Call for papers by young researchers: CIDOB International Yearbook 2024

The CIDOB International Yearbook opens the 5th call for papers for its 34rd issue, to be published in 2024

2024
10
May
23:59h
Organized by:

CIDOB

The CIDOB International Yearbook is an annual volume devoted to the analysis and study of international relations and politics. Published continuously since 1990, over its 33 editions the Yearbook has become a standard volume for experts and academics studying international affairs and a key Spanish-language tool for analysing international dynamics, drivers of change and future challenges in international politics, security and economics. 

With the aim of giving young researchers a voice, CIDOB is launching its 5th Call for Papers on the Analysis of International Relations, which is addressed to students, experts and analysts under the age of 30 in order to encourage a renewed vision of today’s international challenges. 

Subjects 

The articles presented should fit into one of the following thematic categories: 

  • The Global South in the international order 

The international order is in flux. This is due to the emergence and consolidation of new international powers that do not share the same values and principles promoted of those who have shaped the current system. Instead, they demand their own voice in shaping a different model of global governance. Following in the wake of countries like China, Russia or Brazil, a heterogeneous Global South is forming, bringing together countries with different geographies and cultures; in fact, they are found in both the southern and northern hemispheres. Today they account for 42% of global GDP, as against 19% three decades ago. These countries share a sense of distrust and marginalisation under the current global governance system, an often traumatic experience of European colonisation, and an urgent desire to address their economic and social development needs. The different positions these countries have taken on the current war in Ukraine and Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, passionate calls for climate justice or the growing sovereign debt crisis reveal alternative conceptions of the global system, and they challenge the prevailing narratives promoted from the West. The Global South is not a conventional regional bloc; rather it is a dynamic geopolitical convergence, the value of which is essentially economic and diplomatic. But do the countries of the Global South really share a common political agenda? What is their vision of the international order and what are their main demands? What do they mean when they call out the West’s double standards? Is there a real risk that a pragmatic international policy lacking a moral compass will triumph in their place? What role can middle powers and new mediators such as Turkey, Indonesia or Qatar play? And what about countries like China, Russia or Iran? Who stands to win and lose in a more equal world promoted by the Global South? If the fracture into several functional blocs materialises, will the world we live in be safer, or more dangerous? 

  • The rise of the new international right 

We have witnessed a rise of the political right over the last two decades – a radical populist right in some cases around the world, as well as in Europe. Employing a xenophobic, authoritarian and Eurosceptic political rhetoric, far-right parties are ensconced in several European national parliaments, in places such as France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands and Spain. The same can be said of the European Parliament, where the Identity and Democracy (ID) group that emerged in the 2019 legislative term already holds 64 seats. According to some polls, it could become the third biggest force at the next elections. Fellow rightists the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), moreover, could take fourth place. There are several root causes of this shift, including a disenchantment with the liberal order, growing inequality and fear over changing demographics and values, fuelling the rise of identity-based nationalism and anti-immigration discourse. This dynamic is by no means exclusive to Europe. It is also present in the United States, Brazil or, more recently, in Argentina. This is of particular interest in 2024, a year in which over half of the world’s population will go to the polls, when we shall see whether this global swing to the right and the far right continues. Apart from political affinities, can we talk about a common and coordinated agenda? What are the main narratives and what relationship do they bear to reality? What are the communication strategies? What impact are they having on the quality of democracy? And what is or could be an effective response on the part of the left? What role do issues such as immigration, gender policy and environmental policy play? What other common denominators are there? 

  • The age of insecurity

Multiple contemporary crises on an international scale – concerning the economy, global health (COVID-19), conflicts or the environment – have had a profound impact on our societies. The imbalances of economic globalisation, inequalities, social unrest expressed in countless protests or the phenomenon of climate change add to the sense of insecurity regarding the present and uncertainty about the future. At the same time, there is a new current of thought that sees insecurity not just as the by-product of a social, political and economic system in crisis; rather it is its essential driver. Moreover, it is the very search for security that ultimately creates new insecurities. The mass consumption of cheap goods generates waste and pollutes the environment; the constant quest for connectivity and information leads to confusion and disconnection; economic disengagement and protectionism can dangerously delay climate mitigation or, in order to gain security today, we incur ever-increasing debts that mortgage our future. This insecurity is reflected on both an emotional and psychological level and on a more objective socioeconomic level: job and economic insecurity, insecurity regarding pensions, housing, the future of the climate or food.

Against such a backdrop, we might ask ourselves whether we really are facing a new era of global insecurity. How can democratic politics address the phenomenon of insecurity in its many forms? Does it affect some groups more than others, or is it a phenomenon that runs through society? What decisions can be made from within national politics but also in international politics to mitigate this insecurity? What impact can the minimum basic income or the safeguarding of the welfare state have in reducing insecurity at the most basic level? Can we turn the widespread sense of insecurity into a driver of empathy, organisation and solidarity? Or is it a lost cause? 

Requirements of the texts submitted 

  • Texts should be focused on the above subjects of research, they should be short, clearly explained and analytically rigorous.
  • Since the call is explicitly aimed at young researchers, the authors must be a maximum of 30 years of age on May 10th 2024.
  • Papers should be 1,200 words in length in English, and 1,500 in Spanish/Catalan. 
  • Papers must be original and unpublished.
  • The originals may be submitted in English, Spanish or Catalan.
  • Works must include an abstract at the beginning (100 words) and a brief biographical note about the author (including date of birth). 
  • The piece should not include footnotes or bibliographical references. Where necessary, these should be mentioned within the text itself.

Timetable 

  • May 10th 2024: Deadline for texts to be received.
  • May 20th 2024: Authors are notified of the results of the selection process.

 Submission 

  • Papers should be sent by email to: anuariointernacional@cidob.org.
  • The email’s subject field should include the phrase “Call for papers for young researchers: CIDOB International Yearbook 2024”.
  • Each author may submit a maximum of two articles to this call.

 Selection process 

  • The editorial board of the CIDOB International Yearbook will be responsible for selecting the three winning papers. The board reserves the right to declare the contest void following the evaluation process of the texts received.
  • All authors will receive confirmation of the receipt of their paper and notification of the result of the selection process. 

Publication 

  • The final winning papers to be included in the CIDOB International Yearbook will be subjected to correction and editing processes to be carried out by CIDOB's editorial team.
  • The papers selected (up to a maximum of three) will be published in the Yearbook’s print and digital editions. They will be publicised and distributed via CIDOB’s website and social networks.
  • In case of consider a text as accessit (second prize), it will not receive remuneration and will be published only in digital format. 

Remuneration 

  • Authors of the texts selected for publication will receive payment of €250 gross for the use of the work. 

Additional information