The Banksy incident in Palestine (photo/Wikimedia Commons).
Exploring forces and factors that shape individual and national identities in a globally connected world – from Aotearoa to Palestine – is the theme of a free public lecture at Massey University’s Auckland campus on April 5.
Well-known sociologist and commentator on immigration and population issues Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley will open the discussion with a focus on populist nationalism.
He will be joined by colleagues, Dr Trudie Cain and Dr Rand Hazou in ‘Close Encounters in Cosmopolitan New Zealand’ – the second of ten in this year’s in the Our Changing World lecture series. The free 10-part series titled “Our Changing World”, held monthly from February to November at Massey’s Auckland campus, follows on from last year’s successful series coordinated by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Speakers bring their expert knowledge and astute insights to topics that are front of mind for many, offering fresh perspectives and analysis of some of the more complex, gritty questions.
Professor Spoonley says the modern era of identity politics has been defined by the rise of minority nationalist, linguistic and indigenous communities, the civil rights moment and feminism.
“In the 21st century, there has been a considerable reversal as elements in white majority communities have reacted to minority and feminist politics – by actively rejecting them. Their reaction is often expressed along the lines of ‘Why should women, ethnic minorities or indigenous (non-white) groups ‘jump the queue’ for educational, housing or labour market resources and positions? Why should they be able to make claims on a government? Shouldn’t there be one law for all? Shouldn’t being an American, Australian, British, New Zealander take precedence over all other identities?’”
Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley.
Dr Rand Hazou.
Dr Trudie Cain.
Banksy in Palestine – irony or insult?
Theatre lecturer Dr Hazou will bring a global perspective to the border where identity politics and art intersect, with a discussion of a controversy surrounding UK street artist Banksy in Palestine.
In November 2017, Banksy marked the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration (in which Britain pledged to make Palestine a national home for the Jewish people) by hosting a party outside the recently established Walled-Off Hotel in Bethlehem. The party included an actor dressed as Queen Elizabeth II who unveiled the word ‘Er... Sorry’ carved into Israel's Separation Wall, and children from the nearby Aida refugee camp were invited to enjoy a cake decorated with the Union Jack.
Dr Hazou says the mock celebration was gate-crashed by local Palestinian activists unhappy with the use of the British flags and the Palestinian children. An activist planted a Palestinian flag in the cake as the crowd cheered and shouted; ‘free Palestine’. Dr Hazou will examine the controversy, online and in the media, that Banksy’s intervention sparked, with numerous voices criticising the artist for profiting from Palestinian suffering and normalising the occupation.
“Others insist that Banksy is deploying his celebrity and brand to shine a satirical light on the Israeli occupation and apartheid politics in Palestine. To what extent can Bansky’s intervention be considered a performance of international solidarity with the Palestinian cause? And how might the counter-intervention by the Palestinian gate-crashers be read as an assertion of Palestinian self-determination?, he asks.
Sociologist and facilitator Dr Cain will link these topics to the central theme of the lecture – the impact of New Zealand’s increasingly diverse population and a recent surge in migrants from over 100 countries. She will explore such questions as; how well do we know and relate to one another in Aotearoa 2018? Are our core institutions adjusting to superdiversity? What about our local and national policies? What are the challenges ahead, and what is needed to ensure social cohesion – and not division – in our culturally rich, complex society?
The lecture will be held in the Sir Neil Waters Lecture Theatre Building (SNW300) at 6pm.
For more information and to register go to: www.massey.ac.nz/ourchangingworld
April 5: Close encounters with cosmopolitan NZ
(Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley, Dr Rand Hazou, Dr Trudie Cain)
April 26: Flying under the radar: New Zealand’s fearless airmen of WWI
(Dr Adam Claasen)
May 31: Can poetry save the Earth?
(Associate Professor Bryan Walpert, Dr Jack Ross, Dr Jo Emeney)
June 28: Watching over you: surveillance and security in New Zealand
(Dr Rhys Ball, Dr Damien Rogers)
July 5: Can China call the shots with North Korea?
(Dr Marc Lanteigne)
August 30: Whose community? What the Ancients can teach us about merging and mixing
(Dr Anastasia Bakogianni, Dr David Rafferty)
September 27: In the moment: Mindfulness for changing times
(Dr Heather Kempton)
October 25: Yearn to learn – how the digital revolution is sparking creativity
(Dr Lucila Carvalho)
November 29: In search of church – does religion have a future in godzone?
(Professor Peter Lineham)