The United States Supremacy and her place in Global Politics and the Geopolitics of the International System
Following the demise of the cold war in 1990s, the United States emerged as the world’s leading power in the international system. This supremacy is partly supported by the global recognition of United States’ position as the most powerful nation on earth. America’s global supremacy is also anchored on the centrality of its role in global politics and its tremendous influence on the geopolitics of the international system. By referring to the U.S. as the world’s super power, there is an implied relational reference and positioning of the United States as the center piece of the international system. It is perceived as the grandmaster of international affairs. This paper examines the supremacy of the United States in the new world order. It argues that as a post-cold war super power, the U.S. has significant influence on global political and developmental relations that characterize the ideologically unstable and anarchic international system. The paper explores the contradictions that arise from the efforts of the U.S. to pursue common good using its military power in the attempts to restore sanity in the international system. It concludes that by climbing to the apex of the world’s top power seat, the U.S. earned itself the image of an empire builder that is assumed to have imperialistic tendencies rather than a respected overseer of the international system.
How Privatized is War?
Some security analysts believe that the private sector is so firmly embedded in combat and occupation that the phenomenon may have reached the point of no return. The U.S. army estimates that of the $87 billion earmarked in the year 2003 for the broader Iraqi campaigns including Central Asia and Afghanistan, one third has been spent on contracts to private companies. Pujya Pascal discusses corporate adventurism in the context of the latest concerns relating to Private Military Companies.
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.
Recognition of Statehood or Recognition for Statehood: The Legal Strategy behind Palestine’s Application for UN Full Membership
UPeace graduate student Bernard Ntahiraja examines the legal basis behind the strategic 2011 application for full membership of Palestine within the United Nations. He concludes that strategy as opposed to a sincere legal claim to statehood inspired Palestine’s bid before the UN, with the clear objective of accelerating the process toward true international recognition of a Palestinian state.
Mantras and Maxims about Mabhouh: Analyzing An Information Overload
What is the real story behind Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh’s Dubai death? After understanding the Palestinian Question, Hamas and Mossad, this essay will tackle an information overload and analyze how Israel’s The Jerusalem Post, Dubai’s Khaleej Times and Britain’s The London Independent covered this James Bond style, January assassination. Who said what, how and why; terrorists and spies, accusations and blame, military shopping-sprees, involvement of outsiders and identity fraud.
New Wars, Old Wars: Is the Distinction Valid?
Alexandra Dobra, masters student at Cambridge University, provides an analysis of the relevance of post-Cold War distinctions between old and new wars, using a bipartite structure to emphasize continuities and universalities versus differences resulting from the dynamics and correlated increase in war-prone circumstances via the construction of identities and structure. She concludes that the distinction between old and new wars is valid to the extent to which the image of the nature of war is expressed via new means but that many so-called new wars reflect rather enduring patterns over the last century.
Media Coverage, Ideological Effects, and Naxal Violence
Recently, the violent activities of left wing extremist in India have increased. The continual violent activities of these groups have attracted much media attention. The movement has been given front-page coverage in the print media and the broadcast in prime time televised news. This paper argues that the increased coverage of Naxal activities has produced ideological effects which further strengthen mobilising the cadres and sympathisers of Naxal, consequently, increasing the frequency of violence.
Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants in Conflict Affected Northern Uganda
This paper shall apply a discourse analysis of Disarmament, Resettlement and Reintegration (DRR) of ex-combatants with special emphasis on Northern Uganda, a region which has faced conflicts for over two decades. I apply knowledge and skills required to plan, manage and implement programmes for sustainable recovery of war-torn Northern Uganda. The paper will showcase skills in rehabilitation, reconstruction, peacebuilding and the role of civil society. My prior engagement in a post-conflict recovery human rights project in Uganda, as well as my experiences supporting DRR under the Amnesty Commission, will be used to address the topic from a practical point of view. The paper includes a general overview, key actors in the conflict, DRR in detail, Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) issues, DRR challenges, appropriate responses or recommendations and conclusion. I believe this study will also empower me to effectively and efficiently serve in conflict management, peacekeeping and peacebuilding foras.
Key words= ex-combatants, disarmament, demobilization, reintegration
Challenges to Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration: The Case of the Niger Delta
It is my contention that, desirable as it is to conduct a DDR programme in the region, there are certain critical preconditions that have to be met for it to be successful. Analysing these preconditions was the main focus of this paper and contribution to the proposed DDR in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
But it will take more than disarmament, commitment and drawn out negotiations to obtain peace in the Niger Delta.
Not only are stakeholders faced with a history of corruption and bad governance, poverty and youth unemployment, but also and arguably the biggest challenge of the future: trust. Solomon Inuwa analyses, with first hand experience, the core needs to be met before embarking on the first steps towards peace.
Nigeria: Fuel subsidy removal and the national crisis
Nigerians were taken by surprise earlier this year when the government dropped fuel subsidies, a move which effectively double the cost of living for many, and prompted massive protests. Labour organizations, #OccupyNigeria groups, unemployed youth, and many other Nigerian citizens have since begun to cross religious, geographic, age, and class divides to seize this historic opportunity and participate more effectively in the political process. In this article, Fatima Kyari Mohammed shares her insights, and some of her photos.