Call for Proposals:

The State of (In)Equality: Social Justice Under Siege
Toronto, Canada.
October 28-29, 2017
Hosted by: Humber College and the International Festival of Authors (IFOA)

Keynote Speaker: Susan Herman, President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

Submit A Proposal: www.humber.ca/liberalarts-ifoa/call-proposals


Description:
The perceived orthodoxy of progressive politics has come under attack in recent years by individuals, groups, and institutions that believe their actions and speech are being policed. The term ‘social justice warrior’ (SJW) emerged in 2011. This has attempted to switch the term ‘social justice,’ which has since 1840 been primarily a positive concept, into a mainstream pejorative used mainly to dismiss individuals and groups who espoused views concerning social progressivism, civil rights, cultural inclusiveness, gay rights, or feminism. For those activists and researchers who have spent their lives attempting to change society for the better, this is a troubling turn.
Our conference will examine the current and past state(s) of inequality and social justice from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The conference takes place October 28th and 29th 2017 at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, Canada.

We invite proposals based on (but not limited to) the following themes:

Indigenous studies
Democracy vs. capitalism
Poverty and Economic inequality
Civil rights
Social movements
Anti-globalisation
Post-neoliberalism
Past and future of labour
Identity politics
Racial inequality
Retribalization
Rule of law
Neo-reactionary
Post-humanism and social activism
Decolonization
Racialization
Gender inequality, eco-feminism
Social construction of difference
Reparations/reconciliation
Social democracy
Social justice backlash
Pluralistic identities
Peace and justice
Health inequality
Ableism
Heterosexism
Access to education
Environmental activism
Abuse of state power