CALL FOR PAPERS
International Conference
Need to Know III:
Them vs. Us. Image of the Enemy
Visby (Sweden), 26–27 September 2013
The work of intelligence agencies is an integrated part in both domestic and foreign policy. Governments want to keep their eyes on possible threats and security risks. The aim is in general to foresee threats to the political system and the states’ sovereignty, or to obtain advantages in dealing with opponent or foreign powers. In any case, a states’ perception – or image – of its enemy is vital
to how well the state or its organizations are able to benefit from collected intelligence. Fundamental ideological bias or group thinking may divert resources into false directions, making imagined enemies appear almighty or enable actual security threats to slip under the radar.
The image of the enemy also plays an important part in the battle for hearts and minds. Enemy spies or illegal networks in a given state are portrayed as villains and their goals as illegitimate. In contrast, the domestic services are portrayed as having only noble goals and as either credible or at least merely a deterrent. The means are a variety of media strategies, intelligence professionals appearing in the public, writing memoirs or even producing popular culture like movies, novels or cartoons. In the end the image of the enemy may determine the degree of cooperation in the population and thus in the end the security of a nation.
The image of the enemy is furthermore a tool for intelligence practitioners in their operative work. Elaborate psychiatric profiles and preparation are key elements in recruiting sources in a hostile environment. Thus, knowing one opponent is also a matter of operative psychology. Using human sources to one’s own end – with the risk of disclosure, severe punishment and in some cases death – also raises ethical dilemmas and the fundament morals issues of the intelligence business.
The discussion about the image of the enemy hereby connects to a broad variety of complex issues with relation to intelligence matters. The conference “Need to Know III” will focus on the following questions:
– How do the enemy operations influence the intelligence agencies, their structures, methods and goals?
– How does intelligence organization internally use the image of the enemy to create an esprit de corps?
– How does bias influence analytical and operative judgment?
– How does multinational cooperation influence these images?
– How do intelligence services present themselves and their enemies in the public?
– How is the public image shaped by popular culture?
The conference will primarily deal with cases and discussions from the Cold War and Post-Cold War era.
The conference is organized by the Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation, the University of Gotland after July 1 part of Uppsala University (Sweden), the Center for Cold War Studies of the University of Southern Denmark and the Baltic Intelligence and Security Studies Association.
The language of the conference will be English.
All those interested are encouraged to participate – both as presenters and as auditors. The conference organizers will cover the accommodation, meals, and travel expenses for the presenters.
Conference participation is free of charge.
The deadline for conference paper proposals (to be submitted on the attached form) is April 30, 2013. Please enclose, along with the proposal, an abstract of your paper of 500–700 words in English, and copy of one published academic text (no less than 5000-6000 words with footnotes) or a link to it, if it is available on-line. The text can be available in English, German, Russian, Polish, Czech, Slovak, Danish, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian and French. The conference program will be made available by the end of May 2013.
Submissions should be sent to: anna.piekarska@ipn.gov.pl
or:
Anna Piekarska
Instytut Pamięci Narodowej
Biuro Edukacji Publicznej
ul. Towarowa 28, 00-839 Warszawa
POLAND
“Konferencja 2013”
fax: +48.22.431.83.80
For additional information please contact: anna.piekarska@ipn.gov.pl