Trafficking in persons for the purpose of sexual exploitation as well as gender-based violence more broadly constitute ongoing and highly concerning issues in Romania. Mechanisms for prevention that rely on education concerning sexuality, consent and healthy relationships are undermined by conservative and reactionary actors on grounds that they represent deviant Western, ‘woke’ ideologies. The aim of this talk is to focus on the Romanian Orthodox Church (and its affiliated groups and organisations) as a powerful force that influences policy, social norms and public perceptions. The argument advanced here is that on the one hand, BOR has the capacity and moral positioning to be a potential game changer in prevention initiatives. On the other hand, its reactionary position constitutes an important barrier in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
📅 Thursday, 18 June 2026
🕑 15:00 EEST
✅Register for free → https://forms.gle/tXqkwj7pbTZCkgjG8
💻 Join us online via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/xvj-ogxd-woc
🎓 Free & open to all
Radu Cinpoes is Associate Professor of Politics and International Relations and Academic Portfolio Lead for Politics and International Relations. Radu joined the University of Greenwich in September 2023, having been Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations at Kingston University since 2014. Prior to that, he taught at Kingston University and the University of Westminster. Radu studied Language and Literature in Romania and was completed a postgraduate degree in Comparative Literature there, before he was awarded his PhD in Political Science at Kingston University in 2006.
Radu’s teaching and research interests include global political issues, right wing politics, human rights and social justice, and migration and refugee issues. Growing out of his interest in nationalism and the politics of exclusion, his research has recently focused on two complementary directions: issues concerning right-wing populism and extremism, discrimination and intolerance, on the one hand, and migration, mobility and refugee issues on the other. He has published on the extreme right, nationalism, European identity and Romanian politics. His current research project investigates agential reflexive mediation of structural conditionings and the role of social networks in the context of transnational mobility.
Sober Thought: A FERBOPO Forum represents a new series of free online talks exploring the intersections of state, religion, and body politics in Romania and Central and Eastern Europe. Over the coming months, leading scholars will present their work to an open international audience — followed by a live Q&A. Sessions run 60–75 minutes and are free to attend.
This event is part of the Sober Thought series — view all upcoming sessions