The Edict of Nantes (detail), signed in 1598 and separating civil unity from religious
The Edict of Nantes (detail), signed in 1598 and separating civil unity from religious

The organisers are the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, the Nobel Prize Museum, MSHS – Maison des Sciences de l’Homme et de la Société, Sud-Est, Nice, and Stockholm University.

Drawing on discussions in the social sciences and humanities as well as in the civil society, this colloquium aims to bring together leading international scholars and early career researchers to explore and share perspectives on the meanings of tolerance, how it is being – and has been – imagined and practiced in history and in contemporary contexts. Focusing on intersecting discourses that shape the understanding and practicing of tolerance and its dynamic and close relation to intolerance, we encourage contributions of different disciplines and methodologies. We aim to offer a multi-disciplinary space that can illuminate the concept of tolerance from a variety of perspectives: linguistics, culture, literature, history, religion, sociology, education, law... Since 1995, the United Nations are proclaiming an International Tolerance Day every year. The initiative has since received considerable attention and has resulted in the publication of a large number of texts on the subject. These have shown that the definition and understanding of the term "tolerance" needs to be discussed and developed. The educational manual "Tolerance, the threshold of peace" thus shows that there are "whimsical and varying definitions", not least between different languages. It has proved particularly important to try to understand the underlying mechanisms when tolerance is upheld – or rejected – and to study the values that impede integration and vice versa, to identify the positions that make integration possible. We welcome submissions that depart from traditional academic papers as well as interdisciplinary interactions and/or the use of performance methods. Indicative themes include:

  • (Un)conditionality of Tolerance
  • Tolerance versus Intolerance
  • Faith-based and Secular Tolerance(s)
  • Practicies of Literary and Artistic Tolerance
  • Moralities of tolerance
  • Tolerance in jurisdiction
  • Education of tolerance 

Send your contribution 8 April at the latest

Abstracts (250 words) specifying your contribution as it relates to the themes of Tolerance and should be sent to tolerance2020@su.se by 8 April 2020. Name, Institution/affiliation, short-biography (max100 words) and contact details must be submitted along with the abstract. Decisions will be communicated in the week beginning on the 22nd of June 2020.

Individual papers are allotted 30 minutes: 20 minutes for the presentation and 10 minutes for questions and discussion. The language of the colloquium is predominantly English, but contributions in other languages may also be accepted. If needed, we will do our best to find practical solutions in terms of interpretation and/or parallel sessions. Papers, presentations and performances submitted for the event will be considered for publication.  

Keynote speakers are:

  • Denis Crouzet, Professor, Université Paris-Sorbonne
  • Emmanuel Fraisse, Professor Emeritus, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle - Paris 3
  • Christer Mattsson, PhD, Director of the Segerstedt Institute, University of Gothenburg
  • Jenny White, Professor, Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies, Stockholm University
  • Cornel Zwierlein, Privatdozent Dr, Freie Universität Berlin
`Tolerance' by Mary Mackay, 1990
`Tolerance' by Mary Mackay, 1990

This colloquium is a follow-up on the 2019 Nice Conference ”Tolérance(s)”, arranged in cooperation with the MSHS – Maison des Sciences de l’Homme et de la Société, Sud-Est, Nice. 

The venue for the 12th of October (including dinner) will be the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities (City Center). Venue for the 13th of October will be on Campus, Stockholm University, where we will also have lunch at Accelerator, the University’s new exhibition space where art, science and social issues meet. 

Immediately after the colloquium, on the 13th of October, all participants are specially invited to the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm (Old Town), where Lilian Thuram (Honorary Doctor at Stockholm university, world champion of football and founder of the Thuram Foundation advocating tolerance and preventing racism) will speak at a public seminar followed by a reception. 

For administrative inquires/further questions regarding the colloquium: tolerance2020@su.se 

Organizational committee

Anders Bengtsson, Anna Carlstedt, Carin Franzén, Véronique Montagne, Bengt Novén, Susanne Tienken and Sophie Yvert Hamon. 

Logotyperna för Stockholms universitet, MSHS, Kungl. Vitterhetsakademien, Nobel Prize Museum