Challenging Discrimination from Global to Local: HR&E Conference

Human Rights and Equity Services (HRES) at Dalhousie University is holding their first day-long conference on topics related to Human Rights, Social Justice, and Anti-Discrimination. The theme of the conference is Learning from the Past to Build for the Future: Challenging Discrimination from the Global to Local.

The conference will be held on Friday, November 27, 2020. There will be 6 workshops and 2 panels throughout the day.

The panel descriptions are the following:

1) Reflections on Liberation, Freedom and Racial Justice: Centering Black Voices as we Fight for Systemic Change

Anti-Black racism is prevalent in our classrooms, on our campuses, and in our communities. It is a phenomenon that has global roots, and which has evolved and taken on various forms throughout history. Recent events in Mi’kma’ki and beyond demonstrate the persistence of anti-Black racism and its often-violent manifestations, and the urgent need to challenge it. Over the last few months, we have seen what it can look like to engage more meaningfully with the impacts of institutional and systemic anti-Black racism. This virtual panel aims to inspire meaningful conversations on how to identify and challenge the various manifestations of anti-Black racism in our communities and institutions. We hope to explore the way in which the momentum of the global protest movement for racial justice can be sustained into systemic change, and to inspire personal reflection on what we can do as individuals to achieve liberation and racial justice. Join us in exploring these topics and more.

2) Honouring Indigenous Realities, Voices and Perspectives: an Exploration of Decolonization and Dismantling Settler-Colonialism in an Institutional Context

The need to address the legacy of settler-colonialism and anti-Indigeneity in our society is as pressing as ever. Recent events in Mi’kma’ki and beyond demonstrate the urgency of identifying and challenging the various manifestations of settler-colonialism in our communities and institutions. During this workshop, we will bring together a group of diverse voices from multiple disciplinary backgrounds and lived experiences. Together, we will explore what it means to decolonize post-secondary institutions, and what roles we need to play as individuals and community members. We hope to encourage participants to reflect on their own beliefs, positionalities and experiences, while working towards identifying specific areas for change that are necessary to move towards decolonization.

Once you’ve registered for the conference, be sure to check your email for follow-up instructions on workshop selection and registration in the coming days.

If you are interested in partnership, through funding, promotion, or other means, please email us at peeredu@dal.ca.

We look forward to seeing you there!