Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.10.2011, Blaðsíða 43

The annual Equality Days at the Univer-
sity of Iceland (UI) will be held for the
third time this year, between October
13 and 27. According to Arnar Gíslason,
the Equal Opportunities Officer at The
University of Iceland (UI) and spokes-
person for the group of organisers,
the aim of Equality Days is to encour-
age discussion and understanding of
equality matters, as well as to raise
the profile of these issues, both inside
and outside the university community.
This year, Equality Days will include a
number of lectures, art events, seminars
and various other events that look at
the many dimensions of equality from
different perspectives. Admission is free
of charge and open to all.
SORTInG PEOPLE AnD RE-THInK-
InG GEnDER
One of the highlights of this year’s
Equality Days will be the piece ‘Just
a regular guy,’ performed by the
performance art group Kviss Búmm
Bang. The group says the act revolves
around sorting people into as many
minority groups as possible. “The more
minority groups, the more diversity,”
they say. “Are you a feminist? Does
your husband dye his hair? Are you a
trans with a driver’s licence? It is vital
to divide people into categories and
find out where they belong, in order to
easily determine who they really are,”
they add. The act will be ongoing at
University Square throughout Equality
Days and will end the programme at
Equal Days’ final event in Tjarnarbíó
on October 27. The final event starts at
8 pm, with a seminar on ‘Pop Culture
and Normativity,’ where literary scholar
Hildur Knútsdóttir and writer Óttar M.
Norðfjörð will share their thoughts on
contemporary masculinity and feminin-
ity. The seminar will be moderated
by Þorgerður Einarsdóttir, professor
of Gender Studies at UI’s Faculty of
Political Science and will be followed by
Kviss Búmm Bang’s piece.
Aside from the aforementioned,
Equality Days’ programme is packed
with intriguing events, some of which
will be in English. One of these is the
lecture ‘Re-thinking gender in complex
Asia: New Activism among Adivasi
women in India’ by Ragnhild Lund,
professor in Development Geography
at the Norwegian University of Sci-
ence and Technology in Trondheim,
Norway. The lecture is hosted by RIKK:
The Centre for Women’s and Gender
Studies at the University of Iceland and
will be held at noon on October 13 at
University Square, room 102.
EQuALITY, DISABILITY AnD
SEXuAL ABuSE In A RELIGIOuS
COnTEXT
Between 2 and 4 p.m. on October 14,
a seminar entitled ‘Equality, disability
and higher education’ will be held at
the university’s ceremonial hall, under
the auspices of the Centre for Disability
Studies and UI’s Disability Commission.
Norwegian scholar Eva Magnus is the
keynote speaker and will talk about
the findings of her Ph.D. research on
daily lives and experiences of disabled
university students in Norway. Knútur
Birgisson, master’s student in Disability
Studies, will then talk about preliminary
results of his study on Educational
equality: The rights and realities of
disabled students at the University
of Iceland. After these lectures two
disabled students at UI will share their
experience, followed by representa-
tives from the university’s Education
and Job Consultancy who will tell about
educative material on disability and uni-
versity education. The seminar will be in
Icelandic and English.
On October 18, Reverend Dr. Marie
M. Fortune, one of USA’s most valued
professionals in the field of sexual
abuse prevention and education, will
be keynote speaker at a seminar on
‘Sexual abuse in a religious context’.
Dr. Fortune is a theologian, a priest at
The United Church of Christ, as well as
being the founder and director of Faith
Trust Institute in Seattle, USA. Other
speakers are Sólveig Anna Bóasdót-
tir, Brynhildur G. Flóvenz, Sigfinnur
Þorleifsson, Berglind Stefánsdóttir and
Guðrún Ebba Ólafsdóttir. They will give
short lectures on sexual abuse of chil-
dren from the perspective of their fields
of study. The seminar will be in Icelan-
dic and English, with panel discussions
moderated by former news anchor Elín
Hirst. Time and place: between 10 a.m.
and 1 p.m. at the University’s ceremo-
nial hall.
DO MEn OnLY WORK, EAT AnD
SLEEP?
October 18 will see the Welfare Minis-
try’s Workgroup on Men and Equality
hosting an open discussion meeting
on the subject, in association with the
organising committee of Equality Days.
The meeting is titled ‘Work, Eat, Sleep’?
and will take place between 8 and
9.30 pm, with the participation of three
keynote speakers. Ingólfur V. Gíslason,
assistant professor in Sociology (men’s
studies, child birth leave, equality)
will talk about progresses in recent
years and how other Nordic countries
have been doing things. Gyða Margrét
Pétursdóttir, adjunct in Gender Studies
at UI’s Faculty of Political Science, will
speak about the interplay in men’s lives
between home and the workplace.
The third speaker, Guðmundur Andri
Thorsson, writer, will talk about equality
from men’s perspective. The meeting
will be held at the University Square,
room 101, and will conclude with panel
discussions moderated by Jón Yngvi
Jóhannsson, literary scholar and chair
of the Welfare Ministry’s Workgroup.
Since Equality Days offer a lot more
than there is room for in this brief sum-
marization, many exciting events have
unfortunately been left out. However,
the full programme is available at www.
jafnretti.hi.is and can also be followed
at www.facebook.com/jafnrettisdagar.
Happy Equality Days!
Are You a Trans With a Driver’s Licence?
Equality Days at the University of Iceland
HILMAR MAGnÚSSOn
=
Esja
16:00 Happy Hour
21:30 Character reading with Heidar,
free
Kaffibarinn
22:00 DJ Óli Dóri
Trúnó
22:00 Pizza with 2 toppings, 990 ISK,
with beer, 1500 ISK
3 |THu
Bakkus
22:00 Dj Sindri Eldon
Barbara
22:00 Resident DJ
Den Danske Kro
22:00 Live music
English Pub
22:00 Oktoberfest, live music, large
beer offer, 650 ISK.
Esja
16:00 Happy hour
22:00 Live Music/Jam Session, free.
Kaffbarinn
21:00 HúsDJús, sean Danke
Trúnó
22:00 Cocktail Night
Vegamót
22:00 Simon
» |OnGOInG
Víkingakráin
20:00 Let's Talk Iceland: Comedy Show.
22:00 ISK. Everyday
Iðnó
20:00 Cellophane Comedy show.
Thursdays
Klapparstígur 33
101 Reykjavík
www.sparkdesignspace.com
There is a long tradition of using
rugs to tell stories and the exhi-
bition features carpets depicting
the unfolding world of Miklimeir
and his magic gardening.
16.09–16.11 2011
Spark Design Space is
a platform for outstanding local
design projects.
Open weekdays from 10–18,
Saturdays 12–16.
PRESENTING “Miklimeir the magician”,
by Katrin Olina at SPARK DESIGN SPACE.
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