Fiji’s Foreign Relations: Retrospect and Prospect

Abstract

Of all the island states of the Southwest Pacific, Fiji’s foreign relations have been the most fraught since the advent of independence in the region, due largely to a succession of coups d'état. These have invariably precipitated adverse responses from major partners and aid donors, notably Australia, New Zealand, the United States and the European Union. The last coup in 2006 also unsettled relations in Fiji’s more immediate region, especially among some of its smaller Polynesian neighbours, contributing to Fiji’s unprecedented suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum. This article reviews Fiji’s foreign relations from the time of independence in 1970 through the period of successive coups to the 2014 elections. It also examines Bainimarama’s strategies in extending foreign relations in the broader international sphere as well as issues surrounding the ‘normalisation’ of relations with its traditional partners.     

Uncertainty at the EU's borders: narratives of EU external relations in the revised European Neighbourhood Policy towards the southern borderlands

This article analyses the role of narratives in European Union (EU) external relations in the revised European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and systematically explores how they operate in practice in the context of the EU's border management practices vis-à-vis the “southern borderlands”, in particular with respect to their inclusionary and exclusionary potential. Key EU documents and statements by EU agents, released throughout the first three years of Arab uprisings and pertaining to the revised ENP, will be subjected to a thorough examination which highlights four observations: first, in spite of the fact that the revised ENP is rooted in several narratives, some nevertheless dominate over others; second, the simultaneous presence of and recourse to different narratives contribute to an increase, rather than a decrease, of uncertainty in the EU's southern borderlands; third, despite a multitude of narratives which serve to legitimize EU action in the framework of the revised ENP, the latter perpetuates the logics of its predecessor by generating benefits mainly for the EU itself; fourth, that the first three years of the revised ENP have in practice demonstrated that an imbalance exists between on the one hand the original acceptance of the narratives by EU stakeholders and on the other hand their willingness to abide by them and fill them with life.     

The political value of languages

A theory of linguistic justice needs to take into account the three distinct values of language as a medium for communication, as a source of individual identity and as an instrument for political self-government. Doing so would undermine Van Parijs’ claim that political borders and peoples should be downgraded to a purely instrumental role for purposes of social justice. But it would widen the scope of egalitarian global justice by including a universal right of individuals to membership self-governing polities and it could provide more solid theoretical foundations for his defence of coercive territorial language regimes.     

Covenant of Mayors: Reasons for Being an Environmentally and Energy Friendly Municipality

The Covenant of Mayors (CM) is the mainstream European movement involving local authorities who voluntarily commit to increase energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources within their territories with the aim of reducing CO₂ emissions and meet the European Union objectives by 2020. One country that has a greater number of signatories of this agreement is Spain. This article analyzes which factors influence the decision of Spanish local authorities to join the ever‐growing movement. An empirical model is formulated to describe the behavior of Spanish local governments, this being a binary choice model which is a function of various political, economic, and technical factors. Among the prominent factors that influence this decision are population, availability of renewable energy, fiscal and environmental stress, citizens’ political preference, the contagion effect of neighboring municipalities, the existence of covenant coordinators, and finally, economic motivations.     

技巧:提高英语听力教学的关键

国内外成功的英语听力教学表明 ,技巧在听力教学中对教师和学生都是至为关键的 ,如背景知识介绍、预听阶段活动的设计、跟踪听阶段活动的设计、听写、记笔记等等。这些技巧有助于培养有效听者和有语言交际能力的人才。     

进一步发展宝鸡高新区的对策研究

宝鸡高新区在投资开发与产业发展方面形成了鲜明特色,但也存在诸多问题。要进一步快速发展,应在营造环境、体制创新、产业结构调整、利用信息技术等六大方面采取对策。     

现代企业的"标准战略"

"标准战略"的目标是以技术许可赢取最大利润,企业间的"标准之争"实际上是合法的"技术壁垒"。我国企业的"标准意识"正逐渐增强,但核心竞争力有待提高。为应对国外标准的挑战,企业应建立标准的综合战略。     

21世纪日本对外能源战略

本文依据关于日本能源方面的新数据,揭示了日本能源进口、利用效率、能源结构和战略储备等新情况。阐述了日本的新国家能源战略,及其基于这一战略的对外能源战略和能源外交。分析日本实行对能源生产国家进行大规模能源合作与国际能源协调的外交政策。提出了包括实现能源来源多元化、加强与传统油气重点地区及国家关系等在内的日本国际能源战略五大方向。并对日本的国际能源战略的动机、效果和战略的恰当与否进行了深入评析。     

谈谈侦查指挥人员的用人能力、组织能力和运筹能力

侦查指挥人员的用人能力、组织能力和运筹能力是其侦查指挥才能的重要组成部分,也是侦查指挥能否达到预期目的重要因素,它直接关系着侦查指挥的成败。其用人能力是指能任用德才兼备、智勇双全的侦查人员;其组织能力,是指合理协调侦查力量、调动积极性的能力;其运筹能力,是指考虑周到、策划没有错误。     

美国人才政策与人才战略简论

高效务实的人才政策与人才战略是美国能虎踞世界的原因。由国家学术机构专家担纲的科学论证型的人才政策与注重培育精英人才,并保持世界一流的教育,能够源源不断地向社会输送高素质人才。