The Campus Dialogue Project

There is an identified growing problem on Canadian campuses wherein clashes between University community members on issues related to the Middle East conflict have intensified and pose a serious challenge to the very fiber of the Canadian university system. On several campuses, increased clashes around the Middle East conflict have led to an environment of hostility, fear and intimidation. Universities have suffered, and continue to suffer, the repercussions of these tensions that intimidate and close down the freedom of expression of opposite or diverging views.

Students, faculty and administration at many campuses have recognized this potential threat to core academic values of integrity, freedom of dissent, and the need for campus safety and security. Taking into consideration this readiness to repair student life on campus and to increase engagement amongst students, foster levels of academic dialogue and freedom, Canadian Academics for Peace in the Middle East (CAP) are interested in partnering with students, faculty and administration. The intended program will endeavor to create safe space on campus wherein students are able to dialogue and deliberate with intellectual integrity, without fear of academic repercussions and an eruption of conflict/violence. Approaches will embrace core values such as academic freedom, safety, mutual respect, civil discourse, and will adhere to principles of dialogue and respectful conversation.