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SUMMARY:CGHR Research Group &quot\;The Performative Core of Power and Legi
 timacy in Human Rights Organisations: the Case of the Russell Tribunal&quo
 t\; - Dr. Javier Perez Jara\, Professor Patrick Baert (Discussant) 
DTSTART:20150202T130000Z
DTEND:20150202T140000Z
UID:TALK53551@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:38366
DESCRIPTION:Bertrand Russell's popularity grants him a place among the gre
 at social activists of the past century. In the name of Human Rights\, he 
 was a militant pacifist during World War I and in the nuclear era\, fought
  for decriminalising homosexuality\, vocally defended women’s suffrage\,
  and invested his best intellectual energies in transforming public opinio
 n. In 1963\, he created the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation with an obje
 ctive no less impressive than enforcing Human Rights on a global scale. As
  part of that endeavour\, in 1966\, he promoted the first Russell Tribunal
 \, the goal of which was to judge and condemn the war crimes committed by 
 the United States and its allies in the Vietnam War. \n\nThe Tribunal was 
 strikingly successful in mobilising public opinion and\, as a result\, for
 ced the United States to defend itself from the accusations made and even 
 modify its fighting strategies and policies. Because of this success\, aft
 er Russell's death\, subsequent Russell Tribunals extended their “jurisd
 iction” to other parts of the world\, from Chile's military coup d'état
  to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. But what were the sources of legit
 imacy and power of this organisation? In Russell's words: “our tribunal\
 , it must be noted\, commands no State power. It rests on no victorious ar
 my. It claims no other than a moral authority.”\n\nThis paper provides a
  sociological explanation of the performative core of the Russell Tribunal
 's power and legitimacy following a speech-act theory\, in particular\, co
 mbining Patrick Baert's positioning theory with Jeffrey C. Alexander's dra
 maturgical approach and Ron Eyerman's notion of cultural trauma. I will ar
 gue that the social success and survival of a human rights organisation on
  a global scale mainly depend on a range of rhetorical and dramaturgical d
 evices by which their creators position themselves and their institution\,
  along with their adversaries\, within specific social\, political and int
 ellectual contexts. The performative dimension of power clarifies how wars
  are fought and won not only on the battlefield\, but also in the hearts a
 nd minds of citizens on both the home front and the enemy side. This and s
 imilar sociological factors need to be taken into account when explaining 
 (and promoting) the success and transcendence of human rights organisation
 s beyond the state's power.\n\nThe CGHR Research Group is a forum for grad
 uate students and early-career researchers from any department and discipl
 inary background researching issues of governance and human rights in the 
 global\, regional\, and national contexts.\n\nMore about the CGHR Research
  Group: https://www.cghr.polis.cam.ac.uk/events/research_group
LOCATION:Room 138\, Alison Richard Building\, Sidgwick Site\, 7 West Rd\, 
 CB3 9DT
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