Presentation of the OESE
We are witnessing a rapid chain of social tensions and mini-crises these days. Conflicts are multiplying. Some, like that of the Yellow Vests, are unprecedented in nature. Strikes, demonstrations, blockades, riots are our daily lot. How do we think about such an increase?
Extremization of societies and democratic values
At the same time, extremist currents are experiencing a resurgence of influence. We cannot look away from the international rise of "populisms." It goes hand in hand with the radicalization of political discourse.
We are experiencing a form of extremization of societies, which calls into question our democratic values. In such a context, it becomes urgent to make sense of this chaos and to try to shed light on it, in the light of the human sciences and particularly of History.
An Observatory backed by the Christophe Bourseiller Fund
The UPHF hosts the archive fund created by Christophe Bourseiller. This fund constantly welcomes new donations, with an international scientific council, thereby extending its field of study to all countries. The Observatory of Extremism and Emerging Signs (OESE) aims to study the phenomena of the margins from different angles: political, philosophical, historical, sociological. We do not ignore the cultural dimension. It appears that minority movements are very often the involuntary incubators of new ideas which then spread in society by diluting themselves. This is why we wish, among other things, to highlight these "weak signals" emitted from the margins, which we designate as "emerging signs".
The missions of the OESE
The OESE has three missions:
- To set up a daily watch on extremist movements. We will regularly publish notes addressed to journalists and public authorities.
- Organize an annual symposium on a topic related to the phenomena we are interested in.
- Collect and manage new archival collections donated by researchers or activists.
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Scientific Council
06.04.2022
