アーカイブ

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her state-of-the nation address in July this year presented as her administration's agenda the task of strengthening the Philippine Republic. This seminar will analyze the concept of a "Philippine Republic" to emphasize that it refers not just to the state or the nation, but to both, the nation-state entity; review the use of the term in Philippine history; discuss the weakness, historically and structurally, of the Philippine Republic - both its "state" and　"nation" elements -- as the root both of the country's underdevelopment and present problems; and evaluate the prospects of strengthening the Filipino nation-state.

The speaker, a leading feminist activist and scholar, will discuss her work as Chairperson of the Philippine womens organization GABRIELA and the Institute of Womens Studies at St. Scholastica (Manila), and feminist theology in relation to her research on Woman , Religion and Spirituality in Asia.

The ethical issues and law related to IT security are critical problems. The abuses of IT have also increased and become more complex. There had been discussion at the Asia & Pacific Meeting on Ethical, Legal and Societal Challenge of Cyberspace in Beijing. It has been acknowledged that in order to build safe and secure IT systems and infrastructures-apart from technical knowledge and developments also-managerial, legal and ethical aspects also need to be taken into account. The citizens of different countries may perceive the very sam questions differently, owing to culture, religion, educational level, experience of IT, working environment. The comparative study between Japan, the most advanced country in IT, and a developing country like Thailand will contribute some significant guidelines for ethical and legal principles in cyberspace. The proposals on info-ethical concerns will help to further consolidate the new information society of Asia.

Not so recently, several sectors of Japanese society rallied to revise the shonen-ho　（JuvenileLaw). The move is triggered by the rise of juvenile crimes. Some believe that, unless the shonen-ho effects real deterrence and the homu-sho and the kensatsu will have stronger grips on juvenile-related cases, social restlessness and paranoia will continue to haunt. This lecture attempts to present an alternative view at preserving and promoting the shonen-ho. Several conclusive studies provide substantial explanation in defense of the shonen-shido-seido. Theories are used to explain the shifts of juvenile characters so that the contributory factors to delinquency are identified. Through this way, penalizing juveniles who are themselves circumstantial victims and criminalizing the shonen-ho could be averted. And concerted efforts toward genuine rehabilitation and re-integration of offenders could be put in place.