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391. After Enlargement: Europe's New Migration System

Author:
Adrian Favell
Publication Date:
12-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
Policy makers underestimate the importance of underlying demographics and labour market dynamics on future East-West migration in Europe. Flows have generally been demand driven, and have therefore been drawn by European nations with the most open and informal labour markets – such as Britain, Ireland, Italy and Spain –rather than more highly regulated welfare states such as Denmark. They are also more likely to be circular and temporary than one way immigration. I discuss the desirability of the apparently inevitable trend in Europe towards a more US style international labour market that strongly parallels the migration system between the US and Mexico. The underlying trend in Europe is towards the emergence of a more regionalised system, in which West European societies come to rely on East European movers to fill secondary labour market needs in the service economy, rather than more racially or ethnically distinct non-European immigrants.
Topic:
Development, Migration, and Politics
Political Geography:
Europe

392. An unlikely match or a marriage in the making? EU-GCC relations in a changing security environment

Author:
Helle Malmvig
Publication Date:
11-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
The EU hopes to play a more active role in the Gulf region. Despite the region's obvious strategic importance the EU has until recently focussed on the so-called Mediterranean countries in North Africa and the Levant. The Gulf in turn has been heavily dominated by the US politically and militarily, and the EU has at best played a secondary role to America on issues of trade and liberalization.
Topic:
Security and International Organization
Political Geography:
Middle East and North Africa

393. Water reform - implications for rural poor people's access to water

Author:
Helle Munk Ravnborg and Claus Aagaard
Publication Date:
08-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
Many countries are currently in a process of water reform, often motivated by increasing and a changing composition – and strength – of demands for fresh water. In many countries this reform process has been met with opposition from all political corners, including traditional water users such as large scale farmers and civil society organizations such as indigenous movements and environmental groups.
Topic:
Development, Health, Human Welfare, and Poverty
Political Geography:
Africa

394. UN-led Strategies for Media and Communications in Conflict Prevention and Peace Building

Author:
Bent Nørby Bonde
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
Media have contributed significantly to the escalation of violent conflicts, but also have a strong potential for contributing to peace building and conflict transformation. The sooner the first steps are taken towards changing the existing media the cheaper and more efficient this process will become. The need for boosting the rapid deployment is evident.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, Development, Peace Studies, and United Nations
Political Geography:
Yugoslavia

395. Post-Conflict Security Sector Reform and the Challenge of Ownership - The Case of Liberia

Author:
Louise Riis Andersen
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
Security Sector Reform has become a pivotal part of international peacebuilding efforts. Donor agencies and Western government are devoting substantial resources to strengthen the legitimacy and efficiency of war-torn societies' security systems. At the same time, it is commonly accepted that lasting solutions cannot be imposed on societies. In order to be sustained, reforms must be locally owned. Based on an outline of the concept of Security Sector Reform and a presentation of two different approaches to ownership, the brief discusses the ongoing SSR-process in Liberia in view of the recent shift from a transitional to a democratically elected government. It identifies dilemmas between the current SSR-agenda and the objective of ownership, and argues that a more inclusive and less state-centred approach is needed.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, Security, and International Cooperation
Political Geography:
Africa

396. Upping the Ante - The North Korean Nuclear Deterrent

Author:
Martin Rødbro
Publication Date:
07-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
A party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) since 1985, North Korea in 2003 admitted that the country had nuclear weapons; a message that stunned the world. The announcement was made following a long conflict with the International Community (IC) where first the North Korean regime had limited International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections in 1992 and since had been playing a dangerous tit-for-tat game with the IC over its nuclear program.
Topic:
International Relations, Security, and Nuclear Weapons
Political Geography:
Asia and North Korea

397. Understanding Multinational Corporations in War-torn Societies: Sudan in Focus

Author:
Luke A. Patey
Publication Date:
04-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
There is a clear starting point for engaging Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in war-torn societies: understand the factors that determine the behaviour of these enterprises in the instable and insecure environments in which they operate. It is certainly a worthwhile objective considering the immense influence, whether deliberate or not, MNCs have on many civil wars in the developing world. Just as MNCs can act as sources of economic and social development, they can also factor into the reasoning of contemporary civil war.
Topic:
Economics, Industrial Policy, and War
Political Geography:
Africa

398. Diasporas and Conflict Resolution - Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

Author:
Eva Østergaard-Nielsen
Publication Date:
03-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
Diaspora and exile groups may play an important, but sometimes also controversial role in conflicts and political unrest in their countries of origin. This is by no means a new phenomenon. Yet, the growing number of intra-state conflicts, the enhanced possibilities for transnational communication, mobilization and action as well as the upsurge in domestic and international security concerns after 9/11, have heightened attention to the role of diasporas. For some, diasporas are irresponsible long distance nationalist or fundamentalists that perpetuate conflicts through economic and political support or intervention. Others have noted how diaspora and exile groups are committed to non-violent conflict resolution and may stimulate and reinforce local processes of democratization and post-conflict reconstruction in their countries of origin. This brief discusses a number of issues surrounding the complex and sometimes ambiguous role of diasporas and exiles in conflicts in their country of origin.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, International Relations, and Migration
Political Geography:
Africa

399. African Diaspora and Post-Conflict Reconstruction in Africa

Author:
Abdullah A. Mohamoud
Publication Date:
02-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
Many domestic conflicts in numerous countries in Africa have not only been regionalised but they are also largely internationalised among other factors through the activities of diaspora groupings. Avail-able evidence suggests that homeland conflicts also directly affect the lives and well-being of the diaspora despite the fact that they are far away from the conflict zones. This reality therefore makes it imperative to address also the international dimension of the conflict, particularly the critical role that African diaspora groups play with regard to homeland conflicts. The connection between the African diaspora's activities and the dynamics of conflict in their homelands is a dimension that has been largely overlooked in research and policy analysis despite its critical significance.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, International Relations, and Migration
Political Geography:
Africa

400. The Danish ugly duckling and the Mohammed cartoons

Author:
Ulla Holm
Publication Date:
02-2006
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Danish Institute for International Studies
Abstract:
Abroad, Denmark is for the time being considered an ugly duckling in international politics because of the publication of the cartoons on Mohammed. This perception of Denmark has shocked the political establishment and the population, because Denmark has had until now a very good reputation in international politics. This brief argues that the construction of Danish national identity as a homogeneous, harmonious ethnic entity makes it difficult for Danish governments to conduct foreign policy that takes into consideration other cultures. The Danish vision of being morally superior to other countries because of its welfare state and egalitarian politics enhances this attitude to other countries. The question is therefore how Denmark may become a swan again.
Topic:
International Relations, Politics, and Religion
Political Geography:
Europe