Concordia professor strives to prevent violence before it starts
Posted March 21st, 2018 by Kathryn Urbaniak
(Image credit: Zeze Le Lin)
Megan Hunt of The Concordian spoke with Vivek about his new role as UNESCO’s co-Chair in the Prevention of Radicalization and Violent Extremism, as well as how to prevent radicalization and violent extremism before it starts. Read more here.
Proactively preventing violent extremism
Posted March 8th, 2018 by Kathryn Urbaniak
The Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence (CPRLV) and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) are launching their campaign, “What if I was Wrong? When we talk, we learn!” in Ottawa for the first time. This campaign launch, in collaboration with The Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University and the Kingdom of the Netherlands Embassy in Canada, will be held at the Canada Council for the Arts. Our hosts and experts will take part in a panel discussion touching on various issues related to the use of awareness campaigns as a means to fight violent radicalization.
March 29th, 2018 – Canada Council for the Arts – Ottawa, ON
A World First: A UNESCO Chair on the Prevention of Radicalization and Violent Extremism
Posted February 23rd, 2018 by Kathryn Urbaniak
Sherbrooke, February 23, 2018 – A world first, the UNESCO Chair on the Prevention of Radicalization and Violent Extremism (UNESCO-PREV Chair) was inaugurated today at Université de Sherbrooke, in partnership with UQAM and Concordia University (Project Someone), and in collaboration with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. A number of Quebec and Canadian government stakeholders came together to highlight the importance of the initiative, which directly or indirectly affects millions of people worldwide.
Fighting online hate with empathy, understanding and resilience
Posted February 21st, 2018 by Kathryn Urbaniak
The SOMEONE initiative has:
34,000+ views on SOMEONE website since its launch in 2016.
4,800+ attendees at public events held over 3 continents.
9,200+ unique visitors from 118 countries.
Since its creation in 2015, project SOMEONE (SOcial Media EducatiON Every day) and partners have hosted and participated in many local, national and international activities. As SOMEONE has grown, so has its radius of participation. These events have taken various forms including workshops, panels, concerts and public talks.
Between 2015 and February 2018, 33 events took place in the province of Quebec—inside and outside the Montreal metropolitan area—while 10 more took place in otherCanadian provinces involving about 3,800 people in audience. Reaching an additional audience of approximately 1,700 individuals beyond national borders, SOMEONE also took part in 16 international activities in the US, Europe and South America. Additionally, audience participants have attended internationally from Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
With its 11 projects developed by collaborative research practitioners, SOMEONE also offers educational institutions a variety of curricular activities meant to open dialogue on hate speech. While doing so, SOMEONE tailors those projects to best suit the needs of the communities with which it works.
Check back soon for news on our partner programmes.
OFDE – Study day for, by and with teachers
Posted February 20th, 2018 by Kathryn Urbaniak
Pour une école antiraciste, inclusive et respectueuse des droits et libertés (For anti-racist schools, inclusive and respectful of rights and freedoms)
Study day for, by and with teachers 19 and 20 April 2018 Salle Chaufferie (CO-R700) du Pavillon Cœur des sciences 175, Ave. Du Président-Kennedy, Université du Québec à Montréal
Organised by l’Observatoire sur la formation à la diversité et l’équité (OFDE) and partners.
Register before 13 April 2018 (spaces are limited):
Vivek Venkatesh and Nicole Fournier-Sylvester will give a workshop titled « Aiguisez votre esprit critique : Développement des espaces de dialogues pluralistes chez les jeunes ». Utiliser les médias sociaux en vue d’inculquer les principes de la réflexion critique et de lancer un débat constructif. (“Sharpen your critical thinking: Developing spaces for pluralistic dialogue among young people”.Using social media to instill critical thinking principles and engaging in constructive debate. (Workshop 4 – 2.45pm-4.15pm, day 1, 19 April)
Landscape of Hate and Festspillene i Bergen
Posted February 11th, 2018 by Kathryn Urbaniak
Landscape of Hate has been invited to perform in Bergen on May 26, 2018 as part of Festspillene i Bergen. On May 24 and 25, members of Landscape of Hate and experts in media literacy and art education will conduct workshops with members of Høgskolen in Vestlandet to create multimedia material, visual art and soundscapes which will be used in the performance on May 26.
Applications are now being accepted for the position of Horizon Postdoctoral Fellow at Project Someone. The research program is titled “Children’s Virtual Play: Developing Identity and Resilience in Early Childhood”.
Program description
Resilience in online worlds begins with children developing their self-knowledge and sense of empathy (projectsomeone.ca). The postdoc will examine the influence of digital technologies on young children and their play worlds, in order to generate new knowledge on children’s identities in online worlds and the role of media literacy in resilience-building. Specifically, the postdoc will: 1) Investigate the processes through which young children’s identities are formed in and influenced by online environments, through conducting qualitative observational research on children’s symbolic play in virtual spaces; 2) Conduct theoretical research on the links between children’s identity construction, virtual play, and practices that build resilience in online communities; and 3) Develop, evaluate and disseminate curriculum strategies for teachers and resource material for parents of young children. The postdoc will contribute a substantive interdisciplinary approach in each of these areas.
Academic qualifications required
PhD in Early Childhood Education, Child Psychology, Educational Technology, Child Studies or related fields, with experience in qualitative research methodologies, digital technology studies, or early childhood education.
Einar Selvik Performance and Talk, February 4, 2018
Posted January 16th, 2018 by Kathryn Urbaniak
Einar Selvik will be performing a solo set at Concordia University on February 4, 2018. The performance will be followed by a lecture and live interview about Nordic culture and identity. Doors open at 16.15 and the event is free. The Facebook event here. This event is presented by Project Someone and Grimposium.
The Hidden Face of Hate Groups Online: A Former’s Perspective
Posted January 3rd, 2018 by Kathryn Urbaniak
Ryan Scrivens interviewed Brad Galloway, a former-right wing extremist, about a paper that Brad had presented titled ‘The Hidden Face of Organized Hate Groups Online: A Former’s Perspective’ at the Terrorism and Social Media Conference at Swansea University, Wales.
Based on his experience in Canada’s right-wing extremist movement, Brad shed light on his online activities during his time in the movement, with a particular emphasis on online recruitment. He also provided insight into the impact that the Internet had on the movement during his involvement. To read the interview on the VOX Pol blog, click here.