Call for Papers: Brussels 1927 and the League Against Imperialism

As part of the League Against Imperialism 2027 centenary programme, we’re excited to share this Call for Papers—one of many activities marking 100 years since the founding of the League Against Imperialism (LAI).

Founded in the aftermath of the First World War and inaugurated at the landmark Brussels Congress of 1927, the LAI brought together anti-colonial leaders, communists, socialists, nationalists, artists, writers, and trade unionists from across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Often remembered only in fragments—in memoirs, police archives, or passing references—the LAI was nonetheless a bold and unprecedented attempt to articulate a global, transnational anti-imperialist vision.

Ahead of the LAI’s centennial campaign, this conference invites scholars to critically reassess the history, politics, and legacy of the League, engaging both with new archival research and with the sometimes contradictory narratives that have grown around it in recent scholarship. Topics range from pre-histories and transnational networks to post-Brussels trajectories and intellectual, political, and cultural legacies.

Conference dates: May 13–14, 2027
Location: Amsterdam
Abstracts: 300 words
Deadline: 1 March 2026

This conference is part of the broader LAI 2027 centennial campaign, which brings together events, discussions, and research projects reflecting on the continuing significance of anti-imperialist internationalism—past and present.

For full details and submission instructions, please consult the original Call for Papers here

Feel free to share widely with colleagues, networks, and anyone working on global, anti-colonial, or transnational histories.