The 2012 Asian Democracy Index Conference

30 August 2012, 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Claro M. Recto Hall, Rizal Hall,

University of the Philippines-Diliman

31 August 2012, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Third World Studies Center, Palma Hall

University of the Philippines-Diliman

The University of the Philippines Third World Studies Center (TWSC) is hosting this year's international conference on the Asian Democracy Index (ADI) on August 30-31, 2012. The ADI is an initiative of the Democracy and Social Movements Institute  (DaSMI), Sungkonghoe University, South Korea, in collaboration with the research institutes comprising the Consortium for the Asian Democracy Index (CADI). Since its formation last year, CADI's member institutes have conducted annual perception surveys of various local specialists on politics, economics, and civil society to examine the state of democratization in their country. Unlike most democracy indices, the ADI does not seek to be a tool for ranking democracies. Instead, it seeks to become a means of looking at how well countries in Asia are fighting threats to unhampered national democratization. This year's ADI conference will focus on the results of the 2011 ADI pilot test as well as the preliminary findings of the 2012 survey. CADI researchers from the Philippines, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India will serve as the main speakers of the conference. Philippine experts on democracy will also attend the conference to give their take on the ADI's theoretical framework and methodology. The conference is open to all; no payment is required for attendance. 

PROGRAM:

DAY 1 (30 August 2012)

Venue: Claro M. Recto Hall, Rizal Hall, University of the Philippines-Diliman

9:00 - 10:00
REGISTRATION

10:00 - 10:10
OPENING REMARKS

J. Prospero E. de Vera III
Vice President for Public Affairs 
University of the Philippines 

10:10 - 10:15
CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

10:15 - 10:35
ADI FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY

Hee Yeon-Cho

Director

Democracy and Social Movements Institute

Sungkonghoe University, South Korea

10:35 - 11:05
SUMMARY OF THE 2011 ADI PILOT TEST FINDINGS

Representatives from the first three member-countries of CADI (Indonesia, the Philippines, and South Korea) will present a summary of the findings of the 2011 pilot test in his/her country.

11:05 - 11:45
REACTIONS

Banajit Hussain

Independent Researcher and Political Analyst

Felipe B. Miranda

Professor Emeritus

Department of Political Science

College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

University of the Philippines-Diliman

11:45 - 12:00
OPEN FORUM

12:00 - 1:00
LUNCH

1:10 - 3:00
PRESENTATION OF THE 2012 ADI SURVEY FINDINGS

A representative/s from each of the four member-countries of CADI (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and South Korea) will give a presentation on the conduct and preliminary findings of the 2012 Asian Democracy Index project.

3:00 - 3:20
COFFEE BREAK

3:20 - 4:05
REACTIONS

Temario C. Rivera

Professor

International Christian University, Japan

Edna Estifania A. Co

Professor and

Dean

National College of Public Administration and Governance

University of the Philippines-Diliman

4:05 - 4:50
OPEN FORUM

4:50 - 5:00
CLOSING REMARKS AND SYNTHESIS

DAY 2 (31 August 2012)

Venue: Third World Studies Center, Lower Ground Floor, Palma Hall, University of the Philippines-Diliman

9:30 - 10:00
REGISTRATION

10:00 - 10:20
OPENING REMARKS AND RECAP OF DAY 1

10:20 - 11:10
DISCUSSION: Democracy in Asia through the ADI Looking-Glass

11:10 - 11:35
REACTION

                                     

Malaya C. Ronas

Professor

Department of Political Science

College of Social Sciences and Philosophy

University of the Philippines-Diliman

11:35 - 11:55
OPEN FORUM

11:55 - 12:00
CLOSING REMARKS AND SYNTHESIS

CADI Presenters/Discussants 


Andrew Aeria 
Associate Professor 
Faculty of Social Sciences 
University of Malaysia, Sarawak 


Dirga Ardiansa 
Data and Publications Division Manager 
Centre for Political Studies 
Faculty of Social and Political Science 
University of Indonesia 


Amrapali Basumataray 
Assistant Professor 
Kirori Mal College 
University of Delhi 


Clarinda Lusterio Berja 
Assistant Professor 
Department of Social Sciences 
College of Arts and Sciences 
University of the Philippines-Manila 


Hyung-Chul Kim 
Research Professor 
Democracy and Social Movements Institute 
Sungkonghoe University, South Korea 


Irwansyah 
Assessment Division Manager 
Center for Political Studies 
Faculty of Social and Political Science 
University of Indonesia 


Tan Seng Keat 
Research Manager 
Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, Malaysia 


Seoungwon Lee 
Research Professor 
Democracy and Social Movements Institute 
Sungkonghoe University, South Korea 


Anton Pradjasto 
Executive Director 
Center for Democracy and Human Rights Indonesia 


Miguel Paolo P. Reyes 
University Research Associate 
Third World Studies Center 
College of Social Sciences and Philosophy 
University of the Philippines-Diliman

CO-SPONSORS:

The Office of the President, University of the Philippines

Social Sciences and Philosophy Research Foundation, 

Sungkonghoe University Academy Industry Cooperation Foundation

For more information, please visit the conference website.

Documentary on Climate Change

A TIDE OF CHANGE: 

VULNERABILITY IN A CHANGING CLIMATE

Please click here for the documentary.

About the video documentary:

"A Tide of Change: Vulnerability in a Changing Climate" is a product of the collaborative efforts of six young individuals from multidisciplinary perspectives from the University of the Philippines-Diliman and the University of Montreal, Canada. The video documentary aims to highlight the increasing vulnerability of people in regions previously unaffected by extreme weather disturbances in the case of Cagayan De Oro (CDO), Northern Mindanao through typhoon Sendong. It features the lives of Sendong victims in different resettlement communities in CDO, six months after Sendong's wake---from the best rehabilitation practices in Xavier Ecoville to the inherent problems in resettlement camps---to build on the pressing need to go beyond the reactionary frame of disaster risk reduction and management to that of preparedness. Otherwise, tent cities could soon become the norm.

About the Student for Development project:

The University of the Philippines Third World Studies Center (TWSC) is one of the partner institutions of the Department of Political Science of the University of Montreal on a Video Documentary Project called Student for Development. The project began last 2011 with four other countries, Brazil, India, Mali, and Senegal implementing an internship program. The Philippine project is unique in piloting the video documentary component of the project. This year, undergraduate political science students from the University of Montreal teamed up with TWSC interns. The project lasted for four months of collaborative work on the video documentary, which will be uploaded to a bilingual blog that can then be used for teaching and awareness-raising by non-governmental and grassroots organizations.

May Tubo ba ang Pagtulong ng UP? What Counts as Public Service in the National University (A Public Forum)

"May Tubo ba ang Pagtulong ng UP? What Counts as Public Service in the National University" is the first forum of the 2012 UP TWSC Public Forum Series, "Ang Tama Ba sa U.P, Tama rin sa Bayan?"

September 5, 2012 (Wednesday), 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon

Pulungang Claro M. Recto (Faculty Center Conference Hall), Rizal Hall, College of Arts and Letters, University of the Philippines-Diliman

Please click here for the playlist of video recordings of the forum.

PROGRAM

9:00 - 9:15

REGISTRATION

9:15 - 9:20
WELCOME REMARKS
Maria Ela L. Atienza, PhD
Director, Third World Studies Center
University of the Philippines-Diliman

9:20 - 9:30
INTRODUCTION OF THE SPEAKERS

9:30 - 9:45
FRANCISCO NEMENZO, PHD
Professor Emeritus and
Former President,
University of the Philippines

9:45 - 10:00
J. PROSPERO E. DE VERA, DPA
Vice-President for Public Affairs
University of the Philippines

10:00 - 10:15
EDGARDO D. GOMEZ, PHD
University Professor Emeritus
Marine Science Institute,
University of the Philippines-Diliman

10:15 - 10:30
NICETO S. POBLADOR, PHD
Retired Professor of Management, UP Mindanao and
formerly Professorial Lecturer, UP School of Economics

10:30 - 11:30
OPEN FORUM

11:30 - 12:00
SYNTHESIS


MODERATOR
Rosalinda Pineda-Ofreneo, PhD
Moderator
Dean, College of Social Work and Community Development
University of the Philippines-Diliman


ABOUT THE FORUM

The present UP System has embodied its role as public service university through the UP Padayon Disaster Response Team, the Green UP program, and special grants for source of solutions, to name a few. The UP Padayon Disaster Response Team, a team of experts from the fields of medicine, public health and sanitation, forensics, and geohazards, was deployed in response to the devastation left by typhoon Sendong in 2011 and was hailed by the UP Newsletter as the university‟s flagship program on volunteerism. Green UP, President Alfredo Pascual's flagship program, has aimed to turn UP into a showcase of environmental projects through public-private partnerships. A special research grant for results-oriented projects and open innovation solutions has also been created to transform UP into a source of solutions to many of the country‟s problems, churning out patents and copyrights. A closer look at these initiatives point to the glaring absence of institutionalized voluntarism, spanning educational assistance, community health and social welfare, advocacy, and research—where students get the opportunities to give flesh and blood to the term Iskolar ng Bayan, according to the UP Pahinungod website. Gone are the days when students, employees and faculty would go to far-flung areas to help in the skills enhancement or when they help preserve the Filipino culture through a local history program. Has UP been sidetracked in its commitment to the service of the nation when it got caught up in public-private partnerships geared towards instant return of investment and definite media exposure, i.e., greening the university and practical, immediate response to natural disasters? The internal logic and allocated resources for the university's engagement with the public must therefore be laid bare before an audience that without hesitation will test the soundness, efficacy, and relevance of said rationale. How much of UP's resources are actually devoted to these public service efforts? What counts as public service? When is it mere photo op and lip service? During the forum, the UP administration will have a chance to reflect on and refine its chosen architecture of intent and for the participants to offer alternative perspectives and directions on UP's role as a public institution, on how the university addresses the delicate interplay of private interest and public concern.

The Occupy Movement and Anarchism: A Public Forum

The Occupy Movement and Anarchism: A Public Forum
Thursday 23 August 2012 10:00 am - 12:00 nn
Third World Studies Center Conference Area
Lower Ground Floor, Palma Hall,
University of the Philippines-Diliman, Quezon City

Please click here for the playlist of the video recordings.

Program

9:45 - 10:00        Registration

10:00 - 10:05      Maria Ela L. Atienza
                           Welcome Remarks
                           Director, UP Third World Studies Center

10:05 - 10:25      Chris De Vera
                           Local Autonomous Network

10:25 - 10:45      Baz Umali
                           Local Autonomous Network

10:45 - 11:05     Jo Mo
                          Occupy Seattle
                          Black Orchid Collective

11:05 - 11:20    Eduardo Tadem, PhD
                         Reactor
                         Professor, UP Asian Center

11:20 - 11:55    Open forum

11:55 - 12:00    Ronald Molmisa
                         Moderator
                         Synthesis
                         Assistant Professor, UP Department of Political Science

                      
Co-organizers

UP Third World Studies Center
Local Autonomous Network


About the forum

The impact and magnitude of the Occupy Movement deserves serious attention and reflection. From Occupy Wall Street in New York to over 600 cities and communities in the United States, Occupy protests have taken place or are still on-going in over 95 cities and across 82 countries in Europe, Asia and Latin America. In many of these Occupy protests, activists employed Anarchist tactics such as general assembly, general strikes, non-violent direct action and property destruction. This forum aims to provide a platform for grounded accounts of Occupy movements in various cities, including Manila. It will trace the Occupy movement’s historical roots and its potential impacts to social and political movements and expound on the theory and practice of Anarchism through the personal accounts of the occupiers themselves. Furthermore, the forum will trace the history of Anarchism in the Philippines by invoking and linking pre-historic social conditions, the 1898 Revolution, punk subculture/counter-culture ethics and practices, and other events with contemporary anti-authoritarian initiatives and campaigns. The forum features speakers from various Occupy protests from the Philippines and across the globe.