British Columbia is an experiment in oppositions: hinterland and metropolis, urban and rural, resource exploitation and environmental activism … not to mention the constructs of gender, sexualities, race, and class. Even the British/American name of the province is dichotomous, provoking questions of regionalism and resistance, and of colonial versus post-colonial mentalities. New perspectives continue to arise in every discipline, a fact that underlines the importance of position of view --- whether one is looking at B.C. from this side or that of a scholarly continental divide. "Hope" can thus be invoked as a metaphor for British Columbian perspectives: male/female, white/non-white, rich/poor, Interior/Exterior. And, in a province in which the ideology of 'development' has historically loomed large, the juxtapositions of images and assumptions of just what (or whom) is being 'developed' are loaded with political and social meaning.

"Beyond Hope" will be a three day conference taking a broad perspective on perspective itself. In keeping with the BC Studies tradition, this meeting aims at bringing together scholars working in diverse fields on various aspects of British Columbia.

Located in Kamloops, the University College of the Cariboo is the site of innovative teaching and research on many British Columbian themes. The Campus Activity Centre is one of the most hospitable modern academic conference facilities in the province.

The conference webpage contains the full programme, abstracts of papers, travel and accommodations information, and a registraation form. Please visit us at http://www.cariboo.bc.ca/ae/beyond_hope/. For general information, contact John Belshaw via email at the address listed below.