Inputs Vasyl Cherepanyn und Elżbieta Korolczuk & Talk mit Maxi Obexer

Input by Vasyl Cherepanyn

The Death of Peace of Mind: Russia’s War Against Ukraine on a Pan-European Stage

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which puts its people under physical and political extermination, has forced the West to question the very foundations of the institutional order it had been based on since the end of World War II. Vasyl Cherepanyn, the director of the award-winning Visual Culture Research Center from Kyiv, puts this new catastrophic reality into the perspective of Europe at large. Discussing the recent as well as the historical experiences of imperialism, colonialism, authoritarianism, and revolution, the talk addresses the dominant ideological setting that enabled the reactivation of genocidal fantasies and practices today.

 

Input by Elżbieta Korolczuk

Politicizing gender: the roots and effects of global anti-gender campaigns

In recent years patriarchal gender norms and ultraconservative ideologies have become an integral part of the right-wing populist parties programs. Right-wing leaders have invested in creating their image as defenders of traditional family and the nation against the excesses of what they call “gender ideology” aiming to gain public support. This strategy works for some groups: a 2019 opinion poll showed that when asked about the biggest threats for Poland in the 21st century, the majority of young men and older people declared that their biggest fear is the threat of the “gender ideology and LGBT movement.” Elżbieta Korolczuk´s presentation will focus on explaining the roots and effects of politicizing “gender” by the right in various contexts. She will examine an opportunistic synergy between the right-wing parties and ultraconservative groups opposing “gender ideology,” which plays out on two distinct levels: ideological/discursive and strategic/organizational.

Introduction: Harald Wolff

Q&A and talk: Maxi Obexer