ARTS on Violence wraps up with events focused on activism
Four prominent activists will join Dr. Sean Cadigan of Memorial’s Department of History as participants in the final ARTS on Violence sessions on Tuesday May 13 and Wednesday May 14.
A faculty-wide initiative highlighting some of the exciting research being done by faculty members and graduate students in the Faculty of Arts, ARTS on Violence is supported by the Vice President’s (Academic) Fund for Scholarship in the Arts.
Over 10 events have been held over the winter 2014 semester, showcasing research from all of the 16 departments in the Faculty of Arts.
"We chose to make our final focus on activism as a way to recognize and explore the kinds of systemic violence in contemporary life. What strategies are used now to attempt to overcome the violence of our economy, for example, or the violence of settlers toward indigenous communities," said Dr. Patricia Dold, co-chair (along with Dr. Karen Stanbridge) of the Arts on Violence committee. "To learn about the work and experience of prominent activists is a way to look forward."
ARTS on Violence events scheduled for May 13 at the Rocket Room (272 Water Street) include a workshop for those interested in community organizing (6 to 8 p.m.) and “Activist Chronicles: stories from the field,” a panel discussion on activism (8 to 10 p.m.). On May 14 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Landing at the University Centre, the discussion will focus on “Violent Measures: When are they justified.”
All three events are free and open to everyone, however registration is required for the May 13 workshop (chriscrassworkshopnl@gmail.com).
For more information visit www.mun.ca/arts/news/events/aov.php
About the participants:
Sean Cadigan is a professor in the Department of History at Memorial University and is a specialist in the social and ecological history of fishers and fishing communities. His most recent book, Death on Two Fronts (Penguins, 2013) examines the impact of the Great War on public support of the Fishermen’s Protective Union after the SS Newfoundland sealing disaster and the lasting impact of these events on Newfoundland’s political culture.
Chris Crass is a social justice activist and writer. A central figure in anti-war and anti-racist movement in the US for over two decades, Mr. Crass is committed to “building powerful working class-based, feminist, multiracial movements for collective liberation” through his activities, and his talks and workshops dedicated to fostering change. He is the author of Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis and Movement Building Strategy (PM Press, 2013).
Stephen D’Arcy is an associate professor of philosophy at Ontario’s Huron University College, Western University. His research addresses practical ethics, democratic theory and theories of social and environmental justice. Dr. D’Arcy is the author of Languages of the Unheard (Between the Lines, 2013), a work that explores the moral ambiguities and politics of military resistance.
Jaggi Singh is a Montreal-based community organizer and activist in groups and projects such as the Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC), migrant rights organizations No One is Illegal and Solidarity Across Borders, as well as the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair. Mr. Singh has gained renown over the past 10 years through his participation in numerous high-profile anti-capitalist, anti-war, and civil rights protests, where his actions have caught the attentions of the public, the police and the media.
Leanne Betasamosake Simpson is an award-winning writer, storyteller, educator and activist of Mississauga Anishinaabeg ancestry. A member of the Alderville First Nation (Rice Lake, Ontario), Simpson draws on her extension knowledge of Indigenous peoples to inform her scholarship and as inspiration for her work with Indigenous communities and organizations. Ms. Simpson is the author of over 30 scholarly articles and five books, including her most recent collection of short stories, Islands of Decolonial Love (ARP Books, 2014).