Announcing the Fifth ACLARS Conference, Rabat Morocco, 14-17 May 2017

Following the success of conferences in Ghana (2013), South Africa (2014), Namibia (2015) and Ethiopia (2016), the African Consortium for Law and Religion Studies (ACLARS) will be convening its Fifth Annual Law and Religion Conference in Rabat, Morocco from 14 to 17 May 2017 in collaboration with the International University of Rabat, and the International Center for Law and Religion Studies of the Brigham Young University Law School, USA.

The subject of the conference will be Religion, Law and Human Security, focusing on religious extremism, blasphemy, violence, terrorism, and human and sustainable security. Participants are encouraged to submit abstracts which address any aspect of this broad theme drawing upon their particular field of study and their national, regional or comparative experience. Themes for the conference will include: 

  • The interrelationship between freedom of expression, freedom or religion and other fundamental rights in Africa
  • Legal foundations for the promotion of sustainable peace and religious tolerance in Africa
  • The role of inter-faith and intra-faith dialogue in countering extremism in Africa
  • Blasphemy and defamation of religion in the light of the Rabat Plan of Action (December 2014)
  • The evaluation of national and regional laws in Africa designed to combat extremism and to promote freedom of religion
  • The future of the Marrakesh Declaration on the Rights of Religious Minorities in Predominantly Muslim Majority Communities (January 2016)
  • Aspects of religion and human security, including the protection of vulnerable African communities, with particular reference to women, children, the elderly and the disabled
  • Conflicts between state and religious concepts of the nature of marriage in Africa
  • Witchcraft accusations in colonial and contemporary Africa
  • The value of religion or belief in challenging the ideologies that drive violent extremism
  • Religion, law and security in international relations, particularly within Africa following the Arab Spring

Abstracts (not exceeding 250 words) should be submitted by Friday 30 September 2016. The conference committee will notify successful applicants in November 2016. All abstracts, together with a short biographical note of the author, should be sent to [email protected]. 

Prof Pieter Coertzen, President, ACLARS
Dr T Jeremy Gunn, Professor of Law and Political Science, International University of Rabat