Small is Beautiful and Dedicated to Peace
Tex Albert reports on the SIPAI, Small Island Peace Action Initiative.
Thoughts on a Recent Celebration in Mexico: An Interesting Parallel
Pandora Hopkins reflects on the cycles of history, drawing attention to a parallel between French expectations for a successful invasion of Mexico in 1862 and those of the US shortly before the launch of their 2003 campaign in Iraq — both believing that they would be greeted as liberators by the respective nations they sought to control.
The Sorry State of British Democracy
Patricia Rich gives a first hand account of the spiritless British elections, which seem all the more bland in comparison to the vibrant 2009 democratic election in El Salvador, which Rich participated in as an international observer.
The role of cultural diversity in conflict resolution in Africa
In Africa, interstate and intrastate wars have hindered economic development and political stability, causing poverty and failures in nation building. The ongoing challenges of European colonial history and ethnic division continue to fuel these conflicts. In contrary to conventional views on the cause of the conflict in Africa, however, this paper defines cultural diversity as distinct concept from ethnic diversity, and argues that cultural diversity is in fact a viable instrument of conflict resolution in Africa. Finally, it proposes peace education as a key to promoting cultural diversity for peace building in Africa.
The Prospects for Peace and Security in the 21st Century
“Those of my generation who have been struggling in the international system for two or three decades cannot claim to have achieved a world to the measure of our hopes. I fear that, in spite of the undoubted progress made, we will leave to our successors a difficult and dangerous world which still suffers from abiding poverty for millions, injustice and threats to peace. You will have to face, directly or indirectly, the challenges and problems which we will leave in your care…”
The people of Bolivia are rising and provide us with hope
Matt Kennard finds inspiration in the ground-up democratic movements of Bolivia, and the progress made by Evo Morales’ social policies. This article is cross-posted from the thecommentfactory.com
The International Day of Peace
The International Day of Peace Author: David Krieger Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 09/21/2010 THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE On this day, like any other, soldiers are killing and dying, arms merchants are selling their wares, missiles are aimed at your heart, and peace is a distant dream. Not […]
The Dialectic of Islam: an historiographical interpretation of Islamist political violence
This paper aims to analyze the debate over political violence in contemporary Islam from the viewpoint of its historical roots. At the heart of the matter are two currents that have existed in the Muslim community since its very beginning: a dialectic between the intellectual and the martial, and competing interpretations of an idyllic patristic era, with several practical and ideological consequences. This paper will demonstrate how today’s debate can be framed within this vision of Islamic history.
Water Security: War or Peace?
Keywords: water security, water war, water peace, virtual water
Validity and Justice: Discrediting the Theory of Just War
Alex Powell tackles the logical problem of Just War theory, putting time-honoured arguments for war under much needed critical scrutiny. The centerpiece of Powell’s argument is relativity, as the absense of a central moral authority, an objective truth, and an unbiased distinction between innocence and guilt undercut the assumptions of classical just war theory to devastating effect.