1995-10-01a- CIA Conference Report: THE CHALLENGE OF ETHNIC CONFLICT TO NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ORDER IN THE 1990S GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES 01-Oct-95

C00123268
Drn Ronald Wixman, in his response, discusses the Southeast and East Asia
region from a slightly different perspective, viewing Dr: Dru Gladney,Research Fellow, Program for
the Soviet Union as an empire that is going through Cultural Studies at the East West Center, Hawaii,
stages of decolonization. illustrates some of the potential ethnic and subethnic
faultlines in Chinese society. He explores ethnicity in
Africa the context of the shifting nature of identity and pro-
Dr.Harm J. de Blij, Landegger Distinguished Profes- poses some policy considerations.
sor of Geography at Georgetown University, examines
the three kinds of ethnic conflict in Sub-Saharan Dr: Eric Crystal, Coordinator for Southeast Asia Stud-
Africa: religious, tribal, and strategic. He then looks in ies at the University of California, Berkeley, presents
detail at current ethnic strife in Liberia, Sudan, Dji- four key focuses for understanding ethnic tensions in
bouti, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, and Angola and Southeast Asia: highland-lowland divides, religious
assesses the potential for ethnic conflict in Nigeria and identification, cultural and linguistic differences in bor-
South Africa. der regions, and ideological conflicts articulated in
terms of ethnic interest. Dr. Crystal highlights the
Dr.Rex Honey, Associate Professor of Geography at impact of outside intervention on inflaming ethnic ten-
the University of Iowa, responds by placing African sions in the region since World War II and concludes
ethnic conflict in a historical perspective. He associ- with some observations for policymaking.
ates current problems with the European colonialists'
imposition of boundaries and of the modern nation- South Asia
state system. Dr Joseph Schwartzberg, Professor of Geography at
the University of Minnesota, examines evolving eth-
Latin America nicity in South Asia, focusing on postindependence
Dr.Gary S. Elbow, Professor of Geography, Texas India. Among the issues he discusses are the processes
Tech University,.discusses the potential for ethnic ofethnic identity formation, linguistic affiliation as an
conflict in South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean organizing principle, and Hindu nationalism.
in.the 1990s. Helfocuses on the potential for confron-
tation between indigenous peoples and national gov- Dr Robert Stoddard, the respondent, is Professor
ernments. of Geography at the University of Nebraska. He dis-
cusses the regionalization of the Tamil population in
Mr.Mac Chapin of Rights and Resources responds Sri Lanka and comments on two major perspectives of
by discussing ethnic tensions among groups in Central Indian nationalism, the secular and the Hindu.
America. He concentrates on the marginalization of
the indigenous population.
Part III: Regional Comparisons and
Middle East Implications for the United States and the
Dr Marvin Mikesell, Professor of Geography at the International Community
University of Chicago, examines the ethnic realities
that make the Middle East a region of inherent instabil- Perspectives on Demographic and
ity and the persistent conflict between ethnic groups, Humanitarian Issues
many of whom share a common language and religion. Dr. Gary Fuller,Professor of Geography and Popula-
tion Studies at the University of Hawaii, examines the
Dr Mildred Berman, Professor of Geography at demographic underpinnings of ethnic conflict. He
Salem State College, calls attention to refugees as argues that certain demographic data, such as infant
another of the destabilizing aspects of the region's
human geography.
2