CfP: 'Enhancing Transatlantic Governance of Humanitarian Assistance'

Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi - http://www.gppi.net/) Call for Papers: Enhancing Transatlantic Governance of Humanitarian Assistance
The World Conference of Humanitarian Studies, to take place 4-8 February 2009 in Groningen, the Netherlands, provides a meeting ground for scholars, policy makers and practitioners of humanitarian aid. Its aims are: to foster close collaboration and dialogue between these parties, present the state of the art in humanitarian studies and to promote interdisciplinary debate. The conference intends:

Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi - http://www.gppi.net/) Call for Papers: Enhancing Transatlantic Governance of Humanitarian Assistance
The World Conference of Humanitarian Studies, to take place 4-8 February 2009 in Groningen, the Netherlands, provides a meeting ground for scholars, policy makers and practitioners of humanitarian aid. Its aims are: to foster close collaboration and dialogue between these parties, present the state of the art in humanitarian studies and to promote interdisciplinary debate. The conference intends:
- to provide a meeting ground for academic communities and practitioners concerned with in-depth research on humanitarian issues;
- to take stock of the current theory, debates, and issues of
humanitarian studies;
- to reflect on current practice and identify opportunities for improving humanitarian practice; and
- to involve Southern scholars and practitioners more strongly into humanitarian politics, responses, debates, and studies.
As part of the World Conference of Humanitarian Studies, GPPi is looking for papers for its panel on 'Enhancing Transatlantic Governance of Humanitarian Assistance.'
The panel seeks to identify areas for enhancing transatlantic cooperation in the realm of humanitarian assistance. Far from being local events with only local effects, most humanitarian crises today create truly transnational problems. Beyond a shared desire to help, the transatlantic partners face a range of common challenges when natural disasters in developing countries merge with weak governance, chronic poverty, armed conflict and political instability to create `complex
emergencies\'. However, despite important activities and significant experiences in humanitarian assistance on both sides of the Atlantic, the related discussions often seem to run in parallel without merging to weave a genuine transatlantic strategic dialogue. While important efforts at enhanced donor coordination have been made, there remain significant political and conceptual differences relating to humanitarian values, concepts, and policy on both sides of the Atlantic.
The panel represents an opportunity for researchers, policy makers and practitioners to showcase and present their work as it relates to transatlantic governance of humanitarian aid. GPPi is interested in all viewpoints and encourages submissions from all interested parties. People from the Global South are especially encouraged to submit a paper. Unfortunately, GPPi cannot cover travel funds and admission fees. However, the conference organizers provide a limited amount of grants to participants from low income countries.
Excellent submissions may also be considered for publication as part of a policy paper series under the 'Raising the Bar: Enhancing Transatlantic Governance of Disaster Relief and Preparedness' project. Preference will be given to those papers focusing directly on the role of the EU and its member states and the US government.
Final papers should be between 4 000 and 8 000 words, while abstracts submitted to the portal have a maximum length of 250 words. Papers should be completed before the conference date. The deadline for submitting abstracts is October 1 2008.
Please submit abstracts through the WCHS online portal found at: http://webhost2.service.rug.nl/wchs/index.php?id=5