Book Launch and Discussion “Outsourcing the Polity; Non-State Welfare, Inequality and Resistance in Myanmar”
May 21 @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Event Background
‘Outsourcing the Polity; Non-State Welfare, Inequality and Resistance in Myanmar” offers a new account of social outsourcing and non-state social provisioning in post-independence Myanmar, with clear implications for understanding the post-coup context. Grounded in extensive research during Myanmar’s decade of partial civilian rule (2011–2021), the book examines how ideals and practices of non-state welfare – charity, philanthropy and social provisioning beyond the state – can both sustain democratic resistance and entrench inequality over time.
The book, recently published by Cornell University Press, will be launched at SEA Junction on 21 May at 5.30-7pm with a panel discussion. The presentations will explore the book in light of the extraordinary resilience of Myanmar’s revolutionary movement since the 2021 military coup and reflect on its relevance for a future New Myanmar. In particular, the panel will consider how legacies of autocratic market reform and austerity have shaped the material and ideological basis of the ongoing struggle against dictatorship in Myanmar, including the role of Burmese abroad. The panel is composed of the author and experts as follows:
Panel Moderator
- Rosalia Sciortino, Associate Professor, Institute for Population and Social Research (IPSR) and Director SEA Junction
Panel Speakers
- Gerard McCarthy, Author and Assistant Professor, Social Policy & Development at International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague (part of Erasmus University of Rotterdam)
- Sirada Khemanitthathai,Lecturer, Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University
- Arkar Hein, Program Specialist, United States Institute of Peace
Speakers and Moderator Bios
Gerard McCarthy is Assistant Professor of Social Policy & Development at the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague (part of Erasmus University of Rotterdam). He was previously Research Fellow at National University of Singapore’s Asia Research Institute and Associate Director of the Myanmar Research Centre at Australian National University.
Sirada Khemanitthathai is Lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and Public Administration, Chiang Mai University. Her research focuses on migration, livelihoods and foreign policy of Myanmar. She received her PhD from SOAS, University of London.
Arkar Hein is an analyst and researcher engaged with the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar. He currently serves as Program Specialist for the United States Institute of Peace. Previously, he worked at the Renaissance Institute, a leading policy think tank in Myanmar, focused on local governance, fiscal federalism and political economy of Myanmar. Arkar earned a Master of Public Policy from Oxford University and a B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University.
Rosalia Sciortino is associate professor at the Institute for Population and Social Research, Mahidol University, Bangkok, visiting professor at the International Development Program at Chulalongkorn University and director of SEA Junction. She is emeritus Asia regional director with the Rockefeller Foundation and the International Development Research Center, Senior Adviser for AusAid (now DFAT) in Indonesia and program officer with the Ford Foundation in Indonesia and the Philippines (see at rosaliasciortino.com).
For more information, please email: info@seajunction.org or phone/wa: +66970024140
NB: The event is free, but donations are welcome to support SEA Junction activities.
Organizer:
SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions, from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 407 and 408 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium), SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. For more information, see www.seajunction.org, join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/1693058870976440/ and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @seajunction.
