On Justice #9
Wolfgang Kaleck: Die Stärke des Rechts versus das Recht des Stärkeren
Book launch with Wolfgang Kaleck and guests
- Dialogue
German /
In times of global crisis, international law comes under pressure. Does the law still have the power to limit violence and power politics? Wolfgang Kaleck discusses human rights, the international legal order of peace, and new alliances for a more just future.
The geopolitical situation has changed dramatically in recent years. In the new multipolar constellation with a strengthened Asia, led by China, and a divided West, the future significance of international law must also be questioned. However, for many people, the world has never been in order, and the last few decades have been full of rule-breaking, such as wars and crimes against humanity. Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which violates international law, Israel’s war crimes in Gaza, the West Bank and Iran, and the US intervention in Venezuela are evidence that international law and human rights are increasingly being disregarded. In this much-vaunted turning point in history, the fundamental question arises as to whether international law is strong enough to withstand this storm, or whether the law of the strongest will simply prevail in the future.
Wolfgang Kaleck, one of the most internationally renowned human rights lawyers, argues in his polemic that international law and human rights must not be up for negotiation, precisely because they represent immense progress on the path to a more just world – despite all the ambivalence, upheavals and setbacks. He advocates pragmatically defending the core of international law, i.e. the prohibition of violence and the right of peoples to self-determination, the prohibition of torture and international jurisdiction, in large coalitions. However, he proposes developing a utopian project that goes beyond this, namely a socially just, non-violent world.
On the occasion of the presentation of his new book, “Die Stärke des Rechts versus das Recht des Stärkeren – Plädoyer für Völkerrecht und Menschenrechte” (The Strength of Law versus the Law of the Strongest – A Plea for International Law and Human Rights), which will be published by Kunstmann Verlag on 12 March, Wolfgang Kaleck will speak with guests at HAU about human rights and the international legal order of peace. But don’t times of change – and such a time is looming – also offer opportunities for positive change? In order to seize these opportunities, this evening will also feature discussions about new alliances and networks formed by social movements, institutional actors and experts from the fields of law, art, ecology, feminism and postcolonialism.
Dates
Current
Notes:
Price: 15 €, reduced 9 €
Credits
A series of events by HAU Hebbel am Ufer in cooperation with the ECCHR (European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights). Funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as part of the Alliance of International Production Houses.
Location
HAU1
Stresemannstr. 29, 10963 BerlinThere are two marked parking spots in front of the building. Access to the Parkett by means of a separate entrance with lift when necessary. Barrier-free restroom facilities are available.
