The Philippine State: Weak, Predatory, Anti-Development or Pluralist?
During his visit to Helsinki, political scientist Nathan Quimpo – one of the most widely recognized scholars of Philippine politics and democracy – will present the key themes of his forthcoming book at a discussion event of Finnish-Philippine Society.
The event will also feature a commentary by Dr. Bonn Juego, Senior Lecturer at the University of Jyväskylä, whose expertise lies in development theories and political economy.
Date and time: Thursday, July 2 at 16–18 (4–6pm)
Venue: Oodi Central Library, group room 3, also available via Zoom https://diak-fi.zoom.us/j/63969824615?pwd=WjJBNlNUcDNOVUt0QlhFb2pWR1ZGZz09
Organizer: Finnish-Philippine Society
Nathan Gilbert Quimpo has been teaching Political Sciences and International Relations at the University of Tsukuba, University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, and University of Amsterdam. He is best known for his analyses of Philippine democracy, left-wing movements, and the conflicts in Mindanao. He also has a strong background as a civil society activist during the Marcos dictatorship.
Key points about Quimpo
- He has written extensively on the Philippine political system, particularly in the post-Marcos era.
- His most influential work is Contested Democracy and the Left in the Philippines after Marcos, in which he puts forward an alternative interpretation to an elite- or oligarch-controlled political system, transformation to a “contested democracy” by deepening into a more participatory and egalitarian democracy.
- He has also studied the Mindanao peace process and conflict resolution, including in his article Back to War in Mindanao.
- Quimpo co-authored the memoir Subversive Lives, which recounts his family’s experiences during the Marcos dictatorship.
