IARS will host its 2024 annual conference in Assisi from July 1st to 4th, with the theme of "Reconciliation and (Social) Justice."

Social justice is a crucial part of Reconciliation Studies: academics, practitioners, and activists alike seek social justice in their work. Its importance in Reconciliation Studies is rarely addressed directly, however, nor has its relationship to reconciliation been sufficiently theorized. In contrast, it’s very developed in other academic fields, such as health care studies; anthropology; environmental justice; migration studies; diversity studies; philosophy, political science, sociology, religious studies and others. Further, social justice is important in most of the world’s religions, including Christianity (Catholic, Reformed and Orthodox) as well as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.

Although the idea of social justice, in a sense, could be traced back to Plato, and certainly to philosophers from the 19th and 20th centuries (John Rawls, Martha Nussbaum, but also John Dewey, Henry Sidwick and Gustavo Gutiérrez, among others). It became extremely important in the 1960s, for example being emphasized in the UN’s “Declaration on Social Progress and Development” in 1969. We are aware that the concept of Social Justice itself is polysemic and it may be difficult to provide an uncontroversial definition of the term. For the IARS conference we focus on the following aspects of social justice:

• Promoting “just” and equitable societies

• Valuing diversity

• Fighting against discrimination due to culture, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, or religion, refugee status, citizenship, socioeconomic status or origin.

• Ensuring fair allocation of resources 

• Support for human rights

• Peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations

• Full participation in society by all members 

• Building multicultural societies: the role of forced migrants

• Creating or re-creating a peaceful society after collective traumas

In Reconciliation Studies, the concept of social justice is connected with diversity and with the creation, or re-creation not only of a peaceful society, but of a pluralistic one. Racial and cultural diversity, as well as religious plurality, freedom of speech and thought, are the pillars of a plural society. The protection of minorities, the elimination of discrimination (racial, sexual, political, religious, disability) and the struggle for women’s rights are all social justice elements relevant to Reconciliation Studies.

The idea of a “just” society involves relationships with others, reconciliation with oneself, reconciliation with others or the “other”, and the vast topic of migration and human mobility. In fact, responsible integration of migrants is essential for the creation of  long-term peaceful societies, especially in this time of fast-paced forced migration. We recognize, however, that the concept of “just” can be controversial and we also invite work that engages with this discussion. 

Therefore, in this conference, the concept of social justice is intended to be interpreted in the broadest way possible and involves many concepts of Reconciliation Studies.