Dear BABA and ADS Friends
In case my message missed some of you yesterday let me once again extend my best wishes to all of you for a Happy and Prosperous New Year. The world is gradually recovering from the slew of financial, natural and other man-made disasters. Let’s wish that leaders and people will find more creative and honest approaches to the problems of the world.
When we started this blog 2 months ago it was with the objective of providing a private and public space for those who believe that BABA is necessary and that new ideas, new initiatives and new types of discussions and outreach can be sustained. Starting a blog is always easy I suppose but sustaining its continuity as a useful platform presents a daunting prospect. I appreciate your interventions. I want in particular to thank Payoshini, Manisha, Afzal, Sarath Kumar, Citra, Sarojini and Guanghua Liu. It’s a start and I trust all others will join this year.
Sarojini, you asked if you can post your blog here. Thai Quang Trung from ADS has offered to blog on “Climate Change, Green Economy and Creative Community” while Michael (ADS), who recently published a book the financial crisis, has also offered to blog on “the political economy of the recession”. I welcome these offers. I see the blog as “co-collaborative” effort among several people. This is aside from the comments that you will make. I would like to suggest that when you are ready with your blogs that you send them to Mary so that she can upload them.
I have also started uploading news items on to the site’s news section. I will no longer send these direct to your email addresses as I have been doing occasionally in the past. I would suggest therefore you check the site regularly in case there are items that are of interest to you. These news items will be refreshed weekly. I would also like to welcome your suggestions for news items or articles you might want to share with others. Send them to us.
During the year BABA fellows from India to Japan - Akira (B5), Nirosion (B6), Sanjeev (B6), Sherilyn Siy (B1) and Pham Kim Ngoc (B6) and Afzal (B6) - brought into this world wonderful babies and became proud parents. I am sure that you have all shared your joy and experiences with BABA friends, most recently being Ngoc. In late October Sherilyn had written a long letter to me expressing her child-bearing and child birth experience. I will leave it to Sherilyn if she wishes to share her beautiful experience on the blog.
Rajib Roy (B7) got married in December. My son, Sumana, whom some you may have met in one of the BABA meetings got married last April. We wish all these new parents and newly-weds all the best.
Yeni Salma Barlinti (B5) was conferred her Doctorate in Law after she stoutly defended her thesis. She was the first person in almost 30 years at the university who had written on shariah law. The title of her thesis is "The Existence of Fatwa of National Syariah Board on National Legal System in Indonesia". I was fortunate to be in Indonesia at the time to be present at her defense and conferment.
I hope that I did not miss out on these very good personal developments –births, marriages, degrees, books and career advances. If I did please don’t fail to correct them.
During my travels I try to meet with BABA fellows. On December 9, 2010 a group of 10 fellows from Indonesia and I met over dinner in Jakarta. They were from different BABA groups – Nuryanti (2), Herry (1), Kardison(6), Citra (4), Pipit, Ilham, (5), Debby (3), Sarojini (7), Husnul (5) and Reny (5). Many had actually not met one another. There are a total of 28 BABA fellows in Indonesia and I hope that they will be able to meet amongst themselves occasionally and maybe as a whole group one day. I have had some 3 such meetings in Jakarta (its easier as I am currently based in Jakarta), and meetings in Tokyo, Kolkata and Vietnam. Sadia Khan (B6) - the only fellow from Pakistan –was in Singapore in November with her family and met up with Mary. Unfortunately, I missed meeting her.
In the meantime, Sarojini had authored late this year a well produced coffee table book called “Concealed Secrets in the Museum Buildings of Ubud Bali”. Michael Heng, as I had mentioned earlier, published “The Great Recession” History, Ideology, Hubris and Nemesis” under the World Scientific title. Congratulations, Sarojini and Michael.
The ADS will have its own book on human security out this month. Published by World Scientific Publishers also the book is titled “Human Security – From Concept to Practice: Case Studies from Northeast India and Orissa”.
ADS has another book which be out in February 2011. This one will be titled “One Southeast Asia: Shared Destiny, Shared Future”. Several of our ADS and BABA fellows have also published during the course of the year and I look forward to receiving more news about their works.
On the NARA retreat, - BABA 9 – I wanted to let you know the selection process has gone well but is not yet completed. I hope that the final decision will be announced by the end of January at the latest. In the meantime I have been busy preparing for it.
One last thing – in December – after the awards by the FIFA World Cup Committee to Moscow and Dubai to host the World in 2018 and 2022, there was some excitement in ASEAN circles when a young man by the name of Fuadi Pitsuwan wrote an op-ed piece in a local Singapore news paper calling on the ASEAN countries to seriously consider bidding to host the World Cup in 2026. He has received much positive response for his idea from many quarters. I want to share this article with you and I reproduce the op-ed in full below. Hope that you enjoy reading it.
Raja
020111
Dec 10, 2010
Come on, Asean - let's bid for World Cup 2030
By Fuadi Pitsuwan, For The Straits Times
ASEAN should host the World Cup in 2030. That would benefit not only football fans but also all Asean citizens.
The astounding decision last week by Fifa, the world's football federation, to let Russia and Qatar host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, respectively, gives Asean hope that it can seriously aspire to play host to the sporting event with the largest worldwide audience in 2030.
The Fifa statutes stipulate that 'tournaments may not be held on the same continent on two successive occasions'. Qatar is in the Asian Football Confederation together with all 10 Asean member states. Unless there is a rule change - for example, by splitting the 46-member confederation into western and eastern groups - Asean would be ineligible to host the 2026 World Cup. But there is still hope for 2030 (or any World Cup after that).
A World Cup final held in the Asean region would pack in the crowds. The grouping is, after all, home to some of the most fanatical football fans in the world. By 2030, the population of Asean, which now stands at almost 600 million, will be close to a billion. How's that for a mega fan base?
How exciting it would be if each member state were to provide at least one stadium for the tournament. With the prospect of Timor Leste joining the group as early as next year, Asean could quite easily build 11 stadiums.
The bid guidelines call for about 12 stadiums. Fifa also requires state-of-the-art telecommunications and transport connectivity and accommodation infrastructure. All this is well within Asean's reach.
The challenges of coordination and logistics in an 11-country tournament will be enormous. But Asean is already well connected by all forms of transportation and will surely be better integrated by 2030. The recently launched Asean Connectivity masterplan will bring the member states closer through air, land and sea transportation.
The grouping is also working on something similar to the Schengen Visa, which enables travellers to visit 25 European countries with just one visa. This will facilitate non-Asean citizens' travel in the region.
According to Fifa rules, the host nation - or nations as when South Korea and Japan co-hosted the tournament in 2002 - automatically qualifies to participate in the World Cup Finals. Asean obviously cannot send 11 teams to compete in a tournament of 32. But it could send the best or the best two teams selected through a regional tournament.
Better still, if Asean's bid for the Cup won, the group could send a team with the best players from all 11 countries.
An Asean bid for the 2030 World Cup could face stiff competition from China and Argentina-Uruguay. China has already expressed interest, touting its experience in hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics and this year's Asian Games.
Uruguay and Argentina have already started their campaign and are planning a joint bid. Their case rests on the fact that 2030 is the 100th anniversary of the tournament. Uruguay, having hosted the first World Cup in 1930, claims that the competition should return to the country in 2030.
These are real challenges for Asean, but it is capable of submitting a bid that is just as attractive, if not more so, than these countries. Even if it loses, it can always try again.
Hosting the World Cup would raise Asean's global standing. It would be the first time a regional intergovernmental bloc would host a sporting event of such significance. Not even the European Union has done it.
The tournament would benefit Asean in other ways. The revenue from broadcasting concessions, ticket sales and advertising could be used for development. The required stadiums could be built in less-developed cities to stimulate economic growth there.
The most-watched games - such as the opening and final matches - could be held in the needier member-nations of Asean to stimulate economic development and showcase them as new investment or travel destinations.
This is not the first time that the idea of hosting the world's most important football tournament has been raised. At the Asean Finance Ministers' Investor Seminar concluded recently in Kuala Lumpur, Thailand's Minister of Finance Korn Chatikavanij apparently proposed that Asean bid for the World Cup.
Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, when told of the idea, responded with: 'Yes, I have been thinking about the same thing. I will push it. See if Asean will take the plunge.'
The writer is an adjunct research scholar at Georgetown University's Asian Studies Department and an Asean football fan.
In case my message missed some of you yesterday let me once again extend my best wishes to all of you for a Happy and Prosperous New Year. The world is gradually recovering from the slew of financial, natural and other man-made disasters. Let’s wish that leaders and people will find more creative and honest approaches to the problems of the world.
When we started this blog 2 months ago it was with the objective of providing a private and public space for those who believe that BABA is necessary and that new ideas, new initiatives and new types of discussions and outreach can be sustained. Starting a blog is always easy I suppose but sustaining its continuity as a useful platform presents a daunting prospect. I appreciate your interventions. I want in particular to thank Payoshini, Manisha, Afzal, Sarath Kumar, Citra, Sarojini and Guanghua Liu. It’s a start and I trust all others will join this year.
Sarojini, you asked if you can post your blog here. Thai Quang Trung from ADS has offered to blog on “Climate Change, Green Economy and Creative Community” while Michael (ADS), who recently published a book the financial crisis, has also offered to blog on “the political economy of the recession”. I welcome these offers. I see the blog as “co-collaborative” effort among several people. This is aside from the comments that you will make. I would like to suggest that when you are ready with your blogs that you send them to Mary so that she can upload them.
I have also started uploading news items on to the site’s news section. I will no longer send these direct to your email addresses as I have been doing occasionally in the past. I would suggest therefore you check the site regularly in case there are items that are of interest to you. These news items will be refreshed weekly. I would also like to welcome your suggestions for news items or articles you might want to share with others. Send them to us.
During the year BABA fellows from India to Japan - Akira (B5), Nirosion (B6), Sanjeev (B6), Sherilyn Siy (B1) and Pham Kim Ngoc (B6) and Afzal (B6) - brought into this world wonderful babies and became proud parents. I am sure that you have all shared your joy and experiences with BABA friends, most recently being Ngoc. In late October Sherilyn had written a long letter to me expressing her child-bearing and child birth experience. I will leave it to Sherilyn if she wishes to share her beautiful experience on the blog.
Rajib Roy (B7) got married in December. My son, Sumana, whom some you may have met in one of the BABA meetings got married last April. We wish all these new parents and newly-weds all the best.
Yeni Salma Barlinti (B5) was conferred her Doctorate in Law after she stoutly defended her thesis. She was the first person in almost 30 years at the university who had written on shariah law. The title of her thesis is "The Existence of Fatwa of National Syariah Board on National Legal System in Indonesia". I was fortunate to be in Indonesia at the time to be present at her defense and conferment.
I hope that I did not miss out on these very good personal developments –births, marriages, degrees, books and career advances. If I did please don’t fail to correct them.
During my travels I try to meet with BABA fellows. On December 9, 2010 a group of 10 fellows from Indonesia and I met over dinner in Jakarta. They were from different BABA groups – Nuryanti (2), Herry (1), Kardison(6), Citra (4), Pipit, Ilham, (5), Debby (3), Sarojini (7), Husnul (5) and Reny (5). Many had actually not met one another. There are a total of 28 BABA fellows in Indonesia and I hope that they will be able to meet amongst themselves occasionally and maybe as a whole group one day. I have had some 3 such meetings in Jakarta (its easier as I am currently based in Jakarta), and meetings in Tokyo, Kolkata and Vietnam. Sadia Khan (B6) - the only fellow from Pakistan –was in Singapore in November with her family and met up with Mary. Unfortunately, I missed meeting her.
In the meantime, Sarojini had authored late this year a well produced coffee table book called “Concealed Secrets in the Museum Buildings of Ubud Bali”. Michael Heng, as I had mentioned earlier, published “The Great Recession” History, Ideology, Hubris and Nemesis” under the World Scientific title. Congratulations, Sarojini and Michael.
The ADS will have its own book on human security out this month. Published by World Scientific Publishers also the book is titled “Human Security – From Concept to Practice: Case Studies from Northeast India and Orissa”.
ADS has another book which be out in February 2011. This one will be titled “One Southeast Asia: Shared Destiny, Shared Future”. Several of our ADS and BABA fellows have also published during the course of the year and I look forward to receiving more news about their works.
On the NARA retreat, - BABA 9 – I wanted to let you know the selection process has gone well but is not yet completed. I hope that the final decision will be announced by the end of January at the latest. In the meantime I have been busy preparing for it.
One last thing – in December – after the awards by the FIFA World Cup Committee to Moscow and Dubai to host the World in 2018 and 2022, there was some excitement in ASEAN circles when a young man by the name of Fuadi Pitsuwan wrote an op-ed piece in a local Singapore news paper calling on the ASEAN countries to seriously consider bidding to host the World Cup in 2026. He has received much positive response for his idea from many quarters. I want to share this article with you and I reproduce the op-ed in full below. Hope that you enjoy reading it.
Raja
020111
Dec 10, 2010
Come on, Asean - let's bid for World Cup 2030
By Fuadi Pitsuwan, For The Straits Times
ASEAN should host the World Cup in 2030. That would benefit not only football fans but also all Asean citizens.
The astounding decision last week by Fifa, the world's football federation, to let Russia and Qatar host the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, respectively, gives Asean hope that it can seriously aspire to play host to the sporting event with the largest worldwide audience in 2030.
The Fifa statutes stipulate that 'tournaments may not be held on the same continent on two successive occasions'. Qatar is in the Asian Football Confederation together with all 10 Asean member states. Unless there is a rule change - for example, by splitting the 46-member confederation into western and eastern groups - Asean would be ineligible to host the 2026 World Cup. But there is still hope for 2030 (or any World Cup after that).
A World Cup final held in the Asean region would pack in the crowds. The grouping is, after all, home to some of the most fanatical football fans in the world. By 2030, the population of Asean, which now stands at almost 600 million, will be close to a billion. How's that for a mega fan base?
How exciting it would be if each member state were to provide at least one stadium for the tournament. With the prospect of Timor Leste joining the group as early as next year, Asean could quite easily build 11 stadiums.
The bid guidelines call for about 12 stadiums. Fifa also requires state-of-the-art telecommunications and transport connectivity and accommodation infrastructure. All this is well within Asean's reach.
The challenges of coordination and logistics in an 11-country tournament will be enormous. But Asean is already well connected by all forms of transportation and will surely be better integrated by 2030. The recently launched Asean Connectivity masterplan will bring the member states closer through air, land and sea transportation.
The grouping is also working on something similar to the Schengen Visa, which enables travellers to visit 25 European countries with just one visa. This will facilitate non-Asean citizens' travel in the region.
According to Fifa rules, the host nation - or nations as when South Korea and Japan co-hosted the tournament in 2002 - automatically qualifies to participate in the World Cup Finals. Asean obviously cannot send 11 teams to compete in a tournament of 32. But it could send the best or the best two teams selected through a regional tournament.
Better still, if Asean's bid for the Cup won, the group could send a team with the best players from all 11 countries.
An Asean bid for the 2030 World Cup could face stiff competition from China and Argentina-Uruguay. China has already expressed interest, touting its experience in hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics and this year's Asian Games.
Uruguay and Argentina have already started their campaign and are planning a joint bid. Their case rests on the fact that 2030 is the 100th anniversary of the tournament. Uruguay, having hosted the first World Cup in 1930, claims that the competition should return to the country in 2030.
These are real challenges for Asean, but it is capable of submitting a bid that is just as attractive, if not more so, than these countries. Even if it loses, it can always try again.
Hosting the World Cup would raise Asean's global standing. It would be the first time a regional intergovernmental bloc would host a sporting event of such significance. Not even the European Union has done it.
The tournament would benefit Asean in other ways. The revenue from broadcasting concessions, ticket sales and advertising could be used for development. The required stadiums could be built in less-developed cities to stimulate economic growth there.
The most-watched games - such as the opening and final matches - could be held in the needier member-nations of Asean to stimulate economic development and showcase them as new investment or travel destinations.
This is not the first time that the idea of hosting the world's most important football tournament has been raised. At the Asean Finance Ministers' Investor Seminar concluded recently in Kuala Lumpur, Thailand's Minister of Finance Korn Chatikavanij apparently proposed that Asean bid for the World Cup.
Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan, when told of the idea, responded with: 'Yes, I have been thinking about the same thing. I will push it. See if Asean will take the plunge.'
The writer is an adjunct research scholar at Georgetown University's Asian Studies Department and an Asean football fan.
Comments
We’ve been blessed with another enthusiastic journey around the Sun; let’s put all our valuable efforts in making Asia a great world to live-in.
Dear Raja,
Thanks for incorporating my parenthood in your 2010 summary.
I became father on 26th March 2010, really it is a great experience; one can have in entire life.
I also, congratulate all the New Parents and forthcoming parents as well, as all of us are cropping new horizon for BABA, through new generation.
Hats off for Salma on concluding her thesis as it is really a remarkable activity in Asia, to take on.
So friends, there is a destiny of Better Asia, waiting for all of us thus keep your seat-belt tight to take off for another new year, till the arrival of your destiny,
Best wishes to each of you to define your goal for BABA for another New Year-2011
Cheers!
Sanjeev
The news items shared by ADS are very informative! Thanks for Fuadi's write-up! Look forward to more...
Bests, always...
RAJIB ROY
BABA-7