Everyday Heroism Conference 2023 | Bethlehem Tertiary Institute | BTI

Welcome to Tauranga, New Zealand & Online

4 - 6 October, 2023

Papaki tū ana,
ngā tai ki Mauao
I nukunukuhia i nekenekehia
I whiua reretia e Hotu
a Wahinerua ki te wai
Ki tai wīwī, ki tai wāwā
Ki te whai ao ki te ao marama
Tīhei mauri ora

Where my sacred mountain Mauao stands,
the tides slaps and moves at his feet,
the power of the ocean is strong and I desire that connection

Bethlehem Tertiary Institute (Te Whare Tauira o Peterehema) is excited to announce that the Fourth World Heroism Science Conference will take place in Tauranga Moana, in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, New Zealand (Te Waiariki, Aotearoa), and Online from 4^th– 6^th October. Hosted at the BTI campus at 24 Elder Lane, Bethlehem, Tauranga, this Everyday Heroism Conference (EHC2023) is the main biennial event for scholars, researchers and practitioners in the field of Heroism Science.

This year's conference theme
Everyday Heroism: Recognising Growth and Transformation in Community

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.

Our strength is not ours alone but due to the strength of many.

Although small in population relative to its size, Aotearoa New Zealand is a bicultural country with a rich reputation as a pristine destination for travellers (gods and humans), Polynesian navigators and seafarers, European discoverers, settlers and colonisers, and migrants from across the globe. Through time, peoples from diverse cultural backgrounds have taken up the call to make their own heroic journeys, settle in this new land, and make better lives for themselves.

Like the flax leaves that are finely woven into the mats (whāriki) that cover the ground that we call home, so the stories of these individuals, families (whanau) and communities (iwi) are the priceless strands that are collected and woven into the fabric of this growing society.

In 2016 Scott Allison, Peter Le Breton and Olivia Efthimiou held the First Biennial Heroism Science Conference in Perth, Australia. This inaugural event suggested to all that in order to fully understand heroic action, a deeper trans-paradigmatic approach would be required that could bring together methods and approaches of the arts, the humanities, and the sciences.

In 2021, Elaine Kinsella and Eric Igou based at the University of Limerick, organised, and hosted the Third Biennial Heroism Science Conference. This conference built upon the foundational thinking and collegial tradition of the first conference and the subsequent scholarship developed by Scott Allison and his colleagues since the second Heroism Science conference held in Richmond, Virginia in 2018. Both events showcased an impressive growth of interest, scholarship, research and practice in this emerging field, which in turn has encouraged the publication of a number of seminal books, articles and many discussions in the field, as well as an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to Heroism Science.

Call for papers

Possible Topics

The organising committee are interested in all proposals related to the conference theme “Everyday Heroism: Recognising Growth and Transformation in Community” from across all academic disciplines and practices.

Broad topic areas that may be covered in the conference include, but are not limited to:

Everyday Heroism
Heroism in Communities
Historic and Cultural Heroes
Heroism and Transformation
Heroism and Belief
Heroic Growth
Physical and mental struggle in the heroic life
The Hero and the Nation
Māori Heroes
Biblical Heroes
The Hero in Popular Culture
Heroism and Social Science
Heroism and Positive Psychological perspectives
Presenting the Hero – in Film, Art, and Literature
The Hero and social media
Heroism and the Planet
The Hero and Social Cognition
Social Justice and Heroism
The Hero and Social Psychology
The Fall of the Hero
The Struggle of Heroic Action
Heroic Imagination
Heroic Bodies

Submitting a Paper

We look forward to receiving your Abstract!

The deadline for submitting an abstract (250-word limit) for a 15-20 minute conference presentation is Monday 29^th May 2023.

Please submit your abstract electronically in MS Word format, using plain double-spaced font (Times Roman 12pt. font) throughout, Wherever possible avoid the use of footnotes and any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline).

Please include a biographical note with affiliation and contact details (150- word limit), and up to 10 key words. In the likely event that your abstract is accepted please indicate if you intend to attend in person or online.

All submissions will be minimally double-blind peer reviewed where appropriate. We will acknowledge the receipt of all paper proposals within two weeks or less. If you do not hear from us, please assume we did not receive your proposal and resubmit using a different service.

As soon as your abstract is accepted for the conference, you can also send a full draft of your paper to be considered for publication in our flagship journal Heroism Science.

Please refer to the “Guidelines for Contributors” to shape your proposed article.

At present the deadline for publication in the journal is Friday 1^st March 2024.

To submit an abstract, please use the subject line: “EHSC2023 Abstract Submission”

To ask questions relating to the conference, please contact the team via email: heroismscience2023@bti.ac.nz

PLEASE NOTE: Wherever possible conferences proceedings will be digitally recorded. By submitting a proposal, you are agreeing to have your presentation recorded and the content disseminated by the conference organising committee.

Registration

EHC2023 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN

Full Conference (4^th-6^th October) IN PERSON and ONLINE day passes (5^th & 6^th October only) will be available on submission and acceptance of your conference presentation abstract.

IN PERSON PRESENTERS

If you are hoping to attend in person, please register for an IN PERSON PASS ($210 NZD or $130 US).

The conference will begin by the welcoming of all onsite presenters to BTI. You will be introduced to their histories, and to the rich culture and heroic stories that have shaped the peoples of this region. Day 1 of the conference will end with a keynote presentation followed by a hāngī (a shared evening meal) at Wairoa Marae.

ONLINE PRESENTERS

The ONLINE CONFERENCE is a chance to participate remotely. We are committed to making the EHC2023 as accessible as possible to our presenters. The ONLINE CONFERENCE PROGRAMME will weave the two parts of the conference together. Streaming video from the IN-PERSON conference to the ONLINE CONFERENCE will enable the EHC2023 to be a semi-hybrid event.

ONLINE ATTENDANCE – is FREE and an ONLINE PASS can be sent to you as soon as your conference presentation abstract has been accepted.

(For more details the EHC2023 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE is available now).

Schedule – PDF version