Terrorism and Moral Response
This week marks the 10 year anniversary of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in retribution for the terrorist attacks of 9/11. In this essay, Hye Young Kim considers alternative responses to the moral outrage of terrorism, and proposes an intercultural dialogue rejecting violence and focusing on justice, humanity, and diversity.
Community Peace Recovery and Reconciliation in Filipino Indigenous Communities
UPEACE Asia Leaders Fellow, Md. Mizanur Rahman, presents an empirical study on peace and environmental conflict among indigenous communities in the Philippines.
Air Pollution and Climate Change: China’s Policy Options
The Beijing Olympics have become a focus point for environmental policy discussions, including the enormity and complexity of the global climate change challenge. In this article, David Chalmers discusses China’s contribution to climate change and the human security implications of the carbon tariffs that seem likely to result.
Gender Responsive Budgeting Initiative (GRBI) in Pakistan: Needs, Initiatives and Challenges – A Contextual Analysis
Dr. Shahbaz Israr Khan examines the ways in which gender-neutral approaches to budgeting are highly discriminatory against woman, especially in neoliberal economies and the globalized world context. He concludes that in a highly patriarchal environment, gender neutral budgets, without assessing their implications for women, men, boys and girls, can have a very negative impact on the society and especially on women’s lives. The paper presents needs, initiatives and challenges of Gender Budget Initiatives, and also addresses the issues related to the Gender Responsive Budgeting Initiative in Pakistan.
Is Peace through Nonviolence Possible in AfPak?
Jahan Zeb comments on the enduring contribution of historical figure Bacha Khan to transforming conflict through nonviolence in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
Reflections and An Awakening
“Reflections away from the Fray” and “Awake from Thy Slumber” are testimonies of two friends and fellow Malaysians. The two essays depict each person’s involvement in the BERSIH 2.0 rally for clean and fair elections held in July 2011, one in New York as an overseas Malaysian fearing for her friends and fellow citizens at home, and one in Kuala Lumpur joining thousands of people in the rally to fight for change.
Record of Our Struggle: Atomic Bombing-Induced Illnesses and Class-Action Lawsuits
Kenji Urata, Vice-President of the International Association Of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA), reviews a recent publication that records the legal struggle of those who have suffered illnesses induced by exposure to atomic weapons. This article is an English translation of the original Japanese, published 2012 in the journal Law and Democracy.
Poverty and Civil War in Sri Lanka
Aingkaran Kugathasan details the multi-faceted impact of Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil conflict on poverty, emphasizing the role of ethnic relations, migration and public policy in addressing socioeconomic challenges in the post-conflict period.
Paedophiles’ Paradise: Child Abuse and Child Prostitution in Sri Lanka
Analysis of global tourism’s role in supporting child sex tourism, with specific emphasis on the case of Sri Lanka, where there are an estimated 30,000 child sex workers.
Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Domestic Violence Act: An Eye-Wash
Aingkaran Kugathasan details the limitations of Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Domestic Violence Act in the context of the country’s patriarchal socio-cultural and legal history.