The history of confronting totalitarianism, both as a personal and a collective experience, delivers a universal message in the face of contemporary challenges of radical political evil.

Totalitarian regimes marked their presence in the 20th Century as a phenomenon of industrial mass society, political violence and militarized mono-parties. Invited panellists, guest speakers from Poland and the U.S. deliver keynote papers and participate in round table discussions, bringing together broad expertise from both Western and East European perspectives and creating an invaluable cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary forum to explore all facets of the experience of totalitarianism.

The conference took place at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia, on 15-16 November 2022.

The Totalitarian State: History Versus Memory of the Soviet Repressions Moderator:
- Dr. Mateusz Werner (Pilecki Institute, Poland) Panelists:
- Dr. Tahmina Aslanova (Baku State University, Azerbaijan) The Role of Public Consciousness on Changing Political Environments in Post-Totalitarian Societies: the Case of Russia
- Dr. Mykola Bryvko (National Historical and Memorial Reserve, Kyiv, Ukraine) Propaganda of Stalin’s Political Representation in the Mass Media of the USSR as a Component of the Totalitarian System
- Olga Lebedewa (Pilecki Institute, Poland) 5 minutes Before the Tragedy: the Narrations About the Soviet Past in Russian Museums on the Eve of the Russo-Ukranian War

01:30:11-02:33:57 KEYNOTE LECTURE Prof. William Risch (Georgia College, USA)
02:33:57-03:45:03 Dimensions of Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism Moderator:
- Dr. Bartłomiej Kapica (Pilecki Institute, Poland) Panelists:
- Dr. Sebastian Bartos (Valdosta State University, USA) Before the Authoritarianism of the Modern Secular State: Liberty and Tyranny in Medieval Lesser Poland
- Prof. Magdalena Nowak (University of Gdańsk, Poland) and Dr. John Dunn (Valdosta State University, USA) Micro-Totalitarianism. German-Polish Stamp Wars, 1938-1945
- Adesanya M. Alabi (Karabuk University, Turkey) Annotation of Totalitarian Regimes and Instances in Africa: a Call for Historical Nuances

03:45:04-04:57:26 Debate: Totalitarianism & Communism Moderator:
- Dr. John Cornell (Pilecki Institute, Poland) Panelists:
- Prof. Mark Kramer (Harvard University, USA)
- Prof. William Risch (Georgia College, USA)
- Dr. Bartłomiej Kapica (Pilecki Institute, Poland)

04:57:27-06:29:49 The Concentration Camps in the Totalitarian Regimes Moderator: Dr. Mateusz Werner (Pilecki Institute) Panelists:
- Pierluigi Bolioli (University of Pisa, Italy) The Role of Concentration Camps in the Definition of Fascism Authoritarianism
- Alina Nowobilska (Pilecki Institute, Poland) Auschwitz on TikTok
- Israel Abayomi Saibu (Anchor University, Nigeria) A Junta in Civilian Toga: Authoritarianism in Nigeria Fluid Political Space 2015-2021

06:29:50-07:22:41 GRADUATE ACADEMY Moderator: Dr. Bartłomiej Kapica (Pilecki Institute, Poland) Panelists:
- Kaitlin Martinelli
- Alexandria Nash
- Zane Whitney

07:22:42-08:18:43 GRADUATE ACADEMY Moderator: Dr. Dominika Uczkiewicz (Pilecki Institute, Poland) Panelists:
- Tahel Goldsmith
- Lydia Roberts

08:19:42-09:07:12 ROUND TABLE WITH STUDENTS Totalitarian Regimes in the 20th Century – is that Topic Still Important? Panelists:
- Tahel Goldsmith
- Kaitlin Martinelli
- Alexandria Nash
- Zane Whitney
- Lydia Roberts