Horn of Africa Hunger Crisis: Why the Politics of Applying Bandages Hasn’t Stopped the Bleeding
Across the Horn of Africa, between 10 and 12 million people are now affected by the worst drought in more than 60 years. As respective nations come together and the international community gets summoned to help, Patrick Mugo Mugo investigates: What is being done? Why have the leaders in the Horn of Africa yet again failed their people so miserably? Why has the UN’s global blueprint of weaning populations off humanitarian assistance been unsuccessful? And above all, are the right questions being asked?
Global Man (Human) as the Vision for the Third Millennium: The Role of Peace Education
Surya Nath Prasad explores the esoteric in this opinion piece on the spiritual relationship of oneness between humankind and the universe, connecting the essence of “global man” to the realization of peace on Earth.
Global Governance for Security and Peace: The Role of Peace Education
This is excerpt from the speech delivered by Dr. Prasad at the International Academic Peace Conference on the eve of UN International Peace Day at Hotel Lotte, Seoul organized by Institute of International Peace Studies, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Gender Responsive Budgeting Initiative (GRBI) in Pakistan: Needs, Initiatives and Challenges – A Contextual Analysis
Dr. Shahbaz Israr Khan examines the ways in which gender-neutral approaches to budgeting are highly discriminatory against woman, especially in neoliberal economies and the globalized world context. He concludes that in a highly patriarchal environment, gender neutral budgets, without assessing their implications for women, men, boys and girls, can have a very negative impact on the society and especially on women’s lives. The paper presents needs, initiatives and challenges of Gender Budget Initiatives, and also addresses the issues related to the Gender Responsive Budgeting Initiative in Pakistan.
Gender Equality and the Human Rights Concern in South Sudan
Huma Rights scholar Peter Reat Gatkuoth discusses the continued gender inequality in South Sudan, as well as Africa at large, despite the traditional veneration of women as mothers and caregivers, and the existence of legal documents (including national constitutions) which proclaim the equal rights of women. The author argues that a greater focus on gender equality, using existing human rights documents, will support the development and prosperity of the nation.
Fueling Conflict in Colombia: Land rights and the political ecology of oil palm
Biofuels have been presented as a solution to many social and economic problems, and have attracted equally strong criticism. In Colombia, palm oil production has been suggested as an alternative to coca, however, as Olivia Gilmore explains, the scheme may cause as many problems as it solves.
Financing Development After the Financial Crisis
The faltering economies and tighter budgets of Europe and America, the traditional providers of development financing, have left organizations and communities wondering where the continued funding of their development projects will come from. In this special report, veteran fundraiser and development guru Jürgen Carls reviews the remaining instruments and possibilities for north-south financing, and argues that the solution may be in a completely new approach to fundraising — an approach based on longer term relationships between funders and recipients, characterized by trust, openness, honesty, commitment, and international cooperation.
Fight or Flight: A Picture Worth 500 Words
Pepperdine University graduate student Dusty Bates Farned has an uncomfortable experience with a homeless man in Los Angeles and reflects on his own fight or flight response.
Fertility and development: The legacy of structural adjustment policies in Kenya
Women and women’s bodies have become a central element in development. This article examines structural adjustment programs (SAPs) in Kenya, which sought to control women’s bodies in order to reach the desired fertility rates and economic growth. After reviewing the history and ideologies behind SAPs, as well as their contradictory application, this article argues that, when SAPs were applied to Kenya, they led to the implementation of culturally and economically inappropriate programs that were ultimately ineffective. The article concludes with policy recommendations and an overview of current movements.
Exploring the Minds of Young Killers: Psychology, Gun Control, and the Colorado Theater Shooting
Researcher Mathew G Ituma discusses US gun culture and the recent shooting in a Colorado movie theater in light of Dr Peter Langman’s research into the psychology of young killers. The three aspects highlighted by the author are trauma, psychosis, and psychopathy, as well as general social dynamics, gender, and the ready availability of weapons in the United States.