MENTOR26: Humor Against Authoritarianism: Memory, Resistance, and Democracy in Europe Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences Athens, Greece, February 25-26, 2026

The MENTOR project (Organised by Panteion University, in the framework of the MENTOR Project (CERV-2024-CITIZENS-REM) explores the ways in which humour was used as a form of non-violent resistance in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes in 20th-century Europe. Building on interdisciplinary research and educational innovation, the project focuses on the role of jokes, cartoons, and graffiti as tools of dissent, subversion, and psychological survival.

As part of the project’s outreach and dissemination strategy, this International Academic Conference will bring together scholars, practitioners, and civil society actors from across Europe and beyond to explore the power of humour in contexts of repression and its relevance for contemporary civic engagement.

Objectives

• To disseminate the research findings of the MENTOR project
• To expand the geographic and thematic scope of research into humour under authoritarianism
• To foster interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration
• To highlight humour as a vehicle for memory, identity, and democratic resilience

Submission Guidelines

We invite original proposals for:

• Individual papers (15–20 minutes)
• Thematic panels (3–4 speakers + chair)
• Artistic or media-based presentations (e.g. short film screenings, visual art analysis, poster presentations)

Submissions must include: Title and abstract (300–500 words); Author(s) name(s), affiliation, contact information; Short bio (100–150 words); Preferred panel/topic area

• Deadline for submissions: November 2, 2025
• Notification of acceptance: November 30, 2025
• Full paper submission: February 15, 2026

List of Topics

Topics include but are not limited to:

• Humour Under Dictatorships
  • Whispered jokes and underground humour
  • Press cartoons, satire, and graffiti as political tools
  • Country case studies (e.g., Greece, Italy, Spain, Austria, etc.)
• Censorship, Subversion, and Semiotics
  • Strategies for circumventing censorship
  • Audience decoding and subtext 
  • Role of humour in mass media during repression
• Gender and Humour in Resistance
  • Women’s voices and satire
  • Gendered aspects of humour production and circulation
  • Comparative perspectives on participation
• Migration, Youth and Civic Education
  • Using humour to foster inclusion and critical thinking
  • Intergenerational memory transmission
  • Lessons for civic engagement and radicalization prevention
• From Past to Present: Humour as Democratic Practice
  • Satire in the digital age: memes and political resistance
  • Gamification and public history (e.g. digital games, card games, etc.)
  • Contemporary implications for European democratic values

Invited Speakers

• TBA

Publication

Selected papers will be published online.

Venue

The conference will be held at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, 136 Syngrou Ave., 17671 Athens, Greece.

Contact

All questions about submissions should be emailed to gskarp@panteion.gr