European Symposium: Voices of a New Europe
February 26 - 27, 2009
The University of Oklahoma
Norman Campus
Sponsored by
School of International and Area Studies
International Programs Center
College of Arts and Sciences
Europe is changing rapidly in the 21st Century. Immigration and migration are transforming European nations into multicultural societies. European integration is bringing together sovereign states. And European countries are forming common positions to confront global challenges in trade and security. This symposium will ask how well European countries are adapting to the changes and will outline the likely directions these trends will move the continent in the coming years.
Thursday February 26, 2009
Oklahoma Memorial Union Scholars Room
10:30 a.m.
“Europe’s Newest State: Women’s Organizations, Democratization, and the Politics of Peace in Kosovo”
Igballe Rogova is founder and executive director of the Kosova Women’s Network, a multi-ethnic network of 85 women’s organizations undertaking joint advocacy initiatives to support, protect, and promote the rights and interests of women and girls throughout Kosovo. She has mentored thousands of Kosovar women, as well as representatives of international organizations and institutions serving in Kosovo. Rogova is a recipient of the Woman of the Year award from the International Network of Women’s Organizations and also the Lydia Sklevicky Prize for innovative work with women’s groups.
Noon—Break for Lunch
Oklahoma Memorial Union Scholars Room
1:30 p.m.
“Embracing Multiculturalism in Ireland/Europe”
Chinedu Onyejelem is co-founder, editor, and publisher of the ‘multicultural’ newspaper “Metro Eireann” based in Dublin, Ireland. He was educated in Nigeria and at Trinity College Dublin. Onyejelem is a member of the Department of Foreign Affairs/NGO Standing Committee, which advises the Irish government on human rights issues overseas. He is also a non-executive director of the NGO, Concern Worldwide. In 2008, Onyejelem founded the Africa Day Awards to promote and celebrate linkages and relationships of solidarity between individuals and organizations in Ireland and the countries of Africa.
Oklahoma Memorial Union Scholars Room
3 p.m.
“The Culture of Food Safety in Europe”
Claude Fischler the head of Centre Edgar Morin, a social science research and graduate teaching unit of Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. His recent work focuses on perception of food borne risk and on comparative approaches of attitudes toward food and health across cultures in relation to the prevalence of obesity. His most recent book, “Manger: Francais, Européens et Américains Face à l'alimentation,” is a comparative survey of more than 7,000 people in six countries and their attitudes toward food, body, and health.
Oklahoma Memorial Union Scholars Room
7 p.m.
Film Screening, “Whose is this Song” with director, Adela Peeva
Adela Peeva was educated at the Academy for Film, Theatre, and TV in Belgrade. She established Adela Media in 1991 and has made more than 30 documentaries with international partners. Her award winning films include, “Divorce Albanian Style” (2007), “In the Name of Sport” (1983), and “Born from the Ashes” (2000). “Whose is this Song” (2003), explores the origins and meanings of one song in Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey. The film was shown at more than 50 international film festivals and received 15 international awards.
Friday February 27, 2009
Oklahoma Memorial Union Scholars Room
10:30 a.m.
“Anti-Americanism is Stronger than Obamania in Europe”
Andrei Markovits was educated at Columbia University and is currently the Karl W. Deutsch collegiate professor of comparative politics and German studies at the University of Michigan. Currently, he is a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences (CASBS) at Stanford University. His research interests include anti-Americanism in Europe, Germany's role in the new Europe, and the comparative sociology of modern sports cultures. His many books include, "Uncouth Nation: Why Europe Dislikes America” (2007) and “Global Players, Local Cultures: Sports and Cosmopolitanism in Europe and America” (2010).
Noon—Closing Luncheon
All symposium events are free and
open to the public.
Schedule is subject to change.
Accommodations on the basis of a disability are available by calling 325-1584.
