The news that NATO is now in charge of peace keeping in Kabul is pitched as good news. However, questions about NATO and its role do not necessarily go away.

“Gandhi recognised that conflict will always be within us. I think we should study his powerful insights to achieve a more equitable social and political structure. The civil rights movement succeeded because the whites realised that racism was wrong and that they, and not the blacks, had to change.”

The Monitor congratulates JK Rowling on her success, compares her to Orwell and Wells and fears that the world needs more than a magic wand.

While most of the world is familiar with Rwandan genocide, fifteen years later the influence of a small band of deniers is growing thanks to the embrace of the deniers' arguments by a small but influential number of left-wing, anti-American journals and websites, cautions Gerald Caplan. This article is cross posted from Pambazuka News

This unprecedented oil rush dwarfs the Western aid, Africa currently relies on and provides a unique opportunity to turn the continent around. However the fear, of many of those who work in promoting sustainable development in Africa, is that this oil bonanza will never benefit the vast majority of Africans, who

Sri Lanka: a plea for democracy Author: Sie Kathieravealu Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on 01/16/2009 In Sri Lanka, the trouble started due to discrimination and injustice and continues due to bribery and corruption. These may be the reasons for troubles in other countries too. Current wars have

Obama should use the moral support of the Nobel prize to bolster his efforts to eliminate nuclear arms in our time.

The ‘Banking’ System of Teaching: Frowns and No Flowers Author: Jennifer Francesa Acio Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on 06/02/2009 One common adage that has remained permanently glued to my mind is that which goes, ‘We must practice what we preach’. I am writing from the humble perspective

It's been a rough month for De Beers, the largest diamond manufacturer in the world. Facing stiff criticism and increasing competition, the company sold off 26 percent of its mining operations. And what's this? Synthetic diamonds so real they can fool the experts? Maybe it time to sell, sell, sell.

The Indonesian Election and Peace in Aceh: an example worth following Author: Michael Vatikiotis Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 04/22/2009 The recently held general election in Indonesia demonstrated convincingly that plural societies in Southeast Asia can be trusted to express their popular will without resorting to violent