Encountering Universals in Cambodia and Indonesia-Translations Across Historical Multiplicity

Universals are abstract aspirations that claim to transform the status quo to a better future. They are particulars born in specific cultural, socio-political, and economic settings that aim to generalise across difference as they travel globally. While the contemporary grand schemes under scrutiny in this special issue circulate in Cambodia and Indonesia as part of economic neo-liberalism, rights-based liberalism, or environmental crisis management, they encounter other universals that predate the current era of development. It is thus necessary to carefully consider the influence of previous models to grasp how universals are translated across the region today. Based on the assumption that the universal is multiple, we argue that it is important to focus on these dimensions of its multiplicity and historicity in order to study how processes of (dis)engagement unfold. To grapple this complexity, this special issue brings forth novel forms of translation that will enrich the dynamic reflections on this concept.