You are invited to join The “Witches of the West” for presentations and conversations about ancient and modern witch-hunts: the two Witches days, February 6-7, open unexpected perspectives on the waves of moral panics and the endurance of prejudice in our self-declared enlightened societies. A dialogue between times, places, disciplines, and communities, this symposium is conceived as a provocation to thinking together about our blind spots and the functioning of collective fears. Following the thread of Witches, entwined with questions about women, religious minorities, media, libraries and fictions of threats, papers will address exclusions and discrimination that may not be perceived as such by their perpetrators and may even be our own. Which are the ways of reasoning, fabricating, instructing, spreading the delusions at work in persecutions which, at a said time, could seem legitimate to a community? How is a wave of panic subdued? What is the role of universities in the construction of open inclusive societies? What do you think about this? See https://mardinalia.wordpress.com/witches-of-the-west for more details (detailed program, overview etc.) and book the dates.
This symposium starts on the Friday afternoon, in the library, featuring a keynote lecture by Professor Andrew Gow (University of Alberta) on moral panics, now and then. The Saturday will explore the modernity of witch-hunts and will lead to an open conversation with the audience. Witches of the West is organized by the Centre for Studies in Religion and Society, the Special Collections of Uvic Libraries, and the Program of Medieval Studies, with the support of the Faculty of Humanities. This symposium brings together researchers from many disciplines, students, and members from the community: consider being part of these conversations about who we are and what we do!
The event is free of charge and open to all: feel free to invite students, friends, colleagues. Thank you for sharing this information-information with your networks and circles. RSVP to csrs@uvic.ca by February 2 (so that we have seats for everyone).
Looking forward to seeing you there,
Hélène Cazes
University of Victoria
Professor,Graduate Adviser, French Department
Director, Program of Medieval Studies
Coordinator, Humanities Diploma Program
