In 2026, the Central European Journal of International and Security Studies (CEJISS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary. How can we better celebrate than with a thematic section that explores the politics of anniversaries? In this call, we invite prospective authors to analyse different aspects of the politics of anniversaries and explore how, why, or to what end anniversaries are constructed, mobilised, and instrumentalised. We are interested in any anniversaries relevant in the context of international politics (as a subject of scholarly inquiry) and International Relations (as an academic discipline, broadly defined). At the same time, we are also open to contributions that incorporate insights from Sociology, Social Anthropology, Political and Human Geography, Post-Colonial Studies, Area Studies, and any other relevant branch of social sciences.
Contributions may focus on the following and other relevant topics:
- The Politics of Commemoration: How are anniversaries used to legitimise political regimes, promote national unity, or advance specific political agendas?
- Contested Memories: How do different groups within a nation or internationally remember the same event in conflicting ways? How are these contested memories negotiated or suppressed during anniversaries?
- Kidnapped Anniversaries: How are anniversaries (mis)used or appropriated by dissent or oppositional actors?
- The Role of Media and Popular Culture: How do media, films, literature, and other forms of popular culture shape the commemoration of anniversaries?
- Transnational and Comparative Perspectives: How are similar anniversaries commemorated in different national contexts? What can comparative analysis reveal about national identities and historical narratives?
- Invisible Anniversaries: Why are some events or figures not commemorated? What does it tell us about power and historical narratives?
- Anniversaries and International Relations: How do national anniversaries affect diplomatic relations, international norms, and historical reconciliation processes?
- The Academic Anniversaries: How do anniversaries within the academic field shape disciplinary histories, canon formation, and future research agendas?
This thematic section builds on and aims to contribute to the memory studies and the politics of memory. We encourage the potential authors to consider, build upon or critically engage with the concepts of imagined communities (Anderson 1983), invented traditions (Hobsbawm & Ranger 1983), ontological and mnemonic security (Mälksoo 2015), timing practices (Hom 2017) and others.
Anderson, B. (1983) Imagined Communities. Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London and New York: Verso.
Hobsbawm, E. & Ranger, T. (eds.) (1983) The Invention of Tradition. Cambridge University Press.
Mälksoo, M. (2015). ‘Memory must be defended’: Beyond the politics of mnemonical security. Security Dialogue, 46(3), 221-237. DOI: 10.1177/0967010614552549.
Hom, A. (2017) 'Patriots all around: Inter/national timing, round numbers, and the politics of commemorative critique'. Australian Journal of Politics and History, 63(3), 443–456. DOI: 10.1111/ajph.12373.
Thematic section information
The thematic sections of CEJISS aim to facilitate a forum for authors to publish timely academic reflections on selected topics. The length of thematic section contributions is 4,000-8,000 words (including abstract, references, footnotes).
- Standard research articles whose ambitions, research goal and framework are adjusted to the length of thematic section contributions (4,000-8,000 words). Papers with a strong narrative are particularly encouraged.
- Sophisticated academic essays (op-eds) that develop or build on the existing theoretical repertoire of International Relations (or closely related disciplines), offer a clear argument and contribute to academic debates.
Articles that lie between the two aforementioned types of papers are also welcome. In any case, thematic section contributions should be of a scholarly character.
For more information, see our general submission guidelines and thematic section guidelines.
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Timeline
- Deadline for abstracts (about 200 words): 30 September 2025
- Abstract selection (acceptance emails): 10 October 2025
- Manuscript submission deadline: 31 January 2026
- Review process and paper revisions: February-May 2026
- Print publication: 30 June 2026
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In order to submit your abstract or get more information, please contact Dr Martina Varkockova (CEJISS Deputy Editor in Chief) at <varkockova@cejiss.org>;. Please use the following email subject: thematic section – politics of anniversaries.
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About CEJISS
CEJISS is a quarterly journal that publishes peer-reviewed scholarly articles across the entire field of International Relations and International Security. Since its foundation in 2007, it has been proudly committed to the principle of open access publishing (no fees to publish, no fees to read). It is indexed in SCOPUS, ERIH Plus, ProQuest, EBSCO, Google Scholar and other databases. CEJISS is currently ranked in Q2 in Political Science and International Relations among Scopus journals (according to SJR 2024).
CEJISS is a pluralist journal. It favours a variety of theories and methods used as well as topics and geographical areas covered. Nonetheless, CEJISS is particularly (but not exclusively) interested in drivers of the contemporary world’s change – from geopolitical shifts, nationalist resurgence and regionalisation to environmental and technological changes.