3rd International Conference on Aporophobia, online, 23-24 October 2025

The third International Conference on Aporophobia is being held by a coalition of academic institutions from the University Ramon Llull, Spain, along with key social organisations such as Càritas, Arrels Foundation, Pere Tarrés Foundation, Assís, Cristianisme i Justícia and Jesuitas Social. Past two conferences had keynote lectures delivered by renowned academics such as Professors Adela Cortina (University of Valencia), Gustavo Pereira (University of Republica of Uruguay), Jesús Conill (University of Valencia) and Aaron Reeves (LSE), among many others, not to mention the voice of practitioners given by the participant social organisations as well as invited guests such as father Julio Lancelotti and Professor Esther Grossi, from Brazil or Spanish Government Officials such as Maria Jesús Raimundo Rodriguez, Prosecutor of the Hate Crimes and Discrimination Unit of the State Attorney General’s Office, Tomás Fernández Villazala, Director of the National Office to combat hate crimes in Spain or Manuel Serrano González, Chief Inspector of the National Police. The committee that organises these conferences, represented by its institutions, has decided that conferences will annually alternate between online and in person versions. This year the conference will be online. This is not only for sustainability issues but for inclusion reasons, allowing a broader participation of colleagues all over the world.

Aporophobia is a real problem that impacts on the dignity of the most vulnerable people in our societies, turning their lives and the work of institutions that try to help them, much more difficult. Aporophobia adds stigma, prejudice and discrimination to the burden of poverty. It diminishes societies’ support to social policies. It weakens the degree of progressivity of governments’ taxes and public spending. Aporophobia magnifies other kinds of discrimination, such as gender and racial discrimination, among others.

For this third conference, our keynote speaker will be Professor Imogen Tyler from Lancaster University, UK. She has written extensively on issues of stigma power and social inequalities, exploring intersectionalities with gender, race, immigration, among others. We invite researchers from all over the world to explore in depth several issues related to the phenomena of aporophobia. This year, we are calling papers on thematic areas such as:

• Conceptual foundations of aporophobia
• Experiences of aporophobia
• The meaning and measure of poverty and social exclusion
• Aporophobia and homelessness
• Aporophobia and migration
• Aporophobia and education
• Aporophobia and health
• Aporophobia and mental health
• Empirical evidence on poverty and aporophobia
• Aporophobia and technological society
• Aporophobia and religion
• Aporophobia, social imaginaries and cultural traditions
• Design as a tool against aporophobia
• Aporophobia and infringement of rights
• Aporophobia and legal arrangements
• Measuring Aporophobia

But organizers welcome contributions on all themes related to how societies reject their most vulnerable members. Indeed, this is an interdisciplinary conference. We invite participants from many different fields of knowledge such as philosophy, economy, sociology, political science, management, health, education, history, criminology, among many others.

In order to produce a fully inclusive event, we will not charge conference fees. That is, participation in the conference will impose no costs on its participants. But places are limited, and registration will be equally requested.

To send proposals:

1. Of academic articles: send summary with up to 1000 words with the title of the article, names and affiliations of authors and contact details of corresponding author,
2. Of practical workshops: send summary with up to 1000 words with the title of the workshop, names of people and organisations involved, place and duration of the workshop.

All proposals should be sent to aporophobia@iqs.url.edu until 28 July 2025. The announcement of accepted proposals will be sent by email on 18 August 2025 at the latest.

As part of the activities building up to the conference, we are proposing the organisation of 3 online reading groups (sessions of 2 hours once a week, starting 6-7 weeks before the conference) for those interested. This will be entirely optional for participants. The reading groups will be on the following books:

1. Aporofobia, el rechazo al pobre by Adela Cortina (in spanish). We will have a session during the conference with her to discuss her book.
2. Stigma: the machinery of inequality by Imogen Tyler (in english). We will have an opportunity to raise questions related to her book during the discussion session of  her Keynote talk.
3. Hiperràbia by Ferran Grau (in catalan). We will have a session during the conference with him to discuss his book.

Should you be interested in participating in one of these reading groups (days and times will be defined by participants), please indicate that when submitting your proposal and/or registration.