SEA Junction

FROM FEAR TO RESILIENCE: STORYTELLING OF COVID-19 IN SOUTHEAST ASIA Call for Photo, Short Video and Art Essays by SEA Junction and Partners
2020-04-27 10:00 - 2023-09-01 20:00 (Asia/Krasnoyarsk) | SEA Junction, Room 408, BACC, 939 Rama 1 Rd, Pathum Wan, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330 Bangkok, Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand
These days we are inundated with photos of deaths, ICUs and suffering, creating fear as an incentive to keep us all at home. No matter how well-meaning, this narrative of COVID-19 remains one-sided and may have many unwanted consequences. We know from the HIV epidemic that fear only changes behavior in the short term and it may cause traumas and prejudices that make it more difficult to learn to live with the virus. This narrative also leads to seeing the ‘other’ as the ‘enemy’ who can potentially infect us, triggering unnecessary stigma and discrimination that hampers the efforts to control the pandemic. More needs to be done to raise understanding of the rationale of preventive measures and to provide the social and economic means to enable people to apply those.
Living through a pandemic with unforeseen reality and unending uncertainties for over a year has created an epidemic of fear. As a consequence, there have been stigmatization and blaming to infected people, especially vulnerable population. With the current surges in COVID-19 infection across Southeast Asia, the fear of contracting the disease remains and is even escalated when the vaccine is in shortage and not accessible to many. They are nervous of not getting timely vaccinated, not to mention the concern on vaccine’s safety and efficacy. The fear also extends beyond contraction and manifests in socio-economic stress as a result of the pandemic impacts. In particular, the poor and disadvantaged groups have been hardest hit with a deepening of poverty since the existing inequalities have been exacerbated.
SEA Junction invites all to make an effort to collectively provide a different visual story of the pandemic in Southeast Asia that shows strength and hope. We believe in the importance of reducing fear and promote informed policy and public discussion with more accurate reporting of the epidemiological realities of COVID-19. We need to show that COVID-19 is also a tale of survival, resilience and solidarity.
We are calling for short stories in the form of photo essays, short documentaries and illustrated art essays in any language of the region (to be later translated into English) or in English. We will then select, curate and showcase them in a special section on our online platform and on our social media. We will be also looking for other partners interested in broadcasting these works of resilience. When the COVID-19 situation ease, we will use the selected visual storytelling works to organize a 2-week long exhibition at BACC.
Possible topics include but not limited to:

cultural rituals and faith to counter our anxiety;
experiences of quarantine (at home or at reserved locations) and survival;
people that continue to work in essential services;
laborers and migrant workers that keep the economy running by continuing to work in construction, agriculture, fishing, etc.;
rural and urban community organizing to control the pandemic and provide support to the needy;
innovation and adaptation of technology in resource poor settings;
strategic intervention to enhance people survival beyond relief;
and people that fight for social protection and for upholding of privacy and other human rights amidst this pandemic.

Needless to say, ethical and safety principles need to be respected in the production of the stories, and compliance of preventive measures is a must at any time.
Please submit approximately 15 photos and/or videos along with short essay to southeastasiajunction@gmail.com. The call remains open without specific deadline. We welcome all the entries and also other interested partners to join this call.
Organizers
SEA Junction
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 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
With support of:
China Medical Board
The Rockefeller-endowed China Medical Board (CMB), an independent American foundation started in 1914, aims to advance health in China and neighbouring Asian countries through strengthening medical, nursing and public health research and education. See further chinamedicalboard.org

Call for Proposals, Small Grant Program “Staying Resilient Amid the Pandemic in Southeast Asia”
2020-09-01 - 2023-09-01 | SEA Junction, Room 408, BACC, 939 Rama 1 Rd, Pathum Wan, Khet Pathum Wan, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon 10330 Bangkok, Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand
In Southeast Asia, the spread of COVID-19 has been relatively slow when compared to other regions. With the exception of the Philippines and Indonesia, the number of seriously ill and death cases remain in the two digits. This, however, does not imply that the pandemic should be taken lightly nor that the health, economic and political impacts are insignificant. Like in other parts of the words, human suffering is real, with a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable. The pandemic has also highlighted deep inequalities and socio-economic and human rights challenges.
Irrespective of the capacity of governments to tackle the pandemics, all over the region civil society groups, communities and committed individuals have shown great resilience and solidarity. All kinds of small-scale initiatives have been started to battle the pandemic and cope with its local impacts from providing relief goods and PPE equipment to launching education campaigns and financial schemes.
Recognizing the importance of these diverse initiatives and the fact that they are often undertaken with minimal resources, SEA Junction is launching the “Staying Resilient Amid the Pandemic in Southeast Asia” small-grant program. The 3-year program, with support of the China Medical Board Foundation and WIEGO, provides funds to efforts working to build social capital, strengthen community resilience, improve the living and health conditions of local communities (geographical as well as functional) and enhance their capacity to cope with the current situation of COVID-19 and its longer-term socio-economic and health impacts.
Small grants for an average of USD 2,500 will be awarded to selected groups and individuals. Funds can be used to complement existing resources as well as seeds or matching funds. Besides providing financing, the program will also share relevant COVID-19 and health equity relevant information and knowledge, foster cross-fertilization of ideas and interventions, help build networks and conduct joint advocacy activities.
Eligibility and Priority

This call is open to individuals and groups (both formal and informal)
Focus is on socio-economic and health dimensions of COVID-19
Activities are to be located in Southeast Asia
Priority is given to community-led and inclusive initiatives
Emphasis on equity and resilience

How to Apply:

Download and fill the proposal form provided here: Proposal Template
Use English or any Southeast Asian languages
Submit your brief proposal by email to southeastasiajunction@gmail.com

The first batch of applications was closed in September 2020. We have selected and provided funds to 13 initiatives in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and The Philippines on different issues including arts and culture, migration, gender, rural development, waste management, education, etc. The full list of first batch grantees is available here.
The second call for proposals was closed on 15 March 2021. Amid the new wave of outbreak in many countries, the community demand for support is great with almost 140 relevant proposals received. Thanks to individual and non-profit donations as per our fundraising campaign at the end of 2020, we have been able to increase our initial funds and grant 23 local initiatives from different locations in 8 countries. The full list of second batch grantees is available here. The next opportunity for a third batch of application is tentatively planned for the end of 2021.
Meanwhile, we are now looking for ways to increase the budget as the need is great and response has been overwhelming. Any contribution from interested institutional and individual donors will go a long way toward mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and strengthening the community-based response to the pandemic. If there’s any preference for particular groups, themes or countries, you can earmark your donations and we will take it into account in the grant announcements and selection. Please find more information here.
Organizers
SEA Junction
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 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
With support of:
China Medical Board Foundation
The Rockefeller-endowed China Medical Board (CMB), an independent American foundation started in 1914, aims to advance health in China and neighbouring Asian countries through strengthening medical, nursing and public health research and education. See further chinamedicalboard.org.
WIEGO
WIEGO is a global network focused on securing livelihoods for the working poor, especially women, in the informal economy. Informal workers need voice, visibility and validity. WIEGO creates change by building capacity among informal worker organizations, expanding the knowledge base, and influencing local, national and international policies. See further www.wiego.org.

Call for Research Grant Application: 2023-2024 Cultivating the Humanities and Social Science Research
2023-09-01
Overview
The Association for Asian Studies is now accepting applications for its 2023-2024 Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) Research Grants.
The Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grants are made possible thanks to the generous support of Sweden. This grant program is part of a collaborative transnational project that aims at enhancing the research capabilities of scholars and local institutions, especially in post-conflict and conflict areas, while helping to reduce the social and economic vulnerabilities of South and Southeast Asian countries through policy-relevant research.
The project focuses on junior faculty, graduate students, senior and independent scholars, women, and ethnic minority groups in particular. Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grants are available for short- (up to 2 months), medium- (2-6 months), and long-term (12 months) research projects that advance the fields of the humanities and social sciences in South and Southeast Asia.
The Association for Asian Studies invites applications from low- and lower middle-income countries of Southeast Asia (e.g., Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) as well as from less economically advantaged countries and areas of South Asia (e.g., Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India). When evaluating proposals from Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and India, the review committee will prioritize applicants who come from regions and/or institutions with resource and infrastructure constraints. Applications from the Maldives will also be considered.
We also encourage collaborative projects, especially those that partner scholars from under-resourced institutions with colleagues at institutions that offer more resources and infrastructure to support their work.
Recipients of CHSS grants will be invited to submit a panel proposal at an AAS-in-Asia conference, where they will have the opportunity to share the results of their research projects, participate in skill-building workshops, and discuss publishing prospects with our partners based in Asia, Europe, and the U.S.
Who Is Eligible?

Graduate students (both MA and Ph.D.), junior scholars, and senior scholars are eligible and welcome to apply.
Under-represented constituents of the transnational Asian Studies community, or those from or living in post-conflict areas or in areas where conflicts are ongoing.
People living in low and lower-middle income areas of South and Southeast Asia.
Masters’ students who may not be able to continue on a Ph.D. track due to circumstances beyond their control are also encouraged to apply.
AAS membership is not a requirement.

Program Overview
The CHSS grant program encourages both individual and group projects (such as those bringing senior and junior scholars together) that will explore the subjects of i) development, ii) democracy, iii) human rights, iv) gender, v) the environment, and vi) forest conservation in the Philippines (see below). These themes may be researched on their own, or in combination with one another, or in ways that cut across the humanities and social sciences. Preference will be given to applicants who have never received a research grant in the past and/or who are based in an under-resourced institution.
The program also welcomes proposals for special initiatives aim at the recording, preservation, and dissemination of endangered languages, oral histories, and traditional knowledge.
The Forest Foundation Philippines is a non-profit organization that provides grants and technical assistance to organizations and individuals that empower the people to protect the forests. A special funding through its small grants program will be made available by the Forest Foundation Philippines to Filipino scholars with projects related to forest conservation and restoration, forest communities and sustainable livelihoods, indigenous knowledge systems, forest policy and governance, (counter)mapping forest landscapes, and other approaches that foster knowledge co-creation and transdisciplinary knowledge-making in any discipline of humanities and social sciences. Under-represented scholars, including indigenous scholars, women, and early-career researchers, especially from Palawan, Sierra Madre, Samar and Leyte, and Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental, are invited to apply. For more information about the programs of the Forest Foundation Philippines, visit their website at www.forestfoundation.ph.
CHSS grants typically range from $2,000 for a short-term project to $12,000 for long-term.
The grants will be awarded with the understanding that within two years of completion of their project, the recipients will present the results of their research at an AAS-in-Asia conference, or a similar international conference, with acknowledgement of the award. Any publication based on the funded research should also acknowledge the AAS-Sweden Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grants or the Forest Foundation Philippines.
What Funding May Be Used For

Research essential for postdoctoral scholars and PhD and Master’s students theses, dissertation, and/or book projects, or for manuscript revisions and journal articles in the humanities and social sciences.
Small scholarly seminars and pedagogical workshops.
Translation, curriculum development, and textbooks projects.
Documentary films and visual arts projects.

What Funding May Not Be Used For

Travel and accommodation expenses to attend a professional conference.
The funding may not be used in conjunction with another research grant.

How to Apply
All applications must be submitted through the AAS application portal by September 1, 2023. Your application should include:

A cover letter outlining: 1) how the research grant will be used; 2) how it will contribute to the applicant’s professional development and academic career; 3) how this will contribute to the field of South or Southeast Asian studies in general; 4) how this project or applicant is related to low-income or less economically advantaged regions of South or Southeast Asia.
A two-page curriculum vitae, as well as the curriculum vitae of any team members or co-primary investigators (if applicable).
A proposal of 800-1,000 words (including footnotes) on the research project
A budget, detailing anticipated project expenses.
A timeline for the project.
A sample of the applicant’s work. (No minimum length, but ideally 2,000 – 2,500 words)
One recommendation letter by a referee who is familiar with the applicant’s field of research. Preference will be given to applicants who have never received a research grant in the past and/or who are based in an under-resourced institution. Each applicant must request that the letters be submitted via the online portal by September 1, 2023. Please contact the Grants Manager at grants@asianstudies.org if any difficulties arise on this step.

Applicants will be notified in December 2023 of funding decisions.
Please read more information the Southeast Asian Studies.

Call for Paper: Documenting Power and Resistance in Southeast Asia and Southeast Asian America
2023-09-01
Overview
It invites participants to reconsider the role of historical collections in relation to concepts of care and restitution and as forms of empowerment against state-sponsored violence and community erasure. We take our title from the notion of the archive as a living and dynamic force, considering how the archive and the act of archiving can empower, but also contaminate and be contaminated. We look at different kinds of archives and their dangers of contamination: colonial documents and photographs, records of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, forensic evidence of the atrocities of the Marcos regime and the “drug wars” in the Philippines, and contemporary state violence in Burma. The conference seeks to bring together Critical Archival Studies scholars with archives practitioners, artists, and communities of interest who are touched by these archives: communities whose histories are constrained by the archives’ narrations; journalists who are contaminated by reporting and archiving authoritarian violence; artists and filmmakers engaged in mediating this violence in public cultural projects of reconciliation and restitution.
Looking for papers that address the following themes:

The role of archives in public projects promoting reconciliation and restitution in communities of harm resulting from authoritarian violence
The role of archives in public pedagogy and meaning-making
Community archives as alternative sources of archival authority in knowledge production
Theorizing the limits of archives’ authority: authority in truth-seeking versus oppressive proscription
Exploring the violence of acts of archiving, including for journalists, archivists and government officials who experience that violence
Critiques of colonial archives and their presumptions. Acts of redescription and responsibilities of archivists in collaboration with communities of harm
The role of archives in judicial accountability
How do art and curatorial practices drawing on archival materials care for, resist, or resignify histories?
Open topics related to “Contaminating Archives”

The conference is supported by the Henry Luce Foundation LuceSea grant to the Center for Southeast Asia and its Diasporas at the University of Washington. Selected paper presenters will be provided with a subsidy of around $500 towards travel costs.
Please send any inquiries and/or a 300-500 word paper abstract to Judith Henchy (judithh@uw.edu)
Conference information will be posted to the website: guides.lib.uw.edu/seafellows
Please click the here to read more information about the conference and submit the abstract and/or proposal.
