Events

CHAIRPERSON

Dr Philip Fountain, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore

ABSTRACT

My studies of international relations have left me with a rather uneasy insight: the study of long term processes of humanitarian intervention–mission as well as development–confronts us with all kinds of anomalies and contradictions. Notions of applied rationality as well as messy outcomes come together. The more comprehensive and the longer interventions are undertaken, the messier outcomes become, the less initial assumptions, certainties and rationalities underpinning the interventions are validated. The study of long term processes is the more important as actors involved in the interventions of mission and development seem to be rather preoccupied with the short term. The parameters of interventions change when looked at from a longer time perspective. On the short term we are more easily imprisoned by our own good intentions, shielding and protecting the purity of our applied morality or rationality of policy processes, that is our interventions. The anthropological study of long term processes become the more important for this reason. It may enable us to come to new reflexive imaginations concerning these dynamics, and especially open up our understanding of ourselves. For this we have to try and find new analytical inspirations beyond (applied) anthropology, turn to certain poets, to some theologians and philosophers. Perhaps we must re-invent and apply new concepts of history. In this seminar I will examine these concerns in the context of the cyclic relationships between Dutch and Indonesian churches.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Philip Quarles van Ufford has been engaged in development-related work since the middle of the 1960’s. He did so practically as a member of the board of various NGOs, advising the Dutch government in various capacities, evaluating different regional development projects in Asia, mostly Indonesia, also in India, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia. He taught development anthropology at the Department of Anthropology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and co-founded a European network of development anthropologists, Eidos. This network played a major role in substantiating a new field of study in the 1980’s: the anthropology of development. He wrote nine books and volumes and is now preparing a book bringing together different bits and pieces of a messy whole. The subject is the emergence and downfall of development as a set of international religious and political interventions in the last sixty years.

REGISTRATION

Admission is free. We would greatly appreciate if you RSVP to Ms Tay Minghua via email: minghua.tay@nus.edu.sg.