We are pleased to announce the grant recipients of the summer 2007 cycle of IAS awards for critical scholarship:
$500 to Noel Barcelona for "Anarkismo:
Is There a Truly Filipino Anarchist Theory and Movement?"
This essay will explore the evolution of anarchist theory and practice in the Philippines, examining its past and with a view toward its future. It will critically study questions such as: When did anarchist theory in the Filipino context emerge? Is there a truly Filipino anarchist theory? How concrete is the practice of anarchist theory here in the Philippines, and how does anarchism shape Filipino mass and revolutionary movements? What are the contradictions between anarchism and other current "leftist" theories in the Philippines?
Noel is a journalist living in Quezon City, Philippines.
$250 to Mark Derby for "A Country Considered to be Free:
A Transnational History of the IWW in Aotearoa, New Zealand"
This essay will describe special features of the IWW in New Zealand such as the constant use of Maori language in its newspaper, and the huge impact of imported radical literature, which meant that IWW ideas and direct action strategies can be observed in parts of the country that never saw an actual member of the organization.
Mark works as a historical researcher for the Waitangi Tribunal, a New Zealand government institution that investigates and issues findings on claims by Maori of breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi (signed in 1840 by Maori chiefs and the British Crown), and is the union delegate for his workforce. Although New Zealand born and of Irish descent, he is a fluent speaker of the Maori language and holds a masters in New Zealand studies.