===================================== MONASH ASIA INSTITUTE BULLETIN 6/2003 27 May 2003 ===================================== In this bulletin 1. CSEAS Seminars 2. Human Rights in Malaysia and the Internal Security Act 3. Japan Focus Group Networking Luncheon 4. Tenth Annual SEA Women Workshop 5. Visit by Australia's High Commissioner to India and Bhutan 6. Melbourne Indonesia Consortium Conference 7. Security Dialogue 8. MAI - first international conference 9. India Update seminar 10. ACU/SOAS Women's Programme Initiative 11. Website of the month -------------------------------------- Item 1. CSEAS Seminars Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Monash Asia Institute, Monash University Seminar Program, 1st Semester 2003 Centre of Southeast Asian Studies seminars recommence in 2nd Semester 2003 on Thurs 31st July. Unless otherwise indicated, seminars are on Thursdays 11.00 am - 12.30 pm Manton Room SG02, Ground floor, Menzies Building (11) South, Monash University, Clayton campus The seminar program is as follows: ------------------ 11.00am-12.30pm Thursday, 29th May 2003 Place: Manton Room SG02, Menzies Building, Monash University. Topic “Critical chatter: women and social activism in Southeast Asia” Speaker: Dr Sharon Pickering, Lecturer in Criminal Justice & Criminology, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University. ------------------ 11am-12.30pm, Thursday, 5th June 2003 Place: Manton Room SG02, Menzies Building, Monash University. Topic: “Calling the spirit of rice: ceremonial practice among the Tai of Northeast India.” Speaker: Dr Stephen Morey, who will take up a two-year Fellowship at the Research Centre for Linguistic Typology at La Trobe University in mid June 2003. Stephen completed his PhD on “The Tai Languages of Assam” in the Department of Linguistics, Monash University, in 2002. ------------------ Enquiries: Dr Penny Graham (Penny.Graham@Arts.monash.edu.au), Director, Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Monash Asia Institute, Monash University. -------------------------------------- Item 2. Human Rights in Malaysia and the Internal Security Act A public forum with Zaitun Mohamed Kasim At a time when security and sovereignty are dominant themes in public debate, it is important to reflect on the condition of political rights in the Asia-Pacific region. Within this context, this seminar has been organised to discuss Malaysia's Internal Security Act. This legislation allows for detention without trial for up to two years. Amongst a number of activists imprisoned under these laws is Tian Chua, an organiser with the Labour Resource Centre and the Vice President of 'Parti Keadilan Nasional', one of the main opposition parties. Under the ISA, the detention period of Tian Chua and fellow activists should come to an end this June. However, there is a likelihood that their detention will be extended. Speaking on the issue is Zaitun Mohamed Kasim, known as Toni, who has been extensively involved in social activism and human rights issues in both Malaysia and in the region. Toni will be giving this talk on behalf of SUARAM, a leading human rights organisation in Malaysia. All those with an interest in human rights both in Malaysia and across the region are invited to this event. When: Wednesday 4 June 2003 Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Where: Seminar Rooms 1 & 2 Level 7, Storey Hall, 344 Swanston St RMIT This is a free event and the venue is wheel chair accessible. To RSVP or for inquiries, please email: damian.grenfell@rmit.edu.au This seminar is sponsored by: Monash Asia Institute, Monash University The Globalism Institute, RMIT Australia Asia Worker Links -------------------------------------- Item 3. Japan Focus Group Networking Luncheon 12noon - 2pm, Thursday 12 June 2003 Place: Japanese Studies Centre, Building 54, Clayton Campus Topic: "Zen and Japanese Business Culture" Speaker: Professor Takeshi Kikuchi, retired Professor of Marketing and Management at Science University of Tokyo. RSVPs required by Friday 6 June Please call Keiko Kagawa on 9905 2260 of email: japanese.studies.centre@arts.monash.edu.au -------------------------------------- Item 4. Tenth Annual SEA Women Workshop Thursday 10 July 2003 Monash University Clayton campus Sponsored by the Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, Monash Asia Institute The aim of the Workshop is to bring together researchers and others interested in the study of matters relating to Southeast Asian women, in any field, such as politics, geography, literature, the arts, history or health. CALL FOR PAPERS Please send brief offers of papers to: Dr Susan Blackburn, School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University, Victoria 3800. Email: sue.blackburn@arts.monash.edu.au Telephone (03) 9905 2384 The deadline for offers is 20 June 2003. -------------------------------------- Item 5. Visit by Australia's High Commissioner to India and Bhutan Wed 11 June 2003 evening Her Excellency, Ms Penny Wensley, AO, Australia's High Commissioner to India and also High Commissioner to Bhutan, is visiting Monash University to brief the Monash India Focus Group, the Monash Asia Institute and friends about Australia's bilateral relationship with India. For further information kindly contact the Director, of the MAI Professor Marika Vicziany by email: marika.vicziany@adm.monash.edu.au -------------------------------------- Item 6. Melbourne Indonesia Consortium Conference 11 - 12 July 2003 "The Dynamics of Political Islam in Indonesia" The conference will have four panels, with three speakers in each, as follows: Friday 11 July 2003 1. Ideological Spectrum of Indonesian Islam Chair: Arief Budiman Merle Ricklefs: Historical analysis of political Islam. Ulil: Traditionalist Islam (NU) and Liberal Islam. Fatimah Husein: Modernist (Muhamadiyah), and Radical Islam 2. Change and Continuity in Political Islam This panel will discuss NU and Masyumi from the 1950s and the relevance of their contemporary descendent parties, as well as the origins of KISDI and DDII as political organizations. Chair: Harry Aveling Greg Fealy: On Masyumi (Partai Bulan Bintang, Partai Keadilan) Greg Barton: On NU (PKB) Saturday 12 July 2003 3. The Origin and Transformation of Violent Islamic Organizations Chair: Damien Kingsbury Lance Castles: The origins of violent Islam in Indonesia: from Dar'ul Islam? David Wright-Neville: On MMI, Jemaah Islamiyah, Laskar Jundullah. Laskar Jihad, and FPI. Nur Djuli: Islam, national identity and separatism in Aceh. Thamrin Tomagola: Islamic Forces in Maluku and Poso 4. The Future of Cultural and Political Islam in Indonesia Chair: Margaret Kartomi Sue Blackburn: The evolution of women in Indonesia Islam Amrih Widodo: The evolution of Islamic Culture Nurcholish Madjid: Cultural and Political Islam: Which One is More Effective in the Future? Enquiries: Prof Arief Budiman (ariefb@unimelb.edu.au), Chair of the Melbourne Indonesia Consortium (MIC) conference organising committee. -------------------------------------- Item 7. Security Dialogue The Monash Asia Institute will be holding its 3rd Security Dialogue in partnership with the Asia Pacific Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing in early November 2003. The Japan Foundation has announced a grant to the Monash Asia Institute for this event. The names of other sponsors will soon be announced. The dialogue follows on from earlier successful dialogues in late 1998 and early 1999 in Melbourne, Washington and New York. In preparation for the Beijing dialogue, the Monash Asia Institute held two roundtable discussions last year at the Monash Centres in Prato (near Florence) Italy and at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London. These roundtables enabled Monash to build research and other links with EU and British scholars. The dialogue process began in 1998 in reaction to nuclear tests by India and Pakistan. Details about the Beijing dialogue will be announced shortly. Information about the Monash Asia Institute's previous dialogues and roundtables can be found at: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/virtualforum/prato/index.html and the 'archives' link on that webpage. -------------------------------------- Item 8. Special Announcement: Monash Asia Institute's 1st International Conference 9 - 14 February 2003, Taj President Hotel, Mumbai Theme: 'Cultures and Technologies in Asia' Some of the key subjects to be covered are: Accelerated urbanization in Asia, causes and consequences IT solutions for mass poverty The changing nature of work and leisure Internal and international migration in response to socio-economic and environmental pressures Governance and security Human rights The nature and role of the internet in Asia and its consequences The MAI is developing a special website about the conference where you will be able to register your interest in attending and offer conference papers. The URL to be opened shortly will be: http://www.arts.monash.edu.au/mai/ructa/conference/ Further details to be announced on this website. -------------------------------------- Item 9. India Update seminar This year's INDIA UPDATE is scheduled for September 2003 in Melbourne - the focus will be on Indian business. A national committee has been established representing University of Canberra, Curtin University, University of New South Wales and Monash University. Details to be announced shortly. -------------------------------------- Other Monash events ====================================== Item 10. ACU/SOAS Women's Programme Initiative 10 - 15 August 2003 and 8 -13 February 2004 ACU and SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) are working in partnership to offer, in London, a series of international training programmes. Each course will be of one week's duration, and will equip participants to deliver management development programmes for women in their own institutions. The training is aimed at senior academic and administrative staff who not only have a particular interest in the development of women in higher education, but who also have a mandate to deliver management development programmes. For more details: http://www.acu.ac.uk/mdw/ Enquiries: Contact the event organiser at SOAS at the following email address: mdw_conference@soas.ac.uk. -------------------------------------- Item 11. Website of the month Harvard Asia Quarterly www.haqonline.org This is a journal of current affairs affiliated with the Harvard Asia Center. It was established in 1997 by students at the Harvard Law School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences as an interdisciplinary journal of Asian affairs. The journal tries to maintain a broad scope, publishing articles about all regions of Asia. The journal is refereed in the same way as the Harvard Law Journal and as such is regarded as 'peer reviewed'. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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/ or email: monash.asia.institute@adm.monash.edu.au ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------