Ten Years of Democracy in Indonesia (1998-2008)
Nordic Indonesia Studies Network (NISN) inaugural workshop
Indonesia's elections in 2009 will be the third democratic election to take place since the fall of the authoritarian regime of former president Suharto in 1998. At the same time as democracy seems to be taking root, there is an intensified struggle over the accountability and the scope of political power and the distribution of economic and natural resources. The democratisation processes of the past ten years have, by and large, created new opportunities for local communities to exercise influence - formal and informal alike. Issues of governance, identity politics, grassroots mobilisation, citizenship and national belonging are all important aspects of the Indonesian democratisation process.
Aim
The aim of the workshop is to facilitate discussion of research on or relating to Indonesia within the social sciences in the Nordic countries. In the light of the coming 2009 presidential and parliamentary elections in Indonesia this common focus will allow for a variety of social scientific perspectives to contribute to a deeper understanding of Indonesian politics, economy, society and culture after Suharto. We hope that the workshop will function as an inter-disciplinary and cross-regional update for participants.
Invited Speakers and resource persons
- Pujo Semedi, Universitas Gajah Mada (confirmed)
- Ben White, University of Amsterdam (tbc)
- Mason Hoadley, Lund University (confirmed)
- Ann Booth, SOAS (confirmed)
- Olle Törnquist, University of Oslo (confirmed)
- Nils Ole Bubandt, University of Aarhus (confirmed)
The Nordic Indonesia Studies Network (NISN)
The workshop will serve as the inaugural event for a new research network; the Nordic Indonesia Studies Network (NISN). Much scholarly work on Indonesia is carried out in and from the Nordic countries, but few links are drawn between the research groups and institutions across or even within the different Nordic countries. This workshop seeks to remedy this situation by forming a new Nordic Indonesia Studies Network under the auspices of the Nordic Institute of Asian Studies.
Call for Papers
Application for the workshop is to be submitted by 15 April 2009, including an abstract of a maximum of 500 words.
The workshop is open to M.A. students, PhD students and senior researchers with an interest in Indonesia.
The organisers hope to have a small amount available for travel grants for Master's students. Students who wish to apply for travel grants should do so a.s.a.p. but no later than 10 April.