Leading authority on globalization addresses conference on cities and conflict at the Munk School of Global Affairs

TORONTO, Jan. 30, 2013 /CNW/ - The Trudeau Centre at the Munk School of Global Affairs welcomes members of the press to a conference analyzing urban issues of peace, conflict and justice entitled The Urban Era: Comparing Challenges in the World's Cities. Professor Saskia Sassen, one of the world's leading experts on globalization, will deliver the keynote address entitled "Expulsions: Where does that leave Peace and Democracy?" on Friday. The first conference of its kind in Toronto it will examine issues of peace, conflict and justice as they manifest themselves in cities.

"At a time when the open city is under attack from so many sides, one question we might ask is whether there are challenges we confront in cities that are larger than the hatreds [...] and inequalities that beset our cities."  - Professor Saskia Sassen

The panels will address a wide range of these topics through a comparative urban lens with distinguished speakers from various fields, including experts from Princeton's Innovations for Successful Societies and the Jerusalem Old City Initiative. Some panels include:

Divided Cities: Jerusalem and Belfast
Cities have the potential to both exacerbate and mitigate conflict, which serve as a microcosm of the broader conflicts in which they occur. Through Jerusalem and Belfast, this panel will examine protracted urban conflict based on long-standing grievances. Featuring: Professor Michael Bell (UWindsor), Professor Scott Bollens (UCI), Professor Sami Chetrit (CUNY), Professor Michael Molloy (UOttawa)

Learning to Live Together: Immigration in Montréal and Paris
By focusing on the arrondissements of Paris and the boroughs of Montreal, this panel will analyze the tensions and effects of immigration in urban settings. Of particular interest is how each city responds to the effects of immigration. Featuring Dr. Kamal Dib (DFAIT), Me. Julius Grey (McGill), Professor Alain Ngouem (UToronto)

Urban Environmentalism: Lima and San Francisco
The Urban Environmentalism panel will cover the distinct environmental problems facing cities in the developed and developing world. This panel will address the distinct barriers to addressing those challenges faced by both Lima and San Francisco and will explore municipal responses to environmental problems. Featuring: Candice Anderson (York), Professor Teddy Cruz (UCSD), Professor Fonna Forman (UCSD), Dr. Joe Nasr (Ryerson), Rebecca Sweetman (The Paradigm Shift Project)

The Conference is organized by the Peace, Conflict and Justice Program at the Trudeau Centre, Munk School of Global Affairs. Interviews are available, please contact us for more information.

EVENT DETAILS:

WHAT:		7th Annual Peace, Conflict and Justice Conference - The Urban Era: Comparing Challenges in the World's Cities
WHO:		- Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology at Columbia University - Professor Scott Bollens, Warmington Chair in Peace and International Cooperation, University of California, Irvine - Professor Fonna Forman, Co-Director of the Centre on Global Justice, UCSD - Julius Grey, Law Professor, McGill University & Université de Montréal
WHERE:		Munk School of Global Affairs, Vivian and David Campbell Conference Facility, 1 Devonshire Place, Toronto ON
WHEN:		Keynote: February 1st, 7pm - 8:30pm, Panels: February 2nd, 9:30am - 5:30pm

ABOUT THE TRUDEAU CENTRE:
Established in 2001, the Trudeau Centre gives a select group of students—drawn from Canada and around the world—the practical knowledge they need to advance the cause of peace. The Peace, Conflict and Justice program confronts some of humanity's most complex challenges. The program emphasizes the integration of practical and theoretical knowledge and the interdisciplinary nature of peace and conflict.

SOURCE: University of Toronto

For more information and registration:
Simmon Li, Communications Director
www.theurbanera.com - [email protected]
647-889-2583