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STATE OF THE NETWORK: ACADEMIC NETWORK AUDIT RESULTS THE GLOBAL CONSEQUENCES OF ‘GEOREMIX DIPLOMACY’
United Nations Association of Australia Academic Network News
UN Photo/ Albert Gonzalez Farran
Issue 34 – August 2014
STATE OF THE NETWORK: ACADEMIC NETWORK AUDIT RESULTS | 5 FEATURE: THE GLOBAL CONSEQUENCES OF ‘GEOREMIX DIPLOMACY’ | 6 Kiran Marfatia CALL FOR PAPERS | 10 OPPORTUNITIES & ANNOUNCEMENTS | 12 PUBLIC LECTURES | 13 CONFERENCES | 14 CONFERENCES FOR EMERGING SCHOLARS | 15 UNAA EVENTS | 16 PUBLICATIONS | 17 THE BEST OF WHAT’S AROUND | 18
From the National Coordinator
Welcome to the latest edition of the UNAA’s Academic Network Newsletter. By now you should have realized the substantial makeover the Newsletter has adopted. The new design of the newsletter was carried out by current UNAA intern Allison McClelland. Part of the reason that I have felt the need for a redesign was to create a more “contributor friendly” newsletter. I personally feel the new design meets this brief, and thank Allison for all of her hard work. As the newsletter goes forward it is my hope that it will continue to expand in size and scope to offer Network members the opportunity to contribute, and collaborate with one another. The main addition is the inclusion of some smaller articles, designed to inform and encourage discussion amongst network members. Within this edition two articles exist. The first is an infographic, which looks to the results of the inaugural Academic Network Membership audit designed to provide an insight into the Network, and allow members to provide some feedback relating to its future direction.
Continued over
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The second article is from an emerging scholar from Bond University. In The Global Consequences of ‘Georemix Diplomacy’ Kiran Marfatia investigates the role of Pharell Williams as a cultural diplomat. Marfatia looks to the cultural phenomena of Williams’ ‘Happy’ video and the ‘multitude of videos that have raised different social and political issues…all through smiling, dancing, and happiness.’ Kiran’s contribution is the first in what I hope will be numerous contributions from our Emerging Scholars Program. The purpose of the Network’s Emerging Scholars Program was to create an avenue for emerging scholars to interact with more established academics to allow for guidance, mentoring, and potentially collaboration. In the spirit of the program Kiran’s details have been included at the end of his article,
please don’t hesitate to contact him with any questions, comments, or feedback you may have in relation to his article, I know that he will appreciate it immensely. The other notable addition to the newsletter is a new section: ‘The Best of What’s Around’. The intention of this section is to include recent online pieces that Members may find useful or interesting. If you have anything you believe is part of ‘The Best of What’s Around” please don’t hesitate to pass it along via [email protected]. In conclusion, I will mention that the 2014 essay competition was a great success. The winners have been informed and you can expect to read all about their efforts in a forthcoming edition of the newsletter.
Mark Dinnen
From the National Coordinator
From the National Coordinator
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Kiran Marfatia is a third year Law and International Relations student at Bond University, based on the Gold Coast, with a particular interest in diplomacy, conflict and the environment. For further enquiries please contact Kiran: [email protected] 0423 031 640
KIRAN MARFATIA
The Global Consequences of ‘Georemix Diplomacy’
FEATURE
As of July 2014, Wikipedia lists Pharrell Williams as a singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, musician and fashion designer. This is a man who clearly wears a variety of hats, and not just his prized Vivienne Westwood. However, Wikipedia has failed to include one of the most important roles Williams has played – cultural diplomat. On November 21, 2013, Williams released ‘Happy’, a vibrant ‘neo soul and funk’ song, with an equally bubbly video. The song quickly rose to number one in 24 countries around the world, including Lebanon, Venezuela and South Africa. However, ‘Happy’ is not significant because of its “unbelievably catchy” chorus. Williams’ music video is significant because it is a vehicle for people around the world to create videos capturing their local landscapes, people and spirit, whilst all along, endorsing happiness.[1]
This video has been so successfully taken on by the global population that the website, www.wearehappyfrom.com, has been set up specifically to find and catalogue all ‘Happy’ georemixes uploaded to YouTube. As of July 2014, 1,950 videos from 153 countries had been found, each with views varying from 7,000, all the way up to 1.5 million. With such a massive amount of videos, and with so many people viewing them, Williams’ ‘Happy’ has fast become a cross-cultural phenomenon – with enormous cultural diplomatic potential. Cultural diplomacy is a relatively new concept in global affairs. Existing as a sub-category of public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy prioritizes communication as a social process of building relationships and fostering harmony.[2] It is about “promoting and maintaining smooth international relationships” through initiatives, which “seek to find commonalities or mutual interests between publics, and ways to link those publics”.[3]
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FEATURE
Williams’ music video represents a new form of cultural diplomacy – ‘georemix diplomacy’. His video has been able to connect people around the world, through parodies and remakes, and as more people are connected, cross-cultural relationships become further enhanced. Georemixing of ‘Happy’ has proven particularly effective because of its dynamic and adaptive nature. Williams has provided a basic recipe for the average person to follow, and then make their own. This type of shared decision-making, referred to as ‘control mutuality’, ensures that each video uploaded to YouTube is credible, honest and unique to the situation.[4]
The practical result of this has been a multitude of videos that have raised different social and political issues, and all through smiling, dancing and happiness. A group of Syrian refugees in northern Iraq produced their version of ‘Happy’ celebrating their lives and community, whilst depicting the landscape of life for Syrian refugees. This was followed by another video by Syrian refugees in the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, whose message was not just of life and happiness, but went further to encouraging support of education and mental health programs for internally displaced Syrians.[5] One effect of georemixing has been the breakdown and dispelling of Muslim stereotypes.
In Chicago, Rayyan Najeeb was able to put together his own take on the song, with the aim of presenting the Muslim community as “happy people who want to spread happiness, together.” With just 12 hours notice, Najeeb rallied 150 Muslim participants to dance, sing and clap together. The group was visually diverse, and included people wearing conservative headwear and also moderate modern dressed people. Within two days, Najeeb’s video had been viewed 25,000 times, and at last count had 151,000 views. If each one of those views reflected one person watching, Najeeb was able to connect on a global scale with roughly 151,000 people. Georemixing offers a novel way for the public to become active participants and stake holders in the way relationships are built in international relations. No longer do we have to rely on traditional and formal channels of diplomacy to foster understanding of other countries’ needs, cultures and peoples, all it takes is a camera (or iPhone), an Internet connection and happy people. Although, some governments have disagreed with the ability of citizens to create their own message to broadcast globally, particularly where it may be inconsistent with the state.
Williams’ music video represents a new form of cultural diplomacy – ‘georemix diplomacy’
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A picture charting all the locations where georemxies have been created - http://www.wearehappyfrom.com/map A video uploaded by six young Iranians, involving dancing and singing across houses and rooftops in Tehran, was answered by the Iranian authorities arresting all six of them. The video carried the message that Iranians are happy and connected with the rest of the world, as Najeeb’s video did. However, this message flew in the face of the older religious conservatives in Iran, and also broke a number of local laws of association and attire. Whilst the arrest of the six was internationally condemned, the video and its ensuing events communicated to the world that there is a growing clash between the religious conservatives and the moderate youth in Iran. Moreover, with over 1.2 million views on the Iranian version of ‘Happy’ alone, an enormous group of people is witnessing the youth of Iran’s attempts to create global connections.
This relational initiative clearly presents public diplomacy with a number of unique opportunities. Yet arguably the most significant is georemixing’s ability to target and access the world’s younger generations. Young people have been able to use Williams’ music video to draw awareness to issues relevant to them, and to create commonalities across cultures. ‘Happy’ parodies, as a cultural diplomatic force, do nevertheless face some limitations in terms of affecting global relations. Most importantly, there must be a method of continuing and sustaining the relationships fostered through georemixing. Further, the monitoring and evaluation of such a relational initiative is near impossible because of its long-reaching and long-term consequences, and thus it is difficult to provide quantitative results of ‘georemix diplomacy’. Nonetheless, ‘Happy’ has presented the global public with a unique opportunity to communicate and connect on a level previously unachieved. Culture is well recognised as a vehicle for building relationships, and what better form of culture than happiness and dance to assert global commonality and shared understandings – after all, in Williams’ own words, “clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth.”
Culture is well recognised as a vehicle for building relationships, and what better form of culture than happiness and dance to assert global commonality and shared understandings.
FEATURE
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References and Links FEATURE ONE
[1] Zuckerman, E. (May 21, 2014). YouTube Parody as Politics: How The World Made Pharrell Cry. Retrieved May 29, 2014, from http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/05/youtube-parody-as-politics-how-the-world-made-pharrell-cry/371380/.z [2] Snow, N., & Taylor, P. M. (2009). Mapping out a spectrum of Public Diplomacy Initiatives: Information and Relational Communication Frameworks. Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy (pp. 86). New York, US: Routledge. [3] Melissen, J. (2005). The New Public Diplomacy: Between Theory and Practice. The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations. New York, US: Palgrave.; Snow, N., & Taylor, P. M. (2009). Mapping out a spectrum of Public Diplomacy Initiatives: Information and Relational Communication Frameworks. Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy (pp. 91). New York, US: Routledge. [4] Grunig, J. E., & Hon, L. C. (1999). Guidelines for Measuring Relationships in Public Relations. The Institute for Public Relations, Retrieved from http://www.aco.nato.int/resources/9/conference%202011/guidelines_measuring_relationships[1].pdf. [5] Lucas, S. (May 29, 2014). Syria Video: #RestoreHappy – Refugee Children Celebrate to Pharrell’s “Happy”. Retrieved May 29, 2014, from http://eaworldview.com/2014/05/syria-video-restoresyria-refugee-children-celebrate-pharrells-happy/.
References and Links
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Call for Papers
UNAA Academic Network NewsleDers If you’re an emerging scholar or seeking an outlet to float a research project, why not contribute to the UNAA Academic Network’s NewsleDer? The monthly publicaOon is now taking submissions! For more informaOon contact [email protected]
POLITSCI ‘14 – PoliOcal Science in the 21st Century: New OpportuniOes and Impasses DAKAM – Eastern Mediterranean Academic Research Centre Key Themes: Neoliberalism and its impact on various aspects of the social body, contemporary poliOcal theory, poliOcal science as a discipline Abstract Deadline: 5 September 2014 Conference Dates: 10 – 12 December 2014 LocaOon: Istanbul, Turkey hDp://www.politsciconference.org/2014/04/call-‐for-‐papers-‐poliOcal-‐science-‐in.html#more
Journal – Ethics & Interna:onal Affairs Carnegie Council for Ethics in InternaOonal Affairs Key themes: Ethics, War, and Peace, Global Social JusOce, and Religion in PoliOcs. Deadline: Rolling basis hDp://www.ethicsandinternaOonalaffairs.org/submissions/
Journal – Peacebuilding Details: New journal for 2013 Key Themes: Contemporary and Historical Cases of Peacebuilding Deadline: Rolling basis hDp://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cfp/rpcbcfp.pdf
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Call for Papers
Journal – Global Society Key Themes: Interdisciplinary InternaOonal RelaOons Deadline: Rolling basis hDp://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cfp/cgsjcfp.pdf
For Emerging Scholars: E – Interna:onal Rela:ons Details: E-‐InternaOonal RelaOons (E-‐IR) is the world’s leading website for students and scholars of internaOonal poliOcs. The website is unaffiliated with any insOtuOon, and has been recommended by a global network of academics and pracOOoners. All decisions on publicaOon are made within two weeks. Key Themes: InternaOonal RelaOons 1000 – 3000 words Deadline: Rolling basis hDp://www.e-‐ir.info/call-‐for-‐papers-‐2/
Journal – Cri:cal Studies on Security Details: New journal for 2013 Key Themes: The study of ‘security’ in and through social criOque Deadline: Rolling basis, the Editor, David MuOmer, York University, Canada, welcomes informal inquiries from potenOal contributor at: [email protected] hDp://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/cfp/RCSScfp.pdf
InternaOonal Conference on CommunicaOon Science, Anthropology and PoliOcal Science (ICCSAP – 2014) The Australian Society for Commerce, Industry and Engineering (SCIE) Key Themes: PoliOcs, Social Sciences, Islamic Studies Deadline: Rolling basis Conference Dates: 20 – 21 September 2013 LocaOon: Bangkok, Thailand hDp://www.iccsap.org/call-‐for-‐papers.html
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Opportunities & Announcements
AIIA Study Tour to Korea Tour Dates: 13 – 26 September 2014 The tour aims to provide parOcipants with an introducOon to Korea’s culture and history as well as its social economic and poliOcal systems. hDp://www.internaOonalaffairs.org.au/aiia-‐study-‐tour-‐of-‐korea/
DiploFoundaOon October Courses The DiploFoundaOon are offering five post-‐graduate-‐level online courses starOng the week of 6 October 2014. The courses cover: Language and Diplomacy; Development Diplomacy; Consular and Diaspora Diplomacy; Economic Diplomacy; and Cybersecurity to name but a few. These online courses are available as University of Malt Accredited Courses, and Diplo CerOficate Courses. hDp://www.diplomacy.edu/courses
Peter Nygh Hague Conference Internship AIIA and the Australian Branch of the InternaOonal Law AssociaOon are calling for applicaOons for the internship, which provides a graduate or post-‐graduate student with the opportunity to travel to The Hague and work in the field of Private InternaOonal Law Deadline: 30 September 2014
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Crawford Fund 2014 Parliamentary Conference The Crawford Fund’s annual conference in 2014 will focus on a range of vital issues facing the developing world and Australia in efforts to produce more food in an ethical and efficient way. This challenge will resonate for policy makers, farmers, business people, development professionals, representaOves of civil society and peak industry bodies, academics and researchers. hDp://www.crawfordfund.org/events/parliamentary-‐conference/
Public Lectures
Deforesta*on and Development: Drivers, Implica*ons and Policy Approaches University of Sydney 13 August 2014, CPC Auditorium, Charles Perkins Centre Building, University of Sydney hDp://whatson.sydney.edu.au/events/published/sydney-‐ideas-‐professor-‐jennifer-‐alix-‐garcia
The United Na*ons and the Elusive Quest for Peace University of Melbourne 14 August 2014, Theatre 219, University of Melbourne, 234 Queensberry Street, Parkville, Victoria hDp://events.unimelb.edu.au/events/4211-‐the-‐united-‐naOons-‐and-‐the-‐elusive-‐quest-‐for-‐peace
The Australian-‐US Alliance: What’s its Future? AIIA Victoria Branch 20 August 2014, Dyason House, 124 Jolimont Roadd, East Melbourne hDp://www.internaOonalaffairs.org.au/events/the-‐australian-‐us-‐alliance-‐whats-‐its-‐future/
The Keough Ora*on – The Strategic U*lity of Land Power in an Australian Context Lowy InsOtute for InternaOonal Policy 13 August 2014, Lowy InsOtute for InternaOonal Policy, 31 Bligh Street, Sydney hDp://www.lowyinsOtute.org/events/event-‐changing-‐uOlity-‐land-‐power-‐21st-‐century-‐eliot-‐cohen
Natasha StoN Despoja, Australian Ambassador for Women and Girls Lowy InsOtute for InternaOonal Policy 15 August 2014, Lowy InsOtute for InternaOonal Policy, 31 Bligh Street, Sydney hDp://www.lowyinsOtute.org/events/event-‐natasha-‐stoD-‐despoja-‐australian-‐ambassador-‐women-‐and-‐girls
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5th Interna*onal Conference on Human Rights Educa*on: ‘Advancing Universal Human Rights Culture’ Hosted by the American University Washington College of Law 4 – 6 December 2014, American University Washington College of Law, Washington D.C., USA hDp://www.wcl.american.edu/events/ichredu/
Conferences
4th Annual Interna*onal Conference on Poli*cal Science, Sociology and Interna*onal Rela*ons (PSSIR 2014) 25 – 26 August 2014, Dusit Thani Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand hDp://www.pssir.org/index.html
65th UN DPI/NGO Conference – 2015 and Beyond: Our Ac*on Agenda Co-‐hosted by the UN Department of Public InformaOon (DPR) and the NGO/DPI ExecuOve CommiDee 27 – 29 August 2014, United NaOons Headquarters, New York, USA hDp://outreach.un.org/ngorelaOons/conference-‐2014/
Prague 12th Interna*onal Academic Conference Hosted by The InternaOonal InsOtute of Social and Economic Sciences and the University of Economics Prague 1 – 4 September, Prague, Czech Republic hDp://www.iises.net/conferences/prague-‐conference-‐semtember-‐1-‐4-‐2014/
European Consor*um for Poli*cal Research General Conference 3 – 6 September 2014, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK hDp://ecpr.eu/events/eventdetails.aspx?EventID=14
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5th G(irls)20 Summit 25 – 26 August 2014, Sydney Opera House, Sydney hDp://girls20summit.us4.list-‐manage.com/track/click?u=e0bd277caf5a0a5tad4b2159&id=1393fde1c4&e=b82d0f882e
Interna*onal Careers Conference Presented by the AIIA 29 August 2014, The Grand Buffet Hall, Union House, The University of Melbourne, Parkville hDp://www.internaOonalaffairs.org.au/events/internaOonal-‐careers-‐conference-‐2014-‐2/
Conferences for Emerging Scholars
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Upcoming UNAA Events
Queensland State Conference 2014 – ‘Millennium Development Goals and the Post-‐2015 Agenda’ 29 – 30 August 2014, Parliament House, Brisbane hDp://www.unaaqld.org.au/events/qld-‐state-‐conference/ Conference Program: hDp://www.unaaqld.org.au/wp-‐content/uploads/2014/07/State-‐Conference-‐Program-‐2014.pdf
Friday August 29 Saturday August 30 Round Table Discussions 1300 – 1330: RegistraOon 1330 – 1730: Round Table OpOons
- World EducaOon - World Health - Human Influence on Climate Change - Model United NaOons Conference - Status of Women - Young Entrepreneurs & Professionals
1830: Meet and Greet at Parliament House
Conference Sessions 0800 – 0900: RegistraOon 0900 – 1730: Sessions - Opening Session & The United NaOons aver
68 years - Round Table PresentaOon Reports - Sustainable Development - Peace, Conflict, ResoluOon - Children of the Future - Women of the World - Human Rights for Everyone
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Publications
Saving Lives Today and Tomorrow: Managing the Risk of Humanitarian Crises UN Office for the Coordina:on of Humanitarian Affairs hDps://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Documents/OCHA SLTT Web Final Single.PDF The premise of this report is that most humanitarian crises are to some extent predictable and preventable. With new and old risks increasing the pressure on the internaOonal humanitarian system, it looks at ways in which the system can be improved and transformed to beDer anOcipate, prevent, and manage crises.
The Aarhus Conven*on: An Implementa*on Guide UN Economic Commission for Europe hDp://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/pp/PublicaOons/Aarhus_ImplementaOon_Guide_interacOve_eng.pdf The Aarhus ConvenOon is an internaOonal legally binding instrument giving the public the rights of parOcipaOon in decision-‐making, access to informaOon and jusOce regarding the environment. These rights were emphasized in the outcome document of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development. The ConvenOon’s twin protecOons for environmental and human rights, and its focus on involving the public, provide a mechanism for holding governments to account in their efforts to address the mulOdimensional challenges facing our world today, including climate change, biodiversity loss, poverty reducOon, increasing energy demands, rapid urbanizaOon, and polluOon. The guide is designed for policy makers, legislators, NGOs, academics, and civil society.
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Publications
The Gap Report UNAIDS hDp://www.unaids.org/en/resources/campaigns/2014/2014gapreport/gapreport/ The UNAIDS Gap Report shows that as people find out their HIV-‐posiOve status they will seek life-‐saving treatment, yet 19 million of the 35 million people living with HIV globally do not know their HIV-‐posiOve status. In sub-‐Saharan Africa almost 90% of people who tested posiOve for HIV went on to access anOretroviral therapy (ART). The report highlights that efforts to increase access to ART are working. In 2013, an addiOonal 2.3 million people gained access to the life-‐saving medicines. This brings the global number of people accessing ART to nearly 13 million by the end of 2103.
The Best of What’s Around
Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) hDp://data.hdx.rwlabs.org The Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX) aims to make humanitarian data easier to find and use for analysis. The HDX works over three elements, a repository, analyOcs, and standards, to combine into an integrated data pla{orm. In all the HDX, as it currently stands, contains, 1,326 datasets, covering 243 countries and territories, from 20 different sources. The purpose of the HDX is simple, to aggregate, store, and transform data for the humanitarian community.
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The Best of What’s Around
OCHA: Saving Lives Today and Tomorrow hDp://www.unocha.org/saving-‐lives The new interacOve online advocacy campaign by the UN Office for the CoordinaOon of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) supports its recent policy report (see recent and forthcoming publicaOons). The website aims to encourage a paradigm shiv towards a more preventaOve and anOcipatory approach to humanitarian crises. Over the past decade, the number of people affected by humanitarian crisis has almost doubled. Meanwhile funding requirements have trebled to 16.9 billion a year. The rising scale of crises, our collecOve inability to resolve protracted disasters, and the interplay of new global challenges, have led to a global deficit in the operaOonal and financial capacity of governments and humanitarian organisaOons to respond. The current trajectory of the internaOonal humanitarian system is completely unsustainable.
The Bravest Boy I Know hDp://www.unaids.org/en/resources/campaigns/2014/20140508thebravestboyiknow/ UNAIDS, the UN World Tourism OrganizaOon’s Sustainable Tourism for Eliminated Poverty FoundaOon have released a new book on HIV for children. The book “The Bravest Boy I Know”, is about two friends, Kendi and Kayla. Kendi is living with HIV. The book conveys the important message that by taking medicine children living with HIV can live healthy and acOve lives while also explaining that the medicines can make children feel unwell and Ored. The link above will take you to the campaigns website which features access to social media, fact sheets, and narrated video versions of the book.
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