Description
I organised the 21st Biennial International Conference for the Association of Canadian Studies in Ireland (ACSI). This conference was hosted at Queen's University Belfast. It attracted 60 in-person participants, 90% of whom were from either North America or continental Europe. A further 18 participants joined the conference online for a day of hybrid sessions.The conference was opened by the President of the International Council of Canadian Studies and representatives of the Canadian High Commission in London, the Embassy of Canada in London and the Quebec Delegation in London.
The conference Call for Proposals: "It can be argued from a range of perspectives—geological, economic, cultural, societal—that Canada has a special relationship to nature and the land. But rather than viewing this interconnection through an idealized lens, this conference seeks to investigate and problematize how Canadian culture and society relate to the environment in the age of the Anthropocene. The Anthropocene, broadly speaking, can be considered the geological age in which the planet is dominated by a human-centred, capitalist ethos which ignores ecological concerns, leading to disastrous consequences such as climate change and global warming.
How does Canadian culture capitalize on the land, and how can we picture a better future? What kinds of practices and knowledges will enable a way forward and allow for a sustainable future, one which fosters respect for the environment and for the diversity of beings, both human and non-human, that inhabit it? Can Canada envision a way forward by fostering and respecting indigenous knowledges and decolonizing its extractivist practices with regards to its natural resources?"
The conference was timed to coincide with the Eaton Lecture, which I also organised. The Eaton Lecture was to be delivered by The Honourable Murray Sinclair. His Honour was the first Indigenous Judge appointed in Manitoba and Canada’s second. He was a Senator and served as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry of Manitoba and as Chief Commissioner of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As head of the TRC, he participated in hundreds of hearings across Canada, culminating in the TRC’s widely influential report in 2015. The Eaton Lecture was to be a public event, hosted in the Great Hall, streamed live, with a panel of experts drawn from Queen's and the wider community. The Eaton Lecture had to be cancelled at short notice due to a medical emergency with the keynote speaker.
| Period | 09 May 2024 → 11 May 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | Belfast, United KingdomShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |