The Asian Studies Center at Michigan State University will host a two-day conference on "Human Rights in Asia: Tradition and Trajectories" on March 15 and 16, 2002 at MSU's Kellogg Center. The conference will address the broad issue of how human rights are conceptualized, contested, and accommodated in East, South, and SE Asia. Panels and presentations will consider current human rights problems in specific Asian countries and the prospects for resolving conflicts.

Proposals treating women's rights at household and workplace settings, refugee issues, and sustainable development and sustainable democracy, from contemporary, historical or comparative perspectives are invited. Papers may also focus on indigenous rights, watchdog groups (NGOs and others), and the ways human rights enter into bilateral relations inter-nationally.

The meeting's keynote speaker will be Basil Fernando, the Executive Director of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC, www.ahrchk.net) and the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC). Mr. Fernando has authored several works on human rights and legal reform issues and he is the editor of Solidarity, AHRC's monthly magazine.

Proposals for panels, round table discussions, and individual papers should be submitted by no later than November 30, 2001. Electronic submission of proposals is also possible through the conference web site. Abstracts should be limited to 300 words for each individual presentation.

For conference information and current information see www.isp.msu.edu/asianstudies/hrc_asia. For additional information contact: