The seminar will be followed by a reception at Skrivelab from 16:00 –17:00, providing an opportunity to continue the conversation while enjoying snacks and drinks.
Register here to attend this event in the PROBONO Seminar Series
About the Event
“Civil Societies, Uncivil States” examines why governments have increasingly turned against nongovernmental organizations they once welcomed, and how states choose between different forms of repression. In this book presentation, Dr. Suparna Chaudhry will shed light on the book’s central arguments, exploring how the perceived threat and international visibility of NGOs shape state responses, and how administrative restrictions can enable governments to weaken civil society while maintaining democratic facades. The seminar will also discuss the broader implications of these findings for understanding state power, international advocacy, and the changing relationship between governments and civil society.
Introducing our new Seminar Series
PROBONO and Global Order(s) is a seminar series built on the ERC-funded PROBONO project. It explores how law, politics and private power intersect in contemporary pursuits for justice, bringing together perspectives from legal scholarship, international relations, and political science. The title reflects the project’s core premise that private law firms are increasingly shaping global lawmaking and the way international institutions function. The plural “Order(s)” signals that this is not a single, settled global order but a contested and evolving one, which the series sets out to interrogate from multiple disciplinary angles. By bringing these perspectives into conversation at the Law Faculty, the series asks what these transnational practices reveal about the rule of law, justice, and the prospects for human rights and democracy.
The Guest Speaker:
Dr. Suparna Chaudhry is an Associate Professor of International Affairs at Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon, and currently serves as a Director of the Bridging the Gap project. Her research interests include human rights, civic organizations, international law, and political violence. Her work has been published in International Organization, Journal of Peace Research, International Studies Review, International Interactions, Journal of Human Rights, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Global Policy, as well as Foreign Policy, The Washington Post and The Conversation. Her book Civil Societies, Uncivil States is published with Cornell University Press. She has provided expert testimony at the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the U.S. House of Representatives, and been featured in interviews with National Public Radio, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Oregon Public Broadcasting. She received her Ph.D. from Yale University, an M.A. from the University of Chicago, and a B.A. from the University of Delhi.
PROBONO Seminar Programme
14:30-14:35 | Welcome
Professor Ivar Alvik, Vice-Dean for Research - Faculty of Law, UiO
14:35-14:40 | Introduction
Professor Nina Reiners, PI, PROBONO
14:40-15:20 | Guest Presentation
Dr. Suparna Chaudhry, Associate Professor at Lewis & Clark College
15:20-15:30 | Respondent's Comments
Dr. Haakon Gjerløw, Acting Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
15:30-16:00 | Open Discussion and Q&A
16:00-17:00 | Reception and Informal Networking
Snacks and refreshments at Skrivelab
Practical Information
This seminar will be held in English. We kindly ask that participants register in advance. The event is held in Auditorium 2 of Domus Juridica, publicly accessible on the 2nd floor of the building.
