W hen
15 Years of Filipino
IOB Alumni Seminar
successfully
carried out , elections
can consolidate peace
Finding
the right balance regarding the timing
of elections is key to avoid further conflicts
Organising
There
is no single path to
democracy as it is very
context-specific
elections too soon can represent a political challenge when electoral
capacity building (institutional setups for organising elections’ process) is weak
Elections raise major dilemma’s, e.g.: should we allow
rebel leaders to participate in the elections or
rather prosecute them for war crimes?
In
some post-conflict settings, elections are reduced to a security risk: they are
internationally considered successful if they do not lead to large scale violence
The
dictators' learning curve: over the last
20
years, autocratic
regimes have internalized the discourse on democracy and have learned
how to handle international agendas
In Burundi, DRC
and
Rwanda,
never a democratically
elected president has been replaced by another
democratically elected head of state.
Alumni
meet & greet
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On the 3rd of October 2014 an IOB alumni Meet and
Greet session was organised in Yaoundé, Cameroun @
café Dolce Vita. The get-together was hosted by Dr.
Rogers Orock (IOB postdoctoral researcher). There were
10 participants, of whom
4 alumni present and 4
prospective candidates
who were interested
in hearing about study
possibilities at IOB. Our
discussions focused very
much on the potential
for an IOB alumni association for Cameroon to be
established, the possible
activities this could promote and what support
it could possibly expect
from IOB in the future.
Nostalgia is not a strong word in my repertoire of
habits but, nostalgia I did feel upon receiving the
invitation to attend the 15 Years of Filipino IOB
Alumni Seminar on December 5, 2014. Memories
of trying to speak guttural Dutch in the morning
while trying to articulate nasal French in the
afternoon made me cringe inside. The laughter I
elicited from Prof. Lemarchand when I reported
about the Shiite Muslims and mispronounced the
word made me shake my head and smile. When
I crashed my bike in the sidewalk and sprawled
in the pavement with all my books catapulting
everywhere, I hastily prepared some witty rhetoric
to save my bruised ego but was surprised and
gladdened that people came to my rescue with
faces of concern – no smirks, no laughter, no
unconcerned stares. I received plain and simple
sympathy for my accident. I said a little prayer of
gratitude that I was in Belgium, studying at the
University of Antwerp.
I was still reminiscing when I arrived at the
National Economic Development Authority
building. I looked for familiar faces and was not
disappointed to find Prof. German Calfat and old
friends who are fellow alumni. After pleasantries
were made, the discussions that followed were
sharp, witty and straightforward which reminded
me that I am in the c ompany of the crème de la
crème of the Philippines. There was a swelling
of pride to be a part of the select few who were
educated in our alma mater which is ranked 164
by the World University ranking and 14th of young
universities (under 50 years) at present, has 3,420
international students out of its 20,109 student
population.
True to the University’s mission statement of
being a young, dynamic and forward-thinking
university which integrates the assets of its
historical roots with its ambition to contribute
positively to society, the four examples of
academic and policy oriented research which were
presented spoke of the discussants’ wide grasp of
the topics and the deep analyses of the variables
and their correlations. Some were, in fact, so
deeply analyzed that I struggled to comprehend
them. Some of my old friends would interject
whispered comments of not agreeing with the
findings of the discussants. Mr. Xavier Leblanc,
Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of
the Kingdom of Belgium said “no wonder Filipino
students excel in Belgium as manifested by the
quality of research work you’ve done. You are
worthy of the tax payers’ money”. Indeed, the
UA-IOB has effectively advanced the concept of
academic freedom and inculcated critical thinking
Upcoming meet & greets
February 2015, Dr. Ingelaere will
be hosting an IOB Meet and Greet
session in Kigali, Rwanda. All IOB
alumni and prospective IOB students
are welcome! The exact date and
venue will be communicated shortly.
8th of February 2015 at 12.00
a.m. @ Hotel La Palmeraie , Prof.
Vandeginste and Dr. Ingelaere will
be hosting an IOB Meet and Greet
session in Bujumbura, Burundi. All
IOB alumni and prospective IOB
students are welcome!
into our minds.
The seminar started and ended on time, which
again, is in sharp contrast with our much to be
improved Filipino time. We walked to Sophia’s
villa for the alumni dinner while reminiscing
that walking is a way of life that we embraced in
Belgium. The sumptuous meal and the karaoke
that followed further strengthened the bond that
could only be appreciated by those who shared
the same experience while studying in our alma
mater. We listened with glee while Prof. Calfat did
his rendition of the song “Que sera sera”. All took
their turn to sing their hearts out, unmindful of
their effect on the auditory sense of those present.
As the night progressed, I was convinced that
these select few could be the next think tank of
Philippine society - the chosen few who have the
capability and the ethical philosophy to lead the
country into progress.
As the gathering came to a conclusion, farewells
were said, small kisses exchanged and hands
shaken with promises to stay in touch with one
another. The words of Prof. Calfat made me smile
with pride: “This is the best IOB alumni seminar”,
he declared.
Lani Tang, Ph.D
Master in Governance and Governance, 2003
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