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> 
> Please find below a call for papers for a conference on female circumcision
> in Finland next September. Please, deliver the information further.
> 
> Sincerely yours
> 
> Marja Tiilikainen
> Researcher, PhD
> Department of Sociology
> University of Helsinki
> Finland
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> 
> 
> Call for Papers
> 
> The 4th FOKO Conference - Female Genital Cutting in the Past
> and Today
> 
> Time: September 7-8, 2007
> Venue: Hanasaari, The Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre,
> Espoo, Finland
> 
> Female circumcision or female genital cutting (FGC) is an
> ancient cultural tradition, which is practiced in many
> African countries, but also in some areas of the Middle-East
> and Asia. Past twenty years, as a consequence of increased
> mobility and migration, female genital cutting has become
> known all over the world, even in the Nordic countries.
> 
> By medical experts, human rights activists, feminists, and
> also many circumcised women themselves, the practice is seen
> to be harmful for the health of girls and women, and to
> violate the human rights of a child and a woman. Recent
> years also some religious authorities have openly opposed
> the continued practice of female genital cutting, at least
> the most radical operations. Furthermore, legislation in
> almost all Europe as well as many counties, where the
> practice of female genital cutting is widely spread, forbid
> the act. Moreover, in Europe and Africa several campaigns
> and projects against FGC, both on national and international
> levels, have been conducted.
> 
> Despite all these efforts FGC continues to be a "problem",
> both in Western countries and in the countries with long
> history of FGC. Recently, Sweden has witnessed the first
> case of FGC in the Nordic countries. Have all preventive
> actions failed? Is it possible to eradicate a deeply-rooted,
> culturally significant tradition, and on what conditions?
> What kind of a challenge is FGC today, and to whom,
> considering the historical and present circumstances,
> including easy travel and border-crossings?
> 
> In the 4th FOKO Conference we aim to bring together scholars
> and other experts to discuss the multi-faceted phenomenon of
> FGC from historical and present-day perspectives. In
> addition to academic work, we call for projects to present
> their studies, experiences from community work and good
> practices. In addition to workshop presentations, we welcome
> poster presentations. In the second day of the conference,
> there will be separate workshops for researchers and project
> based work. The conference is open for scholars and students
> of relevant fields, and in addition, to authorities, social
> and health care staff, project workers, and other involved
> persons, based either in or outside Nordic countries. The
> basic knowledge on female genital cutting, however, is
> required. Conference language will be English.
> 
> The key note speaker will be Professor Janice Boddy (Toronto
> University, Canada), who gives a presentation on "Civilizing
> Women: Lessons from the Campaign against Female Genital
> Cutting in Colonial Sudan".
> 
> This conference is the fourth gathering of The Nordic
> Network for Research on Female Circumcision (FOKO). In the
> Nordic countries, researchers have met every second year
> since 2001 to share findings and questions related to
> research projects. The KokoNainen Project at Finnish League
> for Human Rights will arrange the 4th FOKO conference,
> together with Hanasaari, the Swedish-Finnish Cultural
> Centre, being arranged the first time in Finland.
> 
> Guidelines for abstracts and posters
> 
> Abstracts based on scientific work should include the main
> argument, material used and disciplinary discussions the
> paper involves. Abstracts aimed at presenting project and
> community work experiences can be formulated more freely.
> However, abstracts should not exceed 350 words.
> 
> After the conference, we aim at publishing scientific
> articles, based on conference presentations, in a thematic
> issue of an electronic Finnish Journal of Ethnicity and
> Migration, published by the Society for the Study of Ethnic
> Relations and International Migration (www.etmu.fi). The
> finalized articles should be delivered by the end of 2007.
> 
> In addition to workshop presentations, we encourage
> participants, in particular projects who work against FGC in
> Nordic countries or elsewhere, to present their activities
> in a poster.
> 
> Individuals and groups considering participation in the
> conference and wishing to make a presentation are encouraged
> to submit abstracts of their work electronically to
> [log in to unmask] Dead-line for
> abstract and poster proposal submission is February 28, 2007.
> 
> Conference organizers aim to support the accommodation
> and/or travel costs of those participants, who need support
> and whose abstracts have been accepted. This opportunity,
> however, is dependent on the success of our on-going
> fundraising activities.
> 
> Registration, fees and accommodation
> 
> The participation fee of the conference is 60 EUR, which
> includes lunch and afternoon coffee for both conference
> days. Dead-line for binding registration and payment is June
> 15, 2007. Please fill the registration form (link to the
> registration form, see
> http://www.ihmisoikeusliitto.fi/projektit/kokonainen/foko)
> and send it to [log in to unmask]
> 
> Payment should be submitted by one of the following means:
> 
> o IBAN bank account FI 5780001301719853, BIC code PSPBFIHH
> o SAMPO 800013-1719853 (for Finnish participants only)
> 
> Please note that, when paying the fee type in a message
> field the name of the participant and the word FOKO.
> 
> Accommodation and the conference takes place in Hanasaari,
> which is beautifully located by the sea (www.hanaholmen.fi).
> The accommodation costs 75 EUR per night (7.-9.9.2007). You
> can book the hotel room in the registration form and you can
> pay accommodation costs when you are checking out.
> 
> 
> Updated information about the conference
> www.ihmisoikeusliitto.fi/projektit/kokonainen/foko
> 
> Contact
> 
> Janneke Johansson, Project Manager
> KokoNainen Project / Finnish League for Human Rights
> E-mail: [log in to unmask] / Tel +358 9
> 4155 2555
> Susan Villa, Press and Information Officer
> Finnish League for Human Rights
> E-mail: [log in to unmask] / Tel +358 9 4155 2551
> 
> Organizers
> 
> KokoNainen Project / Finnish League for Human Rights
> Hanasaari, The Swedish-Finnish Cultural Centre
> 
> Scientific board
> 
> Dr. Elise Johansen (University of Oslo / WHO)
> Dr. Sara Johnsdotter (Malmö högskola)
> Professor Aud Talle (University of Oslo)
> Dr. Marja Tiilikainen (University of Helsinki)
> 
>> 
>

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