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First 'Intergalactic' Resistance Studies Conference

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA
June 18-21, 2026 

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University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA June 18-21, 2026

The First ‘Intergalactic’ Conference on Resistance Studies

Building Community and Resilience for Resistance Studies in Times of Repression
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Advancing Resistance Studies Within and Beyond Academia

The first ‘Intergalactic’ Conference on Resistance Studies represents a unique milestone in the development of Resistance Studies as a field. While smaller workshops have been held in Belgium (2016) and Sweden (2018), this will be the first international conference dedicated exclusively to advancing knowledge on resistance to systems of domination within and beyond academia for human liberation. This is a hybrid conference designed to connect participants both in-person and online, ensuring accessibility for scholars and activists worldwide. An Award will be offered to selected quality papers in Resistance Studies.

About

Learn about the aims and background of the Conference.
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Eligibility

Who can join the conference? Information for scholars and activists.
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Topics

Find out about the research scope of the conference and suggested topics.
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Apply to Join

Submit an abstract, workshop or panel proposal, and submit for the Award.
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About

Building a Global Resistance Studies Community in Times of Repression

Our primary goal is to launch a Resistance Studies community, connecting scholars and activists around the globe. This conference is not just a single event, but the foundation for fostering new long-term relationships and collaborative work that will continue far beyond these four days.

At this critical moment in history, research-based resistance has never been more vital. We face a time of escalating violence, the rise of white nationalism, authoritarian regimes, genocide and state-led violence around the world. We want to make it clear that despite the current repressive environment, we will continue to openly work on and grow Resistance Studies and the practice of resistance. We also aim to create a safe platform and space for all dissenting voices around the world to continue their essential work, particularly during these challenging times. It will be essential to connect and avoid isolation, and develop strategies and connections as a way to foster resilience. 

We hope to both encourage those who feel intimidated and silenced, and find practical ways to support the study and practice of resistance in safe and constructive ways. This conference is an act of resistance itself—a declaration that scholarly inquiry and activist practice for human liberation will continue despite attempts at suppression.

Award and Publishing Opportunities

Explore the opportunities to publish your conference paper on the Journal of Resistance Studies and/or  win the inaugural Resistance Studies Best Paper Award 2026, and get all your travel costs covered.

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Hybrid Participation and Online Platform

We understand that it will be difficult for many scholars and activists in this field to travel to the United States. We acknowledge that this presents a barrier, and even a possible risk. For these reasons, while we hope to encourage and actively support those who want to come and attend in-person, we want to make this event as inclusive as possible, with people able to participate meaningfully from anywhere in the world, to open more possibilities for long-term participation and engagement rather than closing them.

For this purpose, we are setting up a comprehensive online platform that will connect us beyond this single event as part of the broader Resistance Studies Network (RSN). The conference will feature:

  • Live-streamed sessions with interactive Q&A for remote participants
  • Online sessions scheduled for different global time zones
  • Virtual networking spaces for ongoing collaboration
  • Support and encouragement for in-person regional gatherings connected to the main conference

The reason we are hosting the main gathering at UMass Amherst is tied to available funding opportunities and institutional support. Given that funding for resistance work is increasingly rare, we want to ensure that we strategically utilize available resources to support a long-term and sustainable plan for Resistance Studies while creating lasting support structures for scholars and activists around the world. This in-person gathering provides the foundation necessary to establish these ongoing initiatives.

Who Can Attend: Bridging Scholarship and Activism

This conference is designed to bring together scholars, activists, and other intellectuals and practitioners in meaningful interaction to learn from each other. We believe that Resistance Studies flourishes when academic research meets real-world practice, creating a dynamic exchange that strengthens both theoretical understanding and practical action.

We invite a diverse group to attend: seasoned faculty, emerging professors, graduate students, community organizers, activist intellectuals, fantasy authors, closet philosophers, and all others who see themselves as “Zapatistas of the Knowledge Makers and Shakers, the Troublemakers United.” We welcome undergraduate students, “professors of the street,” and all who are interested in furthering human liberation through creative and impactful resistance to oppressive systems. If you wondered why the Conference has been named ‘Intergalactic’, in fact, it is because it was inspired by the Zapatistas. We will be joining together in the attempt to go beyond all our boundaries, open up our minds and hearts to explore methods of nonviolent resistance that can be the motor force of change.

For Scholars and Students

  • Present your research to an audience specifically focused on developing Resistance Studies as a field of research
  • Receive valuable feedback on your work from activists who can speak to its real-world relevance and applicability
  • Learn how your research can better support actual resistance movements and struggles, and find new spaces for your research to be applied
  • Connect with practitioners who can help you understand the gaps between theory and practice

We especially encourage scholars to:

  • Present findings in formats accessible to activists
  • Explain key research lessons in plain language
  • Focus on practical implications and applications of your work
  • Engage in dialogue about how research can be more responsive to movement needs

For Activists

This conference offers you the chance to:

  • Connect with researchers to access evidence-based insights and strategies
  • Challenge academic assumptions and provide your own expertise and input
  • Communicate what kind of research your movements actually need
  • Shape how research should be communicated to be most useful for organizing
  • Influence how researchers can better support real-life resistance efforts
  • Share your experiential knowledge and strategic insights with the academic community
  • Connect with other activists and learn new skills

You do not need an academic background to present and participate, and we are open to a diversity of formats. Please submit a workshop proposal or individual presentation.

Interactive Learning Environment

We will feature interactive sessions specifically designed to encourage dialogue and exchange between scholars and activists, moving beyond traditional academic presentation formats to create genuine conversation, mutual learning, and collaborative knowledge creation.

Research Areas

Resistance Studies draws from rich intellectual traditions including anarchist literature, Foucauldian analysis, feminist scholarship, anthropological work, Afro-American studies, Subaltern Studies, James Scott’s work on everyday resistance, queer theory, and many other critical frameworks. 

We welcome everyone interested in confronting violent, dominant systems including but not limited to: patriarchy, class exploitation via capitalism, imperialism and (neo)colonialism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, militarism, religious conservatism, fascism, neoliberal market fundamentalism, ecocide and environmental destruction, individualist fragmentation of communities, technocracy, Western epistemological dominance, exploitative organizations, and other forms of systemic oppression.

We are particularly interested in receiving papers on:

  • What forms of resistance exist and how can we understand them better?
  • What resistance has more impact on dominant power—for example, against US imperialism, European and global fascist movements, or other mass-scale systemic threats?
  • How might we legitimate, build, and advance the field of Resistance Studies within and beyond academia?
  • How can Resistance Studies more strategically relate with adjacent academic disciplines and fields of knowledge, or be mainstreamed within those fields?
  • What forms of repression against resistance exist and how can effective countermeasures be mounted against different forms of repression?
  • What sectarian tendencies exist within resistance groups and how can we undermine problematic dominance within resistance movements?
  • What are the dynamic relationships between different forms of resistance, such as everyday resistance, riots, protests, rebellion, sabotage, direct action, grassroots organizing, prefigurative action, armed resistance, or revolution?
  • How do different resistance strategies and tactics complement or conflict with each other?
  • How can we build safe, supportive networks for resistance work in times of increasing authoritarianism?
  • What are effective strategies for maintaining resistance movements under repressive conditions?

How to apply

Conference Paper Abstracts

Deadline: February 1st, 2026
Length: 400 words

Papers must explicitly relate to “resistance” empirically and/or theoretically 

We welcome activists without academic backgrounds but with systematic reflections on activist experiences with resistance (campaigns, movements, etc.) and evidence-based claims about effective strategies. No institutional credentials are required to submit an abstract.

There will be opportunities to publish selected papers in the Journal of Resistance Studies. Acceptance of the abstract for the conference does not guarantee publication. The editorial team will select approximately 10 exceptional papers.

You are encouraged to submit a full paper before the conference.

MAKE A SUBMISSION

Having trouble submitting? Contact us and submit via email: conference@resistance-journal.org

Conference Panel Proposal

Deadline: February 1st, 2026
Length: 400 words
  • Format: 3-4 presentations per panel (60-90 minutes total)
  • Composition: We strongly encourage mixed panels that include both scholars and activists presenting together on shared theme
  • Focus: Panels should address Resistance Studies topics with diverse perspectives and approaches

Conference Paper Abstracts

Deadline: February 1st, 2026
Length: 400 words
  • Focus: Activity-based workshops focused on any aspects resistance, including for example:
    • Healing from trauma
    • Training for direct actions
    • Creative brainstorming for new action strategies
    • Skill-building for organizers
    • Community resilience practices

We especially welcome:

  • Art and performance workshops that use creative expression to explore resistance themes
  • Creative and interactive formats that engage participants through hands-on activities
  • Workshops based on different cultural practices that bring diverse traditions and ways of knowing to Resistance Studies

Please include in your proposal:

  • Details of any space requirements (room size, layout needs, outdoor space, etc.)
  • Infrastructure needs (audio/visual equipment, materials, supplies, etc.)
  • Any other special requirements for your workshop

Resistance Studies Best Paper Award 2026

Deadline: February 20th, 2026
Length: 12000 words max

We offer an opportunity for the best papers in Resistance Studies to be the first to win the inaugural Resistance Studies Best Paper Award. Our editorial team will select quality submissions, and we encourage applications from scholars worldwide regardless of potential travel limitations. Award winners will receive paid travel, lodging, and waiving of the conference fee. Should selected winners be unable to attend the conference, they will still receive the prize to support their Resistance Studies work. The selected papers will also be peer reviewed and published in the Journal of Resistance Studies.

To be considered for this award, please submit directly a FULL paper draft.

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submit a presentation, panel or workshop proposal, or paper for the award

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Before we get started

Thanks for considering a submission to the 'Intergalactic' Conference on Resistance Studies! Before we get started, we just want to make sure that everything is ready.

The Call for Papers for the Conference is open to both academics and other people who implement resistance through activism, art, community, everyday efforts, and much more. All submissions, not matter your background, should:

  • Have a clear focus on 'resistance' and how resistance influences power relations
  • Contribute to our theoretical understanding of resistance; if you are not from an academic background, we still expect you to articulate coherently how your presentation or proposal contributes to our understanding and practice of resistance, for example, how you sharing your knowledge could help or enrich other activists or researchers

We are open to a wide diversity of worldviews and creative ways of presenting and engaging with resistance, whether drawing from literature, personal experience, cultural understandings or more.

For academic submission, it would be helpful for you to check out our policy statement.

If you have ready, we look forward to reading your submission. Let's go!

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Note: Full paper submissions will be required to be considered for publication. Deadline for full paper submission is May 1st, 2026.

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Workshop Proposals

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IMPORTANT: If after you submit you do not get to a success page or get an email, please send us your submission via email at conference@resistance-journal.org, and let us know about the problem. Check that you have filled all the required fields, including author.

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Are you a researcher or activist interested in nonviolent resistance?

We’re building a community of scholars, activists, and thinkers dedicated to understanding and advancing nonviolent resistance through research and action.

By subscribing to our mailing list, you will:

  • Stay updated on new research and articles that push the conversation forward.
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  • Connect with a growing network of people who, like you, are committed to making a difference.

Our vision is to build a space for collaboration and collective growth. We are interested in hearing from you, learn about new perspectives, think about opportunities for more join initiatives and creative ideas to advance nonviolent resistance. All of this can be possible if we keep in touch with likeminded thinkers.

 Let’s build this movement together.

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Before we get started

Thanks for considering a submission to the Journal of Resistance Studies! Before we get started, we just want to make sure that everything is ready. JRS receives more submissions than we can publish. As a journal for a relatively new academic field, it is important for us to publish texts that contribute to developing 'Resistance Studies' with theoretical ideas, high quality empirical material, interesting analysis, and/or cases from a wide spectra of societal contexts.

Does your article:

  • Have a clear focus on 'resistance' and how resistance influences power relations?
  • Contribute to our theoretical understanding of resistance, or is a better fit for the sociology of social movement field?
  • Include an abstract, citations, and a reference list?
  • Does it follow the guidelines in our policy statement?

If you have answered yes to these questions, we look forward to reading your submission. Let's go!

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