As a child, I remember the Commander of Palmahim Air Force Base inviting the people of Israel, through festive radio jingles, to participate in one of the key events of our independence day: the magnificent exhibition of Israel’s weaponry, culminating in an air-show over the base’s sky, a demonstration of
Television pictures of peacekeepers holding babies, handing out sweets to children, and disarming militia combine to portray these individuals as saviours of the war torn citizenry. Peacekeeper’s involvement in the reconstruction of schools, roads and utilities add to the sense that wealthier, more powerful countries wish to assist through their
The twentieth century witnessed systematic, state-sponsored killings of specific ethnic, nationalist, or religious groups across continents and cultures. Much can be learned from the individual ideologies of hate and insecurity that led to each genocide, but as Habyarimana argues, they also share significant similarities. Ultimately, genocide is not a
"I know that Obama's election has brought great hopes to peace-loving people in the United States. But for Afghans, Obama's military buildup will only bring more suffering and death to innocent civilians..."
-- Afghan parliamentarian Malalai Joya
Pandora Hopkins reflects on the adsurdity of the 2008 US elections, offering some insight into the archetypal "warrior" and "clanmom" figures of John McCain and Sarah Palin. Hopkins writes: "My hope is that, by using a folkloric perspective—by examining the tales told by and about Sarah Palin and John McCain
This is the first publication of a series. The Monitor, in the coming issues, will be publishing personal accounts from areas of conflicts.
The letter below is from a mother of a soldier to the Office of Public Affairs, a department in the Israeli government responsible for facets of military
This paper discusses the rise of the private military industry as a challenge to contemporary international law. In recent times, the privatization of activities preserved by governments have been proposed and implemented;, such as communication facilities, garbage collection, electricity supply, immigration services and much more. Military operations have not been
Just ahead of the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty scheduled for July 2012, UPEACE graduate student Gerardo Alberto Arce dissects the objectives, obstacles and limitations of the process currently underway towards the establishment of a legally binding international Arms Trade Treaty.