Archive 1986 – 2017

LONDON – George W.Bush, the world now realizes, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. World events, everything from the political composition of the U.S. Supreme Court, from terrorism to the American economy seem to have a preordained way of working in his electoral favour. Again it is happening with Latin America. By rights the chickens should be coming home to roost as Bush girds up for his end of week visit to Mexico, Peru and Central America but, in fact, Argentina apart, the tides, both political and economic, appear to be working in his favour. Just the other day the International Monetary Fund issued a report saying that Latin America was “set for recovery”, likely to benefit from lower financing costs, higher commodities and an expected rebound in the U.S. economy, with a projected growth by the end of the year of 4% (excluding Argentina).  For the last...

The Invention of Peace. Reflections on War and International Order By Michael Howard Yale University Press, 2000 The professor of military history of the universities of Yale and Oxford here in a short book distills the great historical sweep of his earlier volumes. With his usual felicity of expression he explains the origins of war in human society, its ingrained nature through the millennia, and argues that it would be foolish to believe that after the Cold War permanent peace has come upon us.I recomend this book for those who like the long view of history and who like to be convinced that mankind will never change its (violent)spots!

LONDON – In his autobiography “A Soldier’s Way”, General Colin Powell recounts the build up to the 1991 Gulf War when he was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Dick Cheney was the Secretary of Defence. “Cheney kept assigning me last-minute tasks….He had a third question and I jotted it down in my notebook simply as “prefix 5”, my nuclear qualification code. “Let’s not even think about nukes”, I said, “You know we’re not going to let that genie loose”. “Of course not”, Cheney said. “But take a look to be thorough and just out of curiosity”. Colin L. Powell – A Soldier’s Way (UK Edition) Colin L. Powell – My American Journey (US Edition) Powell played the same role in the Administration of Bush father as he does in that of Bush son, the voice of reason, not the token black but the token liberal who is allowed to speak, in...

Tibetan Centre For Conflict Resolution, TCCRNangsi Rest HouseDharamsala -176215.Distt. Kangra, (H.P.) India.Telephone : 01892-26627 Tibetan Centre for Conflict Resolution (TCCR) is a non-profitable, educational organisation dedicated to the non-violent management of conflicts in the Tibetan Community and the world as a whole. Tibetan Centre for Conflict Resolution Aims : To promote the approaches and tools of non-violent conflict resolution and democratic processes in our Tibetan community in exile and elsewhere. Thus strengthening our unity, which, in turn ensures the continuance of our non-violent struggle in the long run. We Believe That : Conflicts are challenges Conflicts are life’s challenges to us. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama said during a private audience to us, “As long as there is human Society, there will always be conflicts. As I always say that if we do not want conflicts at all we have to make the entire humanity stupid or dull, and...

LONDON – Only this weekend’s election can save Zimbabwe- once the star of black Africa- from total ruin. And even that is uncertain. A country so mismanaged requires more than a new leader and governing party. It requires ten years of political calm and incorruptible government to get back on its feet. And Zimbabwe for all the intimidatatory tactics of President Robert Mugabe remains a democracy and thus Mugabe, even if he loses the poll, will live to fight another day, able to mobilize the bitterness and resentment of the poor and unemployed to undermine a new government, as he has worked to undermine the opposition the last few years. The trouble with Robert Mugabe is that his single-minded, Marxist militancy that was a useful tool in driving to defeat the white, racist, government of Rhodesia (as it then was) and its British supporters in the Conservative party is the same...

By Zelim Skurbaty, Ph.D., LL.D., The Danish Center for Human Rights  Speech delivered at the Graduation Ceremony forthe Master of Arts Students in Human Righs and Democratization16 November 2001, Malta University, Valetta Only for those without hope that hope is given to us Good afternoon Mr. Rector, members of the University Senate, graduates, teachers, friends, First of all, I want to thank on behalf of the Danish Center for Human Rights as well as on my own behalf Prof. Roger Michaleff, Rector of the Malta University, the Dean of the Faculty of Laws Prof. Ian Refalo, the Foundation for International Studies, Mr. Leslie Agius along with Ms Cynthia D’Amato and Ms Therese Cachia, for the honor to be part of this solemn and important ceremony. I feel grateful and privileged at the opportunity to address the graduates as well as the ‘rookies’ of the master of Arts human rights. The...

A Balkan perspective 1. A Global Perspective and General Deliberations – and Concrete Repercussions September 11th will surely go down in the annals of terrorism as a defining moment. Terrorism had long been recognised as a global, regional, and national security threat, but the developments of the last year have the potential to outline the future shape of the world community. September 11th gave momentum to two processes, the consequences of which are very difficult to control or foresee. The mass-scale terrorist attacks and the ‘war on terrorism’ are caught in the same vicious circle. They comprise a global spiral of violence. The crucial difference behind this ‘post-modern’ terrorism is that it involves major non-state and state powers: a powerful global network of terrorist cells, Al-Qaeda, and the only global super-power, the USA. Unfortunately, the struggle between the ‘elephants’ brings heavy consequences to the ‘ants’ of the ‘global village’. Certain...

Since we agreed to work towards the convening of this Conference, the whole world has been shaken to its foundations, first by the atrocities in the United States on September 11th, and then by the American response, which was to proclaim a “war against terrorism”, and to launch the first instalment of that war in Afghanistan. Critics at the time argued that terrorism ought properly to be understood as a criminal offence, and that a declaration of “war” against an enemy which was often shadowy and ill-defined, involved not only logistical but also logical problems which would cause serious difficulties as the project unwound. The subsequent bombardment of Afghanistan has of course created a large number of civilian casualties. By the end of 2001, as many or more innocent civilians had been killed in Afghanistan by high altitude bombardment as perished in the Twin Towers in New York in the...

Verden er blevet rystet i sit fundament, først af de grusomme begivenheder i USA 11. september og så af den påfølgende amerikanske erklæring om “krig mod terrorismen,” som startede med krigen mod Afghanistan. Kritikere argumenterede allerede dengang for at terrorisme måtte forstås som en kriminalforbrydelse og at en erklæring af “krig” mod en fjende, som var uklar og dårligt defineret, ikke alene giver logistiske men også logiske problemer, som kunne blive årsag til alvorlige vanskeligheder efterhånden som projektet rullede sig ud. Det følgende bombardement af Afghanistan har selvfølgelig skabt et stort antal civile dødsofre. Ved slutningen af 2001, var der dræbt ligeså mange eller flere i Afghanistan gennem bombning fra stor højde, end der dræbtes i de to tårne i New York ved september-angrebene. Men endnu mere dyster er den fortsatte, konstante officielle hvisken om efterfølgende mål. Siden terrorisme er så vanskelig at udpege med præcision, kan den findes hér,...

By Lars-Olof Fredriksson, Major, Ret, M.Sc.Pol., Äänekoski, Finland March 5, 2002 I remember the peace discussions and the marches of the sixties, with their focus on the Cold war re-armament and the rapid increase in strategic weapons, especially in Europe. As a young officer I defended non-alliance and independent defence, as I do today. In the Finnish discussions, in many parties and organisations, there were strong currents from backing the right of the Soviet Union to re-arm, all in the name of the solidarity and peace. Does it seem familiar somehow? Do we hear the same type of rhetoric now rumbling from the West as President Bush asserts his right to fight a total war against terrorism, speaks about the “axis of evil” and divides the world into those who are with the U.S. and those who are not. The peace of the Cold war was grounded in the capabilities...

Danish Daily Ekstrabladets “Frontalt” feature, February 14, 2002Translated from Danish by Theresa Marlan An open letter to the Danish and other Nordic governments Remember the innocent dead in Afghanistan too As did other European Union countries, Denmark observed three minutes of silence for the innocent victims killed in the terrorist attack upon the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on the 11th of September last year. A memorial service was also held in Copenhagen with representatives from the government, the Royal family and from The United States. Out of a similar humanitarian consideration, it is my opinion that Denmark and like minded countries should show the innocent victims killed in Afghanistan the same honour. On the grounds of principle and because there is an obvious connection between the two events. All religions maintain that each human life is sacred. Humanism is built, amongst other things, upon the premise that each...

At 86, Robert S. McNamara has written yet another book filled with wisdom and vision, Wilson’s Ghost, co-authored by James G. Blight. It is subtitled Reducing the risk of conflict, killing, and catastrophe in the 21st century. It’s a unique and moving reading experience. McNamara has almost forty years in public service; he served as Secretary of Defence to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson from 1961 to 1968. Robert S. McNamara & James G. Blight Through this work he offers personal lessons learned from both the Vietnam War and the Cuban Missile Crisis while he uses the framework of President Woodrow Wilson’s ideas to produce what I judge to be the most compelling realistic blueprint for a new American foreign and security policy. The personalities in the Bush administration would be wise to study McNamara’s morally and intellectually powerful and consistent exposé. I fear they won’t. Wilson’s Ghost is a book way beyond their frame...