European
Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control
40th
Annual Conference
University
of Nicosia
Cyprus
5th-9th
September 2012
'Beyond
the Wire': Regulating Division, Conflict and Resistance
Report
Thanks are owed to all those who worked so
hard to put the conference together: Demetra Sorvatzioti who brought the
conference to the University of Nicosia; Elisa Bosio who worked tirelessly
before and during the conference, assisted by Marina,
Anthos, Lambros and Linda; and all the stream co-ordinators who helped to put
the excellent programme together.
The Nicosia conference was attended by more
than 90 delegates from 20 different countries from across four continents: Australia,
South Africa, Europe and North America. Almost 80 papers were given in both
panel and parallel sessions which were divided up into six different streams
focusing on the following issues: anti-security; social divisions and the
application of the criminal law; eco-crimes; class, state power and corporate
harms; the criminalisation and victimisation of migrants and minority ethnic
communities; marginalisation, exclusion and social control. There were some
fascinating sessions involving local activists, linking the conference’s ‘beyond
the wire’ theme to its wider European and global context.
Delegates also got together outside the
formal sessions, participating in a fascinating guided tour around the divided
city of Nicosia, in a conference dinner inside the United Nations buffer zone,
and in a bus tour which included a visit to the Kourion archaeological site and
a wine museum. At these latter two events, delegates were treated to a
spectacular rendition of Elvis’ greatest hits courtesy of our very own David
Scott, the group’s coordinator from 2010-2012.
At the AGM held on Friday 5th
September, David Scott and the group secretary, Joanna Gilmore, sadly stepped
down. Both David and Joanna have worked extraordinarily hard over the past few
years, giving immense amounts of their own personal time to the Group to ensure
that it has grown and continued to attract new members whilst retaining the
support of older members. They will be missed. However, David and Joanna will
continue to play a role as members of the conference steering group. They have
been replaced by Emma Bell as coordinator and Monish Bhatia as secretary.
Gilles Christoph from Lyon will also be helping out with secretarial duties.
At the AGM, it was agreed
that we would try at future conferences to ensure that there will be a space
set aside for the 25 national representatives from across Europe to get
together to discuss issues affecting their particular localities. It was
highlighted that the Group is still looking for representatives from Latvia,
Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic,
Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Malta. It was also suggested
that an informal discussion session should be set up at future conferences at
which students, activists and experienced members can share experiences and
offer advice. Jackie Kerr volunteered to organise this support group. Both
these initiatives will merely aim to revive older traditions well-established
within the Group. There was also some discussion about funding. It was agreed
that the Group’s funds should be moved from the UK to Greece where the
Treasurer, Stratos Georgoulas, is currently based. Stratos said he would embark
upon the rather difficult task of finding an ethical bank which would not
conflict with the values of the Group. Attention was drawn to the fact that
Group members should also attempt to ensure that their personal accounts are
also placed with ethical banking cooperatives. There was also some discussion
about future publications. It was suggested that an anthology of past working
papers from forty years of European Group conferences should be compiled to
mark the 40th anniversary of the Group in 2013 (although this was
the Group’s 40th conference, its 40th year will be
celebrated in Oslo next year). It was also agreed that it would be interesting
to try to compile oral histories from older members. On another issue, the
Group’s commitment to ensuring gender balance across conference sessions was
reiterated.
On the final day of the
conference, it was announced that Vicky Canning agreed to become Social
Convener for the Group, helping to organise additional social events outside
the conference programme, ensuring that members can get together on a more
informal basis.
During and after the AGM,
a number of resolutions were passed in support of various causes in the UK, in
Greece and in Cyprus. These are as follows:
The UK
Border Agency and London Metropolitan University
That this Annual General Meeting of the
European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control, representing over
1,000 members in more than 50 countries:
- values
international collaboration between academics and students at all levels,
and condemns the narrow and short-term oriented intervention of the UK
Border Agency (UKBA) into higher education in the UK as setting a
dangerous and destructive precedent;
- abhors the
ideological and administrative targeting of overseas students in the UK in
attempting to reduce net positive immigration in order to pander to
anti-immigration lobbies;
- observes that
the imposition of these policies effectively positions all overseas
students as potential immigration fraudsters and requires them to prove
their innocence. At the same time it inappropriately positions educational
institutions as engaging in bogus operations unless they can prove
otherwise;
- protests that
the UKBA’s decision to withdraw the ‘highly trusted sponsor status’ of
London Metropolitan University (LMU) collectively punishes legitimate
overseas students for the apparent administrative shortcomings of the
university administration;
- notes that
checks and approvals for the issue of visas is not the proper function of
higher education institutions and objects to the Home Office imposing
these roles on universities as a cost-cutting measure and to address
under-staffing in the UKBA;
- demands that the
British government ensure that overseas students currently enrolled at LMU
be allowed to enter or re-enter or continue their stay in the UK and to
pursue the study in the UK for which they have been accepted in good faith
and which they have a right to expect.
That this resolution be sent to the |Home
Office, issued as a media release, and be placed on the European Group’s
website.
[Carried unanimously]
Resolution on racist violence in Greece
Brutal attacks and hate crimes, which are racially motivated, against migrants
and refugees on the basis of the colour of their skin, their religion or
country of origin have increased dramatically and have become an almost daily
phenomenon in Greece.
The fact that the perpetrators
of such attacks operate almost undisturbed, in a systematic and organised
manner and in teams often led by extremist elements, is an issue of serious
concern. Such criminal acts, perpetrated by groups on motorcycles, have been
documented since March 2012 and have been condemned by anti-racist
organisations. However, no particular steps have been taken to prevent and
address such acts which, as a result, has contributed to an escalation of
violence.
To date, the criminal justice
system has not resulted in the conviction of any perpetrator of violent racist
attacks. This, combined with the fear of the victims, often for lack of legal
documents, to file complaints with the competent police authorities, but also
the inability or reluctance of the law enforcement authorities to carry out
arrests, contribute to maintaining and fuelling the vicious cycle of violence.
The European Group for the
study of Deviance and Social Control is concerned that such violence has become
systematic and organised, targeting foreigners, under the pretext of the
'cleansing' of public space, by groups proclaiming that they guarantee public
safety. Combined with the lack of a decisive and immediate response by the
State and national institutions, this development is threatening Greek society
as a whole, offending its culture and exposing the country internationally.
Confronted with such a
situation, which poses a threat to the rule of law and democratic stability,
the Group:
- Urges the Greek State to honour its
primary constitutional obligations by taking steps to guarantee the protection
of human dignity and of personal safety of all migrants and refugees in Greece;
- Urges the justice system to uphold the
rule of law and take decisive action to bring the perpetrators of racially
motivated attacks to justice; and finally,
- Calls on the Greek people to
vigorously oppose racist violence in everyday life.
[carried unanimously, Nicosia, 9th September, 2012]
Workers’ rights denied at the Holiday Inn, Nicosia
The European Group for the Study of Deviance and Social Control held its
40th Annual Conference in Nicosia this week, 5th - 9th September 2012.
Four of our delegates
were staying at the Castelli and the Holiday Inn Hotels. We were all shocked to
discover that the employees of these hotels had not been paid for the past two
months and that their national health insurance, social security, trade union
fee and provider fund payments have also not been paid for up to a year,
contrary to employment law and European Union standards.
We express our
solidarity with the striking workers and wish to make the following statement:
Until the strike is resolved and the workers have all received full back-pay
and the payment of one year's missing social security, provider fund, health
insurance and trade unions fee payments, the members of this Group, which has
over 1000 members, representing academics from universities in six continents,
will not stay in any Holiday Inn, anywhere globally. We will also ask our
colleagues in all of our institutions to support this action.
Nicosia, 9th September 2012
During the AGM, more
details were given about next year’s conference in Oslo by Per Jorgen and
Ragnhild Sollund. The conference will be held from 29th August-1st
September. Details concerning the 2014 conference in Liverpool will be firmed
up in the coming months. Hopefully, it will be possible at next year’s
conference to confirm conference venues for 2015 and 2016.
Looking forward to seeing
you all in Oslo.
Emma
