The Center for the Study of Law and Religion and Canopy Forum, in collaboration with the International Institute for Religious Freedom, are excited to announce an upcoming essay series and online conference, Masking Religious Freedom Violations. We are now accepting contributions for this important symposium, which will take place on November 20th, 2024 (time to be announced).
About the Symposium
This symposium explores the complex and multifaceted nature of religious discrimination, moving beyond traditional analyses and narrow definitions to incorporate perspectives from political economy and human security. The discussion addresses the limitations of conventional approaches to the empirical study of religious freedom violations, which often focus on overt displays such as the prohibition of religious literature, restricted access to places of worship, and limitations on the registration and activities of religious organizations. By incorporating diverse perspectives, the symposium aims to set a new research agenda that broadens the understanding of religious freedom to include economic, social, and political dimensions, thereby providing a more comprehensive framework for analyzing and addressing the challenges faced by religious minorities worldwide.
Call for Contributions
We invite essays that explore topics such as:
Explore the evolution of instruments created to measure religious freedom violations, their benefits and their limitations.
Explore religious freedom in national contexts, specifically the varied circumstances surrounding atypical forms of religious discrimination
Offer additional scholarly insights into the way the law has been interpreted, mobilized or disregarded in furtherance of unchecked religious discrimination beyond the typical categories.
Study policies, next steps, or reconceptualization for a more nuanced religious freedom protection regime.
Discuss the role of global human rights regimes on religious freedom protections in light of ‘masked’ religious discrimination
Explore the role of education and research in university settings in strengthening policies that uphold religious freedom
Account for diverse perspectives on the next frontiers of religious freedom scholarship, especially with mind towards multi-disciplinarity and new angles for informing the project of religious freedom.
Submission Guidelines
We are accepting 250 word proposals until October 1st and 1500-2500 word essay submissions by November 1st. You can review our publication guidelines here and submit your work via email.
If selected, essays will be published as part of this series on Canopy Forum. In addition, contributors will be invited to participate in panel discussions during the online conference to take place on November 20th (time to be announced). Please let us know if you would be interested in submitting a proposal to this call for papers, and whether or not you would like to be considered for participation in the accompanying online conference.