Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 22:36:56 -0800 From: Indian Progressive Study Group <ipsg-AT-maestro.com> To: Indian Progressive Study Group <ipsg-AT-maestro.com> Subject: 7th Annual AIPSG Conference Status: - NEWS RELEASE - 7th ANNUAL AIPSG CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS THE LINK BETWEEN SOUTH ASIAN IDENTITY AND SOCIAL PROGRESS IN THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH ASIA This year's annual conference of the AIPSG, to be held in Boston on November 15, 1997 will take place within the context of the 50th anniversary of India's formal independence. It also coincides with India passing through a great political and economic crisis. The Golden Jubilee celebrations this year have put the international spotlight on India and made it clear that serious problems exist there which require bold solutions. People from all walks of life want to see an end to the human tragedy in India perpetuated by poverty, conflicts, and enrichment of a few at the cost of many. They are beginning to activise themselves to make a contribution towards the solution of India's problems, and do not want to remain on the sidelines as passive spectators. For people of Indian origin living abroad in particular, it is emerging as a matter of collective consciousness that they will not be able to affirm their identity by remaining aloof from the developments in India. At the same time, their realities are very distinct from those living in India. The current debate on identity presents "cosmopolitan" values and "traditional" values as the twin options available to address the identity crisis of the youth growing up outside India. But these options themselves are anachronistic and contrary to the social consciousness of the new generation which yearns to fully be a part of its polity and retain and yet affirm its cultural and national identity. Political rights and national rights are not the same things. The former pertains to equality in the polity and is opposed to any notion of hierarchical rights or of a hyphenated-citizenry. The latter pertains to the rights of a collective belonging to a nation, which must preserve and develop its national identity as an integral part of the process of participating in the political affairs and life of any society. For a nationality, it can mean having the right to self-determination, while for national minorities, it can boil down to the preservation, development and propagation of languages and cultures, which will assist its collective to fully participate in the polity. This conference will, as a start, discuss the problems of the countries of South Asia and the problems of South Asians living abroad connected together as struggles against marginalization, which takes diverse forms. Everyone has a contribution to make to this discussion because marginalization is not a local problem, or something that affects people selectively. We invite everyone to participate in the discussion and contribute towards a solution to the problem. If you would like to present a participate in the conference, or present a paper, please contact the AIPSG as follows: Association of Indian Progressive Study Groups c/o IPSG - Boston, (617) 864-0579 Email: ipsg-AT-maestro.com --- from list seminar-12-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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