagination. We want to learn from you. Here are some ideas to provide inspiration!
- Activist art
- Community peacemaking/peacebuilding theory and praxis
- Community violence causes, analysis, alternatives, solutions
- COVID-19 and peace
- Political polarization
- School violence causes, analysis, alternatives, solutions
- Structural violence relative to race, gender, sexuality, class, religion
- Justice and reconciliation
- Race relations
- Law enforcement and marginalized populations
- Mediation
- Domestic violence
- Volunteerism
- Restorative justice
- Poverty
- Religious intolerance and/or conflict
- Community corrections
- Community organizing
- Legislative access
- Immigration
- Gun reform
- Internet and social media for peacemaking/peacebuilding
- Post-conflict reconstruction
- National/international law and local politics
- International peacemaking and peacebuilding/peacemaking and peacebuilding across borders
- Ethnic conflict
- Meditation and mindfulness
- Sports for development and peace
- Suicide prevention
- Human rights
- Sexual harassment
- Economic inequity or equality
- Health disparities
- Environmental issues
- Homelessness
I have more questions!
If we did not answer all your questions, contact us at peacecenter@bsu.edu.