No Nukes, No Proliferation
Nuclear weapons could not proliferate if they did not exist. Because they
do, they will. The policy implication of this logic is that the best guarantee
of nuclear nonproliferation is nuclear disarmament through a nuclear weapons
convention that bans the possession, acquisition, testing and use of nuclear weapons,
by everyone. This would solve the problem of nonproliferation as well as
disarmament. The focus on nonproliferation to the neglect of disarmament
ensures that we get neither. If we want nonproliferation, therefore, we must
prepare for disarmament.
Nuclear Dangers and Challenges to a New Nuclear Policy
Nuclear Dangers and Challenges to a New Nuclear Policy Author: David Krieger Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 01/04/2008 Category: Policy It is worthwhile asking the question: What are nuclear weapons? In some respects the answer to this question may seem obvious, but this is not necessarily the case. To some, nuclear weapons […]
Nukes Worldwide: Disarmament, Iran, and New Military Doctrines
Jayantha Dhanapala, former Under Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations, says that there is a need for political solutions to resolve the nuclear proliferation in recent times.
Dhanapala is now the Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordination of the Peace Process in Sri Lanka. He has also served as a Commissioner in UNSCOM and the Head of the Special Group visiting the Presidential Sites in Iraq in addition to his duties as Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs.
In 2006 he will likely be Asia’s candidate for the post of the United Nations Secretary General.
Dhanapala feels passionately about disarmament. He spoke to Ravi R. Prasad at his office in Colombo.
Understanding Peace Education: An Indian Perspective
Understanding Peace Education: An Indian Perspective Author: Shreya Jani Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 02/16/2007 Category: Comment “Without an integrated understanding of life, our individual and collective problems will only deepen and extend. The purpose of education is not to produce mere scholars, technicians and job hunters, but integrated men and women […]
CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN ASSAM: IS ENDGAME NIGH?
Rupakjyoti Borah reviews the conflict in Assam, India in light of recent developments including the arrest of ULFA commanders. Although peace talks and other attempts to resolve the conflict have been less than successful in recent years, Borah reports that there is renewed optimism for peace in the region, provided that Assam’s burning issues are addressed and political leaders are willing to negotiate.
MAINTAINING PEACE IN ASIA: INDIA-JAPAN RELATIONS
Rupak Borah traces the modern history of Indian relations with Japan, which have sometimes diverged over issues of nuclear testing and relations with China, but maintain a strong foundation of shared security and economic issues. Borah argues that Japan and India are “natural allies” in Asia, and that continued improvements in their international relationship have the potential to enhance the peace and prosperity of the entire region.
Partition through Literature
The hard struggle against British rule was marred by the division of a united India. Millions are said to have moved across the borders and lakhs of people lost their lives. This was an irreparable loss for the subcontinent. We can’t undo the partition, which is now a reality. We must learn lessons from history. The aim of the paper is to focus on the writers’ perspectives, as reflected in their stories and novels. It is interesting to note that a majority of these writers transcend the petty ethnic prejudices and are generous in portraying characters of other ethnic groups.
Key words: Partition, Communalism, abduction, Toba Tek Singh, Train to Pakistan.
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.
“Perfect Storm” or Manufactured Hunger? Understanding the Global Food Crisis
Marco Rossi discusses the economic and political policies behind the global food crises including the impact of energy markets on food prices, the consequences of food aid on developing economies, global climate change, and the overarching economic philosophy which tolerates poverty and inequality for the sake of profit.
Water War
Sam Wolf Cheney comes from a small town in Northern New Mexico, near the state capital of Santa Fe where he has lived for much of his adult life. The conflict there stems from familiar sources: struggle over scarce natural resources (primarily water); the arrival of one ethnic group into territory long held by another; a struggle between divergent cultural values; endemic poverty. Hope lies in shared responibility…