Media

OTTAWA, March 23, 2010  —  Professor Lori Beaman, of the Department of Classics and Religious Studies, has been awarded $2.5 million from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) as part of the Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI) program.

Lori Beaman’s project titled The Religion and Diversity Project will seek to identify, in detail, the contours of religious diversity in Canada, and the potential benefits of approaches to diversity that promote substantive or deep equality and move beyond tolerance and accommodation. Professor Beaman’s research will place Canada in the context of other western democracies and, over the course of the project, will work to identify global patterns in responses to religious diversity.

This research program, carried out by 36 team members in 24 universities in Canada, Australia, France, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, will aim to present diversity not primarily as a problem, but as a resource. The team will also propose strategies for equality that will advance knowledge and enhance public policy decision-making.

“Religion, diversity and identity are central in current public discourse in Canadian society. Such research fosters an inclusive and open dialogue that contributes to strengthening social cohesion,” said Mona Nemer, vice-president, research at the University of Ottawa.

The University of Ottawa, one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities, is dedicated to forging collaborative research on pressing global issues. We are committed to excellence and encourage an interdisciplinary approach to knowledge creation that attracts the best academic talent from across Canada and around the world.