PROJECTS

The Gonzaga University Institute for Action against Hate will host an international conference to establish the academic field of Hate Studies.  The conference will be held at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington on March 18-20, 2004. 

The objective of the conference is to bring together individuals with recognized expertise from complementary academic fields to establish the academic field of hate studies.  This will be a founding scholarly event and the first international conference of its kind.  The conference will be based on scholarly papers and will provide opportunities for round table discussions.  Conference findings will be published in the third volume of the Journal of Hate Studies.  It is anticipated that the conference will serve as a “call to action” to encourage other academic institutions to become active in this new field.

Internationally recognized scholars with expertise relevant to the study of hate will be invited to address the issue of what an integrated field of Hate Studies should look like and will identify what the presenter's expertise or discipline can contribute.  They will also identify what needs to be contributed by other fields and specific next steps for creating the field of Hate Studies.  Special attention will be given to developing workable and relevant curricula on college campuses and for integrating Hate Studies with institutions outside the academy. 

Approximately 100 additional academics and researchers with expertise relevant to the study of hate will be invited to attend and in some cases to participate in the conference.  In some cases they will present their own papers.  These participants will include individuals who specialize in related disciplines such as combating racism, sexism, homophobia, anti-Semitism, etc. 

Founded in 1997, the Institute's mission is to combat hate through research, education, and advocacy.  The Institute has sponsored several successful educational events in recent years and published two issues of the Journal of Hate Studies.  The proposed conference will be co-sponsored and supported by the American Jewish Committee, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre (Canada), and the Kootenai County Task Force on Race Relations, all established human rights organizations with a keen interest in studying the problem of hate.  It is expected that several universities and colleges will also be participating in this effort. Additional information about the Institute for Action against Hate and the conference can be found at http://www.gonzaga.edu/againsthate or by contacting the Institute at (509) 313-3665.