International Conference on Natural Law and Human Dignity

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS (Extended till April 30th)

International Conference on Natural Law and Human Dignity

African Natural Law Conferences (Second Edition)

Date: 14th to 17th August 2024

Venue: Pan-Atlantic University (Lagos, Nigeria)

Organizers:

Institute of Humanities, Pan-Atlantic University (Lagos, Nigeria),
in collaboration with Strathmore University (Nairobi, Kenya).

Theme: The Application of Natural Law Principles and Methods to Addressing Contemporary Issues affecting Human Dignity in Social, Economic, Political, Legal, and Technological Contexts

Background:

The concept of natural law has been a fundamental aspect of philosophical and legal discourse over the centuries, providing a framework for understanding and guiding human behavior and conduct in private and public life. Human dignity, the inherent and inalienable worth of every human being, serves as a foundational principle in ethical and legal frameworks globally. As contemporary society grapples with complex ethical, professional, social, economic, political, legal, and technological problems, it is imperative to critically reflect on the relevance and application of natural law principles and methods in addressing these problems to better protect human dignity in our time.

Objectives:

The International Conference on Natural Law and Human Dignity aims to convene philosophers, legal scholars, ethicists, tech experts, human rights advocates, and public policymakers to engage in a multidisciplinary dialogue and critical reflection on the following objectives:

  1. Explore the practical relevance of natural law in addressing contemporary problems in ethics, law, politics, business and technology.
  2. Examine the relationship between human dignity and natural law, considering the ethical implications of individual autonomy and freedom, human rights, and responsibilities within legal and social frameworks.
  3. Investigate the intrinsic connection between human dignity and natural law, particularly in the context of social justice and the rights and dignity of immigrants, and the vulnerable populations.
  4. Analyze the practical implications of natural law and human dignity for addressing pressing global challenges such as environmental sustainability, intergenerational justice, and technological advancement, particularly, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) revolution.
  5. Foster collaboration and knowledge exchange to develop actionable strategies for protecting human dignity and human life against the contemporary “culture of death” that is manifest in international and intra-national wars, euthanasia, abortion, infanticide and child trafficking.

Key Themes:

The conference will feature paper presentations, plenary session and networking opportunities to facilitate in-depth discussions and knowledge sharing on the following key themes (and more):

  1. The role of natural law in shaping jurisprudence and governance around the world;
  2. Application of natural law in addressing issues in business ethics;
  3. Human freedom, autonomy, and moral agency;
  4. Human dignity, human rights, and social justice;
  5. Natural law and ethical challenges in AI;
  6. Interdisciplinary approaches to applying natural law principles in personal and social ethics;
  7. Ubuntu, natural law, and other philosophies in Africa; and,
  8. The ontological foundation of human dignity.

Target Audience:

The conference welcomes participation from scholars, researchers, legal professionals, ethicists, policymakers, human rights advocates, and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that engage in the study and application of natural law principles and methods, human freedom, and human dignity.

A $100 prize will be awarded to the student with the most outstanding paper presentation at the conference.

Submission Guidelines:

Please, prepare an abstract of not more than 350 words for anonymous review and submit it in .pdf, .docx, or .doc format. The document containing the abstract should only contain the abstract’s title and the abstract. The author’s name, email, or any other personal identifying information should not be included in the document containing the abstract. Kindly, specify your name, institution (if any), and title of the abstract in the body of the email.

Kindly, email your abstract submissions to iohconference2024@pau.edu.ng with the Subject Line PAU-SU 2024 Natural Law Conference.

Deadline for the Submission of Abstract: April 30, 2024

Notification of Submission Outcome: May 25, 2024

Deadline for Full Paper Submission: July 15, 2024

A call for papers will be issued to invite original research contributions related to the conference theme. The accepted papers will be published in the Strathmore Law Journal, African Legal Traditions Registry, Journal of Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (JIPIT), among others.

Registration Fee:

$100 (early bird) for foreign based participants and $120 (late registration).

N70,000 (early bird) for local participants and N80,000 (late registration).

$50 and N20,000 (early bird) for foreign and local based students respectively.

The registration fee covers only the conference materials, breakfast, tea and lunch, and Conference dinner on 16th August (for all participants) and ground transportation (for foreign based participants only). Participants are responsible for their flight and accommodation costs.

A list of recommended hotels around Pan-Atlantic University and decent accommodations in the student hostels within the campus will be made available to interested participants. 

Registration link: https://bit.ly/IOH-Natural-Law-Conference-2024

For questions and enquiries, kindly, contact Celestine Kezie (ckezie@pau.edu.ng) or Juan Carlos Riofrio (jcriofrio@gmail.com).

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