Here is the full schedule of events for Populism and Its Discontents, Parkland Institute's 2019 Annual Conference. All events take place in ETLC (Engineering Teaching and Learning Complex) on the University of Alberta campus, except the Saturday evening social, which is at Dewey's on campus.
How does technology affect or facilitate the current rise of right-wing populism? Philosopher, critic, and public intellectual Mark Kingwell will outline some features of the technological and social media landscape that make anti-democratic movements and interventions easier, and more effective. He will also investigate ways of countering these developments.
Saturday
Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 09:00 AMMORNING PLENARY
Sacred Politics: When Populism Meets Religion
The global rise of populism is the subject of a growing social scientific literature. From Europe to Latin America, from the United States to parts of Canada, populist movements, parties, and leaders are transforming "politics-as-usual," redefining policy approaches to the economy, migration, the environment, and national identity. In this talk, I consider a defining—yet under-studied—feature of contemporary populism: its relationship to religion. Focusing on the highly-politicized debates over Islamic veiling in France and Québec, I discuss how populist political formations are reshaping popular beliefs around what is sacred, the rule of law, and national belonging. I then consider the implications of this research for theorizing the populism-religion nexus in Canada and beyond.
CONCURRENT SESSION
Truth, the First Casualty? War Rooms and Rumours of War Rooms
CONCURRENT SESSION
Racism and the Rise of Right-Wing Populism
AFTERNOON PLENARY
Until Our Hearts Are On the Ground: Indigenous Women’s Activism, Now and Forever
After years of working with Indigenous women’s organizations from the grassroots to the national level, Dr. Lavell-Harvard has been involved in all manner of political organizing from community powwows to international protocols in order to advance the rights of Indigenous women and end violence against Indigenous women and girls. This presentation will focus on Indigenous rights and resistance to colonialism (old and new), highlight the ways in which Indigenous people in general, and Indigenous women specifically, are building political movements in this era of right-wing extremism, and explore the evolution of Indigenous political movements in response to authoritarian populism.
CONCURRENT SESSION
Populism and Social Media: The New Instruments of Right-Wing Power
CONCURRENT SESSION
Austerity in Alberta: Workers Under the Right
AFTERNOON PLENARY
The State of Contemporary Populist Discourse in Canada
With a string of anti-establishment leaders and parties emerging across the world, most agree that we are living a populist moment. While the particularities of populist forces depend on the national context in which they are mobilized, much of contemporary global populism appeals to a combination of anti-elitist and nativist arguments.
This presentation examines whether this is true in Canada. Drawing on a mixed-method analysis of conservative party and activist politics, I argue that rather than being centered on ethnonational populism, Canadian populist discourse has been shaped by its own unique national debates and colonial legacy. In particular, I examine two increasingly salient sites of conservative populism in Canada: Western regionalist populism and penal populism.
Conference 2019 Social
Featuring spoken word artists Dwennimmen and Knowmadic
Join us for conversation and snacks (cash bar) and be inspired by two of Edmonton’s finest spoken word artists.
Sunday
Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 09:00 AMMORNING PLENARY
Mobilizations, Moonshots, and Movements: The Promise of the Green New Deal
Climate change continues unabated. The global economy tumbles into recession. Authoritarianism is on the march. Enter the Green New Deal.
CONCURRENT SESSION
Reproductive Rights Under the Right
with Carol Williams, Katelyn Mitchell, and Carly Lara Giles
CONCURRENT SESSION
Cutting the Blue Ribbon: Alberta’s Economy in the Spotlight
with Bob Ascah and Richard E. Mueller
CLOSING KEYNOTE
Labour Intensive: Putting People Back Into Populism
Widespread public disillusionment resulting from inequality and austerity being inadequately addressed by governments has created a fertile recruiting ground for right-wing populist politicians and movements. It's no secret that the right has largely benefited from this surge. But there remains tremendous room for progressives to harness the potential of established community networks—including labour—and social programs in order to organize around a collective, collaborative, future-looking and justice-based vision. While labour intensive, it benefits from what we already have in our favour—the sheer number of people whose families depend on what we have already successfully organized for. And it’s rooted in the recognition that we deserve and can do better, especially for future generations.
