Call for Papers: International Conference “Need To Know II: Lessons Learned
Odense, October 16-17, 2012
Intelligence Studies are in their essence the history of intelligence. Learning from past intelligence is therefore the key to have the public, politicians, media, as well as practitioners understand intelligence better. What are the possibilities, the risks and the limits? Questions like security, privacy, and surveillance are often discussed in most European countries. These are all questions, which relates to the overall theme of intelligence. Intelligence and counter intelligence service have in the past decade been called for, to provide security solutions for the citizens of Europe. However, this should be done in a way that also secures the citizens rights to privacy. This is of course a matter of intelligence ethics. Yet, doing intelligence without bothering the large part of the population is also a question of efficiency and thus ultimately a question of future security. Good intelligence practice must:
* Target the correct threat,
* Apply cost-effective operations,
* Respect privacy,
* Produce a non-biased analysis,
* Be an effective interface to decision makers.
Most history and experience show that these factors are rarely omnipresent in the intelligence process. Often bias distort both operations and analysis, or the wrong threat is pointed out, or operational work is done badly. And the original security aim – for instance combating foreign agents or terrorist – are not met.
The past half century have shown that the intelligence organizations are constantly presented with new tasks and challenges. Thus, they very rarely get the chance to look back and evaluate past events to draw historical lessons for the future. However, one could ask, how intelligence services today can combat terrorism, without evaluating what actually happened on the terrorist scene in the 1970’s and 1980’s?
The “Need to know II” conference 2012 offers a chance to look back at the Cold War and the 1990’s to evaluate what can be learned from contemporary history. The conference sets out to explore the unique possibilities that European Intelligence research has had since the ending of the Cold War.
The conference raises the questions:
* What can be learned from historical HUMINT cases?
* How can European operative psychology research by strengthened?
* How did political bias distort intelligence in East and West?
* What were the boundaries to intelligence and when did it become counterproductive?
* What new insight can be won by comparing archives in East and West?
The conference is organized in cooperation between the Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation, and the Center for Cold War Studies of the University of Southern Denmark.
English will be the language of the conference.
All those interested are encouraged to participate – both as presenters and as auditors. In the case of the presenters, the accommodation, meals, and travel expenses will be covered by the conference organizers. Conference participation is free of charge.
Тhe deadline for conference paper proposals (to be submitted on the attached form) is May 20, 2012. Please enclose, along with the proposal, an abstract of your paper of 500–700 words in English, and copy of one published academic text (no less than 5000-6000 words with footnotes) or a link to it, if it was available in the Internet. The text can be available in English, German, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Danish, Swedish and French. The conference program will be made available on June 10, 2012.
Submissions should be sent to:
or:
Anna Piekarska
Instytut Pamięci Narodowej
Biuro Edukacji Publicznej
ul. Towarowa 28, 00-839 Warszawa
POLAND
“Konferencja 2012”
fax: +48.22.431.83.80
For additional information please contact:
Към новина: 22/02/2012 "Need To Know II: Lessons Learned"