How Privatized is War?
Some security analysts believe that the private sector is so firmly embedded in combat and occupation that the phenomenon may have reached the point of no return. The U.S. army estimates that of the $87 billion earmarked in the year 2003 for the broader Iraqi campaigns including Central Asia and Afghanistan, one third has been spent on contracts to private companies. Pujya Pascal discusses corporate adventurism in the context of the latest concerns relating to Private Military Companies.
Radioactive Weapons Testing in California
Radioactive Weapons Testing in California Author: Cathy Garger Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on 01/10/2008 The recent article at InsideBayArea.com, “Livermore Lab: What a difference a month makes” (November 15, 2007, Article ID 7469063) discusses the downgrading of the managerial role and lessened involvement of the University of California at the Lawrence Livermore […]
Three Approaches to the Human Security Risk of Climate Change
In this paper, I will construct potential ‘solutions’ to the problem of global climate change within the theoretical frameworks of hegemonic peace, liberal peace, and cosmopolitan peace.
From Conflict to Coexistence – An Intervention Model
Ssentongo and Raalten propose a Conflict Intervention Model to diagram conflict in its general sense. While the model is based on the idea that structural and psycho-cultural approaches are foundational to resolution, it simplifies the process by utilizing John Paul Lederach’s pyramid on leadership.
Barriers to Peace: Assessing Separation Barriers’ Legality and their Implications for Peace Processes
Barriers to Peace: Assessing Separation Barriers’ Legality and their Implications for Peace Processes Author: Sean Khalepari Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 11/01/2007 Governments in multiple countries have turned to the construction of Separation Barriers as a security measure in response to protracted ethno-national violence. It is argued herein that Separation Barriers constructed […]
Who Will Save Darfur
Genocide in Darfur is stuck between international bureaucracy and lethargic, discriminate Sudanese politics. Pkalya probes Western states, special interests, and humanitarian aide initiatives, while we sit and wait to see who will save Darfur.
Trauma-Sensitive Peace-Building: Lessons for Theory and Practice
Over the past several decades, peace-building and trauma studies have emerged as interdisciplinary fields that seek to better understand their respective social phenomena and develop appropriate responses. Practitioners of peace-building often work in severely conflicted settings with groups that have been exposed to traumatic events, while a number of trauma professionals interact with individuals and groups from conflicted regions. Despite increased cooperation based on the work of scholars and practitioners who have begun to explore the intersection between peace-building and trauma, significant challenges remain, particularly concerning how peacebuilders can make their work more trauma sensitive. This article provides a brief overview of the fields of trauma studies and peace-building, highlights connections between the two areas, reviews recent literature, and discusses the concept of trauma-sensitive peace-building and several challenges of conducting practice in this area.
This article is extracted from Zelizer, C. (2008) Trauma-Sensitive Peace-Building: Lessons for Theory and Practice. Africa Peace and Conflict Journal 1 (1), p. 81-94.
To access the full journal, please contact editor@acpj.upeace.org
Assessing the Georgian conflict
Richard Falk discusses the recent violence in Georgia in light of the geopolitical context, involving NATO, Russia, the EU, and the US.
Iraq and the Corporate America
Corporate America is now mobilizing itself to do its part for operation Iraqi freedom, having been assured by the US government that its role in Iraq is as vital to the Bush administration’s vision for Iraq as the military’s. George Bush has said that he envisions a ‘US-Middle East free trade area’ within 10 years, ‘replacing corruption and self dealing with free markets’.
Deconstructing Reconstruction
David Ekbladh unravels the real meaning of “post-war reconstruction”.