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Associate Professor Danielle Celermajer

A22 - Old Teachers' College
The University of Sydney

Telephone +61 2 9351 7641

Website Contact Details

Biographical details

In 2008, in cooperation with colleagues at the Research Institute for the Asia Pacific, I was awarded a 1.5 million euro grant by the European Commission to establish a networked regional Masters of Human Rights and Democratisation. As director of this program, and of the Sydney Masters of Human Rights, my major institutional focus has thus been the development of strong interdisciplinary pedagogies and structures to support cutting edge, research and practice oriented human rights education in Australia and in the region.

I am also on the Executive the World Democracy Forum, a body that is in the process of developing the leading international network of democracy researchers. In combination with my work in human rights education, I see the development of this network as critical to making the University of Sydney a hub in global democracy and human rights research and education.

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Research interests

The key research question that motivates all of my specific research endeavours is, “What are the principles and practices required to construct socially just political communities in the context of diversity (religious, racial, economic, ethnic and political) and in the light of historical violations?” To this end, I focus on international human rights law and institutions and their domestic application, the negotiation of difference within global and local contexts, and mechanisms for dealing with violations in the past (truth commissions, apologies, international criminal law). Currently, I am working on the interface between religious and secular discourses in the area of human rights, the hegemony of human rights as a moral language and the implications of such hegemony for human rights practice and theory.

I have an ongoing engagement wit the work on Hannah Arendt and am currently continuing my work on how her work can contribute to our thinking about human rights and the religious underpinnings of her thought.

Finally, and in connection with my institutional role as Director of Sydney’s human rights programs, I am exploring human rights education, and in this regard, the role of Universities in bridging scholarly and applied understandings of human rights, Specifically, how can universities constructively contribute to the development of more effective strategies for human rights advocacy?

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PhD and master's project opportunities

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Selected grants

2013

  • Academic Coordinator for Research Programme 'Implementation of the Convention of the Rights of persons with Disabilities (CRPD): the participation of Disabled People's Organisation (DPOs)'; Celermajer D; European Commission (Belgium)/Research Support.

2012

  • Addressing the root causes of torture: Actions to reduce and prevent torture in police and military settings in the Asia Pacific region; Celermajer D; European Commission (Belgium)/Research Support.
  • The Sydney Social Justice Project; Carney T, Celermajer D, Connell R, Freebody P, Goodwin S, Graycar R, Ivison D, Keane J, Kinley D, Meagher G, Schlosberg D, Sluga G, Tormey S; DVC Research/Research Network Scheme (SyReNS).
  • The Sydney Network on Climate Change and Society; McCalman I, Schlosberg D, Bashford A, Probyn E, Allon F, Giles P, Smith V, Marks P, Celermajer D, Mikler J, Chester L, Gurran N, Shrestha K, Lyster R, McManus P, Pritchard W, Neilson J, Byrne M, Wright C, de Berigny Wall C; DVC Research/Research Network Scheme (SyReNS).
  • Global Sensibilities – The New History of Ideas; Blanshard A, Caine B, Celermajer D, Ferng J, Fitzmaurice A, Gatens M, Harmon C, Johnson M, Milam J, Sluga G, White S; Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/FASS Collaborative Research Scheme.

2011

  • Democratic Governance and Human Rights Program; Celermajer D; Australia Thailand Institute/Research Support.

2010

  • Australia - Thailand Human Rights Education Project; Soem T, Celermajer D; Australia Thailand Institute/Research Support.
  • The International Society Research Cluster; Sluga G, Celermajer D, Barrett J, Epstein C, Horne J, Poulos M, Humphrey M; Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/FASS Collaborative Research Scheme.
  • The Environmental Humanities Group; McCalman I, Bashford A, White S, McCreery C, Gibbs M, Schlosberg D, Celermajer D, Philp J, Robertson S, Fitzmaurice A, Giles P, Marks P, Hardie M, Smith V, Alt C, Race K, Allon F; Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/FASS Collaborative Research Scheme.

2008

  • Developing a networked Asia-Pacific Master's Degree in Human Rights and Democratisation; Celermajer D, Walters E; European Commission (Belgium)/Research Support.

2007

  • Hannah Arendt as a Jewish Thinker; Celermajer D; University of Sydney/Early Career Researcher.
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Selected publications

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Books

  • Celermajer, D. (2009). Sins of the Nation and the Ritual of Apologies. New York, USA: Cambridge University Press.

Edited Books

  • Schaap, A., Celermajer, D., Karalis, V. (2010). Power, Judgement and Political Evil: In Conversation with Hannah Arendt. Surry: Ashgate.
  • Celermajer, D. (2002). World Community: Religion and Human Rights. Columbia: Centre for the Study of Human Rights.

Book Chapters

  • Celermajer, D. (2014). From Mea Culpa to Nostra Culpa: A Reparative Apology from the Catholic Church? In Mihaela Mihai, Mathias Thaler (Eds.), On the Uses and Abuses of Political Apologies, (pp. 55-75). Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Celermajer, D. (2013). Apology and the Possibility of the Ethical Nation. In Daniel Cuypers, Daniel Janssen, Jacques Haers, Barbara Segaert (Eds.), Public Apology between Ritual and Regret: Symbolic Excuses on False Pretenses or True Reconciliation out of Sincere Regret?, (pp. 45-64). Amsterdam: Rodopi.
  • Celermajer, D. (2013). The Role of Ritual is Shifting Collective Dispositions. In Chrisje Brants, Antoine Hol, Dina Siegel (Eds.), Transitional Justice: Images and Memories, (pp. 123-139). Surrey, UK: Ashgate.
  • Celermajer, D. (2012). Indigenous Peoples' Rights. In Helmut K. Anheier & Mark Juergensmeyer (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Global Studies, (pp. 889-892). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.
  • Celermajer, D., Moses, A. (2010). Australian Memory and the Apology to the Stolen Generations of Indigenous People. In Aleida Assmann and Sebastian Conrad (Eds.), Memory in a Global Age: Discourses, Practices and Trajectories, (pp. 32-58). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). From the Religious to the Political Apology: How the Religious Prehistory of Apology Makes Sense of Collective Responsibility. In Christopher Allers and Marieke Smit (Eds.), Forgiveness in Perspective, (pp. 117-138). Amsterdam: Rodopi.
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). Inclusion, Trust and Democracy: Interfaith and Faith-Secular Dialogue as Strategies for Muslim Inclusion. In Samina Yasmeen (Eds.), Muslims in Australia: The Dynamics of Exclusion and Inclusion, (pp. 229-249). Carlton: Melbourne University Press.
  • Celermajer, D., Schaap, A., Karalis, V. (2010). Introduction: in conversation with Hannah Arendt. In A. Schaap, D. Celermajer, V. Karalis (Eds.), Power, Judgement and Political Evil: In Conversation with Hannah Arendt, (pp. 1-9). Surry: Ashgate.
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). The Ethics of Friendship. In A. Schaap, D. Celermajer, V. Karalis (Eds.), Power, Judgement and Political Evil: In Conversation with Hannah Arendt, (pp. 55-69). Surry: Ashgate.
  • Celermajer, D. (2008). Can there be a Postsecular Education for Peace? In Tonya Huber-Warring (Eds.), Growing a Soul for Social Change: Building the Knowledge Base for Social Justice, (pp. 11-26). Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age Publishing.
  • Celermajer, D. (2006). The Apology in Australia: Re-covenanting the National Imagery. In Elazar Barkan and Alexander Karn (Eds.), Taking Wrongs Seriously: Apologies and Reconciliation, (pp. 153-184). Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.

Journals

  • Celermajer, D. (2013). Mere Ritual? Displacing the Myth of Sincerity in Transitional Rituals. International Journal of Transitional Justice, 7(2), 286-305. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D., Grewal, K. (2013). Preventing Human Rights Violations 'From the Inside': Enhancing the Role of Human Rights Education in Security Sector Reform. Journal of Human Rights Practice, 5(2), 243-266. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D., Kidman, J. (2012). Embedding the apology in the nation's identity. J P S (The Journal of the Polynesian Society), 121(3), 219-242.
  • Celermajer, D. (2011). Hebraic Dimensions of Hannah Arendt's Thought. Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 10(1), 3-22. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). Hannah Arendt: Athens or Perhaps Jerusalem? Thesis Eleven: critical theory and historical sociology, 102(1), 24-38. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). Introduction: Athens and Jerusalem through a Different Lens. Thesis Eleven: critical theory and historical sociology, 102(1), 3-5. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D. (2009). Book Review: The Politics of Regret: On Collective Memory and Historical Responsibility Jeffrey Olick New York: Routledge, 2007. Memory Studies, 2(21).
  • Celermajer, D. (2008). The State of Free Speech. Australian Journal of Political Science, 43(3), 495-511.
  • Celermajer, D. (2007). If Islam is our other, who are 'we'? Australian Journal of Social Issues, 42(1), 103-123.
  • Celermajer, D. (2006). Seeing the Light and Hearing the Call; the Aesthetics of Knowledge and Thought. Aesthetics (was Literature & Aesthetics), 16(2), 120-144.
  • Celermajer, D. (2005). Are we entering a post human rights era? Human Rights Defender, 14(1), 2-5.
  • Celermajer, D. (2005). Cultural annihilation and human rights: The forced removal of Aboriginal children. Human Rights Dialogue: an international forum for debating human rights, series 2 (online, 22 April 2005)(12 Cultural Rights).

Conferences

  • Celermajer, D. (2009). Global emotions and the prospect of political transformation. The Aesthetisation of Emotion 2009, Australia: University of Sydney.
  • Celermajer, D. (2009). Revealing the religious underpinnings of political apologies [Political Apologies: Re-covenanting the Nation]. 2nd Global Conference 2009: Forgiveness - Probing the Boundaries, United Kingdom: Inter-Disciplinary.Net.
  • Celermajer, D. (2006). Can there be a Post-secular Human Rights Framework? Religions Facing the Challenge of Universalism. International Symposium: Cultivating Wisdom, Harvesting Peace (2005), Brisbane: Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University.
  • Celermajer, D. (2006). From the Levinasian apology to the political apology; reflections on ethical politics. Australasian Political Studies Association Annual Conference (APSA 2006), Newcastle: University of Newcastle.

Magazine / Newspaper Articles

  • Celermajer, D. (2006). US: Rule of Men. New Matlida Online, Online: 5 July 2006.

Report

  • Law, A., Valiente-Riedl, E., Celermajer, D. (2011). Measuring Social Change: Principles to Guide the Assessment of Human Rights Based Approaches to Development.

2014

  • Celermajer, D. (2014). From Mea Culpa to Nostra Culpa: A Reparative Apology from the Catholic Church? In Mihaela Mihai, Mathias Thaler (Eds.), On the Uses and Abuses of Political Apologies, (pp. 55-75). Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

2013

  • Celermajer, D. (2013). Apology and the Possibility of the Ethical Nation. In Daniel Cuypers, Daniel Janssen, Jacques Haers, Barbara Segaert (Eds.), Public Apology between Ritual and Regret: Symbolic Excuses on False Pretenses or True Reconciliation out of Sincere Regret?, (pp. 45-64). Amsterdam: Rodopi.
  • Celermajer, D. (2013). Mere Ritual? Displacing the Myth of Sincerity in Transitional Rituals. International Journal of Transitional Justice, 7(2), 286-305. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D., Grewal, K. (2013). Preventing Human Rights Violations 'From the Inside': Enhancing the Role of Human Rights Education in Security Sector Reform. Journal of Human Rights Practice, 5(2), 243-266. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D. (2013). The Role of Ritual is Shifting Collective Dispositions. In Chrisje Brants, Antoine Hol, Dina Siegel (Eds.), Transitional Justice: Images and Memories, (pp. 123-139). Surrey, UK: Ashgate.

2012

  • Celermajer, D., Kidman, J. (2012). Embedding the apology in the nation's identity. J P S (The Journal of the Polynesian Society), 121(3), 219-242.
  • Celermajer, D. (2012). Indigenous Peoples' Rights. In Helmut K. Anheier & Mark Juergensmeyer (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Global Studies, (pp. 889-892). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications.

2011

  • Celermajer, D. (2011). Hebraic Dimensions of Hannah Arendt's Thought. Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 10(1), 3-22. [More Information]
  • Law, A., Valiente-Riedl, E., Celermajer, D. (2011). Measuring Social Change: Principles to Guide the Assessment of Human Rights Based Approaches to Development.

2010

  • Celermajer, D., Moses, A. (2010). Australian Memory and the Apology to the Stolen Generations of Indigenous People. In Aleida Assmann and Sebastian Conrad (Eds.), Memory in a Global Age: Discourses, Practices and Trajectories, (pp. 32-58). New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). From the Religious to the Political Apology: How the Religious Prehistory of Apology Makes Sense of Collective Responsibility. In Christopher Allers and Marieke Smit (Eds.), Forgiveness in Perspective, (pp. 117-138). Amsterdam: Rodopi.
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). Hannah Arendt: Athens or Perhaps Jerusalem? Thesis Eleven: critical theory and historical sociology, 102(1), 24-38. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). Inclusion, Trust and Democracy: Interfaith and Faith-Secular Dialogue as Strategies for Muslim Inclusion. In Samina Yasmeen (Eds.), Muslims in Australia: The Dynamics of Exclusion and Inclusion, (pp. 229-249). Carlton: Melbourne University Press.
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). Introduction: Athens and Jerusalem through a Different Lens. Thesis Eleven: critical theory and historical sociology, 102(1), 3-5. [More Information]
  • Celermajer, D., Schaap, A., Karalis, V. (2010). Introduction: in conversation with Hannah Arendt. In A. Schaap, D. Celermajer, V. Karalis (Eds.), Power, Judgement and Political Evil: In Conversation with Hannah Arendt, (pp. 1-9). Surry: Ashgate.
  • Schaap, A., Celermajer, D., Karalis, V. (2010). Power, Judgement and Political Evil: In Conversation with Hannah Arendt. Surry: Ashgate.
  • Celermajer, D. (2010). The Ethics of Friendship. In A. Schaap, D. Celermajer, V. Karalis (Eds.), Power, Judgement and Political Evil: In Conversation with Hannah Arendt, (pp. 55-69). Surry: Ashgate.

2009

  • Celermajer, D. (2009). Book Review: The Politics of Regret: On Collective Memory and Historical Responsibility Jeffrey Olick New York: Routledge, 2007. Memory Studies, 2(21).
  • Celermajer, D. (2009). Global emotions and the prospect of political transformation. The Aesthetisation of Emotion 2009, Australia: University of Sydney.
  • Celermajer, D. (2009). Revealing the religious underpinnings of political apologies [Political Apologies: Re-covenanting the Nation]. 2nd Global Conference 2009: Forgiveness - Probing the Boundaries, United Kingdom: Inter-Disciplinary.Net.
  • Celermajer, D. (2009). Sins of the Nation and the Ritual of Apologies. New York, USA: Cambridge University Press.

2008

  • Celermajer, D. (2008). Can there be a Postsecular Education for Peace? In Tonya Huber-Warring (Eds.), Growing a Soul for Social Change: Building the Knowledge Base for Social Justice, (pp. 11-26). Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age Publishing.
  • Celermajer, D. (2008). The State of Free Speech. Australian Journal of Political Science, 43(3), 495-511.

2007

  • Celermajer, D. (2007). If Islam is our other, who are 'we'? Australian Journal of Social Issues, 42(1), 103-123.

2006

  • Celermajer, D. (2006). Can there be a Post-secular Human Rights Framework? Religions Facing the Challenge of Universalism. International Symposium: Cultivating Wisdom, Harvesting Peace (2005), Brisbane: Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University.
  • Celermajer, D. (2006). From the Levinasian apology to the political apology; reflections on ethical politics. Australasian Political Studies Association Annual Conference (APSA 2006), Newcastle: University of Newcastle.
  • Celermajer, D. (2006). Seeing the Light and Hearing the Call; the Aesthetics of Knowledge and Thought. Aesthetics (was Literature & Aesthetics), 16(2), 120-144.
  • Celermajer, D. (2006). The Apology in Australia: Re-covenanting the National Imagery. In Elazar Barkan and Alexander Karn (Eds.), Taking Wrongs Seriously: Apologies and Reconciliation, (pp. 153-184). Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
  • Celermajer, D. (2006). US: Rule of Men. New Matlida Online, Online: 5 July 2006.

2005

  • Celermajer, D. (2005). Are we entering a post human rights era? Human Rights Defender, 14(1), 2-5.
  • Celermajer, D. (2005). Cultural annihilation and human rights: The forced removal of Aboriginal children. Human Rights Dialogue: an international forum for debating human rights, series 2 (online, 22 April 2005)(12 Cultural Rights).

2002

  • Celermajer, D. (2002). World Community: Religion and Human Rights. Columbia: Centre for the Study of Human Rights.
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