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61. Europe and the Middle East: Towards A Substantive Role in the Peace Process?

Author:
Roland Dannreuther
Publication Date:
08-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
The Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Abstract:
The Middle East is the region where Europeans have, arguably, most strongly felt their loss of great power status. During the nineteenth century, European powers encroached upon, occupied and annexed various territories in the Middle East. With the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire after World War 1, Britain, and to a lesser degree France, became the undisputed external actors in the region and in large part created the modern Middle Eastern state system. Although a certain degree of power was devolved to local leaders, Britain and France ensured their prerogatives over foreign and defence issues and assumed responsibility for regional stability. Other powers, such as the Soviet Union and the United States, were not absent from the region but did not essentially challenge the European hegemony. The Soviet Union's power projection had been greatly reduced in the aftermath of revolution, civil war and internal consolidation; the United States deliberately abstained from assuming a political role, with all its tainted colonial connotations, and only demanded an 'open doors' policy in relation to its trade and commercial interests. In this relatively unchallenged strategic environment, Britain had a remarkable freedom to act as the principal regional security actor. In practice, the period of British dominance was to be relatively brief, being characterised by one historian as 'Britain's moment' in the Middle East, and was also increasingly to be frustrated by the growing inter-ethnic conflict in Palestine.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution and Peace Studies
Political Geography:
Britain, Europe, Middle East, France, and Soviet Union

62. Sharing Best Practices on Conflict Resolution

Author:
John Packer, Augustine Toure, Albrecht Schnabel, and Chandra Lekha Sriram
Publication Date:
04-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
International Peace Institute
Abstract:
The UN does not act alone in conflict prevention. It is important for the UN to identify other actors with comparative advantages in certain aspects of conflict prevention, and to partner wisely with them. These may include regional and subregional organizations as well as local actors such as states or civil society organizations. Increased coordination between the UN and regional, subregional and civil society organizations might enable better linkages between national, regional and international conflict prevention efforts and improve planning at the field and headquarters level. Regional and subregional organizations offer important opportunities for partnering for the UN, but are quite varied in terms of resources, the political will that they can mobilize, and institutional capacity. Development of institutional capacity within nations to manage conflict peacefully can be assisted and encouraged by regional organizations and others. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's High Commissioner on National Minorities may be one example; the work of Organization of African States in democratization and human rights is also instructive. UN and World Bank development activities are increasingly being viewed through a conflict-prevention lens; their evaluations may help in not only identifying early warning signs, but also in developing strategies that mitigate the potential for violent conflict. Such analyses and approaches could be usefully adapted by regional and subregional organizations. The UN Staff College training course in early warning and preventive measures has sought to develop analytic skills in staff such that early warning can be translated into specific policy guidance. Such training will be available to some regional organization staff; the courses might usefully be adapted by such organizations for their own use.
Topic:
Civil Society, International Cooperation, Peace Studies, and United Nations
Political Geography:
Africa and Europe

63. French, UK, and US Policies to Support Peacekeeping in Africa: Current Status and Future Prospects

Author:
Eric G. Berman
Publication Date:
02-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
Abstract:
In May 1997, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States announced their joint “P-3 Initiative”, to harmonize their peacekeeping capacity-building programs in Africa and foster an open dialogue between donors and recipients. The capacity-building programs of France, the UK and the US have since undergone numerous transformations. The centerpiece of French policy, the Renforcement des capacités Africaines de maintien de la paix (RECAMP) has had comparatively few changes to its basic structure, but has been scaled down. The UK African Peacekeeping Training Support Programme has given way to a much larger and more ambitious initiative. The US African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI) has evolved significantly and will undergo a more fundamental change in 2002, including shedding its name. Moreover, Washington initiated a new capacity-building policy in 2001, which dwarfed ACRI in terms of resources and introduced the provision of lethal equipment.
Topic:
Peace Studies
Political Geography:
Africa, United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and France

64. ECMI Civil Society Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina: National Minorities and Educational Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Author:
Valery Perry
Publication Date:
11-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
Educational reform efforts have been recommended, developed and implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) by various small and large organizations for several years. One significant initiative was the Shared Modernization Strategy implemented by the European Commission in 2001 and 2002, which sought to integrate local actors and experts in the reform and modernization process. In the summer of 2002, a broader, widely supported, coordinated and dedicated reform effort was initiated by the OSCE, which raised the profile of the issue of education as a key element of peace building, economic growth and post-war reconstruction.
Topic:
Civil Society, Education, Peace Studies, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:
Europe

65. Negotiation and Capacity Building in Montenegro: Workshop on Education, Workshop 4: Education

Author:
Tobias K. Vogel
Publication Date:
06-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
The ECMI project “Negotiation and Capacity Building in Montenegro” was launched with the aim to establish a Track II informal negotiation process providing a forum for interethnic dialogue between Serbian and Montenegrin communities, which includes minority communities from the Sandžak border region. Through a series of workshops, the project aims to help promote dialogue, identify issues of common concern and assist in delivering concrete benefits as well as building confidence between the communities involved. By focusing the debate on the concrete needs of these communities, the project seeks to facilitate thinking about future interethnic relations in a less charged atmosphere, irrespective of the deeper political questions on the future constitutional arrangements of the two republics.
Topic:
Civil Society, Education, Peace Studies, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:
Europe

66. ECMI Civil Society Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Ensuring Effective Implementation of Annex 8 through the Establishment of a Cultural Heritage Association, Implementation Workshop 1

Author:
Valery Perry
Publication Date:
10-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
The ECMI Civil Society Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) began its effort on the role of Annex 8 legislation and implementation in autumn 2001 in order to provide a forum for experts to discuss an issue that had been largely neglected since the signing of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (GFAP, or the Dayton Peace Agreement) in 1995. Annex 8 of the GFAP established a Commission to Preserve National Monuments in the wake of the destruction that devastated the cultural heritage of BiH during the war 1992-1995. Through conversations with experts in BiH and from throughout the region, ECMI recognized the potential that this Annex could have on peace-building and reconciliation in BiH.
Topic:
Civil Society, Peace Studies, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:
Europe

67. Negotiation and Capacity Building in Montenegro, Workshop 5: Administration of Justice

Author:
Tobias K. Vogel
Publication Date:
06-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
The ECMI project “Negotiation and Capacity Building in Montenegro” was launched with the aim to establish a Track II informal negotiation process providing a forum for interethnic dialogue between Serbian and Montenegrin communities, which includes minority communities from the Sandžak border region. Through a series of workshops, the project aims to help promote dialogue, identify issues of common concern and assist in delivering concrete benefits as well as building confidence between the communities involved. By focusing the debate on the concrete needs of these communities, the project seeks to facilitate thinking about future interethnic relations in a less charged atmosphere, irrespective of the deeper political questions on the future constitutional arrangements of the two republics.
Topic:
Civil Society, Peace Studies, and Regional Cooperation
Political Geography:
Europe

68. ECMI Civil Society Project in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace and the Role of the Preservation of National Monuments in Successful Peace Implementation

Author:
Valery Perry
Publication Date:
04-2002
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
During the recent armed conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) the destruction of the cultural heritage of several communities was an undeclared aim of some of the parties to the conflict. Over 1,000 mosques were destroyed or damaged, and hundreds of Catholic and Orthodox churches were also damaged or destroyed. Non-sacred structures suffered as well, most famously the Ottoman era bridge in Mostar, and hundreds of other bridges, Roman ruins, and medieval sites have suffered from a combination of the damage of war and a decade of neglect.
Topic:
Civil Society, Non-Governmental Organization, and Peace Studies
Political Geography:
Europe

69. Improving Upon Nature: Creating Competitive Advantage in Ceramic Tile Clusters in Italy, Spain, and Brazil

Author:
Jorg Meyer-Stamer, Silene Seibel, and Claudio Maggi
Publication Date:
10-2001
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for Development and Peace
Abstract:
This paper shows how using a combination of a cluster and a global value chain approach helps to assess local competitive strategies and upgrading possibilities. The global ceramic tile industry is dominated by two industrial clusters, Sassuolo in Italy and Castellón in Spain, which are not only dominating tile production in their respective countries and in Europe but are also the global technology leaders and the leading exporters. The Italian tile manufacturers are closely linked with capital goods manufacturers, the Spanish with producers of glazing materials. The equipment and materials producers drive technical change and innovation in tile design, whereas the tile manufacturers try to establish a competitive advantage in particular by innovating in downstream activities: training tilers, establishing diversified brands for different sales channels, and going into direct sales. Analyzing the value chain, from inputs and capital goods to final sales, offers new insights into scope and alternatives of local upgrading. It also helps to reassess the competitiveness of tile clusters in the developing world. This is done for Brazil's leading cluster which is located in Santa Catarina. Tile firms there can benefit from the fierce rivalry among Italian capital goods producers and among Spanish producers of glazing materials, as well as the rivalry between Italy and Spain. They are technology followers. However, having to deal with a volatile and very competitive market, they are innovative in downstream activities, experimenting with concepts which are not yet used by Italian or Spanish manufacturers.
Topic:
Development, Economics, and Peace Studies
Political Geography:
Europe, Brazil, Spain, and Italy

70. Conflict, Conflict Resolution and the Children of Northern Ireland: Towards Understanding the Impact on Children and Families

Author:
Erin L. Lovell and E. Mark Cummings
Publication Date:
12-2001
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame
Abstract:
This review employs a multidisciplinary approach to consider the effects of conflict and conflict processes on children in the case of Northern Ireland. Conflict process is likely to effect children at multiple and different levels of societal functioning, with each level capturing a unique element of the effects of conflict processes on children. Thus, understanding each part of the process is likely to contribute towards a more complete understanding than is possible by focusing only on any one level of analysis. Various levels of analysis (e.g., economic, political, institutional, educational) of the effects of communal conflict on adults and children in Northern Ireland have been considered elsewhere (INCORE, 1995). The specific gap addressed in this paper is to further the conceptualization of the psychological, sociological, and familial processes in children that may be affected by communal conflict in Northern Ireland. A related goal is to place these conceptualizations in terms of a broader framework for understanding the complexity of the processes underlying the impact of the conflict.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Security, Peace Studies, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
Europe and North Ireland