The Global Caribbean
54th Annual Conference of the
Association of Caribbean Historians (ACH)
San Juan/Carolina, Puerto Rico, June 11-15

The ACH Executive Committee is pleased to announce that its 54th Annual Conference will be held in San Juan/Carolina, Puerto Rico, from June 11 to June 15, 2023. Our plan is to return to hosting the conference in person, but we will continue to monitor the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and will announce any changes in early 2023.

For the 54th Annual Conference, the overall theme will be “The Global Caribbean.” We invite paper, poster, and panel proposals on any aspects of the above theme, but especially those that reflect on how the region has historically influenced global affairs or on the ways that regional and international forces have shaped specific Caribbean experiences and ideologies. The theme allows for interrogation of historically symbiotic as well as contentious relationships between Caribbean identities and global dynamics. Conference papers may address how the region has and actively continues to re-shape national identities and relationships with former and current nee-colonial states, all while negotiating the uncertainty of the present situation marked by political crises and protests, exogenous shocks in the global political economy, and a rapidly changing climate and environment.

In addition to the overall theme of the “Global Caribbean,” the 2023 conference will also welcome papers on the following topics suggested by members after our last Annual General Meeting (AGM):

• Heritage Tourism
• Disaster Capitalism
• Health, Wellness and Nutrition
• Reparatory Justice
• Caribbean Pioneers
• Languages, Multiculturalism, and Conceptual Thought in the Caribbean
• The Caribbean – Lessons for Negotiating a Changing World
• Musicians and Musical Influences in the Caribbean

While papers on these themes are encouraged, applicants are welcome to submit proposals on other subjects.

For those proposing panels, please note that we seek linguistic and geographic diversity and representation. Applicants may also wish to consider that the ACH promotes diversity among panelists regarding institutional affiliation and academic experience. Preference is given to applicants who did not present at the previous conference, held online in 2022.

Proposals must include:

1. The appropriate form for either a paper/poster or panel proposal;
2. A 250-word abstract for each proposed presenter (Abstracts must indicate what new information or approach the work provides as well as the archival or oral sources consulted. Abstracts must be submitted in English, French and Spanish. Proposals that are submitted in less than 3 languages will not be considered for the conference)
3. A brief CV (no more than 3 pages)
4. A brief Bio (no more than 300 words)

Please use the online links for paper/poster proposals and panel proposals provided to make submissions.

Graduate students at an advanced stage in their research are welcome to submit proposals and must include a letter of support from their academic advisors attesting to the strength and progress of their research. Please see Application Instructions below.

All documents should be combined into ONE (1) Microsoft Word document (please do not submit as a PDF). The deadline for proposal submission is October 21, 2022 using the appropriate online form. Any questions can be communicated to Dalea Bean, Conference Coordinator at achconference@gmail.com.

Application Instructions

There are THREE WAYS to participate in the 2023 ACH Conference:

A) PAPER: You can apply to present an individual paper. These applications are reviewed
by the Executive Committee by theme and composed into panels. This requires:

1. The appropriate form for either a paper/ poster proposal;

2. A 250-word abstract (abstracts must indicate what new information or approach the work
provides as well as the archival or oral sources consulted. Abstracts must be submitted
in English, French and Spanish. Proposals that are submitted in less than 3
languages will not be considered for the conference)

3. A brief CV (no more than 3 pages)

4. A brief bio (no more than 300 words)

B) PANEL: You can also apply as part of a panel of 3 or 4 papers. This requires:

1. A panel proposal form.

2. A 250-word abstract for each proposed presenter (abstracts must indicate what new information or approach the work provides as well as the archival or oral sources consulted. Abstracts must be submitted in English, French and Spanish. Proposals that are submitted in less than 3 languages will not be considered for the conference)

3. A brief CV (no more than 3 pages)

4. A brief bio (no more than 300 words)

Please note that while panel organizers may propose a chair, final assignment of chairs is the prerogative of the Executive Committee. Proposed chairs should be experts in the panel field.

C) POSTER: You can also apply to participate in our poster session. This is intended as a fast-paced, fun session for newer scholars or for those embarking on a new project. This requires:

1. A poster proposal form; this is the same as the paper proposal form—just check that you are applying to offer a poster.

2. An abstract of no more than 250 words (abstracts must be submitted in English, French and Spanish. Proposals that are submitted in less than 3 languages will not be considered for the conference.)

3. A brief CV (no more than 3 pages)

4. A brief bio (no more than 300 words)

• Please do not submit abstracts in PDF. The deadline for proposal submission is October 21, 2022. A few more important notes:
• To ensure that graduate student applicants are at an advanced stage of their research, they are required to provide a letter of support from their academic advisors.
• All participants must be current members of the ACH by the time they present.
• ACH presentations include both a pre-circulated paper and a brief presentation at the
  conference. Papers can be written in English, French, or Spanish, and must be no longer
  than 25 typed, double-spaced pages using 12-point font. This includes notes and
  references.

Presentations are intended to introduce the highlights of this written work, and so are strictly limited to 10 minutes.

• Poster presentations include both a shorter pre-circulated paper summarizing research to
  date (no more than 10 typed, doubled-spaced pages using 12-point font, including notes
  and references). Presentations at the conference will be limited to no more than 5 minutes
  and 10 PowerPoint slides.
• Papers for both panels and for poster presentations will be made available online at the

ACH website in advance of the conference and can be accessed only by those who pre-register and pay their registration.

• To allow time to format and post material, presenters should email papers (as a Microsoft Word file) NO LATER THAN March 15, 2023 to: Dalea Bean, ACH Conference Coordinator, at achconference@gmail.com

If, after your proposal has been accepted, you find you are unable to attend, please inform the ACH Conference Coordinator as soon as possible in order to allow us to adjust the programme.

All proposals for the 2023 ACH Conference, with translated abstracts and CVs, should be submitted through the website forms: A paper/poster proposal form or a panel proposal form.

Dalea Bean, Conference Coordinator, Association of Caribbean Historians:

achconference@gmail.com

The deadline for proposals is October 21, 2022. We look forward to your submissions.