Evelin Lindner
Encyclopedia
Evelin Gerda Lindner is a transdisciplinary scholar in social sciences
and humanities
. She holds two doctorates, one in medicine
, and the other in psychology
. Her research focuses on human dignity, and she believes that the humiliation of honor and dignity may be among the strongest obstacles on the way to a decent world community. She is the Founding President of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS), a global transdisciplinary fellowship of concerned academics and practitioners who wish to promote dignity and transcend humiliation.
Her parents were displaced
from Silesia
in 1946, and she therefore grew up in West Germany
. She has since confirmed that her family's traumatic experiences have formed the background of her work.
In 1994, she obtained her first doctorate, in Medicine (dr. med.), from the University of Hamburg
, Germany
, and in 2001, her second doctorate, in Psychology (dr. psychol.), from the University of Oslo
, Norway
. She graduated in Psychology in 1978, and in Medicine in 1984, both from the University of Hamburg
and Heidelberg University. She has also studied law and sinology at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, philosophy at the University of Hamburg
, and has participated in the Norwegian Research Council's Ethics Programme under philosopher Dagfinn Føllesdal.
Since 1977, Lindner often spends time in Norway
, following her marriage to a Norwegian. From 1984 to 1991, she also lived and worked in Cairo
, Egypt
, where she was a clinical psychologist and psychological counselor at the American University in Cairo
for 3 years, and had her own practice for 4 years. She also lived, studied, and did research in Asia
(Japan
3 years, China
, Thailand
, Australia
, New Zealand
), in Africa
(West Africa
, Somalia
, Kenya
, Rwanda
, Burundi
), in the Middle East
, USA, and in Europe
(mostly in France
, Belgium
and Switzerland
). In 1993, she founded the NGO Better Global Understanding and organized an important peace festival in Hamburg, and in 1994, she was a candidate in the European Parliament election, 1994
.
She speaks English, French, German, Norwegian and Egyptian Arabic
fluently and is familiar with a number of other languages, among others, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, and modern Hebrew.
Since 1997, she is affiliated with the University of Oslo
, where she wrote her doctoral dissertation from 1997 to 2001. Since 2001, she is also affiliated with Columbia University
's Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity (AC4) in New York. Since 2003, she is, furthermore, affiliated with the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris.
Her first book Making Enemies: Humiliation and International Conflict has been honored as "Outstanding Academic Title" by the journal Choice for 2007 in the USA. She published her second book in 2009 on Emotion and Conflict. Also her third book on Gender, Humiliation, and Global Security that was published in 2010 with a Foreword by Desmond Tutu
, is being highly recommended by Choice. She has also written numerous articles and book chapters, for example, for Bernt Hagtvet
's anthology Genocide's Black Book (2008). She has received several awards, among them the "Prisoner’s Testament" Peace Award in 2009.
Lindner advocates equality in dignity, locally and globally. She has chosen Norway as a main base because she believes that Norway is in a unique historical position. The ideal of equality in dignity (likeverd in Norwegian) is at the core of the human rights message. It is at the same time deeply rooted in Norwegian culture and an important part of Norwegian heritage, while it is new to cultures with more hierarchical traditions that stand for social inequality. Research points at the importance of equality for health and stability, both at the individual and the community level. Equality in dignity is important for a sustainable future locally and globally. Lindner believes that Norway has a responsibility to make the Norwegian cultural heritage more accessible globally. Norway enjoys very high reputation in the world, which means that the message of equality in dignity, when it comes from Norway, has a greater impact.
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
and humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
. She holds two doctorates, one in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
, and the other in psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. Her research focuses on human dignity, and she believes that the humiliation of honor and dignity may be among the strongest obstacles on the way to a decent world community. She is the Founding President of Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies (HumanDHS), a global transdisciplinary fellowship of concerned academics and practitioners who wish to promote dignity and transcend humiliation.
Her parents were displaced
Displaced
Displaced is a 2006 British feature film produced by Skylandian Pictures. Produced by Mark Strange and directed by Martin Holland, the film took six years to make and secured a US distribution deal with Silverline Entertainment at the end of 2005.-Plot:...
from Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
in 1946, and she therefore grew up in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. She has since confirmed that her family's traumatic experiences have formed the background of her work.
In 1994, she obtained her first doctorate, in Medicine (dr. med.), from the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and in 2001, her second doctorate, in Psychology (dr. psychol.), from the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. She graduated in Psychology in 1978, and in Medicine in 1984, both from the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
and Heidelberg University. She has also studied law and sinology at the Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, philosophy at the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
, and has participated in the Norwegian Research Council's Ethics Programme under philosopher Dagfinn Føllesdal.
Since 1977, Lindner often spends time in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, following her marriage to a Norwegian. From 1984 to 1991, she also lived and worked in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, where she was a clinical psychologist and psychological counselor at the American University in Cairo
American University in Cairo
The American University in Cairo is an independent, non-profit, apolitical, secular institution of higher learning located in Cairo, Egypt...
for 3 years, and had her own practice for 4 years. She also lived, studied, and did research in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
(Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
3 years, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
), in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
(West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
, Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
), in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, USA, and in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
(mostly in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
). In 1993, she founded the NGO Better Global Understanding and organized an important peace festival in Hamburg, and in 1994, she was a candidate in the European Parliament election, 1994
European Parliament election, 1994
The 1994 European Parliamentary Election was a European election held across the 12 European Union member states in June 1994.This election saw the merge of the European People's Party and European Democrats, an increase in the overall number of seats and a fall in overall turnout to...
.
She speaks English, French, German, Norwegian and Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic is the language spoken by contemporary Egyptians.It is more commonly known locally as the Egyptian colloquial language or Egyptian dialect ....
fluently and is familiar with a number of other languages, among others, Swedish, Danish, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, and modern Hebrew.
Since 1997, she is affiliated with the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
, where she wrote her doctoral dissertation from 1997 to 2001. Since 2001, she is also affiliated with Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
's Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity (AC4) in New York. Since 2003, she is, furthermore, affiliated with the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme in Paris.
Her first book Making Enemies: Humiliation and International Conflict has been honored as "Outstanding Academic Title" by the journal Choice for 2007 in the USA. She published her second book in 2009 on Emotion and Conflict. Also her third book on Gender, Humiliation, and Global Security that was published in 2010 with a Foreword by Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu
Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
, is being highly recommended by Choice. She has also written numerous articles and book chapters, for example, for Bernt Hagtvet
Bernt Hagtvet
Bernt Hagtvet is a Norwegian political scientist. He is a professor of political science at the University of Oslo. Among his areas of interest are European politics, extremist movements, and human rights. He was born in Oslo, and is married to historian Guri Hjeltnes. He is a member of the...
's anthology Genocide's Black Book (2008). She has received several awards, among them the "Prisoner’s Testament" Peace Award in 2009.
Lindner advocates equality in dignity, locally and globally. She has chosen Norway as a main base because she believes that Norway is in a unique historical position. The ideal of equality in dignity (likeverd in Norwegian) is at the core of the human rights message. It is at the same time deeply rooted in Norwegian culture and an important part of Norwegian heritage, while it is new to cultures with more hierarchical traditions that stand for social inequality. Research points at the importance of equality for health and stability, both at the individual and the community level. Equality in dignity is important for a sustainable future locally and globally. Lindner believes that Norway has a responsibility to make the Norwegian cultural heritage more accessible globally. Norway enjoys very high reputation in the world, which means that the message of equality in dignity, when it comes from Norway, has a greater impact.
Selected publications
- Gender, Humiliation, and Global Security: Dignifying Relationships from Love, Sex, and Parenthood to World Affairs, with a Foreword by Desmond TutuDesmond TutuDesmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid...
, Praeger Security International, ABC-CLIO, 2010 ISBN 0-313-35485-5 - Emotion and Conflict: How Human Rights Can Dignify Emotion and Help Us Wage Good Conflict, with a Foreword by Morton Deutsch, Praeger Security International, Greenwood, 2009 ISBN 978-0-313-37237-7
- Making Enemies: Humiliation and International Conflict, with a Foreword by Morton Deutsch, Praeger Security International, Greenwood, 2006 ISBN 0-275-99109-1
- The Psychology of Humiliation. Somalia, Rwanda / Burundi, and Hitler’s Germany, University of Oslo (dissertation, dr. psychol.), 2001 ISBN 82-569-1817-9
- Lebensqualität im ägyptisch-deutschen Vergleich: Eine Interkulturelle Untersuchung an drei Berufsgruppen (Ärzte, Journalisten, Künstler), Universität Hamburg (dissertation, dr. med.), 1993