GLOBIS Friday Forum, May 4

Please join us this Friday, May 4th, from 2:00 to 3:00PM for the last installment of the semester in the ongoing Friday Forum Series hosted by The Center for the Study of Global Issues (GLOBIS), to be held in the 2nd floor conference room of our main office. This week's talk "Civil Society in the Chinese Context: Structure, Institution & Theoretical Paradigms" will be delivered by, Ms. Lichao He, a graduate student in the Department of International Affairs at the University of Georgia. An abstract follows:

Civil society defines the sphere between the state, the market, and the family. Deeply rooted in the western historical and political context, this concept is often portrayed as the opposition to "the state", a force that checks the state's power and develops in tandem with democracy. In stark contrast with this western "ideal type", in East Asian countries, civil society is shaped by its "archrival"- the state, and its evolution does not readily fit into the theoretical paradigms that are originated from the western experiences.

Studying the recent NGO boom in China, this paper tries to address the question that why, in a country without the tradition of the separation between the state and society, there has been a vibrant growth of the citizens voluntary associations since the 1990s. By comparing the features and traits of the NGO sector in the three major stages of civil society evolution in China and testing the hypothesis, the paper argues that the nascent civil society in China is a product of the structural reform and is molded by the state. It studies the role of the structure and institution in deciding the nature of the civil society and posits a theoretical paradigm that is derived from the East Asian developmental state context, hoping to offer new insights on the evolution of the state-society relations in non-western, developing countries.

GLOBIS is located in the historic Franklin House on the corner of Thomas St. and Broad St. at the Northern edge of campus.

2007 Russell~Roosevelt Public Policy Institute at UGA

A message from one of the many listservs on campus.

Registration is now open for the 2007 Russell~Roosevelt Public Policy Institute at UGA

Registration is now open for the 2007 Russell~Roosevelt Public Policy Institute to be held June 22 and June 23^rd at the Student Learning Center at the University of Georgia. This National Issues Forums institute is cosponsored by the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies and the Roosevelt Institution at the University of Georgia.

The National Issues Forums Institute (NIF), first known as the Domestic Policy Association, has evolved over more than 25 years to foster constructive civic participation and dialogue among citizens. The National Issues Forums model encourages participants to employ the technique of deliberation over debate. The program has been at the forefront of reenergizing civic life across the United States.

The two-day Institute consists of two workshops. The first workshop focuses on how to frame issues using the NIF model. This year, the issue that will serve as the basis for the workshop will be affordable housing. The second workshop provides training in moderating and will also include a National Issues Forum, Making Ends Meet: Is There a Way to Help Working Americans?” This forum is free and open to the public as well as to institute participants. The Forum offers PPI participants and the general public a wonderful opportunity to experience how deliberation and moderating using the NIF model works, while also giving them a chance to deliberate and discuss a topic of current interest.

Cost for the 2-day institute is $90. Cost for 1-day attendance is $50.00. A limited number of scholarships are available. Deadline for registration is June 1^st. Deadline to apply for a scholarship is May 18, 2007.

To register or learn more about the Russell~Roosevelt 2007 Public Policy Institute at the University of Georgia, please visit www.libs.uga.edu/russell and click the link in the upper right, or contact Jill Severn (706-542-5766 or jsevern@uga.edu).

To apply for a scholarship to attend the Russell~Roosevelt Institution, please visit www.libs.uga.edu/russell and click the link in the upper right. On the PPI main page choose the scholarship application link.

Memoriam

In the aftermath of the tragic events Monday morning on the Virginia Tech campus, the department would like to extend our sincere condolences and sympathies to the victims and their families, as well as to the larger Virginia Tech family.

In the news

Dr. Mia Bloom is interviewed by NBC News on the role of women in the Iraq insurgency. Link goes to article with accompanying video.

Computer Health and Secuirty Fair

Another message of interest from one of the many listservs on campus.

DATE: April 12, 2007

FROM: Bert DeSimone, EITS Communications Officer

SUBJECT: Computer Health and Secuirty Fair set for April 18

Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) is partnering with UGA's TEC Services for the spring 2007 Computer Health and Security Fair. TEC (Telecommunications, Electronics, and Computer) Services, a unit within the Office of Research Services, will be on site along with
EITS consultants and technicians to provide a security checkup for laptop computers.

UGA students, faculty, and staff are invited to bring their laptops to the Tate Student Center Art Gallery between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. for security assistance.

The security checkup includes virus scans and software updates, spyware removal, and more. Requests will be prioritized on a first-come, first-served basis.

A downloadable flyer, suitable for posting in areas visible to UGA students, faculty, and staff, is available here:

http://eits.uga.edu/brochures/chsf07.pdf

Faculty profile

Dr. Jaroslav Tir is featured in the faculty profile section of the latest Columns, the faculty/staff newsletter for the University of Georgia.

Truman Scholarship

Congratulations to Deep Shah, a double major in international affairs and genetics, on being named a recipient of a 2007 Harry S. Truman Scholarship. This national award recognizes juniors who excel academically and who plan on pursuing careers in public service. Read more.