Tag: Congress2023

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CIFAL York to bring youth leaders, changemakers together to create SDG action plans at Congress

social and environmental justice featured image

By Elaine Smith

Congress 2023, hosted by York University and the Federation for Humanities and Social Sciences, is coming to campus in May and CIFAL York is leading an event that will start new conversations on achieving social and environmental justice.

The event’s theme, Reckonings and Re-Imaginings, explores ways of changing belief systems and imagining a radically different world that is safe, equitable and sustainable for all. York will offer an intriguing mix of programming throughout, focused on the arts and on community engagement and connections – that’s where CIFAL York comes in.

The centre’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) committee is organizing a community connection dialogue, under the leadership of Idil Boran, professor and associate director of CIFAL York, and Julia Satov, global director of diversity and inclusion at Litera, who serves as co-Chair of the committee. The event will bring together professionals from various sectors and community youth voices representing the Humber River-Black Creek Youth Council, and other youth groups in the Greater Toronto Area.

Idil Boran
Idil Boran

The community dialogue is titled “Climate change is not the change we want! Community connection dialogue between changemakers and youth leaders for inclusive social transformation.” The event will allow participants to “debate and co-design radical collaboration to accelerate credible and impactful implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030,” said Boran. “Invited professionals who are changemakers in their areas of practice, will make brief statements about how they champion EDI and the positive change they catalyze within their organizations and communities. Youth leaders will respond and debate with changemakers to co-create action plans for improving and scaling up implementation of social and environmental justice.”

The event aims to create a space for changemakers and community youth voices to brainstorm solutions for action on pressing problems that are identified in the discussion and debate.

“The needs of societies have become a powerful catalyst, not only as protests in streets or in conversations by the company water cooler, but as a reckoning that has fundamentally impacted emergent and established economies, global relations, and human capital,’’ said Satov.

“This event is about mobilizing all actors in society for social transformation and leaving no one behind in efforts to advance the SDGs,” said Boran. “We want to celebrate community members and youth leaders as impactful participants toward a sustainable future that offers quality education (SDG 4); climate action (SDG 13); good health and well-being (SDG 3); the reduction of inequality (SDG 10); sustainable cities (SDG 11); catalyzing gender equality and women’s empowerment (SDG 5); the inclusion of LGBTQIA2S+, and partnerships to achieve these goals (SDG 17). We plan to produce output of knowledge mobilization that can be used by stakeholders to advance change.”

CIFAL York is part of a global network of training centres focussed on knowledge-sharing, training, and capacity-building for leaders. It is affiliated with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) in partnership with York Region.

This event is one of more than 50 open programs being offered by York at Congress 2023, happening between May 27 and June 2.

Register here to attend or find out how you can volunteer in a variety of roles to support Congress.

Andrea Davis

Andrea Davis
Andrea Davis

Professor Andrea Davis, the academic convenor for Congress 2023, has written a blog titled “Community engagement and connections: thinking relationally in Congress 2023” for the Federation of the Humanities and Social Sciences

University community asked to provide feedback on Congress 2023 theme

Andrea Davis

The proposed theme for Congress 2023, which will take place at York University, is “Reckonings and Re-imaginings.” York Professor Andrea Davis, who is academic convenor for Congress 2023, is seeking feedback from the University community on the theme.

As announced to the community in November 2021, York University will host the 2023 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences with Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Professor Andrea Davis serving as academic convenor. As part of the planning process, Davis is looking to York community members for input and engagement on developing the theme for Congress 2023.

“The development of the Congress theme is jointly undertaken by the host institution – York University – and the Federation of the Humanities and Social Sciences,” said Davis. “Our memorandum of understanding states that the partner university and federation will work together on the development of a theme and vision for Congress 2023, which will then be approved by the federation in March 2022.”

University community members are invited to provide feedback on the proposed theme by Tuesday, Feb.15 by completing the feedback form or by email to Davis at CongressAC@yorku.ca.

Why “Reckonings and Re-imaginings?“

The third decade of the 21st century has brought humanity into unprecedented times. An unrelenting global pandemic, protests for racial justice and escalating climate disasters have heightened our collective awareness that a world in which racial inequities, financial disparities, cultural intolerance, and material overconsumption were the norm is no longer sustainable. The important lessons from Black Lives Matter, Idle No More, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, have been joined by new reckonings about what is needed to live in non-hierarchical relationships that can truly honour human differences, while protecting the planet. 

“Reckonings and Re-imaginings” accepts that the project of creating a better future is ongoing and iterative, rather than final and conclusive. By centering interdisciplinary scholarship and research, Congress 2023 seeks to create space for dynamic and rigorous conversations that provide critical, relevant and responsive analysis of the multiple crises of our times from local and global perspectives. New models of world-making must reckon with non-inclusive forms of knowledge production that minimize the voices and perspectives of Indigenous, racialized and other marginalized scholars, and we must work to make visible decolonial, anti-racism, critical disability and queer perspectives.

In Congress 2023, the first in-person event of the new decade, York University as the host institution strengthens its “foundational commitment to the arts, humanities, and social sciences not only as fields of inquiry but as modes of apprehending human existence at this critical juncture” (University Academic Plan). Combining its strengths in the liberal arts with a long-standing commitment to social justice, York University invites us to consider the lessons we have learned over the past three years and to harness those lessons toward imagining a radically different world based on mutual respect and reciprocity.

The proposed theme aligns with the top priorities identified in the University Academic Plan, including creating knowledge for the future, advancing global engagement, working in partnership, and living well together. The theme aligns with the University’s commitment to deepen its collective contributions to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, by bringing its “unique capacities to bear on some of the most urgent issues facing the planet, from climate change to inequality to truth and reconciliation to forced migration, among others” ( University Academic Plan).

More about Congress 2023

Lisa Philipps, provost and vice-president academic, and Professor Rebecca Pillai Riddell, associate vice-president research, attended a meeting with the federation in 2021 to discuss the development of a theme for Congress 2023. As part of the discussions, the federation made a commitment to a future conference theme that prominently features dialogue on social/racial justice issues, and on the experiences and knowledge of Black and Indigenous communities. In March 2021, the federation released a report on equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization that includes 41 recommendations for the federation and its membership. This report provides a framework for ongoing discussion with the academic community and lays out some priorities for federation activities of the coming years.

It is anticipated that the theme will be finalized with the federation in early March.

York University will host 2023 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences

Featured image VARI Hall drone image of the commons and Ross Building

La version française suit la version anglaise.

Dear colleagues, 

I am delighted to announce that York University will be hosting the 2023 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, in partnership with the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. 

Congress is the largest academic gathering in Canada, and one of the largest in the world. The event brings together approximately 70 academic associations from a wide spectrum of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including literature, history, theatre, film studies, education, music, sociology, geography, social work and many others. 

This will be the first in-person Congress held in four years. From May 27 to June 2, 2023, York’s Keele and Glendon campuses will be host to more than 10,000 scholars, graduate students and practitioners in the humanities and social sciences. The event will adhere to all public health guidelines and, building on the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences’ successful virtual Congress in 2021 and its commitment to increasing accessibility, the conference will include robust virtual components. 

I am also pleased to announce that York’s academic convenor for Congress 2023 will be Dr. Andrea Davis, associate professor in the Department of Humanities, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies. Most recently, Dr. Davis served as special advisor on the Faculty’s Anti-Black Racism Strategy, a position that was developed by the Dean’s Office as part of the Faculty’s comprehensive response to combatting anti-Black racism. 

Dr. Davis’s research is rooted in a strong anti-racist feminist theoretical framework that analyzes questions of race and gender through a focus on the literary and cultural productions of Black women. Her forthcoming book, Horizon, Sea, Sound: Caribbean and African Women’s Cultural Critiques of Nation, imagines new reciprocal relationships among Black, Indigenous and other racialized women.  

Dr. Davis established and coordinates the Black Canadian Studies Certificate at York and is co-editor of the Journal of Canadian Studies. She is also former Chair of the Department of Humanities and former academic colleague on the Council of Ontario Universities.  

As the University’s lead ambassador, Dr. Davis’ first tasks for Congress 2023 will be to reach out to community members for input and engagement on this exciting opportunity to showcase the University’s longstanding leadership in the humanities and social sciences, and to advance broad themes that resonate with our University Academic Plan 2020–2025: Building a Better Future.   

I hope you will join me in congratulating Dr. Davis on her appointment, and supporting this important University initiative. I look forward to joining colleagues from across the University and around the world at Congress 2023. 

Sincerely, 

Rhonda Lenton 
President and Vice-Chancellor 

L’Université York annonce qu’elle accueillera le Congrès 2023 des sciences humaines

Chers collègues,

Je suis ravie d’annoncer que l’Université York accueillera le Congrès 2023 des sciences humaines en partenariat avec la Fédération des sciences humaines. 

Le Congrès est le plus grand rassemblement universitaire au Canada et l’un des plus grands au monde. Cet événement réunit environ 70 associations universitaires issues d’un large éventail de disciplines des sciences humaines et sociales, notamment la littérature, l’histoire, le théâtre, les études cinématographiques, l’éducation, la musique, la sociologie, la géographie, le travail social et bien d’autres encore. 

Ce sera le premier congrès en personne depuis quatre ans. Du 27 mai au 2 juin 2023, les campus Keele et Glendon de York accueilleront plus de 10 000 universitaires, diplômés et praticiens des sciences humaines et sociales. L’événement respectera toutes les directives sanitaires et, s’appuyant sur le succès du Congrès virtuel 2021 de la Fédération des sciences humaines et sur son engagement à accroître l’accessibilité, il comprendra de solides composantes virtuelles. 

J’ai également le plaisir d’annoncer que la responsable académique de York pour le Congrès 2023 sera la Dre Andrea Davis, professeure associée du Département des sciences humaines de la Faculté des arts libéraux et des études professionnelles (LA&PS). Plus récemment, la Dre Davis a été la conseillère spéciale pour la Stratégie de lutte contre le racisme envers les personnes noires de la Faculté, un poste créé par le Bureau décanal de la Faculté dans le cadre de sa réponse globale à la lutte contre le racisme anti-Noirs. 

Les recherches de la Dre Davis s’inscrivent dans un cadre théorique féministe antiraciste qui analyse les questions de race et de genre en se concentrant sur les productions littéraires et culturelles des femmes noires. Son livre à paraître, Horizon, Sea, Sound : Caribbean and African Women’s Cultural Critiques of Nation, imagine de nouvelles relations réciproques entre les femmes noires, autochtones et autres femmes racialisées.  

Dre Davis a créé et coordonne le certificat d’études canadiennes des Noirs à York et elle est corédactrice du Journal of Canadian Studies. Elle est également une ancienne présidente du Département des sciences humaines et une ancienne collègue du Conseil des universités de l’Ontario.  

En tant qu’ambassadrice principale de l’Université, les premières tâches de la Dre Davis pour le Congrès 2023 seront d’aller à la rencontre des membres de la communauté pour obtenir leur avis et leur engagement sur cette occasion passionnante de mettre en valeur le leadership de longue date de l’Université dans le domaine des sciences humaines et sociales et de faire progresser les grands thèmes énoncés dans notre Plan académique universitaire 2020-2025 : Bâtir un avenir meilleur.

Veuillez vous joindre à moi pour féliciter la Dre Davis pour sa nomination et pour appuyer cette initiative importante de l’Université. Je me réjouis de rencontrer mes collègues de l’Université et du monde entier lors du Congrès 2023. 

Sincères salutations, 

Rhonda Lenton
Présidente et vice-chancelière