Pagina dettaglio corso numero uno

From September 3 to 6, Athens hosted the 25th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology (ESC), the foremost scientific association uniting criminologists from across Europe. The event drew around 2,300 participants.

The conference was conceived not only as the traditional venue for presenting European criminological research but also as a moment of celebration—marking twenty-five years of activity, the society’s growth, and the projects carried out over the years. However, rather than a celebratory occasion, the meeting proved contentious and frustrating for many attendees. Fundamentally, it revealed the inability of Society’s governance—the Executive Committee, composed of elected members with different roles—to manage change, to engage with critical contemporary issues, and to respond to the democratic demands of its membership.

The central point of conflict concerned the Palestinian question and, more specifically, the presence at the conference of several Israeli researchers, some of them affiliated with Ariel University—an institution built in the Occupied Territories and therefore effectively an illegal university.

Tensions had already surfaced last year during the 24th Annual Conference in Bucharest, when some participants tried to block panels featuring Israeli scholars as a form of protest against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. In the weeks leading up to this year’s conference, the group Criminologists for Palestine (which includes ESC members) issued a “Petition against Complicity,” supported by criminologists and criminal law scholars worldwide. The petition called on the Executive Committee to take a clear stance: to recognize and denounce the acts of genocide committed in Gaza, as well as the war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Israel in Palestinian territories, and to sever ties—including conference participation—with academics affiliated with “complicit Israeli academic institutions.” This demand aligned with similar measures previously adopted by other international scholarly associations, such as the American Anthropological Association, the Middle East Studies Association, and the Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology.

In response to these demands, the Executive Committee issued several statements that left many participants dissatisfied: rhetorical appeals to inclusivity and dialogue, but without any clear position, coupled with reliance on legalistic and formal arguments (see further discussion here). The Executive Committee permitted the presentation of a motion—reflecting certain points of the aforementioned petition—at the General Assembly, but refused to put it to a vote, on the grounds that it contravened the statutory principle of inclusivity. While some attempts at mediation with Criminologists for Palestine were acknowledged, and while the motion could arguably have been formulated with greater precision—particularly regarding the scope and limits of a boycott of Israeli institutions—the decision to relegate this debate to the final agenda item, allowing barely forty minutes of discussion, was particularly problematic.

Regardless of the formal outcome, the mere possibility of a vote transformed the General Assembly from a routine event—where budgets are approved and new committee members elected—into perhaps the most highly attended and emotionally charged moment in ESC’s history (reports suggest up to 700 people were present). Although the motion was never formally put to a vote, a “symbolic” vote was held, showing majority support for the demands of Criminologists for Palestine. At the close of the Assembly, President Michele Burman announced that the issue would be put to an online vote in the coming weeks or months, based on questions formulated by the Executive Committee.

The present reflections are offered by a group of scholars with varied experiences within the ESC—ranging from a former President and Executive Committee member to researchers attending the conference for the first time. Despite these differences, we all left Athens with a profound sense of dissatisfaction, particularly after the General Assembly, and with a shared resolve to reconsider our continued participation in this scholarly community unless meaningful change occurs.

In our view, the events outlined here demand that ESC seriously reflect on its role and representativeness. The Executive Committee came across as detached from the society and its conflicts, unwilling to take a stance on matters that concern us not only as criminologists but also as human beings. Invoking a so-called “scientific neutrality” in this context seems short-sighted and, frankly, evasive. Such a stance risks alienating not only those directly involved in Criminologists for Palestine but also a broader constituency of ESC members.

This episode also highlights two additional issues of significance. First, the society’s limited democratic standards—most notably, the refusal to allow an official vote at the Assembly—will remain a lasting blemish in ESC’s history. Second, and more broadly, it raises the question of whether the founding principles established 25 years ago—crafted in a more stable and relatively consensual world—are still fit for today’s landscape. Should ESC not reconsider how to give substance to values it proclaims but does not always practice?

In recent weeks, a younger generation of criminologists—often precariously employed and positioned outside the traditional criminological establishment—has articulated this demand for change. If ESC wishes to demonstrate its relevance and legitimacy in the face of contemporary challenges, it must listen to these voices and respond in a manner more substantive and accountable than it has done thus far.

 

Elisa Begnis, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Bologna

Chiara Chisari, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Milan

Rossella Selmini, Professor at the University of Bologna

Laura Squillace, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Milan

Simone Tuzza, Assistant Professor at the University of Bologna