Breeding of Wildlife Species as a Means to Sustainable Development
This paper addresses the indiscriminate and wanton exploitation of wildlife species and forest resources and explores the impact of these activities, including poverty and species extinction. The paper further gives a detailed analysis and different methods of how certain wildlife species can be bred so as to reduce human pressures on areas of natural habitat and meet livelihood needs.
Electoral Violence in Nigeria: Implications for Security, Peace and Development
Election violence has remained a feature on Nigeria’s political landscape, and a review of the problem suggests a number of reasons. This article identifies poverty, a culture of impunity, weak penalties, a lack of effective governance, and small arms proliferation, amongst others. It also looks at the effects of instability and violence in Nigerian society and proffers a number of solutions ranging from sustainable development, security sector and electoral reforms, and anti-corruption measures.
Dams: providing or destroying water security?
For over three or four decades, there have been propagandists and antagonists for the construction of dams all over the world. Dams were presumed to evolve with the world as a product of its socio-economic development. History has shown us that dams’ construction is not a recent phenomenon but has existed for sometime, especially with the discovery of the 8,000 year old irrigation canal in the Mesopotamia area.
This paper examines water security as a concept of environmental security and also analysis through history the importance of dams before the development of the “now concept of dams” and also analysis the role of dams in the present concept with positive and negative impacts on water security. The paper ends by identifying the need of consideration of water security in the management of dams.
Keywords: Dams, water, security, irrigation and development.
George Hitchcock: An Important Legacy for an Absurd World
Pandora Hopkins offers a personal and insightful homage to George Hitchcock, the poet, editor, and North American cultural icon, who died last month at the age of 96. Hopkins’ focus is on Hitchcock as a master of the absurd, an example to follow when faced with “the irritations of being alive in a world of comic reality”.
From Conventional Peacebuilding Paradigms in Post-Conflict Settings and Reconstruction to Systemic Multi-Foci Approaches: The Case of Somaliland
Building on the work of Dr Victoria Fontan and others, Muhyadin Saed challenges conventional methods of peacebuilding, with specific reference to the experiences of Somaliland. Saed proposes a human-centred, rather than institutional, approach which considers the local people to be vital assets in the design and implementation of such projects. In order to achieve sustainable peace, Saed argues, the local people must be actively involved and considered to be more than recipients of outside assistance.
Food Crisis in the Republic of Niger: What needs to be done?
Food crises in the Republic of Niger have been on the rise. Much is being done to alleviate this situation, especially with food aid. Though necessary for immediate relief, this is not a long lasting solution for the country on the whole or specific regions such as northern Niger. It is therefore essential that this landlocked country looks for alternative methods of subsistence in order to improve on the current situation of about two million people on the verge of hunger.
Key words: Food insecurity, sustainable livelihood, and development
Female Faces of Farsi Freedom
Iran’s controversial 2009 election led to massive street protests, the launch of a new Green Movement, a new Social Media Movement (incited by the banning of traditional media from the country), and a newly inspired Iranian Feminist Movement. Women from all ages and walks of life added their voices to the protests. Zahra Rahnavard and Fatemeh Karoub, the intelligent, influential and inspiring wives of liberal leaders Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi helped commence this eminent female uprising, and Ahmadinejad’s cabinet has recently appointed female representative Marzieh Vahid Dastjerdi as Minister of Health. As Iranian women gain more political clout, we may see a return to the days when women enjoyed positions of status and prestige in the country.
Korup National Park – The Displacement of the Indigenous People: Voluntary or by Force?
Tazoacha Francis argues for participatory environmental governance in Camaroon, using the conflict between indigenous groups, the government, and international environmental NGOs as a case in point. By involving all stakeholders in an environmental governance process that respects the equal rights of all, then sustainible development will be possible in Ndian Division and the country as a whole.
JFK Speaks of Peace
JFK Speaks of Peace Author: David Krieger Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 11/22/2010 On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated. Nearly every American who is old enough can remember where he was when he heard the news of Kennedy’s death. In my […]
Intolerably Inferior Identity: How the Social Construction of Race Erased a Rwandan Population
The creation of racial identity in Rwanda, which predated the days of the genocide, may very well have been socially constructed. Aside from considering the dominant roles that the church and media played, this essay seeks to particularly explore how the Belgian inspired identification cards were used as policy instruments, serving as one of the primary tools that aided in the genocide. Racial differences were distinctly classified between the hierarchical Hutus and the inferior Tutsis. The cards said it all; they decided the fate of who would survive the 100 days of violence and who would not.