Original Concept Paper - Australian Mekong Resource Centre
The University of Sydney
December 2000
|
| What is the AMRC? | Why was the
AMRC established? | What are the concerns of the
AMRC? | What are the key aims underlying the activities
of the AMRC? | What are the key activities and
functions of the AMRC? | What is the AMRC's organisational
structure? | Where does the AMRC receive its funding
from? |
By fostering a deeper and wider understanding of contemporary changes
in the Mekong Region the AMRC aims to support development paths that maintain
the integrity, diversity and symbiosis of local livelihoods, cultures
and ecosystems
What is the AMRC?
The Australian Mekong Resource Centre is a focal point for information,
data, local studies and policy-oriented research, discussion and debate
on development and environment issues in the Mekong Region. The Centre
is based at the Department of Geography, University of Sydney but involves
and serves the wider community within Australia and overseas with interests
and involvement in the Mekong Region.
Why was the AMRC established?
Development in the Mekong Region has attracted increasing attention
within the Region’s individual countries, internationally and Australia.
The wide range of stakeholders with an interest in the economic, social
and environmental implications of the Region’s development agenda
has sparked not only a host of new infrastructure and other development
initiatives, but also research and debate over the implications of such
development for the region’s people and environments. The AMRC was
established to respond in an educative way to the challenges raised by
these developments and diverse interests.
What are the concerns of the AMRC?
The Mekong Region can be defined at two levels. First is the Mekong Basin
proper, that is the catchment of the Mekong River and its tributaries,
covering an area of 795, 000 square kilometres and home to 60 million
people in six different countries. The second geographical framework is
broader, encompassing what has become known as the Greater Mekong Subregion.
This comprises an area that is home to some 250 million people and is
based on five of the countries through which the Mekong River flows -
Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam - plus Yunnan Province in
southern China. The Centre accommodates both interpretations of the Mekong
Region.
The rapid economic development of the Mekong Region, and its associated
economic, social and environmental implications, has aroused considerable
controversy and debate. In some ways, this debate is a microcosm of global
responses to perceived dilemmas of development and the environment.
There are several fundamental reasons for the controversy and debate,
which the Centre would help address:
~Lack of readily available information on some aspects of Mekong development
- this is often reflected in shallow or poor media coverage of the region.
~Paucity of basic research on diverse areas such as fisheries, hydrology,
and implications of private financing of infrastructure for decision making
structures.
~ Antagonism between key stakeholders that precludes constructive dialogue.
Within Australia, a wide range of players, or stakeholders, has taken
an interest in developments in the Mekong Region, through active involvement
as part of Australia’s significant role in the region, and due to
a recognition of the importance of the Mekong Region to Australia. These
include:
~ Academic institutions
~ Government agencies (aid, trade, foreign affairs, resource management)
~ Corporate / private sector interests (infrastructure, consulting)
~ NGOs (development/environment)
~ Environmental groups
Internationally, there are several initiatives that provide forums for
research, discussion and debate. While the Centre is conceived of in part
as an Australian "node" in this network, its hallmark is an
inclusive and independent approach to policy research that recognises
the importance of bringing together key stakeholders in the policy formulation
process in support of more democratic and sustainable development paths.
What are the key aims underlying the activities
of the AMRC?
The Australian Mekong Resource Centre aims to:
Contribute:
- to the greater availability and accessibility of information on development
issues in the Mekong region through various activities including maintenance
of databases, web site, and through our collaborative research initiatives
and postgraduate research. These activities seek to assist with the
provision of information at a local level, as well as draw upon local
knowledge and experience, and to also provide alternative views of development.
- to a more informed debate on Mekong issues both in Australia, the
region and internationally, through the creation of a focal point of
information and human resources with expertise on the Mekong region
in Australia.
Promote:
- a stakeholder approach among diverse interest groups working in the
Mekong region, with a primary focus on the development/environment nexus,
which seeks to support local livelihoods and ecologically sustainable
development and the equitable preemption and resolution of resource
based competition and conflicts.
- transparency, participation and accountability in decision making,
particularly by external agencies which receive Australian (public)
funding.
- a form of external involvement in the region that is more responsive
to local people's needs and aspirations.
Provide:
- a forum for dialogue, discussion and debate on Australian and other
international actors' roles within the region.
- responses to and critiques of external actors in the region and analysis
of the mainstream development agenda.
Support:
- human resource development, grassroots initiatives and the sharing
of information and experiences through networks and opportunities that
bring people (researchers, activists and policy makers and local people)
together within the region.
- research, policy and work in the region that addresses issues relating
to poverty reduction, resource base enhancement and rehabilitation,
and ecologically and economically sustainable development.
Educate:
- external stakeholders and Australian policymakers, the public, academia
and the media about the integrity, diversity and symbiosis of the local
livelihoods, cultures and ecosystems of the Mekong region.
What are the key activities and functions
of the AMRC?
~To assemble and make available key data and information on developments
within the Mekong Region, including policy papers, reports and maps developed
from a spatial database/GIS.
~ To promote and undertake policy-oriented research on Mekong development.
~To support and promote focused postgraduate and undergraduate Honours
research on the region, bringing together students from countries within
the region and from within Australia. The Centre also has provision to
host visiting researchers from other institutions in Australia, the Mekong
Region, and elsewhere, including post-doctoral staff.
~To make available information to media, NGOs, governmental agencies,
academics and others with an interest in the Mekong Region within Australia.
~To develop a register of natural and social scientists concerned with
the social, environmental and economic impacts of development in the Mekong
Region
~ To provide a forum for dialogue, discussion and debate on Australia
and other international actors’ roles within the region.
~ To provide an Australian "node" in the international network
of interest in Mekong issues.
~To develop a stakeholder approach among diverse interest groups working
in the Mekong Region, with a primary focus on the development/environment
nexus.
The above activities can be broadly classified into:
1. Core Activities
~ Information Source and Dissemination (Mekong Updates, Reference Library,
Web Site)
~ Databases (on contacts, media, references, maps). A particularly useful
database will be a register of concerned scientists (social and natural).
The aim of this database is to register those scholars concerned about
environmental and development issues with particular skills, who are available
to comment on development plans, policies and technical assessments.
~ Policy oriented research activites (policy based research, policy and
working papers, maps and data)
~Networking Activities and Participation in Regional Dialogue (participation
in various working groups including the Australian Mekong Group, the Sydney
University Vietnam Focus Group etc.)
2. Project Activities
~ These activities will be carried out by and in the name of AMRC and
are reliant upon outside funding.
3. Affiliated Activities
3.a Affiliated activities with other organisations, with compatable objectives.
There is a wide range of organisations, individuals and initiatives working
on Mekong related activities with whom the AMRC will cooperate, while
each party will maintain independence of action and position on key issues.
3.b. Postgraduate research on Mekong related issues is coordinated and
facilitated as a separate category of affiliated activities.
What is the AMRC's organisational structure?
Director
Dr. Philip Hirsch, senior lecturer in the Department of Geography, is
the Director of the Australian Mekong Resource Centre and accountable
for the management and performance of the Centre. The Centre is based
at the Department of Geography, University of Sydney as a University Centre.
Its administration is primarily within Geography, but the Centre draws
on the expertise of an Academic Advisory Panel.
The Director of the Centre is responsible for:
~ liaising with and reporting to the Academic Advisory Committee
~ liaising with and reporting to the Steering Committee
~ liaising with and reporting to other University departments, committees
etc.
~ liaising with personnel involved with the Centre (academic staff, postgraduate
students, undergraduate students, visitors, general public etc.)
~ producing and reviewing the output of the Centre
~ working with the Centre Administrator on various administrative activities
of the Centre
~ working with the Centre Administrator on financial management and the
maintenance and supervision of the equipment and resources of the Centre
Academic Advisory Panel
The Academic Advisory Panel is to be made up of the Director and another
member of staff from the Department of Geography, as well as academic
representatives from Departments such as the Environmental Law Centre,
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Agriculture and the Research Institute
for Asia and the Pacific, and the Department of Government, the University
of Sydney. The Panel is responsible for strategic advice on research and
outreach activities of the Centre.
The aim of the Advisory Panel is to involve people from the University
and the Department in the Centre, so that it goes beyond a single Departmental
initiative and draws upon wider expertise within the University. The Panel
will have a loose structure and have infrequent informal meetings, maybe
once or twice a year to look at the academic activities and output of
the Centre.
Representation from other Departments and other Universities in Australia
will also be invited to join the Panel.
Steering Committee
A Steering Committee includes academic representation and representatives
of several other Australian and regional agencies with interests and involvement
in the Mekong region. The primary function of the Steering Committee is
to advise on the role of the Centre beyond the walls of the University.
The Aim of the Committee is to provide ideas and direction for the Centre
as well a key point of liaison with various stakeholders on their activities.
Thus the Committee will be a point where stakeholders can share ideas,
provide advice, discuss the direction of the Centre and assist with information
flows. The Committee will oversee the main activities of the Centre, especially
the outreach and resource aspects of the Centre. The Committee will meet
two to four times a year.
Suggested membership of the Steering Committee ;
Department of Geography (Director, Administrative Assistant, Postgrad
representative - rotating position)
AidWatch (Director, Mekong Program Officer)
TERRA (Australian Representative, Bangkok Representative)
Community Aid Abroad (Mekong Program Officer, National Advocacy Coordinator)
Australian Centre for Independent Journalism
Membership from other stakeholders may be sought in the future.
Centre Administrator
This position is currently arranged as a job share and is held by Helen
Gunning-Stevenson (Mon, Tue, Fri) and Doug Bailey (Wed-Fri). The role
of the Administrator is to manage the day-to-day activities of the Centre.
This position reports to the AMRC Director and is responsible, in consultation
with the Director and the Steering Committee, for financial management,
including budget preparation and accounting, maintenance of the various
databases and reference material of the Centre, preparation of literature,
other outputs of the Centre for publication and dissemination, as well
as substantive ideas input into the Centre's activities.
AMRC Associates
A fellowship of AMRC Associates of the Centre is comprised of postgraduate
students from the Department, other Departments in the University, and
students from other universities involved in research on the Mekong region
and who have an active involvement in the Centre. AMRC Associates have
primary rights of access to the Centre, but they are also encouraged to
contribute their own information resources and expertise to the Centre
at appropriate opportunities. AMRC Associates will also be drawn upon
for particular research initiatives, conferences, etc. The Centre will
also actively seek researchers, academics, NGO workers, activists and
others to the Centre and they may also be invited to become AMRC Associates.
Where does the AMRC receive its funding from?
The AMRC receives its core funding from Community Aid Abroad/Oxfam Australia,
the University of Sydney and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (USA). Project
funding from the IDRC has helped get our website established.
©
2006 Australian Mekong Resource Centre |
