Two concurrent lecture series will engage academics, the public and students in serious reflection on challenges in protecting indigenous culture and heritage, and civil disobedience in the face of climate change.
Contact:
Kristen Dobbin, IPinCH communications, 778.782.9682, kristen_dobbin@sfu.ca
George Nicholas, IPinCH director, 778.782.5709, nicholas@sfu.ca? (email best contact)
Carol Thorbes, University Communications, 778.782.3035, cthorbes@sfu.ca
Photos: http://at.sfu.ca/AfVaBJ
Two high profile global issues will take centre stage in two concurrent lecture series that form this semester’s Simon Fraser University President’s Dream Colloquium.
The President’s Dream Colloquium on Protecting Indigenous Cultural Heritage, begins on Thursday, Jan. 8, from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in WMX 3260 West Mall Complex, Burnaby campus. It will explore the creation and implementation of respectful, ethical and effective policies to protect indigenous cultural heritage, especially when fundamental differences exist between western and indigenous societies over the definition of heritage.
The colloquium will feature six internationally renowned researchers discussing different perspectives on various indigenous cultural heritage challenges.
The speakers are associated with the SFU-led Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage (IPinCH) research team—a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-funded group, which is co-sponsoring the lecture series.
The first (on Jan. 8) is Catherine Bell, a University of Alberta law professor who specializes in Aboriginal legal issues, cultural heritage law and inter-disciplinary collaborative community-based legal research.
Her work is well known for its attempt to include and reconcile indigenous and Canadian conceptualizations of property and legal institutions.
The second lecture series explores questions related to whether citizens have the right to violate the law in order to avert or reduce global climate change and whether these actions can be justified.
The President’s Dream Colloquium on Obedience and Disobedience: Taking Action on Climate Change begins on Jan. 15 and will present six internationally renowned speakers who will address these questions in separate lectures.
Kimberley Brownlee, a University of Warwick associate professor of legal and moral philosophy, will speak on “The Case for Civil Disobedience”. Brownlee’s research includes conscience, conviction, civil disobedience and human rights.
Her lecture also runs 3:30-5:30 p.m. at the WMX 3260 West Mall Complex, Burnaby campus.
SFU President Andrew Petter launched this several part lecture series in 2011 to engage faculty members, students and diverse community groups in interdisciplinary forums about high profile research and issues that dovetail.
These forums also allow SFU graduate students to earn course credits by participating in the colloquia and attending seminar discussions about assigned readings prior to attending the colloquia forums. Reservations are required for both lecture series.
For a complete list of lectures in the colloquium’s two series see: http://at.sfu.ca/erlhRS
As Canada's engaged university, SFU is defined by its dynamic integration of innovative education, cutting-edge research and far-reaching community engagement. SFU was founded almost 50 years ago with a mission to be a different kind of university—to bring an interdisciplinary approach to learning, embrace bold initiatives, and engage with communities near and far. Today, SFU is a leader amongst Canada's comprehensive research universities and is ranked one of the top universities in the world under 50 years of age. With campuses in British Columbia's three largest cities—Vancouver, Surrey and Burnaby—SFU has eight faculties, delivers almost 150 programs to over 30,000 students, and boasts more than 130,000 alumni in 130 countries around the world.
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Simon Fraser University: Engaging Students. Engaging Research. Engaging Communities.
