Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies

« November 2006 | Start | January 2007 »

Thomas Friedman: The most underestimated emotion in Arab politics is humiliation

"The most underestimated emotion in Arab politics is humiliation":

this is a quote from "Mideast Rules to Live By,"
December 20, 2006,
by Op-Ed Columnist Thomas L. Friedman.

Please google this item, the full text is to be found on many websites.

Posted by Evelin at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)

Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen (ZIB) Newsletter 2/2006

ZIB Newsletter 2/2006

Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen
Newsletter 2/2006
German and English Version

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Inhalt:
1. Neues von der ZIB
2. Inhalt ZIB 2/2006
3. Aktuelles von der DVPW-Sektion „Internationale Politik“
4. Verschiedenes: Neu bei NOMOS

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1. Neues von der ZIB

Wir freuen uns, Sie heute auf die Winterausgabe der Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen hinweisen zu können, die letzten Montag erschienen ist. Die Artikel befassen sich mit der Internationalisierung der Bildungspolitik in der EU und der OECD, der öffentlichen Meinung zum Kosovokrieg in Ost- und Westdeutschland sowie mit den Auswirkungen von divided government auf die Entscheidungsfindung in der EU. Darüber hinaus finden Sie die Beiträge des ZIB-Symposiums zum Thema "Die Grenzen des Kosmopolitismus" vom 29. September 2006 dokumentiert, eine Bestandaufnahme der Lehre im Bereich IB an deutschen Gymnasien und einen Tagungsbericht zu einer Konferenz zwischen Völkerrechtlern und IB-Forschern am 13./14. Juni 2006 in Heidelberg.

Anregungen, Kommentare, Kritik und vor allem Artikel sind nach wie vor jederzeit willkommen – wenden Sie sich einfach unter folgender Adresse an uns:
Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen
Geschwister-Scholl-Institut für Politische Wissenschaft
Lehrstuhl für Internationale Politik
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Oettingenstrasse 67
D-80538 München
Tel.: +49 (0)89 2180-9056/50
Fax : +49 (0)89 2180-9052
E-Mail: zib@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
Frohe Weihnachten und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr!

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2. Inhalt der ZIB 2/2006

*** Aufsätze ***

Kerstin Martens/Klaus Dieter Wolf
Paradoxien der Neuen Staatsräson
Die Internationalisierung der Bildungspolitik in der EU und der OECD

Sowohl die EU als auch die OECD haben in den vergangenen Jahren im Bereich der Reform nationaler Bildungssysteme unerwartet an Bedeutung gewonnen. Es überrascht, damit einen Politikbereich auf der internationalen Agenda vorzufinden, der als Teil der Kulturhoheit bisher fest in den nationalen politischen Systemen verankert war. In diesem Beitrag wird in einem analytischen Zweischritt das akteursbezogene Theorem der Neuen Staatsräson mit einer neo-institutionalistischen Perspektive kombiniert, um die Verlagerung der Bildungspolitik durch staatliche Regierungen auf internationale Organisationen sowie unbeabsichtigte Konsequenzen dieser Internationalisierung zu erklären. In zwei Fallstudien zum Bologna-Prozess und zum PISA-Projekt wird gezeigt, wie und warum die strategische Einbindung der intergouvernementalen Ebene, die auf eine Manipulation innerstaatlicher Kräfteverhältnisse zugunsten nationaler Exekutiven abzielte, auf eine paradoxe Weise auf die Innenpolitik zurückwirkte und dort neuen politischen Steuerungsformen und einem Verlust staatlicher Kontrolle über die Bildungspolitik den Weg ebnete.

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Harald Schoen
Angst und Einstellungen zum Kosovokrieg
Eine Analyse der öffentlichen Meinung in Ost- und Westdeutschland

Der vorliegende Aufsatz geht der Frage nach, welche Wirkungen von Angst auf Einstellungen Ost- und Westdeutscher zur militärischen Intervention der NATO im Kosovokonflikt 1999 ausgingen. Es werden drei konkurrierende Hypothesen formuliert: die Pro-Regierungsthese, die Parteianhängerthese und die policy-These. Es kann gezeigt werden, dass Angst im Jahr 1999 die Ablehnung des NATO Luftkrieges und dessen Eskalation zu einem Bodenkrieg sowie die Zustimmung zu einer einseitigen Waffenruhe verstärkte. Die Ergebnisse bestätigen die policy-These. Folglich ist davon auszugehen, dass der Kosovokonflikt Angst auslöste, die ihrerseits eine ablehnende Haltung zur Fortsetzung oder gar Ausdehnung des Krieges begünstigte. Die Ergebnisse stehen im Einklang mit klassischen Positionen in der Diskussion über die Rolle der öffentlichen Meinung in der Außenpolitik.

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Dirk Leuffen
Wenn zwei sich streiten, freut sich der Dritte?
Divided government im dynamischen Mehrebenensystem der EU

Dieser Aufsatz untersucht die Bedeutung von domestic politics im dynamischen Mehrebenensystem der Europäischen Union. Welche Auswirkungen haben innenpolitische Variablen wie Parteipolitik, aber auch Institutionen, für das europäische Regieren? Die Frage wird im vorliegenden Beitrag an Hand der französischen Kohabitation überprüft: Wie beeinflusst die Kohabitation die Formulierung französischer Verhandlungspositionen und wie wirkt sich dies auf die europäischen Entscheidungsprozesse aus? In einer vergleichenden Fallstudienanalyse werden im empirischen Teil des Beitrages die Vorhersagen der Veto-Spieler-Theorie mit denen alternativer exekutiver Entscheidungsmodelle ex post facto überprüft. In den untersuchten Fällen setzen sich im Zusammenspiel zwischen Staatspräsident und Premierminister systematisch die restriktiveren, d. h. die näher am integrationspolitischen Status quo befindlichen, Verhandlungspositionen durch. Die Kohabitation führt damit im Vergleich zum unified government im Schnitt zu einer Schrumpfung der französischen acceptance sets. In einer Zwei-Ebenen-Perspektive reduziert dies die Möglichkeiten internationaler Kooperation bzw. der europäischen Integration. Das unterstreicht, dass domestic politics-Variablen verstärkt in die Modelle zur europäischen Entscheidungsfindung integriert werden sollten.

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Mathias Albert/Sascha Dickel
Educating Globality
Zum Lernfeld »Internationale Beziehungen/Globalisierung« im Gymnasium

Der vorliegende Beitrag nimmt eine erste Bestandsaufnahme des Lernfeldes »Internationale Beziehungen/Globalisierung« an Gymnasien in Deutschland vor. Hierzu werden die fachspezifischen Curricula der einzelnen Bundesländer sowie einschlägige Schulbücher untersucht, welche in mehreren Bundesländern Verwendung finden. Der Beitrag wirft ebenfalls einen kurzen Blick auf den Anteil von Ausbildungsinhalten aus dem Bereich Internationale Beziehungen/Globalisierung in entsprechenden Lehramtsstudiengängen. Die Studie kommt zu dem Ergebnis, dass sich die Bedeutung, die den Internationalen Beziehungen und der Globalisierung in Lehrplänen zugemessen wird, nur teilweise in Lehrbüchern und Lehrerausbildung niederschlägt.

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*** Tagungsberichte ***

Theresa Reinold
Dialogue de sourds? Über die (Un)Möglichkeit des interdisziplinären Dialogs zwischen Völkerrechtlern und Politikwissenschaftlern
Ein Tagungsbericht

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3. Aktuelles von der DVPW-Sektion „Internationale Politik“

***DVPW-Kongress in Münster***

Im Zuge des DVPW-Kongresses in Münster fand am 27. September 2006 die Mitgliederversammlung der Sektion »Internationale Politik« statt. Ein Tätigkeitsbericht des Vorstands wurde vorab verschickt.

In den Vorstand der Sektion wurden gewählt:
Prof. Dr. Mathias Albert
Fakultät für Soziologie
Universität Bielefeld
Postfach 100 131
33501 Bielefeld
E-Mail: mathias.albert@uni-bielefeld.de
(Geschäftsführung 2007/2008)

Prof. Dr. Frank Schimmelfennig
Center for Comparative and International Studies
ETH Zürich SEI
8092 Zürich
E-Mail: frank.schimmelfennig@eup.gess.ethz.ch
(Geschäftsführung 2006/2007)

Die Versammlung fasste außerdem den Beschluss, dass die Herausgebergremien der im Auftrag der Sektion herausgegebenen Schriftenreihen zukünftig in Abstimmung mit dem Sektionsvorstand besetzt werden sollen. Auf Anregung der Mitgliederversammlung wird die Mitglieder- und Mailingliste der Sektion in den kommenden Monaten aktualisiert. Wir bitten Interessenten darum, uns Veränderungen ihrer Kontaktdaten mitzuteilen.

Der neue Vorstand plant drei Sektionstagungen:
(1) eine Offene Sektionstagung im Frühjahr/Sommer 2007,
(2) eine gemeinsam mit der British International Studies Association veranstaltete deutsch-britische IB-Tagung im Jahr 2008 und
(3) eine gemeinsame Tagung mit der Sektion »Theorie« im Jahr 2009.
Genauere Angaben und Calls for Papers folgen.

***Call for Papers »Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen«***

Am 5. und 6. Juli 2007 findet in Berlin die nächste Arbeitstagung der Ad-hoc-Gruppe »Ideelle Grundlagen außenpolitischen Handelns« (IGAPHA) statt. Auf dieser Tagung soll, wie zuletzt auf dem DVPW-Kongress in Münster besprochen, ein möglichst breites Feld soziologischer Ansätze für Fragestellungen der Internationalen Beziehungen diskutiert und eine nachfolgende Publikation zur »Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen« vorbereitet werden. Es wäre sicherlich verfehlt, von einem umfassenden »sociological turn« in den Internationalen Beziehungen (IB) zu sprechen. Dennoch verweisen zahlreiche zentrale Publikationen und Diskussionen in der deutsch- und englischsprachigen IB in den vergangenen Jahren darauf, dass (durchaus heterogene) soziologische Ansätze vermehrt in den IB verwendet werden. Dieses Heranziehen von Theorien und Analysekonzepten aus der Soziologie und anderen Sozialwissenschaften könnte als Hinweis auf vier zentrale Leerstellen klassischer IB-Ansätze gewertet werden. Auf Grundlage einer solchen Reflexion über die (vielschichtigen) Konturen einer Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen können vier Ausgangsherausforderungen für die IB formuliert werden, denen sich die Arbeitstagung der IGAPHA widmen möchte:

(1) Für die IB, die unter Berufung auf klassische staatstheoretische Ansätze in der Rechts- und Politikwissenschaft oft von einem Primat der Politik ausgeht, stellt sich die Frage, wie sie mit der in der Soziologie verbreiteten Auffassung der modernen (Welt-)Gesellschaft als funktional differenzierter Gesellschaft umzugehen versteht. Dies bedeutet nun gerade nicht, den vermeintlichen Primat der Politik durch andere Primatsvorstellungen (etwa der Wirtschaft, des Rechts oder der Religion) zu ersetzen, wie dies in einigen IB-Theorien gemacht wurde, sondern vielmehr die gesellschaftliche Grundkonstellation einer v. a. durch funktionale Differenzierung gekennzeichneten Gesellschaft systematisch zu berücksichtigen.

(2) Eine weitere Herausforderung für die IB stellt die Frage dar, wie sie mit dekonstruktivistischen und systemtheoretischen Ansätzen in der Soziologie und den Sozialwissenschaften umzugehen versteht. Ein zentraler Aspekt wäre hierbei insbesondere die für kritische (und systematische) Theoriebildung unerlässliche Frage, wie sich eine Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen selbst beobachtet. Zu berücksichtigen wäre also die Selbstreferenz aller Theoriebildung, die sowohl in rationalistischen als auch in sozial-konstruktivistischen Ansätzen oft nicht hinreichend vorgenommen wird.

(3) In einem weiteren Schritt ist die Hinwendung zu einem de-territorialisierten Raumbegriff eine theoretische und empirische Herausforderung für eine Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen. Beobachtungen von »multiple modernities« (Eisenstadt), die sich durch vielschichtige und oft quer zueinander liegende soziale (d. h. durch Kommunikation konstruierte) Grenzen auf funktionaler, räumlicher und symbolischer Ebene unterscheiden, verweisen auf den Reiz, aber auch die konzeptionelle Schwierigkeit, Politik auf der globalen Ebene (z. B. Regionalisierungsprozesse, Grenzkonflikte, Diasporagemeinschaften etc.) im Rahmen solcher kommunikativer Entgrenzungsprozesse auch auf räumlicher Ebene zu analysieren. Dies freilich, ohne die Bedeutung von Raum für eine Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen mit dem de-territorialisierten Bade auszuschütten.

(4) Schließlich muss eine Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen, will sie einen gehaltvollen Beitrag für ihr Fach leisten, unter kritischer Berücksichtigung gegenwärtiger Theoriebildung zur Politik in der Soziologie, den Wirkungsbereich des »Politischen« genau abstecken. Zu fragen wäre – hier spannt sich auch der Bogen zu der in Punkt 1 aufgeworfenen Thematik –, wie sich die »Spur« (Derrida) des Politischen sowie seine Semantiken und Strukturen (Luhmann) im Rahmen einer Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen aufzeigen lassen und sich für Diskussionen in den IB fruchtbar erweisen können.

Alle Interessentinnen und Interessenten, die sich an dieser Tagung – und der geplanten Publikation – beteiligen möchten, werden gebeten, ein maximal zweiseitiges Exposé ihres Beitrags bis zum 15. Januar 2007 beim IGAPHA-Sprecherteam einzureichen. Die geplanten Papiere können sich an den oben formulierten vier Herausforderungen für eine Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen orientieren, aber auch darüber hinausgehen. Erwünscht sind sowohl theoretische Papiere als auch empirische Studien, die einen Beitrag zur Fortentwicklung einer Soziologie der internationalen Beziehungen leisten können. Alle weiteren Informationen zur Arbeit der Ad-hoc-Gruppe finden sich jeweils aktuell auf folgender Homepage: http://inef.uni-due.de/igapha/.

Sprecherin und Sprecher:

Dr. des. Anna Holzscheiter
Arbeitsstelle Transnationale Beziehungen, Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik
Freie Universität Berlin
Ihnestr. 22
14195 Berlin
E-Mail: holzsche@zedat.fu-berlin.de

Dr. Stephan Stetter
Universität Bielefeld
Fakultät für Soziologie
Postfach 100131z
33501 Bielefeld
E-Mail: stephan.stetter@uni-bielefeld.de

Dr. Christoph Weller
Institut für Entwicklung und Frieden (INEF)
Universität Duisburg-Essen
Geibelstr. 41
47057 Duisburg
E-Mail: christoph.weller@uni-due.de

***Zweite Offene Sektionstagung der Sektion Internationale Politik – Call for Papers***

Die Sektion Internationale Politik veranstaltet von Freitag, den 13. Juli 2007, bis Sonntag, den 15. Juli, ihre Zweite Offene Sektionstagung an der TU Darmstadt. Wir bitten darum, Vorschläge für einzelne Papiere oder ganze Panels (mit 3-4 Papieren, Diskussionsleitung und Diskutant/in) aus allen Bereichen der Internationalen Beziehungen bis spätestens 1. März 2007 per E-Mail an Frank Schimmelfennig zu senden (frank.schimmelfennig@eup.gess.ethz.ch). Die Vorschläge sollten die vollständigen Kontaktdaten aller beteiligten Personen und einen Abstract der Papiere enthalten.

4. Verschiedenes

*** Neuigkeiten aus dem Nomos-Verlag Baden-Baden ***

Das Lektorat Politikwissenschaft empfiehlt folgende Neuerscheinungen im Bereich Internationale Beziehungen und Außenpolitik:

50 Jahre Internationale Atomenergie-Organisation IAEO. Ein Wirken für Frieden und Sicherheit im nuklearen Zeitalter
Herausgegeben von Dr. Dirk Schriefer, MinR Dr. Walter Sandtner, Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Technologie und Dipl.-Kfm. Wolfgang Rudischhauser, Vortragender Legationsrat, Leiter der Arbeitseinheit IAEO im Auswärtigen Amt
2006, 218 S., brosch., 29,– EURO, ISBN 978-3-8329-2465-2
(Einzeltitel)

Friedensnobelpreis 2005 für die IAEO und ihren Generaldirektor – für die Sicherung der Nuklearenergie und ihrer Anwendungen vor militärischem Missbrauch und zur Verbesserung der Sicherheit bei ihrer friedlichen Nutzung. Zum Repertoire der IAEO gehören neben den Schlaglichtern Iran, Irak und Nordkorea auch der Umweltschutz, Ernährung, die medizinische Versorgung und sauberes Trinkwasser.

Forschung und Beratung in der Wissensgesellschaft. Das Feld der internationalen Beziehungen und der Außenpolitik
Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. Gunther Hellmann, Universität Frankfurt/M.
2006, 307 S., brosch., 44,– EURO, ISBN 978-3-8329-2423-2
(Internationale Beziehungen, Bd. 6)

Der Sammelband untersucht die Herausforderungen, die sich im Verhältnis von Wissenschaft, Politik und Gesellschaft im Bereich der internationalen Beziehungen und der Außenpolitik in neuer Weise stellen. Er vereinigt sowohl theoretische Beiträge als auch empirische Untersuchungen.

Internationale Politische Ökonomie. Eine Einführung
Von Prof. Dr. Stefan A. Schirm, Universität Bochum
2. Auflage 2006, 321 S., brosch., 19,90 EURO, ISBN 978-3-8329-2411-9
(Studienkurs Politikwissenschaft)

Der Band führt in die grundlegenden Forschungsfelder der Internationalen Politischen Ökonomie ein. Dabei steht die Analyse aktueller Entwicklungen im Mittelpunkt. Themen sind die neuen Theorien der Internationalen Politischen Ökonomie, Globalisierung, Regionale Wirtschaftskooperation und Global Economic Governance.

OSZE-Jahrbuch 2005. Jahrbuch zur Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE)
Herausgegeben von Institut für Friedensforschung und Sicherheitspolitik an der Universität Hamburg / IFSH
2006, 516 S., geb., 49,– EURO, ISBN 978-3-8329-2375-4

Das Jahrbuch dokumentiert die Aufgaben und Aktivitäten der Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) von der Konfliktverhütung und Krisenbewältigung über die Förderung von Demokratie und Menschenrechten bis hin zu regionaler Rüstungskontrolle. Es enthält wissenschaftliche Analysen und Berichte aus der politischen und diplomatischen Praxis.

Globale Probleme und Zukunftsaufgaben der Vereinten Nationen. ZfP Sonderband 1
Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. Sabine von Schorlemer, Universität Dresden
2006, 256 S., brosch., 34,– EURO, ISBN 978-3-8329-2365-5
(Einzeltitel)

Die fortschreitende Globalisierung stellt auch die Vereinten Nationen als einzige universelle Organisation vor neue Herausforderungen. Die Beiträge in diesem Band gehen weit über die übliche Reformdiskussion hinaus und befassen sich mit den brennenden globalen Problemen unserer Zeit, wie Terrorismus, HIV/AIDS, Armutsbekämpfung, Umweltmanagement und Völkermord.

Kolumbien und El Salvador im longitudinalen Vergleich. Ein kritischer Beitrag zur Transitionsforschung (mit einem Vorwort von Hartmut Elsenhans)
Von PD Dr. Heidrun Zinecker, Universität Leipzig
2007, 1.269 S., brosch., 149,– EURO, ISBN 978-3-8329-2422-5
(Einzeltitel)

Warum war in El Salvador Frieden möglich, in Kolumbien jedoch bisher nicht? Ausgehend von einer kritischen Betrachtung der Transitionsforschung wird diese Frage aus entwicklungstheoretischer, historisch-struktureller und handlungstheoretischer Sicht in einer durchgängig vergleichenden, von der Conquista bis heute reichenden Langzeitanalyse beantwortet.

Jahrbuch für europäische Sicherheitspolitik 2006 | 2007
Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. Alexander Siedschlag, Universität Innsbruck
2006, 300 S., brosch., 29,– EURO, ISBN 978-3-8329-2300-6
(Einzeltitel)

Das Jahrbuch bietet Analysen, Dokumentationen und Reflexionen zu Grundsatzproblemen, aktuellen Entwicklungen und Aktivitäten sowie mittelfristigen Herausforderungen von Sicherheitspolitik in Europa, für Europa und unter Beteiligung von Europa als internationaler Akteur. Sicherheitsinstitutionen wie die NATO und die OSZE fallen ebenso in das Themenspektrum wie zum Beispiel die strategischen Beziehungen zwischen der EU und der UNO oder einschlägige einzelstaatliche Initiativen und Politiken. Neben einem umfangreichen Serviceteil mit Zeittafel, Dokumentationen sicherheitspolitischer Entwicklungen, Tagungsberichten und Sammelrezensionen beinhaltet jeder neue Band einen zeitgemäßen Themenschwerpunkt.
Weitere Informationen finden Sie unter www.nomos.de.

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Wir hoffen, dass Sie auch diesen Newsletter wieder hilfreich für Ihre Arbeit finden. Sollten Sie den Newsletter künftig nicht mehr erhalten wollen, senden Sie bitte einfach eine E-Mail mit dem Betreff „unsubscribe“ an zib@lrz.uni-muenchen.de. Ihre Adresse wird dann umgehend aus unserem Verteiler entfernt.

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German Journal for International Relations (ZIB)
Newsletter 2/2006
English Version

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Content:
1. News from ZIB
2. Content ZIB 2/2006
3. News from the section “International Politics”
4. Miscellaneous

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1. News from ZIB

We are happy to inform you about the current issue of the German Journal for International Relations (ZIB), which appeared in print on December 18, 2006. The articles deals with the Internationalization of Education Policy in the EU and the OECD, German public opinion towards the war in Kosovo, and the effects of divided government on decision making in the European Union. Other contributions survey the teaching of »International Relations/Globalization« in German High Schools and report from a conference of international lawyers and International Relations scholars. Furthermore, we document the contributions to the ZIB symposium on „The Limits of Cosmopolitism“ at this year’s DVPW Convention in Münster.

We encourage our readers to submit articles and welcome any critique, suggestions, or comments. Please do not hesitate to contact us under the address below:

Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen
Geschwister-Scholl-Institut für Politische Wissenschaft
Lehrstuhl für Internationale Politik
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Oettingenstrasse 67
D-80538 München
Tel : +49-(0)89-2180-9050/56
Fax : +49-(0)89-2180-9052
E-mail : zib@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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2. Content of ZIB 2/2006

*** Main Articles ***

Kerstin Martens/Klaus Dieter Wolf
Paradoxes of the New Raison d‘État
The Internationalization of Education Policy in the EU and the OECD

The EU and the OECD have gained increasing importance in the reform processes of national education systems. This comes as a surprise since education policy is generally considered to be a core domaine of the nation state, closely associated with cultural identity and firmly anchored in the domestic political setting. This article combines the actor-centered concept of the new raison d‘état for explaining the behaviour of the governments that initiated the shift of education policy to the level of international organizations with a neo-institutionalist explanation of the unintended consequences resulting from this policy shift. The paper examines the Bologna process (EU) and the PISA project (OECD) in order to demonstrate how and why governments’ strategies to instrumentalize the international level in order to manipulate the domestic distribution of power in their favor paradoxically led to the spread of new modes of governance and to an overall loss of governmental control over education policy.

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Harald Schoen
Fear and Attitudes towards the War in Kosovo
An Analysis of German Public Opinion in East and West

This article addresses the effects of fear and attitudes towards the Western military intervention in Kosovo in 1999 among the German public in East and West. The author proposes three competing hypotheses: the pro-government hypothesis, the party-supporter hypothesis and the policy hypothesis. The evidence shows that persons who were afraid of the war in Kosovo opposed NATO air strikes, called for cease-fire and rejected the deployment of ground troops. The findings suggest that the war in Kosovo provoked fear that in turn decreased support for the intervention of the West. Thus, the evidence backs the policy hypothesis that is in line with liberal strands in the debate about the role of public opinion in foreign policy.

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Dirk Leuffen
Somebody Else’s Problem?
Divided Government in the European Union’s Multilevel System of Governance

This article analyzes the role of domestic politics in the EU’s multilevel system of governance. It asks the question: What is the impact of party politics and domestic institutions on EU policy-making? The case to be investigated is divided government in France. How does »cohabitation« affect the positions Paris holds in European negotiations? The comparative case study tests a veto-player theory of »cohabitation.« It shows that »cohabitation« systematically leads France to adopt more restrictive negotiation positions. In general, of the two positions the President and the PM hold, the one closer to the status quo succeeds. Compared to unified government, »cohabitation« thus leads to shrinking French acceptance sets. In a two-level perspective this reduces the chances of European integration or international cooperation, more generally. The article therefore argues to stronger integrate domestic variables into the models of European decision-making.

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Mathias Albert/Sascha Dickel
Educating Globality
On the Subject of »International Relations/Globalization« in High Schools

The article analyzes how »International Relations/Globalization« is taught at German high schools (»Gymnasien«) by investigating selected curricula and textbooks of several German regions (Bundesländer). In addition, it briefly looks at the degree to which International Relations/Globalization is included in university degree-programs leading to a qualification as school teacher. The study concludes that the importance attached to International Relations and Globalization in the curricula is only partially reflected in the practice of textbooks and education of school teachers.

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*** Conference Reports ***

Theresa Reinold
Dialogue de Sourds? On the (Im)possibility of Interdisciplinary Dialogue Between International Relations and International Law
Ein Tagungsbericht

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3. News from the German section “International Politics”

*** General meeting of the section “International Politics” ***

The General Meeting of the DVPW section “International Politics” took place at the DVPW Congress 2006 in Münster on 09/27/2006 An activity report was issued by the directorate in advance.

The newly elected speakers are:
Prof. Dr. Mathias Albert
Fakultät für Soziologie
Universität Bielefeld
Postfach 100 131
33501 Bielefeld
E-Mail: mathias.albert@uni-bielefeld.de
(Geschäftsführung 2007/2008)

Dr. Nicole Deitelhoff
Technische Universität Darmstadt/
Hessische Stiftung Friedens- und
Konfliktforschung (HSFK)
Leimenrode 29
60322 Frankfurt a. M.
E-Mail: deitelhoff@hsfk.de
(Geschäftsführung 2008/2009)

Prof. Dr. Frank Schimmelfennig
Center for Comparative and International Studies
ETH Zürich SEI
8092 Zürich
E-Mail: frank.schimmelfennig@eup.gess.ethz.ch
(Geschäftsführung 2006/2007)

It was decided that the editors of the section’s publishing series will in the future be appointed in cooperation with the section’s directorate. As the section’s membership and mailing list will be updated during the next months, all those interested are asked to convey their contact details.

The new directorate is planning three conferences:
(1) an open conference on July 13-15, 2007 at the TU Darmstadt; proposals for papers and panels should be sent to Frank Schimmelfennig (frank.schimmelfennig@eup.gess.ethz.ch) until March 1, 2007 and include abstract and author’s details.
(2) a joint conference with the British International Studies Association in 2008, and
(3) a joint conference with the section »Theory« in 2009.
Details and Calls for Papers to follow.

***Call for Papers »Sociology in International Relations«***

The next meeting of the ad-hoc group on ideational basis of foreign policy (IGAPHA) will take place on July 5-6, 2007 to discuss and prepare a publication on sociological approaches to international relations. Four broader challenges have been identified: (1) How can International Relations theory appreciate or integrate sociology’s emphasis on the functionally differentiated nature of societies? (2) How does IR cope with deconstructionist and system theory approaches and how can IR adequately take into account self-referentiality of all theory building? (3) A third challenge considers a de-territorialized conception of space incorporating observations such as »multiple modernities« (Eisenstadt) which are constituted by multidimensional, functionally, socially and symbolically mediated boundaries. (4) Finally, a sociology of international relations must be able to grasp the scope of the „political“ and trace its sematics and structures in a way that can be usefully applied to discussions in IR.

If you are interested, please send a two-page exposé of your contribution to the speakers below (deadline: January 15, 2007). For further information see http://inef.uni-due.de/igapha/

Speakers:

Dr. des. Anna Holzscheiter
Arbeitsstelle Transnationale Beziehungen, Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik
Freie Universität Berlin
Ihnestr. 22
14195 Berlin
E-Mail: holzsche@zedat.fu-berlin.de

Dr. Stephan Stetter
Universität Bielefeld
Fakultät für Soziologie
Postfach 100131
33501 Bielefeld
E-Mail: stephan.stetter@uni-bielefeld.de

Dr. Christoph Weller
Institut für Entwicklung und Frieden (INEF)
Universität Duisburg-Essen
Geibelstr. 41
47057 Duisburg
E-Mail: christoph.weller@uni-due.de

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4. Miscellaneous

*** New Publications from NOMOS ***

NOMOS would like to highlight some new publications from its catalogue:

Jahrbuch für europäische Sicherheitspolitik 2006 | 2007
Herausgegeben von Prof. Dr. Alexander Siedschlag, Universität Innsbruck
2006, 300 S., brosch., 29,– EURO, ISBN 978-3-8329-2300-6

For more information please visit www.nomos.de.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you have any suggestions or comments regarding either ZIB or this Newsletter, please feel free to contact us at +49-(0)89-2180-9050/56 or email us at zib@lrz.uni-muenchen.de.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Alexander Heppt und Sebastian Schindler
Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen
Geschwister-Scholl-Institut für Politische Wissenschaft
Lehrstuhl für Internationale Politik
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Oettingenstrasse 67
80538 München
Tel. : 089 2180-9050/56
Fax : 089 2180-9052

Posted by Evelin at 06:27 PM | Comments (0)

Common Ground News Service - 19 December 2006

Common Ground News Service
Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
for constructive & vibrant Muslim-Western relations
19 - 25 December 2006

HOLIDAY NOTICE: The next issue of CGNews-PiH will be distributed on 9 January 2007. We wish our readers a peaceful holiday season and happy New Year.

For an archive of past CGNews articles and other information, please visit our website at www.commongroundnews.org.

Unless otherwise noted, copyright permission has been obtained and articles may be reprinted by any news outlet or publication. Please acknowledge both the original source and the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Inside this edition

1) Western aid should think again by Robert Myers
This second article in a series on economics and Muslim-Western relations is written by Robert Myers, an economist with forty years of applied experience. He compares the public-sector-focused foreign aid that Western donors most frequently provide with a relatively new aid paradigm that focuses on growing the private sector. Looking at different experiences in the Middle East and Asia, he identifies which model has succeeded and which has failed.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 19 December 2006)

2) What Muslim women want by Genieve Abdo and Dalia Mogahed
Genieve Abdo and Dalia Mogahed, senior analyst and executive director, respectively, of the Center for Muslim Studies at the Gallup Organization, consider what the results of a recent Gallup poll tell us about what Muslim women from 22 predominantly Muslim countries want. Answering questions about shari‘a, women’s rights and the veil, they show the difference between what others believe they want, and what they themselves wish for.
(Source: Wall Street Journal, 13 December 2006)

3) Muslim integration in Australia: it’s not so bad by Shahram Akbarzadeh
Shahram Akbarzadeh, director of the Centre for Muslim Minorities and Islam Policy Studies at Monash University in Australia, considers the reasons why some see Australian Muslims “as some sort of a fifth column for global jihad”. Looking at the social implications of Muslim integration into broader Australian society, he considers current government strategy and highlights some areas where it falls short.
(Source: Australian, 7 December 2006)

4) It’s only “dialogue” if we talk to those who disagree by Michael Vatikiotis
Michael Vatikiotis, a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore, wonders whether current interfaith dialogue efforts simply preach to the converted. He challenges governments and policy experts to “explore deeper areas of disagreement and difference that don't stem from a difference of faith, but from a difference of social and economic opportunity, or of world view.”
(Source: International Herald Tribune, 27 November 2006)

5) U.S. foreign policy once delivered – and can again by Anouar Boukhars
Anouar Boukhars, visiting professor of political science and director of the Center for Defense and Security Policy at Wilberforce University in Ohio, considers the many successful instances in which U.S. foreign policy has engaged its “enemies” in discussion and dialogue to reach common, and even selfish, goals. Boukhars questions why such proven U.S. public diplomacy tactics are not applied in the post-9/11 world, particularly when it comes to Iran and Syria.
(Source: Bitterlemons-international.org, 7 December 2006)

1) Western aid should think again
Robert Myers

Washington, D.C. - The type of aid that Western donors most frequently provide is not necessarily the most effective for developing countries. This “exogenous” approach stresses the centrality of external donor ideology, administrative involvement and aid-flows -- frequently loans -- to public sectors. This is supposed to improve governance and, through this, economic growth.

However, this type of aid seems mainly to suppress private political and economic enterprise, making countries even more aid-dependent. A relatively new (twenty-year old) “endogenous growth” paradigm of foreign aid reverses things by first aiding in the growth of private initiatives. In this schema, recipient governments become more dependent on domestic private sector growth and less on external, donor-provided aid. Adopting the new approach requires a decisive break with old aid ways: it begins with external public sector debt forgiveness, and encompasses a new government determination to significantly limit public sector external borrowing.

Dubai is an excellent example of an endogenous approach that is succeeding. The Afghan government, on the other hand, has chosen the wrong, aid-dependent path. Each year, aid to Afghanistan finances over 50% of public sector expenditure and massive balance of payments deficits. Public sector external debt, much of it unrecorded, is a large share of GDP and the government appears uninterested in reducing reliance on it. Currently the IMF-advised government badgers a few formal sector businesses to pay onerous taxes, suppressing new private investment and growth in the tax base. Prospects of increasing foreign debt service payments and hoards of cheap, aid-financed imports destroy private, domestic investment incentives.

Most donors and donor governments, predominantly from the West, are at best sceptical and at worst hostile to this endogenous approach, even though when they try to “push” development, they fail: it’s like pushing on a string. The formal private sector fails to expand and there’s no growth in private sector employment. Smaller, less intrusive governments and private sector perceptions of business and political opportunities at home and abroad liberate private political and economic initiatives. China, Chile, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mauritius are examples of this “new” approach.

A key example of differences in approach comes when donors aid public sector development of service-providing institutions, such as civil and commercial legal systems, to relatively sophisticated levels as a precursor to development. Endogenous growth advocates see such growth-necessary institutions as consisting mainly of staff and knowledge that should change and grow in size and technological sophistication along with, or as part of, private sector growth. Afghanistan, siding with donors against its own businessmen, has made this expensive, time-consuming government-first choice, thus chasing away sophisticated Afghan entrepreneurs who know it will lead to corruption and stagnation.

To be effective, the choice of an endogenous growth program must be explicit, coherent, well publicised and include a private-sector-friendly and credible initiative regarding sovereign external debt overhangs. Donors can begin by giving grants, not loans. First, they can finance non-donor-allied expertise to construct private-sector-friendly sovereign debt workouts. Second, they can finance the independent expertise needed to spell out the particulars of a coherent endogenous growth program. And finally, donors can finance the public sector’s portion of the costs of building private sector institutions and expertise to jump-start the endogenous growth program. A crucial example of this is to cover the costs of constructing the fiscal systems needed to enable tax collection and domestic borrowing in ways consistent with rapid private sector growth. Another involves the costs of fostering growth in “Economic Processing Zones”, areas where a hands-off attitude by governments allows international business and commercial legal climates to emerge. These EPZs can then serve as demonstration areas for reforming the rest of the economy.

If Western donors want to assist predominantly-Muslim countries that are aid recipients in a way that contributes to their long-term stability, they can begin reorienting themselves toward this endogenous approach by adopting two indices as prime measures of development success. One is a growing tax base and consequent expansion in levels of domestic revenue, with constant or falling tax/GDP ratios. The other is sustained expansion in formal, urban, private sector employment. Improved foreign aid policies can contribute to a better global environment in our intertwined world.

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* Robert Myers is a Ph.D. economist with forty years of applied experience, much of it in developing Muslim countries. He helped found the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce, a non-profit organisation. This article is part of a series on economics and Muslim-Western relations distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 19 December 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

2) What Muslim women want
Genieve Abdo and Dalia Mogahed

Washington, D.C. - Religion and modernity are butting heads again, or so it seems -- this time in Egypt. The country's cultural minister, Farouk Hosni, touched off a fiery, mostly male-dominated debate last month when he commented to a local newspaper that the increasing number of women in his country wearing headscarves marked a "regressive" trend in society and a turn away from modernity. But do millions of Muslim women agree that embracing Islam, as expressed by wearing the hijab, is in conflict with modernity? In fact, Muslim women paint a much more complex picture of their lives and in their minds, the choice is not one between Islamic law and modernity; the two are not mutually exclusive.

Consider the recent findings of a Gallup Poll of 22 predominantly Muslim countries, including Egypt, over the last 16 months. The survey represents the views of more than 90% of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims. Majorities of women in these countries say they think women should have the same rights as men. At the same time, they also say that shari‘a, the sacred law of Islam, should be a source of the nation's laws. For many Westerners who associate shari‘a with the lack of women's rights, this might appear to be a stark contradiction.

Shari‘a literally means "the road to water", and represents the moral compass of a Muslim's personal and public life. Historically, the principles of shari‘a could be used to limit the power of the sultan for after all, he would never claim he was above God's law. Therefore, when Muslims call for shari‘a and gender equality, both are calls for the rule of law and an end to inequality. In many countries, Muslims are calling for the application of shari‘a because even when the constitution states that shari‘a is the primary basis of the law, in practice this is not enforced by officially secular governments.

Among the women surveyed in our poll, Egyptian women are most likely to believe shari‘a should be the primary source of legislation: 62% say it should be the only source of law, and 28% say it should be a source, but not the only source. In nearly every country surveyed, aside from officially secular Turkey, a majority of women say Islamic law should either be the primary source of legislation or a source.

For decades, the role of women in Islamic societies has provided one of the primary battlegrounds in the cultural war between East and West. As a result, Muslim women have been placed in two artificial and mutually exclusive categories: modern and secular, or religious and traditional -- even backward. The assumption is that, although the number of women choosing to veil in Egypt and elsewhere is growing, this trend is a result of either ignorance or women surrendering to pressure from their husbands or fathers.

In contrast to the popular wisdom that women are content even if they believe they are second-class citizens, Gallup's survey found that women in the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed believe they should have equal legal rights as men, from voting rights to employment opportunities and access to the highest posts in government. Some 83% of Iranian women, for example, say women should be able to hold leadership positions in the cabinet and national council. Still, when the same Iranian women were asked the shari‘a question, 66% said Islamic law should be a source, and 14% said the sole source, of legislation.

Majorities of Muslim women also say that religion is an important part of their daily lives. When asked to associate descriptions with the Islamic world, the most often chosen statement among men and women was "attachment to their spiritual and moral values is crucial to progress". When asked an open-ended question about what they admire most about their own societies the most frequent response was "people's attachment to the teachings of Islam".

These findings muddy the oversimplified debate that posits religion against modernity, and they reflect a trend in Islamic societies that is gaining momentum: while Muslim women favour gender equality, they do not favour wholesale adoption of Western cultural values. Instead, they want to pick and choose which aspects of the West and the East will form the basis of their lives.

This trend is evident among the rich and famous Egyptian movie stars who have opted for a veiled life off the screen. Egypt's stars are powerful cultural icons, and it was their recent testimonials of embracing Islam and leaving behind their lives in the fast lane that were a factor in Farouk Hosni's remarks. As more and more prominent women in Egypt have announced publicly their desire to wear headscarves, the public debate in the country has become more heated.

As Muslim women try to reconcile religion with modernity, a few clerics are helping them along the way. Amr Khaled, arguably the most popular television preacher in the Arab world, has become the guardian for Muslim youth and educated women who are embracing Islam. With the business suits (not clerical robes) he wears for sermons and a London address, Amr Khaled has found a third way between secular liberalism and radical Islam. Through his teaching, he has attracted millions of followers much like Enas, a fashion-conscious member of Egypt's affluent class. After listening to Amr Khaled, she was "awakened spiritually" and then began wearing the hijab. "Our image of Islam used to be that it was only for poor people, old fashioned people who wore white galabyias [long traditional tunics] and had scruffy beards, not the chic upper class," says Enas. "By listening to Amr, I realised how much my life was missing without a focus on God."

The young Egyptian, who has a doctorate in pharmacy, is now pursuing a degree in shari‘a studies. "Because our laws are not based on shari‘a today, injustice and corruption are rampant. I wanted to study shari‘a," she says, "to teach young people so the next generation will be better than the current one -- so our country will progress."

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*Genieve Abdo and Dalia Mogahed are senior analyst and executive director, respectively, of the Center for Muslim Studies at the Gallup Organization. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Wall Street Journal, 13 December 2006, www.wsj.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

3) Muslim integration in Australia: it’s not so bad
Shahram Akbarzadeh

Victoria, Australia - The furore over [Muslim cleric] Taj Din al-Hilali's shameful comments [that immodestly dressed women attract rape] has died down. But as two media reports yesterday on young Muslims behaving badly show, the issues raised in that debate about Muslim integration continue to haunt Australian Muslims.

In Victoria, two Muslim boys were expelled from East Preston Islamic College for urinating on the Bible, an act condemned in the strongest terms by the school principal. In New South Wales, meanwhile, the Muslim winner of the NSW Young Australian of the Year award had to defend herself for drinking champagne against an online backlash on a Muslim youth website.

The question of Muslim integration into the broader society, the social implications of multiculturalism and the security threat posed by home-grown extremists are themes that keep popping up in public commentary on Muslims and Islam. Coming on the heels of security alerts in Europe involving real or alleged Muslim terrorists, this conflation of issues may be understandable, albeit politically and socially unproductive.

In a way, the notion of the Muslim internal threat is not entirely new. It goes back to the conflation of dissent and disloyalty. Canberra's foreign policy choices in the Middle East have often met with disapproval among Australian Muslims. Some observers have misconstrued this political alienation from government policies as lack of loyalty to Australia.

Applied to anyone else, this presumed link between political dissent and treason would have been preposterous. When applied to Muslims, it suddenly seems less so. This misguided perspective, often promoted by the tabloid press and shock jocks, has seriously damaged mutual trust and understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims.

Although it is not publicly admitted, most criticism against multiculturalism implies an inherent incompatibility between being Muslim and being Australian. The debate about Australian values and the presumed difficulty Muslims have in subscribing to them is based on the false premise that Muslim values are different from Australian values.

More importantly, this position assumes that this alien Muslim value system links Australian Muslims with an external threat. To put it bluntly, Australian Muslims are seen as some sort of a fifth column for global jihad.

The instinctive response among our policy-makers to this assumed problem has been to overemphasise the importance of ideas: to suggest that ideas of liberal democracy are under threat from ideas of Islamic intolerance and bigotry. Ironically, this fascination with rhetorical proclamations is shared by Islamists who argue the reverse: that democracy and liberalism are Zionist ploys to destroy Islam.

Both approaches are equally absurd and have the potential to cause enormous damage. An old Persian proverb says it takes only one fool to drop something precious into a well, but it takes a hundred wise men to retrieve it.

The obsession with ideology comes at the expense of a balanced assessment of real issues regarding Muslim integration in Australia. Last year, the Australian government formed a Muslim Community Reference Group to provide advice on the most pressing issues that adversely affect Muslims and, by extension, Australia's security, and on how radicalisation may best be averted.

The reference group came up with a list of key areas that required attention: foremost were issues of education, employment and women's support infrastructure to facilitate social integration. The group also noted the need to foster Australia-based Islamic scholarship.

The notion of training religious leaders in Australia to lead Muslims here, as opposed to the existing practice of importing religious leaders, has captured the imagination of the government to the almost total detriment of other recommendations from the reference group.

Training local imams to lead Australian Muslims is not a bad idea. But its impact is likely to be far more limited than the government is willing to acknowledge.

There are two critical flaws in this approach. For one thing, it assumes significant authority of the Islamic leadership among the 300,000-plus Australian Muslims. Yet informed estimates of mosque attendance among Muslims put the figure at about 30 per cent: most Australian Muslims do not attend mosques and, by extension, do not turn to imams for guidance. Australian Muslims constitute a heterogeneous group - and some of them drink champagne.

The second - and perhaps more significant - flaw in this approach is that it plays down the social, economic and political factors that affect Muslim integration. Unemployment among Muslim youth, for instance, is much higher than the national average, especially in Sydney's western suburbs.

It's time for a reality check. We need to acknowledge the diversity of Australian Muslims. Religious devotion is not the primary characteristic of Muslims. And we need to put the appeal of anti-social ideas for some Muslim youth in the wider context of socioeconomic dissatisfaction and political alienation.

A firmly integrated community is less likely to create potential recruits for “jihad”. Public policy should be reoriented towards lubricating the mechanisms of integration, rather than engaging in an ideological campaign for the soul of Islam.

###

* Shahram Akbarzadeh is director of the Centre for Muslim Minorities and Islam Policy Studies in Monash University’s school of political and social inquiry based in Victoria, Australia. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Australian, 7 December 2006, www.theaustralian.news.com.au
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

4) It’s only “dialogue” if we talk to those who disagree
Michael Vatikiotis

Singapore - In these dangerous times, with a lot of bleak talk about a clash of civilisations, one of the most popular forms of public diplomacy is interfaith dialogue, giving rise to a minor industry of seminars and conferences attended by globe-trotting mullahs, priests, rabbis and monks.

The idea is a good one: bring together leaders of different faiths and begin a dialogue on tolerance, moderation and ending violence. In a climate where extremism is seen as driving a wedge between religions, there is a natural common desire to bridge the widening gaps and promote religious harmony.

The problem is that all too often the dialogue occurs between people who, despite the difference in faiths, basically agree with one another. Rarely are dogmatic extremists invited to such gatherings. For the most part, Western governments are prohibited from being in the same room with such hard- liners. But what's the point of a dialogue without protagonists?

Policy experts at the forefront of the war against terror, obsessed as they are with building coalitions, like to think there is safety in numbers, and that such meetings empower moderates and marginalise radicals. Interfaith dialogue, they hope, will send important messages to each religious community on mutual understanding, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.

For many Muslims, who feel the negative impact of the global war on terror, these gatherings are, naturally enough, about retaining respect for Islam and promoting a more positive image of the religion. "Through dialogue, Europe and the world of Islam get to understand each other better and more deeply so that there is a growth of goodwill and the capacity to work together to solve common problems," said Indonesia's foreign minister, Hassan Wirajuda, who has hosted several interfaith conferences.

But how to do you meet the challenges of terrorism without engaging with terrorists? A gathering of like-minded moderates is more like monologue. Rather there is a need to explore deeper areas of disagreement and difference that don't stem from a difference of faith, but from a difference of social and economic opportunity, or of world view.

That's why it is important to include radicals who would use their faith as a weapon to mobilise followers to commit violent acts. Understanding the need to engage with religious radicals is the key to bringing them over. Simply relying on a policy of interdiction and extermination is breeding larger numbers of misguided extremists. By not talking to them, we reinforce their prejudice and hatred. It doesn't make sense to demand an end to violence before allowing them to the table. No dialogue for peace requires combatants to lay down their arms first. Why should religious radicals feel any differently?

Europe is already hamstrung by a foolish policy that prohibits contact with influential religious movements like Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Asia, with its long tradition of open dialogue and consultation with all sides to a conflict, could end up in the same cul-de-sac, unable to talk about root problems with people who feel misunderstood and therefore driven to violence.

Why not talk to the Taliban, rather than wait for more NATO soldiers to die fighting them? Why not draw in the Pakistani Islamic movements that offer them clandestine support? In open dialogue, these ties will be hard to disguise. Dialogue tends to pull everyone involved toward the middle ground.

To some it may sound naïve or idealistic to imagine that talking will convince men mostly portrayed as full of hatred for "our way of life" to change their ways. But it would seem that as the military approach to waging war on terror is losing steam, dialogue is becoming more acceptable. The British government is urging talks with Syria and Iran as a way out of the quagmire in Iraq, as is the Iraq Study Group, led by James Baker, a former U.S. secretary of state.

This is where the form of pluralism common to Asia could be useful. In much of Asia, pluralism is more about managing differences than eliminating them. Western approaches to faith tend to be rooted in models of integration and assimilation. Asian plural societies, with their respect for difference, present a useful environment in which to engage with Shi’as from Iran, Muslim Brotherhood adherents from Egypt, and yes, perhaps even Hizbullah and Hamas.

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* Michael Vatikiotis is a visiting research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore and frequent writer for the International Herald Tribune. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: International Herald Tribune, 27 November 2006, www.iht.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

5) U.S. foreign policy once delivered – and can again
Anouar Boukhars

Wilberforce, Ohio - It was Yitzhak Rabin, the tough-fisted, uncompromising professional soldier, who transformed Yasser Arafat, the alleged "arch-terrorist" into a partner for peace. As difficult as Rabin found it to engage Arafat, he understood, as the Israeli writer David Grossman stated, "that life in a constant climate of violence, of occupation, of terror and fear and hopelessness, comes at a price that Israel cannot afford to pay."

When Ronald Reagan proclaimed the Soviet Union the "Evil Empire" in his own tough and undiplomatic fashion, his disdain for communism did not prevent him from negotiating agreements with it on arms control and other issues. And it was also mutual self-interest that brought Washington and Beijing together in a monumental meeting that the astute statesman and disgraced politician Richard Nixon called "the week that changed the world" back in 1972.

Nixon's diplomatic coup de maitre was an example of shrewd analysis of the great game that transformed superpower politics. By putting strategic interest ahead of ideological zeal and tactical talks, Nixon and his Machiavellian national security adviser, Henry Kissinger, pulled off a brilliant US diplomatic coup that turned out to be more important to the international balance of power than the loss of Vietnam to the communists.

Another brilliant stroke of policy was the so-called Helsinki Process that put human rights in a security framework. Launched in 1972 and culminating in the formation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, this multilateral framework between the Soviet-bloc countries and the democratic West transformed the agenda of East-West relations by providing a shrewdly comprehensive, political-military definition of security that enshrined sovereign equality, inviolability of frontiers, and respect for fundamental freedoms. Kissinger's brilliance stemmed from his realisation that acceptance of the Soviet bloc's legitimate security concerns was crucial to winning Soviet agreement to Article 7 of the Helsinki Accords on respect for human rights that ultimately undermined the communist system.

Such constructive dialogues with adversaries are a great American tradition. But much of what is said or written about such dialogues in the post 9/11 world is unfortunately grounded in ideology and/or wishful thinking. The United States won't talk to Iran and Syria until both nations alter their behaviour. The Bush administration thinks that the only time it can talk to its enemies is when it can achieve through dialogue what it could not get through military threats and other coercive policies. But it is unrealistic to expect the Syrians to abandon Hamas, Hizbullah, Iran and other groups that have been critical to the country's strategic posture unless they get credible incentives in return.

Syria's obstructionist policies and political calculations derive largely from the regime's perception of the US as an obstructionist force on Arab-Israel issues and regional stability. President Bashar Assad has hinted on many occasions that peace is his preferred strategic option but that peace will not come about unless the problem of Syria's undefined international borders is resolved. The most coveted quid pro quo Syria wants is not a reassertion of its control over Lebanon as many of its detractors trumpet incessantly but the return of the Golan Heights that Israel conquered in 1967.

The recent violent confrontations and political turmoil in the Middle East have underscored once again that a new Middle East will not emerge without the establishment of secure, just and recognised international borders between Israel and its Arab neighbours. The greatest contribution the Bush administration could make to the region is to create a context for a broad settlement of the Syrian-Israeli conflict in which support for radicalism and Assad's strategic interests no longer align. There is no doubt that a lasting Israeli-Syrian peace would go a long way toward de-radicalising the regional order and depriving the Syrian Baathist regime of an issue it has long used to deflect calls for democratic change. If Assad is willing to respect Lebanese sovereignty and use his influence over Hamas, Hizbullah and Sunni insurgent groups in a constructive manner, the United States and Europe should reciprocate by accommodating the country's legitimate rights and offering Assad a package of incentives he could not refuse.

The same applies to Iran. The Bush administration needs a strategic reassessment of its relations with Tehran that transcends simplistic and war-mongering rhetoric to include mutual security guarantees and arms control pacts. Engaging Iran in a manner that affirms its legitimate security concerns and right to pursue civilian nuclear power, while ensuring respect for non-proliferation and human rights norms, could provide the impetus for a settlement of the Iranian-American conflict. To pursue this agenda, the United States should adopt a broad political, cultural, and economic policy reminiscent of its engagement of the Soviet bloc in the Helsinki process which included a "security basket" that recognised the Soviet Union as a great power with legitimate global interests and a "human rights basket" that opened its domestic system to human rights norms.

It may seem repelling to engage an Iranian regime headed by a president whose absurd denials of the Holocaust and calls for the destruction of Israel clearly disqualify him from being a partner in any potential negotiations. But it is important to understand the subtle power struggle going on within Iran and the potential for a further divide of an already fragmented regime. By making a public offer to Iran that the regime cannot refuse, America's diplomatic manoeuvre would corner the regime into either refusing a deal most Iranians support or force it to compromise by opening its domestic system to democratic and human rights norms that would eventually undermine the clerical system in the same way that communism was undermined by the Helsinki accords.

Today U.S. President George W. Bush needs a grand strategy for the Middle East that deals with interrelated problems in the region. "Unless a president sets his own priorities, his priorities will be set by others -- by adversaries, or the crisis of the moment. American policy can become random and reactive--untethered to the interests of our country." These were the words of then candidate George W. Bush who ridiculed Clinton for his poor foreign policy decisions that led "our nation to move from crisis to crisis like a cork in a current." It is ironic that Bush failed to heed his own caution of drifting from crisis to crisis without clear priorities.

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* Anouar Boukhars is visiting professor of political science and director of the Center for Defense and Security Policy at Wilberforce University in Ohio. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Bitterlemons-international.org, 7 December 2006, www.bitterlemons-international.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

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Posted by Evelin at 06:08 PM | Comments (0)

Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education

Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education
March 14th - 17th, 2007
Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Global Issues Resource Center, Office of Community Continuing Education at Cuyahoga Community College and The Organization of American States will host a four-day Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. This event will bring together government representatives from among the 50 states and 34 countries of the Americas and their non-governmental organization partners who have legislation or policies in place to deliver conflict resolution education at the K-12 level and in colleges of teacher education.

This first-ever Summit offers a dynamic opportunity to develop a hemispheric infrastructure throughout the Americas to advance the work in the fields of conflict resolution education and peace education. The Summit will bring together policymakers and educators representing regions across the United States and select member countries of the OAS representing North, Central, South America and the Caribbean. These national and international educators will exchange program best practices, evaluation methodology, creation of policy implementation structures, and consideration of obstacles to success. This event offers a needed opportunity for college students, college faculty, university scholars, K-12 educators, public health officials, prevention specialists, and state, local, and national policy makers in the Americas and beyond to convene in one location to learn more about the most current work being undertaken.

March 14th and 15th: The general Summit event is open nationally and internationally to anyone who wishes to attend. Presenters will share examples of best practices within their states and nations, implementation models, and evaluation results.

March 16th and 17th, 2007: During this time there will be closed policy meetings engaging teams of state and federal government agencies and their NGOs/University Partners. This portion of the Summit is by invitation only. State and country teams will work on – evaluation, creation of policy, and best practices in creating the structures for K-12 and Higher Education policy implementation.

A compilation of the work in the states and countries will be published for distribution to all attendees and other interested policymakers in the United States, the Americas, the Caribbean, and beyond.

Keynote Speakers include:

March 14th, 2007

Dr. Gonzalo Retamal (Chile), Visiting Professor on Education in Emergencies and Post Conflict, at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University. Former Senior Research Specialist, UNESCO Institute for Education and former Senior Education Officer, UNHCR. Co -Head of the Ministry of Culture for the Joint Interim Administration of United Nations in Kosovo (UNMIK). UNESCO representative in Iraq for the ‘Food for Oil’ programme. Senior Education Advisor for Humanitarian Assistance at the UNESCO International Bureau of Education in Geneva and with UNESCO in Eastern Africa. Chief of the School Education Programme of UNRWA in the Middle East.

March 15th, 2007

Dr. Janet Patti (USA), Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Hunter College. Co-Director of the Leadership Center at Hunter College and Coordinator of the Education Administration and Supervision Aspiring Leaders Program. Member of the Leadership Team of the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL). Vice President of Affiliate Affairs of the New York State Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development. Faculty member of the City University of New York’s Graduate Center doctoral faculty and the School of Professional Studies faculty of Social, Emotional and Academic Education.

Summit Features:

Launching of the International Conflict Resolution Education Website
Association of Conflict Resolution Education, Research, and International Section Meetings
International Network on Conflict Resolution Education and Peace Education Advisory Committee Meetings
Workshops and panels led by experts, showcasing best practices in the hemisphere
Exhibits of current international resources
Special sessions during which Ministry of Education officials from countries around the world will share their current national efforts on conflict resolution education, including guests from among the 34 countries of the Americas, Armenia, Australia, Bulgaria, Israel, and more.

Who Should Attend:

College faculty, staff and students; k-12 educators and administrators; public health officials; prevention specialists; state, local and national policymakers in the Americas and beyond.

Credits Offered: CEU, Social Work, Counselor, CHES, RCH, Graduate (one credit hour available for an additonal $200 and the completion of an assignment one month after the conference from Ashland University).

For more information including a registration form, please see the attached preliminary conference program, call 216-987-2224 or e-mail Jennifer Batton at: Jennifer.Batton@tri-c.edu

Posted by Evelin at 11:53 PM | Comments (0)

Dignity News Bulletin - December 2006

Dignity News Bulletin - December 2006

DIGNITY INTERNATIONAL
MONTHLY NEWSBULLETIN - December 2006

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The Dignity Family Wishes You a Wonderful Holiday Season
And All the Best for All in 2007!!

Dignity News
* Children & Human Rights - Discover to Celebrate!
* In Mumbai with YUVA and TISS
* With the Communities in Kenya
* Latin America: Strengthening Neighbouring Relations

Other News
* Celebrating Various International Days - All 365 days are days for action!
- Fighting Poverty: a Matter of Obligation, not Charity
- From Transparency International - Global Corruption Barometer
- E-Accessibility to Overcome Disability
- Poverty Ground for Slavery
- HIV/AIDS – Pushing for Generic Drugs
* A Forum for Affected People - the Independent People’s Tribunal on the WB Group in India
* Global Recognition to Gay Rights - A Demand from 54 UN Member States
* WTO - “Everything but Development” - Says Civil Society
* Human Dignity & Human Rights Caucus – Strong Presence in WSF

Publications
* Water Scarcity: A Matter of Poverty, Powerlessness and Inequality - Human Development Report 2006
* Gender Equality To Fight Poverty - New UNICEF Report
* Right to Housing in Spain - Still Lots to Build
* Let’s Launch an Enquiry Into the Debt! - A Manual on How to Organise Audits on Third World Debts
* Gender Guide to World Bank and IMF Policy-Based Lending
* Forced Evictions in Latin America: the Cases of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Peru

Announcements
* West African Learning Program on Budget Analysis and ESCR - Call for Applications
* A Logo for Zero Evictions Campaign!
* COHRE Housing Rights Awards - Announcing the Winners
* IPS searching for an Economic Editor

Forthcoming Events – Highlights
* World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

DIGNITY NEWS

*** Children & Human Rights - Discover to Celebrate!
Children from Alcochete, Portugal, were introduced to Human Rights, for the 3 rd consecutive year. The 2006 classroom activities were of the responsibility of Anime (an animation group – http://www.animepaf.org), which used theatre performances to introduce Human Rights to children from the age of 4 until 8. Building on last year’s story of Tito and Nini’s Adventure in the Land of Human Rights - Tito and Nini came back to the schools and worked with the children for almost a month. During this period, children worked on cultural and artistic activities led by the teachers themselves. Trough the works they create, children show what they have learned about Human Rights.
The rights to food and housing by the hands of a children - activities in the classroom
The school activities culminated in the joint presentation and celebration of Human Rights Day, on 12 December at the Cultural Forum of Alcochete. (Check our January News Bulletin and see the full coverage of this celebration.)
This is a joint project, which has been happening for three years, of the Alcochete Group of Schools, together with the Town’s Municipality, Anime and Dignity International.
See Municipality of Alcochete and Anime

*** In Mumbai with YUVA and TISS
From 16 to 21 November 2006, Dignity’s Executive Director – Aye Aye Win – was in Mumbai, India, hosted by Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA) and Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). The three organizations are partners on the “Staking a Claim: Housing Rights of the Poor in Mumbai” Project (More about this Project).
The day-to-day programme was organised by the local project partners, and included visits to project sites of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) and other infrastructural projects including Mumbai Urban Infrastructural Project (MUIP); rehabilitation sites; discussions with affected communities as well as participating in related workshop on development plans and another an NGO meeting on the new housing policy for the Maharashtra State.
More on the MUTP (a World Bank Project)
Draft Mission Report

*** With the Communities in Kenya
From 7 to 11 November 2006, took place, in Nairobi, Kenya, a Training of Community Trainers.
Following this ToT, took place a 2-days (13&14 November 2006) Human Rights Training for Community Theatre Groups.
These Trainings are part of the “Get Up Stand Up – Stand Up for Your Human Rights” Project, which is being organised together with Hakijamii Trust ( Kenya). Jerald Joseph, Dignity’s Advisor for the Capacity Building Programme was the main facilitator in both Programmes.
Soon both reports will be available.
For more information please contact Hakijamii

*** Latin America: Strengthening Neighbouring Relations
“In the beginning of November, representatives from Latin American Human Rights organisations gathered in Quito, Ecuador, to attend a capacity building programme on Human rights. They faced a sad reality – afro-descendents, women, indigenous, children, farmers, disable people, amongst others, see their rights to education, health, housing, food, etc., continuously violated. This is s recurrent situation from Patagonia to Mexico.”
The way forward is a united Latin America - “Latin America has been showing it wishes to follow a different track: strategic partnerships with its neighbours instead of bilateral relations with the United States or Europe”. - Luciano Cerqueira, from IBASE (Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analysis), a participant in the Linking & Learning Programme on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights for Latin America. (Read Luciano’s article)
The Group - 2006 LA Programme
The programme, organised by CDES, COHRE–Americas Programme, Dignity International, DECA Equipo Pueblo and Social Watch, and with the support of Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund of the Anglican Church of Canada (PWRDF), the Swedish Foundation for Human Rights and UNIFEM - Andes Region, took place in Quito, Ecuador, from 2 to 10 November 2006.
The Report will soon be available - check the coming issues of our news bulletin.
See the Photo Album of the Programme

OTHER NEWS

*** Celebrating Various International Days - All 365 days are days for action!

* Fighting Poverty: a Matter of Obligation, not Charity
10 December - Human Rights Day
This year, the United Nations chose, as theme of the Human Rights Day Celebrations - Fighting Poverty: a Matter of Obligation, not Charity. The message to be passed is that Poverty is the biggest Human Rights violation in the world today.
Poverty: probably the gravest human rights challenge in the world. Yet, poverty is still rarely seen through the lens of human rights. Many definitions are used to explain what poverty is; in which factors like discrimination, unequal access to resources, and social and cultural stigmatisation are always present. These “factors” do not have another name than - denial of human rights and human dignity.
What 's more, these are factors governments and those in a position of authority can, indeed are obliged to, do something about. They have committed to it by overwhelmingly accepting a number of human rights treaties and by signing on to the international consensus to make poverty history, through the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals, as well as most recently the 2005 World Summit Outcome. The realization of human rights – including the fight against poverty - is a duty, not a mere aspiration.
More at OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights)
See the HR Day Official Webpage

* From Transparency International - Global Corruption Barometer 2006
December 9, International Anti-Corruption Day
Millions of people around the world come face-to-face with corruption in their daily lives, and urgently want their government to take action to stop it. This is the resounding conclusion of Transparency International’s Global Corruption Barometer 2006, launched in advance of International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December. The Barometer is a public opinion survey conducted, which looks at the extent of corruption through the eyes of ordinary citizens around the world.
“This worldwide poll shows that corruption has a dramatic effect on the lives of individuals. Its power is enormous”; “When basic services like electricity are denied to the poor because they cannot afford a small bribe, there is no light in the home, no warmth for the children and no escape for the government from its responsibility to take action” - says Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International
Source: Civicus
Read the Report

* E-Accessibility to Overcome Disability
December 3 - International Day of Disabled Persons
To mark the International Day of disable Persons, the United Nations discussed the theme of E-Accessibility, which means, the need for improved accessibility by persons with disabilities to the Internet and other information technologies. Many persons with disabilities still encounter numerous obstacles on the Internet, particularly due to websites that do not provide options for persons who are blind, visually impaired, and those who cannot use a mouse to navigate the web.
“Access to information and communication technologies creates opportunities for all people, perhaps none more so than persons with disabilities”; “as the development of the Internet and these technologies takes their needs more fully into account, the barriers of prejudice, infrastructure and inaccessible formats need no longer stand in the way of participation” said Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
International Day of Disabled Persons 2006
UN Enable Homepage
Call for Ratification of the Convention – Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, welcomed the adoption of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, a landmark legal instrument that sets out to protect the rights of some 650 million people worldwide. Louise Arbour calls for States’ Ratification of the Convention - "Speedy ratification of the Convention will end the protection vacuum that has, in practice, affected persons with disabilities”.
Read the Full Statement

* Poverty Ground for Slavery
December 2, International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
“Contemporary forms of slavery – from bonded labour to human trafficking – are flourishing as a result of discrimination, social exclusion, and vulnerability exacerbated by poverty” said the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his statement marking the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.
Annan called for stepped-up measures to end the practice and to address the entrenched poverty which leaves people vulnerable to enslavement. He also called upon States to ratify international instruments against slavery, and to cooperate fully with all relevant international human rights mechanisms. And, he added: “I encourage people everywhere to hold their Governments accountable”.
Full Statement
Join the Fight For Freedom 1807 – 2007!
The Fight For Freedom 1807 – 2007 Campaign is about commemoration and liberation. Anti-Slavery International is taking the opportunity of the 200 th anniversary (1807: Abolition of Slavery in the British Colonies) in to raise awareness of both historical and contemporary forms of slavery. Many people think that slavery no longer exists. Yet at least 12 million people live and work in contemporary forms of slavery which have been defined and prohibited in international conventions. This campaign aims to revitalise the abolitionist spirit which created the momentum to end the slave trade in 1807 and harness it to make the abolition of all forms of slavery, in law and in practice, a priority for each and every government in the world.
More at Anti-Slavery International

*** HIV-AIDS – Pushing for Generic Drugs
December 1, World AIDS Day
In accordance with the last data made public by the United Nations Programme on HIV-AIDS (UNAIDS), the number of infected people has risen to around 39.5 million. In 2006, 4.3 million is the number of newly infected people. And more than 8.000 people with AIDS die each day. (See UNAIDS/World Health Organisation recent Report: AIDS Epidemic Update December 2006 )
World AIDS Day (1 December) is a time to review our achievements fighting this disease. Lack of medicines is a major problem. Patented versions of AIDS medicines are unbearably expensive to poor people. The right to develop generic versions of those medicines is a difficult achievement.
But there are reasons to be optimistic. Very recently, two South-East Asian governments - Thailand and the Philippines - appear determined to push ahead with plans to provide cheaper generic drugs even if they incur the wrath of pharmaceutical giants. Thailand recently issued a compulsory licence to break the patent of a vital anti-AIDS drug produced by a multinational, to import generic version of the medicine from India. Philippines, on the other hand, appears keen to fight a legal battle with the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in its drive to import a generic version of a drug needed by heart patients, from Indian manufacturers.
“It is important for developing countries in the region to make similar moves to ensure that they use their rights” – says Jacques-chai Chomthongde, research associate at Focus on the Global South, a Bangkok-based think tank.
Sources: Choike & International Press Service

*** A Forum for Affected People - the Independent People’s Tribunal on the WB Group in India
The purpose behind the Independent People’s Tribunal on the World Bank Group in India (IPT-WBG) is to provide a just forum for people, who have been impacted by projects and policies funded or promoted by the WBG, to express their grievances and propose alternatives.
The IPT-WBG will conduct an in-depth examination of the WBG’s influence and impact on a host of sectoral and cross-sectoral issues through a series of depositions that will be presented to a panel of eminent experts from relevant fields.
The IPT-WG is an open process - get involved!
The IPT-WBG is a collaborative and inclusive endeavour, actively seeking organisations and individuals to endorse the project and to participate as advisors, convenors, researchers, and/or endorser. The IPT-WB is also seeking monetary support to cover the costs associated with the project’s coordination.
Groups and individuals interested in participating in the IPT-WBG should contact the Secretariat or visit the IPT-WB.

*** Global Recognition to Gay Rights - A Demand from 54 UN Member States
The legal status of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people varies widely around the world, but nowhere do they enjoy equality of rights with heterosexuals.
Leading the vanguard, South Africa, Fiji and Ecuador include sexual orientation as a category protected from discrimination in their Constitutions. However, many other countries maintain laws that prohibit or regulate sexual activity between consenting adults of the same sex.
NGOs from all around the world welcomed a landmark statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity, delivered on December 1st, at the United Nations Human Rights Council by Norway on behalf of 54 States. The statement condemns human rights violations directed against people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, commends the work of UN mechanisms and civil society in this area, calls on UN Special Procedures and treaty bodies to address these issues, and urges the Human Rights Council to pay due attention to human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including consideration at an upcoming session.
One fact is self-evident - the trend toward recognising the dignity and love of two people of the same sex will not disappear, mostly on the contrary. In fact, lesbian and gay relationships have been progressively gaining acceptance in several countries. Last month, South Africa joined the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada and Spain in opening civil marriage to same-sex couples, allowing them equal economic benefits, legal rights.
You can read and watch the full statement at ILGA (International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission)
Source: Choike

*** WTO - “Everything but Development” - Says Civil Society
More than a hundred NGOs and social movements (ATTAC, Third World Network, Friends of the Earth, ILSA – Colombia, ITeM – Uruguay, Via Campesina, amongst many others) participated in a meeting on the World Trade Organisation (WTO), in Brussels on 7-9 December.
The participants have condemned the WTO’s Doha Ministerial Conference for being a Development Disaster - “everything but development”. They were also appalled by the extremely manipulative tactics used by major powers and the WTO Secretariat to push for Declarations which lack public legitimacy.
Source: TWN - Third World Network (Read the Full Statement)
More on Doha

*** Human Dignity & Human Rights Caucus – Strong Presence in the WSF
Until this moment, within the framework of the Human Dignity & Human Rights Caucus of the World Social Forum (HDHRC), around 87 activities were proposed to be organised at the upcoming World Social Forum ( Nairobi, Kenya, from 20 to 27 January 2007) . The Caucus Secretariat in Nairobi will be having a planning meeting on content and methodology next weekend 23 and 24 December.
More information about the Caucus activities in our next News bulletin.

PUBLICATIONS

*** Water Scarcity: A Matter of Poverty, Powerlessness and Inequality
Human Development Report 2006: 1.2 billion people without access to safe water and 2.6 billion without access to sanitation.
Water is a source of life and a natural resource that sustains our environments and supports livelihoods – but it is also a source of risk and vulnerability. In the early 21st Century, prospects for human development are threatened by a deepening global water crisis. Demystifying the idea that the water crisis is the result of scarcity, the 2006 Human Development Report argues that poverty, power and inequality are at the heart of the problem.
In a world of unprecedented wealth, almost 2 million children die each year for want of a glass of clean water and adequate sanitation. Millions of women and young girls are forced to spend hours collecting and carrying water, restricting their opportunities and their choices. And water-borne infectious diseases are holding back poverty reduction and economic growth in some of the world’s poorest countries.
Conflicts over water are intensifying within countries, with the rural poor losing out. The potential for tensions between countries is also growing, though there are large potential human development gains from increased cooperation.
Progress depends on setting attainable targets in national plans that are backed by financing provisions and strategies for overcoming inequality.
Download the Report

*** Gender Equality to Fight Poverty - New UNICEF Report
“There would be 13 million fewer malnourished children in South Asia if women had an equal say in the family” - affirms UNICEF.
Inequality at home between men and women leads to poorer health for the children and greater poverty for the family, says the last study conducted by the United Nations Children 's Agency (UNICEF). The study found that where women are excluded from family decisions, children are more likely to be under-nourished. UNICEF surveyed family decision-making in 30 countries around the world. Their chief finding is that equality between men and women is essential to lowering poverty and improving health, especially of children, in developing countries.
UNICEF’s recently release Report - The State of the World’s Children 2007 - examines the discrimination and disempowerment women face throughout their lives and outlines what must be done to eliminate gender discrimination and empower women and girls. It looks at the status of women today, discusses how gender equality will move all the Millennium Development Goals forward, and shows how investment in women’s rights will ultimately produce a double dividend: advancing the rights of both women and children.
Read the full report - State of the World 's Children 2007 Report

*** Right to Housing in Spain - Still Lots to Build
From 20 November to 1 December 2006, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Miloon Kothari, conducted a mission to Spain to examine the status of realisation of the right to adequate housing, paying particular attention to aspects of gender equality and non-discrimination.
In Spain there is a serious lack of public housing. The current housing programmes do not address the needs of the bottom 20-25% of the population. According with Miloon’s findings, although the difficult situation of housing affects all sectors of the population, some sections, such as the homeless, children and youth, the elderly, people with disabilities and health problems, persons with low incomes, refugees and asylum-seekers, migrants, minorities such as the Roma (Gypsy communities) and women (including women facing domestic violence and single mothers), have been more affected.
At this stage, the Special Rapporteur made several preliminary recommendations, amongst them the necessity of adopting a comprehensive and coordinated national housing policy based on human rights and the protection of the most vulnerable. The Special Rapporteur calls for an indivisibility of human rights approach while articulating policies on adequate housing. There is also a need to integrate social dimension in all housing and urban planning policies.
Read the full Preliminary Report

*** Let’s Launch an Enquiry Into the Debt! - A Manual on How to Organise Audits on Third World Debts
If, for the creditors, the Third World debt can seem like a real gold mine, for the people living in the Third World, it feels more like a straight jacket. However the debt is a story... stories, very complicated, that can be entangled, unclear, and often very questionable... What has happened to the money of this loan? Under what conditions was this loan contracted? What share has been misappropriated? What crimes have been committed with this money? Etc.
A debt audit allows us to answer theses questions and others. We can begin to clarify the past, to untangle the web of debt, thread by thread. It allows us to reconstruct the sequence of events which have led to the present deadlock. And it enables us to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
This manual is the result of a joint initiative of CETIM and CADTM, with the support of the American Association of Jurists (AAJ) and the South Centre. It was written on the basis of two seminars that brought together Third World debt experts and activists. EURODAD, Emmaus International, Jubilee South, COTMEC, Attac Uruguay and Auditoria Cidadã da Dívida ( Brazil) joined this initiative.
This guide is intended to serve as a support tool for such efforts and as a tool of popular education indented for social movements, citizen reds, Members of Parliament, jurists, economists and other rebels.
You can download the Report (available in English, French and Spanish) at CADTM
Source: Choike

*** Gender Guide to World Bank and IMF Policy-Based Lending
This Gender Guide highlights the gendered impacts of World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) policy-based loans, which often deepen poverty, undermine gender equality, contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS and bring about increased violence against women. Through case studies, the authors demonstrate that the Bank and Fund neglect these gendered impacts of their policy-based loans. They urge International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to stop imposing harmful policy reforms on sovereign countries.
The Guide is a project of Gender Action – a non-governmental NGO working to promote women's rights and gender equality and ensure women and men equally participate in and benefit from IFI’s investments in developing countries.
Read the Guide
Source: Choike

*** Forced Evictions in Latin America: the Cases of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Peru
This publication is the most recent one from the Americas Programme of the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE). This report is a more comprehensive version of those presented to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which tackled the causes and consequences of forced evictions to the population, including minorities and women. Its objective is to inform and challenge the national governments to adopt international human rights patterns for preventing forced eviction and to include it into domestic legislation and public policies.
The publication can be downloaded from COHRE

ANNOUNCEMENTS

*** West African Learning Program on Budget Analysis and ESC Rights - Call for Applications
The West African Learning Program on Budget Analysis and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is organised at the initiative of the Foundation for Human Rights and Democracy (FOHRD), in partnership with Fundar - Centro de Análisis e Investigación, the International Budget Project (IBP), the International Human Rights Internship Program (IHRIP), and the International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR - Net). The programme will take place in Monrovia Liberia, from 9 to 18 April 2007.
The West African Regional Learning Program on Budget Analysis and ESC Rights is aimed at activists involved in development work, social and economic justice movements, human rights organisations and applied budget groups based in and working in West African countries.
The 1st International Learning Programme on Budget Analysis and ESC Rights was held in Alcochete, Portugal in March 2005 while the 2nd Programme was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina in October 2006. The demand for and success of those first and second Programmes demonstrate a need to offer the learning opportunity to more organisations-this time limited to those in West Africa.
You can download the application form at ESCR-Net. If you have trouble downloading the form, you can also email them.
Deadline for applying: 17 January 2007.

*** A Logo for Zero Evictions Campaign!
The International Alliance of Inhabitants (IAI) is launching an international competition open to anyone who possesses talent for design and would like to contribute as a volunteer in the battle for housing rights without borders. The aim of this competition is to create an official Logo that will be used as a trademark of “IAI-Zero Evictions Campaign”. This Logo will be a symbol identifying those who are fighting for housing rights without borders, thus reinforcing their visibility and objectives.
The Logo will be officially presented during the World Social Forum ( Nairobi, 20-25 January 2007) so as to create an impact and propagate it at a worldwide level.
Deadline for submission: December 23th
More at IAI

*** COHRE Housing Rights Awards - Announcing the Winners
Three Housing Rights Violator Awards went to Nigeria, the Philippines and Greece for serious housing rights violations committed over the past year.
The Housing Rights Defender Award went to a group of 7 Chinese housing rights activists for their courageous stand against forced evictions and land grabbing in that country.
The Housing Rights Protector Award, which is usually made to a government or institution for their positive contribution to the implementation or protection of the right to housing, was not awarded in 2006, as it could not be identified any government or institution making such a contribution.
More information on the 2006 COHRE Housing Rights Awards, including a full media kit and briefing materials, is available at COHRE

*** IPS searching for an Economic Editor
IPS - Inter Press Service - is an independent international news agency specialised in in-depth coverage of national and international events and trends. It is a leading provider of news features from the South and about development, globalisation, human rights and civil society.
IPS is looking for a specialised part time editor who can take charge of a special series on trade and investment in Africa. The editor will be based in Brussels and will be covering European initiatives regarding trade and investment in Africa
Deadline for applying: 15 January 2007
More at IPS

FORTHCOMING EVENTS – HIGHLIGHTS

*** World Economic Forum Annual Meeting
The World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting will take place from 24 to 28 January 2007, in Davos, Switzerland. The theme of this year’s annual meeting is “Shaping the Global Agenda, the Shifting Power Equation”.
WEF is a Geneva-based foundation, created in 1971, whose annual meeting gathers together top business leaders, national political leaders (presidents, prime ministers and others), and selected intellectuals and journalists. Each year a theme related to the current social, economic, cultural and political situation is discussed with the aim of "improving the state of the world."
Critics see these meetings as one of the year's biggest networking events where world leaders and business capitalists grant themselves the (illegitimate) power to determine the global agenda.
WEF’s Homepage

SEE YOU IN 2007!

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This is a monthly electronic news bulletin of 'Dignity International: All Human Rights for All'. Dignity International does not accredit, validate or substantiate any information posted by members to this news bulletin. The validity and accuracy of any information is the responsibility of the originator.
If you are working in the area of human rights with a special attention to different aspects of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, we would love to hear from you. To contribute, email us at info@dignityinternational.org

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Posted by Evelin at 09:29 PM | Comments (0)

Hate, by Shanti Kumar (9 years old)

Hate

Hate is cruel and bad,
Hate is mean and sad,
Hate can wrap around us
And squeeze us when were mad.

Hate sometimes takes over
And then a war begins.
One thing about war
Is that no one really wins.

The hate goes on and on
Even after wars end.
So remember, even if you win the war,
Hate.....is NOT your friend.

- Shanti Kumar (9 years old)

Posted by Evelin at 08:53 PM | Comments (0)

World in Transition – Sustainability Perspectives for Higher Education

Second International Conference of the UNESCO Chair HESD: “World in Transition – Sustainability Perspectives for Higher Education”

Dear Sir / Madam,

From 5 to 7 July, 2007, the Second International Conference “World in Transition – Sustainability Perspectives for Higher Education” will be held in San Luis Potosί, Mexico. The UNESCO Chair for Higher Education for Sustainable Development, in cooperation with the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Mexico, would like to invite representatives of institutions that are committed to integrating sustainable development into higher education to a lively experts’ exchange on aspects related to implementing sustainable development into teaching and learning at higher education institutions.

During the conference, four workshops will inquire into “Higher Education for Sustainable Global Change – Interpretation & Realisation”, “Defining and Reorienting Competencies for Sustainable Global Change”, “Global Networks & Local Partnerships – Connecting Stakeholders” as well as “Sustainable Universities and Participation“. Room will also be given to exchange good examples of international cooperation in the field of higher education for sustainable development.

For detailed information, please have a look at the attached documents. You are encouraged to forward this message to people you consider potentially interested.

I am looking forward to your responses and remain with my best wishes.

On behalf of the organisers,

Prof. Dr. Gerd Michelsen
_________________________________________

Prof Dr. Gerd Michelsen
Chairholder
UNESCO Chair Higher Education for Sustainable Development
Insitute of Environmental and Sustainability Communication INFU
University of Lüneburg, Germany
Scharnhorststr. 1
21335 Lüneburg, Germany
fon: +49(0) 41 31/677 2839
fax: +49(0) 41 31/677 2819
Email: unesco@uni-lueneburg.de
URL: www.uni-lueneburg.de/infu/chair

Posted by Evelin at 05:58 PM | Comments (0)

Global Campaign for Peace Education Issue #38

Global Campaign for Peace Education Issue #38

Greetings!

Greetings! This year we have seen some encouraging developments, most recently in the US mid-term elections results, which clearly showed a shift in US public sentiment towards the war in Iraq. Let us hope things have started to take a step in the right direction.

Needeless to say, there is much work left to do in this world. May we continue to move forward in our endeavours to make this world a better place. In the mean time, for those of you for whom this is a special holiday season, we extend our best wishes to you and for peace in the world!

In Peace, Maiko Morishita
Peace Education Newsletter Editor
Peace Boat US - A Project of the Hague Appeal for Peace

In This Issue

TOP NEWS
Kofi & Nane Annan
NGOs Bid Farewell after 10 Years!
HIGHLIGHTS
GCPE's Amada Benevides de Perez Addresses the Third Committee at the United Nations
PEACE NEWS
COURSES & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EVENTS & CONFERENCES
RESOURCES, MATERIALS, PUBLICATIONS
Peace Boat US & Hague Appeal for Peace

HIGHLIGHTS
GCPE's Amada Benevides de Perez Addresses the Third Committee at the United Nations

Amada Benevides de Perez (Colombia) of the Global Campaign for Peace Education (GCPE) addressed the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) at the United Nations in November.

The rise of racism, xenophobia and intolerance represented the most serious threat to democratic progress and the creation of multicultural societies, an independent expert told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural). Speakers addressed the situation in the Occupied Palestinian territories and the use of mercenaries.

Amada Benevides, Chairperson of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the rights of peoples to self- determination, provided an overview of the Group's activities. She noted that the Working Group's mandate had been broadened to consider the activities of private military and security companies and to highlight the consequences of their actions on the enjoyment of human rights. She drew attention to the involvement of mercenaries in an attempted coup d'etat in Equatorial Guinea and in violence in Papua New Guinea. She noted that employees of private security companies had been involved in human rights violations at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and that the Working Group was not aware that any of those individuals had been prosecuted for their crimes. She also pointed out that refugee camps in West Africa had become recruitment centres for those involved in conflict in Cote d'Ivoire. Those examples illustrated the complex phenomenon of mercenary activity and the activities of private military and security companies.
For more information visit
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs /2006/gashc3867.doc.htm

During her stay in New York, Amada also held a lecture at Columbia University's Teachers College and spoke on the activities of her NGO, "Schools of Peace Foundation." Amada is based in Bogota, Colombia.

PEACE NEWS

Special Appeal for the Women and Children of Afghanistan, By Betty Reardon
I spoke recently with an Afghan educator who runs women's programs there. She spoke of the horrendous decline in security and the special risks for women community activists and those who work to educate women that is growing worse each day with the resurgence of the Taliban. Their very lives are threatened.

Children as well are at risk. Small boys have been made to serve as suicide bombers under threat to the lives of their parents.

It is important that we speak out to our governments about this situation and demand that NATO and the United States take all possible steps to defend the lives and well being of the women and children of Afghanistan. Please contact your foreign ministries and government representatives about this responsibility undertaken with the military action to overthrow the Taliban.

COURSES & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

2006 Workshop on Humiliation and Violent Conflict, December 14-15, New York
The 2006 workshop on Humiliation and Violent Conflict representing the Eighth Annual Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies Meeting will be held at Columbia University Teachers College on December 14-15 in New York. The program includes a public event as well as a closed workshop.

Public Event - Everybody Is Warmly Invited to Come!
Thursday, December 14, 2006, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Columbia University, Teachers College, Milbank Chapel
Refreshments, a chance to mingle and meet

Closed Workshop - Pre- registration Required
Thursday and Friday, December 14-15, 2006
(Thursday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm, Friday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm)
Columbia University, Teachers College, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, Rm179 Grace Dodge
For more information on the workshop visit:
http://www.humiliationstudies.or g/whoweare/annualmeeting08.php

EVENTS & CONFERENCES

Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education, March 14-17, Ohio
Global Issues Resource Center, Office of Community Continuing Education at Cuyahoga Community College and The Organization of American States will host a four-day Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. This event will bring together government representatives from among the 50 states and 34 countries of the Americas and their non-governmental organization partners who have legislation or policies in place to deliver conflict resolution education at the K-12 level and in colleges of teacher education.

This first-ever Summit offers a dynamic opportunity to develop a hemispheric infrastructure throughout the Americas to advance the work in the fields of conflict resolution education and peace education. The Summit will bring together policymakers and educators representing regions across the United States and select member countries of the OAS representing North, Central, South America and the Caribbean. These national and international educators will exchange program best practices, evaluation methodology, creation of policy implementation structures, and consideration of obstacles to success. This event offers a needed opportunity for college students, college faculty, university scholars, K-12 educators, public health officials, prevention specialists, and state, local, and national policy makers in the Americas to convene in one location to learn more about the most current work being undertaken.

March 14th and 15th, 2007: the event is open nationally and internationally to anyone who wishes to attend. Presenters will share examples of best practices within their states and nations, implementation models, and evaluation results.

March 16th and 17th, 2007: featuring closed policy meetings engaging teams of state and federal government agencies and their NGOs/University Partners. Teams may work on self-selected threads - evaluation, creation of policy, and best practices in creating the structures for K-12 and Higher Education policy implementation.

A compilation of the work in the states and countries will be published for distribution to all attendees and other interested policymakers in the United States, the Americas and the Caribbean.
For more information visit:
http://www.global- issues.org/about/Inter-American_Summit.php

EUROCLIO Annual Conference and Professional Training and Development Course /Human Rights Education: Lessons from History, March 20-25, Bled, SLOVENIA

Each year EUROCLIO, in cooperation with one of its European member associations, organizes a major professional training and development course on key themes for history educators. The 2007 event will be organized by The Association of History Teachers of Slovenia with the support of The Ministry of Education and Sport of Slovenia, and is on the theme of Human Rights Education.

Deadline for workshop proposals and offers is January 1, 2007.
For more information visit:
http://www.euroclio.eu/mambo/index. php? option=com_content&task=category§ionid=4&id= 10&Itemid=14

RESOURCES, MATERIALS, PUBLICATIONS

Making Enemies: Humiliation and International Conflict, by Evelin Lindner
Book Description (Amazon.com)
When the statue of Saddam Hussein fell and Iraqis danced on the body, hitting it with their shoes, there was joy. Moments later, when an American soldier climbed the statue to place an American flag on the face, there was a national gasp, a moment of humiliation for the Iraqis. Americans had claimed to be liberating them, but the placing of the American flag was a sign of conquest. The flag was quickly removed and replaced with an Iraqi flag, but those tense moments were a brief example of the power and potentially far-reaching, volatile effects of humiliating acts, even when unintentional.

In this fascinating book, Dr. Lindner examines and explains, across history and nations, how this little- understood, often-overlooked emotion sparks outrage, uprisings, conflict and war.

With the insights of a seasoned psychologist and peace scholar, the analytical skill of a linguist who speaks seven languages, and the scholarship of a Columbia University professor, Lindner explains which words and actions can humiliate, how the victim perceives those words and actions, what the consequences have been, and how individuals and organizations can work to avoid instances in the future. From acts of humiliation in Nazi Germany to intentional humiliations such as those at Abu Ghraib, from events during the bloodbaths in Rwanda and Somalia, to precursors to the attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, Lindner offers vivid examples to explain how humiliation can be at the core of international conflict.
For more information visit:
http://www.humiliationstudies.org/whowe are/evelin04.php

Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, By Jimmy Carter
Book Description (Amazon.com)
Following his #1 New York Times bestseller, Our Endangered Values, the former president, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, offers an assessment of what must be done to bring permanent peace to Israel with dignity and justice to Palestine. President Carter, who was able to negotiate peace between Israel and Egypt, has remained deeply involved in Middle East affairs since leaving the White House. He has stayed in touch with the major players from all sides in the conflict and has made numerous trips to the Holy Land, most recently as an observer in the Palestinian elections of 2005 and 2006.

In this book President Carter shares his intimate knowledge of the history of the Middle East and his personal experiences with the principal actors, and he addresses sensitive political issues many American officials avoid. Pulling no punches, Carter prescribes steps that must be taken for the two states to share the Holy Land without a system of apartheid or the constant fear of terrorism.

The general parameters of a long-term, two-state agreement are well known, the president writes. There will be no substantive and permanent peace for any peoples in this troubled region as long as Israel is violating key U.N. resolutions, official American policy, and the international "road map" for peace by occupying Arab lands and oppressing the Palestinians. Except for mutually agreeable negotiated modifications, Israel's official pre-1967 borders must be honored. As were all previous administrations since the founding of Israel, U.S. government leaders must be in the forefront of achieving this long-delayed goal of a just agreement that both sides can honor.

Palestine Peace Not Apartheid is a challenging, provocative, and courageous book.

Peace Boat US & Hague Appeal for Peace

Founded in 1999, the Hague Appeal for Peace Global Campaign for Peace Education (GCPE), is an international organized network which promotes peace education among schools, families and communities to transform the culture of violence into a culture of peace. The Hague Appeal for Peace Board of Directors voted to transfer the responsibilities for the coordination of the GCPE to Peace Boat US which has moved into the Hague Appeal for Peace's office in New York City.

Peace education is a holistic, participatory process that includes teaching for and about human rights, nonviolent responses to conflict, social and economic justice, gender equity, environmental sustainability, international law, disarmament, traditional peace practices and human security. The methodology of peace education encourages reflection, critical thinking, cooperation, and responsible action. It promotes multiculturalism, and is based on values of dignity, equality and respect. Peace education is intended to prepare students for democratic participation in schools and society.

The Global Campaign for Peace Education has two goals:
1. To see peace education integrated into all curricula, community and family education worldwide to become a part of life;
2. To promote the education of all teachers to teach for peace.

The Worldwide Activities Brief e- newsletter highlights how and where the GCPE network is active and growing. Submissions are encouraged! Please contribute how you are working for peace education including dates, locations, a brief description, and a website and or contact information and send it to maiko@peaceboat-us.org.

The papers of the Hague Appeal for Peace have been archived at Swarthmore College Peace Collection and can be found at http://ww w.swarthmore.edu/Library

For more information on Peace Boat US visit http://peaceboat- us.org/. The website for Peace Boat US is under construction. Please e-mail info@peaceboat-us.org for more information.

Posted by Evelin at 04:52 PM | Comments (0)

Global Health Conference: Innovation, Advancement, and Best Practices to Achieve Global Goals

GLOBAL HEALTH CONFERENCE: Innovation, Advancement, and Best Practices to Achieve Global Goals

Unite For Sight Fourth Annual International Health Conference
April 14-15, 2007 at Stanford University School of Medicine, California

More Than 300 Renowned Speakers from North America, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe

Join over 1,500 leaders, doctors, professionals, and students from 5 continents for an engaging exchange of ideas about best practices.

When: April 14-15, 2007

Where: Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA
Early Bird Rate Increases After DECEMBER 20: Current Rate is $60 Students/$80 All Others

Who should attend? Anyone interested in eye care, international health, medicine, health education, health promotion, public health, international service, social entrepreneurship, nonprofits, or microenterprise
Conference Goal: To exchange ideas across disciplines about best practices in public health, medicine and research, and international health and development. Conference topics range from "The Right to Health: Towards Social Inclusion and Universal Health Care in Latin America" and "Antiretroviral Drugs and Issues of Drug Access and Quality in the Developing World" to "Global Progress in Preventing the Burden of Blindness and Other Diseases Caused by Measles and Rubella" and "Once I Was Blind....The Challenges of Eye Care in Ghana"

COMPLETE CONFERENCE SCHEDULE WITH 300 SPEAKERS: http://uniteforsight.org/conference/2007/index.php

Hundreds of Conference Sessions For Anyone Interested In:
*Global Health
*International Development
*Millennium Development Goals
*Public Health
*Overseas Volunteering
*Health and Human Rights
*Refugee Health
*HIV/AIDS
*Infectious Disease
*Microfinance and Social Entrepreneurship
*Health in Africa
*Health in Asia
*Health in Latin America
*Global Eye Care and Vision 2020
*Glaucoma Symposium

Posted by Evelin at 09:24 PM | Comments (0)

Call for Papers: Identity Formation

Dear All,

I am on the committee which is organising a postgraduate conference entitled 'Identity Formation' for 4 April 2007. I wonder if I might ask for you to send this e-mail to postgraduates/post-doctoral students studying foreign languages, philosophy/ideology, psychology, sociology, history, theology and English, please.

This will be the first ever conference to incorporate all the discipline areas in the School of Languages , Linguistics and Cultures at The University of Manchester. This exciting inaugural event aims to be all inclusive and embrace all languages; it will treat the notion of ¡Identity Formation¢ in literature, art, film and media studies under three main themes:

1. The role of philosophy/ideology in the formation of identity
2. Diasporic and transcultural identities
3. Narrative identity

We would welcome abstracts on the above issues from postgraduates and post-doctoral students. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 15 January 2007. The deadline for registration is 25 February 2007.

Enquiries can be sent to Louise Crowther at langsconference@yahoo.com

Thank you very much for your help and time in considering this e-mail.

Best wishes,
Louise Crowther

Posted by Evelin at 07:29 AM | Comments (0)

New Book: Why Not Kill Them All? by Daniel Chirot & Clark McCauley

Why Not Kill Them All?
The Logic and Prevention of Mass Political Murder
Daniel Chirot & Clark McCauley

Genocide, mass murder, massacres. The words themselves are chilling, evoking images of the slaughter of countless innocents. What dark impulses lurk in our minds that even today can justify the eradication of thousands and even millions of unarmed human beings caught in the crossfire of political, cultural, or ethnic hostilities? This question lies at the heart of Why Not Kill Them All? Cowritten by historical sociologist Daniel Chirot and psychologist Clark McCauley, the book goes beyond exploring the motives that have provided the psychological underpinnings for genocidal killings. It offers a historical and comparative context that adds up to a causal taxonomy of genocidal events.

Rather than suggesting that such horrors are the product of abnormal or criminal minds, the authors emphasize the normality of these horrors: killing by category has occurred on every continent and in every century. But genocide is much less common than the imbalance of power that makes it possible. Throughout history human societies have developed techniques aimed at limiting intergroup violence. Incorporating ethnographic, historical, and current political evidence, this book examines the mechanisms of constraint that human societies have employed to temper partisan passions and reduce carnage.

Might an understanding of these mechanisms lead the world of the twenty-first century away from mass murder? Why Not Kill Them All? makes clear that there are no simple solutions, but that progress is most likely to be made through a combination of international pressures, new institutions and laws, and education. If genocide is to become a grisly relic of the past, we must fully comprehend the complex history of violent conflict and the struggle between hatred and tolerance that is waged in the human heart.

Daniel Chirot is Professor of International Studies and Sociology at the University of Washington. His books include Modern Tyrants (Princeton) and How Societies Change.

Clark McCauley is Professor of Psychology at Bryn Mawr College, Director of the Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict at the University of Pennsylvania, and a Co-Director of the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism.

Review:

"Few university-press books organize a topic so persuasively that, in a just world, they should contribute to the founding of a discipline, or at least a staple course. Why Not Kill Them All? does just that. As the children of foreign elites attend our universities, the thought that they might read this book, or take such a course, comforts. It does not completely reassure. Chirot and McCauley offer important wisdom--that is, when you think about mass murder rationally."--Carlin Romano, Chronicle of Higher Education

Endorsements:

"Why Not Kill Them All? is an excellent book that adopts a fresh and complex approach to the problem of mass killings. In a study that ranges widely around the globe and through history, Chirot and McCauley demonstrate that genocides and other large-scale atrocities are relatively rare events. The human capacity for evil is deep-seated, the authors argue, but so is our inclination to settle conflicts amicably. The ties that bind us together are at least as strong as the forces that always threaten to rupture human connections. The challenge is to foster the social, cultural, and political tendencies that lead to cohesion rather than conflict. In their conclusion, the authors develop a set of powerful recommendations that students, policymakers, and concerned citizens will all want to consider."--Eric D. Weitz, Professor of History, University of Minnesota, author of A Century of Genocide

Posted by Evelin at 09:58 PM | Comments (0)

Common Ground News Service - 12 - 18 December 2006

Common Ground News Service
Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
for constructive & vibrant Muslim-Western relations
12 - 18 December 2006

The Common Ground News Service – Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH) aims to promote constructive perspectives and dialogue about Muslim–Western relations. CGNews-PiH is available in Arabic, English, French and Indonesian.
For an archive of past CGNews articles and other information, please visit our website at www.commongroundnews.org.
Unless otherwise noted, copyright permission has been obtained and articles may be reprinted by any news outlet or publication. Please acknowledge both the original source and the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

Inside this edition

1) Can microfinance heal wounds of war? by Malika Anand and Samer Badawi

In this first article in a series on economic factors affecting Muslim-Western relations, Malika Anand and Samer Badawi, who work at CGAP, a global resource centre for microfinance, consider whether financial services have social implications for conflicting groups in war torn countries. They discuss the conditions in which microfinance has been proven to increase trust and communication in societies devastated by distrust and destruction, and to point the way back to a civil society.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 12 December 2006)

2) ~Youth Views~ More than a question of semantics in Iraq by Bill Glucroft

Bill Glucroft, a student of journalism at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts, looks at the debate in the United States over the use of the term “civil war” to describe the situation in Iraq, and questions whether the terminology matters at all to Iraqis on the ground. He then suggests some next steps for all parties involved to address the violence and destruction on the ground, whatever one calls it.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 12 December 2006)

3) The pope without his sting by Ian Fisher

Ian Fisher, a correspondent with the New York Times, takes a closer look at the some of the reactions to Pope Benedict XVI’s recent visit to Turkey. Far from the controversial statements the Pope made in September, his interactions with Muslim leaders in Turkey were interpreted by some as needless concessions, while many others saw the shift as a positive step towards improved Muslim-Christian dialogue.
(Source: International Herald Tribune, 6 December 2006)

4) This year, Arabs express pessimism by James J. Zogby

James J. Zogby, founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), compares poll results of the mood in Arab countries. He finds that there is a prevailing sense of pessimism across the region that is distinctly different from last year, and, based on his survey findings, examines some of the reasons behind it.
(Source: Jordan Times, 5 December 2006)

5) Emphatically stating the obvious on Iraq by David Ignatius

David Ignatius, a regular Washington, D.C.-based contributor to the Daily Star, analyses the findings and recommendations in the bipartisan Iraq Study Group’s report. Acknowledging that the real national security threat to America is the “sense in the rest of the world that Iraq symbolises America's fatal new combination of arrogance and incompetence”, he highlights how this report can help to turn this around.
(Source: Daily Star, 8 December 2006)

1) Can microfinance heal wounds of war?
Malika Anand and Samer Badawi

Washington, D.C. - Microfinance is about more than money. Financial services - including credit, savings and insurance - can empower the “unbanked”, helping them generate and sustain income. But these services can also spur solidarity and help war-torn communities rebuild and even reconcile.

Take Bosnia. Natasa Goronja, an expert in post-conflict microfinance (she earned her stripes as a credit officer in Sarajevo), says that although inter-religious interaction could not be forced or engineered after the war, Muslims and Christians came together as a natural consequence of economic life. Often, that interaction happened, literally, “across the counter” at a microfinance institution.

“I was often the first Christian a Muslim client had seen since the person who killed their brother,” recalls Goronja. “Clients would tell me that I was the first Christian they could trust.”

That kind of trust is a hallmark of the microfinance movement. It began with the idea that poor people, who typically lack the kind of collateral required for a bank loan, are just as “credit-worthy” as wealthier bank clients. In fact, some three decades after Grameen Bank’s Muhammad Yunus disbursed his first micro-loan, experts acknowledge that loan repayment rates among microfinance clients approach 100 percent worldwide, eclipsing those of commercial bank clients.

“People repay their loans because they value them,” says Elizabeth Littlefield, who heads the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor, the microfinance industry’s leading research and advocacy group. This is even more the case in post-conflict environments like Afghanistan, where CGAP set up a microfinance funding facility soon after the 2001 war. In little over a year, the number of microfinance clients reached the hundreds of thousands -- this in a country that lacked even the beginnings of a formal financial system.

In Afghanistan as in Bosnia, microfinance was in high demand because communities were eager to rebuild and needed loans to buy materials and finance construction projects. But by supporting that entrepreneurial spirit, microfinance providers also helped to recreate a sense of community from the rubble.

Indeed, many microfinance clients manage their debt as a collective, forming groups in which members come together for discussion, support and companionship. These meetings encourage not only repayment but also reconciliation among members. After all, for group loans to function, members need to trust each other and communicate. In societies devastated by distrust and destruction, microfinance can point the way back to a civil society.

Microfinance is not charity. And microfinance clients are not victims; they are individuals who are every bit as capable, dignified and productive as those who have not suffered the vagaries of war, natural disaster or endemic poverty. In all cases, microfinance offers survivors a chance to take back ownership and agency in their lives.

Microfinance has the added advantage of mobility. It does not require a large infrastructure or complex systems. Many microfinance branches around the world function with 3-5 staff members where credit officers visit clients in their homes and organise groups by village or block. Before commercial banks or even the government reach devastated areas, small, nimble NGOs can begin to offer microfinance services.

To offer microfinance services in post conflict areas, a few essential pieces must be in place. Program areas must offer a reasonable degree of security and safety for clients to carry out their activities. Furthermore, since maintaining timely loan recovery is difficult with mobile populations, clients must have a degree of geographic stability. Lastly, there must be a functioning cash-based economy. Microfinance can allow clients to take advantage of economic opportunities but it does not create them. For microfinance to function, people need access to productive resources, to be able to trade, and to carry and use money.

With security, stability and currency in place, microfinance providers have brought financial services to resettled villages and urban centres from Bosnia and Afghanistan to Liberia and Iraq. Although money cannot heal all wounds, microfinance can help restore hope, even for communities ravaged by war.

###

* Malika Anand and Samer Badawi work at CGAP, a global resource centre for microfinance. Learn more at www.cgap.org. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 12 December 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

2) ~Youth Views~ More than a question of semantics in Iraq
Bill Glucroft

Boston, Massachusetts - Early last month, Bessam Ali, my Skype acquaintance from Iraq, wrote to tell me that his Baghdad home became collateral damage in an attack by the Medhi Militia. His family escaped unharmed, but their material livelihood has been decimated.

Meanwhile, here in the United States, the talk of the nation has centred on whether to define the staggering bloodshed in Iraq as civil war or merely sectarian violence (what the difference is, I’m not so sure). Or perhaps it can be characterised as the “birth pangs of democracy”.

Does it matter? While pundits and politicians are squabbling over semantics, the death toll for American troops will soon surpass the number murdered on 11 September, and Iraqi civilians are being killed at a rate not imagined under former ruler Saddam Hussein.

The noise generated from debating the terminology is drowning out a much more valuable discussion about what to do next. There are no good options remaining for this fantastically flawed freedom-fighting foray, but there are less bad ones.

American officials sound silly when claiming a political solution exists to end the chaos, and such comments underscore their lack of understanding of that region’s history and motivations. What we see as modern day political entities violently jockeying for power, many Sunni and Shi’a hardliners see as a rematch of the sixth century Battle of Karbala.

I always support intercultural coexistence, but the increasingly gruesome reality in Iraq makes clear that the sources of instability within the Sunni and Shi’a communities are currently too great to contain within a single, centralised state. Sunni, Shi’a and Kurdish populations must each feel a sense of ownership over their piece of Iraq, which is why the country must be divided into autonomous, but not fully independent, regions.

The international community should convene an all-inclusive conference to begin the federation process.

First, conference participants must determine where on the map to draw the lines dividing the newly established regions. Second, they would have to reach a mutual understanding regarding territorial integrity and the preservation of human rights for those that may not relocate to their own sect’s area of dominance. Third, all groups must work towards regional stability and cooperation.

Only Iraq’s army and oil would remain centralised. The former composed by so as to reflect the country’s various cultures and groups; the profits from the latter maintained in an Iraqi-controlled, but internationally-monitored, account, dispersed proportionally amongst the three regions.

As for the United States and its dwindling coalition of the willing, decentralising Iraq would allow not for immediate withdrawal, but at least for a consolidation of forces. U.S. troops, smaller in number than their current presence, would have to remain between the three regions, as well as scattered throughout Iraq’s security apparatus.

The international community would need to handle the mass migration that would result from formally dividing Iraq. And all countries, both inside and outside the region, must commit to a true reconstruction of Iraq, one that not only rebuilds the army and police (as is the current emphasis) but also rebuilds a broken economy and education system using local assets supported, not dominated, by foreign companies.

For sure, this plan is not utopia. Translating it to reality would prove difficult, and certain aspects of it may be entirely unattainable. But the current talking points are even worse options. Stay the course is as meaningless as it is ignorant. A precipitous withdrawal is both logistically and strategically stupid.

But regional autonomy would yield three key benefits. First, eliminating Baghdad as the one and only centre of power also eliminates the violent contest for that power among Sunni insurgents and Shi’ite militias.

Second, separate Sunni, Shi’a and Kurdish dominated regions would scare Iraq’s neighbours enough to want to contribute to its stability and security. Iran would not want the Sunni population to challenge its interests, and the same for Turkey with the Kurds, and Jordan and Syria with the Shi’ites. The end result: a balance of power that allows Iraq’s three groups only enough strength to govern themselves.

Finally, federation allows for a diminished U.S. presence, thereby giving the next president a chance to refocus on the long-term health of American foreign policy. And that begins with a massive diplomacy effort aimed at redefining our global footprint, and an equally intensive push for energy independence.

But so long as we continue an inane deconstruction of “civil war”, we risk not only defeat, but worse, irrelevancy to a region that remains potently relevant to us.

###

* Bill Glucroft is a student of journalism at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. He maintains his own website at www.allbillnobull.net. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 12 December 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

3) The pope without his sting
Ian Fisher

Has the pope gone wobbly? The question might matter less if he weren't the man he is - and if the images of his facing Mecca in prayer on his trip to Turkey weren't fresh. Supporters have long depended on Benedict XVI for brave talk, even and maybe especially if it was unpleasant to hear. But his was never mere blunt confrontation. With his big brain and the heft of Roman Catholic tradition behind him, Benedict has stood for a remarkably clear idea: There is truth, and we won't retreat from it.

That penchant for truth-telling found its date with history in September, in the pope's now-famous speech in Regensburg, Germany. Rare for a mainstream leader, he planted a steely marker in the struggle against terror and militant Islam, quoting a Byzantine emperor as saying Islam had brought only things "evil and inhuman." Islam, he seemed to say, was distant from reason and thus prone to violence.

But in his visit to Turkey last week, the face of confrontation, and perhaps the hold on certainty, seemed to soften. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan emerged happily from his meeting with Benedict, saying that the pope had endorsed Turkey's bid to join the European Union and so reversed his long-held personal opposition.

In the place of tough talk, Benedict suggested "dialogue" - a concept, with regard to Islam especially, that he had not seemed completely open to before.

And so a new and ever more interesting chapter in this young papacy, as well as in the larger issue of how to engage the Muslim world, including those elements of it that resort to violence, seemed to open on Benedict's four days in Turkey.

The questions are many, starting with whether or not Benedict, the doctrinal purist, has somehow gone soft. To some of his most hard-core supporters, that, indeed, may be the lesson of his visit to Turkey.

"He has signalled to Islam that there are concessions he can make, and reactions other than outrage in the face of intimidation and violence," one conservative blogger wrote in an emblematic posting that found echoes in the concerned Catholic blogosphere. "It is a shame. We needed Benedict, and his withdrawal from the debate is a considerable loss."

But other commentators, with varying views of the pope, put the question another way: Can one's idea of truth be expressed differently, especially when reality gets in the way?

By many accounts, the Vatican was deeply shaken at the reaction to the pope's speech, which was at its heart a criticism of the West for being so beholden to reason that it had blocked out other values, like religion. The section on Islam was short, and Benedict made clear he was quoting others in his criticism of Islam.

But the reaction - and here the Vatican officially blames the news media - focused on the sharp, if brief, critique of Islam. And the Muslim world reacted with rage.

Demonstrations broke out in many Muslim countries; fire bombers attacked churches in the West Bank and Gaza; gunmen killed an Italian nun in Somalia. The pope himself was threatened, accounting for the heavy security on his trip to Turkey.

"This is a pope who hasn't really understood that what he says has consequences for Christians elsewhere," said Sergio Romano, a columnist for Corriere della Sera and the former Italian ambassador to NATO. "He can put them in danger. He has had to adopt a more diplomatic line."

This new phase in Benedict's papacy, then, is seen by many as a transformation from his understanding of his role primarily as a theologian, concerned with a specific truth, to a greater appreciation of his role as something of a diplomat, who seeks to balance various truths in the service of a greater interest - in this case, that of the church and its believers.

David Gibson, author of "The Rule of Benedict," published in September by Harper SanFranciso, described the pope's performance in Turkey as a crucial moment. With his silent prayer in the mosque and general warmth, he showed himself to be every bit as adept at politics as theology.

"We have seen to some degree the transformation of Joseph Ratzinger the cardinal and theologian to Benedict XVI, pope and statesman," Gibson said. "He said and did some things that obviously go against his personal grain."

But, he added, "it was really smart. And it cost him nothing."

Like any good politician, Benedict gave a bit to everyone and kept his words vague enough (he himself never came out and explicitly endorsed Turkey's entry into the EU) that people could read into them what they wanted. Indeed, the Catholic chattering class was working full time on whether he actually did endorse an EU entry or whether he said an actual prayer at the Blue Mosque in Istanbul.

The question for the many long-time supporters of the pope is whether this new Benedict is really the same man, whether the straight talk that distinguished him will be recognisable in a more political outfit.

Philip Lawler, editor of Catholic World News, an influential conservative Web site, says he believes that it will be. While he acknowledged that some of Benedict's supporters were not happy about the comments on the European Union or the mosque visit, Benedict continued to raise in Turkey the same issues he always has: concern for religious freedom; respect for religious minorities; denunciation of violence in the name of God.

"I haven't seen any backtracking since Regensburg," he said. "I've seen questions posed in a different manner. And I've seen a concern that he doesn't want to offend people by the way in which he poses the questions. But he's still determined to have those questions posed."

But however well Benedict's new approach seemed to go over in Turkey, Gibson, who described Benedict as a polarising figure in his book, issued a warning: The clash of East and West, Islam and Christianity, is not over. Benedict's role as conciliator is young, untested and does not come as naturally as his older role as a man of certainty.

"I don't think he wants to play Mr. Touchy-Feely with world Islam," Gibson said. "I think there are going to be some difficult moments."

###

* Ian Fisher is a correspondent with the New York Times. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: International Herald Tribune, 6 December 2006, www.iht.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

4) This year, Arabs express pessimism
James J. Zogby

Washington, D.C. - Each year Zogby International (ZI) polls Arabs in six countries to test the mood across the region. Last year we found that despite ongoing conflicts and internal problems plaguing some countries, many Arabs were expressing a degree of confidence in their present circumstances and optimism about their future. In fact, last year’s mood was the brightest since we began our annual polling in 2002.

That was last year. This year is a different story.

By any measure, 2006 was a difficult year in the Middle East, with a devastating assault on Lebanon, the continued plight of the Palestinians and the steady descent of Iraq into civil war taking a huge toll in lives and fortunes. But what were the further consequences of these events?

We were asked by the Arab Business Council (ABC) to add some questions to our 2006 survey, to assess the impact regional developments had on the economic and political environment in each of the countries covered in our annual poll (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco). What we found was that these conflicts have, in fact, had a dampening effect on attitudes in each of the countries covered by our survey.

To be sure, the impact of these three issues differed from country to country, but the combined effect is clear.

When we asked our respondents in the six countries to rate the roles played by a number of issues in the political stability and economic development of the region, far and away, the Arab-Israeli conflict and Iraq rated highest in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt.

Lebanon, of course, presents a special case, and not only because it was the only one of the six countries covered by our survey where conflict actually occurred. One year ago, Lebanon appeared to be on the rebound. Despite persistent internal divisions, 2005 marked the first year since we began our polling that Lebanese, across the spectrum of their society, displayed any sense of optimism. Suffice it to say that the gains of last year have been erased. But not only in Lebanon.

When we asked our respondents if they were better off now than they were four years ago, in five of the six countries surveyed attitudes were down. And when asked if they expected to be better off in the next four years, attitudes were also down — in some cases significantly so — in all six countries.

Of real concern was the substantial number of respondents who simply said they were “not sure” how well off they would be in the future. For example, in Morocco and Lebanon more than one-third and in the UAE almost three-quarters expressed uncertainty.

All this points to an obvious fact: the people of the Arab world are organically linked not only by geography, history and culture; they are tied by sentiment, as well. As a result, the number of conflicts that have plagued the region - each of which took a dramatic turn for the worst in 2005-2006 - have taken a profoundly negative toll on the Arab public’s mood.

While the United States persists in seeing each of the region’s “troubles” as discreet occurrences and expects “business as usual” to continue in countries not directly involved in conflict situation, the region’s people see reality quite differently.

The impact of these conflicts spills over beyond borders. Oil revenues might be up in Gulf countries, for example, but concern over the plight of the Palestinians and the fear of an imploding Iraq combine to damp down optimism and confidence. And the dynamics unleashed by the war in Lebanon are felt well beyond the conflicts of that troubled land.

All these conflicts combined have become a troubling brew. What we learned from our polling is that in their wake, they have brought increased anti-American sentiment, creating real stress for U.S. allies (all six countries covered in our polling are U.S. allies); an empowered and emboldened Iran, causing concern in governments across the region; and increased sectarian division and growing support for extremist groups. And the consequences of all of these can only dampen the public mood and increase uncertainty, neither a good thing either for economic planning or for progress towards internal political reform.

###

* James J. Zogby is founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI). This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Jordan Times, 5 December 2006, www.jordantimes.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

5) Emphatically stating the obvious on Iraq
David Ignatius

Washington, D.C. - The Iraq Study Group's report achieved the goal of any blue-ribbon commission: It stated the obvious, emphatically. "The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating.” Of various proposals for fixing Iraq, "all have flaws.” A "precipitate” withdrawal would be a mistake, but so would a big increase in U.S. troops. America should set "milestones” for the Iraqi government to control all provinces by next September. The U.S. military should shift to a training and advising mission so that most American troops can leave by early 2008. But there is no "magic formula,” and even if this approach fails, the United States "must not make an open-ended commitment to keep large numbers of American troops deployed in Iraq.”

A cynic might argue that this laundry list is precisely what the Bush administration was moving toward in its own internal review of policy. But I think that's the point about the bipartisan commission headed by former Secretary of State James A. Baker and ex-Representative Lee Hamilton. They have stamped an interwoven "D” and "R” on recommendations that seem so familiar you wonder why they haven't been official policy all along. (Some of them have, actually, though you wouldn't have known it from President George W. Bush's bluff and bluster.)

What's new in the Baker-Hamilton approach is the part that's least likely to be successful - the call for an International Support Group that, in theory, would include the regional bad boys, Iran and Syria, along with foot-draggers such as Russia, China and France. And while they're at it, Baker and Hamilton propose a crash effort to resolve the Palestinian conflict, make peace between Israel and Syria and resolve the mess in Lebanon.

I like this "New Diplomatic Offensive” precisely because it is so ambitious. It would put the United States back in the business of trying to solve the Arab-Israeli problem that has been driving the Middle East crazy for nearly 40 years. As for Iran and Syria, the great advantage of asking them to join a global effort to stabilise Iraq is that if they say no it's blood on their hands. As the report notes, "An Iranian refusal to do so would demonstrate to Iraq and the rest of the world Iran's rejectionist attitude and approach, which could lead to its isolation.”

And what is America's leverage in bringing Iran and Syria to the table (other than the implicit threat to walk away and let them worry about the Iraqi civil war)? The report includes this delicious Baker-esque ploy: "Saudi Arabia's agreement not to intervene with assistance to Sunni Arab Iraqis could be an essential quid pro quo for similar forbearance on the part of other neighbours, especially Iran.” Aha! So that explains the unusual op-ed piece by quasi-official Saudi analyst Nawaf Obaid in The Washington Post last week, threatening to send Saudi troops into Iraq if America should leave. It was a bargaining chip.

Another laudable aspect of the Baker-Hamilton report (especially in comparison to Bush's rhetoric) is that it doesn't mince words about how bad things are in Iraq. The Iraqi Army has made only "fitful progress toward becoming a reliable and disciplined fighting force.” The Iraqi police are "substantially worse” than the army. The results of the latest effort to pacify Baghdad have been "disheartening.” Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki means well, but he "has taken little meaningful action” against militias. Sunni Arabs haven't yet "made the strategic decision to abandon violent insurgency.” No reconciliation will be possible without an unpalatable amnesty for Iraqis who fought against U.S. forces. At least we are beginning to tell the truth here.

The final reason to embrace the Baker-Hamilton report is that its combination of cut-your-losses pragmatism and earnest do-gooderism will reassure a world that America has turned a page on Iraq. The level of anti-American sentiment in the Middle East these days is genuinely frightening. It has become the organising principle of political life, even in once-friendly countries such as Lebanon. This is the real national security threat to America - this sense in the rest of the world that Iraq symbolises America's fatal new combination of arrogance and incompetence. This report asks the world to help us find our way back home. Even if its proposals don't succeed, the Baker-Hamilton report can still accomplish its purpose, to “enable the United States to begin to move its combat forces out of Iraq responsibly.”

###

* David Ignatius is a regular contributor to the Daily Star. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Daily Star, 8 December 2006, www.dailystar.com.lb
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

Youth Views

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The views expressed in these articles are those of the authors, not of CGNews or its affiliates.

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Nuruddin Asyhadie (Jakarta)
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Andrew Kessinger (Washington)

Translators
Grégoire Delhaye (Washington)
Rio Rinaldo (Jakarta)
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CGNews is a not-for-profit news service.

Posted by Evelin at 02:03 AM | Comments (0)

Call for Essays: The Concept of War

Call for Essays: The Concept of War

PEACE REVIEW: A JOURNAL OF SOCIAL JUSTICE is an international journal
distributed in more than 50 nations. We seek essays on the above theme
for a special issue.

Has our understanding of the phenomenon of war changed of recent?
Should we attempt to explore new ways of conceptualizing, theorizing,
and synthesizing? Evidently, certain discontinuities mark the era that
has followed the end of the Cold War. So-called humanitarian
interventions have been multiplying; the considerable widening of the
concept of security gave rise to the dissemination of the notion of
war, which now embraces as heterogeneous discourse fields as
preemptive war, terrorism, war on drugs, wars of civilizations, and
post-national war, to mention just a few; furthermore, the ruptures
are manifest in the Western world's novel military technology, which
has spurred the professionalization of the military and - as a
corollary - the fading away of the republican ideal of the soldier-
citizen, whereas mass war is still prevailing in the Third World; the
unipolar and hegemonic world order seems to facilitate the emergence
of new armed conflicts; the spreading and putting into practice of the
neo-liberal ideology has caused the partial privatization of war,
stretching from subcontracting of non-combatant tasks by private firms
to the "new mercenaries" and introducing a new articulation of the
relationship among public power, political legitimacy, and (material
and human) cost externalization. At the same time, in the periphery
of the world system, neo-patrimonialism and clientilism are
increasingly gaining ground through the violent rent seeking
appropriations by warlords and local militias (in the gold or
diamond mines, narcotics, etc.); wars linked to ethnic or religious
identities are burgeoning; the proliferation of peace keeping missions
leads to the "gendering" of the military; the nuclear strategies,
which have been predominant during the Cold War, appear to have been
relegated to second stage.

Notwithstanding, not all aspects are completely new. The total number
of armed conflicts has stayed roughly stable (forty simultaneously) -
the immense majority comprising of intra-national (civil) war or of
armed conflict between a state and a non-state actor. Inter-national
war, the frame of reference of political philosophy, public
international law, and political theory of international relations,
remain the exception. Likewise, the influence of the military-
industrial complex has certainly not diminished, and imperialist wars
did not disappear.

Challenged by the new complexity of the phenomenon of war, some
theoretical approaches, considered to be mono-causal, have been
outmoded, e.g. Malthusian inspired theories - for example the
polémologie - which confound (demographic) cause and effect. Other
theories, such as just war ethics, game theory, and Clausewitzan and
Aronian driven approaches, which had been very popular a few years
ago, seem to suffer from fatigue and failure to renew. The legal
utopias promising to regulate organized violence by means of the rule
of law and the progressive criminalization of war are no longer
unanimously shared. At present, the traditional philosophy of war
appears increasingly incapable of comprehending the new realities.
Filling the void and mark the contemporary debate are constructivist
theorizings, postmodern and feminist deconstructions, some neo-
Gramscian approaches or the combination of post-modernism with neo-
Marxism, as well as the grand (and worrisome) return of the Schmittan
(friend-foe) dichotomies.

The main objective of this issue is not just to chronicle the
situation and bring out new streams of reflection within the three
disciplines of political science, philosophy, and law. More
importantly, the ultimate goal is to compare the disciplinary
perspectives, and, to the extent possible, "crossbreed" them. Faced
with the considerable impending challenges of the phenomenon of war,
disciplinary compartmentalization proves, indeed, unproductive.

Please send essays on this theme by January 15, 2007. Essays should
run between 2500 and 3500 words, and should be jargon- and footnote-
free. See Submission Guidelines at
http://www.usfca.edu/peacereview/PRHome.html.

Send essays to:
Robert Elias (Editor) or Kerry Donoghue (Managing Editor)
Peace Review
University of San Francisco
2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117-1080
USA

or by email:
peacereview@usfca.edu

Sincerely,
Kerry Donoghue
Managing Editor, Peace Review
University of San Francisco
2130 Fulton Street
San Francisco, CA 94117-1080
Phone: 415-422-2910
Email: peacereview@usfca.edu
http://www.usfca.edu/peacereview/PRHome.html

Posted by Evelin at 12:15 AM | Comments (0)

New Book: Suicide Bombing by Israel Charny

Fighting Suicide Bombing: A Worldwide Campaign for Life
by I. W. Charny
Praeger Security International

Description:
How does one effectively fight suicide bombers? What threat do they hold for Western society? How do people who love peace reconcile the need for war? Noted genocide expert Israel W. Charny addresses these questions in this highly personal description of suicide bombings and terror as the opening salvos of a Third World War. Charny first seeks to understand the psychology of suicide bombers, as well as the culture from which they emerge. Taking this understanding of what he calls human evil, he then proposes a hawkish campaign that ultimately emphasizes peace rather than irrational fear.

By deeming suicide bombing and terrorism as necessary subjects in the study of psychology, Charny presents yet another weapon in the war against terrorism-a war that he believes will only escalate without drastic action. Ultimately, he calls for a "worldwide campaign for life" led by religious and secular leaders across the globe. He concludes the book with a vignette from Islamic culture that speaks nobly to furthering peace and life.

Posted by Evelin at 05:31 PM | Comments (0)

New Book: Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind by Israel Charny

Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind
A Bridge between Mind and Society
By I. W. Charny

“Charny argues persuasively that fascism and democracy are not only political systems but ways of organizing the mind. His book builds a convincing link between societal evil and the mind of the individual perpetrator. . . . [This is] one of the most important books of this decade.”—Douglas H. Sprenkle, a professor of marriage and family therapy and the author of Effectiveness Research in Marriage and Family Therapy.

“Momentous. . . . [This is] the most innovative piece of scholarship I have ever read. Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind is extremely timely and it offers suggestions about ways to go forward in conflict resolution at the societal, family, and individual levels. I know of no other books in psychology or Holocaust and genocide studies that have linked societal and individual processes in as innovative a way as this book does.”—Robert K. Hitchcock, an anthropologist and coeditor of Endangered Peoples of Africa and the Middle East: Struggles to Survive and Thrive.

“Charny suggests new principles and approaches for individual and family therapy as well as for reducing the danger of future war, genocide, and terrorism. This is a hopeful and useful book, despite also being a wakeup call, insofar as it demonstrates how deeply-rooted the fascist mentality can become in individuals and societies.”—Eric Markusen, a sociologist and the coauthor of The Genocidal Mentality: Nazi Holocaust and Nuclear Threat.

“Charny’s understanding that fascism and democracy are not just political systems, but psychological states or forces gives us powerful tools for a holistic approach to fighting much that is evil. Charny’s theory gives us a way of understanding that we are all on a continuum, from Hitler as perhaps the purest example of a mind given over entirely to ‘totalitarianism,’ to those who enact a ‘democratic’ life. As many of us are, I am certainly far from the ‘democratic’ ideal, but struggling toward it.”—Henry Theriault, an associate professor of philosophy and coordinator of the Center for the Study of Human Rights at Worcester State College in Massachusetts.

What might you have done if you had been caught up in the Holocaust? In My Lai? In Rwanda? Confronted with acts of violence and evil on scales grand and small, we ask ourselves, baffled, how such horrors can happen—how human beings seemingly like ourselves can commit such atrocities. The answer, I. W. Charny suggests in this important new work, may be found in each one of us, in the different and distinct ways in which we organize our minds.

An internationally recognized scholar of the psychology of violence, Charny defines two paradigms of mental organization, the democratic and the fascist, and shows how these systems can determine behavior in intimate relationships, social situations, and events of global significance. With its novel conception of mental health and illness, this book develops new directions for diagnosis and treatment of emotional disorders that are played out in everyday acts of violence against ourselves and others. Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind also offers much-needed insight into the sources and workings of terrorism and genocide. A sane, radical statement about the guiding principles underlying acts of violence and evil, this book sounds a passionate call for the democratic way of thinking, which recognizes complexity, embraces responsibility, and affirms life.

I. W. Charny is the editor in chief of the Encyclopedia of Genocide and the executive director of the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem. A practicing clinical psychologist and family therapist, he is a professor of psychology and family therapy at Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Posted by Evelin at 05:02 PM | Comments (0)

AfricAvenir News, 11th December2006

AfricAvenir News are kindly sent out by Eric Van Grasdorff:

Liebe Freunde,

Im Rahmen der Filmreihe “African Perspectives” laden AfricAvenir International und die Initiative Südliches Afrika (INISA) am Sonntag, den 17. Dezember um 17.15 Uhr zur Filmvorführung von Abderrahmane Sissakos Film “Heremakono-Warten auf das Glück” in das Berliner Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe ein. Der Film läuft im Original mit deutschen Untertiteln. Im Anschluss findet eine Diskussion mit dem Filmemacher und Menschenrechtsaktivisten Joseph Guimatsia statt.

Heremakono-Warten auf das Glück
R: Abderrahmane Sissako, Mauretanien/F 2002
OmdtU, 96 min.

Am: Sonntag, den 17. Dezember 2006
Beginn: 17.15 Uhr
Ort: Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe (Rosenthaler Str. 40/41, 10178 Berlin)
Eintritt: 5€

Kurzinhalt
Der Film schildert das alltägliche Leben einer kleinen Gemeinde in Nouadhibou, Mauretanien, welche in den europäischen Medien vor allem wegen ihrer Nähe zu den Kanarischen Inseln bekannt ist und oft im gleichen Atemzug mit der Süd-Nord-Migration genannt wird.

In Sissakos Nouadhibou schwingt diese Thematik subtil poetisch mit: Hier besucht der 17jährige Abdallah noch einmal seine Mutter in ihrem Heimatdorf, bevor er selber nach Europa emigriert. In dem kleinen Dorf mit den weiß gewaschenen Häusern am Meer treffen verschiedene Lebensweisen und -philosophien aufeinander, die sich trotz ihrer Unterschiedlichkeit an mancher Stelle überschneiden. Alle scheinen eine Art hypothetisches “Glück zu erwarten”.

In Nouadhibou ist der 17jährige damit konfrontiert, dass er weder mit der Sprache der Bewohner, noch mit deren Gewohnheiten vertraut ist und auf Grund seiner “westlichen” Kleidung auffällt.

Abderrahmane Sissako illustriert, wie es ist, sich im eigenen Land - oder irgendwo anders - fremd zu fühlen und begleitet Abdallah auf seinen Begegnungen mit dem Leben und dem Lernen im Dorf. Eine Erzählung über das Warten, den Raum und die Zeit.

Regisseur
Abderrahmane Sissako, der als einer der neuen großen Filmemacher Afrikas gilt, wurde in Mauretanien geboren, verbrachte seine Kindheit in Mali und studierte später Film in Moskau. Schon sein Abschlussfilm Le Jeu erhielt zahlreiche Auszeichnungen, er drehte später Between October (1993) und in Zusammenarbeit mit der ARTE-Produktion “2000 vu par…” La Vie Sur Terre – Das Leben auf Erden.

Immer wiederkehrende Themen in seinen Filmen sind Exil und Entwurzelung, die auch sein in 2003 erschienener Film En Attendant le Bonheur - Warten auf das Glück illustriert. Dieser wurde mit dem großen Preis als bester Film beim wichtigsten afrikanischen Filmfestival FESPACO in Ouagadougou/ Burkina Faso ausgezeichnet und erhielt beim Filmfestival in Cannes den FIPRESCI Award „Un Certain Regard“. 2006 produzierte Sissako "Bamako", der zur Zeit in Frankreich die Kinosäle füllt. Er lebt heute in Frankreich und Mauretanien.

Diskussionsgast
Joseph Guimatsia ist Menschenrechtsaktivist und Filmemacher (”Le Heim”, D, 2005). Er arbeitet mit der Flüchtlingsinitiative Brandenburg (FIB) seit vielen Jahren zusammen und ist aktiv in Berlin und Brandenburg.

Pressestimmen (Auszug)
„Der eindrücklichste Film aus Afrika seit langem: ein Gedicht über die Wüste, das Warten, den Raum und die Zeit.“ (Walter Ruggle)

„Alles in diesem Film atmet wirkliches Kino, ein Kino der Beobachtung, das zugleich Harmonie und Burleske entstehen lässt, ein Kino des Lichts, der Farben und eines unaufdringlichen Rhythmus.“ (Antoine de Baecque, Libération)

„Ist das Glück vielleicht woanders zu anzutreffen? Sissako hütet sich, uns darauf eine Antwort zu geben und überlässt uns unseren Träumereien. Im Gegensatz zu so vielen anderen Filmemachern eröffnet wenigstens er uns wirklich ein Fenster zur Welt.“ (Norbert Creutz, Le Temps)

„Mit Raum, Licht und Geduld angefüllten Bildern und mit viel Humor (effektivste Waffe zorniger Filmemacher) vermittelt uns Sissako eine unendlich subtile Vision der Nord-Süd Beziehungen.“ (Les Inrockuptibles)

Interview mit Abderrahmane Sissako auf africultures.com mit Olivier Barlet: “Entretien avec Abderrahmane Sissako - à propos de Heremakono” auf: http://www.africultures.com/index.asp?menu=revue_affiche_article&no=2351

—–
African Perspectives ist eine monatlich stattfindende Filmreihe, in deren Rahmen Filme afrikanischer FilmemacherInnen präsentiert werden.

Dieser Film wird präsentiert in Kooperation mit dem Filmtheater Hackesche Höfe und mit freundlicher Unterstützung der InWEnt gGmbH, der GEW (Gewerkschaft Erziehung und Wissenschaft) und der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung.

Medienpartner: Radio múltikúlti

Ständig aktuelle Informationen auf:
www.africavenir.org
www.inisa.de

www.AfricAvenir.org
Wollen Sie Fördermitglied von AfricAvenir International e.V. werden?
Kontaktieren Sie Ann Kathrin Helfrich, Fon: 030-80906789, a.helfrich@africavenir.org

Redaktion des Newsletters: Eric Van Grasdorff, e.vangrasdorff@africavenir.org
AfricAvenir International e.V. ist nicht für die Inhalte externer Webseiten verantwortlich.

Posted by Evelin at 10:53 PM | Comments (0)

Website to 'Shame' Absent Parents

Website to 'Shame' Absent Parents
Ministers are planning to publish on the internet the names of absent parents who refuse to pay maintenance for their children.

Work and Pensions Secretary John Hutton said he aimed to "come down like a ton of bricks" on absent parents.

New enforcement powers to be outlined in a White Paper this week include the removal of passports, curfews and electronic tagging.

Opposition parties said the plans were a "knee jerk reaction" and a "gimmick".
The White Paper will include details of the smaller body which is to replace the troubled Child Support Agency (CSA), which has been dogged by problems and is owed £3.5bn.

Please read the entire article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk/6166045.stm.

Posted by Evelin at 03:33 AM | Comments (0)

Jerome Biblical Commentary: God Humiliated Himself to Be Born a Man

Charlotte Patton kindly writes to us (08/12/2006):

I make reference to the Jerome Biblical Commentary, really a reference book--and found citations under "humility"--especially that God humiliated (the very word) himself to be born a man (person) when god is really due "doxa"--praise and glory, like the doxology.

Posted by Evelin at 11:53 PM | Comments (0)

1st International Conference on Postcolonial Islands: Geographic, Theoretical and Human

PRELIMINARY CALL FOR PAPERS

QUEEN’S POSTCOLONIAL RESEARCH FORUM

1ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
“Postcolonial Islands: Geographic, Theoretical and Human”

Queen’s Postcolonial Research Forum is hosting its first international conference at Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd September 2007. Confirmed Plenary Speakers: Professor C.L. Innes (University of Kent) and Professor Paulo de Medeiros (University of Utrecht).

The theme of the conference, “Postcolonial Islands: Geographic, Theoretical and Human”, seeks to bring critical focus to three areas: the current realities of formerly colonized island nations; the existence of theoretical perspectives that are critical of or run counter to prevailing theories of the postcolonial; and the phenomenon of “foreign” communities living within a dominant host community, whether of migrants, refugees or others who have left their countries of origin.

By analysing these areas it is expected that papers will highlight the problematic of specific entities (geographical islands or communities) and theoretical lines of thought that attempt to engage with “hegemonic” geo-political realities without losing their own specificities, or that point to the omission of their own realities from dominant narratives that seek to explain (and export) the “globalized” world.

Reflecting the multidisciplinarity of Queen’s Postcolonial Research Forum, and the multifaceted nature of the conference’s theme, we invite the participation of colleagues from any academic discipline who wish to participate in an exploration of the concept(s) of “Postcolonial Islands: Geographic, Theoretical and Human”. Furthermore, and in accordance with a genuine desire to learn from other colleagues’ research, we encourage not only presentations arising from “mature” projects, but also “work in progress” or more “exploratory” work.

Queen’s Postcolonial Research Forum therefore welcomes abstracts of approximately 250 words in length for twenty-minute papers in English dealing with the themes outlined above. We would also welcome the organization of panels (consisting of three speakers and a moderator) dealing with specific issues related to the overall themes of the conference. Queen’s Postcolonial Research Forum foresees the publication of papers (expanded, revised and submitted to a peer-review process) in one or more volumes, according to principles of intellectual and theoretical coherence that will give such publications editorial consistency.

Please send your abstracts as a Word attachment by email to Dr Anthony Soares ( a.soares@qub.ac.uk ) by Friday 16 March 2007. For further details please contact Dr Anthony Soares, or visit our website: www.qub.ac.uk/qprf.

Posted by Evelin at 08:22 PM | Comments (0)

In Theory? Encounters with Theory in Practice-based Ph.D. Research in Art and Design

Call for Papers
IN THEORY?
Encounters with Theory in Practice-based Ph.D. Research in Art and Design

AHRC Postgraduate Conference, De Montfort University & Loughborough University, 26th June 2007, DMU, City Campus

The increasing amount of students undertaking practice-based PhDs affords the opportunity to uncover and examine some of the challenges faced when undertaking this type of research. We are seeking papers from current and completed postgraduate students, as well as researchers and practitioners, who incorporate and negotiate research through practice and theory in Art and Design disciplines. The aim of the conference is to address and discuss some of the generic, rather than discipline-specific, challenges of undertaking practice-based research.

Papers of 20 minutes duration are invited from across art and design disciplines. The one-day symposium will incorporate short papers followed by a panel discussion chaired by the keynote speakers.

Aims

To address and discuss some of the generic, rather than discipline-specific, challenges of undertaking practice-based research.
To examine the relationship between theory and practice in art and design research, and evaluate the usefulness of specific theories as well as theory in a general sense.
To identify and share knowledge of relevant research methodologies.
To highlight the challenges faced when undertaking PhD’s by practice.
To Increase confidence in dealing with familiar and unfamiliar theories and concepts.
To interrogate such terms as ‘academic practitioner’ and ‘practitioner researcher’.

Topics of Interest

Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:
Practice-based research analysis and evaluation of methods used.
The development of art and design specific methodologies/models and the value/adaptation of methodologies from other disciplines.
The challenges faced whilst undertaking practice-based research informed by theories.
Discussions of relevant strategies and solutions.

Instructions for Authors

All submissions should be in English (300 words) and should include the following details: Title, Name of Author(s), and e-mail address. Abstracts will be peer-reviewed and selected based on their quality, originality and significance. Please email abstracts by 19th January to Emma Rooney, e.rooney@lboro.ac.uk

Notable dates

Submission of abstract 19th January, 2007
Notification of decision: 2nd March, 2007
Submission of papers: 1st June, 2007
Conference date: 26th June, 2007

Posted by Evelin at 08:19 PM | Comments (0)

Announcing Postdoc Position at the Stone Center

Announcing Postdoc Position at the Stone Center
December 8, 2006

Dear Colleagues:

We are pleased to announce that we will again be offering a Postdoctoral
Fellowship for the 2007-2008 year. This fellowship is co-sponsored by the
Stone Center Counseling Service at Wellesley College and the Jean Baker
Miller Training Institute.

Trainees are a vital part of the services we provide, and we are committed
to providing an enriching training experience. Structured learning
activities include a wide array of supervisory, didactic and discussion
forums to enable trainees to deepen clinical skills in a variety of ways
throughout the year. The postdoctoral fellow has additional opportunities
to advance skills in supervision, emergency services, consultation and
research.

Further details about the fellowship and the application process are
outlined in the following links:

http://www.wellesley.edu/Counseling/Postdoctoralfellowship07.pdf
http://www.wellesley.edu/Counseling/ComponentsofTraining0708.pdf.

The application deadline for receipt of all materials is January 16, 2007.

Should you have any questions or if you would like to receive additional
information, please feel free to contact Cindy Verdelli at (781) 283-2839
or rverdell@wellesley.edu.

Sincerely,
Robin Cook-Nobles, Ed.D.
Director, Counseling Service

Judith Jordan, Ph.D.
Director of Training
Jean Baker Miller Training Institute

Jean Baker Miller Training Institute
Web site: http://www.jbmti.org
e-mail: jbmti@wellesley.edu
Phone: 781-283-3800
Wellesley Centers for Women
www.wcwonline.org
Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481

Posted by Evelin at 01:33 AM | Comments (0)

Democracy News - December 2006

The WMD's DemocracyNews
Electronic Newsletter of the World Movement for Democracy - www.wmd.org

December 2006

POSTING NEWS:
We welcome items to include in DemocracyNews. Please send an email message to world@ned.org with the item you would like to post in the body of the message.

*****************************************************************

CONTENTS

DEMOCRACY ALERTS/APPEALS

1. Imprisoned Singaporean Democracy Activist and WMD Participant Hospitalized
2. The Chinese Government Jails Uyghur Activist’s Son

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

3. Participants Database on World Movement Web Site Updated
4. Central/Eastern Europe and Eurasia section of the World Movement Web Site Now Available in Russian
5. Call for Applications: 2007 Stanford Summer Fellows on Democracy and Development
6. Civil Society Initiative in Iraq Launches New Web Site
7. The International Crisis Group Launches Report on Georgia’s Armenian and Azeri Minorities
8. Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information Needs Translators
9. Call for Democracy: Analyzing the Draft African Democracy Charter

CIVIC EDUCATION

10. West African Regional Learning Program on Budget Analysis Announced for April 2007

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

11. International Conference on Education for Peace and Democracy held in Antalya, Turkey

DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

12. International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies Issues Report on Regionalization of Slovenia

ECONOMIC REFORM AND THE BUSINESS SECTOR

13. The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Hosts Roundtable on the Uses and Abuses of Governance Indicators

ELECTIONS

14. Election Violence Education and Resolution Project Issues Report on Violence in Bangladesh
15. Zimbabwe Election Support Network Issues Report on Council Elections
16. Tumikom Holds Workshop for Local Representatives

HUMAN RIGHTS

17. Regional Human Rights Network Expresses Concerns to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights
18. Bahrain Center for Human Rights Issues “Blacklist”
19. Arab Human Rights Trainers Network to be Established

INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE AND SOLIDARITY

20. Fund for Global Human Rights Accepting Proposals from Human Rights Organizations
21. Sixth Conference on New or Restored Democracies Held

INTERNET, MEDIA, AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

22. Independent Television Service Calls for International Documentaries
23. Jailed Chinese Journalist Wins WAN Golden Pen of Freedom
24. New Online Tool Offers Way Around Government Censor
25. Search Engine to Help Human Rights Groups Launched by HURIDOCS

LABOR UNIONS AND WORKER RIGHTS

26. Solidarity Center Names New Executive Director
27. Solidarity Center Supports AFL-CIO Campaign to Stop HIV/AIDS

LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND ASSISTANCE

28. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Delegation Visits Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency
29. Conference on Bhutan’s Proposed Constitution Held in India
30. Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Launches Special Report on Political Repression

POLITICAL AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH

31. NAYMOTE PADD Begins Civic Education Program in Liberia
32. GYAN helps UNICEF Develop Report on Discrimination and Violence against Girls

RESEARCH

33. The Network of Democracy Research Institutes Welcomes Three New Members

RULE OF LAW

34. The International Journal of Transitional Justice Accepting Submissions

WOMEN’S ISSUES

35. Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) Activists Arrested and Assaulted during Demonstration

36. WORLD MOVEMENT PARTICIPATING NETWORKS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE

DEMOCRACY ALERTS/APPEALS

1. Imprisoned Singaporean Democracy Activist and WMD Participant Hospitalized
On December 3, Dr. Chee Soon Juan Chairman of the Alliance of Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) and Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) was admitted to Changi General Hospital due to complaints of nausea reportedly from eating prison food. On November 29, 2006, the World Movement for Democracy issued an alert condemning the jail sentence of Dr. Chee and his colleagues. This alert included concern over Dr. Chee’s health, and since that alert, his health has in fact worsened. He is suffering from abdominal pains and his blood pressure was also extremely low the evening he was taken to the hospital. Before going to hospital, he had not eaten since November 26 and was suffering from dehydration. Doctors reportedly still have not ascertained why Dr. Chee is suffering from abdominal pain. Dr. Chee Soon Juan is serving a five-week prison sentence for refusing to pay the a fine for speaking in public without a permit, and will soon face a trial on December 21 for attempting to leave Singapore without a permit (to attend the World Movement’s Fourth Assembly in Istanbul), as well as another pre-trial on January 4 for a suit brought against his family.

The World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) emphasizes that Dr. Chee’s imprisonment is just one case that represents ongoing problems in Singapore. In recent weeks, amendments to the Penal Code have been drafted to further restrict and criminalize many forms of speech, including Internet content, drawing complaints from several international media organizations. In September, the Far Eastern Economic Review was banned, and accredited civil society representatives from many countries were refused entry for the IMF/World Bank meetings. The WFDA asks that individuals concerned about Dr. Chee write on his behalf to the responsible Singaporean official, Mr. Wong Kan Seng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, as well as to local Singaporean Embassies in their countries. The postal address for Mr. Wong Kan Seng is Ministry of Home Affairs, New Phoenix Park, 28 Irrawaddy Road, Singapore 329560. The telephone number is (65) 6478 7010, and the fax number is (65) 6254 6250. Letters can also be sent by email to mha_feedback@mha.gov.sg.
For previous World Movement alerts concerning Dr. Chee, go to: http://www.wmd.org/democracyalerts/nov2906.html
For the statement made by WFDA, go to: http://www.wfda.net/news_detail.htm?id=255
For more information on Dr. Chee’s health, go to: http://www.singaporedemocrat.org/articleOct25trial42.html

2. The Chinese Government Jails Uyghur Activist’s Son
The son of a well-known campaigner for the rights of China's Uyghur minority has been jailed for tax evasion in the country's northwest Xinjiang province. Alim Ahbudurimu, son of Rebiya Kadeer, was sentenced to seven years in jail and fined for evading taxes. Another of Ms. Kadeer's children, Kahar Ahbudurimu, was also sentenced and given a hefty fine, but was not jailed. Human rights activists are accusing the Chinese government of seeking revenge for Ms. Kadeer's work. Ms. Kadeer, a World Movement participant who was the 2004 Rafto Prize Laureate and nominee for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, has just been elected to the leadership of the World Uyghur Congress. She is currently living in exile.
Go to: http://uhrp.org/articles/351/1/Rebiya-Kadeers-son-sentenced-to-seven-years-another-fined-another-feared-tortured/rabiye.html

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

3. Participants Database on World Movement Web Site Updated
The online, searchable Participants Database on the World Movement Web site (www.wmd.org (http://www.wmd.org/)) has recently been updated. We encourage all participants to check the database to see if information on their organizations is included. An information form is available on the Web page to submit information about you organization or to update information currently available. We hope the database is of assistance to those seeking to indentify organizations sharing regional and topical interests in their work.
Go to: http://www.ned.org/dbtw-wpd/textbase/participants-search.htm

4. Central/Eastern Europe and Eurasia section of the World Movement Web Site Now Available in Russian
The section of the World Movement Web site on networking in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia is now available in Russian. Thus far, the main page of the section, along with pages on democracy networks, publications, and research focused on the region are available in Russian. We continue to translate the other related material into Russian as well. We welcome volunteers, who would be willing to translate these and other portions of the Web site into other local languages of the region. Please contact Cate Urban at world@ned.org if interested.
Go to: http://www.wmd.org/cee-nis/ceenis-Russian.html

5. Call for Applications: 2007 Stanford Summer Fellows on Democracy and Development
The Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies invites policy makers and activists from countries undergoing political, economic, and social transitions to participate in its third annual Stanford Summer Fellows on Democracy and Development Program (SSFDD). The 2007 program will be held from July 30 to August 17, 2007 at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, USA. The Stanford Summer Fellows on Democracy and Development Program is a three-week executive education program that is run annually on the Stanford campus by an interdisciplinary team of leading Stanford faculty. The program brings together a group of approximately 30 civic, political, and economic leaders from transitioning countries. This program is aimed at early to mid-career policy makers, academics, and leaders of civil society organizations who will play important roles in their country's democratic, economic, and social development.
Go to: http://cddrl.stanford.edu/fellowships/summerfellows/

6. Civil Society Initiative in Iraq Launches New Web Site
Civil Society Initiative, a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization that advocated for human rights and civic education, which was established in April 2004 in Sulaimaniya, Kurdistan Region, Iraq, has launched its Web site. The Web site includes the organization’s mission, current projects, activities, publications, photos, and contact information. The current feature focuses on an international campaign against gender violence and its relevance in Iraq. The Web site is currently available in English, but will eventually be translated into Kurdish and Arabic.
Go to: http://www.csingo.org/

7. The International Crisis Group Launches Report on Georgia’s Armenian and Azeri Minorities
In their report on November 22, the International Crisis Group states that the Georgian government must take significant steps to avoid conflict in the country’s ethnically Armenian and Azeri areas. While they see no risk of the situation becoming Ossetian- or Abkhaz-like threats to Georgia’s territorial integrity, tensions are evident in the regions of Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo-Kartli, where the two ethnic minorities predominantly live. There have been demonstrations, as well as alleged police brutality and killings during the past two years. International Crisis Group claims that Georgia has made little progress towards integrating these minorities, which constitute over 12 percent of the population. Armenians and Azeris are underrepresented in all spheres of public life, especially government, and the lack of dialogue between them and the Georgian government adds to perceptions of discrimination and alienation. This is aggravated by economic problems, including high unemployment and decaying infrastructure.
Go to: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4517&l=1&m=1

8. Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information Needs Translators
The Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) seeks people who may wish to volunteer by assisting with translating education-for-peace material from Arabic into English and Hebrew. If you are capable and willing, please contact Gershon Baskin at IPCRI at gershon@ipcri.org.

9. Call for Democracy: Analyzing the Draft African Democracy Charter
Africa Governance Monitoring and Advocacy Project (AfriMAP) is calling for papers on the draft African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance, that has been the subject for debate at recent African Union summits. The draft Charter will be discussed again at the AU summit to be held in Addis Ababa in January 2007. Submitted paper should provide a comparative legal and political analysis of the draft text, a discussion of the process by which the Charter has come to be adopted, the philosophical basis for the vision of democracy set out in the draft, an assessment of the draft Charter, an assessment of the likely impact of the Charter, if adopted, on democratic consolidation in Africa. The deadline for submissions to be received is January 31 2007.
Go to; http://www.afrimap.org/paperinvitation.php

CIVIC EDUCATION

10. West African Regional Learning Program on Budget Analysis Announced for April 2007
The West African Regional Learning Program on Budget Analysis and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is a program organized by the Liberia-based Foundation for Human Rights and Democracy (FOHRD), in partnership with Fundar - Centro de Análisis e Investigación based in Mexico, the International Budget Project (IBP) based in the U.S., the International Human Rights Internship Program (IHRIP) based in the U.S., and the International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR Net) also based in the U.S. It is aimed at activists involved in development work, social and economic justice movements, human rights organizations and applied budget groups based in and working in West African countries. Participants will acquire the basic skills needed to read and analyze budgets, assess situations within a rights framework, and relate budgets to economic, social, and cultural rights obligations. The application can be found on the Web site and some scholarships are available. The application deadline is January 17, 2007.
Go to: http://www.escr-net.org/EngGeneral/dispbreakingnews.asp?tbnid=23

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

11. International Conference on Education for Peace and Democracy held in Antalya, Turkey
On November 19-23, the Israel/Palestine Center for Research & Information (IPCRI) held a conference on Education for Peace and Democracy in Antalya, Turkey. Some 270 Israelis, Palestinians, and international participants from 20 other countries participated. During the four-day event, some 150 workshops, lectures, presentations, and films were held. In the final session, participants urged the organizers to ensure that this will be an annual event and that peace education becomes a central facet of Israeli and Palestinian educational systems. The conference brought together peace and democracy educators, curricula writers, encounter facilitators, peace studies practitioners, conflict resolution practitioners, human rights educators, mediators, and activists from academia, the research sector, governmental, community organizations, and others from Israel, Palestine, and beyond.
Go to: http://www.ipcri.org/peaceeducation/index.html

DECENTRALIZATION AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

12. International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies Issues Report on Regionalization of Slovenia
On November 28, the International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies issued a report on the regionalization and decentralization of Slovenia. The paper argues that mistakes made at the introduction of the basic level of local self-governance can be avoided when people pay attention to several crucial points: First, attention should be paid to the criteria for establishing regions, including the competences, financing, and the number of regions. Second, the relationship between the representative and executive regional bodies, on the one hand, and between the region and the municipalities, on the other, should be carefully observed. Finally, efforts should be made to achieve real decentralization in Slovenia and to implement European standards and principles of local and regional self-government.
Go to: http://www.ifimes.org/default.cfm?Jezik=En&Kat=09&ID=286

ECONOMIC REFORM AND THE BUSINESS SECTOR

13. The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Hosts Roundtable on the Uses and Abuses of Governance Indicators
On November 20, the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) hosted a roundtable discussion on judging the quality of governance in countries throughout the world. Governance indicators are often cited as reliable sources of information. However, according to a recent study conducted by Dr. Charles Oman and Christiane Arndt, these indicators are frequently misused both to determine and track the progression of governance levels in individual countries. Dr. Oman discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the most widely used indicators and how to apply them effectively. A video of the event will be put on CIPE’s Web site shortly.
Go to: http://www.cipe.org/programs/roundtables/webevents/112006.php

ELECTIONS

14. Election Violence Education and Resolution Project Issues Report on Violence in Bangladesh
The Election Violence Education and Resolution (EVER) project in Bangladesh a cooperation between Bangladesh-based Odhikar and U.S.-based IFES has issued its report on electoral violence in Bangladesh for the period of October 17-30. A total of 45 constituencies in 33 districts were monitored, and 99 incidents of election-related violence were captured and verified. Most of these incidents happened between October 27 and 29. In addition to clashes between supporters and activists of the two electoral alliances, the violence also involved significant levels of damage to both private and political party property. In the captured incidents a total of 12 people were killed and 650 wounded. Law enforcement agencies were not recorded as perpetrators or victims in the vast majority of incidents. The EVER project was developed by IFES and is in use in several countries. A database with all the incidents of election-related violence from all over the world will be available on the IFES Web site soon.
Go to: http://www.wmd.org/documents/decDemNews14.pdf

15. Zimbabwe Election Support Network Issues Report on Council Elections
On October 28, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) observed the Kadoma Mayoral and Rural District Council (RDC) elections. ZESN also observed all the Urban Council by-elections in Plumtree, Gwanda, Beitbridge, and Victoria Falls. The polling was generally peaceful and calm in all eight provinces where the network had observers. These polls were characterized by low voter turnout. ZESN observers did not witness any incidents of political violence on polling day, although there were reports of some leaders who threatened voters with eviction in the event that the opposition won in their areas.
Go to: http://www.zesn.org.zw/docs/pdf/RDC_and_Kadoma_Mayoral_Final_Elections_Report_2006.pdf

16. Tumikom Holds Workshop for Local Representatives
The Association for Turkey Parliamentary Monitoring Committees (Tumikom), in cooperation with the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) held a workshop in Ankara for their local representatives. The event, “Improving the Local Capacity Workshop,” was attended by 26 Tumikom voluntary province representatives from every region of Turkey. They discussed ways to increase effective actions aimed at the voters in local regions and the future activities of Tumikom. The participants agreed on the need for the comprehensive work of local representatives in order to bring together voters and elected officials.
Go to: http://www.tumikom.org/english/index.php

HUMAN RIGHTS

17. Regional Human Rights Network Expresses Concerns to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights
The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net) issued its concerns on the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs) to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights at its 40th ordinary session on November 12-17. The report mentions problems in Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Uganda. The network called upon the African Commission to renew its efforts to support the work of HRDs, and to call upon concerned governments in the region to ensure a more amicable working environment for them. Specifically, the EHAHRD-Net called for three actions: first, the Special Rapporteur on HRDs should pay regular visits to countries within the region to familiarize herself with the situation on the ground; second, the international community should increase its support for the office of the Special Rapporteur, so she can monitor the countries and document the violations; and third, the international community should call upon the leaders of the countries, in which HRDs are at great risk, to adhere to multiple human rights declarations. The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights granted EHAHRD-Net Observer-Status at the Commission’s deliberations.
Go to: http://www.wmd.org/documents/decDemNews17.pdf

18. Bahrain Center for Human Rights Issues “Blacklist”
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights has issued a list of members of the expired House of Representatives who have ratified laws that restrict freedoms and contradict human rights norms and disregarded international obligations and condemnations by national, regional, and international human rights organizations. According to the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, the Bahrain House of Representatives has ratified several laws initiated by the government that restrict freedoms and punish citizens for exercising their fundamental rights. The House of Representatives has also failed to amend the restrictive laws that were pronounced prior to its existence. The Center argues that instead of monitoring the governmental apparati and investigating their human rights violations, the Bahrain House of Representatives surrendered to governmental influence and supported the government in justifying the excessive use of force against peaceful activities and hundreds of activists, journalists, and human rights defenders who were subject to physical assault, defamation, and arbitrary detention and unfair trials. The Bahrain Center for Human Rights fears that political and sectarian polarization and the manipulation of election constituencies will bring back the same groups and members, which will result in the continuation of a negative role of the Parliament towards freedoms and human rights.
Go to: http://www.bahrainrights.org/node/753

19. Arab Human Rights Trainers Network to be Established
Trainers in the fields of civil society affairs and human rights met at the Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) to discuss the establishment of a “Human Rights Trainers Network” in the Arab world. The participants believe the network will be a mechanism of coordination among the trainers in civil society development and human rights. A conference will be held within six months to approve final documents for establishing the network. ACHRS will prepare for this conference and select specialized commissions for the preparation of the final documents.
Go to: http://www.achrs.org/english/CenterNewsView.asp?CNID=237

INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRACY ASSISTANCE AND SOLIDARITY

20. Fund for Global Human Rights Accepting Proposals from Human Rights Organizations
The Fund for Global Human Rights has issued a request for proposals for human rights organizations based in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda. The deadline to submit proposals is January 22, 2007. Organizations requesting funding must be working to defend, protect, or promote human rights. This work could include mobilizing popular opinion through human rights skills-building and organizing; exposing abuse through documentation; addressing violations through direct action, policy/legal reform, and litigation; networking and coalition building to further the effectiveness of human rights work; and capacity building. Organizations seeking grants from the Fund for Global Human Rights must download, complete, and return the forms from the Web site. Eligibility requirements for grants are clearly outlined in the Request for Proposals (RFP). The RFP can be accessed in English and French on the Fund’s Web site. Since 2002, the Fund for Global Human Rights has made over $7 million in grants to 197 human rights organizations in 13 countries.
Go to: http://www.globalhumanrights.org/for-grantees

21. Sixth Conference on New or Restored Democracies Held
The Sixth International Conference on New or Restored Democracies concluded on November 1 in Doha. At the four-day conference hosted by Qatar, more than 300 participants discussed the specific problems of new democracies. The participants came from governments, parliaments, and civil society groups. Overall, 142 countries, 69 parliaments, and 97 civil society organizations were represented. The participants stressed the essential role of democracy in fostering equality, sustained development, and guaranteeing human rights. The conference also tackled the issues of poverty, combating corruption, and obstacles impeding democracy promotion throughout the world. The participants adopted a three-year action plan and a declaration with proposals on the issues discussed. All recommendations will be presented to the UN for follow-up and implementation.
Go to: http://www.icnrd6.com/newsdetail.php?id=9

INTERNET, MEDIA, AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

22. Independent Television Service Calls for International Documentaries
Independent Television Service (ITVS) is currently inviting international producers to create documentaries for U.S. television audiences. ITVS is looking for extraordinary programs that inform, inspire, and connect American audiences to the world at large. ITVS seeks international programs that: explore globally significant themes and issues; represent diverse communities; advance underrepresented points of view; inspire public dialogue; and tell powerful, fascinating stories. To apply, ITVS requires a written proposal in English, a work-in-progress reel, and a copy of a previously completed work in its entirety, including credits. An applicant must be an international producer who does not reside in the U.S. Applicants must identify their country of citizenship and legal residence, be an independent producer, and have previous film or television production experience in a principal role as demonstrated by credits on a sample tape of a previously completed work submitted with the application. ITVS will provide production funds as a co-production investment with revenue participation in all versions of the Program world-wide. The ITVS revenue participation will be based on a percentage of funding that ITVS invests in the approved production budget. The actual percentage will be reviewed with the producer prior to completing the ITVS Agreement.
Go to: http://www.itvs.org/producers/international_agreement.html

23. Jailed Chinese Journalist Wins WAN Golden Pen of Freedom
Shi Tao, a Chinese journalist who is imprisoned in China for charges of “leaking state secrets,” has been awarded the 2007 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers (WAN). Mr. Shi is currently serving a 10-year sentence for writing an e-mail about media restrictions in the run-up to the 15th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 2004. The e-mail was picked up by several overseas Internet portals and also by Chinese authorities, with the assistance of Yahoo. The Internet service provider gave state security authorities details of Mr. Shi’s e-mail usage that ultimately allowed them to trace the message to a computer he used at the newspaper where he worked, the Dangdai Shang Bao (Contemporary Business News). He is one of dozens of journalists and cyber-dissidents in prison in China, the world’s largest jailer of journalists. The Golden Pen award, to be presented on 4 June, 2007, at the World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum in Cape Town, South Africa, recognizes Mr. Shi’s outstanding defense and promotion of press freedom. Shi Tao is a member of the Independent Chinese PEN Center, which has been actively campaigning for his release.
Go to: http://www.wan-press.org/article12610.html

24. New Online Tool Offers Way Around Government Censor
A new Web tool, called psiphon, will be released on December 1 in response to growing Internet censorship in authoritarian regimes. This program was developed by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab and works very simply. Psiphon is downloaded by a person in an uncensored country, making the person’s computer an access point. Someone in a restricted-access country can then log into that computer through an encrypted connection, use it as a proxy, and gain access to censored sites. The designers of psiphon say there is no evidence on the user’s computer of having viewed censored material once they erase their Internet history after each use.
Go to: http://psiphon.civisec.org (http://psiphon.civisec.org/)

25. Search Engine to Help Human Rights Groups Launched by HURIDOCS
The Hurisearch search engine was created by HURIDOCS to help human rights groups around the world coordinate campaigns against abuse. The database, on which the engine is based, includes data about political activists, the abuse they have suffered, and campaigns that expose restrictions of freedom. More than 3,000 groups around the world are contributing information to the database, which has been established because human rights groups say they are not well served by other search engines. The engine is being coordinated by Huridocs, a nonprofit organization that helps human rights groups, NGOs, and researchers catalog and share information. The system holds more than 2.5 million pages from more than 3,000 separate Web sites, and users can search the database in 77 languages. The Web site of The World Movement for Democracy (www.wmd.org (http://www.wmd.org/)) is included in the list of searchable organizations.
Go to: www.hurisearch.org (http://www.hurisearch.org/)

LABOR UNIONS AND WORKER RIGHTS

26. Solidarity Center Names New Executive Director
Ms. Ellie Larson, former International Affairs Director and chief of staff to the President at the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) of the Communications Workers of America, has been named Executive Director of the Solidarity Center, a nonprofit organization that helps workers build independent and democratic unions around the world. It is supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and other donors. For 10 years, Ms. Larson was an elected local executive council president for a United Airlines union based in Taipei, Taiwan. She brings the practical experience of helping workers build strong unions in the U.S. and Asia.
Go to: http://solidaritycenter.org/

27. Solidarity Center Supports AFL-CIO Campaign to Stop HIV/AIDS
On December 1, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, in a statement entitled "Stop AIDS — Keep the Promise," insisted that with 40 million people living with HIV, and 25 million lives lost, it is time to stop this disease. This year, the U.S. labor movement joins with unions and workers worldwide in calling on decision makers to “Stop AIDS--Keep the Promise,” and involve unions in developing concrete targets to end an epidemic that devastates workers and their families. Unions are on the frontline in the fight against this disease; they work with workplace and community-based HIV/AIDS programs, such as the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center’s partnerships with teachers in South Africa, truckers in Kenya, and garment workers in Swaziland and Lesotho. These programs have helped thousands of workers take responsibility for their behavior, given them the courage to seek testing, and linked them to care and treatment.
Go to: http://solidarity.timberlakepublishing.com/content.asp?contentid=620

LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENT AND ASSISTANCE

28. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Delegation Visits Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency
On November 14, an 11-member delegation of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK-Branch visited the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency (PILDAT). The aim of the delegation was to learn about PILDAT’s programs and activities for parliamentary development and strengthening democracy in Pakistan. The delegation discussed parliamentary performance monitoring, freedom of the press, and the role of opposition in parliament. A number of PILDAT activities focus on the issues taken up in dialogue between the Muslim world and the West and in Inter-Faith Relations.
Go to: http://www.pildat.org/eventsdel.asp?detid=102

29. Conference on Bhutan’s Proposed Constitution Held in India
A conference on Bhutan’s proposed constitution, democracy, and refugees was held on November 25 at the Indian International Centre in New Delhi. The conference was jointly organized by the Public Interest Legal Support and Research Centre, the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Society, and the Druk National Congress. The participants raised concerns that the environment to conduct free and fair elections is absent in Bhutan and demanded that the King should resign from his executive post before elections are held. Concerning the refugee issue, the US offer to resettle 60,000 Bhutanese refugees was welcomed, but the attendants nevertheless advocated for adequate compensation for the repatriated refugees according to UN norms reflecting recognition equal to any other Bhutanese citizen. There was a broad consensus among the speakers that the present draft constitution gives enormous power to the King. However, the constitution would be the first step towards democracy, and unity in action among Bhutanese democrats is needed to pursue a real democracy successfully.
Go to: http://www.wmd.org/documents/decDemNews29.pdf

30. Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Launches Special Report on Political Repression
On November 30, the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum launched a special report in Harare on “Political Repression Disguised as Civic Mindedness: Operation Murambatsvina One Year Later.” Operation Murambatsvina, also officially known as Operation Restore Order, is a large scale Zimbabwean government campaign to forcibly clear slum areas across the country started in 2005. In the report, the Forum is calling for international action on the Mugabe government’s long record of disregarding international recommendations on the Operation, concluding that the Government of Zimbabwe has ignored all the recommendations made in a recent July 2006 by the UN special envoy. The report makes twelve recommendations to the government to improve the situation in Zimbabwe.
Go to: http://www.hrforumzim.com/frames/inside_frame_special.htm

POLITICAL AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION OF YOUTH

31. NAYMOTE PADD Begins Civic Education Program in Liberia
The National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections-Partners for Democratic Development (NAYMOTE PADD) began an initiative to improve civic education for democratic governance. The initiative will enable policy makers and outstanding personalities to visit school campuses and communities where they will share their experiences, skills and knowledge on various democracy topics with the young people. Furthermore, NAYMOTE PADD engages communities to encourage them to embark on self-initiatives at the local level to identify key issues and to channel their concerns and suggestions to their representatives in government. Additionally, they use the local media to promote advocacy campaigns on good governance, citizens’ participation in leadership, and awareness among communities through programs aired in the local vernaculars. NAYMOTE PADD also runs a program on education for peace, which promotes responsible citizenship and supports the creation of local youth networks.
Go to: http://www.wmd.org/documents/decDemNews31.pdf

32. GYAN helps UNICEF Develop Report on Discrimination and Violence against Girls
The Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) helped UNICEF Voices of Youth to develop a youth-friendly version of an Expert Group Report on the "Elimination of Discrimination and Violence against the Girl Child." The report will be used to encourage young girls to contribute to the discussion and make contributions to the upcoming Commission on the Status of Women. The report is available in six different languages.
Go to: http://www.unicef.org/voy/takeaction/takeaction_3295.html

RESEARCH

33. The Network of Democracy Research Institutes Welcomes Three New Members
The Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI) announced that they have welcomed three new members to the network: The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), an independent, non-partisan and not-for-profit indigenous research and training institution with the mission to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions in Pakistan; the Instituto de Ciencia Politica (ICP, Colombia), an independent, nonprofit research center that examines democracy and free market-related activities in Colombia; and the Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) 'Viitorul' (Moldova), a nonprofit, nongovernmental think tank that contributes to the growth of an independent thinking environment in emerging democracies and to the strengthening of local and regional governments.
Go to: http://www.wmd.org/ndri/ndri.html

RULE OF LAW

34. The International Journal of Transitional Justice Accepting Submissions
The International Journal of Transitional Justice (IJTJ) is accepting submissions for its second issue to be published in July 2007. IJTJ is a forthcoming Oxford University Press journal, which will be launched in March 2007. It is intended to provide an analytical bridge between intellectual and practitioner, and facilitate sustained interaction across the range of disciplines encompassed by the topic of transitional justice. The journal is envisioned as a central site from which to house and build upon the array of research and writing currently available in this field. The journal encourages analysis and study of current and innovative approaches to transitional justice and welcomes papers that explore such questions as the appropriateness of the reconciliation paradigm for transitional justice, the relationship of truth-seeking and legal justice to reconciliation, and the choices and timing of transitional justice mechanisms and methods to evaluate their success. South-based submissions are particularly encouraged as are practitioner pieces. In addition to traditional length articles, the journal will feature shorter pieces in the ‘Notes from the Field’ section.
Go to: http://www.oxfordjournals.org/our_journals/ijtj/

WOMEN’S ISSUES

35. Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) Activists Arrested and Assaulted during Demonstration
On November 29, more than 60 Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) activists were arrested and 40 were allegedly assaulted in Bulawayo during a peaceful demonstration commemorating 16 days of gender activism. The march also marked the launch of the “People’s Charter,” which advocates affordable health care, housing, and education. During a public reading of the charter in the city’s center, 30 police officers arrived and began making arrests. The police held 63 men and women, some with children, at the Bulawayo Police Station. This year marks the 16th anniversary of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence campaign. Since 1991, the 16 Days campaign has worked to increase the visibility of violence against women as a human rights violation. The campaign has been utilized by groups all over the world to demand support services for survivors, enhance prevention efforts, press for legal and judicial reform, and use international human rights instruments to address violence against women as a human rights violation, a public health crisis, and a threat to human security and peace worldwide.
Go to: www.kubatana.net/html/archive/women/061129woza1.asp?sector=CACT

36. WORLD MOVEMENT PARTICIPATING NETWORKS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN THIS ISSUE
•       Alliance of Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) www.asiademocracy.org (http://www.asiademocracy.org/)
•       World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) www.wfda.net (http://www.wfda.net/)
•       World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org/En/home.asp
•       Center on Democracy, Development and Rule of Law, Stanford University (CDDRL) http://cddrl.stanford.edu (http://cddrl.stanford.edu/)
•       International Crisis Group www.crisisgroup.org (http://www.crisisgroup.org/)
•       Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI) www.ipcri.org (http://www.ipcri.org/)
•       Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) www.cipe.org (http://www.cipe.org/)
•       IFES www.ifes.org (http://www.ifes.org/)
•       Zimbabwe Election Support Network www.zesn.org.zw (http://www.zesn.org.zw/)
•       Tumikom www.tumikom.org/onsoru.htm
•       National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) www.ndi.org (http://www.ndi.org/)
•       East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net)
•       Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS) www.achrs.org (http://www.achrs.org/)
•       HURIDOCS www.huridocs.org (http://www.huridocs.org/)
•       Solidarity Center www.solidaritycenter.org (http://www.solidaritycenter.org/)
•       Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency (PILDAT) www.pildat.org (http://www.pildat.org/)
•       The National Youth Movement for Transparent Elections-Partners for Democratic Development (NAYMOTE PADD)
•       Global Youth Action Network (GYAN) www.youthlink.org/gyanv5/index.htm
•       The Network of Democracy Research Institutes (NDRI) www.wmd.org/ndri/ndri.html
•       Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) www.kubatana.net/html/sectors/wom010.asp?sector=WOMEN

************************************************************************

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Posted by Evelin at 02:43 PM | Comments (0)

Brzezinski on Humiliation

Here is another use of "humiliation" to explain current interntatinal crises, this time by Brzezinski, who was President Carter's equivalent to Kissinger:

pasted from

http://www.payvand.com/news/06/dec/1046.html

Original source is

US must pursue talks with Iran, says Brzezinski
London, Dec 5, IRNA (which is Iran's government news agency)

http://www.irna.com/en/news/view/line-20/0612059715190108.htm

"The destructive war in Iraq, the hypocritical indifference to the human dimensions of the stalemate in Israeli-Palestinian relations, the lack of diplomatic initiative in dealing with Iran and the frequent use of Islamophobic rhetoric are setting in motion forces that threaten to push America out of the Middle East, with dire consequences for itself and its friends in Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia."

Brzeziniski, who served in the Carter administration during the Islamic Revolution in Iran, has previously called on the US to finally come to terms with the takeover of the American Embassy in Tehran after more than 25 years.

It is time to start closing that chapter of "humiliation" that Americans felt so strongly, instead of remaining haunted by the memories, he said in an interview with the Financial Times last year.

Posted by Evelin at 08:12 AM | Comments (0)

New Book: Another Kind of War - The UN Sanctions Regime in Iraq by Hans von Sponeck

New Book: Another Kind of War - The UN Sanctions Regime in Iraq
by Hans von Sponeck

Available from Berghahn Books

Please read on http://www.berghahnbooks.com:

At a time when the international community is again threatening some countries with sanctions, this book comes as a warning. It should be mandatory reading for all those politicians and their foreign-policy advisors who continue to consider sanctions an effective form of policy. The author not only offers us a critical, lucid, and well-informed survey of political developments in Iraq, but also a heart-rending account of the suffering of the Iraqi people. It was they who bore the brunt of the 13-year's sanctions, while the members of Saddam's regime continued to live in luxury and accumulate huge fortunes.

H.-C. von Sponeck, the former “UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq,” explores the UN's sanction policies against Iraq, their consequences, and the domestic conditions during this period. His extensive research is based on previously unpublished internal UN documents and discussions with UN decision makers (such as General Secretary Kofi Annan), Iraqi officials and politicians (including Saddam Hussein), and ordinary Iraqis. The author’s findings question who really benefited from the program, what role the UN Security Council and its various member states played, and whether there were then and are today alternatives to the UN's Iraq policies.

H. C. von Sponeck worked for the United Nations for more than thirty years and in 1998 was appointed UN Assistant Secretary General. During his service he worked for the UN Development program in Ghana, Turkey, Botswana, Pakistan and India. Since his resignation from the UN he has served as a member of the board of trustees of various non-governmental organizations in Switzerland, Italy and the US, as an adviser for multilateral issues, and as a consultant for personnel development in international organizations.

Posted by Evelin at 02:33 AM | Comments (0)

International Colloquium on the Brain and Aggression

Please circulate copies of this invitation to others who may have an interest in the topic

XXIV C.I.C.A.
International Colloquium on the Brain and Aggression

A quarter of a century since the starting of the Seville Statement on Violence:
A bioethic dimension

Querétaro, México
6-8 September, 2007

It is my pleasure, together with the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, to invite you to participate in the upcoming CICA, to be held in the City of Querétaro, Mexico, from September 6 to 8th, 2007.

The International Colloquia on The Brain and Aggression (CICA) have been characterized by a continuing interdisciplinary discussions regarding current factors that affect violent and aggressive behavior. One of the main contributions of CICA is the Seville Statement on Violence. The work for its elaboration started in Mexico City in 1982, on occasion of the ISRA world Conference held there. It was signed by 15 international scientists in 1986 and adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in 1989. This document proposed that is scientifically incorrect consider violence and war as biological human feature. In consideration to the actual international situations on violence, the central topic to be discussed refers to the bioethic approach involved in the Seville Statement on Violence.

Colloquium Venue
Well known world wide as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Querétaro, has traditionally been a crossroads and meeting place during important events in Mexico’s history. Charming cobblestoned streets attest to its long history, just as its important academic insitutions direct its focus towards the future. Here you will be welcomed by typical huapango music, famous Mexican cuisine, exquisite colonial architecture and friendly people; everything to make you feel comfortable and welcome: from vibrant night life, captivating musesums and cultural activities, to romantic streets perfect for placid strolls.

Academic events will be conducted in the Academic and Cultural Center of the Neurobiological Institute, UNAM, Campus Juriquilla; which derives from the Mexican School of Investigation on Integrative Neurobiology, dating back to 1940. The oldest University in Mexico, UNAM’s tradition of academic excellence was established more than 450 years ago in 1551, and continues today as it commits to the study of the structure and function of the brain.

Topic of discussion
Important topics relating to the contribution of the sciences towards the resolution of social violence will be deliberated. The central theme of the Coloquium will be the alternatives available towards the resolution of violent and aggressive behavior, related ethical discussions, and the application of human rights concerned to the Seville Statement on Violence.

The three-day Colloquium will tentatively feature the following six round table discussions:
1. Biological bases of aggression: Presentation of current scientific evidence regarding the evolutionary, physiological and neuronal mechanisms that regulate aggressive behavior.
2. Difference between aggression and violence. Discussions regarding the concepts, behavioral manifestations, cognitive processes and methodologies that distinguish between aggression and violent behavior.
3. Antisocial and prosocial behavior. Presentation of evidence regarding the biological and social causes of antisocial, normal and pathological behavior, as well as behaviors and systems that facilitate social cohesion.
4. Social violence. Presentation and discussion regarding the dynamic social factors that favor and evidence violent behavior.
5. Human rights. Presentation of topics regarding the inclusion of human rights in the study of aggression and violence.
6. Alternatives to violence. Integrative proposals for the formation of mechanisms and systems that favor a nonviolent interaction in human societies.

Round Table discussions
Using the submission and registration form (below), proposals and an abstract should be sent via Email to rmercadillo_cica@hotmail.com as an attachment, in .doc format, using Times New Roman, Font size 12. Please include the title of the paper, complete name of the author(s), the affiliated institution, telephone and fax numbers, and Email address. The deadline for reception of proposals is March 15, 2006.

Proposals will be evaluated by a scientific committee, and acceptance to participate in the Colloquium will be notified via e-mail. Authors whose proposals are accepted will be exempted from registration fees, hotel accommodations, meals and transport between México City and Querétaro.

Authors shall prepare a written version of their participation, which will be published in the Memoirs of the XXV CICA. This document shall not exceed 25 pages, and should state the central problem of the specified theme, current status, evidence that supports the proposal and an explanation of the same and a brief summary regarding the implications that the proposal will have on the propositions of the Seville Statement on Violence, signed in 1986 during the IV CICA and adopted by the UNESCO in 1989. The final version of the completed paper shall be formatted in Times New Roman, font size 12, and sent by email as an attachment to rmercadillo_cica@hotmail.com no later than June 15, 2006.

Posters
Using the submission and registrarion form (below), all abstracts should be sent via email to rmercadillo_cica@hotmail.com. The abstract shall be sent as an attachment, in .doc format, in Times New Roman, font size 12, no later than March 15, 2006. Accepted posters shall be printed in a 90 x 120 cms. format. Abstracts shall be published in the Memoirs of the XXV CICA.

Registration

Fees
Registrations fees are: 170 US Dollars. They include attendance to all academic sessions, certificate of attendance and participation and copies of the printed memoirs.

Pre-registration fees (before April 30, 2007) will have a discount of US$ 50. registration fee for the event will be 120 US Dollars,

For specific information regarding the bank data, please contact rmercadillo_cica@hotmail.com.

Grants
Grants for the amount of the registration fee for students who wish to apply for economic assistance to attend or participate in the event, are available. Please contact rmercadillo_cica@hotmail.com.
Travel
Hotel Accomodations
The Hotel Misión Juriquilla, whose architecture captures the essence of Mexican haciendas characteristic of the 19h Century, has been designated as the official hotel for the CICA guests. Information about costs can be requested from Roberto Mercadillo at rmercadillo_cica@hotmail.com.

International Flights
Officially named Santiago de Queretaro, the capital of the State of Queretaro, is located 220 km to the north of Mexico City by the federal highway 57D. Many major cities have flights to the Mexico City International airport (Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez de la Ciudad de México). From there, a comfortable bus leaves every hour for Querétaro. The bus costs approximately 18 US Dollars and arrives in about 2 hours.
If you are arriving from the US, direct flights to the Queretaro (City) International Airport are available.

Transportation within the City of Querétaro
For transportation to the hotel, tickets for safe, reliable, taxis can be purchased at the local airport and the bus station in special booths for about 10 US Dollars. Special transport from the local bus station (Terminal de Autobuses de Querétaro) to the hotel will be available as well. Specific information can be obtained by request, once arrival times have been confirmed.

Visas
Information will be made available upon request, please contact rmercadillo_cica@hotmail.com.

Deadlines
March 15, 2007 Proposals for participation in Round Table Discussions and Posters should be received no later than this date.

April 30, 2007 Pre-Registration: 120 US Dollars. Registration after this date will cost 170 USD.

June 15, 2007 Written versions of participations in round table discussions and/or posters.

Enquiries
Please contact Roberto Mercadillo regarding any doubts or questions regarding the organization and participation in the Colloquium

Roberto Emmanuel Mercadillo
Instituto de Neurobiología
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Tel. (52 55) 5623 4053
Fax. (52 55) 5623 4017
rmercadillo_cica@hotmail.com

Posted by Evelin at 10:34 PM | Comments (0)

Common Ground News Service - 05 - 11 December 2006

Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH)
for constructive & vibrant Muslim-Western relations
05 - 11 December 2006

Shaykh Ali Gomaa, Grand Mufti of Egypt, looks to history and the Qur’an to determine whether terrorism and extremism are justified under Islam. He asks: “Whom should we trust? Should we trust the extremists, or that upon which the entirety of Islamic civilisation has been built over 1,400 years?”
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 5 December 2006)

2) by Heyfa Khenissi

Heyfa Khenissi, a freshman at the University of Maryland and an American Muslim, describes her hopes and concerns for the future of Muslim-Western relations. She also contrasts Islam today and Christianity in the Middle Ages, and lists some of the promising initiatives that both Muslims and Europeans are now undertaking.
(Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 5 December 2006)

3) by Nizar Abdel-Kader

With Lebanon back in the hot seat, Nizar Abdel-Kader, political analyst and columnist at Ad-Diyar newspaper in Beirut, looks at the roles and responsibilities set out for different countries and factions by UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the steps that have been taken, or have yet to be taken, to this end. Then he asks what else is required to quell the new internal tensions, suggesting the US pay heed to 1701’s emphasis on a comprehensive peace in the Middle East, for the sake of Lebanon and the region.
(Source: Bitterlemons-international.org, 23 November 2006)

4) by Scott Peterson

Scott Peterson, staff writer at The Christian Science Monitor, writes on a topic strangely absent from many editorial columns in the past week: the constructive gestures and words of Pope Benedict XVI in Turkey. Commenting not only on the high level impact of his visit, he also asks people on the street in Istanbul whether the Pope’s behaviour in Turkey has changed their opinion of him based on his controversial speech in September.
(Source: Christian Science Monitor, 1 December 2006)

5) by Mohammad Yazid

Mohammad Yazid, staff writer at the Jakarta Post, looks at whether Indonesia can serve as a facilitator for more constructive Muslim-Western dialogue, or there are first some internal challenges that it must address. Considering the country’s successes at inter-religious harmony as well as current difficulties, he highlights where the Indonesian lessons are for improved Muslim-Western relations.
(Source: Jakarta Post, 6 December 2006)

1) Terrorists are criminals, not Muslim activists
Shaykh Ali Gomaa

Cambridge, UK - The rise of extremism in the Muslim world has led to the widespread view of Islam as a religion of violence, retribution and war. This is in complete opposition to the truth of our religion and, on behalf of the vast majority of the 1.3 billion Muslims who are ordinary, peace-loving, decent people, I want to repudiate the actions of a misguided criminal minority.

Firstly, they contradict the central theme of peace in Islam. Peace is the greeting of Muslims amongst themselves, the last word spoken by a Muslim in his prayers, one of God’s names, and one of the names for Paradise.

Secondly, the Qur’an permits freedom of belief for all of mankind by saying, “To you is your religion and to me is mine.”

Thirdly, the use of violence is prohibited in spreading the faith. The Qur’an explicitly states: “There is no compulsion in religion”, and “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good counsel and discuss with them in the most kindly manner”, and “God does not prevent you from being kind to those who have not fought you on account of your religion or expelled you from your homes, nor from dealing justly with them, indeed God loves the just.”

Fourthly – and this is very important – none of these extremists have been educated in genuine centres of Islamic learning. They are, rather, products of troubled environments and their aim is purely political and has no religious foundation.

Thus, terrorists are criminals, not Muslim activists.

My fear is that these extremists will convince the world that the entire Muslim world is the enemy, and that a war on terror is a war on the entire Muslim world. The Qur’an tells us, “O people, we have created you from a single male and female and divided you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.” When God said “to know one another”, He did not mean in order to kill one another.

Whom should we trust? Should we trust the extremists, or that upon which the entirety of Islamic civilisation has been built over 1,400 years? The first Prophetic saying that is taught to a student of Islam is, “Those who show mercy are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Show mercy to those on earth and the One in the heavens will show mercy to you.”

Should we trust the extremists’ views, or the freedom of choice and belief that Islam has enjoined upon us? The Qur’an says, “Truth comes from God, whoever believes let them believe and whoever does not, let them not believe.” The clarity of this verse is surely there for all to see.

One of the problems in all religions today is that lay-people attempt to set themselves up as religious authorities, even though they lack the scholarly qualifications for making valid interpretations of religious law and morality. These interpretations are made in reaction to political crises, injustices, poverty and frustration, and our role as religious leaders who have spent our lives carefully studying religious exegesis is to re-establish proper authority and guide the people accordingly.

There are more than 6,000 verses in the Qur’an, only 300 of which are related to legal matters; the rest deal with developing good moral character. There are over 60,000 Prophetic traditions and sayings of which only 2,000 are related to legal matters; the rest deal with developing good moral character. For over a thousand years, ordinary Muslims have worshipped God, engaged in developing their society, and have sought to cultivate good moral character. This is made clear in the Qur’an which says, “He caused you to dwell on earth and to develop it.”

From my long study of Islam and its history, I can attest that it is free of ethnic cleansing, religious inquisitions and forced conversions. This may seem contrary to the popular contemporary view of Islam, but it is an opinion that has been confirmed by a study carried out by Richard W. Bulliet who demonstrated that while the body politic of Islam spread quickly, it took hundreds of years for populations to convert to the faith. Islam was spread by love, intermarriage and family relations, not by the sword.

We all need to learn from history and call people to work for the betterment of our societies for our children and grandchildren in a manner in which all are given their due respect and recognise their duties to one another. This is what we understand from personal freedom. Can we achieve this? The hope that we can serves as my inspiration, and I pray that you join me in this so that we can realise these goals.

###

* Shaykh Ali Gomaa is the Grand Mufti of Egypt. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 5 December 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

2) ~Youth Views~ Growing up in a world of misunderstandings
Heyfa Khenissi

College Park, MD - I turned 18 this year, and I realised how chaotic the world has become. On some days, I feel like rational voices are becoming rarer. The Muslim world is developing an increasingly negative perception of Europe and the United States because of a series of conflicts in the Middle East and certain cultural misunderstandings. At the same time, Europe and the United States are developing a worsening view of Islam because of terrorist attacks, anti-Semitism and cultural squabbles. The immigration issue in Europe is also making things worse, especially since it is making the far-right popular. Is there any way that one can reverse these negative trends?

In a globalised world, information is transmitted instantly, and people from different parts of the world can become aware of something relatively quickly. I think this is why the Muhammad caricatures had such a profound impact and sparked so much anger in many parts of the world. Thus, social and religious differences make themselves felt more easily than before. After each incident, one would hope that people would react better to future incidents and do something constructive. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem we are learning much from each new incident.

As a liberal American Muslim (I am an American citizen with Tunisian parents), I am concerned about the future, especially since I want to believe I will be free to explore different parts of the world in my career. Every time my religion is exploited for political gain, I cringe. I call for tolerance and calm, and I feel like writing is the only way I can reach out to people. I don't have any prejudice towards others, and I would like to open up to the world. I was lucky enough to live in an environment that encouraged respect towards others, and I would like to learn more about other cultures. I have had the honour of meeting wonderful people of various backgrounds in my lifetime. For instance, one of my friends is Jewish, and I have a friend who is a Christian. I have wonderful conversations with them and every day, I learn more about their beliefs. It is a great experience, and in the process, more knowledge is gained. At the same time, I present myself as a liberal Muslim who wants to build bridges and share my interpretation of Islam.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak made an interesting comment in October, acknowledging that the behaviour of certain Muslims gave the world a negative impression of Islam. He even asked whether it was "time for a new religious discourse that teaches people the correct things in their religion ... and promotes the values of tolerance against those of extremism and radicalism". It does seem that a significant number of people in the Western world have the impression that Muslims are dogmatic and hysterical individuals. It’s good for leaders in the Arab world to step in and try to distance their societies from the negative images people have of Islam.

Religion can give meaning to people, but it can also be abused by some individuals. Many religions have suffered from periods of extremism, but human interpretation of religion tends to fluctuate. Not all of the adherents of a belief have the same interpretation at any given time. For instance, during the Middle Ages, when the Catholic Church and other Christians interpreted their faith a particular way - to include papal calls for the Crusades - some Christian sects, such as the Lollards, strongly opposed them. Generalisations must be avoided at all costs, and not all the practitioners of a religious belief should be blamed for the actions of a few. Today Islam as such is neither as extreme or conservative as Christianity was in the Middle Ages, but a few fanatics have given it that appearance. Religion still deserves a place in this world, even though extremists have always abused religion in the name of politics.

However, I do see some hope. More and more Muslims are reaching out to the West to help Westerners have a better understanding of Islam. Even in conservative Dubai, the government has proposed offering religious tours to tourists in order to promote a more positive, accurate image of Islam. In Europe also, people have proposed events to promote tolerance and understanding; in June 2006, there was a conference in Vienna, where people examined the real causes of intolerance towards Muslims and the misconceptions about Islam that are prevalent today.

Hopefully, these initiatives can encourage seeing past stereotypes.

The ideal way of breaking down stereotypes is by meeting people with backgrounds and beliefs different from ours. Furthermore, when governments encourage moderation and express their desire to confront extremism across the board and in all its forms, a climate of openness can be achieved as well. If a country’s leaders can show the way, then perhaps the people they represent can be encouraged to do the same.

###

* Heyfa Khenissi is a freshman at the University of Maryland. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 5 December 2006, www.commongroundnews.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

3) Restoring the state
Nizar Abdel-Kader

Beirut - UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was perceived as an opportunity for progress in the immediate and medium-term future. It opened the way for the Siniora government to demonstrate its capacity to take the steps needed to regain sovereignty over South Lebanon, consolidate national security, achieve economic recovery and repair all the damage caused by this summer’s war between Israel and Hizbullah. The government quickly implemented the security provisions of 1701 south of the Litani River and along the Syrian border, opening the way for the UNIFIL deployment in the South. When Hizbullah conceded the area for this deployment, many observers believed that Lebanon's domestic problems were on their way to being resolved.

Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah's declaration of a "divine victory" was the first indication of the collapse of the consensus among the Lebanese parties over 1701 and the deployment of the army in the South. That speech offered clear signs that containing Hizbullah would not be an easy task. Gradually, it emerged that Hizbullah was shifting the focus of its agenda from the military to the political dimension by trying to discredit the government and accusing Siniora of plotting with the US and France to disarm the "resistance". This shift clearly serves the Iranian-Syrian agenda in Lebanon.

The National Dialogue Conference held before the war had achieved significant progress on issues relating to Shebaa farms, relations with Syria, and the establishment of an international court regarding the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. But it failed to deal with Hizbullah's arms and the election of a new president. After the war, Hizbullah, allied with Christian General Michel Aoun, moved from that agenda to a new one calling for the establishment of a "national unity government" in which both would have veto power over Cabinet decisions.

While the government was seeking help and support from the Arab states and the international community, Hizbullah and its allies were preparing the ground to overthrow the government. The sudden resignation of the Shi'ite ministers from the government was clearly caused by Siniora's call for the Cabinet to approve the special protocol for the establishment of an international court to look into Hariri's assassination. It is believed that Hizbullah's move was prompted by Syria, which opposes the international court.

Nor is Iran, having supported Hizbullah for many years with weapons and money, going to abstain from the game. The Iranian leadership hastened after the war to provide Hizbullah with substantial financial aid to compensate for damages. Hizbullah remains one of Iran's strategic assets in Lebanon--in the words of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, "the main battleground to defeat America and the Zionist state".

Nasrallah clearly explained, in his recent speech on November 19, his intention to bring down the Siniora government unless the majority agrees to the "national unity" government formula. He stated, "we will call for early elections and we will take all necessary steps to force the government to resign and form a temporary or interim government to supervise the elections." The government has so far resisted, arguing that Hizbullah is trying to conduct a coup d'etat.

The assassination of Minister of Industry Pierre Gemayel on November 21 added fuel to the fire. It is a political crime meant to derail the government and accentuate the divisions among the Christian factions while increasing tensions between the Shi'ite and the Sunni communities. Now uncertainties are greater than ever before; this tragic crime could engender political turmoil that in turn could lead to civil strife.

Is there a way out of the present crisis?

Both the government and the opposition must reassess the situation on a more realistic, political basis. There is now a great need for both to review their agendas, concentrating solely on reaching common ground regarding power-sharing and rebuilding lost confidence.

Both parties need to reach a more solid consensus than the one reflected in UNSC Resolution 1701--covering interpretation of 1701's core demands and their implementation, including how to deal with Hizbullah's weapons in the future. As for Hizbullah, it must decide whether it actually wishes to integrate into the Lebanese state, free of Iranian and/or Syrian influence.

The key international players must follow through on their pledges, not only to beef up UNIFIL forces and provide military and financial assistance to the Lebanese government, but also to use carrots and sticks to convince Iran and Syria to stop those actions that are destabilising Lebanon and derailing its evolving democracy. Also, it should be made clear to Israel not to play into the hands of Hizbullah by continuing its violations and delaying resolution of the Shebaa farms issue.

Resolution 1701 stresses "the importance of, and the need to achieve, a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East". Accordingly, the United States government should make all necessary efforts to re-launch Arab-Israeli peace talks. Such a move would not only untie the knot of regional conflicts but also alleviate the growing tension and risk of state breakdown in Lebanon.

###

* Nizar Abdel-Kader is a researcher and political analyst, and a columnist at Ad-Diyar newspaper in Beirut. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Bitterlemons-international.org, 23 November 2006, www.bitterlemons-international.org
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

4) Pope's outreach eases Muslim wariness
Scott Peterson

Istanbul – Marshalling all his powers of persuasion, Pope Benedict XVI is marking his visit to Turkey with glowing words about Islam, in a bid to calm widespread Muslim anger over his quoting in September a 14th-century emperor, who held that the prophet Muhammad brought "things only evil and inhuman" to the world.

In a powerful symbolic gesture, Pope Benedict visited Istanbul's magnificent Blue Mosque Thursday night, becoming only the second pope in history to enter a Muslim place of prayer.

Hosted by the Grand Mufti of Istanbul, Imam Mustafa Cagrici, the pontiff took off his shoes at the entrance - the common Muslim practice - and held a respectful moment of silence beneath the soaring ceiling and ornately tiled walls.

In sharp contrast to recent images of Muslim anger, including burning effigies of the pope, the two leaders exchanged gifts with a "doves of peace" theme. Despite lingering doubts among Turks about Pope Benedict's sincerity, analysts say the pope's fence-mending effort is working.

"The pope's visit to Turkey and his messages to ... the Muslim world have a symbolic value; he's really reached the hearts of the people," says Nilufer Narli, a political sociologist and Islamist expert at Bahcehir University. "His message can play an important role in easing tensions. I think he knows it, now."

But many ordinary Turks aren't convinced. "I don't think he is sincere, because he changed his mind," says Neslihan Kurt, who works in a leather purse shop.

She says she was "angry like everyone else" over the papal comments in September, but concedes that "maybe by his visit, he is really trying to change, to improve things."

Pope Benedict also came bearing another, unexpected gift, which reverses his own public position taken in his pre-papacy days as Cardinal Ratzinger: support for Turkey to join the European Union (EU) at a time of deepening scepticism in Europe about the Muslim state's candidacy.

Vatican support of the EU bid is especially significant now, after a recommendation by the EU on Wednesday to freeze eight areas of policy discussion, because of Turkey's refusal to recognize Cyprus and not open Turkish ports to Cypriot ships.

Turkey is the only nation in the world to recognise the Turkish Cypriot mini-state of northern Cyprus, where Turkish troops have been deployed since 1974 to support ethnic Turks on the divided island.

The pope's support is "important" for Turkey's EU bid, wrote the daily Milliyet newspaper. "This is a big warning for conservative politicians who think the EU is a Christian club."

Throughout his days here, the pope has chosen language that appeals to Turks' deep sense of nationalism - this "noble land" and its "glorious past", he said, yielded a "great modern state" - and its aspiration to be seen as equal to European nations.

Coupled with effusive papal praise of Islam, by which Turkey presided over a "remarkable flowering of Islamic civilisation", the pope's attempt to prove his "great esteem for Muslims" has had some effect on a sceptical public.

"As Cardinal Ratzinger, he was very well known for opposing Turkey's EU prospects, naming Turkey as culturally and religiously different, with no place in Europe," says Cengiz Candar, a columnist for Bugun newspaper, and the English-language New Anatolian.

"But now as Pope Benedict XVI ... he wants to see, as the Catholic Church, Turkey in Europe," says Mr. Candar. "It's a very radical departure from what we know of Cardinal Ratzinger's opinion on Turkey."

That change represents an "evolution" in thinking, after the pope's previous remarks that "if not hostile, were careless and inappropriate", says Candar. "It is not the way a pope would like to be perceived by millions, even billions of people around the world, even if they declare a different faith."

In addition to reaching out to Muslims, the pontiff sought to improve relations within the global Christian community as well. In a bid to heal the millennium-old rift between the Catholic and Orthodox churches - the original purpose of his trip - he held a prayer service with the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew.

The two leaders, who raised their clasped hands above their heads like victorious sportsmen, are seeking to further unification efforts begun in 1965 between the world's 250 million Orthodox faithful and 1.1 billion Roman Catholics.

"The divisions which exist among Christians are a scandal to the world and an obstacle to the proclamation of the gospel," said the pope.

But in the shops and stalls of Istanbul, it was the pope's efforts to bridge the perceived divide between Christianity and Islam that drew locals into debate.

"We think his visit is a pleasant thing, to bring the Christian and Islamic worlds together," says Dogan Met, who was visiting a women's dress shop. "He made some mistakes [and] did not apologise, but in his visit here I find him sincere. He's regretful."

"Why do you think he didn't apologise?" asks Semih Akoz, looking over at Mr. Met. "Do you think human beings never make mistakes? Even the pope?"

"Football is more important than the pope," says Mr. Akoz, a self-described Islamist who had several Turkish newspapers open in front of him to the sports pages. "I don't think the pope's [negative] point of view will change toward the Islamic world. There's been a very old way of thinking for centuries, that the Islamic world is a source of terrorism."

"I think his messages are solving the problem," counters Met, coming to the pope's defence.

"The important thing is that he keep to the words he said here, and not go back to the old words when he leaves Turkey.

"The whole world is watching," adds Met. "I don't think he will change back."

###

* Scott Peterson is a staff writer for the Christian Science Monitor. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Christian Science Monitor, 1 December 2006, www.csmonitor.com
Copyright © The Christian Science Monitor. For reprint permission please contact lawrenced@csps.com.

5) Indonesia as facilitator in Muslim-Western relations
Mohammad Yazid

Jakarta – Muslim-Western relations have proven to be very fragile, particularly after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks. Interfaith ties across the world have become increasingly turbulent. Some in the West view all Muslims as terrorists, and anti-West movements have cropped up in many predominantly Muslim countries.

The only way to overcome these tensions is dialogue, which can serve as a bridge between faiths, cultures and civilizations. In this way, the two sides can reach points of understanding for mutual respect.

Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world and a “moderate” Islamic stance, has the potential to act as a facilitator and help ease the strained relations between Muslim societies and the West. There are several important points from the country's past that point to its potential to act as a bridge between the Western and Muslim worlds.

First, by adopting Pancasila as the state philosophy and the 1945 Constitution as the legal basis of Indonesia, the founding fathers succeeded in laying a solid foundation for the creation of peace in the country, despite the existence of various religions, ethnic groups and races.

By not choosing Islam as the state religion -- as brought up in discussions in the early phase of establishing the state -- Muslims as the majority group set an example of prioritizing religious harmony. This shows that misunderstandings and tension arising from differences in belief can be settled peacefully. Amicable relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in Indonesia can serve as a reference in initiating a Muslim-Western dialogue.

Second, harmony in religious diversity has been widely experienced in Indonesia at the grassroots level. In daily life, a lot of families with members from different faiths are able to live together in peace and mutual respect.

Third, historically, inter-Muslim ties in Indonesia have been completely harmonious. The presence of various schools with different interpretations of Islam has not given rise to enmity and bloodshed.

This is completely different from the violent divide between different Islamic groups in several Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq. The antagonism between Shiite and Sunni groups -- before and after Saddam Hussein's rule -- will be very difficult to overcome because they have such a deep-rooted history of enmity.

For instance, Shiite followers still find it hard to forget the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, when he fought against Muslims of the Sunni school in the seventh century in what is now Karbala, Iraq.

The harmony enjoyed by Indonesian Muslims is a significant strength in helping to open a dialogue between the West and Muslim societies around the world. The excesses that can arise from the tug-of-war between group interests in Islam will be far reduced by Indonesia's neutral attitude.

These things, however, in no way exempt Indonesia from vulnerabilities that can disturb interfaith harmony, though much of the violence that has occurred in the country over the past six years was originally sparked by non-religious issues.

Poor law enforcement, rampant corruption, collusion and nepotism pose more of a threat to the long-standing religious harmony here. This has prompted a search for alternatives to overcome weak law enforcement, such as the issuance of shari‘a-based bylaws. In fact, the core of the problem is dissatisfaction with a lack of law enforcement.

Still, declining government authority in the eye of the public has become an issue of its own. Though the current government came to office following direct elections, if it does not live up to its promises it will only cause frustration.

Likewise, in the economic sector, those at the bottom of the economic ladder often find it hard to meet their daily needs, especially after the economic crisis in 1997. With unemployment on the rise, social envy is apt to surface, along with increasing crime .

To assume the role of facilitator in Muslim-Western dialogue, Indonesia must first show it is capable of surmounting its internal issues through an intensive exchange of ideas. Otherwise, it will have trouble gaining foreign confidence, whether in the Muslim world or in the West.

In the words of British Muslim scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Bilal Abdallah,
"Muslims need to disentangle themselves from all forms of reactionary positions whose features include intolerance, literalism, extremism and the constant urge to control and limit free expression and creative thinking."

###

* Mohammad Yazid is a staff member of the Jakarta Post. This article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) and can be accessed at www.commongroundnews.org.

Source: Jakarta Post, 6 December 2006, www.thejakartapost.com
Copyright permission has been obtained for publication.

Youth Views
CGNews-PiH also regularly publishes the work of student leaders and journalists whose articles strengthen intercultural understanding and promote constructive perspectives and dialogue in their own communities. Student journalists and writers under the age of 27 are encouraged to write to Chris Binkley (cbinkley@sfcg.org) for more information on contributing.

About CGNews-PiH
The Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity (CGNews-PiH) provides news, op-eds, features and analysis by local and international experts on a broad range of issues affecting Muslim-Western relations. CGNews-PiH syndicates articles that are constructive, offer hope and promote dialogue and mutual understanding, to news outlets worldwide. With support from the Norwegian government and the United States Institute of Peace, this news service is a non-profit initiative of Search for Common Ground, an international NGO working in the field of conflict transformation.
This news service is one outcome of a set of working meetings held in partnership with His Royal Highness Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan in June 2003.
The Common Ground News Service also commissions and distributes solution-oriented articles by local and international experts to promote constructive perspectives and encourage dialogue about current Middle East issues. This service, Common Ground News Service - Middle East (CGNews-ME), is available in Arabic, English, and Hebrew. To subscribe, click here. (http://www.sfcg.org/template/lists.cfm?list=cgnews)
The views expressed in these articles are those of the authors, not of CGNews or its affiliates.
Common Ground News Service
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Editors
Emad Khalil (Amman)
Juliette Schmidt (Beirut)
Chris Binkley (Dakar)
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Nuruddin Asyhadie (Jakarta)
Leena El-Ali (Washington)
Andrew Kessinger (Washington)

Translators
Grégoire Delhaye (Washington)
Rio Rinaldo (Jakarta)
Zeina Safa (Beirut)

CGNews is a not-for-profit news service.

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February Training of Trainers in Arua, Uganda

ANNOUNCING THE INTERNATIONAL TRAUMA STUDIES PROGRAM’S
FIRST INTERNATIONALLY BASED TRAINING COURSES

International Trauma Studies Program at
Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University
the Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO) of Uganda
and Global Psycho-Social Initiatives (GPSI) of Kenya
will sponsor two international training courses
in Arua, Uganda in 2007.

For more information and application see http://itspnyc.org/uganda_training.htm
Or email us at mailto:uganda@itspnyc.org
Financial assistance available to eligible students.

Posted by Evelin at 03:20 PM | Comments (0)

Image, Identity and Culture in Narrative and Documentary Cinema

Image, Identity and Culture in Narrative and Documentary Cinema

Visual and narrative strategies in the representation of culture and identity

A Postgraduate Film Studies Symposium
March 30th/ 31st 2007
University College Cork, Ireland

CALL FOR PAPERS

Abstracts are invited for a film studies symposium on aspects of contemporary narrative and documentary film. The nature of the cinematic medium grants filmmakers a power to portray cultures and to reflect identities through the audiovisual image. How is cinema used as an effective tool of investigation to represent certain realities, and certain identities, to domestic and international audiences?

Areas of investigation might include:

-        Representations of masculinity/femininity
-        Body and gender
-        Liminal identities
-        Race and ethnicity; regional, national, trans-national identities
-        Philosophy in, and of film – philosophical reflections on the medium & aspects of the medium

Confirmed Key Note Speaker:

Professor Stella Bruzzi, Universityof Warwick(author of New Documentary, Bringing Up Daddy: Fatherhood and Masculinity in Postwar Hollywood)

Organisers:                         Email Addresses
Daniel Deasy                        dlsdeasy@gmail.com
Aoife Healy                           aoife_healy@yahoo.co.uk
Deborah Mellamphy             dmellamphy@yahoo.com
Stefano Odorico                    maximo3@yahoo.it
Sarah-May O’Sullivan           sarahmayosullivan@o2.ie
Nicole Sigl                            nicole_sigl@yahoo.de

More information, including details of key note speakers, venues etc. will shortly be available at http://www.ucc.ie/filmstudies/pgsymposium.html

Please send abstracts (250/300words) for proposed 20 minute paper, and a short biography, to the organisers at nicole_sigl@yahoo.de and sarahmayosullivan@o2.ie by Wednesday Jan 24th 2007.

Posted by Evelin at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)

Search for Common Ground Newsletter Winter 2006-2007

Search for Common Ground
1601 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20009 USA
Tel.: (1-202) 265-4300
Fax: (1-202) 232-6718
E-mail: search@scfg.org
Web: www.sfcg.org

Search for Common Ground
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B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel.: (32-2) 736-7262
Fax: (32-2) 732-3033
E-mail: brussels@sfcg.be
Web: www.sfcg.org

Winter 2006-2007

Dear Friend,

As our 24th year comes to an end and we prepare to celebrate our 25th anniversary, my colleagues and I have the distinct pleasure of wishing you joyous holidays. Despite the dreadful state of the world, we have much to be thankful for. We remain optimistic and proud of what we are accomplishing. Indeed, we take seriously the role that TV newsman Ted Koppel ascribed to us when he called us "the voice of hope." Our wish for 2007 is that large numbers of additional people - and nations - will realize that everyone on the planet shares common humanity and that all of us can do much better in resolving conflict peacefully.

COMMON GROUND. In the aftermath of the recent US congressional elections, the political wars in the United States seem to have diminished somewhat. In our view, polarization - whether partisan, national, ethnic, or religious - is hugely damaging. When life is played out as a zero-sum game, virtually everyone loses. A recent poll conducted by Douglas Schoen for the Aspen Ideas Festival shows that 95% of Americans agree with the statement:

"Our country is strongest when it is united and together and therefore we need to find common solutions to our problems that both Democrats and Republicans agree with."

SOAP OPERA. Who would have thought when we began almost a quarter century ago that we would become soap-meisters? While we employ a full toolbox of other conflict resolution techniques - including mediation, training, and collaborative problem-solving - we are perhaps best known for making TV and radio drama. To date, we have produced several thousand episodes of radio soap opera in ten countries and more than 100 dramatic TV shows in four countries.
"Search for Common Ground knows first hand the subtle, healing power of storytelling." - Christian Science Monitor

Mass Entertainment. We use popular culture to communicate themes of conflict resolution and mutual respect. Our aim is for the audience to understand differences, while stressing commonalities. Storylines feature characters who overcome major obstacles and achieve shared goals. We spotlight positive role models. Our core message is that violence is not inevitable and that peaceful solutions are possible. Everywhere we work, our writers, producers, and technical crews are local citizens who mirror the diversity of their society in terms of ethnicity, religion, and class. The characters portrayed in our shows engage in the difficult process of finding common ground. Their struggles provide the tension that makes the drama come alive.

Embedded Ideas. In producing TV and radio soaps, we use intended outcome methodology, which infuses programs with themes that promote desired social change. We deliver messages that we hope will have a pronounced impact on the audience. The goal is to produce a shift in societal norms and behaviors. Our shows combine clearly researched, curricular goals with high-quality entertainment. To test the results, we use a variety of evaluation and measurement techniques, such as focus groups, surveys, and polls.

NIGERIAN PROGRAMS. Our most ambitious media production ever is now underway in Nigeria. It consists of a dramatic TV and radio series and a reality TV series. Under the skilled leadership of Series Producer Allen Scheid, we have converted a dilapidated warehouse in Lagos into a first-class production studio. Over 1,800 Nigerians are involved in the production. In October, the dramatic TV series, called The Station, had its première. During the next four years, there will be a total of 52 episodes. The broadcasters are NTA, Nigeria's national network; AIT (Africa Independent Television); and Nigeria's state broadcasters.

Covering Conflict. The series tells the story of a fictionalized TV news station in Lagos. The boss is a Muslim woman, and the reporters come from Nigeria's various ethnic and religious groups. They tackle such critical issues as tribal violence, youth unemployment, HIV/AIDS, and corruption. The Station does not provide specific answers to Nigeria's problems, but rather it aims to empower Nigerians to engage in constructive problem-solving that moves the country toward positive solutions.

Reality TV. To prepare the way for The Station, we produced our first-ever reality television series. It had 15 episodes, and it portrayed the process by which we selected cast members for The Station: namely, we advertised throughout Nigeria for aspiring actors and actresses, and we received 56,000 replies. The series showed how we trained the cast and introduced them to the concept of common ground drama.
"I think it's very exciting." - Former President Bill Clinton

Feedback. The reaction to our Nigerian programs has been overwhelming. CNN has aired a piece, and the Nigerian newspapers have been full of positive articles. Especially gratifying, however, has been audience reaction. For example, a recent episode of The Station brought in 1801 text messages and 803 cell phone calls. Here are some of the responses:
"Very, very nice program. You are taking Nigeria to the next level."
"Your program is way out for us youth. It is the turning point."
"The Station is really inspiring. I want to be part of this change in Nigerian society."
"You have created a great way to reach out to the less privileged - especially, the teens and the miscreants."
"Wow! I couldn't believe I was watching a fictional drama. Everything looks so real and cool. Innovation at its best."

PALESTINIAN DRAMA. With our long-time partner, the Ma'an Independent Palestinian Network, we have produced two dramatic TV series. The first has 13 episodes and is called Mazih fi Jad (Seriously Joking). It features three Palestinian families - two Muslim and one Christian. It aired during Ramadan 2005. For Ramadan 2006, we co-produced a second series with 20 episodes, called Shu Fi Ma Fi? (What's Up?). The plot focuses on a group of Palestinian students who live and study together in dorms at a university on the West Bank.
"Drugs, espionage, mixed marriages, and domestic violence - all artfully woven into messages of peace…. A milestone." - Agence France Presse
"[The series] shatters Palestinians' stereotypes about themselves." - USA Today

GUINEA. In many places where we work - particularly in Africa - television reaches only a small part of the population. So, we make extensive use of radio. We produce documentaries, talk shows, news magazines, and soap opera. In October, we started production of a new soap in Guinea, funded by UNICEF and called Feu n'est pas incendie (literally, Fire is not necessarily devastating and figuratively, All is not lost). There are 39 episodes, which show how solutions can be found to even the most contentious problems. Here is the plot, as recounted by Quentin Kanyatsi, our Country Director in Conakry:
"The soap begins when the mother of Oumou dies of AIDS, and her uncles try to marry her off to an old man, a truck driver, who offers a large dowry. Oumou resists and begs that she be able to return to school. She does not want to be the wife of such a man - or the 'slave' of his other wives. She realizes that this is the same kind of marriage, which resulted in her mother's death and which threatens her older sisters who have also been forced into arranged marriages. She is in conflict with her uncles who demand that she should marry the truck driver. Oumou gives in and agrees to marry. Her husband, who has several girlfriends on the side, infects her with HIV/AIDS. She becomes a community health worker. The plight of Oumou becomes a lesson for the whole community. In one family, the father wants to give his young daughter in marriage to a merchant, but the mother resists fiercely, saying that the daughter must first finish her studies. The mother cites what happened to Oumou to overcome her husband's objections, and they reach a compromise for the daughter first to complete her schooling before marrying."

CORPORATE SUPPORT. As a matter of organizational policy, we strive to have a diverse funding base. This helps us maintain our independence and be beholden to no one. We receive support from individual donors, foundations, international organizations, including UN agencies, the European Union, and the World Bank, and governments - European, North American, and Japanese. In the last few years, we have been adding corporate funding to the mix. Here are current examples of companies that support us:
- Nestlé. In Nigeria, Nestlé is the commercial sponsor of our TV and radio series. Funding also comes from the Canadian, Norwegian, Swedish, and UK governments, along with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Skoll Foundation.
- Chevron. In Angola, we receive funds from Chevron to bring the local community, civil society, and government - along with Chevron itself - into a two-year-long, stakeholder engagement process in the province of Cabinda where Chevron has a large oil-drilling operation and where spills have previously occurred. The US Agency for International Development also supports this project.
- Putumayo World Music. Putumayo is an inspiring company, whose mission is to introduce people around the world to music from other cultures. President Dan Storper requires that a certain percentage of sales be donated to selected non-profits, and we have twice been the beneficiary. Putumayo's newest release is One World, Many Cultures, featuring tracks by such leading international stars as Youssou N'Dour, Willy Nelson, Taj Mahal, Wasis Diop, and Ziggy Marley. We receive $1.00 from the sale of each CD. (To order a copy, please click on http://www.sfcg.org/sfcg/putumayo06.html (http://www.sfcg.org/sfcg/putumayo06.htm).)

UKRAINE. Since 2003, our Ukrainian program, led by Roman Koval, has worked to introduce restorative justice into the country's legal system. The goal is to shift the emphasis away from a punitive, stigmatizing approach towards a caring, rehabilitative response that allows offenders to take responsibility for their deeds, repair the harm they have caused, and heal the victim's trauma. We have established eight restorative justice centers across Ukraine, sponsored three international conferences, developed an informative website, produced a training video, and induced the Ministry of Justice to set up an Interdepartmental Working Group on restorative justice. Most recently, the Ministry of Interior's Juvenile Division presented our team in Ukraine with an award for improving the juvenile justice system.

PLEASE INVEST. People often tell us that one reason Search for Common Ground is important to them is that we lift their spirits by demonstrating there are courageous people around the world working against the odds to bring light in these dark times. We hope you understand that our work does not only belong to staff members. There is a role for every person who believes in preventing and transforming conflict. In addition, for people in the affluent West, there is a conscious choice to be made about how to allocate personal resources. We believe that the way people spend their time and money reflects the kind of world in which they want to live. In this holiday season when there is so much emphasis on giving to others, please consider becoming a partner in our work by making a financial investment. Doing so is a way to make a gift of peace to yourself, to your loved ones, and to the world. You can invest online by clicking on our secure website, http://www.sfcg.org/help/help_home.html, or by sending us either a check or your credit card information.
With best wishes,

John Marks
President

Posted by Evelin at 10:26 PM | Comments (0)

Projects for Peace: $10,000 for a Project for Building Peace of Your Design

Projects for Peace: $10,000 for a Project for Building Peace of Your Design
Deadline to campus officials is January 15, 2007

100 Projects for Peace is an invitation to all undergraduates enrolled as of fall 2006 at any of the 76 American colleges and universities in the Davis United World College Scholars Program. These students are invited to design grassroots projects that they will implement during the summer of 2007. The 100 projects judged to be the most promising and do-able will be funded at $10,000 each. The objective is to encourage and support today's motivated youth to create and tryout their own ideas for building peace in the 21st century.

100 Projects for Peace is being made possible by Kathryn Wasserman Davis, an accomplished internationalist and philanthropist, who is about to turn 100 years old.
Mrs. Davis, mother of Shelby M.C. Davis who funds the Davis UWC Scholars Program,
has chosen to celebrate her centennial birthday by committing $1 million for 100 Projects for Peace. "I want to use my 100th birthday to help young people launch some immediate initiatives — things that they can do during the summer of 2007 — that will bring new thinking to the prospects of peace in the world," says Mrs. Davis

What do you mean by "100 Projects for Peace"?
100 Projects for Peace is an initiative for all students at the Davis United World College Scholars Program schools to design their own grassroots projects for peace that they themselves will implement anywhere in the world during the summer of 2007. Through a competition on 76 campuses, 100 projects will be selected for funding at $10,000 each.

Who is funding this and why?
100 Projects for Peace is being funded by Kathryn Wasserman Davis, a lifelong internationalist and philanthropist (who earned a B.A. from Wellesley, an MA. from Columbia, and a Ph.D. from the University of Geneva) who is now in her 100th year of life. She is the mother of Shelby M.C. Davis who funds the Davis UWC Scholars Program currently involving 76 American colleges and universities. Mrs. Davis feels some urgency to spark initiatives for building prospects for peace in the world and so is committing $1 million to fund one hundred $10,000 projects for peace. She believes that today's youth – tomorrow's leaders – ought to be challenged to formulate and test their own ideas.

What do you mean by "projects for peace"?
Intentionally, no clear definition is offered so as not to limit the imagination. We leave it up to the students to define what a "project for peace" might be. We hope to encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The overall program (all 100 projects) is to be worldwide in scope and impact, but specific projects may be undertaken anywhere and as grassroots as desired, including in the U.S.

Who is eligible to design a "project for peace"?
Undergraduate students at each of the 76 Davis UWC Scholar schools (including seniors who would complete their projects after graduation) are eligible – so long as the president of their institution has signed and returned the grant agreement form. While the schools included are restricted to those in the Davis UWC Scholars Program, all undergraduates (not just Davis UWC Scholars at those schools) are eligible. Groups of students from the same campus, as well as individual students, may submit proposals.

How does the funding for these projects work?
Mrs. Davis has committed $1 million to fund 100 projects for peace in 2007. While Davis funding per project is limited to $10,000, projects with larger budgets are welcome as is co-funding from other sources (such as other philanthropists, a college or university, foundation, NGO/PVO or students' own fundraising).

How does a student (or group of students) make a proposal?
To be considered, a student (or group of students) must prepare a written statement which describes the project (who, what, where, how) including expected outcomes and prospects for future impact (not to exceed two pages) as well as a budget (one page). Proposals should include pre-approval of all involved parties and organizations involved in the project. The three-page proposal should be submitted electronically to the designated official at each campus as outlined below. Students with queries may direct them to their campus designated official as communication between students writing proposals and the Davis UWC Scholars office is prohibited.

How are these proposals submitted and judged?
Each involved campus has a designated official (the Davis UWC Scholar Program campus contact) to coordinate the process on each campus. This official, in ways s/he deems appropriate, will guide the internal campus procedures for: announcing and promoting the opportunity to students; organizing the selection committee to evaluate the proposals submitted; communicating results on a timely basis to the Davis UWC Scholars office; and distributing the awarded grant funds for the winning proposal(s) on campus. Final review and approval of all recommended proposals from individual campuses rests solely with the office of the Davis UWC Scholars Program which will then forward the appropriate grant funds to each school with winning project(s).

How will the 100 grants be awarded?
The intention is to fund 100 projects, with at least one at each of the 76 Davis UWC Scholar schools. Therefore, all involved schools are invited to select and submit one proposal for funding and one or two additional proposals as alternates that might be funded as well. Final decisions on all grants are made by the Davis UWC Scholars Program office. Grants are made upon assurance that the project proposed will, in fact, be undertaken during the summer of 2007.

What is the timetable for proposals and decisions?

During the fall of 2006: details of schools' participation are finalized; promotion on campus by school officials; creation of selection processes and appointment of evaluation committees on campuses; and further communication, if necessary, between the Davis UWC Scholars office and school officials (communication between students writing proposals and the Davis UWC Scholars office is prohibited).
All student proposals must be submitted to campus officials by January 15, 2007.
Recommended proposals must be determined and submitted by campus officials to Davis UWC Scholars office by February 15, 2007.
Final decisions on all winning proposals rendered by Davis UWC Scholars office to campus officials by March 15, 2007.
All grant payment letters signed by recipient schools/student proposers due March 30, 2007.
Any alternates selected will be finally agreed to in April 2007.
Projects completed during summer of 2007.
Final reports due to Davis UWC Scholars office by September 15, 2007.
What is required for each project's final report?
For each funded project, the responsible student(s) must prepare and submit a final report by September 15, 2007, submitted electronically to both the campus official and to the Davis UWC Scholars office. The final report is to be limited to two pages of narrative with an accounting of the funds expended and one page of digital photographs of the project. The narrative should include: a brief restatement of the project's purpose/plans, actual work completed, outcomes/achievements/failures, and long-term prospects of the initiative. Reports will be posted on the program's website for all to see and learn from. A complete set of reports will be compiled for Mrs. Davis and her family as a way of thanking her for her faith and investment in young and motivated peacemakers.

More information at:
http://kwd100projectsforpeace.org/

Posted by Evelin at 07:40 PM | Comments (0)

Hurisearch: Search Engine Aids Rights Workers

Hurisearch: Search Engine Aids Rights Workers
Human rights groups around the world are creating a search engine to help co-ordinate campaigns against abuse.

The database behind the search system pools data about dissidents, the abuse they have suffered, and campaigns that highlight when freedoms are restricted.
More than 3,000 groups around the world are contributing information to the database.
It has been set up because rights groups say they are not well served by current search engines.
Work on the search system is being co-ordinated by Huridocs - a non-profit group set up to help human rights groups, non-governmental groups and researchers do a better job of cataloguing and sharing information.
The project began by indexing documents and data prepared by large campaigning groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Anti-Slavery International.
Now these have been joined by thousands of other organisations around the world who upload information into the database ready for searching.

Read the entire article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/6198244.stm.

Posted by Evelin at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)

Humiliation "Deep Inside the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’"

A message from Floyd Rudmin:

"Poverty and hunger are strong drivers. Mix in humiliation over being treated as second-class citizens and anger at the indiscriminate nature of the draft, and one has a potent mix, which the Taliban exploited - and at least they talked the same language of religion as the tribespeople."

This is a quote from:

Deep Inside the 'Kingdom of Heaven'
By Syed Saleem Shahzad
In Asia Times Online

Posted by Evelin at 09:49 PM | Comments (0)

Message from Stephanie Heuer

From Stephanie Heuer!

Dear Family and Friends!

Hope you had a wonderful year and it was successful, fulfulling, and joyful.

I have had an extremely interesting and busy year, implementing my children's book into school character building programs. My second book, the translated version of my first in Spanish, will be released this next year by Colibri Publications in early spring. I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Abelardo Brennes of the United Nation UPeace in Costa Rica in a local school to implement the use of the Spanish verison in their curriculum.

Please check out my new website that just recently went live (produced by InterMediaAS of Agentina);

http://www.somebodybook.com

You can read both versions of the book now online, and their is a class/home project as well.

Happiest of times for you and your loved ones and here's to a brighter and hopefuly New Year!

Warmly,
Stephanie

Posted by Evelin at 06:15 PM | Comments (0)

20th Annual Conference of the German Peace Psychology Association

20th Annual Conference of the German Peace Psychology Association

"Conflict, Communication and Intergroup Relations"

June 15-17, 2007
University of Konstanz (Germany)

The aim of the conference is to take stock of recent research on the dynamics of domestic and international conflicts with special emphasis on communication within and between the groups. Three aspects of this subject, which will already be touched upon in the invited keynote speeches, will constitute the thread running through the conference: Migration, national identity and the role of the media for the escalation and de-escalation of conflict. Keynote-speakers will be:

* Valerie Purdie-Vaughns (Yale University, New Haven, U.S.A): Exploring Multiculturalism in the Context of National Identity: Cross-Cultural Studies in United States and Germany

* Eli Avraham (University of Haifa, Israel): Ways of Constructing the "Other": Media Images of National and Cultural Minorities

* Wassilios Baros (Dimokritos University, Alexandroupoli, Greece): Bildung und Überprüfung von Hypothesen in der Migrationsforschung

We call for empirical and theoretical papers from all fields of psychology, sociology, political science, communication studies and other social sciences that can contribute to the topic of the conference. Papers may be submitted in English (preferred) or German. For each paper 30 minutes including discussion time are scheduled. Submitted papers will be screened with regard to their general appropriateness and grouped with related papers into thematic sessions.

Deadline for the submission of papers is April 15, 1007. Please submit your contributions, including a summary of approximately 500 words, as soon as possible at the E-mail address Wilhelm.kempf@uni-konstanz.de . Further and up-to date information on the conference is available via the internet address:
http://www.friedenspsychologie.regener-online.de/

Posted by Evelin at 06:09 PM | Comments (0)

AfricAvenir News, 1st December 2006

AfricAvenir News are kindly sent out by Eric Van Grasdorff:

Liebe Freunde,

wie vielen von Ihnen bekannt ist, gibt es AfricAvenir nicht nur in Berlin, gegründet wurde die Initiative bereits in den 1980er Jahren in Douala/Kamerun. Den Zielen der Renaissance Afrikas, der internationalen Zusammenarbeit und dem Frieden verpflichtet, ist die Stiftung in Douala/Kamerun vor allem bildungs- und kulturpolitisch tätig. Mit dieser Mail möchten wir Sie auf ein dort stattfindendes Projekt aufmerksam machen. AfricAvenir lädt vom 04. bis 09. Dezember 2006 zum zweiten ökonomischen Forum ein unter dem Titel: Überlebensstrategien der kamerunischen Bevölkerung in Zeiten wirtschaftlicher Globalisierung - der Übergang aus dem informellen in den formellen Sektor als ein Weg aus der Armut. Vollständiges Programm siehe unten oder unter: http://africavenir.com/news/2006/11/1013

Außerdem möchten wir Sie nach gelungener Premiere zu zwei weiteren Aufführungen von ‚Blaque ReinneCarnation. Moving up, out & beyond’, einem der ersten Choreopoeme in Deutschland mit Gesang, Tanz, Spoken Word, Percussion & Beats, einladen. Diese finden am Samstag, den 02.11. und Sonntag den 03.11. jeweils um 20.00 Uhr in der Werkstatt der Kulturen statt. http://africavenir.com/news/2006/11/940

Stratégies de survie des populations camerounaises dans une économie mondialisée

Fondation AfricAvenir - Fondation pour la Renaissance de l’Afrique, le Développement, La Coopération Internationale et la Paix
Située à Bonabéri, Ancienne route, face Hôtel Royal Palace, B.P. 9234 Douala Tél. : (237) 3392104, 955.53.29 ; Email : fondation[at]africavenir.org / www.africavenir.org

Programme:

Lundi 04 décembre 2006. Thème 1 : Sortir du Secteur Informel au Cameroun : défis et alternatives.

15 H Ouverture solennelle
Autorités administratives et traditionnelles
Discours d’ouverture Prince KUM’ A NDUMBE III. Fondateur d’AfricAvenir

16 H Conférence
Prof KEGNE FODOUOP (Chef de département de géographie Université de Yaoundé I)
Comment sortir du secteur informel au Cameroun aujourd’hui?

17 H Conférence
Dr NTONE Félicien (psychiatre, chargé de cours Faculté de médecine Université de Yaoundé I, Vice Président Afrique, fédération mondiale de santé mentale, Chef section action sociale, de la Fondation Chantal Biya)
La vue subjective de la situation socio-économique des acteurs du secteur informel au Cameroun : Quelles sont les conséquences du travail informel sur le plan psychophysiologique dans un contexte de pauvreté économique ?

——
Mardi 05 décembre 2006. Thème 2: L’Etat du Cameroun face au secteur informel.

15 H Conférence
Le Délégué provincial NYAM EBEN Jacques (Ministère des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises, de l’Economie Sociale et de l’Artisanat)
L’expérience du Ministère des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises, de l’Economie Sociale et de l’Artisanat dans le secteur informel

16 H Conférence
Ministère chargé de la Planification, de la Programmation du Développement et de l’aménagement du territoire
L’expérience du Ministère chargé de la Planification, de la Programmation du Développement et de l’aménagement du territoire dans le secteur informel

17 H Conférence
Dr KEMAYOU Louis Roger (Chargé de cours en sociologie et communication à l’Université de Douala)
Enjeux socio-économiques des tentatives de formalisation du secteur informel au Cameroun Vendredi 08 décembre 2006. Thème 5 : Sécurité sociale, Assurance maladie et retraite.

15 H Conférence
NKILI ABOU Thierry Contrôleur Caisse Nationale de Prévoyance Sociale (CNPS)
Les travailleurs du secteur informel: Quelles possibillites pour la sécutiré sociale, l’assurance maladie et la retraite?

16 H Conférence
Compagnie d’assurance SAAR VIE Douala
Les offres de SAAR VIE pour les acteurs du secteur informel (sécurité sociale, assurance- maladie et retraite)

17 H Conférence
Conféderation Syndicale des Travailleurs du Cameroun (CSTC)
Les problèmes de sécurité sociale et de retraite du secteur informel au Cameroun et les Alternatives de solution.

——
Mercredi 06 décembre 2006. Thème 3 : Sortir de l’informel: Expériences des syndicats et de la fiscalité

15 H Conférence
TCHENDJOU (Président du Marché Bonassama, Douala IVè)
Sortir du secteur informel: Expériences du syndicat des commerçants détaillants du Wouri - Douala IVè

16 H Conférence
NFOMENG Roger (Président du syndicat national des propriétaires du matériel roulant au Cameroun)
Sortir du secteur informel: expériences du syndicat des taxi et mini bus du Cameroun - Douala IVè

17 H Conférence
TCHANGANG Dagobert (Président du syndicat national des taxis et mini bus du Cameroun)
Les expériences du secteur informel: cas du transport en commun

18 H Conférence
MENGUELE Jean Paul (Chef de Centre Principal des Impôts Littoral 5)
Comment régulariser ses impôts? Comment bénéficier des avantages y afférents?

——
Jeudi 07 décembre 2006. Thème 4 : Comment les pays d’Asie ont-ils réussi à sortir de l’informel et à développer leurs économies

15 H Conférence
Dr TITE AMOUGUI Apollinaire (Chef de Cellule de suivie & chef de cellule de la gestion des carrières des personnels diplomatiques, Minrex)
Stratégies de développement ou comment recycler l’informel dans le secteur formel : l’exemple des pays d’Asie du Sud Est

16 H Conférence
Dr ATANGANA Jean Joseph (sous-directeur Extrême-Orient, Minrex)
Les ressorts socio-culturels de la réussite économique des pays d’Asie

17 H Conférence
BANAKEN Nelly (Chef de service des organes politiques, économiques et socioculturels de
l’ONU, Minrex)
Les stratégies nippo-chinoises de pénétration internationale

——
Vendredi 08 décembre 2006. Thème 5 : Sécurité sociale, Assurance maladie et retraite.

16 H Conférence
Compagnie d’assurance SAAR VIE Douala
Les offres de SAAR VIE pour les acteurs du secteur informel (sécurité sociale, assurance-maladie et retraite)

17 H Conférence
Conféderation Syndicale des Travailleurs du Cameroun (CSTC)
Les problèmes de sécurité sociale et de retraite du secteur informel au Cameroun et les Alternatives de solution.
——
Samedi 09 décembre 2006. Thème 6 : Banques, Structures de microfinances et Tontines.

15 H Conférence
HAGEN Jan Programme d’initiative locale (PIL)
Comment obtenir les micro-crédits au près du PIL

16 H Conférence
NGUIMZANG Alvine (Coopérative d’Epargne et de Crédit des Artisans du Wouri (CECAW))
Expériences et possibilités de la coopérative CECAW dans l’attribution et la gestion de micro-crédits

17 H Cérémonie de clôture
Trois acteurs du secteur informel Les réactions de trois acteurs du secteur informel
Fondation AfricAvenir

Allocution de clôture

www.AfricAvenir.org
Wollen Sie Fördermitglied von AfricAvenir International e.V. werden?
Kontaktieren Sie Ann Kathrin Helfrich, Fon: 030-80906789, a.helfrich@africavenir.org

Redaktion des Newsletters: Eric Van Grasdorff, e.vangrasdorff@africavenir.org
AfricAvenir International e.V. ist nicht für die Inhalte externer Webseiten verantwortlich.

Posted by Evelin at 08:17 PM | Comments (0)

Virtual Pals ‘Soar in Importance‘

Virtual Pals 'Soar in Importance'

Virtual communities are as important as their real-world counterparts, many members of online communities believe.
A survey found 43% of online networkers from the US felt "as strongly" about their web community as they did about their real-world friends.

It also revealed net-users had made an average of 4.6 virtual pals this year.

The survey, from the US-based Center for the Digital Future, of 2,000 individuals forms part of a six-year study into attitudes to the web.

Please read the entire article at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/technology/6158935.stm.

Posted by Evelin at 07:57 PM | Comments (0)

Conference: Peacebuilding and Trauma Recovery - Integrated Strategies in Post-War Reconstruction

Peacebuilding and Trauma Recovery: Integrated Strategies in Post-War Reconstruction

University of Denver, February 22-24, 2007

The conference will examine the important interface between peacebuilding
and trauma recovery during post-war reconstruction. Conference
participants will explore, through panel discussion, topic-specific
workshops and informal discussion, the research and practical applications
of trauma recovery processes within the larger peacebuilding process.
Peacebuilding theorists and practitioners, psychologists, cultural
anthropologists, indigenous healers, and others engaged in the work of
transitional justice, post-conflict healing, and peacebuilding are invited
to participate in this important conference.

Panel themes will include: The nature of collective vs. individual
trauma, the importance of cultural variables, justice and healing, TRC’s
and their recommendations, the role of spirituality, integrating
peacebuilding and trauma recovery, guidelines for informed field practice

For further information, including the Call for Papers, please visit
www.du.edu/con-res/center/conferences.html.

Co-sponsored by the Conflict Resolution Institute and the Graduate School
of Professional Psychology’s International Disaster Psychology Program at
the University of Denver, and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at
Eastern Mennonite University

Posted by Evelin at 04:21 PM | Comments (0)

Thomas Friedman: The most underestimated emotion in Arab politics is humiliation

Zeitschrift für Internationale Beziehungen (ZIB) Newsletter 2/2006

Common Ground News Service - 19 December 2006

Inter-American Summit on Conflict Resolution Education

Dignity News Bulletin - December 2006

Hate, by Shanti Kumar (9 years old)

World in Transition – Sustainability Perspectives for Higher Education

Global Campaign for Peace Education Issue #38

Global Health Conference: Innovation, Advancement, and Best Practices to Achieve Global Goals

Call for Papers: Identity Formation

New Book: Why Not Kill Them All? by Daniel Chirot & Clark McCauley

Common Ground News Service - 12 - 18 December 2006

Call for Essays: The Concept of War

New Book: Suicide Bombing by Israel Charny

New Book: Fascism and Democracy in the Human Mind by Israel Charny

AfricAvenir News, 11th December2006

Website to 'Shame' Absent Parents

Jerome Biblical Commentary: God Humiliated Himself to Be Born a Man

1st International Conference on Postcolonial Islands: Geographic, Theoretical and Human

In Theory? Encounters with Theory in Practice-based Ph.D. Research in Art and Design

Announcing Postdoc Position at the Stone Center

Democracy News - December 2006

Brzezinski on Humiliation

New Book: Another Kind of War - The UN Sanctions Regime in Iraq by Hans von Sponeck

International Colloquium on the Brain and Aggression

Common Ground News Service - 05 - 11 December 2006

February Training of Trainers in Arua, Uganda

Image, Identity and Culture in Narrative and Documentary Cinema

Search for Common Ground Newsletter Winter 2006-2007

Projects for Peace: $10,000 for a Project for Building Peace of Your Design

Hurisearch: Search Engine Aids Rights Workers

Humiliation "Deep Inside the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’"

Message from Stephanie Heuer

20th Annual Conference of the German Peace Psychology Association

AfricAvenir News, 1st December 2006

Virtual Pals ‘Soar in Importance‘

Conference: Peacebuilding and Trauma Recovery - Integrated Strategies in Post-War Reconstruction

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