Comparing Diversities Conference
The Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the Office of Global Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences at Kent State University are proud to collaborate on the 2023 Comparing Diversities Conference. This year’s conference will be held at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba Campus, Brazil, a Kent State University partner.
International Diversity Conference on
“Identity and Diversity: Interdisciplinary Perspectives”
Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Curitiba Campus, Brazil
November 20 - 21, 2023
Diversity is one of the most used concepts. Yet, its complexities, plural meaning, and other aspects have rarely been understood since popular views of race, culture, and identity in North America and Europe have generally dominated discussions in international academic and non-academic settings. While the scholarship on diversity is massive, it has not sufficiently explored the concept from interdisciplinary perspectives. Furthermore, this scholarship has often ignored the complex and unique experiences, customs, and perspectives that shape people’s understanding of identity. Recognizing the central role that identity (be it national, religious, social, political, cultural, or of a different type) has in how individuals and communities understand and represent diversity, this conference will offer different and unique perspectives on the concept. Giving voice to individuals and communities from many parts of the world, academic and community leaders, activists, and students participating in this conference will share their own views on diversity and its relationships with identity. They will have the opportunity to define diversity according to their own or various people’s conceptions of identity and special relationships to place, culture, and history. Having such global perspectives on diversity will foster cultural exchange and possibly alter or enhance how the concept can be understood in multiple contexts.
This year's conference will be part of PUCPR's Black November program to celebrate and reflect on the 20th anniversary of Law 10.639/03, which established the mandatory teaching of Afro-Brazilian and African History and Culture in Brazilian schools. This law is an important milestone in promoting ethnic-racial diversity and equality in Brazil. The event's central objective is to highlight the intellectual and cultural importance of black personalities, bringing protagonism and visibility to their academic productions.
This year's Black November program will feature the 1st International Conference on Identity and Alterity: Interdisciplinary Perspectives in partnership with Kent State University (Ohio, USA), and the 5th Symposium on Human Rights and Public Policies: Equality and Difference Program Postgraduate Course in Human Rights at PUCPR.
PUCPR's III Black November seeks to promote a meeting that addresses equality and difference, fostering dialogue and awareness about racial issues in Brazil and internationally.