قراءة في التحولات السياسية في البحرين

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منتدى وعد السياسي: قراءة في التحولات السياسية في البحرين

ينظم منتدى وعد السياسي بجمعية العمل الوطني الديمقراطي" وعد" ندوة (قراءة في التحولات السياسية في البحرين)، يتحدث فيها الدكتور عبدالهادي خلف، الذي سيسلط الضوء على واقع التحولات السياسية ويقدم قراءة وتحليل لهذه التحولات خصوصا بعد الانتخابات النيابية التي انتظمت نهاية شهر أكتوبر الماضي.

تقام الندوة يوم الأربعاء 22 ديسمبر 2010م، الساعة الثامنة والنصف مساءً بمقر وعد بأم الحصم.

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Five Grants for Doctoral Students in the Graduate Class "Secularities and Cultural Dynamics", University of Leipzig

The grants are offered for doctoral students for the period from April 2011 to March 2013 (with the possibility of an extension for a further year). The class is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of secularity in various parts of the world and historical periods. Of particular interest are the cultural dynamics that accompany secularity, as well as interactions between the religious and the secular. We are looking for persons with an above-average degree in the humanities or social sciences. The grants are conditional upon matriculation in the graduate class.

Applications in German or English should be accompanied by: . letter of application; . max. 10-page description of the research project, including a timetable; . curriculum vitae and certificates; . list of publications, if applicable; . letter of reference from a university lecturer.

 saekularitaeten@uni-leipzig.de; deadline: 15 January 2011

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 MA in Muslim Cultures, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, Aga Khan University, London

This Master of Arts in Muslim Cultures offers a distinctive way of understanding Muslim civilisations as they have evolved over time. Students study the arts, architecture, literature, history of science, economics and social conditions of Muslims alongside the more contemporary disciplines of jurisprudence, doctrine, religious practices and political sciences. A four-week field-based language immersion programme, co-curricular activities and field work, coupled with the development of research tools, are integral components of the MA Programme. This exciting Master's degree is taught by international experts and attracts a student body from around the world to its London-based campus.

Application forms and details about financial assistance are available at www.aku.edu/ismc/ma.shtml; deadline for applications: 31 January 2011 for September 2011 start.
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Applications opened 1 December (close 17 January)

The application period for Master's programmes at Lund University opened on 1 December 2010 and will close on 17 January 2011. You apply for programmes at Lund University online, using the national Swedish application website called Studera.nu. https://www.studera.nu/studera/1374.html

You can do this by following the programme links on our Lund University website and clicking the "apply now" button from the particular programme you would like to apply for - this takes you directly to the application website. There is a single application fee of SEK 900 (approximately US $130) and you can apply for several courses or programmes with the one application payment.

Scholarships

We are also pleased to let you know that Lund University scholarship information is now available: http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/international-students/apply-fees-scholarships-housing/scholarships . To apply for a Lund University scholarship, you do so online through our Lund University website. Remember, you must apply for the actual programme as well as for a scholarship.


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"Master Your Idea" Challenge 2010

Lund University is inviting Bachelor's students from around the world to participate in the Master Your Idea challenge (http://www.masteryouridea.com/) - a contest that challenges students to develop new and innovative solutions of any kind. The winner of the contest will be offered a full tuition waiver and place on the renowned Master's Programme in Entrepreneurship at Lund University. The task is simply to pitch a million dollar idea and how it could be commercialised. The pitch can focus on any type of solution! Entries close 21 December 2010.



http://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/international-students/apply-fees-scholarships-housing/scholarships

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.Call for abstracts

Global Civil Society -

Shifting Powers in a Shifting World

Uppsala, April 12-13, 2011

International conference organized by the Uppsala Centre for Sustainable Development, Uppsala University n cooperation with the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)/Team Civil Society

Call for Abstracts

Social movements and other forms of civil associations increasingly connect transnationally to mobilise political pressure, resources and other forms of support. Transnational civil society organisations and networks have also become important actors on the international political arena, striving to affect agendas and policies of UN bodies, trade organisations and corporations. These global networks have strengthened the impact of civil society actors vis-à-vis political decision-makers at local as well as national and international levels.

However, the political space available for civil society actors is largely determined by modes of governance exercised by more powerful actors, such as states and the international market. With market liberalization and democratization, civil society has been given an increased, but sometimes narrowly defined, role as service providers and watch-dogs. This includes the terms set up by donor countries for development aid directed at civil society organizations. With new emerging global actors, such as China or the G-20, the role of civil society is yet to be seen. Also within civil society, the distribution of power and influence is unequally distributed, affecting who sets the agenda and to what causes resources are directed.
This conference addresses these various power relations, and what effect they have on social and political change. We invite researchers, actors in international development cooperation, activists, and others with interest in the issues to participate and make presentations during the conference.

Keynote lectures:

- Global civil society and global decisions makers
Lecturer: Jackie Smith, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA

- Power relations within global civil society: north-south and south-south cooperation
Lecturer: Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace International, earlier CIVICUS

- Civil society in shifting modes of global governance
Lecturer: Jude Howell, Department of International Development, London School of Economics and Political Science (to be confirmed)

- Civil society - new global power broker in aid and development?
Lecturer: Tony Tujan, IBON International, the Philippines and BetterAid Coordinating Group (BACG).

The following parallel sessions invite presentations (see attached document for session descriptions):
- Social movements in a neoliberal era: Ethnographies of local activists in transnational networks
Chair: Eva-Maria Hardtmann, Department of Social Anthropology, Stockholm University
Discussant: Jackie Smith, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA

- Diaspora, transnational engagement and the national regimes
Chair: Erik Olsson, Centre for Research in International Migration and Ethnic Relations (CEIFO), Stockholm University
Discussant: to be confirmed

- Globalisation and trade union internationalism
Chair: Nora Räthzel, Department of Sociology, Umeå University
Discussant: to be confirmed

- The implications of the growing clout of emerging powers for civil society
Chair: Johan Lagerkvist, The Swedish Institute of International Affairs
Discussant: Jude Howell, Department of International Development, the London School of Economics and Political Science (to be confirmed)

This is an open call to submit abstracts for the parallel sessions.

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Abstracts (summaries) of your presentations should be on1 page and include: title of presentation, name and affiliation of presenter, name of the session the presentation would fall under, and text describing the presentation.
Abstracts should be submitted to: Heidi.Moksnes@csduppsala.uu.se.
(Please write "Global Civil Society" as the topic of your e-mail.)

Deadline for submission of abstracts is February 10, 2011.

Submitters will be notified by March 9, 2011, of whether their abstract is accepted. No more than 3-4 presentations per session will be chosen in order to give ample time for joint discussions. Each presenter will have approximately 15 minutes to her/his disposal for presentation. The abstracts will be distributed to all conference participants.
Conference proceedings. All paper presenters are welcome to publish a short version of their paper (3-4 pages) in the ensuing conference proceedings, in the series Outlook on Civil Society, published by CSD Uppsala. Guidelines for these will be given later.

Travel grants. We will provide travel grants for 2-4 delegates from Latin America, Africa or Asia to present their papers at our conference, provided their abstracts are accepted. The grant will cover travel costs (airplane ticket and bus/train to and from airports) plus 2-3 hotel nights in Uppsala. Meals during actual conference time are included without costs for all participants. NB. Per diems will NOT be paid, due to university regulations that prohibit such payment. We therefore recommend that you apply for funds elsewhere to cover such costs during your stay in Sweden.

Delegates applying for a grant need to send in not only an abstract but the complete paper by February 10. (This is to ensure the quality of the presentation.) The paper does not have to be longer 5 pages: each presenter has no more than 15 minutes to her/his disposal. Be sure to state when you send in your paper whether you apply for our travel grant.
You will be notified by March 9 whether your abstract has been accepted for presentation, and whether you will receive a travel grant.
Deadline for conference registration (for participants not making presentations) is March 14. Register to Mia.Melin@csduppsala.uu.se

The conference, including lunches and coffees, is free of charge.
Venue: Missionskyrkan, S: Olofsgatan 40, Uppsala. (Suggested hotel, across the street from venue: Hotel Uppsala, www.profilhotels.se)
Time: April 12-13, 2011.

Hompepage: http://www.csduppsala.uu.se/civsoc/

Coordinators of the project Outlook on Civil Society

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Outside Bahraini Courts December 9, 2010

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Comments by several observers not allowed to attend the  trial of
Bahraini activists (December 9th, 2010)
http://bambuser.com/channel/nabeel-rajab/broadcast/1155805

And my own comments:
http://bambuser.com/channel/nabeel-rajab/broadcast/1240042

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PhD scholarship at DIIS and RUC on value chain analysis of aquaculture products

The ‘Global Economy, Regulation and Development’ research unit at the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) and the Graduate School of International Development Studies at the Institute of Society and Globalisation, Roskilde University (RUC), seek applicants for a PhD scholarship funded jointly by RUC and a large EU FP7 research programme entitled ‘Sustaining Ethical Aquaculture Trade’ (SEAT). SEAT involves 14 European and Asian partner institutions, including DIIS.

Trade in aquatic products is the largest global food sector, by value, with Asia representing the main external source of aquatic products into the EU. Current EU policy supporting international trade between Asia and Europe concentrates on issues of food safety as measures of quality, while market-forces drive development of standards and labels that identify social and environmental parameters. The SEAT project proposes to establish an evidence-based framework to support current and future stakeholder dialogues organised by a third party certifier. It seeks to contribute to harmonising standards, helping consumers to make fully informed choices with regards to the sustainability and safety of their seafood, and to develop an ‘Ethical Aquatic Food Index’ (EAFI), a qualitative holistic measure of overall sustainability to support consumers’ purchasing decisions.

The successful PhD candidate will be working under two SEAT Work Packages that examine: (1) the social and economic dynamics of value chains for selected aquaculture products; and (2) the role of standards and certifications in governing such value chains. The overall objectives of this work are:

• Examine the configuration of global value chains for aquatic products originating in two Asian countries, their governance structures and upgrading possibilities, and the role of standards in shaping governance and upgrading; assess the entry barriers, structure of rewards and demands on quality and logistics that arise for actors at different levels.
• Compare different institutional arrangements to link small and medium producers to these value chains and evaluate how national and international policy and regulatory frameworks for fisheries and trade facilitate or hinder integration in value chains for aquatic products.
•  Analyse the costs and benefits, and inclusion and exclusion thresholds, for particular groups of producers (i.e. small and medium producers), countries or regions for production and marketing of cultured seafood.

It is anticipated that the successful candidate will be enrolled at the Graduate School of International Development Studies at Roskilde University.

PhD candidates are paid salary according to the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The PhD candidate has a work obligation of up to 840 hours over the 3-year period without additional pay.

The scholarship will be available from 1 February 2011.
The application should be in English and include a CV, documentation (copies) of examinations passed and a short statement on how the candidate’s previous studies, research and experience will contribute to the project (max 2 pages).

Applications must be submitted in three copies marked ‘PhD – Global Economy’, should be addressed to Director Nanna Hvidt, DIIS, Strandgade 56, DK-1401 Copenhagen K, Denmark, and should reach DIIS no later than Monday, 20 December 2010 at 12.00 noon. Electronic applications or enclosures will not be accepted.

All qualified applicants – regardless of national, ethnic or religious background, gender, age or sexual orientation – are encouraged to apply.

For any further question, please contact Stefano Ponte (spo@diis.dk) or Christian Lund (clund@ruc.dk).
The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) is an independent research institution engaged in research in international affairs. The institute draws up reports and analyses and follows developments in international affairs continuously in order to assess the security and foreign policy situation of Denmark, e.g. aspects of relevance with regard to development policy. DIIS also communicates research findings, analyses and knowledge and performs functions concerning documentation, information and library services.
Furthermore, DIIS contributes to the education of researchers, supports the development of research capacity in developing countries and establishes contacts between Danish and international research environments. DIIS and the Danish Institute for Human Rights together constitute the Danish Centre for International Studies and Human Rights (DCISM), sharing a common administration and library.

For further information, please see www.diis.dk.

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Workshop on Migration and Spatial Mobility

The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at Lund University is initiating a call for papers for a three-days workshop on Migration and Spatial Mobility in the Middle East.

Location: CMES Lund University, Sweden
Date: 16-18 May 2011

Papers may cover a variety of topics focusing on migration patterns and processes including spatial migration patterns in Middle East countries and their relations to natural resources (e.g. oil, water), the economic, political, social and cultural impacts of migration in the region, and the consequences of integration or non-integration of migrants. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses are welcome.

Objective: CMES hopes that the workshop will initiate international collaborative multidisciplinary ventures among scholars with a broad range of academic backgrounds.

Cost: CMES will cover travel and lodging costs for participants presenting papers in the workshop. Submitters of accepted proposals will be notified on 25 January 2011. A limited number of scholarships are available for young scholar as ‘listening participants’ (to apply please submit a one page statement of purpose and cv by 15 January 2011).

Deadlines:
Abstract submission: 15 January 2011
Notification of acceptance: 25 January 2011
Draft papers submission: 25 April 2011

For inquiries and submission please contact the organizers: Abdulhadi Khalaf  and Petter Pilesjö .
abdulhadi.khalaf at soc.lu.se ,  or

petter.pilesjo at giscentrum.lu.se

http://www.cmes.lu.se/2010/opportunities/workshop-migration-and-spatial-mobility-in-the-middle-east/



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