“Emerging Trends in Anti-Semitism and Campus Discourse”
Academic Conference
March 8th and 9th 2009, University of Toronto
Keynote Speaker: The Hon. Irwin Cotler, P.C., O.C., M.P.
Attendance Limited to Canadian Academics Only
CAFI is excited to be hosting it’s founding conference at the University of Toronto in March. The preliminary conference program outline is below. The conference will consist of two portions: an academic program focused upon exploring the topic of modern anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism and its manifestation on Canadian campuses, and; a workshop component aiming to explore real ways to engage Canadian academia with Israel. The conference speakers shall be of the highest quality, and we hope that as many CAFI members as possible will be able to attend. We are also working hard to procure speakers in both official languages, and this is planned to be a bi-lingual event. Please see www.caficonference.com <http://www.caficonference.com > for more details, or email registration@caficonference.com for information on subsidies and travel arrangements.
PRELIMINARY CONFERENCE PROGRAM OUTLINE
Description:
Prompted by the desire to generate fair, informed, and pluralistic discussion and to protect civil and scholarly conversation as it pertains to the State of Israel, the 2008 CAFI Founding Conference is an inclusive, interdisciplinary, bilingual event held at the University of Toronto in partnership with the Centre for Jewish Studies. This two-day event endeavours to explore three themes. First: it seeks to address modern anti-Jewishness, at times referred to as “anti-Zionism,” a phenomenon characterized by:
“The discrimination against, denial of, or assault upon, national particularity and peoplehood anywhere, whenever that national particularity and people happens to be Jewish…it finds particular expression in the singling out of Israel and the Jewish people for differential and discriminatory treatment in the international arena.” (Cotler)
Second, it will examine particular forms of increasingly prevalent discourse, emerging narratives and their impact on campus communities and academic freedom. Third, it will turn to Zionism, its history and expression in the State of Israel on the occasion of its sixtieth anniversary. Whereas these themes relate to Israel specifically, they relate also to principles and values of broader significance to university communities across Canada, notably: equality, freedom of speech without intimidation, appropriate scholarly discourse, and academic autonomy. An organizational plenary, aimed at bringing together students and faculty who share an interest in the explored topics and fostering mentorship, will follow.
Academic Panel Topics
- Antisemitism Reconstituted: Legitimate Critique versus Age-Old Vilification
- The Manipulation of Human Rights Discourse: Orwellian Inversions, Group Defamation and Genocidal Affirmations
- Singling Out Jewish Self-Determination: Concrete Expressions
- Modern Expressions of Zionism: Who is the Underdog?
- Innovating Against All Odds, Economic “Imbalance,” and Media Perceptions
- From the General to the Specific: Impact on Campus
Workshop Panel Topics
- Building Academic Exchanges Programs
- Academic Research Collaboration
- Academic Advocacy in Context: Case Study: Countering the Academic Boycott in Britain
- Academic Advocacy in Context: Examples from other Jurisdictions
We are committed to ensuring participation from across Canada, and have substantial subsidies available for our out of town guests that should cover all or most of your costs.
I sincerely hope we’ll be seeing you in March in Toronto.
Warmest Regards,
Ed Morgan
National Chair
Canadian Academic Friends of Israel
