Language Weaponization and Socio-Political Change

10th DEH Inter-University Student Conference and Cultural Competition

December 19-20, 2024

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

 

The concept of language weaponization gained prominence within the fields of military studies and political sciences throughout the early 1900s, serving as a descriptor for the control and manipulation of language. It refers to the deliberate use of words, discourse, and language in various manifestations to cause harm to individuals or groups. Scholarly discourse has explored how language education practices, policies, programs, and curricula can be utilized as tools to exert control, undermine legitimacy, deny access to resources and opportunities, and marginalize individuals or communities that differ in appearance or behavior from those in positions of power. 

The weaponization of language can be observed throughout history, starting with the barbaric representations of Indigenous Peoples from the Caribbean Islands and the Americas in the 15th century. This trend continues today, with anti-Black (linguistic) racism, anti-Asian discrimination, and physical assaults in the 21st century, and most recently in Bangladesh, how former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 'রাজাকার ' (auxiliary force of the Pakistan army in 1971 Bangladesh War) barb became the catchphrase of a Bangladeshi student movement in July 2024 and toppled the regime in five weeks, although tension had been mounting for several years. Language, as a socially and politically constructed entity, has also been utilized to empower individuals, cultures, and communities. Consider how powerful slogans such as “চেয়েছিলাম অধিকার, হয়ে গেলাম রাজাকার”, graffiti in a Bangla dialect, “হামার ব্যাটাক মারলু কেন?”  or references to Bangla literature “আসছে ফাল্গুনে আমরা কিন্তু দ্বিগুণ হবো” and the like graced Bangladesh with messages of protest, nationalism, equality, and kinship during the uprising. We see some of these in English literature as well, such as in the character Caliban in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest, who is forced by his oppressor to learn his captor's language and then curses him in that same language. 

Last but not least, the weaponization of language can be traced back to the establishment of Bangladesh, when the weaponization of Bangla against the autocratic regime of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1952, fueled by an economic and social justice agenda, asserted a Bangla-based nationalism to liberate East Pakistan as a sovereign nation, which is now known as Bangladesh. However, in independent Bangladesh, Bangla has been militarized even further to make all indigenous languages invisible and push the one nation, one language ideology.

It is in this context that the Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) invites students of BA and MA in English to explore theme of Language Weaponization, delving into various topics in literature, language, linguistics, cultural studies, communication studies, translation studies, and digital humanities.

The conference comprises two segments: academic paper presentations and cultural presentations. Each is a competition with prizes.

Papers and cultural presentations are invited on, but not limited to, the following areas: 



  • The Language of Power and the Power of the Language

  • Erosion of Free Speech

  • Hate Speech, Bullying, and Fighting Words

  • Language Regulation and Political Correctness

  • Linguistic Imperialism

  • Native Speakerism, Prestige, and Prominence

  • Dystopia and Propaganda through Language

  • Political Allegory in Dystopian Fiction

  • Racialized Discourse in Literature

  • Metafiction and Language Play

  • Postmodernism and the Politics of Representation

  • Language and Nationalism in Political Discourse

  • Language, Migration, and Diasporic Identities in Literature

  • Nation, Nationalism, and Language Weaponization

  • Language Capital and the ELT/TEFL/TESOL Industries

  • Systematic Exclusion of Minority Languages

  • Linguistic Marginalization, Oppression, Mental Health, and Trauma

  • Englishization of Education and Exclusion of Community Languages

  • Linguistic Control, Masochism and Sadism in Literature

  • Conflicting Narratives

  • Literature of Resistance

  • Language, Power and Colonial Discourse

  • Satire as Social Commentary

  • Framing of the Other in Literature

  • Language and Hyperreality in Postmodernism

  • Cultural Identity and Language Revitalization Movements

  • Translation Studies and Linguistic Choices

 

RULES

Academic Presentations

  • Department heads or representative faculty members will select ONE paper for presentation from their institution. 

  • Papers may be co-authored by a maximum of two students, in which case prizes will be shared by the co-authors.

  • Judging Criteria: content, organization, presentations skills, relevance to theme, and use of visual aids 

  • Language of presentation: English

  • Time limit: 10 minutes (8 mins for presentation + 2 mins for Q/A)

  • All papers will be checked for plagiarism and AI usage.

  • Papers will be judged by an independent panel of judges, and the best two papers will each receive a monetary prize, a crest, and a certificate. 

  • All presenters will receive certificates of participation.
     

Cultural Competition

  • Representations may include but are not limited to skits, readings, adaptations, visual interpretations, and documentaries.

  • Judging Criteria: content, quality, process (including time management), relevance to theme, and impact

  • Language of presentation: English

  • Number of members: maximum 10, inclusive of supporting members

  • Time limit: 10 minutes

  • Props: Minimum

  • The Cultural Competition will be judged by an independent panel of judges, and the best two teams will each be awarded a monetary prize, a crest, and a certificate. 

  • Each participant will receive a certificate of participation.

 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

  • Abstracts Submission: October 24, 2024
    [​Submit to: https://forms.gle/UeELvuNpJBPsXeA98]

  • Full Paper Submission: November 21, 2024

  • Team Member Names for Cultural Competition: November 21, 2024
    [Submit to: https://forms.gle/Xwmgpk7NNYEgQFGC7] 

  • Registration: December 5, 2024
    (Lunch and snacks will be provided for registered participants only)

REGISTRATION FEES

Presenters: Tk. 300 /presenter

Cultural Teams: Tk. 300/participant (max. Tk. 3000/team)

(Payment by Bkash or in person)

EMAIL: [email protected] 

Venue: ULAB Permanent Campus, 688 Beribadh Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka

10th Anniversary Special

Art Exhibition

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

I. Eligibility

  • One submission per university.

  • Artwork MUST adhere to the theme of language weaponization.

  • All forms of visual art, including but not limited to painting, drawing, photography, and digital art, are welcome.

II. Artwork Specifications

  • Maximum Artwork Size (framed or canvas size): 18 x 24 inches (48 x 61 cm)

  • Artwork must be original and unpublished.

  • Artworks must be properly framed and ready for display.

III. Submission Process

  • Submission Format: High-resolution digital images (JPEG or PNG) of the artwork.

  • Image file names should include the student's name and artwork title.

  • A brief artist statement (maximum 50 words), including email address and university name, for display with the artwork.

  • Submit to: https://forms.gle/yU5yRNA5L5gxa1Nj6  

IV. Selection Process:

  • A panel of judges will review the submissions and make selections.

  • Selections will be based on creativity, originality, and artistic merit.

V. Copyright and Ownership:

  • By submitting your artwork, you grant the Department of English and Humanities at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh the non-exclusive right to display and promote your artwork during the exhibition.

  • You retain all copyrights to your artwork, and it will not be used for any purpose other than social media promotion and the exhibition without your explicit consent.

  • Any sales inquiries regarding your artwork will be forwarded to you, and the university will not take a commission on sales.

VI. Return of Artworks:

  • Artworks must be collected by the artists at the end of the exhibition on October 18, 2024 by 4.00 pm.

  • Failure to collect artworks by the specified deadline may result in the university taking temporary custody of the art until further arrangements are made.

  • **Please note that the Art Exhibition is NOT a competition.

 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES 

  • Artwork Submission for Selection: November 21, 2024

  • Artwork Selection Notification: November 28, 2024

  • Submission of Artwork for Display: December 17, 2024

  • Registration Deadline: December 5, 2024
    (Lunch and snacks will be provided for registered participants only)

 

REGISTRATION FEES

Artists: Tk. 300 /presenter

(Payment by Bkash or in person)

EMAIL: [email protected] 

Venue: ULAB Permanent Campus, 688 Beribadh Road, Mohammadpur, Dhaka