This article discusses the implications of the 1979 rice riot on Liberian politics, especially the increased use of rice by politicians to buy the votes of citizens. Locula argues that this practice has led to corruption of the political class and manipulation of the electorate. The author suggests that the

Dipo Djungdjungan Summa argues that (female) beauty can't be "natural", as it is always related to the preferences of dominant social groups, and therefore an expression of power.

David Golding examines how the Guatemalan military specifically targeted maize and milpa in its operations during the 1970s and 80s. He argues that the objective of these campaigns was to subjugate Mayan cultural space and food production, previously autonomous, to state control under the guise of development.

Somalia Special Envoy Abukar Arman reports on public perceptions of government in Somalia, the many challenges facing the states and communities in the region, and the threat of violence emanating from the fault lines of religion, ethnicity, economics, and nationalism.

Having recently returned from an International Election Observer Mission to El Salvador, Jennifer Dillon reflects on how the voters in this growing democracy have revived her belief in the electoral process and brought the magic back to Election Day.

Vital Nshimirimana discusses the relationship between civil society and public institiutions in Burundi.He argues that a permanent tension exists in defining civil society. He suggests that such a tension might be resolved in the light of the definitions adopted by several international organisations of which Burundi is party.Indeed,

Researcher Mathew Ituma takes us through the story of the United States' tentative support for the International Criminal Court under Clinton and its eventual "unsigning" under Bush, emphasizing the fundamental tension between national (in this case congressional) politics and international justice. Key words: Rome Statutes, International criminal court, justice, law,

This article introduces a gender-framed analysis of the Iraq war and continuing occupation. Through this analysis the author illustrates how the coalition forces’ ignorance of the cultural context within which their actions took place has impeded upon women’s empowerment. By analysing the conflict and occupation within the framework of honour

Demonstrations began on September 17 in Hungary after a speech by the Prime Minister had been leaked, in which he said that the government lied to the people to stay in power. The protests turned violent: a group of extreme rightists and football fans besieged the public service television, burned

(Not) Learning from the Past Author: Peter Krupa Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 03/15/2006 Category: Editorial Imagine a country with a lot of oil and a lot of poverty, where one political party has control over every public institution. That party is led by a former military