Category: Speaking Events

Chris Cotter, Ting Guo, and myself discussed the passing of the Queen of England and mourning in Hong Kong, then the conspiracy theories with the self titled Queen of Canada, Romana Didulo, Iranian protests and the mandatory Hijab, and finally religion and spirituality in mental health surveys. A great conversation with two very intelligent and humourous academics.

I will be a keynote speaker at the Annual Secular Arizona Summit on December 10, 2022. I will be addressing the role of conspiracy theories and Christian Nationalism on American politics. Registration is required.

Myself and three political science professors were on a panel the day after the midterms to discuss what had occurred. There were still some positions which were too early to decide, but we attempted to understand the lead up to the election and the vote itself, through a polling, foreign relations, extremist, and gender lens.

I’ll be part of a Queen’s University panel, following the November 8th mid-term elections. Mark your calendars!

Wednesday, November 9, 2022 | 2:30-4:00 P.M.
Mackintosh-Corry Hall | D216
No registration required.

The Great Replacement is a conspiracy theory that began in Europe, and spread to North America via books written by French authors, Camus and Raspail. The conspiracy believes that through immigration policies white people will be replaced, and has been the inspiration for acts of violence, including the Buffalo shooter and Christchurch.

On August 18th I gave a talk for Religions for Peace USA, on the great replacement conspiracy theory and its impact on society. Delving into the history of the conspiracy theory, the fears it represents, and the violence that it has caused, I explain what the implications are globally.

I hope you can join me online in August for a discussion of how the fear of “The Great Replacement” has provided motivation for many heinous attacks on racial and religious minorities and the role of religious communities should take in dispelling this myth perpetuated by white-supremacist groups.

Sponsored by Religions for Peace USA, the talk is free, but you’ll still need to register online to attend.

---

The Fear of “The Great Replacement”
and its Impact on Society
_{Thursday, August 18, 2022–2:00 to 3:00 P.M. EST}

Join live via Zoom or Facebook. Registration is required but complimentary.

---

Learn more about the work of Religions for Peace USA and their faith and interfaith partners at www.rfpusa.org.

The Great Replacement is a racist conspiracy theory that has been propagated for decades through dystopian novels. The conspiracy has become the mechanism through which hate ideologies are spread, both subtly and openly on social media, gaming, and through memes with real world consequences.

The Great Replacement conspiracy theory has fuelled acts of violence and a rise in extremism and populism across North America, including the recent killing of 13 people at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY.

On June 15, I’ll be be presenting an historical overview of this conspiracy theory as part of The State of US webinar series, and sharing my latest research into its more recent manifestations, including through extremist groups in Texas.

Register here to attend The Great Replacement: Conspiracy, Fear, and Media.

On April 28th Dr. Mia Bloom and I spoke at Montclair State University for their series on the rise of theocracy in America. We were the final instalment of the series, and addressed the role of conspiracy theories in Christian socio-political movements in the country. Dr. Bloom spoke predominately about the QAnon conspiracy, while I addressed broader conspiracies, situating them historically in America and in the contemporary context. It was a great conversation, and one that will be continued at a round table presentation at the American Academy of Religion national conference in November.

The Centre on Hate, Bias, and Extremism hosted an online symposium with scholars from across Canada engaging in a dialogue of the issues surrounding right-wing extremism on social media. I was honoured to participate with two separate presentations. Seeping Hate is a presentation of my research, in early stages, on the means through which deplatformed users continue to post content, and spread their messages. The far-right and the ugly side of social media: dark participation on BitChute is a presentation with the team at The Disinformation Project at SFU, where I am a Post-doctoral Fellow.