Call for Papers
Summer Conference
“Human Rights in Southeast Asia: Are We Moving Backward?”
11-13 August 2017
The Centre for Human Rights, Multiculturalism and Migration (CHRM2)
University of Jember, Indonesia
Background
Human rights discourses in Southeast Asia are very dynamic and challenging due to a complex reality of culture, law, and politics in Southeast Asia. This social landscape often results in different acknowledgment and implementation of the rights of the people in Southeast Asia countries. In one hand, there are some countries in Southeast Asia that have amended their constitutions to protect their citizen rights and to internalise international human rights instruments. Yet, they have still struggled to fully implement international human rights norms due to legal, political, economic, religious, and social contexts. On the other hand, some other countries have still practiced authoritarianism on behalf of preserving national stability and economic development, restricted a particular right of their citizen and discriminated against them to preserve harmony within society, as well as applied religious norms which in some occasions result in inequality for individual as well as a group of people.
This means that in theory, human rights issues in Southeast Asia are not always related to legal sphere but also related to economic, social, cultural, religious, and political spheres. Therefore, the implementation of human rights in Southeast Asia is defined as a set of rights and obligations, which the later term in many occasions dominates the discourse of human rights in this region. The human rights discourse in Southeast Asia does not only represent a relationship between the individual and the state but also show a dynamic and complex relation between individualism and communalism, in which the two are bound together by reciprocal rights and obligations.
Based on that, the Centre for Human Rights, Multiculturalism, and Migration (CHRM2) University of Jember is going to organise 2nd conference to invite scholars and practitioners and compile their works on contemporary human rights issues in Southeast Asia. The title of this conference will be “Contemporary Human Rights Issues in Southeast Asia” focusing on the interchange of law, politic, culture, and religion which in many occasions result in the dynamic and complex implementation of human rights in this region. Additionally, this complex trajectory also affects the effectiveness of international human rights implementation in some Southeast Asia countries. Thus, the conference is expected to set out current view from scholars and practitioners who focus on issues of human rights in Southeast Asia from various perspectives.
Purpose
The conference is aimed to giving a deeper understanding of human rights issues from various perspectives. Additionally, the event is to develop an understanding of how scholars from Southeast Asia and other scholars who concern on the issue of human rights across Southeast Asia can contribute their thoughts.
Outcome
All papers will be published in the second edition of Journal of South East Asian Human Rights (JSEAHR) University of Jember. Selected papers that are revised as suggested by the committee will be published JSEAHR. The JSEAHR is a journal established collaboratively by CHRM2 University of Jember, the Indonesian Consortium of Human Rights Lecturers (SEPAHAM Indonesia), Faculty of Law University of Malaya, and CPG Thammasat University, Thailand.
Submission
1. All speakers must send paper abstract (not exceeding 500 words including a proposed title and short biography of the author) not later than 31 March 2017.
2. Selected abstracts will be published not later than 15 April 2017
3. All speakers must send full paper not later than 20 July 2017.
4. Full paper should use footnote
5. All correspondences including confirmation of acceptance, abstract and full paper should be sent to chrm2@unej.ac.id.
Selected Themes
Presenters are encouraged to submit abstracts which address any aspect of this broad theme drawing upon their particular field of study and their national, regional or comparative experience. Themes for the conference will include, but are not limited to issues of constitutionalism and human rights, national security and human rights, religious intolerance and human security, democracy and human rights, authoritarianism and human rights, poverty, child marriage, gender, freedom of the press, universalism and particularism of human rights, individualism vs. collectivism/communalism, culture, religion and communal bonds, inter-relationship between freedom of expression, freedom or religion and other fundamental rights, conflicts between state law and religious concepts of the nature of rights, politics, and law, politics, and security in Southeast Asia.
Venue
The conference will be held at R. Achmad Hall University of Jember, Jalan Kalimatan 37 Jember Jawa Timur Indonesia.
Day and Date
The workshop will be held from Friday to Sunday 11 to 13 August 2017.
Entertainment
All presenters will receive VIP ticket to see Grand Final of Jember Fashion Carnival which will be held on 13 August 2017.
Jember, 22 February 2017
Director,
Dr. Al Khanif