We are experiencing multiple crises at a global level, such as the Russian war, the human rights crisis in Afghanistan, the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Syria, and political tensions in the US and Europe. Simultaneously economic recession reduces welfare and poses challenges for equality and social justice. From a Nordic viewpoint, questions of radical movements and extremism are affected by this global crisis landscape. This panel discusses the situation of extremism and human security in the Nordic countries - what has changed, what kind of scenarios can we expect in the near future, and how can we enhance a resilient, just and safe Nordic welfare state?
The panelists are Ari Evwaraye, Ann-Cathrine Jungar, Marko Juntunen and Susi Meret. The discussion is moderated by SEPOS researcher Karin Creutz.
- Place: Auditorium 116 at Unioninkatu 35
- Time: Thursday 8.12.2022, 14.15-15.45.
The event is open for everyone and does not require registration. You can contact Karin Creutz for more information about the panel and project: karin.creutz@helsinki.fi
Panelists:
Ari Evwaraye, Head of Strategy, Ministry of the Interior in Finland:
Responsible for the implementation, coordination and follow-up of The Internal Security Strategy in Finland. During recent years, Ari’s focus has been in furthering a holistic human security policy with strong recognition of questions relating to equality as well as population sentiment and feeling of safety.
Ann-Cathrine Jungar, Senior Lecturer, Södertörn University:
Ann-Cathrine is an expert in radical right parties in Europe, with a particular emphasis on the Nordic context. She is particularly interested in questions of ideology, organisation and transnational contacts. Currently she is involved in projects investigating party political youth associations.
Marko Juntunen, Senior Researcher, Finn Church Aid:
Marko has a background in social anthropology and Islamic and Middle Eastern studies. He has studied poverty and youth in Morocco, social memory and trauma among Iraqi diasporans, and radicalisation and mobility to Syria and Iraq. Over the last years he has conducted extensive ethnography in Muslim public spaces and his book on the Finnish suburb Varissuo won the State Award for Public Information.
Susi Meret, Associate Professor, Aalborg University:
Susi is an Associate Professor at the Department of Politics and Society, Aalborg University. Her main research interest is with the far-right parties and illiberal tendencies in Europe, political extremism and civil society reactions hereto. Susi has conducted studies on right-wing populism in Denmark (and beyond), also considering the mainstream parties’ counter-strategies, the role of Islam and how civil society organizations and movements respond to growing anti-immigration, Islamophobia and ethno-nationalism.
The panel is organised by the SEPOS project (Social exclusion, polarisation and security in the Nordic welfare states). SEPOS is a three-year (2021–2023) Nordic project led by the Swedish School of Social Science (Soc&kom) and funded by NordForsk. The project addresses security threats from a societal perspective, focusing on social dynamics and the root causes of problems.