CFP: Resilient Communities, Resilient Archives: Protecting Heritage, Memory & Land in Palestine & Lebanon

Resilient Communities, Resilient Archives: Protecting Heritage, Memory & Land in Palestine & Lebanon is an online conference to held Friday-Saturday, November 21-22, 2025, from 2pm to 7pm Jerusalem Time / 7am to 12 pm Eastern US Time. From the call:

This online conference is an opportunity to come together for knowledge exchange, to further strengthen our networks locally and regionally, to meet and greet with global decision makers and funders, and to plan collaborations on future initiatives. We are seeking proposals on topics related to the themes of archiving and heritage protection in the Global South, including: 

• 15 minute professional or academic/educational talks

• 1-hour panels (3 panelists)

• 1-hour roundtables (4-6 discussants) 

Co-convened by Dr. Jamila J. Ghaddar, Dr. Ana Roeschley, Dr. Mariam Karim and Rima Ghanem, this conference seeks to confront the urgent threat of cultural erasure in Palestine and Lebanon by centering the voices of local archivists, researchers, and community stewards. Despite immense challenges, these guardians of history persevere in documenting and preserving their heritage, yet their vital work is constrained by a critical lack of resources, training, and state coordination. In direct response, we are building a foundation of decolonial archival praxis, prioritizing local leadership and community ownership as well as open and replicable tools, global replicability, and expanding technical possibilities for preservation. This work is bolstered by strong academic and civil society networks, creating a sustainable ecosystem of support. Through this conference, we are highlighting needed voices in international debates on transitional memory, digital archiving in conflict zones, and community-centered models of heritage so we can together contribute to a broader global shift toward ethical, equitable, and community-embedded digital preservation. 

When registration opens, the conveners will release information about registration bursaries to address barriers to participation. The deadline to submit proposals October 26th.