Category: News and Events

The Moral Economy of Protest in East Asia
December 2nd, 2017
Washington, D.C.

Anru Lee (panel chair)

Dulam Bumochir (presenter)

Presentations:

• 2:00 PM – 2:15 PM

  A Destabilizing Stability: The Cultural Politics of Protest and Control in Hong Kong
• 2:15 PM – 2:30 PM

  Herders’ Protests: Pasture, National Identity and State in Mongolia and China
• 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM

  The limits to morality: Petitioner politics in Northeast China’s rustbelt
• 2:45 PM – 3:00 PM

  The Moral Economy of Language Protests in Tibet
• 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM

  Martyrs, Sacrifice, and the Gifts of Faith: The Moral Economy of Muslim ‘Rebellion’ in China
• 3:15 PM – 3:30 PM

  Discussion

For more information, please visit: https://www.eventscribe.net/2017/aaa/fsPopup.asp?Mode=sessioninfo&PresentationID=311221

National University of Singapore newsletter (November, 2017) featuring interview with editor Akihiro Ogawa on the Routledge Handbook of Civil Society in Asia.

Excerpt:

For the man-in-the-street, what is important about scholarship on civil society in Asia?

Civil society is an arena where grassroots people have access to public affairs. If we understand how civil society functions in our society, we will also understand whether citizens have access to politics; to shape governance. Actually this was my starting point for studying civil society almost two decades ago.

Since then, as a scholar, I have been arguing that civil society needs to be re-conceptualised from its Eurocentric origins as the idea often refers to a particular set of relationships between the state and individuals in the West. We know that each society moulds its own version of civil society, reflecting social relationships arising out of specific experiences.

The number of studies on civil society in Asia lags behind the abundant studies on the interconnections between economic and political spheres in the region, which provide evidence of deepening ties and interdependencies within Asia over recent decades. I believe the authors of the Handbook provide a good start for all of us to understand civil society in Asia….

To read the interview, please visit: http://lkyspp2.nus.edu.sg/ips/news/launch-of-the-routledge-handbook-of-civil-society-in-asia-an-interview-with-akihiro-ogawa

Routledge Handbook of Civil Society in Asia published in late September 2017

See Routledge announcement: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Handbook-of-Civil-Society-in-Asia/Ogawa/p/book/9781138655959?platform=hootsuite

Other Announcements:
Harvard University Program on US-Japan Program Twitter:
https://twitter.com/HarvardUSJapan/status/892768541136613376
SSRC twitter:
https://twitter.com/AbeFellowship/status/925154000340529153

Civil Society in Myanmar’s New Democracy

Recent years have witnessed remarkable changes for civil society in Myanmar – from the level of openness in which to operate, to the sector’s role within society, its interaction with policy makers, and its sophistication. Some aspects may be getting easier, some more difficult; and some observe that the operating environment is improving while others raise concern that it is backsliding. But one thing is for certain: that the role, and expectations for and by civil society, are changing.

This conference is an opportunity for civil society leaders, government representatives, academics, donors, and other interested stakeholders to pose and examine the biggest questions concerning civil society in Myanmar to further our thinking on how to participate in and contribute to the sector’s role in Myanmar’s ongoing democratic and economic transition.

The Institute for Political and Civic Engagement (iPACE) is an educational resource for Myanmar’s emerging democratic leaders to develop and increase their knowledge and practical application of fundamental democratic principles while promoting civic engagement to foster more representative and accountable governance. Since its founding in 2012, iPACE has trained over 2,200 participants from 800 civil society organizations and 39 political parties throughout the country. iPACE is made possible through a generous grant from the United States Embassy, Burma and is a program of World Learning.

Gretchen Kunze: presenter; Country Representative and iPACE Director, World Learning Myanmar

For more information about the 2017 Civil Society in Myanmar conference, please visit one of the following links:

Civil Society in Myanmar Conference Agenda (002)

Press Release iPACE conference report

Civil Society Report

Democratic Governance in the Vortex of Change

Akihiro Ogawa, panel chair: Civil Society in Asia

Conference presenters:
Jorge Tingo (on the Philippines)
Gillian Koh (on Singapore)
Udan Fernando (on Sri Lanka)
Daniel Kramer (on Migration)

Excerpt from conference description:

Democracy is not meant to be just on paper. It springs to life through the rigors of practice. Democracy deepens through strong institutions of transparent and participatory governance that hold public officials accountable. It thrives on a culture of tolerance, diversity, and plurality of voices. Amid the rise of populism, the rules of the game are evolving. The theory and practice of democratic governance is now the subject of contestation in a society caught in the vortex of change.

For more information, please visit:
Conference Site
2017 Conference CHED Endorsement