The Fourth International Conference on Hate Studies is one of the leading interdisciplinary academic forums on hate, related social problems, and ways to create socially just and inclusive communities. It convenes leading academics from around the world, journalists, law enforcement personnel, educators, representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations, human rights experts, community organizers, activists and others to discuss hatred and ways to engage communities with justice. We anticipate richly interdisciplinary, cross-sector participation from international, national, and regional audiences. The lessons learned and plans which emerge will help educators, researchers, advocates and others better analyze and combat hatred in its various manifestations so as to lead to communities being committed to peace, human rights, and justice.

Hate studies is defined as "Inquiries into the human capacity to define, and then dehumanize or demonize, an 'other,' and the processes which inform and give expression to, or can curtail or combat, that capacity." If hate is understood better, then approaches to combat it can increasingly become testable theories, and then analyzed and improved. The result can have real-world impact, including creating models for changes in society, government, culture and our individual and communal lives.

The theme of this conference is Engaging with Communities for Justice. Papers analyzing this theme from different theoretical or disciplinary lenses are invited such as those from history, communications, psychology, social psychology, evolutionary psychology, anthropology, sociology, criminal justice, law, biology, business, economics, theology, religious studies, political science, literature, philosophy, education, and others. Papers are also invited that provide best practices, organizational structures, and examples of social change related to the theme.

Select conference proceedings may be published in The Journal of Hate Studies, the international interdisciplinary peer-reviewed scholarly journal operated by the Gonzaga University Institute for Hate Studies.