Reconstructing the Notion of Youth
Youth are variously described as the hope and future of our species or the most irresponsible and potentially violent of our kind. Unfortunately, it seems as though this later view has gained ground among certain social critics who see a large youth populations as potentially destabilizing to society. As Shahbaz Israr Khan argues, it’s time to reconstruct our notion of “youth”.
“Tómale la mano y dale una salida” (take by the hand and show a way out)
Catherine Bellamy sits ringside to witness one NGO’s work to bring pride and hope to the violent favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
Transitional Justice in Burundi: Expectations and Concerns
Vital Nshimirimana discusses the transitional justice process as planned by the government of Burundi for 2012. He argues that issues including ongoing insecurity, human rights abuses, lack of dialogue and trust among social partners, as well as lack of rule of law will undermine the process.
Rethinking the Administration and Delivery of Foreign Aid in Cambodia
The government of Cambodia has received foreign development aid in abundance for many years, largely contributed by a number of international aid organizations and donor states such as World Bank, Asian Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, Official Development Assistance (ODA), and Japanese as well as Chinese governments.
Unfortunately, this aid has not served as a constructive engine to promote economic growth and development, and has not provided tangible benefits for the targeted population, the poor and the vulnerable, in the country.
This article, therefore, presents some specific reasons for the poor management and ineffective delivery of foreign aid in the nation, and offers some viable and practical mechanisms of how foreign aid should be properly administered and distributed in Cambodian society.
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants in Conflict Affected Northern Uganda
This paper shall apply a discourse analysis of Disarmament, Resettlement and Reintegration (DRR) of ex-combatants with special emphasis on Northern Uganda, a region which has faced conflicts for over two decades. I apply knowledge and skills required to plan, manage and implement programmes for sustainable recovery of war-torn Northern Uganda. The paper will showcase skills in rehabilitation, reconstruction, peacebuilding and the role of civil society. My prior engagement in a post-conflict recovery human rights project in Uganda, as well as my experiences supporting DRR under the Amnesty Commission, will be used to address the topic from a practical point of view. The paper includes a general overview, key actors in the conflict, DRR in detail, Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) issues, DRR challenges, appropriate responses or recommendations and conclusion. I believe this study will also empower me to effectively and efficiently serve in conflict management, peacekeeping and peacebuilding foras.
Key words= ex-combatants, disarmament, demobilization, reintegration
The Bougainville conflict: A classic outcome of the resource-curse effect?
Pre-existing ethnic and economic divisions between Bougainville and the rest of Papua New Guinea and the mismanagement of the copper wealth of the Panguna Mine exacerbated existing tensions and provided radical Bougainvilleans an excuse to legitimise the pursuit of violence as a means to resolve their grievances. This article examines the causes of the Bougainville conflict in Papua New Guinea from 1988 -1997, specifically investigating the role of the resource curse (as propounded by Collier) and briefly discusses implications for democracy and future development on the island.
The article finds that not one single factor should be isolated as a sole cause of the conflict but that there is a series of predominant causes which can trace their roots directly to the Panguna Mine. Pan-Bougainvillean ethnicity should not be discounted as an important factor but should be seen as an external projection of economic and inter-ethnic grievances.
Responsible Governance: A Panacea to Conflict in Niger Delta
The Niger Delta region of Nigeria has become known for spates of violence and conflict that have eluded attempts at peaceful resolution. This paper traces the crisis in relation to the current attributes of the region and advocates for responsible governance, which embraces corporate social responsibility, along with trustworthy national and state governance as panaceas to the entrenched cycles of violence and conflict in the Niger delta region.
Deconstructing Reconstruction
David Ekbladh unravels the real meaning of “post-war reconstruction”.
Youth and the Millennium Development Goals in Pakistan
Eye-opening development statistics demonstrate the stark reality of Pakistan’s current socioeconomic situation. Dr. Shahbaz Israr Khan connects the dots between including youth in Pakistan’s development strategies and addressing the country’s poor performance on economic indicators to help set Pakistan on track to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals.
The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and Latin American Integration for the 21st Century
Tara Ruttenberg and Gustavo Fuchs analyze the creation of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) within the new framework of Latin American Integration in the 21st century. They provide insight into existing regional integration initiatives UNASUR and ALBA, and provide commentary as to how CELAC represents a critical tipping point in Latin American integration free from United States dominance.