Project description
Equality is a value, a principle and a fundamental right in modern rule-of-law democratic states. However, contrary to what would be desirable, the very own seeds of existing democratic societies contain racist ideas that put human rights under strain. Besides, the increase of racism, from almost imperceptible discrimination to most apparent forms of racism, right up to hate speech, is not easy to fight in a context marked by several vertical axes of inequality (top/bottom) and the breakdown of social integration links (inside/out) that jeopardize social cohesion.
As doctrine largely confirms, there are different types of racism and racism-related discrimination, and they feed off each other. In this regard, a distinction can be drawn among institutional racism, which refers to the series of structures, policies, practices and rules that result in differential access to the goods, services and opportunities of society, as the European Court of Human Rights recently confirmed; a form of racism exercised by individuals and the societies to which they belong; and a cultural racism involving both individuals and institutions that is rooted in the different elements that make up the dominating culture.
In order to prevent and fight those different forms of racism and discrimination that threaten the exercise and guarantee of human rights, an analysis considering both the legal and social scope becomes necessary, as this project outlines. Thus, this research proposes as a starting point, on the one hand, identifying the processes that lead to social exclusion and give rise to discrimination and racism situations, particularly in the case of people of foreign origin and, on the other, looking at ways to face such situations on the basis of the specific reports issued by United Nations and the European guidelines.
Based on those parameters, the MULTIHURI project, including a multidisciplinary research and their previous experience as a team, focuses on the study of the Spanish case using a comparative analysis. At a first stage it proposes a critical review of the legislative measures and political and social actions adopted in Spain to deal with racial or ethnical discrimination, racism and hate speech. A second part of the research focuses on the comparative analysis against reality and the related actions taken in Italy, France, Denmark and Finland. The balance among such different scenarios, ranging from France, which was a pioneer estate adopting measures against racism; Italy, whose anti-immigration policies have blatantly challenged the most fundamental rights; and the Nordic region represented by Denmark and Finland, where some expressions of racism have grown exponentially, is essential in order to identify good practices.
All this will lead to proposals to develop institutional mechanisms and design social, legal and political programmes and initiatives to assemble a robust system of action in order to meet the urgent need to reduce racism and discrimination levels, tackle hate speech and crime effectively, and facilitate progress towards a legal and social framework that allows for better conviviality.
Taking stock of the III MULTIHURI International conference on human rights, diversity and conviviality
The III International conference organised by the MULTIHURI research team, focusing on human rights issues in the area of cultural identities, racism, health, education and gender equality, was held at the University of Valencia Law Faculty on 1-2 June 2017. Reflecting the academic and social relevance of the event, over 30 researchers presented communications and posters and another 30 participants joined in to listen to and debate with some 20 prestigious Spanish and international speakers. Recordings of the presentations are available in the "video" section; full texts of some communications will follow in the coming weeks. In the meantime, a selection of the best pictures is displayed below.
Inauguration
Ángeles Solanes Corella, director of the conference; María Elena Olmos Ortega, dean of the Law Faculty.
Opening conference
A conversation of the limits of law and politics regarding the recognition of identity. From left to right: Sami Naïr, invited professor, University of Valencia Human Rights Institute; Ángeles Solanes Corella, University of Valencia; Javier de Lucas, director of the University of Valencia Human Rights Institute.
Identities and culture
From left to right: Encarnación La Spina, University of Deusto (moderator); Pierre Bosset, University of Quebec in Montreal, Systemic transformation through human rights: Institutional and judicial strategies in Quebec; Letizia Mancini, University of Milan, The penal relevance of cultural factors. Reflections from the Italian case; Maxime St-Hilaire, University of Sherbrooke, Can the philosophy of recognition justify demands for the recognition of a legal system?
Panel of communications I
From left to right: Alfredo Pacheco Torralva, UV/chief inspector, Rafelbunyol Local Police; David Garfella Gil, inspector, Silla Local Police; David Colomer, UV; Ángel Joel López Méndez, UV; Asier Martínez de Bringas, University of Deusto.
Racism and xenophobia
From left to right: María José Aguilar Idáñez, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Racism and xenophobia in mediapolis: Is it possible to build an insurgent citizenry?; Lourdes Santos Pérez, University of Salamanca, Reflections on immigration detention centres and the justification of punishment; Albert Mora Castro, University of Valencia, Xenophobia, discrimination and hate crimes in Spain and the Valencian Community.
Social rights: Health and education
Ana Isabel Vázquez Cañete, University of Castilla-La Mancha, RDL 16/2012 and citizens' response to healthcare exclusion; Pier-Luc Dupont, University of Valencia, The struggle for curricular pluralism between cultural recognition and cultural reproduction.
Panel of comunications II
From left to right: Antonio Liu Yang, lawyer-intercultural mediator Spain-China; Danai Delipetrou, University of Valencia (moderator); Piotr Andruczyk, University of Valencia; Elena Mut, University de Valencia; Stefania Tusini, University for Foreigners Perugia.
Gender and diversity (I)
From left to right: Ángeles Solanes Corella, University of Valencia, Woman and Islam in European case law: Between the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice; Pilar Martínez-Vasseur, University of Nantes, Film and national identity: The cinema of Pedro Almodóvar; Encarnación La Spina, University of Deusto, The rights of Muslim women in Spanish case law. Simple arguments, complex realities
Panel of communications III
From left to right: Daniel Buraschi, University of Castilla-La Mancha; Paula Martín Godoy, University of Granada; Luis Ángel Triguero Martínez, University of Granada; María Dalli, University of Valencia; Albert Moncusí, University of Valencia.
Gender and diversity (II)
From left to right: Danai Delipetrou, University of Valencia, The protection of LGBT persons in Canada: Challenges and initiatives regarding LBT refugee women; Rocío Villanueva Flores, Catholic Ecclesiastical University of Peru, Women's rights and legal pluralism in Latin America.
Danai Delipetrou, University of Valencia (moderator); Bridget Anderson, University of Oxford, Better off with us: Reflections on the challenges and achievements of 30 years of migrant domestic workers organising.
Closing speech
Ángeles Solanes Corella, University of Valencia (moderator); Francisco Javier García Castaño, University of Granada, The diversity trap: On equalities and equities in the production of difference in the schooling context.
