Inclusiveness and its challenges: The state of minorities in the Western world

Inclusiveness and its challenges: The state of minorities in the Western world

7 comments

© Pixabay

INVITATION

Uncertain Times: The Future of Trans-Atlantic Relations from the Perspective of NGOs and Think Tanks in Central Europe and Hungary
- online webinar series organised by the Hungarian Europe Society -
Fifth Debate
Inclusiveness and its challenges: The state of minorities in the Western world

Date: 28 April 2021, Wednesday 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. (CET)

Welcome address by Erik Uszkiewicz, vice-chairman, Hungarian Europe Society

Panelists

Henriett Dinók, Executive Director, Romaversitas Foundation
Anikó Félix, PhD, Executive Director, Goldziher Institute
Bea Sándor, Legal program director, Háttér Society

Moderator: Erik Uszkiewicz, vice-chairman, Hungarian Europe Society

Short briefings are followed by an open debate.

For the corresponding papers please scroll down. Sign in or register on our website and share your comments on the papers after scrolling down to the comment section (below).

This event is part of the "Uncertain Times: The Future of Trans-Atlantic Relations from the Perspective of NGOs and Think Tanks in Central Europe and Hungary" project which is supported by the Embassy of the United States of America in Budapest.

Please note that the language of the event is English and no translation will be provided.

This event is being video recorded for archival, educational, and related promotional purposes. By attending or participating in this event, you are giving your consent to the video recording.

 

 

 

 

Relevant Open Space Publication
AttachmentSize
PDF icon Invitation52.99 KB
PDF icon Welcome address by Erik Uszkiewicz107.6 KB
English

There are 7 Comments

MET's picture

The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism called us to be more careful when condemning each and every anti-Israel voices as anti-Semitic.

I wonder if it is possible in the Hungarian context to draw a line between antisemitism and non-antisemitic critical views on Israel.

MET's picture

Bea Sándor, the Director of the Legal Program of Háttér Society, the oldest and most active Hungarian LGBTQI NGO provides a detailed overview of the deteriorating situation of LGBTQI people under the Orbán regime with a focus on the most recent developments. These include discriminatory legal and public policy changes, coupled with anti-LGBTQI hate speech on behalf of pro-government politicians and public figures, and increasingly limited freedom of expression. In present-day Hungary we can witness the institutionalization of 'genderphobia'. Genderphobia, a concept describing the strategic avoidance of breaking gender(ed) norms in institutional settings and in everyday life, seems to be a fundamental feature of an expanding far-right agenda that has been playing out in practice since the 'System of National Cooperation' was established by the Hungarian government in 2010. The introduction of, for example, an unalterable ‘sex-at-birth’ record in the civil registry (proposed immediately after having declared a state of emergency to fight the coronavirus) reflects the functioning of a broader gender belief system based on assumptions about (hetero- and cisnormative) reproduction and on the deterministically distinct paths of women and men in society.

MET's picture

An aspect of "othering" and creating a sense of the righteous "us" and the threatening "them" is defining groups as an exclusive community that is not truly integrated into the true nation. Within Europe, however, communalism and 'multi-culturalism' versus an integrated, yet diverse national body seems to be the normal way of depicting society, i.e. a majority culture coexisting with separate cohesive minority cultures.  

Is this a correct perception?  

If so, does this communalism (versus the sense that there is a single community in which diversity is valued) exacerbate the tensions between communities?  

Is Europe moving toward maintaining separate communal identities, or towards a single identity in which diversity is valued?

For example, institutionalizing separate national minorities into the Hungarian constitution.... and yet the Jewish community chose not to be identified as a national minority...

MET's picture

I think Mr Goodfriend's excellent question relates to the difference between the cultural concept of nation (typical in Germany, even today and to Central and Eastern Europe) and the political/citizenship based concept of nation (typical to Europe to the West of the Rhine). These concepts of nation seem to be surprisingly persistent despite converging socio-economic realities (in most cases).

Pages

Uncertain Times: The Future of Trans-Atlantic Relations from the Perspective of NGOs and Think Tanks in Central Europe and Hungary - online webinar series organised by the Hungarian Europe Society - Fourth Debate Shrinking space for civil society: The future of civic activism Date: 12 March 2021,...
Uncertain Times: The Future of Trans-Atlantic Relations from the Perspective of NGOs and Think Tanks in Central Europe and Hungary - online webinar series organised by the Hungarian Europe Society - Sixth Debate Security policy challenges in the 21st century: The role of big power politics in...