Studies in War-time Organisation: (5) AFLOC

War-emergency is one of the few occasions when the problemsof Africa can be treated as a whole, without too much regardfor national sovereignties or vested interests. The author ofthis article was put in charge of trans-African transport projectsat a time when existing supply routes to the Middle East werevery seriously threatened. His remarks have more than a merelyhistorical interest.     

Studies in War-time Organisation: (2) THE RESIDENT MINISTRY IN WEST AFRICA

One of the purest types of "functional" organisation, initiatedfor purely temporary purposes, and, with the alteration in thewar situation, almost inevitably gravitating to more long-distanceplanning, is the Resident Ministry in West Africa. This articlewas written, at our invitation, by a member of Lord Swinton'sHeadquarters staff, who wishes it to be understood that he iswriting in a purely private capacity.     

Studies in War-time Organisation: (6) East African Command.

This is an abridgement of a lecture which Gen. Platt gave onthe 31st October at a combined meeting with the Royal EmpireSociety. It has been included in the series on wartime organisationbecause the East Africa Command is possibly the most remarkableexample of the impact of war in the whole of the African Continent.Gen. Platt was, of course, G.O.C., 1941–44.     

Studies in War-time Organisation: (4) The Union's Supply Effort

South Africa's war-time supply problems have led to a spectacularsuccess for her infant industry, under Government direction,as this note by the editor of "South Africa" explains. As tothe future General Smuts has said (at Bloemfontein last December):"It will be the policy of the Government as early as possibleto restore full freedom to private enterprise, unhampered bycontrols, except in exceptional cases called for by overallinterest."     

UZBEKISTAN AND THE UNITED STATES: INTERESTS AND AVENUES FOR COOPERATION

Uzbekistan has recently initiated a series of reforms in the wake of (former) President Islam Karimov's death in 2016. To what extent and why does Tashkent seek to liberalize? Concurrently, the United States - which curtailed ties with the Uzbekistani government in the aftermath of the 2005 Andijan massacre - has expressed renewed interest. What do Washington and Tashkent seek to gain by improving relations? This article posits that while the United States aspires to bolster regional support for the War in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan is mainly interested in consolidating a new regime and balancing against nearby Great Powers. As such, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev's reformist drive should not be construed as a categorical embrace of good governance but a means to reestablish Uzbekistan's geopolitical footing after more than a decade of isolation. Based upon this assessment, both sides can work to foster avenues for cooperation, while the United States encourages Uzbekistan to liberalize at its own pace.     

DISARMING SOMALIA: THE CONTRASTING FORTUNES OF UNITED STATES AND AUSTRALIAN PEACEKEEPERS DURING UNITED NATIONS INTERVENTION, 1992-1993

This article examines the impact of ‘micro disarmament’during the United States/United Nations humanitarian interventionin Somalia, 1992–93. To this end, it considers the controversialnature of the UNITAF mandate, the disarmament experiences ofAmerican and Australian peacekeepers in Mogadishu and Baidoaand the lessons yielded from a comparative analysis. The argumentthat emerges is that the absence of a consistent strategy linkingdisarmament and political reconciliation, not peace enforcementper se, largely condemned the UN operation to failure. If theUS had positioned itself, like the Australians in Baidoa, abovethe warlords instead of between them, the picture for UN interventionin Somalia may have looked quite different. The integrated Australianapproach revealed that the international community, confrontedwith other Somalias, may yet have a wider choice than impotenceor muscular peace-enforcement.     

Participation of African member states in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) multilateral trading system

Abstract

The core purpose and goals of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) are to enhance growth by allowing each country to trade freely according to its comparative advantage. The other stated main objectives of the WTO are: raising standards of living; providing full employment; reduction of tariffs and non‐tariff barriers; and the elimination of discriminatory treatment. According to the current orthodox economic view, trade openness is essential for growth: countries that liberalise their imports and orientate production towards exports are assumed to have faster growth than those that do not, and the faster the rate of opening, the greater will the prospect be for development. The emphasis on trade liberalisation and export orientation in the past ten years following the adoption of the Uruguay Round has led to phenomenal growth in world merchandise trade, which has grown consistently faster than output. The orthodox view approach is today expanded and modified with the view that liberalisation measures are not sufficient by themselves and should be accompanied by other factors such as sound macroeconomic policies, good governance and a modern infrastructure. Africa's dependence on primary commodities as a source of export earnings has meant that it is vulnerable to weather conditions, market vagaries, and price volatility, arising mainly from supply shock and the secular decline in real commodity prices. The attendant terms of trade losses have exacted heavy costs in terms of incomes, indebtedness, investment, poverty and development. Therefore, the basic approach that liberalisation has a direct link to economic growth and should be undertaken as fast as possible is being questioned and has been challenged by empirical studies in recent years. The relevant studies have shown that there is a lack of relationship between the degree of trade liberalisation and the rate of growth. The emerging paradigm accepts that there are possible costs, as well as potential benefits of trade liberalisation to a particular developing country, depending on the conditions in that country, and the type of liberalisation undertaken. The other impediments and weaknesses identified as affecting effective, efficient and economical participation of African members in the WTO include rapid liberalisation as potential source of fiscal instability; general absence of peace, security and democracy; globalisation and lack of competitive ability; supply‐side constraints; high export concentration ratio; problems of implementation; exclusion and/or marginalisation from knowledge‐based economy; and lack of capacity. The Doha Development Round was initiated to attend to, and address, these problems, and it is still too early to predict the outcome. African countries need to look for African solutions to their socio‐economic and political problems, adopting transdisciplinary approaches in the context of the African Renaissance paradigm.     

The Shanghai Co-operation Organisation: China's Initiative in Regional Institutional Building

China's initiative in establishing and promoting the development of the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) is an interesting case study of China's attempt at regional institution building. China's increasing interest in Central Asia coincided with its gradual acceptance and rising enthusiasm regarding participation in regional organisations. The “Shanghai Five” mechanism and the SCO were seen as appropriate mechanisms for pursuing China's multiple interests in the region; their development was also in line with the improvement in Sino-Russian relations. Chinese leaders have skilfully developed the SCO's institutional framework, and they seem intent on getting good value for the resources spent. The leaders have also demonstrated considerable patience when the SCO's development encountered setbacks.     

AFGHANISTAN: CROSSROADS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD (EXHIBITION ARTICLE)

A curtain-raiser by the curator of the Exhibition of Antiquities from Afghanistan, which opens at the British Museum on 3 March 2011. The exhibits come from the National Museum in Kabul and show the richness and extent of trade in ancient times through and with Afghanistan. They are from excavations at a number of sites, including Begram, Tilla Tepe and Ai Khanum.     

韩国学全球化的战略方法论——基于韩流经验的研究

本文旨在探讨韩国学研究在社会学领域构建普遍问题框架的方法和战略.为此,首先分析韩流的经验教训为构建韩国学的问题框架带来的启示;然后,着眼于韩国学的未来发展,从社会学的角度探讨普遍的知识体系应该关注的方法论策略.全球化带来了文化的广泛传播,强化了地方和世界之间的相互联系和沟通,所谓的全球本土化和本土全球化现象日益普遍.韩流作为一种创造性的杂糅文化,在跨文化交流中起到了重要作用.分析并借鉴韩流的经验及吸取其教训,有助于韩国学在国际学术界建立具有独创性的知识体系.为了在社会学领域实现韩国学的全球化,应该摒弃照搬西欧或美国学界框架的做法,开发出符合韩国社会历史现实的概念、理论和方法,根据韩国国情确立问题框架,对事实和价值做出判断,从韩国的角度分析和解释全球问题,实现韩国学的全球化,将韩国的特殊性与区域和世界的普遍性相结合,促进韩国学的发展.     

DON'T MENTION THE (AFGHAN) WAR: BRITAIN'S CURIOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH PAKISTAN

The article is based on Professor Lieven's recent book, Pakistan: a hard case. He starts by contrasting British and American attitudes, emphasising that Pakistan is far more important to Britain than Afghanistan as a result of the sheer size of the diaspora. And British officials and soldiers spent decades dealing with the North-West Frontier. They would not have been surprised by the shifting loyalties of the tribes, which are simply a fact of life. But the basic point of the book is to explain how the Pakistani system works. Pakistan is a troubled, but not a failing state. It is tougher than we think. But the very reasons for its toughness inhibit change. The military are over-powerful and the tax system is grossly inadequate. Cooperation over the terrorist threat to the West is good, but Afghanistan is another story. Pakistan is making its calculation on the basis of a western withdrawal, which would be welcomed by the average Pakistani. At some point the West will need to cut a deal with the Taliban and only Pakistan can get them to the table.     

波伏瓦及其存在的模糊性

波伏瓦的《模糊性的道德》对人类的生存状况作了深刻的思考。在萨特的存在主义影响下，波伏瓦开始研读黑格尔、克尔恺郭尔、康德等哲学先驱的著作，逐步形成了自己独到的存在主义哲学观，提出了“存在的模糊性”的观念，并且从美学、自由、行动和时间等角度分别阐述了其模糊性的特性和体现，最后提出要建立一种模糊性的道德。她主张承担自身的存在，争取自由，让我们的存在处于向无限性开放的有限性中。正像那个古老的谚语所说的那样：“不管结果怎样，做你该做的事。”如果每个人真的做他该做的事，那么每个人的存在将得到拯救。