Professor Shariff's Keynote and Book Launch at CAPSLE
Professor Shaheen Shariff, James McGill Professor and Director of iMPACTS, was invited to be a keynote speaker at the 34th Annual Conference of the Canadian Association for the Practical Study of Law in Education (CAPSLE). The conference was held in Toronto, Ontario from April 28 to April 30, 2024.
Professor Shariff's keynote was titled "Navigating Contemporary Socio-Legal Controversies: Anti-Wokeism, Social Media Content Moderation, and Institutional Censorship in Educational Landscapes". In the keynote, Professor Shariff highlighted legal and institutional challenges in navigating contemporary socio-legal controversies including the rapid expansion and popular use of social media platforms, uninhibited online discrimination, especially sexual violence and sextortion of children, and offensive and hateful online content, which are difficult to regulate. Professor Shariff explained that the Canadian federal government’s recent efforts to contain such content through Bill C-63 have drawn mixed responses. As society diversifies, so do calls for equality, critical examination of accurate histories in schools, which has drawn a backlash with nationalists and populists asserting a “right to offend” under Section 2(b), the freedom of expression section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. At the heart of these debates is the erosion of democracy. Has democracy imploded, and how can we reclaim it together?
Professor Shariff's keynote was timely and important for educators and policymakers at a time of polarized and divided communities. Below are a few photos from Professor Shariff's keynote address.
In addition, iMPACTS launched two books at CAPSLE. Interrupting Sexual Violence: The Power of Law, Education, and Media is the first volume in the series “Confronting Systemic Omissions and Impacts in Educational Policy” by series editor Shariff. This edited collection features contributions about sexual and gender-based violence from iMPACTS co-investigators and graduate students, and it was co-edited by Shariff and Dietzel. Pandemic Injustice: Navigating Legal and Policy Lines During the COVID-19 Pandemic is the second volume in the “Confronting Systemic Omissions and Impacts in Educational Policy” series by series editor hariff. This edited collection sheds light on how vulnerable communities have been disproportionately impacted by governments’ policies and laws since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was co-edited by Dietzel and former McGill law student, Kimia Towfigh.
Below are a couple photos from the book launch. Featured in the photos (from left to right) are Harini Narayanan, iMPACTS Project Administrator; Professor Shariff, James McGill Professor and Director of iMPACTS; and Dr. Christopher Dietzel, iMPACTS Research Associate.
More information about Professor Shariff's keynote as well as iMPACTS' presentations and book launch is available here.
