La Trobe University Centre for Dialogue

Europe and Asia: Between Islam and the United States

The aim of this research project is to assess how countries in Europe and Asia, two emerging centres of power in the world, are handling the rise of Islam both domestically and in their foreign policies: in particular in relations with the United States on the one hand and also with the Muslim world on the other. The programme is broken up into three phases:

Phase One

This phase has involved symposia which were coordinated by the Centre for Dialogue. The first symposium was held in partnership with the Centre of Social Ethics, Nanzan University, Nagoya, Japan; and the second with the Institute of International Relations, University of Warsaw, Poland. The first symposium, Searching for Equitability and Peace in the Post 9-11 World: Exploring Alternatives for Australia and Japan, held in September 2005 at Nanzan University in Nagoya, brought together a group of distinguished Japanese and Australian scholars and other expert voices from the Asia-Pacific region. The findings and recommendations of the symposium were summarised in a report, Securing the Region post-September 11, widely circulated to policy-makers (including officials at the December 2005 East Asian Summit), journalists, scholars, a range of regional organisations as well as to a large number of NGOs in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. Copies are available from the Centre upon request.

In addition, a significant paper on the possible amendment of the Japanese Constitution has also been widely distributed. A major edited volume based on twelve key papers presented at the symposium will be published by Edward Elgar in the UK in the first half of 2007.

The second symposium, jointly organised by La Trobe University and the University of Warsaw, was held in June 2006. Titled Europe between the United States and Islam – Current Trends, Future Prospects, it brought together contributors from Australia (three staff members of the Centre for Dialogue) and several leading scholars from Poland and other parts of Europe as well as Turkey. A joint publication, either as an edited volume or a special issue for a leading academic journal is envisaged for 2007.

Phase Two

In the second phase a major international conference is planned for December of 2007. This will be jointly sponsored by the Centre for Dialogue and the recently established Innovative Universities European Union Centre (partly based at La Trobe University). To be held at La Trobe University, this Conference is provisionally titled ‘Europe and Asia between Islam and the United States: The Lessons of Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Iran’. The Conference itself, and the publications arising from it, will involve a detailed examination of the policies and attitudes of a range of countries in Europe and Asia Pacific. Scholars, policy makers and other experts and practitioners will focus on the pronouncements and actions of governments, on the role of parliaments and political parties, research centres and think tanks, media, and NGOs and public opinion more generally. An attempt will be made to consider the differences in the cultural, political and strategic environment of Europe on the one hand, and Asia on the other. Attention will also centre on similarities and on the extent to which the societies and governments of Europe and Asia can learn from each other’s experiences, and on the opportunities for closer collaboration in the coming years.

Phase Three

This phase will consolidate the research and institutional partnerships developed from the earlier two phases. It is envisaged that this programme will involve active collaboration between the La Trobe Centre for Dialogue and at least seven other institutions in Europe and Asia. Interaction between these institutions will make active use of the web, periodic student and staff exchanges, as well as and joint publications.

For more information on this project please contact: Professor Joseph Camilleri