INTRODUCTION: a potted history of PASC The Philippines Australia Studies Centre (PASC) at In February 2003, Hogan organised a visiting La Trobe was formally established at a meeting on delegation of 8 to Manila for a series of events 8 October, 2003. PASC is a joint venture in the first two weeks of February, 2003. The party between La Trobe University and Ateneo de consisted of: Professor Peter Beilharz, Dr Trevor Manila University (Ateneo) in the Philippines, and Hogan and Dr Beryl Langer representing Thesis stems from the Memorandum of Understanding Eleven Centre for Critical Theory, School of Social signed between the two universities in March Sciences at La Trobe University (LTU); Adjunct 2000. We have had three bilateral meetings: Professor Charles Mott, International Affairs Manila (January, 2000); Melbourne (April, 2001) Advisor to Vice Chancellor at LTU; Professor and the third in February, 2003 at Ateneo. The Kim Dovey, Faculty of Architecture, Building and initiator of this agreement was Professor Dennis Design, University of Melbourne, and Dr Peter Altman, Politics Program, and the greater part of Murphy, School of Information Management, activity and commitment has been provided by the Victoria University of Wellington (and Thesis School of Social Sciences. Eleven Editor); and two Social Sciences, La Trobe, research students undertaking theses in urban A team of seven delegates led by Professors Altman studies on Manila. and Fitzgerald and including Drs Mee, Hogan, Furze, Eipper and Berry, represented the Faculty In February, 2004, the formal inauguration of the of Humanities and Social Sciences at the first Philippines Australia Studies Network at Ateneo meeting at Ateneo, in January, 2000. de Manila was celebrated in the presence of the Australian Ambassador to the Philippines, Ms Ruth The organising committee for the La Trobe event in Pearce, the Assistant Secretary of the Department April, 2001, was coordinated by Dr Trevor Hogan of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines, Ms and administered by School of Social Sciences. Alicia Ramos, and the Singaporean Ambassador Professors Altman and Fitzgerald were key to the Philippines, Mr Walter Chia. The PASC members of the organizing committee and Dr Evie delegation from La Trobe University led by Hogan Katz was the conference secretary. The La Trobe included Professors Joel Kahn and Joe Camilleri, meeting was attended by nine Ateneo academics Dr Peter Murphy (Victoria University of Wellington, across Humanities, Environmental Sciences, Thesis Eleven journal Editor), Mr Larry Marshall Economics, Health Sciences, and Social Sciences (doctoral student, Politics), and Mr Daisuke Tanaka including Professors AntonettePalma-Angeles, (Honours, Sociology). 3 Public Lectures were Henedina Razon-Abad, Emilyn Espiritu, Emma given and a number of research seminars held at Porio, Germelino Bautista, Luis David SJ, Christina Ateneo de Manila University, the University of the Montiel, Alfredo Bengzon, and Marife Yap, 6 of Philippines, Philippines Social Sciences Research whom were sponsored by AusAid. Council, and Far Eastern University. Camilleri and Marshall also conducted a series of meetings with senior Government officials and politicians, and business representatives. 1 OBJECTIVES The Centre has 9 main aims, as set out in its 9. To improve and deepen relations, networks Constitution: and mutual understanding between the Philippines and Australia through education, 1. To encourage the development and exchanges, research collaboration, and application of Filipino and Australian research bilateral meetings. through publishing and presenting material in printed and electronic form and through delivering educational workshops, forums MEMBERSHIP and conferences; Office bearers: Dr Trevor Hogan (director), Prof. Charles Mott (deputy director), Prof. John 2. To facilitate exchanges between Philippines Fitzgerald (chair), Mr Cliff Picton (deputy chair), and Australia of Filipino and Australian and Mr Max Richter (project officer). General scholars; Members: Denis Altman, Harry Aveling, Simon 3. To encourage Filipino students to enrol in Barraclough, Peter Beilharz, Joe Camilleri, Barry Australian postgraduate programs and Carr, Margarita Frederico, Joel Kahn, Beryl vice versa; Langer, Vivian Lin, Larry Marshall. 4. To promote studies of the Philippines and -Informal membership of PASC is open to all Australia in regional and global settings; interested parties. 5. To co-operate and collaborate with the Philippines-Australia Studies Centre at ADMINISTRATION Ateneo de Manila University; PASC La Trobe was established through a seeding grant from La Trobe International, which has covered 6. To encourage student exchange programs the project officer’s part-time salary and some between the two nations through the University incidental expenses. The Centre relies on the and Ateneo de Manila University; goodwill and initiative of interested parties across 7. To significantly expand the opportunities for the University, and in particular has benefited from research in the region especially in facilitating Mary Reilly’s administering of the Centre’s the socio-economic goals of development, accounts. justice, poverty eradication, health, trade, The Philippines Australia Studies Network (PASN) and good governance; office has been established at Ateneo de Manila 8. To promote the teaching and research activities University with matching resources. of members of staff of Ateneo de Manila University and the University through the development of projects that require collaborative team research; 2 Source: PASN www.ateneo.edu/offices/pasn EVENTS 30 October 2003: Public Lecture Series at Ateneo, 9-13 February 2004: PASC co-sponsored with Asialink, the University of Melbourne, the premiere screening of ‘Black Hogan led a delegation to the Philippines in Nazarene’, an ethnographic film on religious February this year. The following public lectures worship in the Philippines by Robert Nery: were given: “Behold the man. Black Nazarene opens in Manila 9th February with the procession of the Black Nazarene, a 200 ‘The Premise of Difference: Race, culture, nation year-old Mexican statue of a black Christ carrying and cosmopolitan practice in (pen)insular the cross; in a procession attended by more than Southeast Asia’, Professor Joel S. Kahn (Sociology a hundred thousand people. It ends with the and Anthropology, LTU and 2004 Visiting nailing to the cross, one after another, of several Research Fellow, Asian Research Institute, National devotees as part of a Passion Play which takes University of Singapore) place annually on Good Friday in San Pedro in the town of San Fernando, north of Manila. It is 11th February a film that takes us inside the moral life & outside Regionalism & Declining US Hegemony: to its political & historical context. The many voices, Implications for the Philippines’, Professor Joseph including those of the filmmaker, the crucified, the Camilleri (Politics, LTU) mayor, the parish priest & the Passion Play director, provide a counterpoint to the images - poignant, melancholy, grotesque or wryly comic, but always characteristic of place & time & Philippine social life.” Over 200 people attended the screening and Hogan chaired the Answer and Question session with Nery following the screening. In addition to paying for Mr Nery’s airfares, PASC sponsored and promoted the distribution of the film to Ateneo and La Trobe libraries and academics. 3 Source: PASN www.ateneo.edu/offices/pasn 13th February 2004 HIV/AIDS event in Bangkok ‘Designing Intelligence and Civic Power in World Upon the invitation of Dennis Altman, political History: Reflections on Maritime Political Economy science professor at La Trobe and president of from Athens to Australia’, Dr Peter Murphy (Editor, the AIDS Society in Asia and the Pacific (ASAP), Thesis Eleven: Critical Theory and Historical Ateneo Psychology Department Head Isabel Sociology, Sage, London, Director, Melgar co-chaired a satellite session during the Communications and Information Management, 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, Victoria University of Wellington and Visiting Thailand, July 11-16, 2004. Teaching Fellow, Philosophy, Ateneo, January- Budhi/Thesis 11 February, 2004) Hogan, Peter Beilharz and Peter Murphy will be In addition, Professor Joseph Camilleri launched attending the 9th Anniversary of Budhi organized his new book: by Luis David at Ateneo, June 13-17th 2005, Regionalism in the New Asia-Pacific Order: the immediately following the Thesis Eleven Centre Political Economy of Asia Pacific Vol. 2 (Elgar, for Critical Theory co-hosting of the International 2003). Social Theory Conference in Singapore (8-11th June). Larry Marshall (Ph.D. Politics) and Daisuke Tanaka (Hons, Sociology) rounded out the ECNU-Ateneo-La Trobe Shanghai visiting delegation. Other activities during the trip Conference included: meetings with government and business Professor Joe Camilleri is organizing a trilateral representatives, and collaborative research meeting of Social Sciences at East China workshops. Normal University, Ateneo and La Trobe. An ECNU-Ateneo-LaTrobe Shanghai Conference is scheduled to take place in Shanghai in November 2005 on ‘Globalization and Inter- Civilizational Dialogue’. La Trobe hopes to host a similar event 18 months after the Shanghai one. 4 VISITS Melbourne to Manila In June, 2004, Hogan spent a week in Manila liaising with PASN committee. He gave a paper Vivian Lin, Professor and Head of School in Public on Pluralism to Dept of Philosophy,