Thanks to the generous support of the Singh Family Distinguished Lecture Series, the Faculty of Social Sciences is pleased to welcome Christiane Taubira, French politician, and former minister of Justice (2012–2016) to celebrate the 20-year mark since she was the driving force behind Act 2001-434, known as "Taubira's Law", that recognizes the Atlantic slave trade and slavery as a crime against humanity.

Keynote speaker: Christiane Taubira is a left-wing French politician from Cayenne, Guyana. Professor of economics, holder of a license in sociology and a certificate in African American ethnology. Her political engagement began in 1978 within the Guyanese Decolonization Movement where she campaigned for independence until 1981. She was then deputy of Guyana from 1993 to 2012. Under the presidency of François Hollande, she was appointed Justice Minister in 2012. In 2013, she passed the bill opening same-sex marriage, which she described as a "civilization reform".

Moderator: Professor Abdoulaye Gueye (University of Ottawa) is a member of the School of Sociological and Anthropological Studies. His research focuses on globalization, race studies and the sociology of knowledge.

Discussion points

• How can we convince those who resist to recognize the differences in our modern societies?

• What is the relationship between the recognition of particular memories and social justice?

• How can States integrating groups that are victims of past injustice due to their ethno-racial difference ensure national cohesion when these groups do not intend to forget the past?

• What is the importance of human rights laws in transforming collective consciousness about the situation of ethno-racial or sexual minorities?

• Does the birth of Christiane Taubira on the American continent, whose history is marked by political revolutions for equality, allow us to better understand her political struggle for the recognition of differences on French territory?

This discussion will be followed by a live Q&A session with attendees.

*Please note: This event is hosted in French first. Live translators will be present, and you will have the option to select the translated (English) version of the lecture.

uOttawa alumni, current students, future students, staff, Faculty, and external community members are welcome.

Register today, space is limited. We look forward to seeing you!