Risk Factors and Symptoms: Recognizing PTSD

Risk Factors and Symptoms: Recognizing PTSD Author: Julia Merrill Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 10/04/2016   If you or a loved one is in the military, you have likely heard of PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder). Dramatic depictions of the disorder are often seen on TV, spreading at least some awareness to those […]

Reflections of Refugees in Africa

Africa’s numerous conflicts, including in Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo and elsewhere, together produced immense forced displacement totals in 2014, on a scale only marginally lower than in the Middle East (UNHCR, 2015). Women, men, and children have been consigned to foreign countries for safety where their indispensable needs of humanity are becoming a luxury. Furthermore, the definition of one as a refugee has caused more exclusion of non-state communities as well as expansion of their dehumanization.This paper will explore the status of refugees in Africa in terms of legal environment, communication, schooling and livelihood. This will be a desk top review taking qualitative approaches. It will draw information from previous surveys, reports, journals, books, and case studies.

Land of the Golden Pagodas: Checking in on Myanmar’s Peace Process

Monica Paniagua reports on her recent trip to Myanmar to support the ongoing peace process. In this article, she also reflects on the still-troubling human rights situation in the country and the recent economic and political changes that continue to be a source of cautious optimism.

ILO Convention 169: Free, prior consent and the Diquís Hydroelectric Project in Costa Rica

The Costa Rican government is pushing for the construction of the Diquís Hydroelectric project in the Southeastern part of the country, where indigenous peoples live. The Costa Rican law recognized the autonomy of these territories in the 1970’s and yet it insists on ignoring and overruling its own law, for the “benefit of the country.” A similar situation in Brazil has resulted in massive protests as the indigenous peoples are being marched upon. Their right to free, prior and informed consent, as prescribed by the ILO’s Convention 169 is being ignored. The Organization of American States as well as Special Rapporteur James Anaya have already expressed their concern about the situation.

Freedom of Expression Under Threat in Zambia

This article presents a general overview of Zambia’s media situation, and discusses Zambia’s obligation to protect the right to freedom of expression within the context of the 2016 presidential election. In the end, it calls for the observance of its international commitments.

An Open Letter to the American People: Political Responsibility in the Nuclear Age

What follows here is An Open Letter to the American People: Political Responsibility in the Nuclear Age. It proceeds on the assumption that the core of the nuclear problem we face is the possession, development, and deployment of the weaponry, that is, with the nine nuclear weapons states. The essence of a solution is to eliminate existing nuclear weapons arsenals through a phased, verified process of nuclear disarmament as legally mandated by Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968).