Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Democratization Advocates in Vietnam, 1990s-2014 | A Public Lecture

Details

The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman will be hosting a public lecture, “Democratization Advocates in Vietnam, 1990s–2014” by Dr. Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet on 7 October 2015, 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Seminar Room, Hall of Wisdom, Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Below is the abstract of Dr. Kerkvliet’s lecture:

“Beginning in the mid-1990s, public criticism of the Communist Party government in Vietnam spread to the point that by 2014 it became a prominent feature of the country’s political scene. This presentation emphasizes critics who want to replace, non-violently, the present regime with a democratic political system. Drawing primarily on the writings and actions of Vietnamese critics themselves, the analysis shows that they differ over how to displace the current system. Some regime critics think the Communist Party leadership itself can and should lead the way; others form organizations to openly and directly challenge the regime; still others urge remaking the current system by actively engaging it; and some favor expanding civil society in order to democratize the nation. Underlying the four approaches are different understandings of what democratization entails and its relationship to social and economic development. The presentation ends by contrasting contemporary dissent in Vietnam to political criticism in northern half of the country in the mid 1950s and in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in the 1970s-1980s.”

 Dr. Benedict J. Tria Kerkvliet is Professor Emeritus at the Department of Political and Social Change, School of International, Political and Strategic Studies, Australian National University. His areas of expertise are Government and Politics of the Asia and the Pacific, and Comparative Government and Politics. He earned his B.A. at Whitman College, and his M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin Madison. His research delves into the “interactions between ordinary people and authorities or other elites.” View Dr. Kerkvliet’s profile.

The lecture is organized by the UP Asian center, the UP Third World Studies Center, and the UP Department of Political Science. Seating is first-come, first served, but the organizers would appreciate it if interested participants can send an e-mail expressing their intent to come: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Asian Center offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. The Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website. View recent and upcoming Lectures & Conferences and read other News & Announcements. Join our mailing list.