My current PhD research is inspired in large part by my father’s personal interest in social diversity and the problem of systemic discrimination that targets minority groups and vulnerable populations in the contemporary world. As a doctoral student specializing in the domain of Religion, Ethics and Public Policy, I believe that the subject-matter of the event is highly relevant to the present-day social climate of increasing racial, ethnic and religious discrimination in Western democracies. This lecture series will take place on an annual basis during each Fall semester, beginning this year (2019).The event will run for FOUR (4) consecutive weeks. The dates of the lectures are as follows: THURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 2019 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 30, 2019 THURSDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2019 THURSDAY NOVEMBER 14, 2019
The lectures will take place from 7:00 – 9:00 pm in the Chapel of the McGill School of Religious Studies Birks Building, located at 3520 University Street. A question and discussion period will follow, as well as a reception in the Senior Common Room.
On each night throughout the series, there will be two (2) guest speakers presenting separate lectures. The lectures will be on a specific theme related to questions of hate, discrimination, extremism and violence that targets religious communities as well as other minority groups. Lectures will examine issues around of range of topics, including: Christian fundamentalism and far-right extremism, Neo-Nazism and white supremacy, Islamophobia, Bill 21 and Quebec society, secularism, religious freedom, religious visibility in the public sphere, Anti-Semitism, hate speech, immigration in the twenty-first century, and the question of religious/ethnic minority rights in democracies, which bring to bear the complex and deeply-rooted relationship between law and religion. The central aim of this symposium of lectures is to bring people together to honour my father’s memory in the pursuit of knowledge of a series of topics that are highly pertinent to today’s increasingly fragmented and globalized world. Ultimately, in honouring my father’s memory tonight, it is my hope is to stimulate dialogue between academic Professors, students and other members of the public who are interested in these issues, which are of great relevance to the domains of politics, sociology, public policy, and religion more generally. With postmodern globalization and a significant number of advances in the domain of technology, there has been greater proliferation of hateful and discriminatory rhetoric, coupled with an increase in violent extremist movements. It is only through proper education and dialogue, which brings to bear the importance of memory and the historical past, that societies can collectively work towards countering these dark and divisive forces.
TO OBTAIN TICKETS:
*N.B. All lectures are FREE and open to the public. If you are interested in attending any of the lectures, please click on the following link to register via EVENTBRITE:
THE SPEAKERS
Dr. W.Y. Alice Chan
Dr. Víctor Muñiz- Fraticelli
Dr. André Gagné
Rabbi Adam Scheier
Dr. Martin Geoffroy
Dr. Nathan B. Oman
Dr. Shauna Van Praagh
Dr. Morton Weinfeld
FOR BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION ON EACH OF THE GUEST SPEAKERS, PLEASE CLICK THE LINK BELOW, OR ON EACH OF THE DISPLAYED PHOTOS. ALTERNATIVELY, THERE IS A LINK TO THE GUEST SPEAKERS PAGE IN THE NAVIGATION MENU ABOVE.