Condoms and Peace in the Philippines
Daryl Dano explores tensions between religious and secular approaches to population growth, sexual health care, and women’s rights in the Philippines, focusing particularly on the promotion of comdom use as a peace initiative in the country.
New People’s Army and the Philippines: No end in sight?
Noriko Hashimoto discusses the prolonged conflict between the government of the Philippines and the communist rebel group, New People’s Army. After giving an overview of the long and tragic history, focusing primarily on the presidencies of Ramos and Arroyo, Hashimoto looks to the underlying factors of poverty and land distribution, and the potential for a negotiated peace.
MAINTAINING PEACE IN ASIA: INDIA-JAPAN RELATIONS
Rupak Borah traces the modern history of Indian relations with Japan, which have sometimes diverged over issues of nuclear testing and relations with China, but maintain a strong foundation of shared security and economic issues. Borah argues that Japan and India are “natural allies” in Asia, and that continued improvements in their international relationship have the potential to enhance the peace and prosperity of the entire region.
Partition through Literature
The hard struggle against British rule was marred by the division of a united India. Millions are said to have moved across the borders and lakhs of people lost their lives. This was an irreparable loss for the subcontinent. We can’t undo the partition, which is now a reality. We must learn lessons from history. The aim of the paper is to focus on the writers’ perspectives, as reflected in their stories and novels. It is interesting to note that a majority of these writers transcend the petty ethnic prejudices and are generous in portraying characters of other ethnic groups.
Key words: Partition, Communalism, abduction, Toba Tek Singh, Train to Pakistan.
Security Sector Reform in Nepal: A Discussion of Gender Dimensions with Reference to UNSCR 1325
Key Words: Nepal, UNHCR 1325, Security Sector Reform, Gender, Peacebuilding
Regionalism and Reconciliation: A Comparison of the French-German and Chinese-Japanese Model
Dr. Gao Lan, Director of Northeast Asian Studies Centre at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, examines the prospects for, and possible pathways to, reconciliation between China and Japan and for the creation of an East Asian Community via a comparison with Germany and France’s post-WWII reconciliation and the development of the European Union. Lan identifies cultural, economic, and historical similarities and differences between China-Japan relations and the successful Germany-France model, illuminating factors that may ultimately facilitate and/or impede reconciliation and regional integration.
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.
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.
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.
REMEMBRANCE, REFLECTION AND RESISTANCE
David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, comments on the continued threat of nuclear weapons 66 years after they were used to by the United States of America to destroy the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.