The way back in: Reintegrating illegal armed groups in Colombia then and now

Back in the early 1990s, Colombia reintegrated five left-wing guerrilla groups. Whether as groups or individuals, these guerrillas found space for legitimate political participation at the local and national levels. Society accepted them and they embraced democracy and contributed to the strengthening of liberal political ideas and human rights norms in the country. Fifteen years later Colombia is once again attempting to reintegrate ex-combatants, 33,000 from the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, the so-called ‘paramilitary’—a right-wing force that sought to fight guerrillas—and about 11,000 ‘individually demobilised’ combatants of FARC, ELN and AUC who have since 2002 deserted their group. This time, however, the task of transforming illegal armed groups into legitimate political entities is proving to be harder. In particular, the reintegration of the paramilitary has elicited wide criticism from Colombians and the international community. Why are things different today? By examining and comparing the processes of political reintegration of the M-19 and the paramilitary this article will argue that there are at least four critical factors that either allow or bar former combatants from becoming legitimate players with a capacity for political interlocution: the international and domestic political and normative contexts; the nature and behaviour of the illegal armed group (how much power they command, to what extent groups use war for personal profit and whether they commit egregious crimes); the terms of the peace negotiation; and the practical dimensions of exercising political interlocution.     

Veterinary services in the Horn of Africa: where are we now?

Pastoralists are marginalised in the Horn of Africa and receive inadequate veterinary services. Under economic structural adjustment programmes, public veterinary services became increasingly ineffective and, in response, community-based NGO programmes were established in some pastoral areas. While these programmes were often considered to be effective, with few exceptions they were small in scale, isolated from central government, and based on subsidised systems of drug distribution. Consequently, their sustainability was questionable. Governments now have incentives to improve veterinary services to pastoralists because of new possibilities for increasing livestock exports alongside new concerns about protecting consumers from livestock-related diseases. Current policy and institutional reform is encouraging a greater role for the private sector in service delivery but this is developing slowly, particularly in pastoral areas where future provision is likely to involve public–private partnerships.     

欧盟对印关系初探

欧印关系近年来突飞猛进,从开启首脑对话大门到确立战略伙伴关系,相隔不过4年时间。如今,双方在政治、经济、社会领域互动频繁,经济关系发展迅猛,战略伙伴关系正在落实。作为双方关系主要塑造者的欧盟,选择印度为外交重点出于三方面原因:发展到特定阶段的自然要求、现实利益驱动和战略上的考虑。欧盟与印度建立战略伙伴关系,不仅使欧印双方得益,而且对当前世界格局产生越来越显著的影响。     

The World and Me

At the invitation of Mr. Nakata Sen, Chief Director of the Japanese special non-profit organization The World, CAFIU’s Secretary- General Ni Jian and I visited Japan and attended the 10 th annual conference of The World from 20 th to 24 th August. It was my third visit to     

The Taliban and Islam

This paper examines the aims, motives and methods of the Taliban, the present rulers of most of Afghanistan. In accordance with their fundamentalist views the Taliban have established an Islamic system which focuses on the implementation of Shariah. This paper argues that the Taliban apply directly the divine injunctions which they have drastically sharpened - that means without being sanctioned by act of law of men. The government which the Taliban have set up has so far reached only a low level of institutionalization; the real power emanates from their leader, Mullah Omar.     

The Taliban and Islam

This paper examines the aims, motives and methods of the Taliban, the present rulers of most of Afghanistan. In accordance with their fundamentalist views the Taliban have established an Islamic system which focuses on the implementation of Shariah. This paper argues that the Taliban apply directly the divine injunctions which they have drastically sharpened ‐ that means without being sanctioned by act of law of men. The government which the Taliban have set up has so far reached only a low level of institutionalization; the real power emanates from their leader, Mullah Omar.     

The Soldier, The State, and The Clash of Civilizations: The Legacy of Samuel Huntington

The major military challenge that the United States faces today is the war in Afghanistan. The U.S. military is engaged in a grueling counterinsurgency campaign against the Islamist movement known as the Taliban, which is based among Pashtun tribes in Southeastern Afghanistan and Northwestern Pakistan, who have never been permanently subdued by a foreign military force. This challenge comes in the wake of that other grueling counterinsurgency war that the U.S. military has had to conduct in Iraq, where its chief adversary was the Islamist movement known as al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. Moreover, the challenge in Afghanistan comes on what could be the eve of an impending military challenge, perhaps even a war, with Iran, as that Islamist state relentlessly moves toward acquiring nuclear weapons. In its entire history of two- and-a-quarter centuries, the United States has never been engaged in an unbroken succession of three wars, in three different countries. Together, the U.S. wars with or within Islamist countries add up to what is a “long war,” indeed.     

韩国首都圈建设中的政府作用及其对京津合作发展的启示

韩国政府在首都圈发展过程采取了制定规划、建立协调机构和产业指导等多种措施,促进首都圈内分工与合作的良性局面。在控制首都圈的过程中,政策也出现过失误,致使首都圈过度集中问题依然十分严峻,这些都对京津发展具有借鉴意义,即树立城市发展的区域观念,加强政府作用与市场作用的对接、中央政府与地方政府的沟通,发挥科学规划的指导作用,加快立法工作的步伐。     

建设天津东疆自由贸易港区 促进环黄渤海区域经济发展与合作

国务院已经正式批准设立天津东疆保税港区,并允许东疆港区借鉴国际惯例在通关、外汇、物流、贸易、税收等多个领域先行先试,成为我国对外高度开放的示范区。保税港区是自由港的雏形,是向自由港的过渡。自由贸易港区是天津东疆保税港区的发展目标。建成后的天津东疆保税港将成为天津港作为世界一流大港的标志性区域和现代港口功能示范区,港口的建设与发展将对环黄渤海合作与发展产生不可估量的影响。     

朝鲜半岛紧张局势及其走势

2010年,朝韩对抗不断升级,半岛无核化难度增大,局势高度紧张。一、朝韩对抗不断升级“天安”舰事件致使朝鲜半岛南北关系从相对缓和转向直接对抗,美韩频繁联合军演和延坪岛炮击更是为朝韩对抗火上浇油。     

世俗制度的矛盾以及融合性的国家权力

现代欧美国家的权力体系可以被看为世俗化过程的产品,政教分离的过程推动了现代国家制度和权力逻辑的改革。除了主权和民主体系的凝聚之外,国家和社会的分离以及对公民权利的保护更成为欧美自由主义的核心要义。人民在宗教自由的保护之下能够抵抗国家强迫人民接受特定教义的宣导,但是个人的自由却也让共同体认同逐渐流失。中立性让国家无法凝聚共同价值观,现代世俗国家因此陷入进退两难的窘境:世俗制度一方面给予多元社会和平生存的环境,但是另一方面也让国家体系受到社会瘫痪的威胁,自由国家在制度上给予平行社会生长的土壤。现代国家在面对恐怖主义和极端民粹思维时要重新考虑国家承担的政治责任问题,除了要掌握融合性的国家权力之外,更要在政治思想上重新创造共同的价值观。     

The WTO and foreign investment

The European Commission and other OECD countries would like a foreign-investment treaty (or 'multilateral investment agreement') within the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This would allow foreign companies to establish themselves with 100 per cent equity in all sectors (except security) in any WTO country; and receive 'national treatment' on a par with local firms. National policies favouring local enterprises or facilities would be deemed discriminatory, and thus illegal under WTO rules. The penalties for non-compliance with WTO agreements are extensive. This article explores the grave implications of such a treaty for developing countries, and suggests alternatives that are available to them.