Many states in the Asia Pacific region are not built around a single homogenous people, but rather include many large, varied, different national groups. This book explores how states in the region attempt to develop commonality and a nation and the difficulties that arise. It discusses the consequences which ensue when competing narratives clash, and examines the nature of resistance to dominant narratives which arise. It considers the problems in a wide range of countries in the region including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

Many states in the Asia Pacific region are not built around a single homogenous people, but rather include many large, varied, different national groups. This book explores how states in the region attempt to develop commonality and a nation and the difficulties that arise. It discusses the consequences which ensue when competing narratives clash, and examines the nature of resistance to dominant narratives which arise. It considers the problems in a wide range of countries in the region including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

This book offers a unique analysis of how political representatives construct ideas about the nation in contemporary Indonesian politics. In their struggle to define what the authors call the ‘national narrative’, would-be national leaders seek to develop a story about the nation’s past, present and future. These stories feature a unique plot, set of characters, and a moral that the political narrator hopes will resonate. In contemporary Indonesia, the authors assess two prominent national narratives: the technocratic and populist national narratives. The book concludes with an analysis that considers other potential sources of ideas about the nation, as well as the potential implications for domestic politics and Indonesian grand strategy.

"Singapore reaches an important milestone in its national development in 2015 when it celebrates its 50th year of independence. It has earned many accolades for the progress it has made in governance, the economy and societal development. However, with changing demographics, resource constraints and the emergence of regional competitors, Singapore's future is fraught with uncertainty. The book is a collection of papers presented at Singapore Perspectives 2015 by leading thought leaders and eminent speakers, reflecting on the critical decisions made in Singapore's past so as to envision strategic paths that the country should take in the future. The contributors include experts in their fields: Ambassador Bilahari Kausikan, Professor Evelyn Goh, Professor Tan Kong Yam, Professor Linda Lim, Professor Kishore Mahbubani, Tong Yee, Vikram Khanna and Associate Professor Eugene Tan. The inter-generational dialogue session with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress Chan Chun Sing carries the central theme of looking at the choices Singapore made in the past and the choices that have to be made moving forward. In line with reflecting on Singapore's past, the book will include a full report on a survey of 1,500 Singaporeans' perceptions of 50 historical events from independence to now."--

Part of the series Key Concepts in Indigenous Studies, this book focuses on the concepts that recur in any discussion of nature, culture and society among the indigenous. The book, the third in a five-volume series, deals with the two key concepts of indigeneity and nation of indigenous people from all the continents of the world. With contributions from renowned scholars, activists and experts across the globe, it looks at issues and ideas of indigeneity, nationhood, nationality, State, identity, selfhood, constitutionalism, and citizenship in Africa, North America, New Zealand, Pacific Islands and Oceania, India, and Southeast Asia from philosophical, cultural, historical and literary points of view. Bringing together academic insights and experiences from the ground, this unique book with its wide coverage will serve as a comprehensive guide for students, teachers and scholars of indigenous studies. It will be essential reading for those in social and cultural anthropology, tribal studies, sociology and social exclusion studies, politics, religion and theology, cultural studies, literary and postcolonial studies, Third World and Global South studies, as well as activists working with indigenous communities.

National Service (NS) is one of Singapore's foundational public policies. First implemented by the British in 1954, amended in 1967 to provide a means to defend a fledgling independent nation, and codified into its present form in 1970, NS is a key pillar of Singapore's defence. Its significance, however, goes beyond defence. With over 1 million male Singapore citizens and permanent residents having served NS, and consequently involving many more — family members, friends, employers and colleagues — in different ways, NS is deeply woven into Singapore's political and social fabric. This volume brings together a range of scholarly perspectives on NS which explore its past, present and future in four sections: The history of NS, NS in practice, debates on NS and an international perspective. Comprising chapters by individuals from varied backgrounds, National Service in Singapore offers a broad account of one of Singapore's oldest public policies.

Addressing the complexities of radicalisation, resilience, cyber, and homeland security, State, Society and National Security: Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century aims to shed light on what has changed in recent years security discourse, what has worked (as well as what has not), and what the potential further evolutions within each domain might be.The release of this book commemorates the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS) — a policy-oriented security think tank within the S Rajaratnam School for International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, as well as the 10th edition of CENS' annual Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO), which has developed into a premier international security conference in Southeast Asia.Featuring contributions from practitioners, policy experts and academics closely linked to CENS, this volume is a reminder of the meaningful and impact-creating insights that 10 years' worth of thinking and talking about national security imperatives have generated.Contributors to this volume include Professor Sir David Omand, former director of the United Kingdom's Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ), Steven R Corman, Professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Marc Sageman, former operations officer at the United States Central Intelligence Agency, Ilan Mizrahi, former Head of Israel's National Security Council and John, Lord Alderdice, Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords and Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict at Harris Manchester College, Oxford.This book has been written in a manner that makes it accessible to policymakers, security practitioners and academics, as well as interested lay readers.