NEIU Asian Heritage Festival: Human Rights --

PRELIMINARY PROGRAM
15th Annual Asian American Heritage Conference
Human Rights: From Dialogue to Action
March 31 – April 1, 2010
Calendar of Events
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
11:00 am – 11:50 am Golden Eagles
The Olympic Games, Human Rights and Democratization: The Cases of Seoul and Beijing
Greetings: Sharon K. Hahs, President, NEIU
Introduction/Moderator: David Leaman, Chair and Associate Professor, Political Science, NEIU
Presenter: Sangmin Bae, Associate Professor, Political Science, NEIU
A comparison between the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympics addressing the role and influence of the Olympics in precipitating a democratic transition and in promoting human rights
Event Host: Shen Cheng Xu
12:00 noon – 1:15 pm B-146
Asian Business Practices
Introduction: Hong Gee (Andy) Chen, Assistant Professor, Accounting, Business Law and Finance, NEIU
Presenters: D. S. Sundaram, Assistant Professor, Management and Marketing, NEIU
Jian Li, Assistant Professor, Management and Marketing, NEIU
Vivien Chen, Assistant Professor, Management and Marketing, NEIU
Event Host: D. S. Sundaram
1:00 pm – 1:50 pm Golden Eagles
Covering Communities of Color: Living on the Edge
Introduction: Seung-Hwan Mun, Assistant Professor, Communication, Media and Theatre, NEIU
Presenters: Linda Yu, Co-Anchor, ABC 7, Chicago
Nancy Loo, Anchor, Morning News, Fox News Chicago, WFLD-TV, Emmy Award Winning News Journalist
Event Host: Masahiro Kasai
1:25 pm – 2:40 pm SU-214
Burma and Iran: Elections, Democracy and Human Rights
Greetings: Murrell J. H. Duster, Dean, Academic Development, Diversity/Multicultural Programs, NEIU
Introduction: Jason Mohaghegh, Assistant Professor, Philosophy, NEIU
Presenters: Kyi May Kaung, Independent Burma Scholar; poet and novelist
Hamid Akbari, The Audrey Reynolds Distinguished Teaching Professor of Management; Chairperson, Department of Management and Marketing, and Director, Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh Leadership Fund at NEIU
This presentation compares and contrasts pro-democracy struggles in Iran and Burma, with a focus on the planned 2010 elections in Burma (Myanmar). Co-sponsored by the Dr. Mohammad Mossadegh Leadership Fund at NEIU
Event Host: Jason Mohaghegh
2:40 pm – 4:30 pm SU-214
Nowruz – A celebration of Iranian New Year
Nowruz, or new day, is the celebration of the Spring Equinox. It is the most cherished of all Iranian festivals and has been observed in one form or another by major cultures of ancient Mesopotamia. Today Nowruz, with its uniquely Iranian characteristics, is a celebration of Spring and the Creation of Life. Seven trays filled with symbolic objects representing truth, justice, good thoughts, good deeds, virtue, prosperity, generosity and long life are displayed. Stop by and sample food, see displays of traditional Nowruz tables, Iranian books and handicrafts. Sponsored by Iranian Faculty, NEIU
Event Hosts: Saba Ayman-Nolley, Simin Hemmati-Rasmussen
4:15 pm – 5:30 pm Golden Eagles
A Video Documentary Screening and Interactive Discussion on North Korea
Introduction: Kyu Young Park, Associate Director, International Programs, NEIU
Moderator: Seung-Hwan Mun, Assistant Professor, Communication, Media and Theatre, NEIU
Event Host: Andy Chen
7:05 pm – 8:30 pm Golden Eagles
Globalization, Climate Change and Environmental Justice
Introduction: Murrell J. H. Duster, Dean, Academic Development, Diversity/Multicultural Programs, NEIU
Presenters: Economic Liberalization and Displacement
Abhijit Banerjee, Assistant Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies, NEIU
Climate Justice
Jyoti Kulkarni, Program Associate, START (Global Change System for Analysis, Research and Training)
Women and Environmental Justice
Shweta Singh, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago Event Host: Yasmin Ranney
7:05 pm – 8:30 pm SU-214
The Role of Asia in a Globalized Economy
Greetings: Lawrence P. Frank, Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs, NEIU
Introduction: Andy Chen, Professor, Accounting, Business Law and Finance, NEIU
Presenter: Ed Stuart, Professor, Economics Department, NEIU
The Growing Influence of China in the Global Economy
Presenter: Jin W. Choi, Associate Professor, Economics, DePaul University
The rapid economic growth of China in recent decades demands greater respect by the world community. Knowledge of the past, present, and future of China is essential for business managers to compete effectively in the global economy. Will China be a threat to the U.S.A.? Event Host: Kyu Young Park

TBA Golden Eagles
Asian Cultural Patterns: Classroom Implications
Presenter: Teddy Bofman, Professor, Teaching English As a Second/Foreign Language (TESL/TEFL), and English Language Program, NEIU
Event Host: Jeanine Ntihirageza
Thursday, April 1, 2010
8:00 am – 9:15 am Golden Eagles
Goddess Worship in Southern India
Introduction/Moderator:Martin Giesso, Lecturer, Anthropology Department, NEIU
Presenter: Sally Noble, Executive Director and Program Officer, Associated Colleges of the Midwest Chicago Programs
Event Host: Rohit Joshi
9:25 am - 10:40 am Golden Eagles
Human Rights in Asia: Media Coverage
Introduction: Rohit Joshi, Learning Center, NEIU
Panelists: Judy Wang, News Anchor, CLTV, Chicagoland Television
Vandana Jhingan, TV ASIA Midwest Bureau
Event Host: Rohit Joshi
10:50 am – 12:00 Noon Alumni Hall
Bhopal, India: 25th Anniversary of the World’s Worst Industrial Disaster
A Video Discussion-Presentation with Live Feed from Chicago based students currently volunteering in Bhopal
Introduction/Moderator: Stefan Tsonchev, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department, NEIU
Presenter: Tony Millard, Advisory Board Member, Students for Bhopal in the US, International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB)
Event Host: Masami Takahashi
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm Golden Eagles
Disasters: Vulnerability and the Politics of Reconstruction
‘Tsunami Recovery in Sri Lanka: Ethnic and Regional Dimensions ’ (2010)
Michele R Gamburd, Professor, Anthropology, Portland State University; co-editor, Tsunami Recovery in Sri Lanka: Ethnic and Regional Dimensions, (2010)
The Indian Ocean Tsunami devastated 70 percent of Sri Lanka’s coastline and killed an estimated 35,000 people. It was remarkable both for the magnitude of the disaster and for the unprecedented scale of relief and recovery operations mounted by national and international agencies. The reconstruction process was hampered by political patronage, by competing efforts of hundreds of foreign humanitarian organizations, and by the ongoing civil war. This presentation is framed within this larger political and social context, offering descriptions and comparisons between two regions (southwest vs. eastern coast) to illustrate how disaster relief unfolded in a culturally pluralistic political landscape.
Mangroves and Vulnerability to Coastal Disasters
Monika Mihir, Assistant Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies, NEIU
Explaining Post-Disaster Solidarity: Civic Participation and Politics of Emotions in the Wake of the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake in China
Bin Xu, PhD candidate, Sociology, Northwestern University
Event Host: Hoa T. Khuong
1:00 – 2:00 pm Village Square
The Asian American Heritage Committee invites you to Village Square to write poems, draw images
pen your thoughts to give hope and encouragement to residents of Haiti at Village Square Tables, courtesy: Shenchen Xu, Assistant Professor, Art Department; advisor, Chinese Student Club, NEIU; co-sponsored by The Chinese Student Club, NEIU; Aikido Demonstration by Stephen Toyoda and friends, Japanese Culture Center, Chicago; Korean Craft Demonstration, co-sponsored by The Korean American Cultural Association Event Host: Cynthia Roth Garfield

2:30 pm – 4:05 pm SU-214
Discovering the Women of Asia – A Presentation by NEIU Students, MNGT 378 “Women and Diversity in Management”
Introduction: Marie-Elene Roberge, Assistant Professor, Management and Marketing, NEIU
NEIU students, MNGT 378 will present challenges and contributions of prominent Asian Women: Mother Theresa, Corazon Aquino, Indira Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto, Queen Noor of Jordan, Imelda Marcos, and Mumtaz Mahal (for whom the Taj Mahal was built). Event Host: Masahiro Kasai

2:50 pm – 4:05 pm Golden Eagles
Disasters: Vulnerability and the Politics of Reconstruction
‘Tsunami Recovery in Sri Lanka: Ethnic and Regional Dimensions ’ (2010)
Introduction: Job Ngwe, Assistant Professor, Social Work Department, NEIU
Presenter: Michele R Gamburd, Professor, Anthropology, Portland State University; co-author, Tsunami Recovery in Sri Lanka: Ethnic and Regional Dimensions, (2010)
The Indian Ocean Tsunami devastated 70 percent of Sri Lanka’s coastline and killed an estimated 35,000 people. It was remarkable both for the magnitude of the disaster and for the unprecedented scale of relief and recovery operations mounted by national and international agencies. The reconstruction process was hampered by political patronage, by competing efforts of hundreds of foreign humanitarian organizations, and by the ongoing civil war. This presentation is framed within this larger political and social context, offering descriptions and comparisons between two regions (southwest vs. eastern coast) and four ethnic communities (Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, and Burghers) to illustrate how disaster relief unfolded in a culturally pluralistic political landscape. Event Host: Evelyn Rivera-Swint
4:15 pm – 5:30 pm Golden Eagles
Relief Efforts: A Global Challenge
Introduction:
Presenters: Red Cross representative

7:05 pm – 8:30 pm Golden Eagles
DAM/AGE, a film with Arundhati Roy - A Video Presentation/Discussion on the Narmada Dam
Introduction: Jerry Mostek, Instructor, Geography and Environmental Studies, NEIU
Co-Presenters: Abhijit Banerjee, Assistant Professor, Geography and Environmental Studies, NEIU
Suvarup Saha, Human Rights Activist, Ph.D. Candidate, Northwestern University
In October 2001, the supreme court in India charged Arundhati Roy with contempt of court. This is the story of the events that led to her arrest Event Host: Abhijit Banerjee
UPCOMING EVENTS:
April 2-3, 2010 Auditorium
8:00 pm
The China Project: The 2010 Ruth Page Dance Series presents this culminating dance presentation, following faculty member Venetia Stifler and her dance company, CDI/Concert Dance Inc’s visit to Nanjing Normal University in 2009. Combining contemporary and classical Chinese dance artists on one stage, dancers from NNU will present their breathtaking style of classical Chinese dance, and CDI will present a stunning program that includes a preview of their newest work, “Irregular Pearls,” based on the company’s two-week journey and exploration of the Chinese dance aesthetic and culture in May 2009; tickets at box office; free to NEIU students, faculty and staff
April 5, 2010 Auditorium
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Cultural Dance Program by Korean dance and music chorus groups
For more information, contact Academic Development 773-442-5441, y-ranney@neiu.edu
All Events are Free and Open to the Public