Where in the world is South Africa? Lecture by Ambassador Tony Leon 14 February 2013

Most of the current constructs which theoretically underpin foreign policy for this country are either overblown or incoherent; they do not appropriately define or advance or prioritise South Africa's national interests abroad, nor do they acknowledge the tensions embedded in the clash between normative policies and realpolitik. Drawing from ‘real time’ experiences in international diplomacy, this lecture explores some of the dilemmas that South Africa, as a middle-range power in the world, confronts in its international engagements. The cost-effectiveness of South Africa's global projection is also examined, and some practical reforms to achieve better results in the current age of austerity suggested.     

Water Privatization in Spain

Abstract

Water management in Spain is submitted to a non‐uniform geographical and seasonal distribution of water resources. The non‐uniform distribution of resources is worsened by the non‐uniform allocation of demand (mainly irrigation and urban). Because that, water supply, aquifers, and wetlands are driven to a high risk. Even though, there are examples of good water management, as is shown for the private industrial productivity of used water. Spain has a very long tradition in public water management (first water law in 1879) at different levels from ministry to municipalities, including users communities. A lot of these organisations are anchored in very old ways of doing, given private sector the opportunity to enter and grow up. A survey about it is presented. In the management of urban water, there are different organisations involved: central administration; autonomic, regional and metropolitan authorities; urban water suppliers and the sanitation authority. The recently approved changes in the former Spanish Water Law, limiting water rights and introducing water market, the new and expected Hydrological National Plan and the European Framework Directive, reinforce the opportunities of the private sector to enter, giving financial resources, technological advances and quick answers to new social concepts in water managerial procedures. We can observe how the Spanish administration uses private water suppliers' front desks to collect taxes and to supply capital to invest in infrastructures and water technology. The question that needs to be addressed is the nature and the impact of the privatisation process in Spain. The unrealistic water urban services price in Spain has been studied and it is presented and evaluated by regions, presenting a deficit to be covered in the future and been a significant gross value of the future business, which invite private sector to participate in. To give a general scope over the evolution of the roll played by the private and public sector, the case of Catalonia, the more evolved autonomous region of Spain in water management, is presented as an example of the future for the rest of the country.     

论行政规划的法律性质

行政规划的法律性质对于确定行政规划的救济方式具有重要意义。行政规划的性质取决于"确定规划"的性质,作为行政规划的完成阶段,"确定规划"通常以规划确定裁决的形式出现。确定规划裁决所具有的权利形成效果决定了行政规划应当是具体行政行为。但在我国,由于确定规划裁决的"权利形成效果"缺乏法律规定,因而行政规划尚不能被认定为具体行政行为。     

Towards a school constitution for freedom -- a comparative analysis in Western and Eastern Europe

This article shows the recent European discussion on and developments in the reform of school government and administration. This reorganisation is directed at reducing state influence and widening self-responsibility of schools. It is a part of a general development towards decentralisation and deregulation, subsidiarity and plurality in civil society. This overview, with illustrations from different countries, shows a general agreement in Western and Eastern Europe that the humanisation of education must also be promoted through liberalisation and democratisation of decision-making. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

奥运会安全保卫人员的素质要求及培训

北京在赢得2008年奥运会后,探讨奥运安全保卫人员的素质与培训计划具有十分重要的现实意义。本文通过借鉴悉尼2000年奥运会安全保卫系统成功运作的经验,分析承担奥运保卫工作人员的素质要求,并重点就如何培训奥运安全保卫人员预防与处置突发性的事件以及反暴力、恐怖活动的能力提供了几点建议,权作为奥运安全保卫培训计划的制定提供一点思路。     

工会信息化建设的方略

加强工会信息化建设,以全面、准确的信息为依据,制定决策方案,开创工会工作新局面     

Sir John Bradbury and the Reparations Commission, 1920-25

This article looks at a neglected episode during the work of the Reparations Commission of 1920-25 leading up to the Dawes Plan of 1924, when the British delegate to the Commission, Sir John Bradbury, drew up a plan to reschedule German reparation payments in an attempt to take the venom out of the debate over these payments. It takes as its documentary basis the previously unpublished papers of Sir John in his role as Britain's representative on the Reparations Commission from 1920 to 1925. The article concludes that Bradbury's plan had the potential to defuse at least some of the problems encountered in the political and economic results of the reparations policy and that it made a significant contribution to the thinking that emerged in the Dawes Plan.     

马歇尔计划的历史真相：一种基于史实的解读

马歇尔计划是战后美国实现全球霸权战略的核心组成部分，其对战后世界和国际格局产生的影响深刻且持续，因此至今仍是学界研究热点。文章基于史实解读，回答了多年来国内外学界围绕马歇尔计划存在的几种争议，诸如马歇尔计划肇始时间界定、名称的由来、美国国务院官员对马歇尔计划的历史贡献以及捷克“二月事件”与马歇尔计划是否存在关联等。文章认为，尽管马歇尔哈佛演讲一直被视为马歇尔计划出台的标志性事件，但从严格意义上讲，在1948年4月之前，美国并没有什么具体的援助欧洲计划；在马歇尔计划形成过程中，美国决策层固然发挥了引领作用，但美国国务院中下层官员也功不可没；捷克“二月事件”是偶发事件，与马歇尔计划的出台没有直接因果关系，但却在客观上为马歇尔计划在美国国会的通过提供了助力。文章是对马歇尔计划整体史研究的必要补充和完善，对深入研究马歇尔计划具有重要的学术价值。     

纵论我院"十五"时期教学工作的发展

本文根据我院教学工作的实际情况和上级有关文件精神 ,提出了我院“十五”时期教学工作发展的指导思想、目标以及实现目标应遵循的原则和采取的措施。     

经济社会协同发展方式是新中国历史检验的选择

该文以国家实施的五年计划中经济建设与民生改进是否协同发展所产生的绩效为考量，回顾了新中国前五个五年计划社会积累过高，民生类社会建设投入频变的过程；分析了党的工作着重点转移后，民生建设在纠偏中校正方向，国家发展战略增加社会发展指标，强调速度、质量、效益相协调，消费、投资、出口相协调，人口、资源、环境相协调，追求经济社会的协同发展的过程；实践证明，坚持经济发展与社会建设协调发展，才能保证国民经济和社会发展的总体规划顺利实施。