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SOUTH ASIA REGIONALISM: Workshops on Shared History, Challenges, and the Way Forward
Mobile Technology
Thursday, April 24, 2014, 8:30 am – 11:00 am
How can mobile technology be used to enable economic and social mobility for those at the base of the pyramid? Discussions will examine how mobile technology can be used to promote access to improved services such as healthcare, banking, and education.
Disasters and Mental Health
Thursday, April 24, 2014, 11:15 am – 1:45 pm
What are the best practices in urban disaster planning and response, and how can trauma care be implemented effectively in dense urban settings? Goals are to outline a plan for a needs assessment in urban areas, explore innovative undertakings to promote access to mental healthcare, and discuss the need for training of health workers.
Urbanism and South Asia
Thursday, April 24, 2014, 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
To what extent do local and global innovations in environmental sustainability, building materials and other technologies stand to redefine patterns of development?
How have cities in the region remained mindful of the past through conservation and other means in the face of relentless growth? And what are the unique characteristics that define and differentiate the contemporary South Asian city in juxtaposition with other regions in Asia and beyond?
Water
Friday, April 25, 2014, 8:30 am – 11:00 am
This workshop will seek to harness the intellectual strength of experts working on issues related to water in South Asia, in order to establish a sustained platform for the ongoing study of complex and inter-related issues around water use and management. By doing so, linkages will be created between existing streams of research to create synergy and maximize impact on issues related to water, including energy, agriculture, food security, and climate change.
Religion and secularism
Friday, April 25, 2014, 11:15 am – 1:15 pm
This workshop will shed light on Hindu-Muslim relations and the production of religious violence in contemporary
India. By focusing on contemporary phenomena—such as the popularity of Narendra Modi on the national stage; the recent carnage in Muzaffarnagar; and the rise of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a potential third front in Indian politics—we will discuss the limits of secularism in India. While many scholars would affirm the secular credentials of AAP, the party’s fielding of candidates based on religious identity and its rejection of referendum in Kashmir call for a discussion on the viability of secularism.
Way forward for the informal economy
Friday, April 25, 2014, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
An estimated 93 percent of India’s population is employed outside of the formal sector. How does the informal economy fit into these conversations and what needs to change so that it does?