Gregynog Conference 2016

This spring, I received an invitation to give a plenary talk on recognition in Gregynog (Wales, UK) during 25-27 July. The Gregynog Conference was hosted by the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain, with Paul Standish and Naomi Hodgson as the organizers of the event.

Paul Standish

Naomi Hodgson

The conference was set in beautiful surroundings, offering a variety of highly interesting talks. In my own presentation titled "Antecedent Recognition: Some Problematic Features of the Very Notion" I dealt with Axel Honneth's specific views, and got some very good questions and comments from the audience afterwards.

Time for a break

In general, the overall athmosphere of the conference was truly enjoyable. One of the personal highpoints was experienced during "the late seminar" which consisted of singing together around a grand piano. I will certainly try to go again!

Reflections on Recognition

During 26-28 May 2016, our CoE organized a conference with the title Reflections on Recognition at the University of Helsinki. The concept was built around an international scholarly book project that is presently being edited by Maijastina Kahlos (from CoE Team 1), Ritva Palmén (from CoE Team 2), and myself (from CoE Team 3). Below are some photos from the event.

Simon Thompson

Ritva Palmén with audience including the CoE's Scientific Advisory Board

 

Maijastina Kahlos

A visit to the National Library

Viewing Medieval manuscripts

Lunchtime

Andrea Aldo Robiglio

Hartmut Leppin

Paul Redding

Risto Saarinen and the cover of his book forthcoming from Oxford UP

Virpi Mäkinen

Ismo Dunderberg

On the way to Suomenlinna and Walhalla

Anna-Liisa Tolonen with Ritva Palmén and Maijastina Kahlos

Heikki Ikäheimo, Arto Laitinen & Simon Thompson

More photographs and the programme of the event can be found under this link to the CoE blog.

Collaboration on Love & Justice

On Friday 22 April 2016, our CoE collaborated with the CoPassion project and the Social Ethics Forum in organizing a one-day seminar on the themes of love and justice, which are also highly relevant research topics from a recognition-theoretical perspective.

Anna Salonen, Anne-Birgitta Pessi and Risto Saarinen

participated in a panel discussion

Heikki Haara, Joona Salminen, Tii Syrjänen, Anna Seppänen, and Taina Kalliokoski

- the organizers of the event

Anna-Liisa Tolonen and Marjaana Toiviainen engaged in group work

 

Love in action

After the opening panel discussion, we heard various presentations by Jaana Hallamaa, Anne Birgitta Pessi & Henrietta Grönlund, myself, Risto Saarinen, Pauli Kettunen, and Ville Päivänsalo.

Henrietta Grönlund

Between the presentations, the participants worked in groups, discussing themes related to the overall topics of the event and the talks of the individual speakers.

Jaana Hallamaa

Pauli Kettunen

Ville Päivänsalo

On the whole, the day was both interesting and inspiring in various ways. It was also nice to see that so many of our CoE members contributed to the event in the roles of organizers, speakers, and participants.

Recognition Retreat II

Our Centre of Excellence held its second Recognition Retreat at Hvittorp in Kirkkonummi during 7-8 April 2016. The official programme started with lunch on Thursday and concluded with another one on Friday.

A group photo of the participants

The programme included four sessions, three of which took place on Thursday and one on Friday morning. During the first session, Jari Kaukua's and Hanne Appelqvist's successful project applications were duly recognized. After this, the CoE members reported on some interesting conference activities that they had participated in during the last year or so.

Hvittorp's course facilities

In the second session, Risto Saarinen presented information on the Academy of Finland procedures and practicalities of the second half of the CoE during 2017-2019. There was also an opportunity to discuss various related issues and raise questions that came to mind.

The third and final session of Thursday began with Antti Ruotsala's presentation of his studies of Mongol and other Asian cultures. After the talk, we heard musical presentations by Panu-Matti Pöykkö on the guitar, and by Aku Visala on the piano.

Our evening musicians Panu-Matti Pöykkö & Ismo Dunderberg

After the final session of the first day, we proceeded to enjoy some evening snack together with free conversation and more music.

The Friday morning session then consisted in some group work towards the application required for the latter part of the CoE period. In the early Friday afternoon, after lunch and the official conclusion, the board held its meeting while some other CoE members participated in a guided tour of the Villa Hvittorp.

Reflections on Recognition 26-28 May 2016

Reflections on Recognition is an international conference organized by the Centre of Excellence Reason and Religious Recognition at the University of Helsinki, 26-28 May 2016. The conference focuses on systematic and historical studies of the concepts and phenomena of recognition, and its themes are based on an international scholarly volume edited by Maijastina Kahlos, Heikki J. Koskinen and Ritva Palmén.

The programme of the event can be found under THIS LINK.

Among many others, the authors of these three

recognition volumes will be attending the Reflections conference

Right before the conference, 24-25 May, there is a workshop with the title Social Pathologies and Mutual Recognition, organized at the University of Jyväskylä. More information and the programme of the event can be found under THIS LINK.

Extended Session in AAR Annual Meeting in Atlanta

A team of our Centre of Excellence's researchers got an extended session into the programme of the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting in Atlanta, 21-24 November 2015.



The overall title of our session was 'From Tolerance to Recognition: Recognition and the Acceptance of Otherness'. The session included eight presentations with the contributions of Olli-Pekka Vainio & Aku Visala, Panu-Matti Pöykkö, Minna Hietamäki, Elina Hellqvist, Ritva Palmén & Heikki J. Koskinen, Anna-Liisa Tolonen, Joona Salminen, and Tim Riggs.

 

Cornel West in Atlanta

The session was presided by our CoE leader Risto Saarinen. We also had the honour and pleasure of having Robert Orsi and Vitor Westhelle as our distinguished commentators.

Risto Saarinen presiding

Robert Orsi giving his comments (photo by Elina Hellqvist)

While in Atlanta, we also took time to visit The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change.

At the King Center

The struggle (for recognition) continues!

Anna-Liisa & Panu-Matti at the Centennial Olympic Park

The Georgia Aquarium