The Zoryan Institute and the Balsillie School of International Affairs Announces Joint Panel Discussion Titled: “Domicide and the Meaning of Home

TORONTO –  The Zoryan Institute is pleased to announce a panel discussion, Domicide and the Meaning of Home, hosted in partnership with the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, ON. This panel, taking place from 12-2 PM EST on Monday, September 29th, 2025, will explore the discuss the concept of “domicide” and how this can be applied to contemporary cases of violence that we are witnessing around the globe today.

Domicide refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of living spaces or homes as a tool to displace or control populations of people. This can include the physical destruction of buildings and the erosion of a community’s sense of belonging. The Zoryan Institute and the BSIA are pleased to be welcoming leading scholars and experts from a variety of disciplines and backgrounds on this subject to introduce and contextualize the concept of domicide, and to draw important parallels to what we are witnessing in Ukraine, Gaza, Myanmar, Canada, and Nagorno-Karabakh today.

The Migration, Mobilities, and Social Politics research cluster and the Security and Conflict research cluster at the Balsillie School of International Affairs are co-hosting this discussion.

Panel topics include the following:

1. “An Introduction to Domicide, the Human Right to Home and Ukraine”

led by Dr. Andrew Basso (Adjunct Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University)

2. “Genocide and Relationality: The Disruption of Connections to Land and Home”

led by Dr. Chris Powell (Associate Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University)

3. “Biopsychsocial Implications of Domicide, Palestine, and Rohingyas”

(Zoom Session)

led by Dr. Bree Akesson (Associate Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University)

4. “Slow Motion Genocide: The Destruction of Homes and Social Relations in Gaza”

(Zoom Session)

led by Mohammed Nijim (PhD Candidate at Carleton University)

5. “The Disruption of Daily Life in Gaza”

led by Dr. Sonya Fatah (Associate Chair and Associate Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University)

6. “From Land as Commodity to Territory as Medium for Social Relations, Registry of History, and Foundation for Future”

(Zoom Session)

led by Dr. Henry C. Theriault (Associate Provost, Worcester State University)

As spaces are limited, please register for this event, whether in person or online, in advance. Please visit https://balsillieschool.ca/event/domicide-and-the-meaning-of-home/ for more information.