Is Every Child a Child?
Jerry M’bartee Locula discusses the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), raising questions about its universality, its practical implementation, the role of judicial proceedings in determining a child’s “best interest”, and ultimately posing the question of who is a child.
International Women’s Day, 2011: Time to Make the Promise of Equality a Reality
Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women presents a message on gender equality and women’s rights in recognition of International Women’s Day, March 8, 2011.
International Humanitarian Law Violations Committed by the Nkundan Rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
University for Peace Great Lakes Program Fellow, Philippe Tunamsifu Shirambere, comments on violations of International Humanitarian Law committed by the Nkundan rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo, understood within the larger context of political violence in Africa’s Great Lakes Region.
ICT Governance vs. Community Empowerment: Grassroots Evidence from Bangladesh
Mizanur Rahman analyzes the assertion that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the catalyst to enhance community empowerment, reporting on research study, “Community Empowerment through ICTs: Evidence from the Grassroots in Bangladesh and India”. His analysis of evidence from Bangladesh shows that ICT penetration alone is not proportionately related to community empowerment; but rather that ICT penetration combined with the precise application of ICT governance strengthen community empowerment. The evidence also shows that if ICT penetration is high but ICT governance is low, ICT does not remain a high catalytic factor for community empowerment.
Horn of Africa: ‘Predictable Crisis’, Unprepared Media, Curtailment of Information Flow
In times of disasters like drought and famine, a majority of the people hold that the flow of humanitarian aid is more important than the flow of information. But in reality, the flow of information from the victims, in the direction of those seeking to intervene is the most important issue, if those intervening truly want to help the victims. Patrick Mugo Mugo examines the impact of intervention, putting an emphasis on the flow of relief aid has had on the victims and their ability to be self-reliant once again.
Honduras: The Forgotten Coup
Contributing columnist Gustavo Fuchs details the lack of media coverage of violent repression against the popular resistance movement in post-coup Honduras, contrasting the underreported Honduran realities with the media’s recent obsession with popular demonstrations in the Middle East. Fuchs highlights the Honduran government’s repressive response to teachers’ strikes and impunity towards campesino murders – virtually absent in the headlines. Selective media bias in support of hypocritical Western agendas has left the Honduras resistance to fend for itself while the Middle East gets all the attention.
Obama’s Visit to El Salvador
Victor Valle, Associate Vice Rector of the University for Peace and former member of the Frente Farabundo Marti para la Liberacion Nacional (FMLN) movement in El Salvador, comments on US President Barack Obama’s visit to El Salvador and its implications for future Salvadoran-US relations.
Nigeria’s Vulnerability to Terrorism: The Imperative of a Counter Religious Extremism and Terrorism (CONREST) Strategy
As the Nigerian people anticipate possible change through the April 2011 elections, there is growing concern over internal violence and insecurity. Onuoha proposes a strengthened governmental response to reducing violent conflict in the country, with a specific focus on countering religious extremism and terrorism.
News from Syria
News from Syria Author: Harout Akdedian Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 08/05/2011 On the 4th of July, on my way to Syria, I was reading a book entitled Between Equal Rights by China Miéville. The book was a Marxian perspective on international law and the title was borrowed from Marx’s famous […]
New Year, Old Conflicts: Nuclear crises in 2011 and their implications for US-China relations
Rob van Riet follows three conflicts with nuclear potential — rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, continued animosity between the US and Iran, and the persistent India-Pakistan dispute — set against the backdrop of shifting Sino-American relations. While each of these conflicts has a potential to undermine efforts toward international security, and may trigger war on a nuclear scale, van Riet argues, much will depend on the willingness and ability of US and Chinese leaders to work together towards their resolution.