Message from Imad Mansour Re GSCIS Conference, Menton

Dear Participants: I am very glad to deliver some excellent news: we are Streaming the Conference Live! Which means that the whole world would be able to watch you deliver the paper and send you questions; there is a dedicated team of Sciences Po – Menton students who will receive questions and transmit them to you. For now, please follow Conference developments on this website (http://fgsisc.com/) which is under construction. People can also follow us on Twitter. Regarding the program, note that there are no simultaneous panels: all panels will be held in succession in a large, modern, and technology-equipped amphitheatre. This will maximize the benefits from your stay in that you will receive notes and feedback from everyone else present. This structure realizes our goal for the Conference to have an intimate setting conducive to sharing insights and ideas. As noted before, we will not provide printing options, so make sure to bring what you require with you. Also, prepare your presentation on a memory key. Between panels are 15 minutes breaks where Sciences Po – Menton offers snacks in a spacious room with a large balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. Also, the lunch break is one hour; there are quite a few shops/eateries close by in town (ask us!). Please note that we cannot provide food refrigeration and heating. If you want to benefit from the hotel deals we negotiated, contact the hotels directly (not through agents). By next week, I will e-mail you with a final (edited) program, including more information about a dinner on Friday (I am finalizing a good deal), and other pertinent information. Do not forget to send the papers – they will be available on the website later.

William LeoGrande Prize

Nominations Call for the William M. LeoGrande Prize

The School of Public Affairs and the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at American University are pleased to announce the establishment of the William M. LeoGrande Prize for the best book on U.S.-Latin American relations. This $1,000 prize will be awarded annually to the author or editor of a book published in Spanish, English or Portuguese during the preceding two years. Prizewinners also will be funded to take part in a public presentation and discussion of the book in Washington DC.

Nominations for the 2012 award will be accepted until November 15, 2012, and the prizewinner will be announced in January, 2013, following evaluation by a multi-disciplinary committee comprised of scholars from AU and other institutions.

Nominations must include one copy of the book and a letter of no more than 750 words explaining its significance. Any published reviews and/or copies of evaluations by peer reviewers may be submitted as supporting materials.

Nominations and accompanying materials should be sent to: Center for Latin American and Latino Studies, American University, William M. LeoGrande Prize Committee, 4545 42nd St. NW, Suite 308 Washington, DC 20016

About the William M. LeoGrande Prize

The William M. LeoGrande Award was established in 2012 to honor William M. LeoGrande’s tenure as Dean of American University’s School of Public Affairs from 2003 to 2012. The endowed award was made possible through the financial support of alumni, friends, and colleagues of Professor LeoGrande.

One of the world’s most accomplished scholars in Latin American politics and U.S. foreign policy, Professor LeoGrande continues to serve as a professor of government at American University. He has written five books, including Our Own Backyard: The United States in Central America, 1977 – 1992. Most recently, he was co-editor of A Contemporary Cuba Reader: Reinventing the Revolution.

Professor LeoGrande has been a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellow, and a Pew Faculty Fellow in International Affairs. His articles have appeared in various international and national journals, magazines and newspapers.

1ère Global South International Studies Conference

25 septembre:

S'il vous plaît, cliquez ici (website, en anglais: http://gscis.blogspot.com/2012/06/normal-0-microsoftinternetexplorer4.html) pour des informations importantes au sujet des subventions (limitées) pour ceux qui ont déja été acceptés.
Attention: Dates changées: 
1 octobre, le dernier jour pour soumissions (la date a été étendue)
10 octobre: toutes acceptations envoyées (quant aux soumissions reçues après la date 9 septembre)
15 octobre: tous les participants acceptés doivent s'inscrire, ou se retirer.  

1ère Edition

Global South International Studies Conference

(Novembre 29-30 et Décembre 1, 2012)

Co-parrainée par le comité de l'International Studies Association Global South Caucus et l'Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po) - Campus Moyen-Orient Méditerranée à Menton

Partager la connaissance et les idées:
Théorie, Enseignement, Recherche, et Publications sur Les pays du Sud

L’ International Studies Association (ISA), basée à l'Université de l'Arizona (Etats-Unis) fait partie des  associations les plus respectées et les plus connues pour la promotion de la recherche et de l'éducation dans le domaine des relations internationales (RI). Elle représente plus de quatre-vingt pays et compte environ 6000 membres à travers le monde.

Le Global South Caucus (GSCIS) est un comité lancé en 2011 et ouvert aux membres de l'ISA qui étudient l'hémisphère sud au niveau régional (Afrique, Asie, Moyen-Orient, Amérique latine et les Caraïbes) et au niveau global, ainsi que l’existence de sociétés du sud au nord et les relations entre le nord et le sud. Son objectif est notamment de fournir un canal de partage d'informations, de recherche et d'idées entre les chercheurs et les praticiens sur les / des différentes régions du sud ; d'encourager la diffusion de la recherche sur l'hémisphère sud dans des revues majeures et d'encourager les étudiants des cycles supérieurs à travailler sur les questions des régions du sud.

La première conférence mondiale sur les pays du Sud sera consacrée au développement de théories appropriées à l'étude des relations internationales et de la politique étrangère de l'hémisphère sud;  elle permettra aussi de partager enseignements, connaissances et publication des expériences et des méthodes de travail sur la zone. Seront également abordées les forces et les faiblesses qui ressortent de l'étude des régions du sud conduite par étudiants et chercheurs du monde entier. En outre, la conférence vise à développer des objectifs tangibles au service des études globales sur le sud; ces objectifs serviront de lignes directrices pour les éditions à venir. Pour cela, il nous semble intéressant de solliciter le concours et le retour d’expérience de chercheurs sur les mécanismes opérationnels qu'ils ont utilisés avec succès dans chaque zone, ou qu'ils aimeraient pouvoir utiliser dans leur propre travail. La conférence servira notamment de laboratoire et d’espace de discussion, sur la base d’un partage d'idées et de pratiques entre étudiants de Master et PhD, jeunes chercheurs et chercheurs confirmés, cela afin de favoriser l’équilibre entre besoin d’apprentissage et diffusion d'expérience.

Les thèmes suivants, organisés autour de trois grands axes, seront abordés :

Première  thème: Théorisation

Questions à aborder: quelles critiques peut-on apporter au courant dominant les théories des relations internationales en termes de pertinence pour les pays du Sud? Quelles sont les alternatives disponibles? Quelles sont les recherches possibles à cet égard?

Deuxième thème: Enseignement

Questions: Quels types de formations, de cursus et d’expériences ont favorisé la réussite des chercheurs de l'hémisphère sud? Quelles sont leurs expériences en ce qui concerne les charges d'enseignement, les cours dispensés, le contenu des cours et l'avancement dans la profession? Comment les chercheurs du sud selectionnent-ils les outils philosophiques, théoriques et méthodologiques qui concernent leurs enseignements? Quelles technologies innovantes sont utiles dans l’étude des relations internationales de l’hémisphère sud?

Troisième thème: Recherche

Questions: Quelles sont les questionnements clés concernant la recherche dans le domaine des Global South  International Relations (GS IR)? Quel est le rôle de la politique de recherche? Existe-t-il une préférence en termes d’approches epistémologique et méthodologique lorsqu’on traite des GS IR? Si oui, pourquoi? Quels types de problèmes les chercheurs ont-ils rencontré dans la conduite de leurs travaux sur cette zone? Quelles sont les expériences des chercheurs/étudiants dans l’étude de cette région depuis l’extérieur, ainsi que de l'intérieur? Qu'est-ce qui, selon eux, devrait être partagé? Ce qui devrait les chercheurs des chaque région partager utilement? Des modifications pourraient-elles être apportées aux méthodes de recherche utilisées? Si oui, lesquelles?

Certaines régions du sud (plus particulièrement l’Amérique latine) se distinguent par une densité importante de réseaux scientifiques, d’associations internationales et d’opportunités pour la recherche et la publication. Alors que le dialogue et le débat entre les écoles du sud est dynamique, il serait intéressant dans le cadre de cette conférence (conformément aux orientations du Global South Caucus) de travailler également sur des pistes de collaboration de recherche inter-régionale. Cette réflexion s’étendrait naturellement aux questions d'enseignement et de recherche, mais conserverait le domaine de la recherche comme fil conducteur. En d'autres termes, il s’agirait non seulement de renforcer les ponts entre le nord et le sud, mais également de créer des rapports sud-sud, tant du point de vue institutionnel qu’individuel.

Quatrième thème: Publication

Questions: Quel est le rôle de la publication dans le développement de la recherche? Quelles sont les difficultés perçues dans ce domaine ?  Quels domaines n'ont pas encore été abordés? Quels problèmes se posent en termes d’intégration des bourses d'études GS au sein du courant dominant? Par exemple, comment les recherches effectuées dans les langues locales, et d'autres langues internationales comme le français et l'espagnol, peuvent-elles apparaitre dans des revues et des publications qui sont traditionnellement connus par les membres de la l’ISA? Cette dimension est primordiale lorsqu’il s’agit d’intégrer des idées et des apports extrêmement pertinents aux principaux courants de pensées.

Quel serait le juste équilibre entre les travaux de recherche à dimension politique, à destination d’un public pluri-disciplinaire, et la recherche academique, qui met s’adresse à des publics spécialisés? Quels sont les mécanismes adéquats pour transmettre la connaissance academique à une audience plus politique?

Conférence Comité d'organisation

Président: Imad Mansour (Sciences Po - Menton)

Co-président: Jacqueline Anne Braveboy-Wagner (City University de New York)

Membre: Bernard El-Ghoul (Sciences Po - Menton)

Membre: Nanette Svenson (Tulane University)

Membre: Paulo Esteves (Université catholique pontificale de Rio de Janeiro)

Hôte de la conférence: Sciences Po Paris - campus Moyen-Orient Méditerranée à Menton

Sciences Po est une université sélective de dimension internationale organisée autour de sept campus spécialisés sur l’étude des grandes régions du monde, et qui dispose de partenariats avec plus de 400 universités à travers le monde. Sciences Po a tissé un réseau d'alliances stratégiques impliquant notamment des doubles diplômes avec la London School of Economics (LSE), Columbia University, MGIMO (Moscow State University of International Relations) ou encore l'Université de Fudan (Shanghai, Chine).

Le campus Moyen-Orient Méditerranée de Menton se concentre sur les questions politiques, économiques et sociales des pays  du pourtour méditerranéen, du Moyen-Orient et du Golfe. L'enseignement, pluridisciplinaire et fondamental, est composé de cours en sciences sociales et de cours spécialisés sur la zone d’étude du campus en trois langues (français, arabe et anglais). Le programme rassemble des étudiants internationaux venant d'Europe, du Maghreb, du Moyen-Orient et du Golfe, ainsi que des États-Unis et d’Asie. Il propose un cursus en français ainsi qu’un programme complet en anglais, sous-tendus par l'expertise de professeurs de Sciences Po, de chercheurs spécialisés sur le Moyen-Orient et la Méditerranée, de conférenciers prestigieux, et de professeurs invités.

Informations sur les inscriptions

Toutes les séances auront lieu sur le campus de Sciences Po à Menton les 29 et 30 novembre 2012, ainsi que le 1^er décembre (inclus).

Les documents sont à soumettre le 1er Septembre 2012 (au plus tard), à Imad Mansour, Président de la Conference (imad.mansour@sciences-po.org).

Pour informations: chaque document doit comporter un résumé d'au moins 100 mots qui apparaîtra clairement sur la lettre d’accompagnement indiquant affiliation institutionnelle/informations de contact. En plus de ce résumé, le document devra fournir cinq mots clés/concepts précisant son contenu, qui peut être utilisée pour mettre en évidence le contenu de la contribution proposée. Tous les participants envoyant un document doivent s’attendre à être éventuellement nommé président de comité. Cette désignation ne nécessitera aucun travail préalable. Au cours des sessions, le président veillera à ce que le temps de parole soit respecté par les intervenants ainsi que les compte-rendus de sessions soient diffusés aux autres comités.

Les commissions devront être organisées par leurs membres et/ou leurs présidents. Les propositions de commissions devront inclure un ou plusieurs mots clefs indiquant leur contenu. Ces propositions devraient comprendre une brève description de toutes dispositions spéciales nécessaires au-delà de l'habituel des exposés suivis d'échanges avec le public. S’ajouterons à cela les noms, affiliations et adresses e-mail des participants. Les décisions prises par les commissions seront envoyées aux présidents pour diffusion aux membres du groupe.

E-mails concernant les acceptations seront envoyés par 15 Septembre 2012. Tous les participants accepté doivent s'inscrire en 1 octobre 2012. Le dernier jour de se retirer est 1 octobre 2012.

Frais d'inscription

Pour les membres ISA: 50 € par personne. ISA non-Global South membres du caucus sont encouragés à rejoindre les pays du Sud pour recevoir les mises à jour du comité concernant ses activités.

Les non-membres ISA: 70 € par personne.

Le paiement doit être effectué lors de l'inscription (date limite 1^er octobre 2012), à travers myISA. De plus amples informations sur la façon d'enregistrer seront fournis dans l'e-mails l'acceptation.

Au cas où le budget le permettrait, nous allons essayer de subventionner une partie des coûts des participants.  Une fois l'invitation acceptée, les participants voudront peut-être remplir une aide financière sous forme. Toute aide sera diffusé après la conférence. De plus amples informations seront communiquées après le 15 septembre.

Venir en France

Les procédures et conditions de visa pour entrer en France varient. Renseignez-vous auprès des représentations diplomatiques ou consulaires français dans votre pays de résidence. Vous devez vous assurer que les procédures légales et les autres documents nécessaires sont en ordre. Vous devez également prendre vos dispositions pour votre propre voyage.

Les organisateurs de la conférence, ISA, et Sciences Po ne sont pas responsables de vos voyages, les services juridiques et de l'obtention des visas.

Menton: Itinéraire et recommandations

Menton est au cœur de la Côte d'Azur et la dernière ville frontière avant l’Italie sur la Riviera française. Le campus est situé au 11 Place Saint-Julien, dans la vieille ville de Menton. Il est facile d’y accéder à pieds. La ville de Menton dispose également d’un bon réseau de bus, de train ou de taxis.

Uniquement à titre informatif :

De l'aéroport de Nice, vous pouvez prendre le bus n° 110 direct jusqu’à la gare routière de Menton (environ 30 € pour l'aller-retour). Confirmer le trajet du bus avec le chauffeur.

Il vous est également possible d’utiliser les bus publics au départ de l’aéroport (coûte environ 1 € par trajet mais beaucoup plus long): prendre le bus n°400 de l'extérieur de l'aéroport de Nice en direction de la principale gare routière de Nice, puis prendre le bus n°100 à Menton. Confirmer le trajet du bus avec le chauffeur.

Si vous venez à Menton par le train en provenance d'Italie, Paris, ou d'autres gares (comme au départ de Nice), il est conseillé de choisir soigneusement l'itinéraire à l'avance. N'oubliez pas de prêter attention aux éventuelles grèves avant de partir, comme les trafics routiers, ferroviaires ou aériens peuvent être occasionnellement perturbés. Vous pouvez également faire appel à un taxi.

A Menton, la gare ferroviaire se situe à 200 mètres de la station de bus et un trajet en taxi de la gare au campus prend environ 10 minutes. Il faut compter un supplément pour les bagages dans le coffre (et les autres charges peuvent s'appliquer). Vérifiez les détails avec le chauffeur avant la course.

A pieds, il faut compter environ 30 minutes de la gare au campus. Pour cela, il vous faut prendre la rue Longue et la remonter entièrement jusqu’à l’arrivée sur le campus St-Julien.

Menton est une ville conviviale et agréable, n’hésitez pas à vous renseigner auprès des Mentonnais pour trouver votre chemin. A l’exception du français, l'italien et l’anglais sont relativement bien compris.

Hébergement à Menton

Il est conseillé de réserver et de payer pour la (les) chambre (s) à l'avance. Nous vous fournirons plus d'informations sur les hôtels apres le 1 octobre 2012. Voir le lien de l’Office du tourisme:

http://www.hotelmenton.fr/hotel-menton/

Précision importante: le courant électrique en France est de 220/230 Volts avec des douilles spéciales, alors assurez-vous d'adapter / d'équiper votre équipement électrique et électronique.

The First Global South International Studies Conference (November 29-30 & December 1, 2012)

Links to Information:
Paper Submissions
About Sciences Po
Menton
Registration
Travel Grants
Hotels
Chat
Conference Program

 New Companion Site

(http://fgsisc.com/)

Attention: 
Update (October 24): 
Message from Conference Chair Imad Mansour
I am very glad to deliver some excellent news: we are Streaming the Conference Live! Which means that the whole world would be able to watch you deliver the paper and send you questions; there is a dedicated team of Sciences Po – Menton students who will receive questions and transmit them to you. For now, please follow Conference developments on this website (http://fgsisc.com/) which is under construction. People can also follow us on Twitter.

Regarding the program, note that there are no simultaneous panels: all panels will be held in succession in a large, modern, and technology-equipped amphitheatre. This will maximize the benefits from your stay in that you will receive notes and feedback from everyone else present. This structure realizes our goal for the Conference to have an intimate setting conducive to sharing insights and ideas. As noted before, we will not provide printing options, so make sure to bring what you require with you. Also, prepare your presentation on a memory key.

Between panels are 15 minutes breaks where Sciences Po – Menton offers snacks in a spacious room with a large balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. Also, the lunch break is one hour; there are quite a few shops/eateries close by in town (ask us!). Please note that we cannot provide food refrigeration and heating.

If you want to benefit from the hotel deals we negotiated, contact the hotels directly (not through agents).

By next week, I will e-mail you with a final (edited) program, including more information about a dinner on Friday (I am finalizing a good deal), and other pertinent information.

Do not forget to send the papers – they will be available on the website later.

	Notice: Attention! (September 27)
	We now have a chat room where you can discuss logistics (for example, room sharing) and other matters pertaining to the GSCIS conference! The group is run by our Newsletter Editor Diana Cassells! Please go to the web address below for access.
Group address	Current web address: http://groups.google.com/group/GSCIS Current email address: GSCIS@googlegroups.com

_______________________________________________
Conference Program

International Studies
Association

Global South Caucus

First Global South
International Studies Conference

Menton – France
(November 29-30, and December 1 2012)

All events will take
place on the premises of the Sciences Po – Menton campus

Wednesday November 28

• Early
  registration – starts at 17:00
• Reception
  starts at 18:00

Thursday November 29

• Registration
  8:00
• Opening
  plenary 9:00 – 9:45
• Panels
  start at 10:00 – until 6:00

Friday November 30

• Panels
  start at 8:30 – until 18:00

Saturday December 1

• Panels
  start at 8:30 – until 18:00

______________________________________

Panels (for details, click on this link)

Panel 1: Post-Soviet Regions: Eurasian / Central Asian Similarities to the Global South 

Panel 2: Adapting Mainstream IR to the Global South

Panel 3: A Roundtable on Teaching Development Through Simulations in an Online Environment

Panel 4: Perspectives on the Role of Social Forces: Art, Culture, and Race

Panel 5: Regional Approaches to Methodology and Theory-building: Examples from Africa and Asia

Panel 6: Curricula, Scholarship, and Knowledge Production Experiences from Brazil, Sudan, and Iran

Panel 7: Global South Criticisms of, and Alternatives to, Mainstream IR

Panel 8: Inclusionary Governance and Democracy in Global Perspective

Panel 9: Unpacking the Constitutive Ideas in International Development

Panel 10: Researching the Global South: Opportunities, Promise, Challenges and Pitfalls

Panel 11: Security and Global South IR

Panel 12: Turkish Models for IR

Panel 13: Concerns for Social Justice

Panel 14: Security, State, and Regional Conflict in Africa

Panel 15: Comparative Assessments of South-South Development Initiatives

Panel 16: IR Theory and Economic Transformation

Panel 17: Comparative Analysis of Ideas and Scholarship in Global South States

Read or download details here (Pdf): Panels

_________________________________________________









Update September 25: Deadline Extended

Due to demand, we have pushed forward the date for receipt of proposals to October 1st. For those who have sent in proposals with our agreement or still want to, after September 9, here are the absolutely final deadlines:

October 1: last day for submitting proposals

October 10: all acceptances received

October 15: last day for registering or withdrawing

To All Participants

Please note that no refunds will be available after October 1st (for those who received acceptances by September 15th and must register by October 1st) or October 15 (for those permitted to make proposals after the original deadline). This is in keeping with ISA practices. 

Please also note that by registering, you assume the responsibility to attend barring any extraordinary occurrences. In that regard, please note that ISA practices regarding non-attendance apply to this conference as well. Please check the ISA conference website for details.

We look forward to seeing you and sharing experiences!

__________________________________________



Travel Grants
Update September 24

Depending on our budget, we may be able to subsidize selected costs for some who are registered and
participating actively in the conference. Interested parties must follow guidelines noted
on the ISA travel grant website
with respect to keeping track of expenses (in other words, save your receipts for presentation at the conference; any reimbursement will be made then.) However, our procedures beyond that differ. Please send an email to imad.mansour@sciences-po.org, cc'd to our treasurer Seifudein Adem, adems@binghamton.edu, with the following information:

.

1. Paper Title as originally sent to the organizers;

2. Brief bio (no more than a few lines please);

3) A brief statement indicating what, if any, funding you expect to receive from your institution as well as any particular reasons why you feel that you need supplementary funding. 

Funding criteria will include relevance of topic and geographical diversity, as well as need.

Your email should be sent by October 15th. Decisions will be communicated by November1st.  Please note that
our budget is very limited. ISA HQ does not subsidize local conferences so we need to find money in the caucus budget. Thus any assistance will be modest.
See ISA’s travel grant website for details about "tracking expenses."

___________________

Update August 28

GSCIS Menton Conference: UPDATE: Hotels etc.

Dear All:

Thank you to all who have sent in proposals for the Menton conference.
We will be in touch regarding acceptances soon. And for those who are
still thinking about it, do hurry up and send your proposals in.
This promises to be an exciting conference -- the small size alone will
allow us to get to know one another in a way that we cannot do at ISA
or APSA!

Please note the following:

Hotels, transport, and eating impose important budgetary constraints on conference attendance. Below, we
provide a brief and tentative set of recommendations on these three factors.

Hotels:

For a general overview of hotels, visit the official tourism site:

http://www.hotelmenton.fr/hotel-menton/

For some examples of hotel rates less than 50 Euros:

http://www.hotelmenton.fr/hotel-menton/+-moins-de-50-euros-+.html

The visitor can choose any price range and classification (from four stars to no classification). Keep in mind
that tourism is the main source of income for the town, so there are strong incentives to adhere to regulations. Bargains for better rates would come soon, after we have a more solid idea of numbers.

Attention! New!

The prices we negotiated for you are applicable when you book with the hotel directly NOT through special travel agents or other means. Offers are valid for bookings made ​​online, via phone or e-mail with the hotel - not via other merchant sites. The hotels are not responsible for managing and finalizing the transactions of other businesses.
 
Transport:

Trains and buses are frequent and generally not expensive. Actually, a whole section of the Riviera
is connected with an impressive network of public transport.

In-town bus rides are mostly for one Euro, and the same goes for intra-regional buses. For example, you can get from Menton to Nice, or any of the stops in between including Monte Carlo, for one euro (on the bus number 100).

Good deals can also be found for trains across the Riviera, as well as routes connecting it to further distances, say from Paris to Nice.

Food:

There are at least three large supermarkets (chains) with several branches across Menton, and many smaller
convenience stores. These amenities can help keep the budget – and health concerns – in check.

Also, it goes without saying that restaurants and sandwich places are plentiful.

______________________________________

The First Global South International Studies Conference

(November 29-30 & December 1, 2012)

Co-sponsored by the International Studies
Association’s Global South Caucus and the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris
(Sciences Po) – Campus Moyen-Orient Méditerranée à Menton

Sharing Insights and Ideas:

Theorizing, Teaching, Research, and
Publishing on the Global South

GSCIS Conference Update

Preparations for the Menton conference are proceeding apace. We are very pleased with the quality of proposals as well as the geographical diversity of the presenters. Please make sure to check the website (http://gscis.blogspot.com/2012/06/normal-0-microsoftinternetexplorer4.html) for updates regarding travel grants and hotels as well as the preliminary program. We look forward to seeing you in Menton!
jbw

GSCIS Menton Conference: UPDATE

Dear All:
Thank you to all who have sent in proposals for the Menton conference. We will be in touch regarding acceptances soon. And for those who are still thinking about it, do hurry up and send your proposals in. This promises to be an exciting conference -- the small size alone will allow us to get to know one another in a way that we cannot do at ISA or APSA!

Please note the following:

Hotels, transport, and eating impose important budgetary constraints on conference attendance. Below, we provide a brief and tentative set of recommendations on these three factors.

Hotels:

For a general overview of hotels, visit the official tourism site:

http://www.hotelmenton.fr/hotel-menton/

For some examples of hotel rates less than 50 Euros:

http://www.hotelmenton.fr/hotel-menton/+-moins-de-50-euros-+.html

The visitor can choose any price range and classification (from four stars to no classification). Keep in mind that tourism is the main source of income for the town, so there are strong incentives to adhere to regulations. Bargains for better rates would come soon, after we have a more solid idea of numbers.

Transport:

Trains and buses are frequent and generally not expensive. Actually, a whole section of the Riviera is connected with an impressive network of public transport.

In-town bus rides are mostly for one Euro, and the same goes for intra-regional busses. For example, you can get from Menton to Nice, or any of the stops in between including Monte Carlo, for one euro (on the bus number 100).

Good deals can also be found for trains across the Riviera, as well as routes connecting it to further distances, say from Paris to Nice.

Food:

There are at least three large supermarkets (chains) with several branches across Menton, and many smaller convenience stores. These amenities can help keep the budget – and health concerns – in check.

Also, it goes without saying that restaurants and sandwich places are plentiful.

Two Election Results

bDear Colleagues:

Members voted on two matters recently and here are the results:

1) Dr. Zakia Afrin has been elected for a two-year term to the Executive Council.
 2) Dr. Jomo Sundaram has been handily voted as the choice for our 2013 Distinguished Scholar honoree.

Thank you to all participants.

Best,
jbw

Of interest: WAPI- A West African Training Program

CALL FOR APPLICATION - THE WEST AFRICA PEACEBUILDING INSTITUTE (WAPI) 2012

The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) in partnership with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) would like to announce the start of admissions to the West Africa Peacebuilding Institute (WAPI) 2012.

This year’s Institute will be held from 03^rd to 21^st September, 2012 at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, Ghana.

WAPI is a three-week intensive training program that aims to strengthen the capacity of civil society-based peacebuilding practitioners and institutions in order to promote the development of indigenous responses to conflict.

Six courses will be offered during the three-week period, each week having two 5-day intensive courses running concurrently. The courses are highly interactive and participatory, blending theory and practice in the field of peacebuilding.

Admission to WAPI is open to practitioners, students, policy makers and civil society members, business community and individuals interested in peacebuilding, processes of dialogue and mediation, conflict and development, cross-border crimes, electoral disputes management, youth and peace education, conflict prevention and gender, natural resource conflict management.

Please find details in both English and French on the courses and fees and application forms (English and French) attached. Send the completed application form to:

wapi@wanep.org and facquah@wanep.org

Deadline for submission of application document is 20^th August, 2012.

Please circulate this information to colleagues and institutions that may be interested.

You could also visit our website for further details or regular update on the training: www.wanep.org 

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WANEP is a West Africa Civil Society Organization with over 400 Member- organizations working in Partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and has Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). WANEP is also a Member of the Peace and Security cluster of the African Union’s (AU) Economic and Social Council –ECOSOC.

WANEP : Building Relationships for Peace

Deconstructing Mazruiana: 25 interesting, updated concepts and ideas for us to think about

First presented at the 1999 meeting of International Studies Association, Washington, DC, February 18–19, 1999. Global Development Panel in Honor of Distinguished Senior Scholar.

DECONSTRUCTING MAZRUIANA:

SOME STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS OF
ALI A. MAZRUI’S THOUGHT

by

Ali A. Mazrui

Director, Institute of Global Cultural Studies

and

Albert Schweitzer Professor in the Humanities

Binghamton University

State University of New York at Binghamton, New York, USA

Albert Luthuli Professor-at-Large

University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria

Ibn Khaldun Professor-at-Large

School of Islamic and Social Sciences, Leesburg, Virginia, USA

Andrew D. White Professor-at-Large Emeritus

and Senior Scholar in Africana Studies

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA

Walter Rodney Professor

University of Guyana, Georgetown, Guyana

These 25 structural elements of Ali Mazrui’s thought were chosen by the author himself as a basis of discussion.  The thoughts are compiled from his different works and drawn from different stages of his career.  Element No. 1 on “Social Darwinism and Theories of Modernization” is summarized from his article in World Politics (Princeton) Vol.21  No. 1, 1968.  The final Element (No. 25) on “Judging Civilizations” is summarized from his article in Foreign Affairs (New York) Volume 76 No. 5, September - October 1997.  This deconstruction has a long appendix - Mazrui’s Essay “THE MUSE OF MODERNITY AND THE QUEST FOR DEVELOPMENT”.

1.                  From Darwinism to Modernization Theories:

Western theories of modernization have often been based on Eurocentric models whose ancestry goes back to social Darwinism and beyond.  Non-Western societies are seen as simpler organisms slowly evolving towards the complex sophistication of Western civilization.  At best modernization becomes Westernization.

2.                  Yes to Modernization; No to its Theories:

We need not throw out the baby of modernization with the bath water of its Western theories.  Let us look anew at the baby.  Modernization as a process needs a fresh examination.

3.                  What is Development?:

Development equals modernization minus dependency.

4.                  What is Modernization?:

Modernization is change which is compatible with the present stage of human knowledge, and helps to release the creative energies of the people in socially responsible ways.

5.                  What is dependency?:

Dependency is surplus need or deficit control.  Country B is dependent on country A if country B needs A more than A needs B; or if B has less control over their relationship than A has.

6.                  Towards Transcending Dependency:

Dependency in a less developed country can be transcended through five strategies - indigenization, domestication, diversification, horizontal integration and vertical counter-penetration. (See Mazrui’s paper “The Muse of Modernity”)

7.                  The International Class System:

International stratification is based not on who owns what but on who knows what.  The power of Western skills controls the diamond mines of South Africa and the oil wells of Saudi Arabia.  Israelis own less than the Arabs, but Israelis are more skilled.

8.                  Power and the Means of Destruction:

In a technologically underdeveloped country power resides among those who control the means of destruction rather than those who control the means of production.  Soldiers in Africa have often been much more powerful than business tycoons.

9.                  Ethnicity vs. Class:

In a technologically less developed society, the forces of biological reproduction are more politicized than the forces of economic production.  That is why kinship ties and ethnic forces are more powerful in Africa than class affiliations.

10.              The Primacy of Culture:

Marx was right that “man had to eat in order to live” (the origins of economics).  But man had to know what to eat and what to avoid (the origins of culture).  So culture is prior to economics.  In the beginning was the Word , and the word was culture.

11.              Paradigm Lost?:

In development studies culture has often been a paradigm lost.  Are we now witnessing paradigm regained?

12.              Seven Functions of Culture:

There are seven functions of culture in society.  Culture as lenses of perception, as a source of motivation , as a standard of judgment, as a criterion of stratification , as a basis of identity, as a means of communication, and as a framework of consumption and production.

13.              Women: Between Centering, Liberating and Empowering:

Women in Africa are more centered in the means of production than women in the West, but women in Africa are less liberated than Western women.  Women in both cultures have yet to be adequately empowered.

14.              Women: Between Rights and Roles:

Traditionally, African women have been custodians of fire, water and earth - while God has taken charge of the omnipresent air.  The Westernization of an African woman has often meant more rights but a less central role in society.

15.              Women in Islam and the West:

Islam grants greater dignity but less liberty to women than Western culture does.  Sons in the Muslim world respect their mothers more than sons do in the West; but husbands in the West are more respectful (though not necessarily more faithful) to their wives than are husbands in the Muslim world.

16.              Between Genius and Gender:

Two developmental revolutions are needed in the Third world - a revolution in skills and a revolution in gender.  The talents of the people need to be unleashed; and the powers of women need to be unbound.

17.              Development: Political, Economic and Social:

The central aim of political development should be the evolution of humane governance and democratic participation.  The central concern of economic development should be the improvement and consolidation of productive capacity and distributive economic justice.  The central aim of social development should be the release of the creative energies of each citizen, male and female, through education, socialization and opportunities for self-fulfillment.  Social development should also foster the three C’s: Community, Compassion and Cooperation in a global context. 

18.              Towards De-Leninizing Marxism:

What has failed in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe is not Marxism but Leninism.  What has failed is the vanguard party, democratic centralism and unmitigated statism.  If Marxism is to survive in the twenty-first century, it must learn to de-Leninize itself.

19.              What is globalization?:

The term “globalization” is new but the process itself is centuries old.  Globalization is much more than the Information Superhighway and the new expansion of international markets.  Globalization consists of all the forces which are pushing the world towards becoming a global village.  Globalization is the villagization of the globe.

20.              What is an intellectual?:

An intellectual is a person who has the capacity to be fascinated by ideas and who has acquired the skill to handle some of those ideas effectively.

21.              Who are the revolutionaries?:

The masses sometimes have the power to pull down the temple of the old order, as the mobs of Paris in 1789 and the mobs of Teheran in 1979 did.  But it is the intellectuals (secular or religious) who attempt to create an alternative order and design a new temple.  Robespierre, Lenin and Khoumeini were all intellectuals.

22.              Monotheism vs. Democracy?:

Why has pluralist democracy survived better in India than in either Pakistan or Bangladesh?  Could one of the reasons be that the concept of God in Hinduism is pluralistic while the concept of God in Muslim Pakistan and Bangladesh is not?  Did a pluralistic God in Christianity (Three in One, One in Three) make it easier for Western culture to evolve a liberal democratic system?  Does strict monotheism lean towards political absolutism?

23.              Between Nostalgia and Hate-Retention:

Societies differ in capacities for nostalgia, as well as in retention of bad memories.  Jewish nostalgia gave birth to Zionism.  The Armenian long memory of the 1915 massacres has generated assassinations of Turkish diplomats decades later.  African culture is distinctive in having a short memory of hate.  Political amnesia is often a valuable developmental resource.

24.              Between the Dual and the Plural Society:

Most social scientists have tended to lump dual societies with plural societies.  A dual society (where two groups account for more than eighty percent of the population) is vulnerable to polarization and stalemate.  Dual Cyprus is in a stalemate, dual Czechoslovakia broke up, dual Northern Ireland is trying to find its way out of violence, and dual Rwanda is trying to recover from the ravages of genocide.

25.              How are civilizations to be judged?:

Civilizations are to be judged not merely by the heights of achievement to which they have ascended but also by the depths of depravity to which they have sometimes descended.  Muslims are often criticized for not producing the best, but they are seldom congratulated for having standards of behaviour which have averted the worst.  There are no Muslim equivalents of systematic Nazi extermination camps, nor Muslim conquests by genocide in the bloody tradition of whites in the Americas, nor Muslim versions of South Africa’s apartheid sanctioned by the Dutch Reformed Church, nor Muslim versions of the Stalinist terror in the name of Five Year plans.  Nor can Islam be blamed for the only World Wars in human history - those started in Europe.

M

Four Items

First, a reminder that the deadline for submission of proposals for the First Global South IS Conference, to be held in Menton, France in November-December, is fast approaching: September 1st, 2012 (at the latest). Please send proposals and questions to the conference chair,  imad.mansour@sciences-po.org. Additional information about the meeting is available at  http://gscis.blogspot.com/2012/06/normal-0-microsoftinternetexplorer4.html.

Second, the Summer 2012 newsletter is out and can be accessed at http://www.isanet.org/global_south_caucus/2011/04/global-south-newsletter.html. Special feature: Informative synopses of Virtual panel and roundtable presentations at San Diego!

Third, the generic website has been completely updated. If anyone finds any glitches/bad links, please be sure to email me.

Finally, the deadline for the selection of the 2013  Distinguished Scholar nominee is tomorrow, 15th at midnight (members only vote). The choice will be put up on the blog on the 16th.

Thank you and hope your summer is going along well.
jbw

A Few Notices

Dear Members:


1) A reminder: The deadline for sending in proposals for the First GSCIS Conference in Menton, France is  September 1st.
Conference theme: Theorizing, Teaching, Research and Publishing on the Global South
Conference Contact/Char:Imad Mansour, imad.mansour@sciences-po.org
We are truly looking forward to hearing from you!!



2) Last year the GSCIS was pleased to honor Prof. Ali Mazrui at its inaugural
Distinguished Scholar Luncheon. For 2013, as a result of preliminary
canvassing of members and friends, three persons have been nominated.
However, we want the bona fide members to make the final choice, so please
indicate your choice of honoree by sending a note directly to the caucus
chair, jbraveboy-wagner@gc.cuny.edu. Here are the three nominees (note: the
nominees have NOT been contacted by us yet, inasmuch as no decision has been
made):


Professor Upendra Baxil, Warwick School of Law: Please go to
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/

soc/law/staff/academic/baxi/

Dr. Jomo Sundaram, CV online :
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/

statcom/statcom_09/seminars/
high_level_forum_2009
/Jomo_CV.pdf

Prof. Mohammed Ayoub, Michigan State University,
http://jmc.msu.edu/contact/

show.php?id=2

Deadline July 27.


3) Dear Members:
Please do not forget to cast your vote for the EXCOM election. Ballots were sent out to all bona fide members. Thanks.

4)  Members and Friends:
ISA is pleased to offer each ISA caucus two sponsored panels at next summer's Peace Science Society-ISA joint conference to be held in Budapest, Hungary on June 27-29, 2013.  The conference theme is Security Challenges in an Evolving World.  Paper and panel proposals are now being accepted with an August 31, 2012 deadline for submission. Additional conference details can be found at:  http://www.isanet.org/meetings/pss-isa-2013.html
Anyone interested in presenting a paper/panel, please let me know.  Of course, you are welcome to submit additional panel and paper proposals for consideration beyond these two sponsored-caucus panels (see submission details on the conference webpage) but at this time, the conference organizers can only guarantee acceptance of two sponsored panels per caucus.

Best,
jbw

Summer newsletter coming soon!

Charter of the GSCIS

Dear Members:

The EXCOM has undertaken a GSCIS Charter review in accordance with the mandate of the original charter which reads:
ARTICLE VIII: ADOPTION
The proposed charter shall be reviewed at the earliest opportunity by all persons who have expressed an interest in, and/or have joined the Global South Caucus for International Studies.
The proposed charter shall be voted on by these interested persons and adopted upon a majority vote of those casting a ballot by e-mail.


The (proposed) amended charter is uploaded here for your comment in accordance with new Article VIII. Comments can be made on this blog post or directly by emailing the Chair or any member of the EXCOM. Final approval of the charter will occur at the Business Meeting, San Francisco, 2013. 

Charter of the Global South Caucus of International Studies

ARTICLE I: NAME AND AFFILIATION

The name of this organization shall be: Global South Caucus for International Studies (GSCIS).

The Global South Caucus for International Studies shall be a “component unit” of the International Studies Association. GSCIS shall serve as an advocate and liaison to the ISA for the purposes listed below.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSES

1)      provide a channel for networking and the sharing of research, information and ideas among scholars and practitioners of/in the various regions of the south;

2)      promote the ISA as a forum for the dissemination of cross-regional global south research;

3)      encourage south scholars: to participate in relevant ways in the association’s conferences and other activities, and to publish in ISA journals;

4)      promote the recruitment of members from areas and institutions across the global south;

5)      encourage graduate students to work on south issues and regions, and to engage in professional development activities intended to improve the employment opportunities and advancement in the profession of south-oriented scholars;

6)      work with existing ISA sections and committees to achieve these goals.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Any member of the ISA who agrees with the purposes of the Global South Caucus may become a member upon payment of dues. Members are entitled to attend annual meetings, vote, nominate candidates for and hold office within the Caucus, receive newsletters and other publications produced by the caucus, and participate in all activities sponsored by the caucus.

 ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

1. The officers of the Global South Caucus for International Studies shall be as follows: Chair, a Vice Chair who will also serve as the Program Chair, a Vice Chair for Outreach to the South, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Newsletter Editor.

2. The term of office for the Chair and Vice Chairs shall be two (2) years.

3. The term of office of the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be two (2) years. These two officers may stand for re-election to one other term, with the concurrence of the Executive Council.

4. The term of office of the Newsletter Editor shall be two (2) years. This officer may stand for re-election to one other term, with the concurrence of the Executive Council.

Executive Council

5a. The Executive Council shall consist of all current officers, the immediate past chair of GSCIS serving ex-officio, and five (5) at-large members representing the following areas:

i) Latin America and the Caribbean; ii) South and Southeast Asia; iii) Africa; iv) Middle East/North Africa; v) developing Eurasia and/or North-South. The designation ‘North-South” refers to scholars working on issues linking North America and Europe with the global south.

5b. In so far as is possible, the Caucus shall endeavor to rotate the at-large membership among the various sub-regions of the broader regions of the global south.

6. At-large members shall serve a non-renewable term of two (2) years. However, three at-large members will initially serve a one-year term (renewable for another year by election), in order to allow for rotating terms and the maintenance of institutional memory.

7.  The duties of the officers and Council shall be:

a) Chair: To serve as spokesperson for the Global South Caucus; to make arrangements for and preside at the annual meeting; to serve as liaison between the Caucus and the ISA; to propose initiatives that will further the goals of the Caucus; to select members of and chair the nominating committee; to propose other special committees and tasks.

b) Vice-Chairs: To assist the Chair in carrying out the duties above. In addition, one Vice Chair is responsible for organizing, with input from the Chair and second Vice Chair, caucus representation on the annual ISA Convention Program. Either Vice Chair can serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair. The Vice Chair for Outreach has as additional responsibilities the recruitment of members from the Global South as well as the establishment of linkages between the Caucus/ISA and relevant institutions in the global south.

c) Secretary: To maintain accurate records of all meetings and correspondence of the organization; compile and revise as necessary a membership list; to maintain a permanent file of the records and publications of the GSCIS.

d) Treasurer: to handle the financial affairs of the organization under the direction of the Chair.

e) Newsletter Editor: to produce a newsletter at least three times a year.

f)  Executive Council:  To propose, debate and vote on initiatives in support of the Caucus’s mission; to assist the second Vice Chair in recruitment and outreach; to assist with arrangements for the annual meeting; to set membership dues; to compose and fill vacancies on any committees constituted by the Caucus; to perform other tasks that the membership, assembled at the annual meeting, recommends or that the Council itself initiates.

8. All terms of office end at the annual ISA Convention at which the Caucus will also hold its annual business meeting. The meeting of the Executive Council shall precede the annual meeting.

9. Voting rights: The Chair, Vice Chairs, and members of the Executive Council shall have the right to vote.  The Secretary, Treasurer, Newsletter Editor and Immediate Past Chair sit on the Council ex officio. In the event of a tie, the Council being an 8-member one, the Immediate Past Chair will be permitted to vote in order to break the tie.

10.  Quorum and decisions: Five (5) members of the Council, including the Chair (if absent, the Vice Chair presiding) shall constitute a quorum at Council meetings. Council meetings may be held electronically. Council decisions shall be adopted by a simple majority.

11. Vacancies occurring between elections in all elected offices, except the office of the Chair, shall be filled by action of the Executive Council, and only for the completion of the term of the retiring officer. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chair, either the Vice Chair shall become chair.

 ARTICLE V: ANNUAL MEETING

The annual meeting shall coincide with the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, This meeting shall conduct the ordinary business of the GSCIS.

ARTICLE VI: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

The Executive Committee serves as the nominating committee for committees other than itself. For membership of the Executive Committee, a nominating committee composed of three to five members of the Global South Caucus chosen by the Chair shall nominate candidates. Self-nominations are encouraged. The Chair and Vice Chair may also submit their own nominations to the committee.

The two Vice Chairs are each eligible to serve as Chair as is any member who is deemed to have played a sufficiently active role in the caucus.

Candidates nominated should meet the required criteria of geographic and disciplinary diversity. The committee should take into account the contributions of nominees to the Caucus and the ISA.

Bios of prospective candidates shall be e-mailed to members before the annual meeting or before any by-election. Ballots shall be returned by e-mail within a specified period of time. New officers shall be presented to the membership at the annual meeting. 

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS

Proposals to amend this charter may be submitted in writing by any member to the Executive Committee which shall, in turn, vote on the proposal. If a simple majority of the Executive committee approve the amendments, they shall then be submitted to the membership by email for comments. Proposals will be adopted if approved by 2/3rds of the members present at the next annual meeting.