The EU in Somalia: Furthering Peacemaking and Reconciliation

Since the Transitional Federal Institutions were established after the 2002 Nairobi Conference, the situation in Somalia has seen two drastic about-turns – in opposite directions. In June 2006, starting out from Mogadishu, the Islamic Courts rapidly extended their control over most of south-central Somalia. Now, after the Ethiopean military intervention, the Transitional Government is trying to establish itself in the capital and to effectively exercise its formal authority for the first time. But the military defeat of the Courts has not solved the problems that initially made their success possible. Only reconciliation can create real stability and the European Union can contribute to achieving this. A peaceful and stable Horn of Africa is in the EU's interest, given the risks of it becoming a breeding ground for Al Qaeda-like organisations and a source of immigration. Somalia could also become a test case for solving the problems of a failed state by peaceful means, and an example of the EU's willingness and ability to have an effective dialogue with the Islamic world. Success in Somalia would strengthen the EU as a regional player with Arab and Muslim countries.     

Prediction of stature based on radiographic measurements of cadaver long bones: a study of the Croatian population

We tested a new approach to the stature prediction that could be used in the identification process of human skeletal remains of unknown identity. The stature of 19 female and 21 male adult cadavers was measured within 24 h after death and considered to be equal to the living stature. The antero-posterior radiographs of all limbs were taken, and the maximum length of the six long bones was measured from radiographs. There was a significant difference in the stature and maximum length of long bones between female and male cadavers (p<0.001 for all). The correlation between the stature and long bone length was the best for the humerus in females (r=0.792) and the tibia in males (r=0.891). Regression equations specific to the Croatian population were computed separately for each long bone in males and females and proven to be reliable in predicting the living stature of the individual.     

Racial Differences in Public Support for the Death Penalty: Can Racist sentiment and Core Values Explain the Racial Divide?

Prior research has established a strong and enduring “racial divide” in support for capital punishment, but little research has explored the processes that explain the racial divide. Following the lead of Unnever and Cullen (Social Forces 85:1281–1301, 2007a), this research explores whether racist sentiment and core values (individualism, egalitarianism, symbolic patriotism, and authoritarianism) can partially explain the racial divide in public support for capital punishment. The findings suggest that racist sentiment by Whites and belief in core values by Whites partially explains the racial divide in support for capital punishment.     

Indian migrants in Britain

This article discusses the social linkages between Gujarati migrants in Britain and their family members in India. It considers the home and the migrant community in the same unit of analysis rather than as separate communities. It is based on fieldwork conducted in 1998 among members of the Patidar community in rural central Gujarat and among their relatives in London in 1999.This article is based on the data collected for our research project titled `Long-Distance Familism; Social Linkages between West India and Britain; The Case of the Patidars from Central Gujarat', sponsored by the Indo-Dutch Programme on Alternatives in Development (IDPAD). An earlier version of the paper was presented at the conference on Asia in Europe, Europe in Asia, 7-8 December 2001, Singapore, organised by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS).