Roundtable Discussion
“After the Holocaust –
Primo Levi and
the Nexus of Science,
Responsibility and Humanism”
Wednesday, 4 May 2016
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Trusteeship Chamber, United Nations Headquarters
(from left to right): Mr. Ramu Damodaran, Ms. Cristina Gallach, Mr. Roger Cohen, Ms. Stella Levi,
Ms. Maaza Mengiste, Prof. Francesco Cassata, Ms. Carla Esperanza Rivera Sanchez, Dr. Lidia Santarelli,
Mr. Dario Disegni, Ms. Natalia Indrimi.
Photo credit: UN Photo/Manuel Elias
The Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Programme in partnership with the Centro Primo Levi New York organised a roundtable discussion titled “After the Holocaust – Primo Levi and the Nexus of Science, Responsibility and Humanism”. The event took place on 4 May 2016 on the occasion of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day on the Hebrew calendar). The roundtable discussion explored themes found in Primo Levi’s writings including scientific ethics, history and memory, language and transmission, and justice and responsibility. After a dramatic reading of a passage identified from recently published The Complete Works of Primo Levi, a panel of scholars and writers commented on Levi’s work. The event also demonstrated the universal appeal of Primo Levi and his contribution to humanity.
Welcome remarks:
Ms. Cristina Gallach, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information
Ms. Stella Levi, Board of Directors, Centro Primo Levi New York
Mr. Dario Disegni, Board of Directors, Centro Internazionale di Studi Primo Levi Torino
Panellists:
Dr. Lidia Santarelli, Nuremberg Trial Project, Harvard University
Dr. Francesco Cassata, History of Science, University of Genoa
Ms. Maaza Mengiste, Writer and Author
Mr. Roger Cohen, Columnist, The New York Times
Moderator:
Ms. Natalia Indrimi, Executive Director, Centro Primo Levi, New York
Readings:
Mr. Ramu Damodaran, Chief, United Nations Academic Impact Initiative, and Secretary of the Committee on Information, DPI
Ms. Carla Esperanza Rivera Sánchez, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of El Salvador to the United Nations and Vice Chairperson of the United Nations General Assembly Committee on Information
Mr. John Turturro, Actor and Director