Dear all,

Please find below a call for papers for an upcoming conference at the
Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore that may be
of interest to some on this listserv.

Warm regards,
Philip


CALL FOR PAPERS (DEADLINE: 1 February 2012)

Religion and the Politics of Development: Priests, Potentates and “Progress”

Organized by the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
Date: 28-29 August, 2013
Venue: Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
Website: www.ari.nus.edu.sg/events_categorydetails.asp?categoryid=6&eventid=1369

Development practitioners and academics alike are often kept awake at
night with the vexing question of why development does not seem to be
‘working’.  Why are there still 2.6 billion poor on the planet? Why do
children die from malnutrition every day in some of the world’s
richest countries? All of this despite $125 billion annually of public
development dollars being poured into making things “better”. Many
explanations are offered for this, however one argument that has
recently gained traction within development circles is the notion that
development is inherently political, and hence political approaches
are necessary to render it effective (Unsworth 2009). Allocating
resources towards poverty alleviation rather than other priorities
requires political will, not just technical training or instruments;
development must face up to the primacy of politics (Leftwich 2005).
Acknowledging this, major donors and development agencies have begun
developing research projects and program strategies on ‘working
politically’. Glaringly absent in this discourse is analysis of the
role of religious leaders, communities and discourses in impacting the
political realities of development. This absence is despite the fact
that the notion that religion and religious organizations have roles
to play in development is no longer considered radical in development
circles. Over the past decade several major research efforts have
examined the role of religion in development initiatives, resulting in
nuanced analysis of the multiple ways that religion engages with
development, and vice-versa (Rakodi 2011; Marshall 2008). Yet in these
initiatives there has been little explicit or thoroughgoing attention
to the politics of religion in development, including the leverage
that religious actors exert on political processes, the ways that
development actors engage with religion, and the different religious
visions of progress that inform practices of poverty alleviation.

Priests, Potentates, and “Progress” will explore the nexus of
religion, development, and politics in Asia. Any discussion of
politics must pay close attention to the state and discussion at the
conference will be informed by recent developments in
religion-and-the-state theory. However, politics extends beyond the
state and includes activity at communal-levels as well as global flows
of ideas, finances, and institutions. We are interested in exploring
religion and the politics of development at multiple levels ( e.g. -
municipal, provincial, national, transnational) and within key sites
of development activity – especially topics related closely to poverty
alleviation ( e.g. - health care, malnutrition, the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), water and sanitation, social justice).

The workshop will address the following topics (and related themes) as
they relate to the Asian region:
·     Analysis of religion-state interactions for development,
including attention to the changing roles and nature of religious
authority, regimes, and secularization in Asia;
·     Where and how donors and/or donor governments target religious
groups for assistance for specific development goals or as part of
broader foreign policy objectives;
·     The potentialities and constraints for religious groups to play
significant roles in the Paris/Accra Aid Effectiveness discourse, the
MDGs, and other mainstream development initiatives;
·     Exploration of ways that religious leaders/groups are mobilized
by development actors (including state actors) and vice versa for
“development” (e.g. service delivery, anti-corruption, advocacy);
·     How and under what circumstances and to what ends are religious
leaders and organizations engaged in “political” approaches to poverty
alleviation;
·     Analysis of the multiple and contrasting strategies of
grassroots and quotidian religious political activism for development;
·     Religious and secular genealogies of development paradigms,
strategies, and goals among particular actors and as an ideological
infrastructure;

Papers from any field in the humanities or social sciences that employ
any type of methodology are welcome. We are particularly interested in
submissions that employ data from fieldwork. Analytical papers by
development practitioners or representatives of religious
institutions/groups drawing on field or policy experience relevant to
this topic are especially encouraged.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS
Paper proposals must be for original, previously unpublished work.
Selected papers from the conference proceedings will be compiled for
an edited volume. Proposals should include a title, abstract (250-300
words), and a brief personal biography (150 words). For more detailed
guidelines or questions regarding specific paper proposals, and for
obtaining a Paper Proposal Submission Form, please contact the
conference organizers.

Please submit all applications to Dr Robin Bush ([log in to unmask]) and
Dr Philip Fountain ([log in to unmask]) by 1 February 2013. Successful
applicants will be notified by 1 March 2013 and will be required to
send a draft paper (5,000-8,000 words) by 15 July 2013. Travel and
accommodation support is available from the Asia Research Institute,
depending on need and availability of funds.

CONTACT DETAILS
Conference Convenors:
Dr Robin BUSH, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
Email: [log in to unmask]

Dr Philip FOUNTAIN, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
Email: [log in to unmask]

Secretariat:
Mr Jonathan Lee, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore
Email: [log in to unmask]