[KS] Talk on Dokdo/Takeshima and civil society

[Alexander Bukh]

Members of the list may be interested in the following talk I will be
giving at UCLA on the 31st of March

*Defending Dokdo/Retrieving Takeshima:** Civic Activism and the Korea/Japan
Territorial Dispute*

Thursday, March 31, 2016
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

10383 Bunche Hall
UCLA

The territorial dispute over Dokdo (known as Takeshima in Japan) islets
continues to be one of the most contentious issues in Japan-South Korea
relations. The conflict over the ownership of the islets is not limited to
state-level relations. Since the early 2000s it has drawn considerable
attention from civil society in both countries. In South Korea there are
tens if not hundreds of citizens groups that together form the "protect
Dokdo" movement. In Japan, the level of public interest in the territorial
dispute is significantly low but nevertheless there is a number of citizens
groups engaged in Takeshima related activism. The domestic and
international media often show protests and demonstrations organized by
these groups but rarely provide an in-depth insight into the individuals
behind these groups. Who are these people? What do they do in their
everyday life? What exactly are their beliefs and opinions about the
territorial dispute and why did they decide to devote their time and energy
to it? What do they think about their own country? These questions remain
largely unanswered.

In this talk, Alexander Bukh aims to shed some light on the individuals
that engage in Dokdo/Takeshima activism in both countries by showing
excerpts from a forthcoming documentary and talking about the project. Over
the last two years, Alexander conducted extensive interviews with the
activists in both Japan and South Korea. The documentary is part of a
broader research project on non-state actors and territorial disputes in
Northeast Asia. It has been made in collaboration with Nils Clauss, who is
a Seoul-based professional filmmaker.
http://www.international.ucla.edu/cks/event/11796

Cost : Free and open to the public
koreanstudies at international.ucla.edu
-- 
<https://www.academia.edu/14906478/Special_Issue_on_Civil_Society_and_Borders_in_Asia>


Dr Alexander Bukh

Political Science and International Relations Programme
Victoria University of Wellington
Phone:+64 (0)4 463 9450
Fax: +64 (0)4 463 5414
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