Seminars & Symposiums

Collapse of the Nation-State System and the Current Situation of Regional Governance

Structural changes in the world economy since the 1970s have encouraged the transfer of capital and labor forces beyond national borders and drastically altered the traditional concepts of economics and the nation-state. These changes have also led to the loss of independence in financial and economic policies in many countries. Interdependence and regulations based on external factors are increasing along with significant declines in the ability of nations to decide for themselves. Heretofore, in terms of international politics, nations with weakened ruling power have been regarded as exceptions. Currently, systems of joint risk management and preventive intervention for the purpose of protecting the benefits of the super powers are being created under the pretext of humanitarian intervention or the war on terrorism. The predatory nature of the powerful, similar to classic imperialism, is once again emerging. These two changes have resulted in the simultaneous increase in internal and external crises for nation-states in various parts of the world.

Traditionally such structural changes are discussed with comparisons between the power center of the world system and peripheral areas; however, current crises are increasingly affecting nations that cannot be considered as belonging on the periphery. Such fluctuations have caused the emergence of chauvinism and nationalism and/or increased suppression of minority groups. Such reactions are sure to lead to diversified and serious problems in the future.

In this workshop, using cases from around the world, we'd like to critically examine collapsed states and confirm to what degree nation-states are losing their power to control their direction in the current environment.

Program

• Report 1: "Globalization and the Collapse of Nation-States" by SAHARA Tetsuya, School of Political Science and Economics, Meiji University

• Report 2: "Challenges for New Safety Assurances in ASEAN" by MORIMOTO Akifumi, School of Commerce, Meiji University

• Report 3: Topic pending by KONDO Mitsuhiro, Faculty of Humanities,  Japan Women's University
  

• Report 4: "The Forgotten War in Mindanao -- the Muslim Separatism in the Southern Philippines" by TOKORO Ikuya, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

• TOSA Hiroyuki, Graduate School of International Cooperation Studies, Kobe University
• SAKIYAMA Masaki, College of Letters, Ritsumeikan University
• M.C.: FURUYA Daisuke, Research Institute for World Languages, Osaka University

There is no participation fee.

Venue: Conference Room #701, Senri Life Science Center

Date:

2010-2-20 (Sat) 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Sponsored:

Linga-Culture Contextual Studies in Ethnic Conflicts of the World Project, Research Institute for World Languages

Registration:

Not necessary.

URL:

http://www.world-lang.osaka-u.ac.jp/user/liccosec/about/activities/flyer100220.pdf

Contact:

Linga-Culture Contextual Studies in Ethnic Conflicts of the World Project Office

liccosec@world-lang.osaka-u.ac.jp