Where:

Mount Allison University, Sackville New Brunswick

When:

October 16, 2014, 7-9pm at Convocation Hall
The Walrus Talks. The first in Maritime Canada, The Walrus Talks will feature the country’s leading thinkers performing 7-minute presentations on the many facets of conversation, from dialogue to conflict.  Cost is free for students and General Admission is $10. 

October 17, 2014
Panels and Discussions. Join us for a day of panels and discussions with the conference speakers.

October 18, 2014
Panels and Discussions. Join us for a day of panels and discussions with the conference speakers.

To access the full conference program, visit the event website or check them out on Twitter.  To register, click here.

Media Release

Discourse and Dynamics conference puts Canadian female scholars, leaders in the spotlight

Margaret Atwood, Janice Stein, and Sheila Watt-Cloutier among guest speakers at conference co-hosted by Mount Allison University

SACKVILLE, NB — Mount Allison University will welcome some of the country’s most notable scholars and leaders to campus during the Discourse and Dynamics: Canadian Women as Public Intellectuals conference, taking place Oct.16-18, 2014.

Through panel presentations and general discussion, conference participants will explore what helps and hinders women as public voices. Scheduled in conjunction with Persons Day (Oct. 18), Discourse and Dynamics will also host several public events including the Walrus Talks, a first in the Maritime region on Thursday, Oct. 16, and Dynamic Discussions — panels and discussions focusing on such topics as public positioning, intersections, and science and art.

“We are so pleased to host Discourse and Dynamics conference, in collaboration with the University of Calgary,” says conference co-organizer and Mount Allison University English and Canadian Studies professor Dr. Christl Verduyn. “The conference will showcase women instrumental in shaping public opinion, forging ideas for giving women a greater public voice. We have participants from across the country, including many students, who will discuss strategies for elevating the role of women in key areas such as energy, economic inequality, immigration, culture, and medicine.”

Dynamic Discussions, taking place Friday and Saturday afternoons (October 17 and 18) in Convocation Hall, will feature some of Canada’s most noted female leaders including:

• Margaret Atwood: Author, pioneer of environmental questions
• Dionne Brand:  Author, educator, equity activist
• Nicole Brossard: Author, feminist, and literary activist
• Rita Deverell:  Founder of Vision TV, pioneer in journalism
• Mary Eberts:  Equality activist, Co-founder of Women’s LEAF
• Charlotte Gray:  Historian, author, cultural commentator
• Shari Graydon:  Founder and catalyst of Informed Opinions
• Smaro Kamboureli:  Canadian cultural scholar
• Antonia Maioni:  Public policy scholar
• Lorna Marsdon: Sociologist, academic, and former politician
• Pam Palmater:  Social justice leader
• Natalie Panek:  Rocket scientist
• Judy Rebick:  Social justice activist and journalist
• Naomi Sayers:  Indigenous spokesperson, justice and human rights
• Janice Stein:  World-renowned political scientist
• Lori Turnbull:  Public policy commentator
• Sheila Watt-Cloutier:  Advocate for Canada’s North and sustainable leadership

Both the Dynamic Discussions events and the Walrus Talks the Art of Conversation will take place in Convocation Hall on the Mount Allison University campus (37 York Street) and are open to the public. Tickets for each event are $10 (general admission) and must be purchased online: http://discoursedynamics.ca/registration/ and http://thewalrus.ca/the-art-of-conversation-sackville/. Admission for students is free but seats must be reserved in advance using the above links.