Hadje Cresencio Sadje
Hadje Cresencio Sadje obtained his MA in Crosscultural Theology at the Protestant Theological University, The Netherlands, and MA in Ecumenical Studies (specializing in Sociology of Religion) at the University of Bonn. He is a visiting Ph.D. research fellow at the University of Vienna, Austria, a student ambassador at the Paris Institute of Critical Thinking, and a visiting fellow at the Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre Canada, Centre for Studies in Religion and Society—University of Victoria, and research associate at Cambridge Centre for Christianity Worldwide. Currently, he is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Hamburg Germany. In the world of practice, his notable works are in association with the Christian Peacemaker Team Greece, Caritas Brussels, EAPPI-World Council of Churches (WCC), PeaceBuilders Community Philippines, Bangsamoro Research and Legal Services, and Pananaw Pinoy. While in academe, he teaches at the Barcelona Applied Social Sciences Spain, the Foundation Academy in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and the Divinity School Silliman University Philippines. His research and publication projects focus on decoloniality, global politics, Asian religions, Global Pentecostalism, Muslim-Christian Studies, Asian theologies, and Christian Zionism.
Address: Leuven, België
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John Paul II’s thought for rethinking human dignity
vis-à-vis advanced modern technologies. Despite some
positive contributions, some social scientists observe
that advanced modern technologies make us less human
and amplify violence. For instance, Thomas O’Brien,
a social ethicist, argues that leading-edge technologies
are both flaccid and firm that penetrate every aspect
of our contemporary life whether one is aware of it or
not. By the same token, Sherilyn Macale, a social media
editor, argues that modern technologies have made
people become idle. Macale observes that a massive
amount of entertainment (TV, movies, video games)
without leaving the sofa makes people less productive
and stupid. However, Paul II provides a philosophicaltheological view of human person that is worth
considering as a guide to a technological savvy
society. In this present crisis, rediscovering John Paul
II’s concept of human dignity allows us to understand
how important re-evaluating science and technology
is starting from the human person
challenges? Carlito “Karl” Gaspar, in thinking theologically, proposes to rediscover the precolonial Filipino spirituality to address the social issues. For Gaspar, precolonial Filipino spirituality is a transformativeoriented
spirituality and inherently Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan (For God, People, Nature).
Gaspar argues that reclaiming the roots of our connection with precolonial spirituality could lead us towards
developing solidarity with the poor, with marginalized groups, and with nature. Analyzing Gaspar’s
The Masses Are Messiah: Contemplating the Filipino Soul (2010) as resource dissipation, this paper is an
invitation to explore precolonial Filipino spirituality as a source to transform power structures. The paper is
divided into five parts: First, the paper gives a brief introduction to the life and work of Karl Gaspar. Second,
the paper offers an overview of Gaspar’s book, The Masses Are Messiah. Third, the paper discusses Gaspar’s
transformative spirituality. Lastly, the paper advances the precolonial Filipino spirituality as a potential
source for a holistic model of Filipino spirituality, especially for Filipino Pentecostal spirituality. Therefore,
Filipino Pentecostal spirituality becomes meaningful, useful, and relevant in the Philippine context.
Matapos ang 1,800 taon, ang mga Israelita ay bumalik at nagulat na ang “Lupang Pangako” ay inookupahan ng mga Palestino. Subalit, ang salaysay na ito ay kontrobersyal at panliligaw sa totoong nangyayari. Ito rin ay nangibabaw ng ilang dekada. Ngunit, para sa karamihan, ito ay hidwaang relihiyon lamang. Ngunit, para sa iba, ang dekadang hidwaan na ito ay tungkol sa brutal na kolonyalisasyon at heopolitikal. Datapwat, ano nga ba ang katotohanan sa likod ng hidwaang Israeli at Palestino? Ayon kay Ilan Pappé, isang tanyang na Israeling historyador, ang kilusang Zionismo ay gumagamit ng napakaraming mito upang itago ang katotohanan tungkol sa hidwaang Israeli at Palestino. Sa papel na ito ay aking binanggit at sinisiyasat ang tatlong mito tungkol sa hidwaang Israeli and Palestino: (a) relihiyon ang ugat ng hidwaan sa pagitan ng Israeli at Palestino, (b) ang Zionismo ay Hudaismo at (c) ang modernong Israel ay isang democratikong bansa.
investigate the evolution of the political myths propounded by Zionists which is used as a justification for the existence of the State of Israel. It examines how biblical verses and expressions such as chosen people‟, promised land‘ or A land without a people for a people without a land,‘ serve as absolute narratives used by many fundamentalist Christians around the world including the Churches in the Philippines and Jewish Zionists as the title deeds‘. This state of mind perpetually vindicates ethnic division, military occupation, and triggers countless violations of basic human rights in the occupied Palestinian Territory [oPT]. This historical injustice is explored via Edward Said‘s Post-Colonial concept of imaginative geography‘ in order to consider how the Zionist Jews and Christian eschatological doctrine reinforce and promote imaginative geography‘ to re-conceptualize and Zionise the West Bank area. By repositioning our standpoint within the frames of the oppressed whose voice has been quashed into silence, this exploration aims to describe the condition of Palestinians whose story needs to be revisited.
Keywords: Arab Jews, Dispensational Theology, Imaginative Geography, Zionism
Keywords: Conservative Evangelicalism, Christian Zionism, Dispensationalism, Misrepresentation, Palestinian/Arab Christians.
Keywords: Appropriation, Evangelical Christian, Postmodernity,
Postmodern Thinking, Reformation
Keywords: ASEAN Integration, homo sacer, Rohingya refugees, state violence
Conference Presentations by Hadje Cresencio Sadje
John Paul II’s thought for rethinking human dignity
vis-à-vis advanced modern technologies. Despite some
positive contributions, some social scientists observe
that advanced modern technologies make us less human
and amplify violence. For instance, Thomas O’Brien,
a social ethicist, argues that leading-edge technologies
are both flaccid and firm that penetrate every aspect
of our contemporary life whether one is aware of it or
not. By the same token, Sherilyn Macale, a social media
editor, argues that modern technologies have made
people become idle. Macale observes that a massive
amount of entertainment (TV, movies, video games)
without leaving the sofa makes people less productive
and stupid. However, Paul II provides a philosophicaltheological view of human person that is worth
considering as a guide to a technological savvy
society. In this present crisis, rediscovering John Paul
II’s concept of human dignity allows us to understand
how important re-evaluating science and technology
is starting from the human person
challenges? Carlito “Karl” Gaspar, in thinking theologically, proposes to rediscover the precolonial Filipino spirituality to address the social issues. For Gaspar, precolonial Filipino spirituality is a transformativeoriented
spirituality and inherently Maka-Diyos, Maka-Tao, Makakalikasan (For God, People, Nature).
Gaspar argues that reclaiming the roots of our connection with precolonial spirituality could lead us towards
developing solidarity with the poor, with marginalized groups, and with nature. Analyzing Gaspar’s
The Masses Are Messiah: Contemplating the Filipino Soul (2010) as resource dissipation, this paper is an
invitation to explore precolonial Filipino spirituality as a source to transform power structures. The paper is
divided into five parts: First, the paper gives a brief introduction to the life and work of Karl Gaspar. Second,
the paper offers an overview of Gaspar’s book, The Masses Are Messiah. Third, the paper discusses Gaspar’s
transformative spirituality. Lastly, the paper advances the precolonial Filipino spirituality as a potential
source for a holistic model of Filipino spirituality, especially for Filipino Pentecostal spirituality. Therefore,
Filipino Pentecostal spirituality becomes meaningful, useful, and relevant in the Philippine context.
Matapos ang 1,800 taon, ang mga Israelita ay bumalik at nagulat na ang “Lupang Pangako” ay inookupahan ng mga Palestino. Subalit, ang salaysay na ito ay kontrobersyal at panliligaw sa totoong nangyayari. Ito rin ay nangibabaw ng ilang dekada. Ngunit, para sa karamihan, ito ay hidwaang relihiyon lamang. Ngunit, para sa iba, ang dekadang hidwaan na ito ay tungkol sa brutal na kolonyalisasyon at heopolitikal. Datapwat, ano nga ba ang katotohanan sa likod ng hidwaang Israeli at Palestino? Ayon kay Ilan Pappé, isang tanyang na Israeling historyador, ang kilusang Zionismo ay gumagamit ng napakaraming mito upang itago ang katotohanan tungkol sa hidwaang Israeli at Palestino. Sa papel na ito ay aking binanggit at sinisiyasat ang tatlong mito tungkol sa hidwaang Israeli and Palestino: (a) relihiyon ang ugat ng hidwaan sa pagitan ng Israeli at Palestino, (b) ang Zionismo ay Hudaismo at (c) ang modernong Israel ay isang democratikong bansa.
investigate the evolution of the political myths propounded by Zionists which is used as a justification for the existence of the State of Israel. It examines how biblical verses and expressions such as chosen people‟, promised land‘ or A land without a people for a people without a land,‘ serve as absolute narratives used by many fundamentalist Christians around the world including the Churches in the Philippines and Jewish Zionists as the title deeds‘. This state of mind perpetually vindicates ethnic division, military occupation, and triggers countless violations of basic human rights in the occupied Palestinian Territory [oPT]. This historical injustice is explored via Edward Said‘s Post-Colonial concept of imaginative geography‘ in order to consider how the Zionist Jews and Christian eschatological doctrine reinforce and promote imaginative geography‘ to re-conceptualize and Zionise the West Bank area. By repositioning our standpoint within the frames of the oppressed whose voice has been quashed into silence, this exploration aims to describe the condition of Palestinians whose story needs to be revisited.
Keywords: Arab Jews, Dispensational Theology, Imaginative Geography, Zionism
Keywords: Conservative Evangelicalism, Christian Zionism, Dispensationalism, Misrepresentation, Palestinian/Arab Christians.
Keywords: Appropriation, Evangelical Christian, Postmodernity,
Postmodern Thinking, Reformation
Keywords: ASEAN Integration, homo sacer, Rohingya refugees, state violence
decades towards loosening the grip of some of the belief systems that have enabled many systemic
inequalities in the modern world. The ideological underpinnings of white supremacy, heteropatriarchy
and coloniality, for example, have been rigorously challenged and are being steadily eroded, leading to
changes in legal frameworks, social practices and the norms of acceptable everyday behaviour. The
highly visible and vocal Black Lives Matter movement, which regained international momentum
following the murder of George Floyd, has become a widely recognized recent manifestation of this
refusal to abide the injustices and indignities of the past. The Rhodes Must Fall movement, started by
students at the University of Cape Town in 2015, has also inspired similar student protests in many parts
of the world against colonial institutional cultures and curricula. These movements have also
encouraged the mainstreaming of critical theory and concepts such as ‘privilege’ and ‘systemic racism’.
As these pressures of norm change accelerate, coupled with shifting demographics within nation-states
and moving geo-political dynamics, the resistance and mobilization against change has also accelerated,
a fact indelibly etched on the global imagination in the images of the attack on the US Capitol Hill by
right-wing groups, egged on by the erstwhile President of the US, Donald Trump. One of the most
virulent forms this resistance has taken is the war on Critical Race Theory and Gender Studies as
discourses supportive of social change. Attacks on these fields accompany right wing, and often populist,
efforts to erode and thwart social justice initiatives aiming to redress historical oppression.
We can cite so many examples of these dynamics. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has promised to
“combat gender ideology” in his neoliberal and heteropatriarchal war on Marxism and Freirean social
justice pedagogy. In Hungary, Gender Studies has been attacked as a field that threatens traditional
family values and impairs national fertility rates. In Poland, the ministries of science and education have
committed to eliminate the influence of gender, including pledges to strip the national accreditation of
gay and lesbian studies. Similarly in India, despite the revocation of Article 377 from the Indian Penal
Code that criminalized same-sex relationships, hatred against same-sex relationships and denial of
same-sex marriages continue to be institutionalized. Hatred and denial are logically systematized by
arguing that the practices of same-sex relationships and marriages are against the indigenous cultures
and traditions of India.
Alongside growing efforts to discredit Gender Studies in these and other countries, attacks on Critical
Race Theory are gaining momentum. In his last few months as US President, Donald J. Trump issued a
directive purging Critical Race Theory from trainings for US federal agencies. Subsequent to this move,
efforts to ban CRT have accelerated in many states, with CRT being fully banned in a total of six States.
Efforts are also underway in the United Kingdom to restrict the teaching of CRT in schools. In India and
widely in Southeast Asia, the discourses on CRT occupy a backseat through a consistent denial of the
existence of racism within the habitual existential spaces.
Accompanying these institutional measures is a rise in conservative populism, seeking to counter civil
rights and social justice advocacy and to render hate discourses along the lines of race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, nationality, and disability respectable once again. Right wing incursions into critical
theory and knowledge, which have accompanied social justice advocacy for historically disenfranchised
and oppressed groups, must also be seen in relation to broader attacks on academic research and
expertise. The consequences of denying and devaluing scientific expertise have been tragically observed
in contexts where right wing governments have denied the existence of COVID-19, with dire social,
economic and health consequences.
Notable in this new, and global, iteration of culture wars is the emergence of intergenerational faultlines. Younger generations are often ridiculed for their culture of “wokeness” and for creating the
controversial practice of “cancel culture”. Efforts to denigrate youth calling for historical redress and
equality have been largely deployed through rhetoric of “common sense”, which actively conceals
ethnonationalist, neoliberal, and heteropatriarchal interests embedded within nostalgic recollections of
“tradition”. Conservative accusations that critical “wokeness” is out of touch and even dangerous for
traditional cultures and national economies provides a powerful example of the relationship between
epistemic and social in/justice.
Our conference picks up on this metaphor of “awakeness” and wishes to invite thinking on awareness,
social conscientization, critical consciousness, and the attempts to prevent, reverse, and generally
provide all manner of soporifics, sedatives and lullabies in both political and popular culture to counter
democratically-inspired discourse. One such soporific that comes to mind immediately is the widespread uptake in conspiracy theories, another is the recycling of eugenicist thinking that has informed
some discourses on the Covid-19 epidemic, where notions of socially-sanctioned dispensability of “less
useful/productive/valued” human lives, particularly those of the elderly and disabled, have once again
surfaced. How do “sleeping,” denial and ignorance generate social productions by those who prevent
the marginalized individuals and communities from gaining and sharing knowledges, or actively erase
indigenous knowledges and other marginalised epistemologies? But then again, how are other forms of
consciousness-policing operationalised within spaces of wokeness, thereby producing “sleepwalkers”?
We hope to facilitate the presentation of thoughts that tease out the nuances of these metaphors in
relation to the production of social justice thinking. The conference will not take the form of traditional
presentations and Q&A but will rather ask participants to present their thoughts briefly, and then
engage in conversations with fellow panelists. We envisage conversations to span topics/fields such as:
• The censorship of Critical Race Theory; gender, sexual and reproductive knowledge and
other diversity discourses
• The “war on wokeness”
• Cancel culture
• Freedom of speech/academic freedom and critical approaches to hate speech
• New forms of eugenicist thinking, as in language of genetics, or populist Covid-19
discourse, especially as these impact people living with disabilities and the elderly
• Critical sleep studies – sleep as a form of resistance The role of social media in creating/suppressing critical social justice thinking
• Epistemologies of ignorance
• Decoloniality, epistemocides & epistemological disobedience
• Control of historical knowledge
• Different lullabies of gaslighting in the age of neocolonialism/neoliberalism/postrace/post-feminism
• Activism, conscientization and challenges of anti-foundationalist thinking
• Policing of “wokeness”
• Ecocidal thinking
• Many more ideas are out there. . . .
The conference is hosted by the Wits Centre for Diversity Studies, University of the Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, South Africa on 6 October 2021 through Zoom virtual meeting platform.
Keywords: Identity Politics, Multiple Religious Belonging, Religious Fundamentalism, Religious Violence
as an individual and as a part of society. Despite the plea for solidarity among leaders and policymakers in the Global community, the
contrasting approach of both known democratic and prevalent authoritarian leaders of our times in addressing the crisis either revealed
its success or its utter failure. If examined from the milieu of the latter, the outbreak of COVID-19 unveiled the injustices of the global
political-economic order due to the exclusionary tactics it uses. This includes the clear rift between the privileged and marginalized where
the issues of healthcare systems raise the question “what did COVID-19 reveal about global health systems?” and the manner in which
bodies are orchestrated to be subjects of discipline. It is perhaps evident enough that we have witnessed how the exercise of power over
life by the state and its apparatuses has intensified in terms of governing subjects as an iota of the whole population. Such control over
the life of the species amidst the pandemic is not solely a biological concern intended to contain the virus but is also a political question
on how we are governed and contained in the confines of our social spaces. This demands from us a normative insight that shall call into
question the forms of domination that have been normalized under the label of the “new normal”, or perhaps point out how much of
what is revealed has been with us or has been in the underbelly of our systems all along. This paper shall work on the premise that the
current pandemic demystified how the authoritarian tendencies of current populist leaders such as Duterte govern via the paradox of
strategic control without a political blueprint to sustain the life of the population. The thread of our discussion will follow four important
points: first, as a springboard of the succeeding points, it is set to discuss important aspects of Foucault’s concept of biopolitics to shed
light on how current practices of government resonate his genealogical description; second, developed out from the previous point is
the emphasis on how the current practice of governing subjects reveal not the supposed security of the population but its divisive tactic
to let a selected segment of the population be allowed to thrive while vulnerable communities are left to die. Third, to describe how the
obverse of Foucault’s biopolitics – i.e. ‘thanatopolitics’ which focuses on how “death” both as a physical and psychological violence is
politically produced – unfold in the context of the Philippine pandemic. And last, in challenging these practices of state of exception,
what political philosophy can offer in the response to the government that failed to promote, improve, and sustain the social well-being
of the general population.
and content of Christian doctrine, and vice versa. In other words, Robinson and Kuehn highlight the dialectical, mutual dynamic of the development of theological reflection and societal evolution.
This research aims to explore the violations of religious freedom of the Parmalim in Indonesia. According to Hasse (2011), Parmalim group is one of unrecognized indigenous religions that have been exists before the advent of imported world’s religions (Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Islam) in Indonesia (Hasse, et. al, 2011, MC Daniel, 2017). Due to the discriminatory treatment from the state, few studies have been conducted. Presently, discrimination against the Parmalim continues andhas prevents them from enjoying full citizen rights, including basic rights such as citizenship, birth certificates, identity cards, and family cards. As a result, it is difficult for them to get access to many things such as access to education, health, and employment. Moreover, the Parmalim is not recognized by the state as one of the official religions in Indonesia. As a consequance, it is difficult for the adherents to get a position in the government because it is considered tobe atheist. Also, they are lack of access to legal identity; loss of legal, civil, economic and loss of living space for development.
Granting the right to religious freedom in the Indonesian Constitution, and has been reinforced with the ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in 1948 that specifically mentioned the importance of freedom of religion in terms of religious minorities. However, the realization of this right is different from the setting. The factual situation of religious freedom of the Parmalim in Indonesia are really alarming. These rights are under threat. The government’s failure to conduct a proper investigation on this matter has drawn attention to broader concerns about the lack of respect for basic rights (Roger, 2014). The main problem lies in the legal systems itself, including interpretation of freedom and the government's attitude in addressing acts of discrimination and religionization of indigenous religions caused the position of the Parmalim in religious life is getting increasingly discriminated.
Human ways and habits shaped by hundreds of years of experience underwent
radical changes in just a brief period due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. This
situation, emerging as a result of these changes, has been called the “new normal.” The
consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is considered as being one of the
most serious disasters that humanity has experienced in recent history, were first
examined in the context of human health, but it was later understood that the pandemic
also gave rise to political, economic, educational, socio-cultural, and psychological
effects.
Under these circumstances, it has become crucial to reveal society’s approach to
the pandemic, to make plans and revise practices accordingly to survive with the crisis,
and to both understand and take appropriate measures as to how individuals and social
institutions cope with a raft of anxieties and fears at the moment.
In view of the above, the Fifth (5th) Biennial CAMANAVA Studies International
Conference on Resilience, Reorientation, and Reinvention in the New Normal therefore
aims to achieve the following objectives:
1.To provide a forum for administrators, educators, students, and researchers that will
facilitate productive sharing and discussion of ideas, insights, and experiences relative
to the challenging issues and concerns of this so-called New Normal brought about by
the Covid-19 pandemic;
2.To provide opportunities for researchers in various disciplines to exhibit scholarly
research outputs that are relevant, timely, and responsive towards the need for
resiliency, reorientation, and reinvention in this time of pandemic and to the future;
3.To use research outputs in creating resilient systems and communities today and in
the future; and
4. To generate insights for possible challenges that could be subject for future studies
on resilient recovery in the new normal.
This Pakighinabi aims to provide a platform for dialogue to examine the role of art as a tool to reclaim one’s reality and identity through the various Indigenous artists sharing stories of how they reclaimed their narratives using their art.
To register, please provide the information asked in this form bit.ly/3iULWHd. The Zoom details and other information about the event will be sent to your email address. See you online at the Pakighinabi!
The Conference will be held on 12 February 2022
📌Registration on http://asc.mcu.ac.th/con/
For more information: mcuasean@gmail.com
ศูนย์อาเซียนศึกษา ร่วมกับ มหาวิทยาลัยมหาจุฬาลงกรณราชวิทยาลัย วิทยาเขตบาลีศึกษาพุทธโฆส และ Smaratungga Buddhist College ประเทศอินโดนีเซีย จัดประชุมวิชาการนานาชาติออนไลน์ครั้งที่ 1 ในหัวข้อ
"ASEAN Perspective and Innovation"
เปิดรับบทความเพื่อนำเสนอในเวทีประชุมวิชาการนานาชาติ ตั้งแต่บัดนี้ จนถึง 31 มกราคม 2565
📌สมัครได้ที่ลิงค์ http://asc.mcu.ac.th/con/
draws attention to the ways that pervasive societal anxieties are taken up in religious,
interreligious and transreligious discourses. The last years have seen forms of major
social upheaval in the form of protests the world over. These have included popular
protest movements in well over twenty countries, from Asia and Southeast Asia to
Africa to Latin America to North America to Europe. These have led to major policy
backdowns and/or governmental crackdown (Hong Kong, Belarus) and even the
overthrow of governments (Bolivia, Peru, Sudan, Algeria, Iraq, Malta). Triggers can be
seemingly minor (such as bread prices in Sudan and taxes on whatsapp messages in
Lebanon) or sudden and shocking (such as in cases of police brutality). In both cases,
protests often then develop along predictable sightlines of economic concern and
political parties. Recent protests and counter protests have been surrounded by a
deluge of disinformation and conspiracy (for example, surrounding elections or the
pandemic). In several cases, inconspicuous beginnings led to society-wide or global
debates concerning religion, ethnicity, the stability of democratic institutions,
fundamental human rights, and even the future of humanity.
Religious contributions and reactions to such upheavals vary widely and can be
unpredictable. Across religious traditions, religious communities sometimes engage
with social questions citing theological principles of siding with the oppressed or
freedom of religion, while at other times this same logic is deemed inapplicable.
Some religious leaders remain at a cautious distance from protest movements or even
actively side with pro-government suppression, appealing to divine sovereignty, while
in other situations religious communities have provided field hospitals, water and
food. In looking at the relationship of religion and protest, one could almost speak of
the emergence of a new rank of politico-religious leaders - including both those
actively supporting and those condemning protests.
The ICoME 2021 theme, "Epistemology of the Global South, Societal Issues on Education, and Critical Review on Educational Practices," entices academic minds in elevating conversations on promoting fairness in education to benefit those who are marginalized. This conference also addresses queries on the global south's epistemology, inequality, and marginalization in education in the context of a pandemic characterized by disrupted educational mobility.
ICoME 2021 is a joint undertaking of the Asian Journal on Perspectives in Education (AJPE), the Institute of Education-Department of Graduate Studies and Transnational Education (IE-GSTE), and the International Relations Office (IRO) of Far Eastern University (FEU).
The ICoME 2021 organizing committee intends to use the conference as a platform for academics to present their contextual contributions for a better global education.
What is Aguipo? Aguipo means glowing hot coal or ember. It is that which consumes an entity out of existence and remains after a raging fire has set ablaze and slowly turned to ashes a thing that once was. In traditional cooking, a single spark of an Aguipo can ignite and set ablaze a bunch of firewood. But the heat that comes along with it boils the broth in an earthen pot, transforming what once was a simple mixture of ingredients into a nutritious and comforting soup. The same Aguipo could also be the embers that remain after a tyrant’s effigy has been burned
by a people, whose raging determination signals an indefatigable resistance. Aguipo both consumes and remains, quite like the Hegelian Aufhebung which simultaneously suggests destruction and preservation. In Aguipo, as in Aufhebung, things go out into existence yet transform or pave the transformation of things towards their other. Aguipo is the vanishing cause of a transformation whose
reality can only be captured through the emergence of the new from the ruins of the old. Aguipo is a persistent reminder that things ceaselessly transform.
AGSJ affirms the need to not only interpret but also transform the world. In an interview with the former President of the AUPAEU Cebu chapter, whose tenure
of office made possible the conceptualization of the AGSJ, Phoebe Zoe Maria Sanchez acknowledged that a “perfect movement is said to be both social and
epistemic.” Like an aguipo that carries with it a dual meaning, a movement’s social and epistemic dimensions, according to Sanchez, “goes with the dialectics of praxis and theory.” She insisted that this movement, which initially is academic and is
located in the university, must nonetheless engage itself further in the social world,
“in the different facets of social life and the conflicts that confront us.” Praxis and R. Imbong Aguipo Global South Journal, vol. 1 (2022): 1-2 2 theory, epistemic and social movements, must consider the conflicts and
contradictions that shape the social world. It is these conflicts and contradictions which AGSJ will reflect and interrogate. Social transformation could only be possible through a collective agency conscious of the complexities and dynamisms of conflicts that shape society.
In the present issue, the authors investigated various sites of conflicts. E. San Juan Jr. examined how tensions take place in the pandemic particularly under the
Duterte regime. Karlo Mikhail Mongaya et al. revisited history to locate the resistance of the Diliman Commune against the Martial Law dictatorship then. Satwinder Rehal identified issues in racialized media scripts in sports news. Mar Louie Vincent Reyes illustrated how Francis’ papacy provides a model in countering colonial tendencies. Christine Cerezo traced the tensions of how women redefine beauty through an agency exercised in the current beauty trends, despite their commodified scheme. And Antonette Arogo examined the theory-practice conflict
by way of demonstrating literature’s worldliness, one which enables the translation
of theory into practice.