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EVENTS
We offer programs for the general public as well as educational programs and diversity
training for organizations and professionals in many spheres. If you want a
speaker or a program customized for you, please contact us.
UPCOMING EVENTS
World Religions Series - Innis College
(Sept 18 - Nov 27) - [Open] - Encounter will present on religious literacy for library staff and its relevance to workplace culture and serving the public. We will explore how understanding religious diversity, including key Jewish holidays can foster inclusion, support equitable scheduling practices, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and community members.
Religious Holidays: Hinduism - Oakville Public Library
(Oct 29) - [Closed] - Encounter have begin a series on religious holidays for the Oakville Public Library staff. This next session focuses on Hinduism and will highlight the Hindu Holidays such as Diwali, Holi and other colourful celebrations. We will aim to increase staff's religious literacy as a means of fostering an inclusive workplace for staff and a welcoming environment for the general public.
Understanding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Lakeside Church, Guelph
(Nov 8th) - [Open] - In this talk, we aim to shed some light on these issues by stepping away from the noise of social media in order to better understand the historical context of this conflict. We explain the stories of this land and these peoples and explain how key events in the past have led us to this place of conflict. This talk aims for balance by sharing some facts as well as explaining at different points both the pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian perspectives to help
Demystifying Hinduism - Thames Valley District School Board
(Nov 10) - [Closed] - Our executive director will be in conversation with Dr. Raj Balkaran about Hinduism for senior staff within the school board. The school board has a diversifying workforce and a rapidly diversifying school population and this session is one in a series exploring different religions to gain more knowledge and context to act sensitivelly and skillfully.
Visiting Houses of Worship - University of Toronto
(Nov 14) - [Closed] - We will be taking graduate students studying religion to three houses of worship to meet leaders, observe ritual and share a meal, providing lived exposure to these communities these students study.
Discover India 2027
(March 17-30) - [Sold Out!] - Our Discover India 2027 program is sold out—thank you for the incredible response. We’re sharing a peek at the itinerary and trip details, and we invite you to join the waitlist if you’d like to be first to know about openings and/or a possible 2028 trip. It’s never too early to express interest.
Discovery Program 2027
July 11 to 17, 2027 [Registration Open] Toronto - Discovery Week takes you on a journey both intellectually and experientially where you can taste, smell, and see the world’s religions. You will: Enjoy a Sikh langar meal and watch the community put their scriptures to bed Feel a mosque at Friday prayer and hear the sermon Explore fantastic Hindu temples Observe a Neopagan ritual Meet a Rasta elder Attend the Jewish Shabbat service ….and much, much more. Your registration fee
Jainism — Many Perspectives, One Path - Road Scholar
[Dec 14] - (Open) Jainism is an ancient Indian religion as old as Buddhism, but less well known outside the land of its birth. Join religion scholar Brian Carwana to learn about a tradition that opposes absolute statements, embraces many-sided perspectives and pursues the idea of ahimsa, or non-violence, to its logical ends. Explore the path followed by Jain monks and laypeople as they seek an end to violence and pursue the ultimate goal of liberation.
PAST EVENTS
We were delighted to have had the opportunity to offer these programs recently. If you are interested in hearing about what Encounter World Religions can bring to your organization, school, or group please reach out to us via encounter@worldreligions.ca
Demystifying Islam - Thames Valley District School Board
Our executive director was in conversation with the wonderful Sarah Mushtaq about Islam for senior staff within the school board. The school board has a diversifying workforce and a rapidly diversifying school population and this session was one in a series exploring different religions to gain more knowledge and context to act sensitivelly and skillfully.
Santa Muerte & the Day of the Dead - Road Scholar
During this free talk, we explored two aspects of Mexican religiosity, namely devotion to the figure of Santa Muerte (Holy Death) and the annual celebration of Dia De Los Muertos (the Day of the Dead). Santa Muerte is one of the newest and fastest growing religions in the Americas while the Day of the Dead is a fascinating example of the unique approach to death in Mexican culture.
Religious Holidays - Bernardi Human Resources Law
We explored key holidays in the fall and early winter months. Learning about key dates on colleagues' calendars and yearly schedules makes us more aware of the richness of our colleagues' lives and it gives us a chance to recognize important moments in their families and communities.
Religious Holidays - Ultieg Engineering
Religious holidays are an enjoyable and relatable way to foster openness on religious identities in the workplace. During this talk, we explored some key holidays in the last months of the year such as Diwali, the Jewish High Holidays, Christmas, and more.
Canadian Mental Health Association - Durham
We discussed the fall and end of year holidays to better understand the religious and spiritual lives of colleagues and the people the CMHA serves.
Visiting Houses of Worship - Rotman Business School
We took business students from the University of Toronto's business school to Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist places of worship to learn about how to create inclusive work environments where staff feel a sense of belonging and can contribute fully.
Religious Holidays: Judaism - Oakville Public Library
Encounter presented religious literacy for library staff and its relevance to workplace culture and serving the public. We explored how understanding religious diversity, including key Jewish holidays can foster inclusion, support equitable scheduling practices, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and community members.
American Exceptionalism: On Religion and Politics
The USA has often been considered an "exceptional" country by religion scholars as it has maintained very high religiosity unlike any other Western country. In this talk, we explored why the United States has been such an outlier and how this ties to the unique relationship between religion and politics in the world's oldest democracy. This talk focused on the long term forces in America that will help participants understand both its history and current events.
Shinto - Japan's Indigenous Religion - Road Scholar
Participants joined religion scholar Brian Carwana to explore Shintoism, Japan’s indigenous religion, and the intricacies of Shinto, a unique belief system with no founder, sacred texts or formal doctrines. We discovered the profound connection between Shinto and Japanese identity through its nature-based principles and historical significance.
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