Compassion, Complicity and Conciliation
The Politics, Cultures and Economies of 'Doing Good'
Montreal, June 5-7 2009
Concordia and McGill Universities
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Global political activism, official apologies, charity, advocacy and solidarity campaigns, 'rescue' missions, truth and reconciliation hearings, private philanthropy, 'humanitarian' interventions…. The politics, cultures and economies of doing good seem to have gained a redemptive, sanctioned and empowering status, which has elevated actions and actors above critical scrutiny. This conference is aimed at interrogating the politics and practice(s) of 'doing good'. It asks: What is defined as 'doing good' and how is it tied to constructions of benevolent others? Who is positioned and empowered to 'do good'? How is 'doing good' historically embedded and what are some of its foreseen and unforeseen consequences? What does an anti-racist and anti-colonial lens reveal about past and present humanitarian actions and interventions, and how might it inform present and future practice(s)? What are the relations between humanitarianism and imperialism? How can these relations be exposed and meaningfully addressed?
Conference Organizing Committee: Dr. Yasmin Jiwani (Communication Studies, Concordia), Dr. Charmaine Nelson (Art History, McGill), Dr. Gada Mahrouse (Simone de Beauvoir Institute, Concordia), Dr. Aziz Choudry (Integrated Studies in Education, McGill), Dr. Michael Doxtater (Integrated Studies in Education, McGill), Alan Wong (Ph.D. Candidate, Special Individualized Program, Concordia), Dana Salter (Ph.D. Candidate, Education, McGill) |
