Hvordan kan vi forstå ekstremt voldelige samfund?

Time: Thursday, 27 January at 13.30 – 15.30 hours

Venue: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, ground floor, Strandgade 71, Christianshavn, 1401 Kbn K

Background

In his new book, Extremely Violent Societies: Mass Violence in the Twentieth-Century World (Cambridge, 2010), Christian Gerlach tackles the theme of mass violence from a comparative perspective.

Time: Thursday, 27 January at 13.30 – 15.30 hours

Venue: Danish Institute for International Studies, Main Auditorium, ground floor, Strandgade 71, Christianshavn, 1401 Kbn K

Background

In his new book, Extremely Violent Societies: Mass Violence in the Twentieth-Century World (Cambridge, 2010), Christian Gerlach tackles the theme of mass violence from a comparative perspective.

Ranging from Ottoman Armenia to Nazi- occupied Europe, from Indonesia to East Pakistan, he explores why, at particular times, these societies exploded into violence. He supplants a state- and ideology-centered model of genocide with a multi-causal approach that focuses on complex processes that enlist members of many social groups in producing these terrible outcomes.

In his presentation, he suggests a new way to explain mass violence by concentrating on its participatory aspects, on the fact that often several groups are being targeted and not just one, and on the multitude of motives usually involved. The talk will illustrate the potential of this approach with a case study.

SPEAKERS

* Christian Gerlach, Professor, University of Bern, Switzerland
* Mogens Pelt, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen
* Cecilie F. S. Banke, Senior Researcher, DIIS

PROGRAMME

13.30-13.40
Introduction by Cecilie F. S. Banke, Senior Researcher, DIIS

13.40-14.30
Extremely Violent Societies: A New Approach to Understanding Mass Violence – Christian Gerlach, Professor, University of Bern, Switzerland

14.30-14.45
Coffee Break

14.45-14.55
Commentator – Mogens Pelt, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen

14.55- 15.30
Open Discussion

Chair: Robin May Schott, Senior Researcher, DIIS

Participation is free of charge, but registration is required. Please use the online registration form

And do so no later than Wednesday, 26 January at 12.00 noon

Please await confirmation by e-mail from DIIS for participation.

Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), The Conference Section, Strandgade 56, 1401 Kbn K, tlf. 32 69 87 51, e-mail: [email protected] og web: www.diis.dk