The City of Seville will host the 11th Conference of the Spanish Association for the Sciences of Religions (SECR), on “Violence, Peace and Religion”, from 19 to 21  May 2016. The Conference is organised by Universidad Pablo de Olavide, the Spanish Association for the Sciences of Religions, the International Dialogue Centre (KAICIID) and the University Institute of Sciences of Religions at Complutense University of Madrid.

Over one hundred experts will attend this interdisciplinary congress. Its main objective is to address the problem of the manipulation of religion leading to violence, as well as the contributions of religions to the areas of prevention, mediation and conflict resolution. The 11th SECR Congress is a unique forum for researchers and scholars from a wide range of disciplines to address, analyse and promote the study and knowledge of the history of religions and religious phenomena.

Violence which is purportedly committed in the name of religion is a major contemporary challenge. and is closely related to extremism. This conference aims to further the academic discourse on these topics and to offer criteria for peaceful solutions based on dialogue and interaction, in order to contribute to international peace and security.

The congress will feature five panels, at which presentations and plenary lectures will be offered by internationally renowned experts such as Amelia Valcárcel, Professor in Philosophy at the National Distance Education University of Spain and one of the best-known writers and essayists on gender and feminism; Esteban Ibarra, President of the humanitarian organisation Movimiento Contra la Intolerancia and supporter of the latest amendment to the Spanish Penal Code regarding hate crimes; Abdelaziz Aiadi, expert on the contemporary Islamic world and Professor at Abdelmalek Essaidi University in Tétouan, Morocco; Gustavo Suárez Pertierra, Professor in State Ecclesiastical Law at the National Distance Education University of Spain and expert in international relations and security; and Alvaro Albacete, Diplomat, Deputy Secretary General of the International Dialogue Centre and expert in peacebuilding.

Various organisations and institutions will sponsor the Congress, including the College of Lawyers in Seville, which will provide the main venue, and the Fundación Tres Culturas, where one of the panel sessions will take place.

Further information about the Conference can be found here:
www.upo.es/portal/impe/web/contenido/67b88160-07a2-11e6-9c52-3fe5a96f4a88