three big questions - KHU- TKU Asia2060 Conference

Ashish Kothari

1. What are the implications for China and India’s emerging status as economic ‘superpowers’, both in Asia and globally? What will this mean for regional solidarity or friction, and for the environment? Will these two countries behave more responsibly than previous and current superpowers, will they be stewards and leaders towards ecological sustainability and peace, or will they continue their initial steps towards being the new colonizers?

 

2. Asia’s history and traditions have elements and lessons that could help resolve the problems that the continent, and humanity in general, is facing, but will it utilize these or forget them in the mad rush towards material and technological growth? Can Asian peoples achieve a combination of wisdom and knowledge from traditional and modern systems, to move towards a saner future?

 

3. As the idea of bioregional or ecoregional governance gains ground, will the Asian nation-state become less important, its political boundaries becoming figuratively or literally dissolved and replaced by new ones comprising of ecologically defined ones? Will Asia be internally reconfigured to match more closely the boundaries of major ecological features and/or self-defined peoples, or will it become even more focused on the politically defined nation-states?

 

Dada Shambhushivananda

1. Moral dilemmas of the future in light of the historical tapestry of Chinese and Indian philosophy- the two civilizations that have lasted for thousands of years. It could be interesting to explore how these civilizations may unfold and face the challenges facing the planet. So, our first task would be to define the possible moral dilemmas & ethical imperatives of the future and then to see what is there in the Oriental philosophies of the past and the present that could aid the sketching of the future.

 

2. What alternative economic and political futures are possible inAsia in light of belief systems prevailing in Asia? Is "Asian renaissance" a possibility? What could hold Asia back ? What could be the building blocks of an Asia-led global renaissance? What are the Asian notions of world leadership ? How could scientific & technological innovations map the Asian future?

 

3. Oceans, space & bio-sphere are not the paternal property of any single nation or group. The exploration of the hidden wealth of oceans and space raises the same eternal questions of  property rights and responsibilities. Are the resolutions of United Nation sin these areas enough to charter a new chapter of east-west/north-south partnership towards building a free and just world?

 

Dato Dzulkifli

1. As Asia pushes forward into the future, how much of the current global construct could it (re-)shape to make it a more just and fair? In the previous centuries many global agenda were pursued by the industrialised countries of the Global North that invariably put their interest ahead of rest, including Asia, and perpetuating an uneven playing field. Can Asia provide a more equitable leadership?

 

2. Unlike the Western hemisphere, its Eastern counterpart has somehow been fragmented into at least “Near”, “Middle” and “Far” East that ultimately make up much of Asia. To what extend can Asia iron out the apparent differences and become a truly unified global force of the future? Asia and its rich historical, cultural and civilisational experiences can go a long way to celebrate diversity as a major platform towards a globalised world.

 

3. Given that the Confucian, Vedic and Islamic ethics are generally pervasive throughout Asia; how far can they collectively redefined the current global ethics that evolved out during the days of the Renaissance of Western Europe? Today’s global ethics which are failing as indicated by the various global crises extending the ecology, economics and also geo-politics may therefore need to be urgently revisited.

 

Julie Matthew

All questions premised on the assertion that the biggest threat to the future of life on earth is climate change, peak oil etc and the unsustainability of current social, economic and political systems and the role education might play in achieving these ends.

 

1. Alternative visions and models. What is distinctively Asian about Asia? Under globalizing industrial capitalism where can we find distinctive Asian approaches to economy, governance and sustainability? There is a dire need to identify new directions, visions and ways of living sustainably, where can we find approaches that are specifically Asian, and how do they offer distinct economic and political alternatives to what we already have? What role might education play in this task?

         

2. Trust A fundamental problem as Copenhagen demonstrated is a lack of trust between nation-states. In particular different understandings of what is fair. Colonialism established extractive trade relations between Europe and Asian and within Asia itself. These relations enabled the industrial development of the West and uneven development of the Asia. Can an Asian Union make for different economic and political relations? Is trust as significant issue for Asia as for the rest of the world. What role should education play in promoting understanding of historical conditions precursors to distrust?

 

3. Leadership. Many Asian nations are major carbon dioxide emitters. In fact Taiwan produces 1 percent of total global emission output and ranks higher than Japan, South Korea and many western countries in terms of per captia output. Even though Taiwan is not allowed to participate in international climate change organizations/accords such as UNFCCC or Kyoto it has reorientated its climate policy to voluntarily abide by international agreements. Do international accords and policy offer Asia the chance to reposition itself in the international community - either in terms of international leadership or through the creation of intra- Asian links operating through climate friendly industries and markets, including that of international education?

 

K. V. Kesavan

      In the post cold-war period, the focus of world attention has shifted to Asia which has emerged as the main centre of dynamic economic and technological growth. The dramatic rise of Japan as an economic super power was followed by the impressive strides made by the Asian tigers. The growth trajectories of China and India, if their current tempo is maintained, will add new dimensions to the the emerging economic and security architecture of Asia. For the first time in history, Asia witnesses the presence of three economic powers simultaneously seeking to play key roles in the continent. When one examines the current situation, it would be very difficult to miss certain glaringly contradictory trends. There are strong movements towards economic integration as clearly reflected in the conclusion of many Free Trade / Economic Partnership Agreements. These trends towards closer interdependence will doubtless gather greater momentum in the coming years since there is an increasing interest among Asian countries to build an Asian community. But Asia is also home to diverse problems including those connected with territories, terrorism, ethnic and religious fundamentalism, nuclear proliferation, maritime security, and fierce competition for energy. In my opinion, Asia will face the following three most serious challenges in the coming decades:

 

1. The first serious challenge is that the continent should remain free from the threat of hegemony by any single country. In an effort to promote multipolarity, efforts to build an Asian community are on, but there are serious differences among the key players such as China, Japan and the ASEAN countries. China’s objections to the broadening of the East Asian Summit mechanism have aroused their suspicions about Beijing’s long-term strategies particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. 

 

2. Energy security will pose a major challenge to Asian countries which predominantly depend on external sources of energy for their sustenance. The world will witness an unprecedented rise in energy demands from Asia thanks to the rapidly expanding economies of China, India, Korea and the ASEAN. Energy security can be ensured only if key Asian countries agree on cooperative efforts to ensure stable flow of energy sources at reasonable prices. But so far, they have not been able to formulate any collective strategy on matters like oil pricing, energy conservation, stockpiling, oil exploration, civilian nuclear energy, use of renewable energy sources, etc. On the contrary, competition for energy seems to be intensifying in the continent. Since energy is directly linked to their economic development, it is high time for them to formulate long-term strategies for the maximum utilization of the available energy sources in a cooperative perspective.

 

3. The rise of narrow nationalism coupled with the baggage of history will be another major challenge before Asia. It has been continuously seen how relations between many Asian countries- Japan and China, Japan and Korea, China and India, and India and Pakistan have been weighed down by the lingering memories of past history. They need to come to terms with history in order to ensure their smooth economic progress. Similarly, unbridled nationalism could heighten tensions between countries. We have seen this phenomenon in Sino-Japanese relations in recent times.

 

Major General Muniruzzaman

1. The pace Asian regionalism is much slower than it's economic pace. The course of regionalism is also fragmented in some form making the path of pan Asian unity more difficult to achieve in the short to medium term. Will this stand in the way of rise of Asia and if so what can be done to integrate the continent into a cohesive geographical entity.

 

2. The strategic landscape in Asia is unstable and at time volatile. Much remains to be seen and done in the course of redesigning the role and influence of the major powers. The environment of cooperation or competition in the strategic space will have significant influence on how it shapes it's future political and economic landscape. What will be the path of a sustainable strategic shift that will be conducive to a stable future for Asia.

 

3. The extreme economic divides in Asia both internally in nation states and as a region is a worrying pattern. The massive marginalization of segments of societies is becoming even more glaring as some amass huge wealth. Even with impressive national growth in many countries in Asia the number of poor and ultra-poor continue to rise (ie India has grown at an impressive pace for the past year and yet more than 45% Indians continue to live below the poverty line). Can this imbalanced growth trajectory continue or collapse under social disorder? What can nations do to correct this gross inequality?

 

Ravinder Sidhu

1. Social and gender justice. Gandhi observed that poverty is the worst form of violence. This is not a new cause but one that seems to confound and elude states and societies - how to create opportunities and remove barriers for their most marginalised populations. Gender inequities continue to impinge on the abilities of girls and women to realise their rights to live their lives in dignity and to achieve their potential as citizens.

2. How to build a culture of wisdom and altruism in higher education?

3. The need to establish a political economy of hope without resorting to ethnonationalism, militarism and nucleurization.

 

Sreeram Chaulia

1. As Asian powerhouses are projected to become drivers of global economic growth in the next half century, the energy intensity of their modernisation becomes a central concern for the whole world. Will China, India and fast growing economies of Southeast Asia pollute their way to the status of ‘developed’ economies or is there an alternative model for national and regional rise in wealth and power that is not destructive of the environment? Allied to this problem is the specific issue of different models of industrialisation and service-driven growth, which have different carbon footprints. Also crucial here is the question of popular mobilisation in Asia for ‘green politics’ on the lines of Green Parties, which have done exceedingly well in shifting the discourse on climate change in continental Europe.

 

2. Is it conceivable that the loosely spread out geographical landmass called ‘Asia’ develops a continental identity which breaks down the regionalisation so prevalent in today’s parlance (East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia & West Asia)? In the 19^th century, Kakuzo Okakura of Japan, Rabindranath Tagore of India, and Sun Yat-Sen of China championed a pan-Asianism that never fructified. Notions that Asians are somehow more spiritual and other-worldly, as well as authority-loving rather than individualistic (‘Asian Values’), have circulated from time to time but  fell by the wayside to nationalistic antagonisms and materialistic ideologies like communism and capitalism. Will Asia remain a geographical monstrosity in the coming half century or will accelerated adoption of capitalism generate a common-market based identity?

 

3. Can Asian states ever arrive at a collective security-like arrangement that can manage intra-Asian conflicts and prevent recurrent cycles of warfare and territorial disputes? Will it take a major Asian war for a ‘Concert of Europe’ (post-Napoleonic Wars)-like security architecture to emerge? With three major powers (China, Japan and India) coexisting uneasily in Asia, and a fourth one likely to emerge if the two Koreas reunite, will Asia become a fiercely competitive terrain in which states ally with others to contain more powerful rivals? Is intense balance of power politics with possible Cold War-like division of Asia into two camps a likelihood? What kind of accommodative international structures need to be constructed to prevent this disastrous outcome?

 

Shin-Eui Park

1. “I’m a Vietnamese American – Colored Woman – Feminist… (Trinh T. Minh-ha, Filmmaker, Post-colonial theorist, Prof., University of California at Berkeley)

“I’m a Korean resident in Japan – Nationality is South Korea – educated in a Joseon School (National education under the influence of North Korea) – a member of National Football Team of North Korea – Plays for VfL Bochum of Germany 's Bundesliga… (Jong Tae-Se, Football Player)

“I’m a Burmese – Representative of The Migrant Workers Television (MWTV)) in Seoul – Secretary of ‘Burma Action’ in Korea – Vocalist & Guitarist of Stop Crackdown, a Migrant Workers Band in Korea… (Soe Moe Thu, Worker)

 

Globalization, Diaspora, Transnational Phenomena, Multiple Self-Identity, Identity by ‘Location’, Transborder or Transitional Existence, the Question of Identity by asking “Where am I?” rather than “Who am I?”, “What historical, social conflicts surround me?”, “Is it possible to talk about Asian Identities?”, “How are Asian Values presented?”

 

2. In a certain sense, globalization makes it easier for Asian people to share experiences and understanding of cultural differences and diversity, and suggests the possibility of solidarity. In fact, local networks among Asian countries became a frequent phenomenon, due to the decline of nation-state and nationalism. And also this condition can provide a dynamic and plural context in thinking about cultural identity. In particular, ‘Pan-Asianism movement’ is going on a new level through the mass culture, for example with ‘Han (Korean) Wave’ or ‘Il (Japan) Wave’. Dance music brings together Asian youth, and also trendy dramas and pop stars seem to facilitate Asian cultural cohesion. However, can it be enough to represent new Asian cultural identity? Even though it can be said in a discourse of politically neutral cultural exchange, in reality it functioned as an instrument to expand culture market by the notion of a 'cultural dominant'. So how can we be freed from cultural imperialism regenerated by multi-national cultural capitalism? And also how can we develop the autonomy and diversity in the cultural territory, fostered by globalization?

 

3. Culture becomes an object of exchange, naturally, in the globalizing process. The unilateral and ruling relationship between 'colonialism vs. post-colonial' and 'core nation vs. periphery nation' declines, and instead what appears is the interpretation of the variety of lives that people lead. However, what is the true meaning of ‘exchange’?

 

Let's bring up the issue of cultural exchange as 'transversality’ or transversing. Above all things, this concept is rooted in different context from that of the cultural exchange mediated by the concept of 'dominance' and neutrality. While taking full advantages of cultural potential that follows the shifting transnational boundaries of globalization, it is necessary, at the same time, to practice the twofold task overcoming the globalized neo-liberal system. Cultural exchange as ‘transversality’ or transversing can involve not only cultural difference but also the coexistence of cultural imbalance and even cultural contradiction. That's why the phenomena of cultural exchange are multilayered and cannot be explained by one single reason.

 

’Amusing Culture Clash’, ’Difference without Conflict’, ‘Creative Difference Subsisting in/between Plurality’; Could we suggest some of these ‘politics of difference’ for the reflection on Cultural Identity and Asian Values in the future?

 

Talal Al-Balushi

1. In the face of high uncertainty in the extent of the impact and likely multi-dimensional consequences associated with climate change, the concept of green growth becomes all the more important. The concept of green growth has long been discussed in relation to general economic growth and decoupling environmental damage from economic activity. How is the balance achieved between having a successful industrial economy while keeping green growth sustained in Asia?

 

2. Water connects us in the most fundamental way. We cannot survive without it. Moreover, water is intrinsically linked to the most immediate challenges we face today, including food security, health, climate change, economic growth, and poverty alleviation. Water problems in Asia today are severe—one out of five people (700 million) does not have access to safe drinking water and half of the region’s population (1.8 billion people) lacks access to basic sanitation. As population growth and urbanization rates in Asia rise rapidly, stress on the region’s water resources is intensifying. How will Asian government’s coupe and share these issues together?

 

3. The role of healthcare as an important part of the economic infrastructure and is often overlooked. Almost every industrialized country has undertaken some approaches to healthcare reform; few Asian countries have tackled the fundamental economic questions about healthcare, the healthcare workforce, and healthcare investment. This issue needs to be contextualized to the other societal investments that need to be made in education, sustainability and infrastructure. We are dealing with a world that is older, sicker and fatter than it has ever been; and, at the same time, determining the “right” amount of healthcare spend as a percentage of GDP, we have some pretty substantial challenges to address. Therefore, what are the best path forward and the best alternative available?

 

Vahid V. Motlagh

1. Is the GDP growth mentality a sure path toward a desirable future for Asia? Will the future Asians be able to remove the constraint and biases of the shining past and struggling present to open up new worldviews and horizons? Can the East imitate the West and its indicators of development and progress to eventually take over the position of leaders from the West and dominate the new millennium? What could be the relevant metaphors? What are the most underlying and implicit assumptions that we tend to make with regard to the current and future West vs. East dichotomy.

 

2. Will the Eastern languages and cultures be able to nourish and support the emergence of a new kind of intelligence infrastructure and interface system and realize a paradigm shift with regard to the future developments of science and technology? What could be the form and content of such changes? Do we need to invest in alternative R&D projects in research centers, universities, and industries to help realize such a vision?

 

3. If Asia will become the center of global power in the near future which possibilities may emerge from the cultural acceptability of biotechnology applications such as germ line gene therapy, cosmetic manipulations, designer babies, human cloning, and inexpensive genome sequencing among Asian nations. Will there be any relationship between the field of genetics which studies the building blocks of human bodies on the one hand and the field of memetics which studies the building blocks of human cultures?

 

Woo Sung Huh

1. Is there any measure to reduce violences closely connected with 'sensual' pleasures (k?ma), which we often get through our habits of buying, having, and wasting (too much, Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic, 2005)? If there is, is this measure to pose the ethical/political dilemma between "an inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness (or of pleasure/enjoyment) protected under today's democracy" and "being less violent"?

 

2. Is it possible to transform the present UN system into an improved United Nations without any veto power for privileged countries, which is, as Galtung argues, one of preconditions for true globalization and global democracy?

 

3. How do we cope with the seduction of the object or with the Baudrillardian anti-humanism formed through his observation of today's consumer society? Can Indian practices such as meditation recover the subject as a 'peace actor' who assumes full responsibility for what humans see, and what humans enjoy?

 

4. Will all these issues become obsolete by 2060?

 

Young Sik Lee

1. As the climate changes go on, the species that cannot adapt quickly enough will face extinction. We may face one of the greatest periods of mass extinction of species in Earth's entire history. In Asia, the natural resources and biological diversity is ruined at the cost of development. What is proper model for the development and economic growth in Asia and in the world?

 

2. Are the human beings ready to challenge the change?  Unfortunately, everybody's responsibility becomes nobody's. What should we do first to adapt ourselves to survive? In the area of K-12 education, our textbooks can include more environmental issues and topics. However, what is the practical teaching subjects and method for the future generation in Asia?

 

3. The greenhouse gases (especially carbon dioxide) are used to measure the green growth. The concentration of carbon dioxide and several greenhouse gases have increased. Many individuals and countries are taking actions to reduce the production of carbon dioxide. Is there any other (or more directly related) alternative index for the same purpose?