“The Crime of Silence” – A People’s Symposium: The Bertrand Russell International War Crimes Tribunal, or “What happened after ’68?”
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Morning session: 1968 - “The Crime of Silence?” What did the Bertrand Russell Tribunal alter?
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09.30 – 09.45 Welcome from chairman of Culture & Sport Roskilde Claus Larsen.
Introduction to the Symposium by Connie Minami Hansen (Kobe University, Japan)
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09.45-10.00 Short film: The Bertrand Russell International War Crimes Tribunal in Stockholm by Staffan Lamm.
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10.00 – 10.45 Fumito Morikawa, Japan (son of Morikawa, lawyer, activist, who participated at the Tribunal in Roskilde).
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10.45 – 11.30 Dr. Stefan Karl Andersson - independent Bertrand Russell scholar.
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11.30 – 12.00 Coffee.
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12.00 – 12.45 Associate Professor in Legal Philosophy Jakob v. H. Holterman, Centre of Excellence for International Courts, University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
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12.45 – 13.00 Short film: The Bertrand Russell International War Crimes Tribunal in Roskilde by Tørk Haxthausen.
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13.00 – 13.45 Break
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Afternoon: 2018 - “The Broken Silence?” Freedom of Speech today, and the challenges of tomorrow.
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13.45 – 14.15 Dr. Bente Rich (leading child psychiatrist, DK)
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14.15 – 14.45 Dr. Connie Minami Hansen (Kobe University, Japan)
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14.45 – 15.15 Special international guest by Skype.
15.15 – 15.30 Coffee break.
15.30 – 16.30 Panel discussion and Q/A: “Will we really be free to speak tomorrow?”
Chair – Peter Campbell Bensted
Dr. Connie Minami Hansen,
Dr. Bente Rich
Associate Professor Jakob v. H. Holterman
Dr. Stefan Karl Andersson
Le Phuong Loan (Researcher, Hanoi University, Vietnam)
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16.30 – 17.00 Reading with international actors Aleni Agami and Samy Andersen from the verbatim dramatisation of the Bertrand Russell War Crimes Tribunal by Peter Campbell Bensted.
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17.00 – 17.15 Closing words:
Marie Berthelsen and Connie Minami Hansen
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The Symposium is arranged by World Wide Words from Byens hus and Connie Minami Hansen from Kobe University. It’s economically supported by means from Roskilde Municipality.
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*If you are interested in attending the symposium there are a limited number of places available.
Participation is free but booking is required.
Symposium registration from 8.30-9.30 – coffee, tea, croissants available. Please write to wowiwo4000@hotmail.com for a booking confirmation.
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“The Crime of Silence” –
A People’s Symposium:
-The Bertrand Russell International War Crimes Tribunal, or “What happened after ’68?”​
30.August 2018 Roskilde Byens hus
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Was the year 1968 a major turning point in international politics? Was this era, “The Renaissance of the 20th century”, or was “The Spirit of ´68” merely “of its time”, with little or no connection to the present? We know now, that it represented the possibility of liberation for some, and for others the dangers of anarchy.
background
“The Crime of Silence” – A People’s Symposium:
The Bertrand Russell International War Crimes Tribunal, or “What happened after ’68?”
Was the year 1968 a major turning point in international politics? Was this era, “The Renaissance of the 20th century”, or was “The Spirit of ´68” merely “of its time”, with little or no connection to the present? We know now, that it represented the possibility of liberation for some, and for others the dangers of anarchy.Without being nostalgic about ‘68, we believe it is time to reflect on the practice of “democracy” and “free speech” today in relation to current wars and the global political situation. Therefore the Crime of Silence Symposium, arranged by WorldWideWords in collaboration with Connie Minami Hansen from Kobe University in Japan, has invited journalists, artists and intellectuals from over the world to share with us their thoughts and concerns about freedom of speech today, and to consider whether we are still too often silent when faced with contemporary crimes against humanity.
In 2018, fifty years on from the humanistic engagement of “soixante-huitards”, how is democracy practised today? How much “freedom of speech” do we have in our daily lives? Does the well-known slogan of ‘68 - “The future will only contain what we put into it now” - still hold true today?
We will take as our starting point the winter of 1967, the year the Bertrand Russell International War Crimes Tribunal took place in Roskilde under the auspices of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone De Beauvoir and other intellectuals, legal experts and artists, and with the support of people from all over the world. This Tribunal did not just investigate and evaluate American foreign policy and military intervention in Vietnam. It revealed terrible truths about the practice of war and, by sharing these truths with the general public, exposed the awful reality that “the silence” that comes from ignorance and fear was as cruel a crime as those committed on the battlefields of Vietnam.
It is well known that the cities and countries that offered to host the Bertrand Russell War crimes Tribunal were under immense political pressure, especially with regard to the threat of “sanctions” that could be imposed by the US government. Questions about the “legality” of the court were also a huge pressure for both the organizers and the participants.
Despite these pressures the Bertrand Russell International War Crimes Tribunal was not only the first “people’s court” to put a state “on trial”, it was also a milestone marking the start of great transformations in philosophical thinking and legal history.
Looking back on the history of philosophical thought, many innovative ideas and expressions – for example those of Socrates, Bruno, Wollstonecraft, Arendt, Voltaire, Rousseau, Marx, Rushdie and many others thinkers who were on the side of those without a voice - had constantly been suppressed by the powers-that-be. In this respect the Bertrand Russell Tribunal was a groundbreaking international legal event in the 20thcentury, at which philosophers and citizens actively judged the power of a state. It can be said that the Bertrand Russell International War Crimes Tribunal was a huge step - a paradigm shift if you like – in terms of “Freedom of Speech”.
We invite you to join us at the People Symposium for an analysis of “The Crime of Silence” – past and present – and to prevent the Crime of Silence in the future. Please note that the symposium language will be English.
The Crime of Silence – et folkesymposium
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I 1967 blev Roskilde værtsby for det internationale Bertrand Russell-tribunal. Tribunalen havde til opgave, at vurdere hvorvidt det internationale samfund gjorde sig skyldig i krigsforbrydelser under krigen i Vietnam (1955-1975). Tribunalet udfordrede den måde, almindelige mennesker forholdt sig til krigshandlinger- og forbrydelser, og vurderede at verdenssamfundet gjorde sig skyldige i the crime of silence – tavshedens forbrydelse.
Filosoffer som Jean-Paul Satre og Simone de Beauvoir, samt en lang række jurister, kunstnere og andre intellektuelle deltog i tribunalet der fandt sted i den hedengangne Fjordvilla i Roskilde.
Nu, 50 år senere, er tiden kommet til at stille spørgsmålet: Gør vi os skyldige i tavshedens forbrydelse endnu en gang?
Med udgangspunkt i Bertrand Russell-tribunalet af 1968, inviterer WorldWideWords (Byens hus) og Connie Minami Hansen (Kobe Universitet, Japan) til The Crime of Silence Symposium i Den Gamle Byrådssal i Byens hus.
Her vil en række lokale og internationale oplægsholdere belyse Bertrand Russell-tribunalet og forsøge at trække tråde til samtidens forhold mellem ytringsfrihed, demokrati og vores – måske – stiltiende accept af krigens uhyrligheder.
Formand for Kultur og Idræt Claus Larsen åbner symposiet kl. 9.30. Forinden vil der vil være croissanter og kaffe.
Symposiet er støttet med midler fra Kulturpuljen i Roskilde.
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The speakers:
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Fumito Morikawa (Japan)
Japanese lawyer and social activist in Tokyo, Japan. His father Kindju Morikawa was secretary general of the Japan Committee on War Crimes Investigation in Vietnam and participated in all the people's tribunals in Stockholm, Tokyo, Roskilde.
Associate in Legal Philosophy Professor Jakob v. H. Holterman (Denmark) - Centre of Excellence for International Courts, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
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Dr. Stefan Karl Andersson (Sweden)
Independent Bertrand Russell scholarand editor of “Revisiting the Vietnam War and International Law- Views and Interpretations of Richard Falk.” Published 2018.
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Dr. Bente Rich (Denmark)
Consultant child psychiatrist and writer, Bente Rich has been highly active with regard to refugee childrens rights and is a well known speaker and writer on the psychological challenges that confront refugees and the victims of war.
Peter Campbell Bensted(United Kingdom / Denmark)
Theatre director and dramatist who has staged work by writers including Norman Mailer, Salman Rushdie, Amin Maalouf and many others. Senior artistic advisor to WorldWideWords.
Symposium organizer.
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Marie Berthelsen (Denmark)
Senior culture and arts consultant for Roskilde Municipality/ Byens hus
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Dr. Connie Minami Hansen Ph.D. (Japan)
Assistant professor at Kobe University, School of Humanities and Sociology
Specialisation: French Literature, philosophy, Gender Studies.
Symposium organiser.
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Note: we have one international guest invited by Kobe University, whose presence is confirmed, but who we are not able to name publicly at this moment (security reasons)
HOW TO GET THERE?
http://byenshusroskilde.dk/russelltribunalet-i-fjordvilla
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Bertrand Russell’s internationale krigsforbrydelsestribunal eller hvad skete der efter ’68?
Dato og tid: torsdag 30.august 2018 – 9.30- 17.15
Sted: Byens hus, Stændertorvet 1,Roskilde, Danmark
Var året 1968 et stort vendepunkt indenfor international politik? Var denne æra det tyvende århundredes renæssance eller var `68-ånden blot af sin tid, med kun lidt eller ingen sammenhæng med nutiden? Vi ved nu, at det for nogen repræsenterede muligheden for frigørelse og for andre faren for anarki.
Uden at blive nostalgisk omkring `68, mener vi, at tiden er kommet til at reflektere over måden vi praktiserer demokrati og ytringsfrihed i dag, i relation til nutidens krige og den globale politiske situation. Derfor har The Crime of Silence-symposiet, som er arrangeret af WorldWideWords fra Byens hus i samarbejde med Connie Minami Hansen fra Kobe Universitet i Japan, inviteret journalister, kunstnere og intellektuelle fra hele verden, til at dele deres tanker og bekymringer omkring ytringsfrihed i dag og for at overveje, om vi stadig for ofte tyer til stilhed, når vi møder nutidens forbrydelser mod menneskerettighederne.
I 2018, halvtreds år fra det humanitære engagement af soixante-huitards(`68’ere), hvordan bliver demokrati så praktiseret i dag? Hvor meget ytringsfrihed har vi i vores hverdag? Holder sloganet fra `68 “The future will only contain what we put into it now” - stadig i dag?
Vi vil tage udgangspunkt i vinteren 1967, året hvor Bertrand Russells internationale krigsforbrydelsestribunal fandt sted i Roskilde støttet af Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir og andre intellektuelle, juridiske eksperter, kunstnere samt med støtte fra folk over hele verden. Tribunalet undersøgte og evaluerede ikke blot den amerikanske udenrigspolitik og militære intervention i Vietnam. Tribunalet løftede sløret for og førte visuel dokumentation for frygtelige sandheder omkring udførelsen af krig - i en verden hvor fjernsyn var sjældent og det globale netværk slet ikke var opfundet. Ved at eksponere vidnesbyrd, i form af vidneudsagn og fotos, fik befolkningen hele kloden rundt en større viden om de frygtelig forbrydelser, der skete på slagmarkerne i Vietnam, og det blev sværere at lukke øjnene for realiteterne og tie og lade stilheden, der ofte kommer af uvidenhed og frygt, vinde frem.
Det er velkendt at de byer og lande som tilbød at afholde Bertrand Russells krigsforbrydelsestribunal var under stort politisk pres, specielt i forhold til truslerne om sanktioner, som de kunne blive pålagt af den amerikanske
regering. Spørgsmål omkring legaliteten af domstolen var tilsvarende et stor pres for både arrangørerne og deltagerne.
På trods af dette pres blev Bertrand Russells internationale krigsforbrydelsestribunal ikke blot den første folkets domstol, men blev også en milepæl, der markerede starten på store transformationer indenfor filosofisk tænkning og juridisk historie.
Når man historisk set ser tilbage på filosofien, har mange innovative ideer og udtryk - for eksempel Socrates, Bruno, Wollstonecraft, Arendt, Voltaire, Rousseau, Marx, Rushdie og mange andre tænkere, som støttede op om de, der ikke selv havde en stemme - været undertrykt af den ledende magt. I den optik var Bertrand Russells Tribunal en banebrydende international juridisk event i det tyvende århundrede, i hvilken filosoffer og borgere aktivt bedømte statens magt. Det kan siges at Bertrand Russells Tribunal var et stort skridt – et paradigmeskifte om du vil – med hensyn til Ytringsfriheden.
Vi inviterer dig med til The People Symposium (Folkets Symposium), til en analyse af The Crime of Silence – fortid og nutid – for at forhindre tavshedens forbrydelse i fremtiden.
Symposiet er arrangeret af World Wide Words fra Byens hus og Connie Minami Hansen fra Kobe Universitetet i Japan, og det har modtaget støtte fra Kulturpuljen i Roskilde Kommune.