Finn Forum IX call for papers Thunder Bay Conference - deadline Dec 15

FinnForum is an international conference held every few years and it brings together an inter-disciplinary group of academics to present the results of their research. This year FinnForum will be held in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where the community will also be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the building of the Finnish Labour Temple. The theme for FinnForum IX is “Finland and the World: Past, Present and Future.” The intent is to open FinnForum up to a broad spectrum of contemporary research on Finnish social, economic and political presence in the world.  The Journal of Finnish Studies has agreed to publish papers from the conference and we urge you to participate in this event. The organizing committee for FinnForum IX invite you to consider making a presentation at the conference.

The deadline for submitting proposals for papers is December 15, 2009.

Finn Forum IX is an international, interdisciplinary conference in Finnish, Finnish-North American and Finnish Diaspora Studies, to be held at Lakehead University in 2010. Since 1974, Finn Forum has developed into a premier international conference that provides a public arena where scholars working in widely dispersed locations and diverse disciplines come together to present the results of their research. The eight previous conferences have been held in, Sweden, the United States, Canada and Finland.

Every forum offers opportunities to present research within a specific thematic approach. The first round of conferences looked at the immigrant communities and activities within North America; the second looked at questions relating to ethnicity and multiculturalism, for the third the theme was widened to include the whole interdisciplinary spectrum of Finnish Studies.  Finn Forum IX in Thunder Bay will expand the focus to include the contemporary Finnish social, economic, and political presence in the world.

The theme for Finn Forum IX is Finland and the World: Past, Present and Future. We welcome submissions dealing with Finnish history, migration, culture and language. In this era of globalization we also encourage submissions for presentations and panels focused on contemporary cultural, social and economic aspects of the Finnish Diaspora and the country’s impact on the on the world.
Finn Forum IX will also be a celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the building of the Finnish Labour Temple in what is now Thunder Bay, Ontario. The Finnish Labour Temple’s history is a reflection of the history of Finnish immigration and settlement in North America. The temple was completed in 1910 through the combined efforts of the Finnish-American Workers’ League and the Finnish New Attempt Temperance Society. Throughout the last hundred years, it has been host to political rallies, theatrical productions, concerts, motion pictures, sporting events, and festivals. The Finnish Labour Temple continues to serve the local Finnish community as its most important public meeting place.

Finn Forum IX will result in a publication of selected papers and scholars presenting at the conference will have an opportunity to publish their research.

Send your proposal for a presentation or panel, (150 word limit) along with a short C.V., to Shirley Kauranen, skaurane@lakeheadu.ca or Ron Harpelle, harpelle@lakeheadu.ca. The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2009. Visit our website for more information about the conference. www.finnforumix.ca.

Conference takes place May 26-27, 2010 at the Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel, Thunder Bay, Ontario