Volunteerism and Philanthropy: Ideal or Ideology?

Coinciding with the European Year of Volunteering and LCC International University's 20th year as an institution founded on volunteerism, LCC International University (Klaipėda, Lithuania) will be holding a multidisciplinary conference titled Volunteerism and Philanthropy: Ideal or Ideology? on April 8-9, 2011.

Across the globe there is growing interest and involvement in volunteerism and philanthropy resulting in the widespread distribution of necessary resources. Medical research, educational development and the flourishing of the fine arts have been indebted to patrons and benefactors. Nonetheless, volunteerism and philanthropy raise many theological, ethical, economic and sociological questions. What effect do the generous donations of the wealthy have on non-governmental organizations and governmental organizations? Why is it that, in general, volunteerism and philanthropy flourish in capitalist countries? Is it not odd that such generosity flows out of a system dependent on consumerism? 

Do the social democracies of Europe need the concepts of philanthropy and volunteerism? What are the benefits of spreading the ideals in central and eastern Europe and what is and should be the role of politics, the Church, and artists in this endeavor? How can volunteerism and philanthropy help solve social problems without emphasizing social differences? Are volunteerism and philanthropy modern concepts, or perhaps a by-product of the Protestant work ethic? Is the motivation for philanthropy and volunteerism the same for secular humanists as for Christians and other faiths? Volunteerism often has been the purview of missions and the religious. How has their work affected nations and cultural narratives? Likewise, how has literature participated in shaping our understanding of wealth and the philanthropic responsibilities it carries? With this topic this conference aspires to engender dialogue, reflection and new insights.

We accept papers from academic researchers and university teachers, as well as intellectuals working outside of academia. Students are also encouraged to apply and participate. The language of the conference is English but papers may also be presented in Lithuanian. Paper presentations will be no longer than 15 minutes, with an additional 5 minutes allocated for questions. Papers presented at the conference will be considered for publication in the journal LCC Liberal Arts Studies.

Abstracts for Paper Due January 15, 2011
Early Registration Ends March 25, 2011

Fees for attendance:

Early Registration (until March 25th, 2011):
* 90 LTL (26 EUR) – All sessions and Friday reception;
* 35 LTL (11 EUR) – Friday session and networking reception;
* 60 LTL (17 EUR) – Saturday sessions only.

Onsite registration:
* 110 LTL (32 EUR) – All sessions and Friday networking reception;
* 50 LTL (14 EUR) – Friday session and networking reception;
* 70 LTL (20 EUR) – Saturday sessions only.

Contact information: lccaac@lcc.lt

Radvyda Vaišvilaitė
Conference Co-Chair
rvaisvilaite@lcc.lt

Andrew Kaethler
Conference Co-Chair
akeathler@lcc.lt

More information: http://www.lcc.lt/academic-conference/