Search

Begin New Search Content Type Journal Article

9881. Asian Power: Sino-Russian Conflict in Central Asia?

Author:
Kathleen J. Hancock
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the state-owned gas monopoly, Gazprom, made front-page news when they ceased exporting natural gas to Ukraine in the winter of 2006, leaving Europe both irate and fearful due to its dependency on Russian energy. What many failed to notice was that Russia's actions wekre consistent with a fifteen year-old policy of playing hardball with former Soviet members using gas and oil pipelines as carrots and sticks to force policies and actions favorable to Moscow.Three of the states most affected by this pipeline diplomacy and least discussed in the Western press are the resource-rich Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. While energy-importing European states are vulnerable to Russia cutting supplies, exporting Central Asian states worry about Moscow shutting down pipeline access, without which they have few export options. The relationship between these states and Russia is further complicated by China's interest in Central Asia. Although Beijing and Moscow have recently patched up their rivalry, the increasing economic strength of both states plus jockeying between Russia and Central Asian states to serve as China's energy supplier may push Russia and China back into an antagonistic, and potentially dangerous, relationship.
Political Geography:
Russia, China, Europe, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Beijing, Asia, Uzbekistan, Soviet Union, and Moscow

9882. Substance and Vanity at the Palace: Monarchy and Royalty Beyond the Twentieth Century

Author:
Neil Blain
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
In the summer of 2007, there was a debate in the United Kingdom about whether it would be appropriate for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and the second wife of Prince Charles, to attend a church service marking the tenth anniversary of the death of his first wife, Princess Diana. The “Camilla debate” ultimately prompted a series of other discussions on the role of the monarchy and royalty in the face of a changing British society. A response to these issues is hardly a simple task and requires a thorough analysis of the matter at hand.

9883. The Catholic Church: An Underestimated and Necessary Actor in International Affairs

Author:
Jodok Troy
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
In an attempt to unite faith and reason, among other things, through a quotation of an ancient emperor, Pope Benedict XVI's lecture on 12 September 2006 in Regensburg, Germany, reverberated around the world in widespread, sometimes violent reactions, notably in the Muslim world. Later, the Pope stated that he had simply wished to illustrate the connection between faith and reason. The strong reactions to his speech illustrate what great impact a diplomatic faux pas, especially one from a major religious leader, can have in world politics.
Political Geography:
Germany

9884. Rights for Indigenous Peoples: The Struggle for Uniformity: the UN Declaration and Beyond

Author:
James C. Hopkins
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
On 13 September 2007, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, marking a historic moment in the advancement and protections of the rights of indigenous peoples. Dr. Rodolpho Stavenhagen, UN Special Rapporteur for human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people, quickly noted its significance within the international human rights system. He issued a statement soon after applauding the Declar ation's adoption by the UN General Assembly: “The Declaration constitutes a fundamental landmark for indigenous peoples, and it represents their important contribution to the construction of the international human rights system.” Stavenhagen affirmed the unique role traditional lands play in defining the distinct political and collective nature of the rights of indigenous communities and their connection to cultural identity and the underlying spiritual values of indigenous peoples. He concluded, “The Declaration affirms this close relationship, in the framework of their right, as peoples, to self-determination in the framework of the States in which they live.”

9885. Global Mental Health: Changing Norms, Constant Rights

Author:
Lawrence O. Gostin and Lance Gable
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
Of all the vulnerable groups that face stigmatization in our society, persons with mental disabilities are perhaps the most disadvantaged. The litany of abuses perpetrated against persons with mental disabilities is long and sadly varied. Persons with mental disabilities have been involuntarily confined with-out due process or adequate cause, subjected to squalid living conditions, denied appropriate care and treatment both with-in and outside of institutions, and confronted with daunting physical and social barriers that prevent their full participation in society. Moreover, the widespread recognition of this mis-treatment has not prevented it from continuing to occur in multiple locations around the world. The vast majority of communities continue to treat individuals with mental disabilities according to the hurtful and incorrect stereotypes associated with incompetency and dangerousness.

9886. Changing the Political Climate on Climate Change

Author:
Tom Daschle
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
The primary foreign policy challenge confronting the United States in the next three decades is also our country's largest domestic policy challenge: climate change. In both arenas—foreign and domestic policy—we are in effect racing the clock, aware that the longer we delay action, the more costly the fixes at home will be, and the less able we will be to induce the kind of change necessary in China, India, and beyond.
Political Geography:
United States, China, and India

9887. The Sarkozy Effect: France's New Presidential Dynamic

Author:
J.G. Shields
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
Nicolas Sarkozy's presidential campaign was predicated on the need for change in France, for a break—“une rupture”—with the past. His election as president of the French Republic on 6 May 2007 ushered in the promise of a new era. Sarkozy's presidency follows those of the Socialist François Mitterrand (1981-95) and the neo-Gaullist Jacques Chirac (1995-2007), who together occupied France's highest political office for more than a quarter-century. Whereas Mitterrand and Chirac bowed out in their seventies, Sarkozy comes to office aged only fifty-two. For the first time, the French Fifth Republic has a president born after the Second World War, as well as a president of direct immigrant descent.
Political Geography:
France

9888. A French Action Figure: Nicolas Sarkozy's First Months as President

Author:
Arthur Goldhammer
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
On 6 May 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy was elected the sixth president of France's Fifth Republic with just over 53 percent of the vote. In campaigning for the post, he proposed a series of economic and social reforms, and upon taking office he moved with surprising speed to implement them. In the scant months since his election, President Sarkozy has surprised the French by the decisiveness and vigor of his actions and impressed more minds than would be pleased to admit it—including many who opposed his election—with the zeal with which he has applied himself to the job.
Political Geography:
France

9889. Battling Botnets and Online Mobs: Estonia's Defense Efforts during the Internet War

Author:
Gadi Evron
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
What would happen if tomorrow the Internet ceased to function? To most critics, and particularly state officials and policy makers, the possibility that the Internet could one day suddenly disappear is no more than a mere speculation, a highly improbable concept. On May 2007, the events that took place in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, proved everyone wrong. On that day, Estonia fell victim to the first-ever, real Internet war. This article delves into the political context that shaped the incident and analyzes some of the key lessons and policy implications that emerged as a consequence.
Political Geography:
Estonia

9890. Turkish Hindsight: Muslim Roots, Secular Minds

Author:
Imad-ad-Dean Ahmad
Publication Date:
01-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Institution:
Georgetown Journal of International Affairs
Abstract:
After eight decades of self-imposed exile on the periphery of Islamic affairs, Turkey is again emerging as a potentially major influence in the development of the Muslim world. Graham Fuller, in his book The New Turkish Republic: Turkey as a Pivotal State in the Muslim World , demonstrates that he is an analyst of scholarly temperament and sound per ception. He has thoughtfully assembled and organized the essential information that scholars, policymakers, and pundits in any way concerned with the Muslim world need to know about Turkey at this moment in history.
Political Geography:
Turkey