Brazil, baby!

For those who don't yet know - I'll be going to Brazil next month!

It's for a conference on democracy and political participation. And ... I'll be speaking (!).

The topic is human rights and economic development. More specifically, a critique of the argument that civil rights should be suppressed for the sake of economic development, in the context of SE Asia. To grotesquely over-simplify, think LKY vs Amartya Sen. (Wouldn't I love to put the both of them in a room.)

I'm rather nervous, this being my first major speaking engagement - and on such a scale. It doesn't help that I'm speaking next to a Harvard academic and a World Bank consultant, or that my speech could potentially bring me libel threats, detention and/or other such whimsical treats from our grand Party.

Currently putting my speech together, so if you want to share with me your burning thoughts/input on the topic, send them merrily along to ipanema.garota [at] gmail.com .


Technorati: democracy, youth, civil rights, Southeast Asia