This is the latest digest update for Madness, Citizenship and Social Justice: A Human Rights Conference, an event hosted by the Simon Fraser University Institute for the Humanities and scheduled for the SFU downtown Harbour Centre campus in Vancouver, Canada on June 12th-15th, 2008. With less than one month now remaining to the opening bell, we once again have several updates to share:

Welcome to Newly-Registered Delegates:
First off, we would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to delegates who have registered on-line over recent weeks and are new to this listserv. In concert with the conference website (see below), we are using these digests as a means of disseminating conference information to members (we anticipate two or three more updates through to the conference launch on June 12th).

On-Line Registration Continues to June 4th:
This is just a gentle reminder that all delegates must register for the event by completing the on-line registration form http://www.sfu.ca/madcitizenship-conference/register.htm. We are encouraging on-line registration wherever feasible, to facilitate our assembling a reliable delegate count prior to the conference launch. As announced earlier, the web-based registration will continue to June 4th. On-site registration will also be available. On a related point, in the wake of several bogus registrations received over the past few weeks (evidently this is a common problem facing international conferences using on-line facilities), our Conference Services has closed the on-line ‘pay-by-cheque’ registration option on the web form https://webform.sfu.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WebForm.woa/wa?conf.madness.citizen for participants outside of North America, Australia and the UK. On-line credit-card-based registration services remain in effect for all delegates.

Gallery Gachet, Social Justice & Citizenship Working Group, and Thursday, June 12th Reception:
I am delighted to announce that the renowned Gallery Gachet http://www.gachet.org/index.php?msg=home, one of the MCSJ participating organizations, will be offering their venue for our conference reception on Thursday, June 12th, 4:30 pm. Gallery Gachet is located at 88 East Cordova Street, just five city blocks from the Harbour Centre site. Thanks to the generosity of the SFU Institute for the Humanities Social Justice and Citizenship Working Group (sponsor for the reception), food will be served and a cash bar will be available. Further, in connection with the 2008 World Mad Pride Biennale “One Flew West: Old Landmarks, New Topographies,” Gallery Gachet will be serving as co-presenter for two conference panels (Sessions 11 and 24), and for the June 13th premiere of Monique Cartesan’s film Crazy About Laurel House. Additional details on One Flew West are available on our website home page http://www.sfu.ca/madcitizenship-conference/ and on the Gallery Gachet site http://www.gachet.org/site/news.php?id=114. Please do consider getting involved in this important event (the deadline for submissions to One Few West is May 23rd). For all of the above, thanks are due in particular to Cherise Clarke, WMP Coordinator, Gallery Gachet Executive Director Irwin Oostindie and the GG collective; and to the Social Justice and Citizenship working group members.

Titicut Follies and Juvenile Court on Friday, June 13th:
Pacific Cinémathèque recently posted its June schedule, including the Friday, June 13th screenings of Titicut Follies (7:00 pm) and Juvenile Court (9:00 pm) in collaboration with the MCSJ program http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/may_jun_08/frederick_wiseman.htm#titicut . As per our earlier postings, famed director and distinguished conference guest Frederick Wiseman will be in attendance to provide an introduction and field audience questions during the intermission (commencing at about 8:20 pm). We recommend that you pre-purchase tickets for the screening(s) via the Pacific Cinémathèque website http://www.cinematheque.bc.ca/calendar_jun_08.html. Please purchase early, as tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis (Adults $9.50 CAN single bill, $11.50 double bill; Seniors/Students $8.00 single bill, $10.00 double bill). Tickets will also be on sale at the theatre door, and at the conference site (regarding the latter, particulars will follow). The fine folks at Pacific Cinémathèque have kindly consented to waive their $3.00 membership fee for delegates who present their conference name tags at the door on Friday evening.

Instructions for Session Chairs:
Within the next week to ten days, we will be sending presenter email contacts to the chairs for each conference panel. If you are scheduled to chair a session, after receiving the contact information could you please get in touch with your panelists for the purpose of obtaining bio information for the brief speaker introductions; to establish the order of presentation; and to address any other issues specific to your session. As per earlier digests, we are asking that panelists confine their presentations to 20 minutes, allowing time for audience participation and general discussion (rigorous time-keeping by chairs will be appreciated). We will also be ensuring that all session rooms are equipped with overhead projector, plus computer, powerpoint software and projector/screen; and that any a-v needs specific to individual presenters get addressed (at risk of my being flagrantly redundant, please do remember, speakers, to bring your ppt files on flash drive / memory stick or dvd/cd-rom. The emails to individual session chairs will follow shortly.

Request for Billeting:
An out-of-town delegate is seeking billeting in the Vancouver area for the duration of the conference. If you believe that you can provide him with accommodation, or can make a referral, please do advise via return email (to Ma*************@sh**.ca) and I will connect you up.

With thanks as always, and very best wishes,

Bob Menzies

************************************************************************

Robert Menzies
Professor of Sociology
Simon Fraser University
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
Canada
Tel: +1 778 782 4552 Fax: +1 604 299 4396
Email: me*****@sf*.ca or rj*******@sh**.ca
Madness, Citizenship and Social Justice Conference: http://www.sfu.ca/madcitizenship-conference/