Workshop: “Racism Put to the Test by Science and Genetics”

As part of the National Week Against Racism and Anti-Semitism
Friday, March 23, 2018, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
School of Law and Political Science, Lecture Hall C

Just when we thought the issue of racism had faded from public discourse, it has resurfaced, unashamedly reviving ideologies that seemed to belong to the past. In this context, it is necessary to reaffirm the law, values, and principles enshrined in the Declaration of Human Rights, which form the foundation of democratic societies. It is also essential to draw upon recent scientific research, particularly in the field of genetics, to address prejudices we thought we no longer had to combat.
Bringing together legal scholars, historians, geneticists, and epistemologists, the symposium on March 23, 2018, aims to examine from a scientific perspective some of the major issues raised by the concept of race at the heart of racist prejudice. The insights provided by the invited researchers should contribute to the discussion through critical analysis, demonstrating, in light of current research, that racism has no serious scientific basis.

Program

9:30 a.m. – Welcome reception for participants
10:00 a.m. – Official opening of the event by Philippe Pétel, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Science; Philippe Augé, President of the University of Marseille; and Jean-Paul Udave, Special Advisor on the Fight Against Racism and Anti-Semitism.
10:30 a.m. – Lecture by Éric de Mari, Professor of Legal History and Director of UMR 5815 Dynamiques du droit.
11:15 a.m. – Lecture by Michel Raymond, Research Director at the CNRS and Head of the Human Evolutionary Biology team (ISEM).
1:30 p.m. – Lecture by Luc Berlivet, historian and CNRS research fellow at the Center for Research on Medicine, Sciences, Health, Mental Health, and Society (Cermes3).
2:15 p.m. – Roundtable Discussion
3:15 p.m. – Closing of the event
> Registration required here