also see invitation 

The 3rd
ASEAN Civil Society Conference (ACSC-3)

"Moving
Forward: Building an ASEAN People's Agenda"

2-4 November 2007

Peninsula Excelsior,
Singapore



CALL FOR WORKSHOP
PROPOSALS

 

 

The Third ASEAN Civil Society
Conference (ACSC-3) will be held in Singapore on 2-4 November 2007
building on the past two ACSC's and the national processes
developed in the last two years. The national processes are
initiatives that seek to develop the ACSC beyond a yearly event to
parallel the ASEAN Summits. This year the ACSC hopes to transform
itself into an active agenda for research, advocacy and activism that
will meld into and reinforce existing regional civil society and
social movement initiatives. In the spirit of solidarity and open
space, the agenda is for ACSC members and supporters to take up and
advance, to support and enrich ongoing work while recognizing the
limits of its specific focus. The objective is to advance the idea of
an alternative regionalism that will have articulation in policy, in
development work, in solidarity interaction and one that is
culturally appropriate. This year's theme is "Moving
Forward: Building an ASEAN People's Agenda".

Broad Design and Objectives

 

There will be two sets of concurrent
workshops on the 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. timeslot of Days 2 and 3
(November 3 and 4) of the ACSC-3. Each workshop has two hours running
time.

 

All workshops will speak to the general
theme of ACSC-3, and should tackle issues, both descriptive
(information and insights) and normative (analysis and alternatives).
It is hoped that workshops will establish that the issues being
discussed have regional implications and make a strong case for
regional action and advocacy.

 

The workshops will be classified
according to four broad categories:

  1. The Peace and Human Security
    Dimension of Regionalization and Regionalism – to cover issues on
    peace and conflict resolution, conflicts and struggles for
    self-determination, human rights

  2. Social and Cultural Dimensions of
    Regionalization and Regionalism – environment and sustainable
    development, special interest groups, women's rights, media

  3. The Socio-Economic Dimension of
    Regionalization and Regionalism – globalization, labor, trade and
    finance

  4. Institutions of Action and
    Participation in Regionalism – civil society, social movements,
    active citizenship, democracy

 

 

Specific Design and Objectives

 

Each workshop is independently
organized by anchoring organizations. Anchors develop the workshop
design and objectives. The anchors also identify and invite the
moderator and panelists, and are responsible for the cost of their
and their panelists' participation in the ACSC-3.

 

The ACSC-3 Conference Secretariat
assigns documenters to each workshop for process documentation to
input into the ACSC-3 proceedings. Anchoring organizations, however,
are encouraged to do their own documentation, or otherwise coordinate
closely with the official documenters for the specific requirements
of the workshops.

 

Output

 

Each Workshop will have the following
output for the ACSC-3:

 

  1. a one-page summary of issues with
    regional implications as well as potentials and plans for regional
    action and advocacy;

 

  1. specific language (maximum of 50
    words) for the ACSC-3 Statement; and

 

  1. A set of proposals for the ACSC
    agenda.

 

Additional outputs will be at the
discretion of workshop anchors.

 

 

Call for Proposals

 

Those interested to anchor a workshop
in the ACSC-3 should please submit a concept proposal clearly
indicating the title, focus and design of the workshop, and topics
for the panelists. The proposal should be no longer than two pages
(Times New Roman, 12 pts.), and should be sent no later than
Monday, 8 October 2007 by email to the ACSC-3 Programme
Committee, c/o Jenina Joy Chavez ([email protected]).

 

Priority will be given to workshop
proposals that take a cumulative approach and do not repeat the
discussions from similar workshops in the last ACSC. Anchoring
organizations are therefore advised to read the full documentation of
the ACSC-2 workshops ("Engaging the ASEAN: Proceedings of the 2nd
ASEAN Civil Society Conference, 10-12 December 2006", visit
www.seaca.net),
and build from the discussions and agreements reached there.

 

The ACSC-3 Programme Committee, after
reviewing all proposals, may advise organizations proposing similar
or related topics to integrate their proposals and be co-anchors. The
final list of accepted workshops, including those that will be
recommended for integration, will be announced on Friday, 19
October 2007.

 

 

ANNEX

ACSC-2 Workshops

 

  1. The Network of Bilateral and
    Sub/Regional Free Trade Arrangements in Southeast Asia

  2. Alternative Trading Approaches in
    the Context of Regional Integration

  3. The State of Democracy in
    Southeast Asia

  4. Revisiting the Regional Commons
    (fisheries, forests, minerals, land, air)

  5. The Youth Building the Foundations
    for the Future of ASEAN

  6. Transparency and Access to
    Information in Southeast Asia

  7. Asian TNCs in Southeast Asia, and
    Emerging ASEAN Corporate Giants

  8. Labor Solidarity and Standards in
    a Regional Context

  9. Hotspots in Southeast
    Asia/Internal Conflicts in Southeast Asia

  10. Poverty and Environmental Stress
    in Southeast Asia (Sus Watch Report and MDGs)

  11. Gender/The Role of Women in
    Building a Responsive Regional Community

  12. The Role of New Political Parties
    and New Social Movements in Building Regional Communities

  13. Migration and Migrant Labor as
    Regional Economic Concerns

  14. The Role of China and India in
    Southeast Asian and East Asian Regionalism

  15. The State of Human Rights and HR
    Institutions in Southeast Asia

  16. The Legacy of Indigenous Identity:
    Indigenous Peoples and Struggles in Southeast Asia

  17. Addressing Urgent Transboundary
    Health Concerns for a Secure Regional Community

  18. Alternative Conceptions of
    Regionalism