"Dialogue and Difference: Meditations on Local/Global Values in Post-Modernity," SOAS, University of London, September 9-11, 2009.

Department of Study of Religions, School of Oriental and African Studies. The aim of this conference is to gather scholars from varied disciplines and traditions, to enable critical reflection upon the academic and everyday values we live by, the changing nature of these values, their strength, their flexibility, their 'power and authority'. As intellectuals, we believe in the need for theoretical reflection on the problems of dialogue and difference as a way of contributing to society. This Conference expands on the achievements of a previous conference held at SOAS in 2001 (Sept. 12-14) on"Dialogue and Difference" and whose results have been published in two special issues of Social Identities. Those writings raised more questions than answers as dialogue itself started to appear impossible, in the face of unfolding calculated violence and terror. Now, eight years later, those questions seems to be still looking for an answer. Participants include: Professor Stephen Chan, SOAS Professor Joseph Buttigieg, University of Notre Dame, Indiana Professor Hans-Herbert Kögler, University of North Florida Dr Tiziano Tosolini, Nanzan University, Osaka Professor Couze Venn, Nottingham Trent University Dr Sîan Hawthorne, SOAS Dr Paul-François Tremlett,SOAS Professor Gordon Lynch, Birkbeck College Dr (Ayatollah) Sayed G.Safavi Professor Mineke Schipper, University of Leiden Professor Stephan Feuchtwang, LSE Professor John McCumber, UCLA Dr Cosimo Zene,SOAS Professor Mauro Pala, University of Cagliari Professor Anne Sassoon, Birkbeck College Dr Birgit Wagner, University of Vienna For details regarding registration and the full conference program please visit us at: http://www.soas.ac.uk/religions/events/ Contacts: Dr Cosimo Zene zc@soas.ac.uk Dr Paul-F Tremlett pt10@soas.ac.uk