University of Helsinki
29 May Seminar: Rights and duties in a multicultural society: How to live together?, Joensuu
Cross-disciplinary seminar
Rights and Duties in a Multicultural Society: How to Live Together?
Time: 29 May 2015, at 10 am–3 pm
Place: University of Eastern Finland (UEF), Joensuu campus, Aurora building, room AU206, address: Yliopistokatu 2, entrance B, 2nd floor
Organiser: UEF Law School
The aim of this cross-disciplinary seminar is to shed light on the problems of multiculturalism, ethnic and linguistic diversity, nationalism, and majoritarian cultures in Europe, especially in the European North, in the context of law, culture, and education. However, the aim is to perceive multiculturalism not only as a challenge (or as a problem), but also as an opportunity: the great opportunity for diversity, pluralism, and new ways of thinking or “forms of life”.
The seminar is open. All scholars, doctoral students, and students are welcome.
The keynote speaker is Professor Fred Dervin from the University of Helsinki, originally Canadian, based in Finland and working as Professor of Multicultural Education. He is also Adjunct or Associate Professor at universities in different countries (in Canada, Malaysia, China). Fred Dervin is a well-recognised scholar, who has written in English, French and Finnish, over 20 important books about multiculturalism, migration, mobility, identity, and intercultural education in Western societies. He conducts a very multi- and interdisciplinary research: in fact, being still on the way between sociology, anthropology, education, linguistics, political sciences, philosophy etc. His academic motto is: “(…) giving up to specialization is, I have always felt, laziness, so you end up doing what others tell you, because that is your speciality after all” (E. Said).
Comments on the keynote presentation will be given by scholars also with different scientific backgrounds. The aim is to explore the problems mentioned above in the light of new perspectives, challenges, possible solutions, narratives, and new ways of thinking.
Questions to be explored include: How to live together in an European multicultural society despite different cultures we come from and represent? What rights and duties should be binding in a Western multicultural society? Do we really understand that multicultural society is not only about challenges, but it is also a real phenomenon and a farrago of institutions and artefacts, which may work well? How do we see relationships between majoritarian and minoritarian cultures? How do we conceive of discrimination of ethnic minorities? How do we perceive the best pattern of minority majority relations? How do we think about, for instance, indigenous rights in Northern Europe? What is our position on the exploitation of natural resources in Lapland and indigenous human rights in the North? How might we recognise ethnic diversity at all? How does it look in Western Europe in comparison with, say, Asia? What is our position on focusing on a better education of how to live together? Does multicultural education, supported by arguments from legal pluralism, human rights or historical and comparative experiences, provide a useful framework for exploring these questions?
Programme
10.00 Opening and introduction
Dr. Dawid Bunikowski, UEF Law School
10.05-11.05 Keynote: Multiculturalism, Integration, and Human Rights
Professor of Multicultural Education Fred Dervin, University of Helsinki
11.05-11.30 Questions. Discussion.
11.30-12.15 Lunch break
12.15-12.45 Professor of Philosophy Seppo Sajama, UEF Law School
Medieval Multiculturalism
12.45-13.15 Academy Research Fellow Dr. Irmeli Mustalahti, UEF Department of Geographical and Historical Studies
How We See the Nature Differently Based on Our Cultural, Political and Ideological Background
13.15-13.30 Coffee break
13.30-14.00 Dr. Regis Machart, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication
Multiculturalism in Malaysia
14.00-14.30 Dr. Dawid Bunikowski, Doctor of Laws, UEF Law School
Living Together: Devlin’s Social Disintegration Thesis v. Human Rights, Legal Pluralism, and Indigenous Law
14.30 Concluding remarks
For further information, please contact: Dr. Dawid Bunikowski, dawid.bunikowski(at)uef.fi