This event welcomes back Kroc Institute alumna Rosette Muzigo-Morrison (M.A. '93), legal officer at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, located at the Hague, Netherlands. Muzigo-Morrison will highlight several notable world events that coincided with her arrival at Notre Dame in the early 1990s— the collapse of the Berlin Wall to the release of Nelson Mandela and an end to apartheid in South Africa to the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. Despite these developments, a united resolve to work for human dignity has been stifled. Muzigo-Morrison will also address the concerns surrounding forgotten wars in Cameron, South Sudan and Sudan, Ethiopia and Syria, the rise of white supremacist governments in Europe, and implications for the future. Anne E. Hayner, associate director for alumni relations, will provide an introduction. Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

The Center for Italian Studies is pleased to host a lecture by Professor Nicoletta Pireddu (Georgetown University) titled: The Activism of Imagination: Fictions of Europe Between Utopia and Disenchantment Against the backdrop of political, economic, and social problems that reinforce the idea of Europe’s existential crisis, this talk redraws the attention to constructive aspects of the Europe-building discourse often muffled by a rising Euroscepticism. In particular, it explores the contribution of literature both as the repository of a European cultural memory and as a forerunner of crucial components of the ongoing European integration design. A selection of modern and contemporary Italian fiction, in dialogue with a broader literary and intellectual discourse at pivotal junctures of the European project, addresses the role of utopia not as a compensatory wishful projection but, rather, as creative thinking propelled by the critical and transformative power of imagination. Nicoletta Pireddu is inaugural director of the Georgetown Humanities Initiative and professor of Italian and Comparative Literature at Georgetown University. Her research revolves around European literary and cultural relations, cosmopolitanism, borders and migration, history of ideas, and translation studies. She has published over eighty articles and numerous monographs and edited volumes, among them Antropologi alla corte della bellezza. Decadenza ed economia simbolica nell’Europa fin de siècle, which received the American Association for Italian Studies Book Award; The Works of Claudio Magris: Temporary Homes, Mobile Identities, European Borders, and most recently, Migrating Minds: Theories and Practices of Cultural Cosmopolitanism (2023 American Comparative Literature Association “René Wellek Prize for the Best Edited Essay Collection”). The lecture is co-sponsored by the Nanovic Institute.The Italian Research Seminar, a core event of the Center for Italian Studies, aims to provide a regular forum for faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and colleagues from other universities to present and discuss their current research. The Seminar is vigorously interdisciplinary, and embraces all areas of Italian literature, language, and culture, as well as perceptions of Italy, its achievements and its peoples in other national and international cultures. The Seminar constitutes an important element in the effort by Notre Dame's Center for Italian Studies to promote the study of Italy and to serve as a strategic point of contact for scholarly exchange.Originally published at italianstudies.nd.edu.

Despite Sikkink's previous claims that we have entered an age of accountability with a “justice cascade” of human rights prosecutions, her most recent data show that there has been a marked decline in domestic, foreign, and international prosecutions worldwide after peaking in 2010. In the talk, she will discuss how changes in both the conditions for the demand and the supply of accountability have contributed to this new trend of declining prosecutions, especially because of the retrocession of liberal democracies.     This lecture is part of a larger series organized by Faculty Fellows Scott Mainwaring and Karrie Koesel entitled “Perspectives on World Politics.” Since its inception in 2016, this series aims to spotlight the Kellogg Institute’s strength in comparative politics by featuring distinguished scholars who speak on a topic related to each year’s theme.   More information here 

Democratic erosion can be stopped. There are good theoretical reasons and first empirical evidence for that. However, stopping democratic erosion is not equivalent to democratic recovery. What possible trajectories are there for the post-erosion phase? How can democratic recovery—as one of them—be captured? These questions have not been found sufficient attention but are highly relevant for developing strategies of post-erosion democratic reconstruction. This lecture presents a framework covering these questions and thus offering an approach for addressing post-erosion developments.Kellogg Lecture by Marianne Kneuer.   More information here

Join us for an insightful fireside chat featuring Volodymyr Turchynovskyy, dean of the social sciences faculty at the Ukrainian Catholic University, in conversation with Nitesh Chawla, founding director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society. The conversation will explore the unique challenges and triumphs of leading a university during wartime while simultaneously advocating for freedom and preparing for postwar recovery and a secure future. It will also serve as a continuation of the ongoing UCU-ND dialogue—a partnership that began 20 years ago and has proven invaluable, particularly during challenging times. Additionally, it builds on Professor Nitesh Chawla’s recent visit to UCU to further deepen our understanding of resilience and leadership in higher education. This event is co-sponsored by the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies.About the SpeakerVolodymyr Turchynovskyy is the dean of the faculty of social sciences at the Ukrainian Catholic University and a returning visiting scholar at Notre Dame’s Nanovic Institute for European Studies. Recently (September 2024), he contributed to and edited Resilient Universities, a newly published book in the Integral Human Development series—a collaborative project between UCU and Notre Dame.Professor Turchynovskyy holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the International Academy of Philosophy in Liechtenstein. His academic focus includes moral philosophy, the impact of wartime disruptions, and the role of integral human development in advancing postwar recovery. Throughout his career, he has demonstrated thoughtful leadership, promoted ethical discourse and strengthened the resilience of Ukrainian higher education institutions, even in the face of crisis.

In 2024, over 70 countries held elections, with more than half of the world's population participating. This panel will explore global election results from a comparative perspective and reflect on what they reveal about the state of democracy. Featuring expert insights on key regions, Victoria Hui (Asia), Scott Mainwaring (Latin America), Dianne Pinderhughes (USA), Marc Jacob (Europe), and Bernard Forjwuor (Africa), the discussion will cover elections in nations like India, South Africa, Poland, France, the UK, Venezuela, and the U.S. Moderated by Dean Mary Gallagher of the Keough School of Global Affairs, the event will draw broad themes and collective takeaways about the health of global democracy in 2024. Dave Campbell, Director of the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, will offer introductory remarks. A welcome reception with light refreshments will begin at 5:30 pm, and the panel will begin at 6:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public. This event is sponsored by the Notre Dame Democracy Initiative, and co-sponsored by the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy. Originally published at rooneycenter.nd.edu.

The Kroc Institute proudly hosts a new series focused on intersectionality and justice as a beneficial framework and methodology paired with peace studies. Led by Ashley Bohrer, assistant professor of gender and peace studies, and featuring a variety of guest presenters, the series will address the potential of intersectional analysis for peace studies scholars, with an ability to transform timely global conversations and issues. The series will also illustrate how peacebuilding in its many forms contributes to the strength and value of intersectionality and justice as an analytical tool and concept. Marsha Henry, the Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton Chair in Women, Peace, Security and Justice at Queen’s University, Belfast, will discuss her new book, The End of Peacekeeping: Gender, Race, and the Martial Politics of Intervention. Drawing on critical concepts from Black feminist thought and postcolonial and critical race theories, Henry provides an intersectional analysis of peacekeeping from more than 15 years of ethnographic fieldwork around the world—including interviews with UN peacekeepers, humanitarian aid personnel, and local populations. Revealing that peacekeeping is not the benign, apolitical project it is often purported to be, Henry’s book encourages readers to imagine and enact alternative futures to peacekeeping. Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

How can we stand in solidarity with Palestinians seeking justice, while also avoiding antisemitism—and resist those who seek to conflate the two? Authors Shane Burley and Ben Lorber will share personal stories, historical reflections, and interview data from their recent book to discuss how to combat antisemitism and build true safety for Jews and all people. The conversation will be moderated by Atalia Omer, professor of religion, conflict and peace studies. Lunch will be provided. Originally published at kroc.nd.edu.

Faculty violinist Patrick Yim and guests perform recently discovered string quintets by French composer George Onslow. Publisher Ignace Pleyel called Onslow "our French Beethoven." Patrick Yim, violin Natalie Lin Douglas, violin Eric Wong, viola Jamie Clark, cello Matthew Baker, bass    Generous support for this event is provided by the Department of Music, the Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts (College of Arts and Letters), and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies.   This event is free and not ticketed.  Originally published at music.nd.edu.