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Conference Announcement "Occupying 'The Other': Australia and Military Occupations from Japan to Iraq" Interdisciplinary Symposium Centre for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies (CAPSTRANS), University of Wollongong Wollongong, NSW (Australia) 29-30 November 2007 __________________________________________________ In the early stages of justifying the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Allied Occupation of Japan was held up as a successful model to follow. Yet how much is really understood about the nuances of the practice of occupation power and the hierarchical relationships between occupier and the occupied? What are the legacies of occupation? How do we define occupation? Most of the scholarship on the Allied Occupation is dominated by the US-Japan relationship, yet Australia also played a significant role, sending tens of thousands of people to participate in the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, based mostly in the prefecture of Hiroshima. Australia has since played a role in occupation and/or peacekeeping missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and so on. How are we to understand this ongoing military commitment to the region, and how can the occupation of Japan contribute to understanding this commitment and, more generically, the role of military occupations today? This symposium aims to bring together journalists, public commentators and scholars from a variety of disciplines who are investigating Australian involvement in foreign military occupations. Confirmed speakers: Chida Takeshi (Japan) Peter Manning (Iraq) Tony Clifton (military occupations) Tessa Morris-Suzuki (Japan) Vera Mackie (Japan and Afghanistan) Walter Hamilton (Japan) James Wood (Japan) Drew Cottle (Iraq and Afghanistan) Sean Dorney (Solomon Islands) Stephen Brown (German/Japan model and Iraq) Peter Sales (Philippines) Fay Anderson (Iraq) Mark Bowling (East Timor) Charles Hawksley (peacekeeping and occupations) Iwane Shibuya (Japan) Joakim Eidenfalk (Solomon Islands) Farid Farid (Iraqi community in Australia) Robin Gerster (Japan) Christine de Matos (Japan) Sponsored by: - The Centre for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies (CAPSTRANS) - The Faculty of Arts, University of Wollongong - The Japan Foundation - Monash University Registration: Cost of registration for those who would like to attend the symposium as observers will be as follows: One day: $45 Two days: $90 Symposium dinner: $68 To register or for further information please email: Leonie Clement [email protected] Conference website: http://www.capstrans.edu.au/resources/conferences/2007/conferences-2007-otoasymposium.html Contact: Dr Christine de Matos Centre for Asia Pacific Social Transformation Studies University of Wollongong Wollongong, NSW 2522 Australia Phone: +61 (02) 4221 3627 Fax: +61 (02) 4228 6313 Email: [email protected] __________________________________________________ InterPhil List Administration: http://interphil.polylog.org Intercultural Philosophy Calendar: http://cal.polylog.org
