December 2003

LONDON – The White House and Downing Street have been caught off balance- not so much by the sudden success of capturing Saddam Hussein but by something more subtle. Rather than having to gradually introduce democracy to an unwelcoming body politic in Iraq they are being paced to introduce it sooner rather than later by none other than the powerful Shi’ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Husseini al-Sistani. So much for notions that Islam and especially the Shi’ite clergy (who hold sway in Iran’s theocracy) are unfertile ground for the ideas of the European and American Enlightenment. But the occupying powers are saying an election can’t administratively be held so quickly. At bottom this is probably an argument about can the voters be trusted rather than the mechanics of voter registration. Deep within the White House and Downing Street lurks a fear that the so-called “fundamentalists” might do rather well in an...

The “velvet revolution” in Georgia has shown that violent political systems based on the violation of human rights always collapse. There were several reasons for the “velvet revolution” that started against the government of Georgia. One of the main reasons behind the revolution was structural violence. Indirect violence has been used against the population of Georgia for quite some time and it had become the foundation of the internal-domestic policy. The human rights of all citizens of the country were violated. On the one hand, we saw the violation of human rights of the citizens of Georgia; on the other hand a corrupt government. These together created the fundamental dynamics of conflict escalation between the population and the government of Shevardnadze. The state had neither capacity nor an appropriate agenda to develop successful economic, political and social programs that could or would have satisfied the basic human needs of the...

Founders Christina Spännar and Jan Oberg have been awarded the Annual Award for Building Peace by the City of Castelnuova Magra. The ceremony will take place in Castelnuovo Magra on December 10. The Award is related to Dante Alighieri who – exiled in the land of Lunigiana, – in 1306 mediated a peace agreement between the powerful Malespina family and the Bishop Count’s diocese, after years of war. Thus, the Municipal Council of Castelnuovo Magra has written into the Preamble of the Statutes of the City “that Castelnuovo and its people are obliged to work for peace and “to learn how to become peace makers.” The Award which is given in co-operation with the Buddhist Institute of Soka Gakkai of Italy goes to personalities who have distinguished themselves in the promotion of a peace culture. The founders have asked to receive the Award on behalf of all who are related to and...