Tag: Canada

Cole Foundation grants

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Grant applications for the Cole Foundation’s upcoming round of Intercultural Conversations-Conversations Interculturelles programs are now available online. Recent grants totalling $148,140 were handed out to professional theatre companies in Montreal for their 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. The Cole Foundation created this grant program to encourage a better understanding and greater social harmony amongst the various cultural communities of Montreal through the presentation of professional French and English language theatre. Barry Cole, Cole Foundation President, believes that dialogue leads to better understanding, appreciation and greater social harmony amongst the cultural communities. With this in mind, the Cole Foundation initiated the programme Intercultural Conversations to stimulate the production of theatrical events that feature intercultural dialogue and that introduce Montrealers to other cultural heritages and social realities. Intercultural Conversations consists of production grants, commissioning grants and translation grants to both French and English theatre companies.

Montreal is a multicultural city welcoming people of all ethnic origins. The Cole Foundation wants Montrealers to have a greater awareness of the voices and stories from and about its diverse cultures and communities. Dialogue among these various cultural communities is one way of bringing them together. Theatre has the ability of fostering this intercultural dialogue through the presentation of stories of other cultures on stage and the Cole Foundation considers it vital to support plays that explore these important issues.

Grants for the next competition relate to the 2012-13 and 2013-14 theatre seasons. The deadline for the fourth competition of this meaningful award is October 7. Application forms are now available online where you will also find further information, including lists of past recipients.
Intercultural Conversations grant application forms are available for download here: www.colefoundation.ca/community/competition-forms

Information about the Intercultural Conversations program: www.colefoundation.ca/community
Information about the Cole Foundation Pediatric Oncology research grants: http://www.colefoundation.ca

job ad – U Montreal

Assistant professor in political communication at Université de Montréal

Department of Communication
Faculty of Arts and Science
Assistant Professor in Political Communication

The Department of Communication invites applications for a full-time tenure-track position as Assistant Professor in Political Communication.
Responsibilities:
Successful candidates will be expected to teach at all three levels of the curriculum, supervise graduate students, engage in ongoing research and publication, and contribute to the academic life and reputation of the institution.

Requirements
* PhD (or near completion) in Communication or in a related field.
* Evidence of dynamism and creativity in teaching and pedagogy.
* Research interests and relevant research experience in issues related to contemporary Political Communication, such as analysis of new communication practices and strategies of political actors including citizens, parties, elected officials, journalists, government bodies, para-governmental agencies and pressure groups; Web-based political activities and new types of activism and militancy; studies of new media practices and media roles in political processes; analysis of speeches, interaction or elements that contribute to the definition of the field, its participants and contemporary power formations.
* Proficiency in the French language.  The Université de Montréal is a Québec university with an international reputation.  French is the language of instruction.  To renew its teaching faculty, the University is intensively recruiting the world’s best specialists.  In accordance with the institution’s language policy, the Université de Montréal provides support for newly-recruited faculty to attain proficiency in French.

Salary
The Université de Montréal offers a competitive salary and a complete range of employee benefits.

Starting Date
From January 1 or June 1, 2012.

Deadline
The complete application, including a cover letter, curriculum vitae, copies of recent publications and research, evidence of teaching effectiveness and a statement of research and teaching interests, must be received at the address below by September 15, 2011.

Three letters of recommendation are to be sent to the department director at the following address:
François Cooren, Director
Department of Communications
Université de Montréal
P. O. Box 6128, Station Centre-Ville
Montreal, Quebec,  H3C 3J7
CANADA
Phone: 514 343-7819
Email: f.cooren@umontreal.ca

For more information about the Department of Communication, please consult the Web site.

Confidentiality
The Université de Montréal application process allows all regular professors in the Department to have access to all documents unless the applicant explicitly states in her or his cover letter that access to the application should be limited to the selection committee.  This restriction on accessibility will be lifted if the applicant is invited for an interview.

Employment Equity Program
The Université de Montréal upholds the principles of employment equity and invites applicants to complete the employment equity identification questionnaire posted www.fas.umontreal.ca/affaires-professorales/documents/quest-acces-emploi-EN.pdf and attach it to their application.

Immigration Requirements
In compliance with Canadian immigration requirements, priority shall be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

International Association for Dialogue Analysis report

The 13th conference of the International Association for Dialogue Analysis (IADA), which took place in Montreal, Canada, from April 26-30, 2011,  was a big success with some 26 countries represented and close to 110 participants from around the world. The theme of the conference was “Dialogue and Representation,” which allowed participants to address what dialogue studies have to say about the question of representation, whether we speak in terms of political, artistic, cognitive or methodological forms of representation. Six keynote speakers were invited to participate in this event: in alphabetic order, Éric Grillo (Sorbonne Nouvelle, France), Cornelia Ilie (U. of Malmö, Sweden), Alain Létourneau (U de Sherbrooke, Canada), Wolfgang Teubert (U of Birmingham, UK), Karen Tracy (U of Colorado, Boulder, USA), and Edda Weigand (U. of Münster, Germany). A volume, published in the series Dialogue Studies at John Benjamins, will be soon edited by François Cooren and Alain Létourneau. This book will include some of the best contributions to this international conference. A special issue of the new journal Language and Dialogue will also include some key contributions to this event. The proceedings will also be soon available on the IADA website.

François Cooren
IADA secretary and co-organizer of the conference

Univ Waterloo Asst Prof

The Department of Drama and Speech Communication at the University of Waterloo invites applications for an Assistant Professor position in Speech Communication. Based in a liberal arts faculty that aspires to high national and international standards, the Speech Communication program currently serves approximately 140 majors and offers eight different degree programs, including three and four year regular and honours programs, an Arts and Business degree option, and a minor and option. The program has concentrations in four areas: Intercultural Communication; Interpersonal/Organizational Communication; Performance Studies; and Public and Digital Communication. The formal relationships between Speech Communication and other programs (especially Digital Arts Communication and Drama) provide regular opportunities for interdisciplinary collaborations in teaching, research, and creative work.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated teaching experience as well as a strong research profile, and will have PhD in hand or ABD with dissertation near completion. Strong candidates will specialize in interpersonal and/or organizational communication in teaching and research. Additional areas of specialization may include cultural/critical studies, ethics, public communication, intercultural communication, and performance studies. A demonstrated pedagogical commitment to theoretically-informed practice, student-centered learning, and engagement of broad public concerns is desirable. Expertise in qualitative and/or creative work is welcome. Duties include research, teaching, and academic service. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and Permanent Residents of Canada will be given priority. The University of Waterloo encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including women, members of visible minorities, native peoples, and persons with disabilities. This appointment will remain open until a suitable candidate has been hired. Send letters of application, complete CV, and three letters of recommendation to: Dr. Jennifer S. Simpson, Interim Chair, Department of Drama and Speech Communication, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1. Appointment begins August 1, 2011. Application deadline: Review of applications will begin May 10, 2011.

Conference: Media in Minority Contexts

Media and media practices in minority and competitive contexts: From local to global
University of Alberta
11-12 May 2012

Few studies have been conducted on the topic of media in minority context. However, in today’s plurilingual and multicultural societies, their role in the functioning of democracy and in the construction of minorities’ cultural identities is crucial. These media are both channels of communication and gathering places or common areas for communities. By connecting individuals who share the same language, these media reinforce solidarity within minority groups as well as their cultural identity, both at the local and global levels. In order to maintain their existence, minority media must also position themselves vis-à-vis the media of the majority to which their audiences also have access.

Conceived as a space for exchange between practitioners and researchers in social sciences, humanities and modern languages, this colloquium seeks to reflect on the role of media in minority contexts from various perspectives and with a comparative angle. The selection committee solicits proposals on any question related to the issue of media in minority contexts, and in particular in relation with questions of: cultural representations (identity, art, translation), democracy (multiculturalism, ethics, media status), networks (national, transnational), professional practice (journalism, technology), language policy and language use. We encourage submissions dealing with different media:  television, radio, specialized and general press [newspapers and magazines], posters, internet, etc. We strongly encourage media professionals to participate. Working language will be English and French. Proposals can be submitted in either of these two languages. Selected proceedings of the conference will be published.

Submission of proposals
September 1, 2011 : Deadline for the submission of proposals

Abstract (400 words maximum) to be sent to  minority.media.conf@gmail.com. The abstract should contain a title.

Please put your name in the subject of your mail, and your further references in the mail message (affiliation, university or institution, e-mail, phone number, and the title of your paper).

October 31, 2011: Notification of acceptance by the Academic Committee after a double blind peer-review

Academic Committee: Marc-François Bernier (Université d’Ottawa, Canada), Mike Cormack (Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland),  Luc Côté (Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface), Robert Darnton (Harvard University, USA), Christian Delporte (Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France), Ouzi Elyada (Université de Haifa, Israel), Donald Ipperciel (University of Alberta, Canada), Karim H. Karim (Carleton University, Canada), Andy Knight (University of Alberta, Canada), Elisabeth Le (University of Alberta, Canada), Marc Lits (Université catholique de Louvain), Marie-Linda Lord (Université de Moncton, Canada), Catherine Murray (Simon Fraser University, Canada), Lloyd Sciban (University of Calgary, Canada), Jean Valenti (Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface, Canada), Isabelle Veyrat-Masson (CNRS, Université Paris IV, France)

Organizing Committee: Sophie Kienlen, Caroline Moine, Géraldine Poels, François Robinet (Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France); Marine Ghéno, Justine Huet, Andy Knight, Elisabeth Le, Iaroslav Pankovskyi, Sathya Rao, Christian Reyns-Chikuma (University of Alberta, Canada) ; David Maurice (Université de Sherbrooke)

Sponsors:
Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies (MLCS)
University of Alberta
Le Centre d’histoire culturelle des sociétés contemporaines (CHCSC)
Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

With the support of :
Department of Political Science, University of Alberta
TV5 – Quebec

Multiculturalism as a solution, not a problem

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently made headlines when she pronounced multiculturalism in Germany a failure. Shortly before, a Globe and Mail editorial argued that Canadians should eradicate “multiculturalism” from their vocabulary and refocus on “citizenship.” Multiculturalism isn’t just out of style, these statements suggest – it’s dangerous for building unity in increasingly diverse societies.

Unfortunately, both analyses are dead wrong.

Social scientists can measure multiculturalism in a given society by examining the number and content of public policies and government pronouncements around cultural recognition and accommodation. Such indices show that Germany is not, and has never been, a multicultural society.

Multiculturalism can’t have failed in Germany because it was never tried. Turkish guest workers and other immigrants were never welcomed as future citizens – only as temporary labour. If Germans are now concerned about the consequences, the blame certainly doesn’t lie with multiculturalism.

These indices also group countries such as France and Norway with Germany as least multicultural, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States as moderately multicultural, and Australia and Canada as most multicultural.

Have Canada’s past practices and policies hurt attempts to forge common citizenship out of diversity?

Absolutely not.”

For further details, see the original article by Irene Bloemraad in the Canadian newspaper, The Globe and Mail.