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Indonesia scholar and solidarity activist coming to Madison Oct 16

Max Lane will discuss his new book Unfinished Nation: Indonesia before and after Suharto at 7 pm on Thursday, October 16, at Rainbow Bookstore Co-operative, 426 W. Gilman St.

A decade before the current, U.S.-based financial meltdown came the Asian economic crisis. The crisis hit Indonesia especially hard, even though the vast majority of the country's population hadn't benefited from its previous economic growth. President Suharto, who took power in a brutal military coup in 1965, was ousted in May 1998, as workers and peasants joined labor, student and human rights activists in the streets, calling for "reformasi."

Max's new book, "Unfinished Nation," traces Indonesia's history, from its anti-colonial movement in the early twentieth century, to its Third World leadership following World War II, to the devastating human, cultural and economic impacts of the Suharto dictatorship. Following Suharto's fall, a new anti-(neo)colonial movement began to grow, witnessed through grassroots efforts to reclaim Indonesia's history and culture and demand economic sovereignty. What will the future bring for Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim population, and what of its relationship with the United States?

Max has more than 35 years of experience in Indonesia, spanning the complex country's culture, politics, economic development and foreign relations. He's worked with progressive political groups in Indonesia, East Timor and the Philippines; translated the novels of renowned Indonesian author and former political prisoner Pramoedya Ananta Toer; and helped reporter and filmmaker John Pilger cover the region.

Max's talk is co-sponsored by Rainbow Bookstore Co-operative. The event is free and open to the public; Rainbow will have copies of "Unfinished Nation" for sale. For more information, call 608-241-2473 or email madison@etan.org.

The Autumn 2008 Lia Foun is now online!

Enjoy these articles about our recent visit from East Timorese guests Agio Gomes and Father Evaristo da Costa Soares:

• From Ainaro to Madison: MASA's 2008 Delegation by Eric S. Piotrowski
• On Wisconsin: Reflections from Agio and Father Evaristo by Father Evaristo Fernandes da Costa Soares and Hermenegildo Magno Gomes
• Indigenous Links with the Menominee Nation by Tom Foley
• Find Us at the Festivals