Independence! Two Centuries of Struggle


Conference overview

Independence! Two Centuries of Struggle is the IX Biennial Conference of the Association of Iberian and Latin American Studies of Australasia.

The year 2010 marks the 200th anniversary of the beginnings of the struggles which led to the fragmentation of Spain’s Empire in the New World. The occasion will be celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic as an important turning point in the history of the modern world. The Constitutional Republics of the Americas which began to emerge at this time endured, provided a model for many in the colonial world, and are now amongst the oldest on earth.

Nor was Brazil unaffected by these momentous developments. The disruption of imperial control provided by Napoleon’s invasion of the Iberian Peninsula led to a chain of events which eventually saw Brazil declared independent of Portugal.

For Spain and Portugal, once the core of European expansionism, the year also had great importance: the loss of most of their imperial territory and ambitions and the beginning of a new position in Europe.

It has often been pointed out that 1810 marked only the beginning of Latin America’s struggles for national independence, rather than their culmination. Debates around the meaning, extent and limitations of independence continue.

While this conference is held at the time of an important historical milestone for Spain, Portugal and Latin America, it is not restricted to the topics which this bicentenary raises. Presentations will reflect all aspects of Iberian and Latin American society, past and present, and will be given in either English, Spanish or Portuguese.

The AILASA conference is preceded by a two-day Mexico: Revolution, Independence and Beyond at the Australian National University from 5-6 July. Details about this other conference can be found on our Mexico conference webpage.
 

Conference program

A program listing the conference's schedule and speakers can be viewed here.

International keynote speakers attending the AILASA conference include:

  • Arturo Arias, University of Texas at Austin
  • Javier Garciadiego,  El Colegio de México
  • Najat El Hachmi, Catalan writer, Author of Jo també sóc catalana (I too am Catalan, 2004), Winner of he most prestigious award in Catalan letters, the Ramon Llull prize, for her novel L'últim patriarca (The Last Patriarch, 2008).
  • Joan Casanovas, Univ. Rovira i Virgili (URV), Tarragona
  • Horacio Tarcus, Universidad de Buenos Aires
  • Adelaida Sourdis, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá
  • Luiz Bernardo Pericás, Universidade de São Paulo
     

Conference Recordings

Several of the presentations are available as audio recordings.
 

Special events

A series of public events will be held in the evenings during the AILASA conference. With the exception of the conference banquet dinner, these events are free and require no RSVP. All are welcome to attend.

El-Hachmi Public Lecture
6-7.30pm, Wednesday 7 July, ANU
Award-winning Spanish author Najat El Hachmi will be presenting a free public lecture entitled 'Writing from the Borderland'. Najat was born in Morocco. At the age of 8 she went with her family to live in Catalonia in Spain. Her writings express concerns about and reflect the (at least) two cultures to which she belongs. Free admission; Refreshments provided; No RSVP required. More details can be found on the public lecture event page.

Art Exhibition Opening
6-7pm, Thursday 8 July, ANU
The AILASA conference has been scheduled to coincide with the opening of “The Moral Meaning of the Wilderness”, the latest collection of works by the esteemed Chilean artist Juan Davila. Free admission; No RSVP provided. More details can be found on the exhibition event page.

Date & time

Wed 07 Jul 2010, 12am – Fri 09 Jul 2010, 12am

Location

Manning Clark Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia

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Updated:  25 May 2021/Responsible Officer:  Centre Director/Page Contact:  CASS Marketing & Communications