19-20 February 1998
Leiden, the Netherlands
Symposium South-South
The 'Symposium South-South: Recent Developments in Relations Between Latin America and Asia' was held 19 and 20 February 1998, the first day at Leiden University, the second at the Institute for International Studies, Clingendael. It was organized by Prof. Kurt Radtke and Dr. Marianne L. Wiesebron.By Marianne L. Wiesebron.
The symposium addressed new developments in the relations between Latin America and Asia which are based on mutual economic interests but also involve others areas of co-operation such as joint projects in technology, the sciences and the development of energy sources. Strategic aspects also play a role in these new relations. In fact, the theme of the conference, dealing with South-South relations at the present and in a large context, is innovative. Fortuitously, the crisis in Asia made this theme even more actual, as Latin America is receiving more attention, mostly in the economic area, as a consequence of this crisis.
Participants and the public, who included colleagues from this and other universities, students, members from the Diplomatic Corps and other interested persons, found the different issues which were tackled interesting and this inspired them to be active during the discussions.
The symposium was opened Prof. Frans Hüsken, chairman of the International Institute for Asian Studies. Specialists from the three continents were invited to give their views on these relations and their implications. Eminent colleagues from Asia included Prof. Narayanan Rangachari (Centre for American & West European Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi); Dr Mitsuhiro Kagami (Director of the Development Studies Department, Institute of Developing Economies, Tokyo); and Prof. Kyo Ho Chung Korea ( Institute of Latin American Studies, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Seoul). Those from Latin America were Prof. Jaime Silbert (Director del Programa de Estudios Coreanos y del Noreste Asiatico, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Argentina); Prof. Hernan Gutierrez (Director del Centro Internacional de Estudios Asia-Pacifico, Universidad de Chile); and Ambassador Samuel Pinheiro Guimaraes (Director do Instituto de Pesquisa de Relacoes Internacionais. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil), and Prof. Paulo Visentini (Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil). Prof. Visentini was a fellow at the IIAS during the months of January and February. The Europeans participants were Dr Bert Edstrom (Centre for Pacific Asia Studies, Universitet Stockholm), and Jorg Faust (Institut fur Politikwissenshaft, Johannes Gutenberg -Universitat Mainz).
One of the highlights of the symposium was the round-table which was moderated by Dr Pitou van Dijck from CEDLA, Amsterdam, which gave participants the opportunity to debate a number of specific questions. So interesting was it that a number of these issues might be dealt with again in a following symposium. At present there are concrete plans to start work on the publication of the results of the symposium.