It is our pleasure to announce the call for proposals for HLA@IFOA's 4th annual Interdisciplinary Conference; a collaboration between Humber's Department of Liberal Arts & Sciences and the International Festival of Authors. Deadline for submission is May 30, 2017.

The State of (In)Equality: Social Justice Under Siege

Toronto: October 28-29, 2017, Harbourfront Centre

Keynote Speaker: Professor Susan N. Herman,  President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

CFP: The perceived orthodoxy of progressive politics has come under attack in recent years by individuals, groups, and institutions that believe their actions and speech are being policed. The term ‘social justice warrior’ (SJW) emerged in 2011. This has attempted to switch the term ‘social justice,’ which has since 1840 been primarily a positive concept, into a mainstream pejorative used mainly to dismiss individuals and groups who espoused views concerning social progressivism, civil rights, cultural inclusiveness, gay rights, or feminism. For those activists and researchers who have spent their lives attempting to change society for the better, this is a troubling turn.

Our conference will examine the current and past state(s) of inequality and social justice from a multi-disciplinary perspective. The conference takes place October 28th and 29th 2017 at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.

To submit a proposal, visit our website: humber.ca/liberalarts-ifoa/call-proposals

We invite proposals based on (but not limited to) the following themes:

• Indigenous studies
• Democracy vs. capitalism
• Poverty and Economic inequality
• Civil rights
• Social movements
• Anti-globalisation
• Post-neoliberalism
• Past and future of labour
• Identity politics
• Racial inequality
• Retribalization
• Rule of law
• Neo-reactionary
• Post-humanism and social activism
• Decolonization

• Racialization
• Gender inequality, eco-feminism
• Social construction of difference
• Reparations/reconciliation
• Social democracy
• Social justice backlash
• Pluralistic identities
• Peace and justice
• Health inequality
• Ableism
• Heterosexism
• Access to education
• Environmental activism
• Abuse of state power

Daniel Hambly, M.A., Professor of History & Jennifer Susan Marotta, Ph.D., Professor of Humanities

Department of Liberal Studies, Co-Chairs, HLA@IFOA: "The State of (In)Equality:Social Justice Under Siege"
humber.ca/liberalarts-ifoa

Save the date for Pi(e) Day.

Mark off a spot in your calendar.

March 14, 2017 at 1:59 p.m.

The online Accessibility Awareness Training for Educators has undergone recent changes in keeping with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). The Centre is happy to report that the module is now available to you for completion.

Please note: All Humber employees are required to complete the online Accessibility Awareness Training for Educators which can be accessed at hrs.humber.ca//training-modules/aodaeducators.html

Thank you for ensuring Humber’s compliance with the AODA

For further information, please contact Michael Thompson by email at michaelchris.thompson@humber.ca or by phone at 416.675.6622 x5220

HUMBER INTERFAITH CALENDAR
MULTIFAITH HOLY DAYS & FESTIVALS

In the spirit of diversity and inclusion, we provide the following Multifaith Holy Days & Festivals realizing that it is not exhaustive. Should you wish your faith’s days to be included, please contact the Chaplain at x4427 or chaplain@humber.ca for due consideration.

01 Wednesday

• March = Onaubinay Giizis, Xsaak (Aboriginal)
  Onaubinay Giizis is the Snow-crested Moon (or, by community, Maple Sugar Moon or Sucker Moon) when the sucker fish run (Ojibwe). Xsaak is the season when Oolichan, the candlefish, swarm. Nisga’a dry and render them into oil (Other).
• Lent to April 15 / Ash Wednesday (Christianity-Western)
  A 40 day period (except Sundays) before Easter when Christians fast and sacrifice in behaviour or gifts to honour Jesus’ overcoming temptation in the wilderness. Some mark a cross on their foreheads with ashes to show sorrow and penitence.

02 Thursday

• Month of ‘Ala (Baha’i)
  ‘Ala meaning Loftiness is the 19^th and final month of the Baha'i year and the time of a 19-day fast (to March 20). Those of age in good health abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.
• Great Prayer Festival (Buddhism)
  Monks from Tibet gather to pray and hold philosophical debates.

03 Friday

• World Day of Prayer (International)
  An ecumenical movement of various Christian traditions begun in the 19^th Century by women of Canada and the USA involved in mission work at home and around the world and recognized in Canada in 1927 via the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada. 

12 Sunday

• Daylight Savings Time begins Clocks are moved forward by one hour at 2:00a 
• Full Moon The moon is at its greatest visibility.
• Purim (Judaism)
  Purim, the Festival/Feast of Lots, celebrates victory over an oppressive Persian ruler in the Book of Esther, which is read at this time. Costumes are worn and gifts of food are shared.

13 Monday

• Holi (Sikhism / Hinduism)
  A festival to celebrate Spring dedicated to Holika, whose sacrificial death saved the life of her nephew, the king’s son, from his tyrant father. People light fires and blow horns and bright colours are used in celebration.
• Hola Mohallah (Sikhism)
  Martial arts displays and mock battles are staged to honour Guru Gobind Singh who sought to deter tyranny by armed resistance.

16 Thursday

• Ghambar Hamaspathmaedem to Mar 20 (Zoroastrianism)
  Celebrates the creation of human beings while those who have passed away are remembered.

17 Friday

• St. Patrick’s Day (Christianity-Western)
  Marks the death of Patrick, a missionary to Ireland after having been a slave there, who, reputedly, used the three-leaved shamrock to represent the Christian idea of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).

19 Sunday

• St. Joseph’s Day (Christianity-Catholicism)
  Celebrates Joseph as the foster father of Jesus.

20 Monday

• March (Spring) Equinox
• Shunki-sorei-sai (Shinto)
  The Spring memorial service is held at home altars to revere ancestors as kami while gravesites are cleansed to be purified.
• Ostara (Wicca)
  Ostara / Eostre celebrates the return of the Goddess-as-Maiden, the courting of the Goddess by the God, and the reawakening of the seeds within the earth touched by the warmth the Gods’ love. The ringing of bells along with sunrise fires and the decoration of hard-boiled eggs are associated customs.
• Spring Ohigon & Kwan Yin Day, Shunbun no hi (Buddhism)
  Spring Ohigon is a special time for Jodo Shinshu Buddhists who listen to the teaching of Buddha and meditate on the perfection of enlightenment and/or the harmony in the universe as Buddhism teaches that each person is a Boddhisattva (Buddha-to-be) and may reach the perfected state. Kwan Yin Day is the symbolic future Buddha in the Chinese tradition, a female dispensing compassion with a thousand arms. For Shunbun no hi, Japanese Buddhists meditate on the harmony in the universe.

21 Tuesday

• Naw Ruz (Zoroastrian)
  Naw Ruz means New Day and starts the new year according to the ancient Persian calendar.
• Now Ruz - Baha’i 1^st month begins(Baha’i)
  New Year BE (Baha’i Era) is an evening feast and celebration to recognize the first month of the Baha’i year.

25 Saturday

• Annunciation (Christianity-Western)
  Commemorates the visit of the angel, Gabriel, to Mary to tell her that she was chosen to be the mother of Christ.

27 Monday

• New Moon The moon is at its least visibility.

28 Tuesday

• Birth Anniversary of Zarathustra (Zoroastrianism)
  Celebrates the birth of the prophet Zoroaster and is also called Khordad Sal.