Study Days on Arabic Children's Literature in the Time of Genocide

Study Days on Arabic Children's Literature in the Time of Genocide

Tamer Institute for Community Education, in collaboration with its partners, is organizing a three-day event dedicated to Arabic children's literature in the time of genocide. These study days will explore the current reality of Arab children, the critical research and literary works being produced about and by them, as well as the activities designed for children during times of genocide. The study days aim to provide researchers, practitioners, and professionals in the field of children's literature with a platform for open dialogue, discussion, and knowledge exchange. They seek to foster innovative perspectives on the material realities of Arab and Palestinian existence, while emphasizing the notion of the child as an active thinker and agent of change and highlighting the transformative role of imagination in challenging the constraints of reality and creatively rearticulating it.

Additionally, the study days aspire to expand comparative and critical discussions about children’s literature as a medium for preserving memory and safeguarding a sense of place during periods of genocide. The program aims to inspire future generations to transcend colonial, social, and political limitations. Accordingly, it will feature research papers, round tables, and interactive workshops for children, allowing for creative and intellectual engagement, and an opportunity to explore children’s experiences within genocidal contexts across the Arab world and beyond. The study days will be held in Amman, Jordan, on October 5–7, 2025.

Overview

The Palestinian people are facing a systematic campaign of extermination at the hands of the Israeli occupation, a campaign that extends beyond Palestine to impact the broader Arab region. This assault intensified after October 7, 2023, as the occupation targeted every dimension of Palestinian and Arab existence—physical, institutional, and symbolic. This assault encompasses killings, mass displacement, and the deliberate targeting of children, who represent the future, alongside efforts to erase Arab history and memory. Palestinian landmarks—including hospitals, schools, places of worship, museums, archaeological sites, and homes—have been systematically destroyed. These practices are not confined to Palestine but also affect other Arab countries such as Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Iraq, and Somalia. All of this occurs amidst a blatant disregard for international conventions designed to protect children’s rights, ensure their safety, and guarantee their access to education and nourishment. This double standard in the enforcement of international laws is glaring: while some children are afforded protection, Palestinian and Arab children are arrested, used as human shields, or subjected to violence—victims of racist, nationalist, and class-based biases. This ongoing genocide raises profound questions about the future of the Palestinian and Arab people, their identity, and their very existence. How can we comprehend the lived reality of children in such a context? What role does children’s literary production play in preserving memory and fostering resilience? What interventions are needed to support children during times of genocide? And how can we reconceptualize childhood within broader historical and human frameworks? How can we rethink children’s issues in the contexts of culture, education, identity, and the future? What narratives can children construct for themselves about war and genocide, and how can these narratives be shared and circulated? What foundational stories can we present to children to help them process such experiences? What role does children’s literature play in addressing genocide and its aftermath? How can we critically consider the positions of children within the Palestinian and Arab communities in the wake of genocidal war and the ongoing transformations in Arab societies?

Previous literary works and studies on childhood have focused on past historical periods. Today, however, we are entering a new era that necessitates the development of innovative ways of thinking and creativity centered around childhood. This approach aims to provide children with the space and well-being needed to become active participants and partners in the building of their nations. In this context, the study days invite participants to collectively reflect on this new historical era by sharing experiences and approaches related to childhood in the contexts of colonialism, war, and the pursuit of freedom. These reflections may include studies, practical activities, or creative productions designed for children in diverse environments. The discussions will center on, but are not limited to, the following key themes, aiming to provoke thoughtful dialogue and engagement:

1. Theoretical concepts to understand the realities of children living in colonial contexts, genocidal wars, civil conflicts, and revolutions.

2. Global experiences in comparative children’s literature that address colonialism, genocidal wars, and revolutions.

3. The visual language used by children's book illustrators to depict genocide and wars.

4. The concept of trauma, its aftermath, and methods of recovery in children’s literature, particularly within colonial and wartime contexts.

5. Literary and cultural works created by children during genocidal wars, both within and beyond war zones.

6. Literature, art, and activities offered to children as acts of solidarity.

7. Representations of occupation, colonialism, liberation, and resistance movements in children’s and young adult literature.

8. Children’s literature in the digital age during revolutions, displacement, and wars, including emerging practices such as applications, digital platforms, podcasts, and games.

9. Young adults’ use of social media to articulate their causes and shape their narratives during genocidal wars.

10. Innovative literary forms that capture children’s war experiences, such as comics, silent novels, and other creative formats.

How to Apply:

Tamer Institute for Community Education invites researchers, artists, writers, activists, librarians, teachers, and professionals in the fields of children’s literature and education to submit their contributions for the upcoming study days. To apply, please complete the registration form and include a summary of your proposed contribution (maximum 500 words) along with a brief biography (maximum 300 words).

Forms of Participation:

• Research Paper: The research paper must address one or more of the themes outlined above and analyze children's and young adult books. The paper must be original and not previously presented at any conference nor published in a scientific journal or book.
• Round Table: These sessions will focus on specific themes, with applicants, in collaboration with the conference organizers, determining the session title and sub-themes. The sessions may also include the analysis of selected children's and young adult books.
• Interactive Workshop: Activists, writers, and artists working with children are invited to submit proposals for creative writing and art workshops, which will be implemented in the presence of children during school days. These workshops should focus on children's literature and the creative productions emerging during times of genocide.

Deadlines:

• Abstracts submission here. Deadline: February 28, 2025
• Abstract notification of initial acceptance: March 31, 2025
• Deadline for submitting final research papers, concepts for workshops and roundtables: June 30, 2025
• Notification of final acceptance to participants: August 21, 2025
• Study Days: October 5 to 7, 2025, in Amman, Jordan

Important Notes:

• Tamer Institute for Community Education covers participation fees to those whose contributions are accepted in the study days.
• A publication of selected contributions will be considered after the study days.
• Tamer Institute provides a list of titles of children's and young adult books published during the recent genocidal war, as well as a selection of books addressing the topic of wars, for those interested in writing about the topic. You can access the list here: https://rb.gy/5ayegj.
• For any inquiries, please contact us at: resourcecenter@tamerinst.org.
• Individuals interested in participating in the study days are kindly requested to submit their proposals via the following link: https://forms.gle/MhL5UN18CwcU8u8Z8