21 May 1997
Dear friend,
The International Gramsci Society and the IGS-Italia, of which I am vice-president, are planning an international conference on "Gramsci: From One Century to Another." The conference, which is being organized with the assistance of the Istituto di Studi Filosofici of Naples (directed by Gerardo Marotta) will be held on 16-18 October 1997.
The three-day conference will also provide the occasion to hold the first world congress of the IGS. It will open in Naples on the afternoon of Thursday, October 16th, at the Palazzo Serra di Cassano. The conference will then move to the island of Ischia nearby, where the Friday and Saturday sessions will be held. On Saturday afternoon, the International Gramsci Society will hold its first formal international meeting.
The goal of the conference is to examine the ways in which the diverse readings and "uses" of Gramsci in various political and cultural contexts worldwide contribute to the discourse of liberation of subaltern classes. The following are among the topics we would like to see addressed: rulers/ruled (democracy, freedom); North/South in a global context; ethics/politics; americanism/postfordism; public/private sectors of the economy; new forms of hegemony.
Thus far, we have secured only a very small amount of external funds to cover the costs of the conference. We are, therefore, unable at the present time to defray your expenses should you decide to participate in our conference. We hope that you can obtain the necessary travel funds from your university or institute. If we can be of any assistance in this matter, please let us know. If, between now and October, we succeed in obtaining additional funds, we will use them to reimburse at least part of the travel expenses of partcipating IGS members.
In order for us to be able to make the necessary organizational arrangements (including hotel bookings), it is important that you let us know as soon as possible if you intend to participate in the conference.
I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you and best wishes,
Giorgio Baratta
IGS-Italia, via della Consulta 50, 00186 Roma (Italy). Tel./Fax: +39-6-4744020
e-mail: sole@inroma.roma.it