The 76th MALAS conference invites proposals regarding genealogies of freedom, independence, and sovereignty in the Americas to trace their legacies and ongoing reconfigurations across Latin America and the Caribbean. Independence was not simply declared from above; it was lived from below through the actions of soldiers and militias, urban workers and rural laborers, women who sustained and subverted political orders, enslaved and free Afro-descendant populations who seized on the contradictions of liberal ideology, and Indigenous communities who pursued their own survival and sovereignty on their own terms.

 

As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of its independence, this moment invites critical reflection. Situating the United States as one experience among many, rather than as the singular model of modern self-determination, invites critical and comparative understanding of how freedom, independence, and sovereignty have been defined, debated, and reimagined across the Americas. Much like the fight for freedom and independence in the United States, Latin America followed similar trajectories: prolonged conflicts, fragile alliances, and competing visions that gave rise not to a single founding moment, but to a series of uneven, disputed, and regionally distinct ruptures. The Haitian Revolution, for example, still epitomizes struggles for political sovereignty, inseparable from tensions over race, labor, bodily autonomy, and the meanings of freedom across the hemisphere. Efforts to articulate continental unity–such as the Congress of Panama in 1826–also underscore both the possibilities and limits of postcolonial coordination in the face of internal divisions and external pressures. 

 

Today, scholars challenge traditional narratives about revolutionary wars in the Americas and the social consequences of processes of nation building and modernization. They have opened new pathways for more inclusive histories that foreground Indigenous and Afro-Latin cultures, as well as studies on the growing political and social representation of women and LGBTQ+ individuals in shaping national and regional identities. At the same time, activists have identified state officials as agents of environmental destruction. Thus, in so doing, they affirm the rights of people and communities to govern their natural resources according to local needs, knowledge, and sustainability, as reflected in anti-mining movements, Indigenous land claiming, and struggle over climate policies in island nations.

 

Therefore, the 76th MALAS conference aims to rethink conceptions of freedom and independence, and to broaden established notions of sovereignty to include often overlooked voices, marginalized agencies, and environmentalism. We invite academics, students, independent scholars, practitioners, and artists to exchange ideas about intra-regional and inter-regional cooperation in order to enhance cultural understanding and build social tolerance throughout the Americas and beyond. We welcome contributions from all disciplines.

 

MALAS is an interdisciplinary organization and welcomes papers on a variety of Latin American topics such as Regional Organizations, Immigration, Environmental Studies, Sustainable Development, Gender Policy, Migration, Caribbean Affairs, Social Justice & Human Rights, Democratic Processes, Latinos in the U.S., Culture and Identity, Free Trade Agreements, Economic Policies, Indigenous Peoples, Latin American Cinema, Political Science, Country Studies, Natural Resources, US-Latin American Relations, International Relations, Literature, Art, Music, Contemporary History & Landscape, New Technologies, Architecture and Urban Studies, and Regional Economic Integration, among others.

 

FORMAT OF SUBMISSION:

Abstracts should define the subject and outline the argument to be presented at the conference. The content of the presentation must be the product of original research related to the people, places, and things of Latin America. Each submission should have a title, a 250-word abstract, and your contact information. It should also specify the type of participation (Individual Paper, Panel, or Workshop) and language of presentation (Spanish, Portuguese or English). After acceptance and at the time of registration you may choose whether to present in-person or virtually. This is a hybrid conference. In the case of an organized panel session, all presenters should be either in-person OR online.

 

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION FORMAT:

Individual Papers: Abstract for individual papers may be submitted for consideration. The accepted presentations will be organized into sessions by the conference organizers.

 

Panel Sessions: Organized panel sessions may involve a minimum of three and up to five panelists in the presentation and should include discussion of content, and materials. Panel sessions may address a multitude of topics about Latin America, as the MALAS conference is multidisciplinary and international in nature. Presenters are encouraged to collaborate with colleagues and professionals from different campus units/offices and/or with colleagues from other institutions for greater consideration. Potential presenters should submit their papers individually and not as part of a panel per se; the committee selecting the papers will determine in what day and time slot to place the panel.

 

Workshop: A workshop provides an opportunity for the presenter(s) to involve participants in interaction, including hands-on activities and discussions. These sessions should include the presentation of appropriate material and allow ample time for participant engagement, discussion, and action planning, as appropriate. Workshop submissions are expected to include a chair and have no more than four (4) total presenters (including the chair).

 

TIMELINE:

• The deadline for proposals is August 14, 2026. 

• Accepted presentations will receive notification of acceptance by September 18, 2026. 

• Conference registration and payment need to be made by October 2, 2026. 

• Presenters are expected to attend the annual conference either virtually or in person to present at the scheduled session(s) on October 23-24, 2026.

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