ALFP Alumni Publication

“The Community of Asia: Concept or Reality?”

Selected writings by the ALFP Fellows were edited into book form and published in May, 2006. The book consists of five chapters: 1) Rethinking Asia as a Community; 2) Governance, Democracy and Human Rights; 3) Markets, Development and Happiness; 4) Memory, Religion and Culture, and 5) Public Intellectuals in a Changing Asia; and in each chapter the Fellows address the various questions and explorations that have resonated among them over the past ten years. It is hoped that the Fellows’ critical discourse in search of the betterment of Asia, emblematic of the richness of Asia’s intellectual resources, as well represented in the ALFP network, will be disseminated throughout the region and the rest of the world through this publication.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Preface

1 Rethinking Asia as a Community

Introduction by Jong Won Lee
Ali’s Asia, Ka’s Border Goenawan Mohamad
The Quest for Asian Community: Turning Old Battlefields into New Seedbeds? Arnold Azurin
An ‘Asian’ Woman? A Feminist Exploration of the Dynamics of Regional Identity Chandrika Sepali Kottegoda
Proposal to Leave Paradise Marian Pastor Roces
Does Asia Exist? Janadas Devan

2 Governance, Democracy, and Human Rights

Introduction by Urvashi Butalia
The State of Asian Democracies Kiichi Fujiwara
Reform and Counterreform: Democratization and Its Discontents in Post-May 1992 Thai Politics Kasian Tejapira
Democracy, Development, and Participation in India: Some Reflections Mahendra Lama
Academic Freedom and the Globalization of Higher Education Manan A. Wan
Global China Xin Liu
A Decade of Change: NGO Development in Korea (1987-1997) Won-Soon Park
International Assistance for Media Institution Building Samnang Ham

3 Markets, Development, and Happiness

Introduction by Masaaki Ohashi
Happiness and Development: a Bhutanese Perspective Kinley Dorji
Consumption as Happiness Vinod Raina
Reviving Democracy: Treading the Buddhist Asoke Path Laddawan Tantivitayapitak
Learning from a Mystic Mountain Sylvia L. Mayuga
The Impact of Bilateral Free Trade Agreements on the Thai National Health Coverage Scheme Saree Aongsomwang
Children in Domestic Service: A Different Childhood Narrative Van Chinh Nguyen

4 Memory, Religion, and Culture

Introduction by Urvashi Butalia
War, Memory, and the Significant Past Diana Wong
War and Remembrance in East Asia Hideki Kan
Museums as Battleground in Asian Contests over Memory Marian Pastor Roces
‘Dreaming, Hoping, Searching, Struggling: Remembering Kuo Pao Kun Kian-Woon Kwok
Fire in the Chaff: Religions and Inter-Religion Relationships in Indonesian Symbolical and Mediated Society Faruk
A Recipe for Diversity: Cooking Different Varieties of Rice in Asia Yoshiko Nakano

5 Public Intellectualism in Asia

Introduction by Karina A. Bolasco
The Role of Public Intellectuals in a Changing Asia Maznah Mohamad
The Public Intellectual: From Academia to Grassroots Vinod Raina
Public Individuals Xin Liu
Beyond Boundaries: Imagining Impossibilities Ping Huang
Public Journalism and the Public Intellectual David Celdran
Postscript
Index
The Contributors
The Editors

How to order

“The Community of Asia: Concept or Reality?” can be purchased through the ALFP Secretariat.

Price: 1,800 yen (IHJ members can purchase the book at a discounted price of 1,500 yen)

Shipping:
340 yen for 1 copy
450 yen for 2-3 copies
590 yen for 4-5 copies

Inquiries and Reservations

ALFP Secretariat
c/o Program Department
International House of Japan
Tel: 03-3470-3211 Fax: 03-3470-3170
E-mail: alfp@i-house.or.jp