What is happening in Brazil?
Paulo Guerra sent us this commentary from the protests in Brazil.
War on terrorism versus civil liberties of individuals: An analysis of the Malaysian Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012
This article, written during the author’s internship with the Malaysian Human Rights Commission, presents an analysis of the Malaysian “Special Measures” Act (2012), which compromises the civil liberties of individuals, through such powers as identifying anonymous authors on the Internet and intercepting personal communications, in an effort to ensure the security of the state against terrorist acts.
Voices from the Narmada River
Leon Mach shares his reflections after a study tour of the Narmada River Valley with Medha Patkar, a community organizer and tireless advocate of “people oriented development”, illustrated by the beautiful photography of Kelsea Schumacher.
Tags: Medha Patkar, Narma River, conservation, development, community, justice, livelihoods, ecosystem services, Sardar Sarovar Dam, globalization.
Even In Afghanistan, Separate Is Not Equal
Are US/NATO efforts to empower women and equalize Afghan society undercut by the segregation policies of their own camps and insensitivity to local staff? Jade Wu reports from Kabul and Kunduz.
European disintegration? Separatist movements across the continent are gaining momentum
Scotland’s narrowly lost campaign for independence has emboldened similar struggles for self-determination across Europe, in places like Catalonia, Flanders, and Transnistria. Thomas Wagner-Nagy asks what this trend could mean for Europe, where a complex history of disputed cultural and territorial borders continues to unfold.
Discerning for Peace in Africa: The Sudan Civil Wars and Peace Processes 1955-2013
Separation of the Sudan into the Republic of Sudan (North) and the Republic of Southern Sudan (South) was globally extolled as the long-lasting solution to one of the longest civil wars in post-Colonial Africa. However, recent developments in Sudan: continued clashes between north and south, crises in the contested areas and tribal civil wars have uncovered that: separation without addressing the principal root causes of the conflicts is not the panacea to prone and protracted civil wars. Taking a historical analysis framework, the paper attempts to tackle issues of causes, opportunities and challenges for peace in Sudan.
Keywords: Sudan; conflicts; civil wars; peace; CPA; referendum; secession; Abyei.
Devolution and the new Constitutional Dispensation in Zimbabwe
Dr Jephias Mapuva and Loveness Muyengwa-Mapuva discuss the potential of Zimbabwe’s 2013 constitutional reform to decentralize governmental powers and bolster democratic participation in local governance while also recognizing the many challenges to its implementation.
Contemporary Politics of Conflict in Aceh
Social and political challenges continue to affect Aceh as the region struggles to achieve peace, justice, and reconciliation, both within itself and with the Indonesian government. Michael Cornish reports on the status of Aceh’s democratic transition and the complicated political forces that have arisen in the fragile peace of the last decade.
Challenges and prospects of AU to implement the Ezulwini Consensus: The case of collective security and the use of force
The “Ezulwini Consensus” has endorsed the Responsibility to protect (R2P) that recognizes the “right to intervene when a State is unwilling or unable to protect its populations” from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In such situations, the Ezulwini Consensus emphasizes that regional organizations in areas of proximity to conflicts should be empowered to take action. However, the conflict situation in the Eastern DRC has challenged the ICGLR to implement the Ezulwini Consensus. The ICGLR was unable to take appropriate action against Member States who were providing support to armed groups destabilizing other Member States. In order to protect the population under imminent threat and maintain the Great Lakes Region as a specific zone of reconstruction and development, Member States of the ICGLR could demonstrate their political will to respect the fundamental principles particularly of the territorial integrity, national sovereignty, non-interference and non-aggression against another Member State. Besides, the AU could have taken its own responsibility by sending African Experts in order to help the ICGLR to resolve the crisis as the mediator between the Government of the DRC and M23 was no longer neutral.
This paper was presented at the South African Association of Political Studies (SAAPS) 2013 Regional Colloquium on “The African Union: Quo Vadis – the next 50 years” at the University of South Africa on 4 October 2013.
Archbishop Joseph Raya – Apostle of Peace and Love
This is a short article about Archbishop Raya, an Arab Christian peace advocate whose legacy of nonviolence and social action continues to inspire people across the religious divides of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.