===================================== MONASH ASIA INSTITUTE BULLETIN 8/2004 4 August 2004 ===================================== In this bulletin 1. CSEAS Seminars 2. Seminar: Aid and Terrorism 3. RMIT & MAI Singapore Studies Symposium 4. Asia Foreign Policy Update Luncheon 5. Hindu Fundamentalism Workshop 6. Seminar: Globalisation and Labour Mobility in South Asia 7. Transcript and Audio file of 2004 Herb Feith Lecture 8. UNAA-DFAT Seminar 9. Conference: Empire, Media and Political Regimes in Asia 10. Website of the month: ---------------------------------------------------- Item 1. CSEAS Seminars Seminars are held on Thursdays 11.00am Room SG02 Manton Rooms, Monash University Clayton Campus 5 August 2004 "Asean: Problems and Prospects" Speaker: Mr David M. Jones --- 12 August 2004 "Towards a Fundamentalist Islamic State? Aceh's New Syariah Codes" Speaker: Assoc Prof Tim Lindsey, University of Melbourne (t.lindsey@unimelb.edu.au) --- 19 August 2004 “Shattering Silence: Karen Women Speak Out about the Burmese Military Junta Mistreatment of Women in the Karen State” Speaker: Ms Naw Zipporah, General Secretary, Karen Women's Organisation --- 26th August 2004 "Media Coverage of the Vietnam War in the English Press in Singapore and Malaysia" Speaker: Mr Peter O’Toole (o_toolepeter@hotmail.com) --- ALL WELCOME Enquiries for all CSEAS Seminars: Dr Robert Rice Website: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/cseas/cseasseminar04.html#sem2 ---------------------------------------------------- Item 2. Seminar: Aid and Terrorism Monash Asia Institute and Global Terrorism Research Unit, Monash University Friday 6 August 2004, 1.15 pm Room W204, Level 2, West Wing, Menzies Building (11) Monash University Clayton campus "US Aid and the war on terror" Mr Larry Nowels Specialist in Foreign Affairs U.S. Congressional Research Service, Washington D.C. Aid and the war on terrorism - Over the past two years, there has been a significant shift in emphasis to increase and provide assistance to fight global terrorism. Congress has approved about $17 billion in additional aid to "front-line" states in the war on terrorism since the attacks of September 11. These "front-line" states range from Pakistan, to Central Asia and the Middle East, to the Philippines, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti. Discussion would focus on how this has changed the shape of U.S. foreign aid, concerns about human rights and democratic reforms in some "front-line" nations, and whether some of the Cold War features of US aid policy have re-emerged since 9/11. About the speaker Larry Nowels is a Specialist in Foreign Affairs at the Congressional Research Service. During his nearly 30-year career at CRS, he has written extensively on U.S. foreign assistance policy making, including the congressional role in legislating and overseeing American foreign aid programs. He has also specialized in international affairs budget issues, both from a historical and current perspective. Much of his recent work has focused on the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) debt initiative, the President's Global AIDS Initiative, and the new U.S. foreign aid program, the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). Mr. Nowels further served on detail assignments to the House Budget Committee and the House Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of Redlands, during which time he also attended the University of Salamanca in Spain. His graduate work was done at the American University and the National War College. The Monash Asia Institute would like to acknowledge with gratitude the role of United States Embassy that has brought Mr Nowels to Australia for this visit and a number of briefings. Seminar is open to the public - free - RSVP essential Enquiries and RSVP(essential): Prof Marika Vicziany, Director, Monash Asia Institute ---------------------------------------------------- Item 3. RMIT & MAI Singapore Studies Symposium Monday 9 August 2004, 10.00 am - 2.00 pm Conference Centre Lounge State Library of Victoria Conference Centre Entry 3, La Trobe Street "Celebrating Singapore: Identity, Ethnicity, Nationalism and Civil Society" On August 9 2004, the Republic of Singapore will celebrate its 39th year of independence. In Singapore, the month long 'Celebrate Singapore' will culminate in the National Day Parade. In Melbourne, Singapore Studies researchers will ask, what are the challenges of nation-building in a multi-ethnic and increasingly multifaceted society? Has the project of building a national identity been successful? Do identities such as ethnic communities, women and sexual minorities and their voices as civil society actors have a place in modern Singapore? What are the tensions facing a globalised city-state such as Singapore as the middle-class finds itself in a financially challenged position? What impact on society will new migrants have as they enter the city-state even as more citizens leave the country for places like Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States? RMIT, School of Applied Communication (Asian Media and Culture) and the Monash Asia Institute will co-host a Singapore Studies Symposium to commemorate and celebrate Singapore's 39th birthday and to discuss and debate issues facing contemporary Singapore. This symposium aims to bring together researchers working on Singapore related topics to share expertise and facilitate networking. Symposium Advisor: Prof Marika Vicziany (MAI) marika.vicziany@adm.monash.edu.au Symposium Convenor: Ms Chris Hudson, (RMIT University) Chris.Hudson@ems.rmit.edu.au Symposium Co-ordinators: Mr. James Gomez (MAI) jgom3@student.monash.edu.au and Mr. Terry Johal (RMIT University) terry.johal@rmit.edu.au ------------------------------------------- Item 4. Asia Foreign Policy Update Luncheon The Chairman and Directors of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre and the Director of the Monash Asia Institute, Monash University invite you to an Asia Foreign Policy Update Luncheon with guest speaker The Hon Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan Parliamentarian and Senior Advocate Supreme Court of Pakistan "Pakistan today and its implications for regional and global security" Friday, 13 August 2004, 12.15 p.m. for 12.30 p.m. The Alto Room, Sheraton Towers Southgate One Southgate Avenue, Southbank Pakistan post 9/11 has emerged as the fulcrum of regional and global security. Sitting astride the crossroads that bridge Afghanistan, India, south western China and the new Islamic republics of the post Cold War era, little is known about how Pakistan is faring in the complex political and economic scenarios that have emerged. The Hon Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan will discuss the domestic political, economic and security situation in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its implications for regional and global security. The Hon Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan is one of Pakistan's most prominent parliamentarians, Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, an outspoken promoter of civil society and constitutional reform and recently contributed to the debate in the Pakistan parliament on the new National Security Council Act passed by the Pakistan parliament in April this year. Barrister Ahsan has served as a long standing parliamentarian in the Pakistan National Assembly (Lahore seat), member of the Central Committee of the Pakistan Peoples' Party, legal advisor to Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Shariff, between 1988-1993 as federal Minister for Law and Justice, Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control and Minister for Education. He is widely regarded as the most articulate and forward looking parliamentarian in Pakistan. His intellectual engagement with the predicaments of modern Pakistan are reflected in his challenging book Indus Saga and the Making of Pakistan (1997). At the end of his presentation, Mr Ahsan will comment on and launch a recently published book by Monash university specialists on security: Marika Vicziany, David Wright-Neville and Pete Lentini (eds.), Regional Security in the Asia Pacific: 9/11 and after (Edward Elgar, 2004, ISBN 1843764377). The organizers of this event thank the School of Politics, University of Western Australia, for their support. More details: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/events.html#pakistan Enquiries and Registration (essential) by Monday, 9 August 2004: Asia Society AustralAsia Centre, PO Box 18133 Collins Street East, Melbourne, VIC 8003 Tel: (03) 9650 0998 Email: naomis@asiasoc.org.au Costs: $77.00 (Asia Society members) $88.00 (Non members) ------------------------------------------- Item 5. Hindu Fundamentalism Workshop Monday 16 August 2004, 12.15 pm for 1.00 pm Room S822, Monash Asia Institute, Level 8 South, Menzies Building (11) Monash University Clayton campus Hindu Fundamentalism Workshop Speaker: Professor Lord Meghnad Desai, London School of Economics This workshop aims to bring together senior and junior scholars to share ideas and research work and also to consider a new book on the Indian elections of 2004 and the relationship between secularism and communalism. Lord Desai as written on the elections and these related issues. Seminar is open to the public - free - RSVP essential Enquiries and RSVP(essential): Prof Marika Vicziany, Director, Monash Asia Institute marika.vicziany@adm.monash.edu.au ------------------------------------------- Item 6. Seminar on Globalisation and Labour Mobility Wednesday 18 August 2004, 4.00 - 6.00 pm (followed by light refreshments) Room B2.18 Monash University, Caulfield Campus “Globalisation and Labour Mobility in South Asia” Lord Meghnad Desai, Professor of Economics London School of Economics This seminar is organised by the Department of Economics in association with the Monash Institute for the Study of Global Movements Like any process of changes, globalization creates winners and losers. The wealth-augmenting potential of extending markets beyond narrow national frontiers has long been recognised and invoked in support of continuing progress of globalization. At the same time, it is important to recognise the costs of such change in terms of economic and social dislocation that globalization entails. The policy challenge is to develop safety nets to protect those who lose from globalisation without destroying the incentives for reaping the gains. In this seminar, one of the leading thinkers on South Asia will examine the challenges and opportunities currently confronting South Asia focusing on the effects of globalization on labour markets, income inequality and social protection. Enquiries: Ms Fang-fah Lam, Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University ------------------------------------------- Item 7. Transcript and Audio file of 2004 Herb Feith On 28 June 2004, Professor Wang Gungwu, Director, East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore, presented the 2004 Herb Feith Lecture in Melbourne. The topic of his speech was “Divisive Modernity: Thoughts on Southeast Asian History” The transcripts and audio files of the 2004 lecture are now available at the following website: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/cseas/hfeith04.html The Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Monash University, would like to thank Professor Wang Gungwu, Monash University Lecture Online and the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) for their assistance in making the transcripts and audio files available. =============================================================== Other items of interest =============================================================== Item 8. UNAA-DFAT Seminar Seminar hosted by the United Nations Association of Australia in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade "The United Nations: responding to threats, challenges and change" Thursday 12 August 2004, 6.00 pm Yarra Room, Melbourne Town Hall, Cnr Swanston & Collins Streets, Melbourne Speaker: Ms Catherine Bertini United Nations Under-Secretary General for Management& Security Co-ordinator a.i. Ms Bertini is responsible for administering the United Nations' human, financial and physical resources and is charged with implementation of the Secretary-General's management reform initiatives. Ms Bertini is the UN's acting Security Co-ordinator. Ms Bertini served for ten years as Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, the world's largest international humanitarian agency and is credited with assisting hundreds of millions of victims of wars and natural disasters throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Cost: $22.00 per person RSVP (by 10 August 2004) to: UNAA Victoria PO Box 1112 NORTH FITZROY VIC 3068 Tel: (03) 9482 3655 Email: unaa.vic@bigpond.com ------------------------------------- Item 9. Conference "Empire, Media and Political Regimes in Asia" 26 - 27 August, 2004 Asia Research Centre, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia Some analysts see US foreign policy and its media conglomerates as contributing towards free information flows and political pluralism in Asia. Others have pointed to the overt and covert alliances between entrenched and powerful interests in the US and the region that are frustrating these objectives. The new emphasis on security since September 11 only renders this debate more urgent. Whether alternative political spaces and independent media will be enhanced or stymied is now fundamental to political regimes in the region. This conference asks: "What is the significance of the 'war on terror' for the operations of the media in Asia? Which interests or groups within particular Asian nation states have sought to utilise this new context to advance their preferred model of media institutions and how? "What, if any, are the implications of increased neo-conservative directions in US foreign policy for media liberalisation in Asia? "What emerging trends in global and local media are fortifying, transforming or challenging current political regimes in Asia? "Is there a new imperialism shaping media and politics in Asia? Participants Include: Associate Professor Edward A. Comor (University of Western Ontario) Dr Daya Thussu (University of London) Dr Yingchi Chu (Murdoch University) Dr Cherian George (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) Professor Chin-Chuan Lee (City University of Hong Kong ) Associate Professor Zaharom Nain (Universiti Sains, Malaysia) Alecks Pabico (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism) Professor Mark Selden (Binghamton and Cornell Universities) Dr Wanning Sun (Curtin University) Convenors are: Professor Krishna Sen (Curtin University of Technology) K.Sen@curtin.edu.au Terence Lee (Murdoch University) T.Lee@murdoch.edu.au Venue: Senate Suite, Murdoch University Registration is essential. A charge of $20 / $10 students will apply. Enquiries: email Tamara Dent: T.Dent@murdoch.edu.au or phone: (618) 9360 2263 For further information see http://wwwarc.murdoch.edu.au Asia Research Centre ---------------------------------------------------- Item 10. Website of the month: Understanding Australia http://www.abc.net.au/ra/australia/hd/default.htm Understanding Australia is a joint project of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Monash University. It is produced by Radio Australia with the assistance of Monash University's National Centre for Australian Studies , ABC Asia Pacific and ABC New Media. Hindi version: http://www.abc.net.au/ra/australia/hd/default.htm This version of Understanding Australia, in Hindi, developed with the assistance of the Australia-India Council, Dr Peter Friedlander of Latrobe University and the Indira Ghandi National Open University (IGNOU), is the first of a number of sites in different languages which will help answer the questions visitors most often ask. It contains information on how Australians live, work and spend their leisure; how they view their institutions and civic responsibilities; and how they see their place in the world. The Frequently-Asked Questions page answers queries about everything from public transport to party-going. ======================================================================== The Monash Asia Institute Newsletter incorporates news items from the six research centres of the Monash Asia Institute, partner organisations and other groups working to promote Asian Studies in Australia. For further information about the Monash Asia Institute and this newsletter: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/ To unsubscribe, please send an email to: monash.asia.institute@adm.monash.edu.au ========================================================================