Meeting Einstein: Avner de-Shalit

Of milkshakes and boxers: How inclusion can work

Lecture and discussion with Avner de-Shalit, Professor of Democracy and Human Rights at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

“In Berlin we have learnt to be tolerant and open. But the truth is we are indifferent”.

“In Jerusalem we failed to live together. We are like two boxers who are tired of beating each other and we just want to sit each of us at the other corner.”

“My favourite festival in Amsterdam is the Milkshake festival. This is what Amsterdam is all about: we are so curious of the other that we became mixed like a milkshake.” 

These quotes are from hundreds of talks Professor Avner de-Shalit conducted with residents of these three cities. He analysed how these cities cope with the need to include a variety of ethnic and cultural groups, and at the same time preserve their uniqueness. The renowned political scientist found that inclusion policies in these metropolises are heavily influenced by gloomy memories of times of exclusion. Join Avner de-Shalit on his journey through Berlin, Amsterdam and Jerusalem to understand how current inclusion policies work and why.

Photo: Avner de-Shalit

Avner de-Shalit

Avner de-Shalit (D.Phil Oxford 1990) is the Max Kampelman Professor of Democracy and Human Rights at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Previously the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (2009-2012), he is now head of the Glocal-Community Development Studies programme. He is the author of 7 books and numerous papers, in environmental philosophy and politics and also the politics of cities. In 2014 he was awarded the Rothschild Prize in Social Sciences. Avner de-Shalit belongs to the core faculty at “Human Rights under Pressure”.

Human Rights under Pressure

“Human Rights under Pressure – Ethics, Law, and Politics” is an international, interdisciplinary doctoral and post-doctoral study and research training group under the joint auspices of Freie Universität Berlin and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. It is funded by the Einstein Foundation Berlin and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and unites world-class researchers and supervisors in various disciplines relating to human rights at both universities and the partner institutions.