Network digest
May 2009
Events
Volunteering @ warwick - call for papers
NCVO/ VSSN Researching the Voluntary Sector Conference, 7- 8 September 2009, University of Warwick, UK The NCVO/VSSN Researching the Voluntary Sector Conference is the primary UK conference for the voluntary sector research community. It brings together over 120 academics, practitioners and policymakers with a shared interest in the voluntary sector and voluntary action. Many of the delegates are from overseas, providing a real opportunity for shared learning with researchers from different countries and contexts. The aim is to build the evidence base by sharing new, emerging research, and then to make the most of that evidence base by connecting researchers with the policymakers and practitioners who use research. The conference is an ‘open space’ to share new or existing research, so this call for papers is an open invite to all researchers working on or with the sector. This includes new researchers (such as PhD students) wishing to present for the first time.
See http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/events/latest/?id=13492
EEFC ‘Civic Literacy’ - Day conference, 6 May, Thetford.
The event is aimed at faith and interfaith groups engaging with public sector organizations . The East of England Faiths Council and Improve 2 Perform are running this event to help faith groups find out more about public sector structures and approaches. For further information and a booking form contact: Sue.Holder@eera.gov.uk
The Aga Khan University, Institute for Muslim Civilisations is hosting a Lunch hour seminar, Debating Debate in Northern Afghanistan on 20 May, 1:00 - 2:00pm in the AKU-ISMC Boardroom.
About the Speaker: Dr Magnus Marsden is a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS, University of London. Dr Marsden has undertaken anthropological fieldwork in Pakistan, Central Asia and the Middle East, seeking to address questions concerning the anthropology of religion (especially Islam), the interaction between religious and political transformations within and beyond South Asia and the Muslim world, as well as the study of transnational identity formations. For further details, see www.aku.edu/ismc
There are a number of invitation only events that are happening, which you may be interested to know about, and/or request papers for:
The ESRC/AHRC Religion and Society Programme are holding an award-holders conference for Phase 2 of the Research Network Grants competition. (Lancaster, May 12th,13th,14th).
In total 3 grants have been awarded as detailed below:
- Dr A Dinham, Faiths & Civil Society Unit, PACE, Goldsmiths,
Title: Faiths, Young People and Civil Society Network
- Professor GA Lynch, School of Continuing Education, Birkbeck
College,
Title: Belief as cultural performance: towards a new framework for studying the religious and secular life-worlds of young people
- Professor M Rubin, Department of History, Queen Mary, University of London,
Title: Youth, Violence and Cult: An Interdisciplinary Network on the case of William of Norwich, the ritual murder accusation and its historical legacy
If you have any questions regarding these projects, please contact the award holders.
University of Warwick, 5 May
The Centre for Research in Ethnic Relations at the University of Warwick with the William Temple Foundation, The UK Social Policy Association and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation are holding a one day event on 5th May. The purpose of the day is to begin to develop a constructive debate on the role of
Faith groups in social policy in the UK. The event will bring together
policy makers, multifaith grassroots organisations and researchers from a
widevariety of disciplines.The event is by invitation only but a report will be produced on the papers and discussions that emerge from this day,
which will feature in Policy World magazine as well as appearing on other
platforms.
Birkbeck, 5 May
An invitation-only symposium providing an opportunity for researchers working in the study of contemporary Islam, and who are broadly based in London and the South-East, to share their current research and have the opportunity to network with other colleagues working in this field. Enquiries to Gordon Lynch at Birkbeck g.lynch@bbk.ac.uk
Christian Muslim Forum are holding a seminar in Birmingham on 8 June 2009: 'Cross Crescent and Cool', a Youth Encounter event led by Andrew Smith and Wahida Shaffi.
For further details, see www.christianmuslimforum.org
Publications/Reports
A Mirror For Our Times: ‘The Rushdie Affair’ and the Future of Multiculturalism
By Paul Weller, Professor of Inter-Religious Relations at the University of Derby.
This new book charts the challenges posed by living with radical difference, freedom of expression and mutual respect. Twenty years since the beginning of the Satanic Verses controversy, this anniversary presents an opportunity to review the incidents, issues and debates of the time with some historical perspective, taking into account the terror attacks of 9/11 and 7/7, and the killing of the Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh. The book explores multi-culturalism today and its journey over the last two decades, and includes a ‘six point challenge’ on dealing with this much debated subject.
Download an order form.
Faith Based Regeneration Network – Joining up the Dots
FbRN's extremely well attended national conference 2009, took place on Tuesday 31st March at Friends House, London. The Conference Report will be available on the FbRN website in April / May www.fbrn.org.uk
Courses
'Expressions of Diversity: A Contemporary Introduction to Muslim Cultures'
Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University in partnership with Simon Fraser University (SFU),Vancouver, is offering a Summer Programme titled 'Expressions of Diversity: A Contemporary Introduction to Muslim Cultures'. This course will be held at AKU-ISMC's premises in London from July 20 to 31, 2009.
The Programme has been designed with a good mix of classroom and off-site activities. It is ideal for those seeking a short but comprehensive introduction to multi-faceted nature of Muslim cultures.
Topics such as the context of pre-Muslim Arabia, the foundational sources of Islam, political developments, the making of the legal thought, the flourishing artistic and scholarly environment, the engagement with modern ideas and institutions and key contemporary issues will be discussed during the Programme. Faculty from AKU-ISMC, SFU, and other academic institutions will be teaching in the Programme. Detailed information is available on the AKU-ISMC website: http://www.aku.edu/ISMC/shortcourses.