The 2008 Olympic Games brought international attention to China’s human rights practices, as well as intensified repression against Tibetan Buddhists, Uyghur Muslims, non-registered churches and Falun Dafa practitioners. At the same time, China is experiencing the greatest religious revival in human history.

This symposium will examine issues of religious control and persecution as well as the contributions of religions as civil society organizations building human rights in China. We will approach this by pairing academic and activist presentations in panels on Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Falun Dafa, and in discussion sessions.

Dr. Pitman Potter (University of British Columbia Law School) will be the keynote speaker.

Symposium bios and abstracts are available here. The schedule is available here.

Location: Knox College, 59 St. George Street (University of Toronto)
Date: Saturday, 30 May 2009

This event is organized by: York Centre for Asian Research (YCAR); Centre for Asian-Canadian Theology and Ministry at Knox College; Hudson Taylor Centre for Chinese Ministries at Tyndale Seminary.

This international symposium is generously funded by: the E.H. Johnson Memorial Fund, the St. Stephen’s-Broadway Foundation, the Kiervin Family Foundation and the following York University sponsors: the Jack and Mae Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security, the East Asian Studies Programme, and the Religious Studies Programme.  

Event poster

Symposium photographs
	Co-organizer Warren Lai of Tyndale Unviersity College and Seminary
	Co-organizer Nam Soon Song, Director of the Asian-Canadian Centre for Theology and Ministry, Knox College, University of Toronto
	Co-organizer Michael Stainton, York Centre for Asian Research, introducing the keynote lecture by Pitman Potter
	Video keynote by Pitman Potter (University of British Columbia Law School)
	Brian Swords, Scarboro Foreign Missions
	David Matas, human rights lawyer
	Rukiye Turdush, Canadian Uyghur Association
	Tsewang Tethong
	Michael Dillon, Tsinghua University
	David Webster, Director of 'China's Leap of Faith: The Gods Come Home'
	Moderator Razmik Panossian

All photographs by Jay Song

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