UBC’s Buddhism and Contemporary Society Program, funded by The Tung Lin Kok Yuen Canada Foundation, will hold a conference on Buddhism and Politics on June 6-7, 2014 at the C.K. Choi Building, Point Grey campus.
***Event is free and open to public registrants***
Register here
Refreshments, snacks, and lunch will be available for registered guests. The organizers will offer dinner only to the conference presenters. Meals and refreshments will be available at the Choi Building Lobby during the conference. Questions about this event may be addressed to Andre Laliberte at andre.laliberte@uottawa.ca, with the subject head: conference on Buddhism and Politics.
Friday, June 6th
Registration: 8:30 – 9:00 AM
Welcoming address and introductions: 9:00 – 9:30 AM
First session: Buddhist utopias: 9:30 – 11:30 AM
- Tsering Shakya, University of British Columbia, “State secularism and religion in contemporary Tibet.”
- Barbara Clayton, Mount Allison University, “An analysis of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness.”
- Marian Gallenkamp, Heidelberg University, “Democratic transformation and the politics of happiness in Bhutan: Guided by Buddhist principles or royal self-interests?”
Second session: Buddhism and dissent: 1:00 – 3:00 PM
- Michael Jerryson, Youngstown State University, “Dhammic autocracies and dissent in Buddhist traditions.”
- Antonio Terrone, Northwestern University, “Burning for a Budhdist cause in Tibet: self-immolations, rationality, and the issue of terrorism.”
- David Geary, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, “From Rohingya to Bodh Gaya: Terror, conspiracy and the public life of Buddhist heritage in North India.”
Third session: Buddhists and national identities: 3:15 – 5:15 PM
- Brian Victoria, International Research Center for Japanese Studies, Kyoto, “The Buddhist military chaplaincy in 20th century Japan and 21st century US: Continuity and change.”
- Alexander Soucy, Saint-Mary’s University, “Building temples for Vietnam: Buddhism, nationalism and the Spratly Islands dispute.”
- Matthew King, University of Toronto, “Dorje Shugden and Mongolian Buddhist revivalism: debates and contexts.”
Saturday, June 7th
Fourth session: Global perspectives: 9:00 – 10:30 AM
- André Laliberté, University of Ottawa, “The global politics of Buddhism.”
- Douglas Ober, University of British Columbia, “A tryst with destiny? Diplomacy, revolution and Nehruvian Buddhism in the secular Indian state.”
Fifth session: Transnational perspectives: 10:45 – 12:15 AM
- Huang Weishan, Univeristy of Göttingen, “Great love from across the ocean: The case study of a transnational Buddhist movement in the era of the religious revival in China.”
- Deba Mitra Barua, University of Saskatchewan, “Transnational politics, pressure and protection: The politics of/on Bangladeshi Buddhist minority.”
Sixth session: Women in Buddhism: 1:30 – 3:00 PM
- Christie Chang, Sakyadhita International, “Daughters of the Buddha: Buddhists and/or feminists?”
- Manuel Litalien, Nipissing University, “Social inequalities and the promotion of women in Buddhism in Thailand.”
Seventh session: Reform and change in Buddhism: 3:15 – 4:45 PM
- Khun Eng Kuah-Pearce, University of Hong Kong, “State and the Governance of the emerging ethos of Buddhist philanthropy: Reformist Buddhism in Singapore.”
- Jessica Main, University of British Columbia, “Shin Buddhist internal politics: ‘Uprising’ in the Higashi Hongan-ji.”
Closing session: Publication projects: 4:45 – 5:30 PM
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