Reflections on an Observation: El Salvador International Election Observation Mission
Having recently returned from an International Election Observer Mission to El Salvador, Jennifer Dillon reflects on how the voters in this growing democracy have revived her belief in the electoral process and brought the magic back to Election Day.
The Summit of the Americas: An Overview
The Summit of the Americas: An Overview Author: Benjamin Hess Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 11/17/2005 While the most enduring images of the fourth annual Summit of the Americas will be those of anti-U.S. rioters looting businesses and clashing with police on the streets of Mar del Plata, the annual meeting […]
The Rise of Private Military Companies and the Legal Vacuum of Regulation
This paper discusses the rise of the private military industry as a challenge to contemporary international law. In recent times, the privatization of activities preserved by governments have been proposed and implemented;, such as communication facilities, garbage collection, electricity supply, immigration services and much more. Military operations have not been left out. The increasing privatization of military activities is proving to be a major challenge to international law. The literature on Private Military Companies (PMCs) is mind-boggling, but neither extensive nor exhaustive. As a new phenomenon, it receives situational attention. For example, when the operations of Executive Outcomes and Sandline International were unearthed by the press in the 90s,’ numerous scholarly material was written, but with distinct themes like the efficiency of the corporations and the human rights violations carried out, as well as the legal vacuum created by ex-professional soldiers banding up to create and legally incorporate a mercenary outfit. The issue of PMCs being present in weak states and ravaged war-torn zones is an understatement, yet these corporations are registered mostly in the U.S., U.K. and South Africa. The articles on this issue are usually highly polarized; opponents verses proponents of these corporations, as the activities of these outfits do not fit within any conventional classification as actors of war in the law of war.
This paper describes the history and definition of PMCs and analyses how the operations of these corporations affect human rights, sovereignty and states´ monopoly of violence. The paper also focuses on the legality of PMCs and proceeds to discuss how to regulate the industry. The paper concludes in favor of tougher regulatory controls through new international legal framework and national legislation to deal with mercenaries as decisively as with other non-state actors who wield violence.
The Way Forward: justice, solidarity and cooperation
The Rector of the University for Peace lays out his views on the problems and possibilities for Peace, and ways of ending violent conflict. These views were delivered before an audience of some 500 people gathered in Nuremberg, Germany, on 1st May 2003. The governing authorities and the people of the historic City of Nuremberg are committed to spreading peace worldwide, and are responsible for a growing number of significant initiatives.
World Peace through Law: Rethinking an Old Theory
James Ranney discusses the potential of law to bring about world peace, without submitting the world to a “global government” as such, but through the creation of a UN Peace Force to enforce the decisions of global courts, promote the abolition of nuclear arms, and generally create an atmosphere of global “justice” so that peace may prevail.
A Prevailing Movement
A Prevailing Movement Author: Ajong Mbapndah L Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 06/07/2007 Category: Interview He studied in some of the most prestigious institutions in the United States, served on several United Nations commissions, achieved the feat of being elected President of the African Diplomats Club in Washington, DC, and served as […]
Battling against Religious Extremism: The State of Madrassah Reforms in Pakistan
It is ironic that in the centralized education system of Pakistan, there are educational institutions with different curricula. This results from the existence of three main educational systems; public, private and madrassahs. The private system is expensive and out of the reach of majority of children in Pakistan. Therefore, public schools and madrassahs provide education to most Pakistani children, where some students are exposed to Islamic fundamentalism. While there was a shift in media and governmental policies towards Pakistani madrassahs after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the USA, it seems as though international interest in madrassah reforms in Pakistan has faded away recently, even though this issue still exists in all its severity as has been clearly illustrated by recent radical and furious actions from the Islamabad-based madrassahs.
The relationship between civil society and public institutions in Burundi
Vital Nshimirimana discusses the relationship between civil society and public institiutions in Burundi.He argues that a permanent tension exists in defining civil society. He suggests that such a tension might be resolved in the light of the definitions adopted by several international organisations of which Burundi is party.Indeed, he assesses the achievement of civil society in Burundi and asserts that what makes it be seen by public institutions as a threat is because it is working and actually committed to defend the common good.
Key words : civil society, public institutions,associations,labour unions, synergy, citizenry,media, common good
The Power of Empathy in Conflict Resolution
Empathy has a profound ability to transform the way in which we resolve and understand conflicts. Empathy enables individuals to open their hearts and minds to not only see and understand the world from the perspective of others, but also to act in a way that is more likely to lead to a peaceful solution. In order to better understand empathy and its impact on conflict resolution, this paper will first address conflict, then empathy, how the two relate to one another, and finally, the essential nature of empathy in conflict resolution.
The Perfect Storm: Impunity and Violence against Women in Guatemala
The high levels of violence in Central America are often experssed as gender-based violence against women. This article discusses the use of violence against women as a weapon of war, as well as its presistence long into times of “peace”. By adressing the problems of femicide, domestic violence, and other forms of brutality directed at women and girls, we can also address the culture of violence more generally, in Guatemala, and beyond.