International Conference on Hate Studies

Building Peace through Dialogue, Kindness, and Forgiveness

The Fifth International Conference on Hate Studies

Save the Date, April 2-4, 2019, Gonzaga University, Spokane Washingtion, USA.

Sponsored by the Gonzaga University Institute for Hate Studies, Kootenai County Task Force for Human Relations, Spokane County Human Rights Task Force, and the Gonzaga Student Chapter of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Important Dates

  • January 4, 2019- Submission Deadline for Presentations
  • February 1, 2019- Notice of Acceptance
  • February 1, 2019- Conference Registration Opens
  • March 1, 2019- Early Bird Registration Ends

Conference Description

The Fifth International Conference on Hate Studies is one of the leading interdisciplinary academic forums on hate, related social problems, and ways to create socially just and inclusive communities. It convenes leading academics from around the world, journalists, law enforcement personnel, educators, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, human rights experts, community organizers, activists and others to discuss hatred and ways to engage communities with justice. We anticipate richly interdisciplinary, cross-sector participation from international, national, and regional audiences. The lessons learned and plans which emerge will help educators, researchers, advocates and others better analyze and combat hatred in its various manifestations to lead to communities being committed to peace, human rights, and justice.

Hate studies is defined as “Inquiries into the human capacity to define, and then dehumanize or demonize, an ‘other,’ and the processes which inform and give expression to, or can curtail or combat, that capacity.”

If hate is understood better, then approaches to combat it can increasingly become testable theories, and then analyzed and improved. The result can have real-world impact, including creating models for changes in society, government, culture and our individual and communal lives.

The theme of this conference is Building Peace through Dialogue, Kindness, and Forgiveness. Papers analyzing this theme from different theoretical or disciplinary lenses are invited such as those from history, communications, psychology, social psychology, evolutionary psychology, anthropology, sociology, criminal justice, law, biology, business, economics, theology, religious studies, political science, literature, philosophy, education, and others. Papers are also invited that provide best practices, organizational structures, and examples of social change and creating peace related to the theme.

Select conference proceedings may be published in The Journal of Hate Studies, the international interdisciplinary peer-reviewed scholarly journal operated by the Gonzaga University Institute for Hate Studies.

Conference Goals

  1. Continue, deepen, and broker new conversations focused on building community within the Hate Studies networks
  2. Sharing best practices related to community and individual actions that challenge hate and support social change.
  3. Provide an intersection for the sharing of knowledge, practices, and perspectives from distinct academic communities, activists, professions, and vocations.
  4. Generate, promulgate, and publish interdisciplinary research projects, as well as new knowledge, theories, strategies and methods – educational, professional, and practical – related to the overall conference theme, specific areas of interest, and social justice and social change concerns at the individual, community, organizational, and structural levels

Conference Areas and Topics

We invite international, national, and regional audiences to participate, whether as presenters or attendees. We seek presentation and session proposals for paper dialogues, panels, round-table discussions, workshops, poster/exhibit sessions, and other formats appropriate for this unique, richly interdisciplinary conference.

We are particularly interested to receive presentation proposals that engage the conference theme, including but not limited to the following topics under the general areas of Research, Education, Practice, and Advocacy:

  • The roots of “othering” in fear or ignorance, the manifestation of “othering” in hatred, intolerance, inequality, or blocking peace and how these problems persist and propagate within institutions, social dynamics, and areas of law and policymaking.
  • The exploration of using the philosophies and practices of dialogue, kindness, or forgiveness as methods of reconciliation to create opportunities for peace and to abandon hate-based ideologies.
  • New, emerging, or time-tested theories, concepts, practices, and lines of inquiry for understanding and challenging hatred, intolerance or inequality in the pursuit of justice.
  • New, emerging, or time-tested theories, concepts, practices, and lines of inquiry for understanding the use of dialogue, kindness, or forgiveness to build peace and escape cycles of violence.
  • The role of dialogue, kindness, or forgiveness in educational initiatives to teach students (primary, elementary, middle school, secondary, higher education, other) how to engage with others in non-violent, compassionate ways.
  • What various academic and professional fields teach us about rebuilding communities after they have experienced acts of hatred, intolerance, inequality, and bias.
  • The role of media in the promotion or prevention of building peace or challenging hate in a society.
  • Context-specific or comparative analyses of manifestations of hate or intolerance within or across cultures and countries, and processes or methods by which individuals or groups can evaluate, better recognize, and reject hateful or intolerant attitudes, actions, beliefs, and speech.
  • Innovative or demonstrably effective responses to acts of hate or bias (e.g. racial bias, homophobia, religious intolerance) committed within schools, businesses, local communities, national governments, or global structures as advancing peace, acceptance, dialogue, forgiveness, and justice.
  • The leadership role or potential of specific sectors and vocations (law enforcement, non-profit organizations, primary and secondary education, higher education, business, etc.) in building peace or challenging individual or organized activities, practices, or policies of hatred or intolerance that hinder peace-building (e.g. hate speech, hate/bias crime).
  • Solutions and strategies for changing policies, laws, and practices that sustain or encourage hate, intolerance, or inequality and for building effective cross-sector relations for change/reform.
  • Strategies for changing policies, laws, and practices to sustain building peace in and across communities, regions, and countries.
  • Strategies for engaging different communities in conversations and joint action to support peace, justice, and equity.

Envisioned Presenters and Audience

We wish to receive paper and session proposals from:

  • Academics – scholars, researchers, educators, administrators, and students from across the humanities, social studies, law, public policy, and professional studies areas
  • Community organizers
  • Engaged global citizens
  • Human rights leaders
  • Journalists and media members
  • Members of the legal community (attorneys, judges, law enforcement officials)
  • Policy experts
  • Professional practitioners working in areas, or on issues, related to the conference theme
  • Professionals in other education sectors and circles
  • Representatives of government and non-governmental organizations

Conference Events

Gonzaga University educated students for lives of leadership and services to the common good.  In keeping with the University's mission, several justice focused, participatory events have been scheduled and sponsored by by Gonzaga department and students as a part of Communities for Justice.  View the full schedule here.