NGOs and Ethnic Conflict: Lessons from the Work of the Project on Ethnic Relations in the Balkans

This article examines the impact of nongovernmental organization-sponsored contact and communication on fostering peaceful solutions to ethnic conflict via case studies of the activities of the Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) in Romania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia. It explores five operational principles that guide PER activity: creating credible, neutral forums for dialogue; maintaining momentum; working within political realities; encouraging indigenous solutions from within existing processes; and acting with the backing of powerful states. These principles explain PER's success as a "weak mediator" of ethnic conflicts. According to this analysis, PER also exhibits organizational characteristics that contribute to success, including nonpartisanship, area expertise and extensive networks of local contacts, and an ability to secure the trust of local actors.
A significant indicator of the success of PER activities is the establishment by conflicting parties of institutionalized mechanisms for addressing their differences. Contrary to the view that electoral competition contributes to conflict, this study finds that the possibility of achieving an electoral advantage by participating cooperatively in conflict resolution activities creates incentives for local actors to recognize opportunities offered by PER activities and leads local actors to heed PER's advice. Finally, the article offers a cautionary observation. While PER's perceived influence with major international actors may contribute to its local successes, once a state actor with the power to impose a solution has committed itself to ending a conflict, its preferences outweigh any local interests in determining the outcome and renders the efforts of a "weak mediator" such as PER irrelevant.     

生态政治价值系统论析

依据生态政治本身的系统组成,其价值系统应分为自然-社会-政治价值系统、社会-政治价值系统、政治内系统价值系统。生态政治自然-社会-政治价值系统具有政治化的自然工具价值、政治化的自然享用价值、政治化的自然生态价值(有的学者认为也具有政治化的自然自价值)。在生态政治社会-政治价值系统中,“社会政治化”是问题的关键所在,而“社会政治化”又与“市民社会”、“政治社会”的彼此消长紧密相联。在生态政治的政治内系统价值系统中,则需着重探讨生态政治中的政治主体、政治理论、政治道德、政治规范等方面的问题。     

英国的调解制度--近期发展

本文分析了英国近来的一些案例,介绍了英国在采取非诉方法解决争议方面的最新发展,强调了法院在一些案件中的态度.     

《水浒传》与百年"好汉山东"叙事

就山东的地域文化来说,占主流地位的是以孔孟为代表的儒家思想。但是,作为一种文化形象,体现着民间色彩的"好汉山东"形象却更为人们所认同、流传更广泛。这一现象的出现,与《水浒传》的传播有着极大关系。《水浒传》不仅在"好汉山东"这一地域文化形象的建构过程中起了重要作用,也以其特色鲜明的英雄叙事传统,深深地影响了百年"好汉山东"的文学想象与书写方式。