Ghana's foreign policy and transnational security challenges in West Africa

This article focuses on Ghana's security culture as reflected in its foreign policy, and how it has influenced the way the country addresses transnational security challenges in the Economic Community of West African State subregion. In this sense, the article explores some of the linkages between national and subregional security cultures in West Africa and how effectively they have complemented each other in providing a holistic response to the transnational security challenges facing Ghana. The article argues that despite the existence of different subregional conventions and protocols made possible by an emerging subregional security culture, Ghana's strategies for addressing transnational security threats have not gone much beyond the rhetoric of addressing the problems. In reality, transnational criminal activities have not only intensified but have become more challenging. Several factors contribute to this including corrupt leadership and institutional practices, security lapses and lack of interagency coordination, and inadequate resources for addressing the problem. The article calls for adequately equipping the law enforcement agencies and the implementation of relevant laws to facilitate effective responses to transnational security challenges for Ghana and other countries in West Africa.     

Security culture,transnational challenges and the Economic Community of West African States

This special issue explores how one particular regional organisation, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has defined certain transnational issues as security threats and how it has addressed them. In this introductory article, we begin by providing an overview and analysis of some of the most important transnational security challenges facing West Africa. Specifically, we discuss some of the problems raised by cross-border insurgencies, health challenges, organised criminal activities, terrorism and environmental degradation. We then examine the different levels at which actors have responded to these challenges. The section ‘Security culture: shaping the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) response?’ sets out our approach to thinking about the concept of security culture and asks whether it might be relevant to understanding how and why ECOWAS has focused on responding to certain transnational security challenges and not to others. The final section provides an overview of the other articles in this issue.     

Scents of identity: Fragrance as heritage in Zanzibar

In 2000, UNESCO declared Zanzibar Stone Town a World Heritage Site. Since this time the Tanzanian government and international NGOs (based in Zanzibar) have participated in the rehabilitation of the town's buildings and other physical infrastructure. However, little attention has been paid to the rich intangible heritage of the islands and the fusion of cultural expressions in this part of the world. This paper considers the important role of fragrances in the identity construction processes of Zanzibar islanders. The author offers a brief history, theoretical discussion and detailed ethnography of fragrance in Zanzibar. She discusses its role in the varied constitution of identity, belief and in life cycle rituals. The author further argues that fragrance and other seemingly ‘mundane’ heritages attract little attention in the preservation process and yet these indicate important cultural continuities in the Indian Ocean region and form a vital part of heritage and the harmonisation of cultures on the islands.     

晋商传统文化的法律理念探析

法律文化是支配人类法律实践活动的价值基础。晋商传统文化是直接在传统法律文化的框架下形成和运作的。晋商形成和发展过程中，逐渐形成了诚实信用、严格管理、任人唯贤、官商结合等体现中国传统法律文化特征的原则。从晋商传统法律文化的特点中，我们可以总结出其所体现的法律文化精神和法律理念，对于我国当前法治社会的构建有着重要的学习和借鉴意义。     

民族文化创新是文化全球化的必然诉求

文化全球化的现状以及未来发展趋势要求民族文化创新。民族文化创新是历史发展差异性的供给源，是文化全球化历史发展的动力。民族文化创新既符合辩证法的内在要求，又体现了各民族对历史发展的高度责任感。因此，要实现文化全球化进程中的民族文化创新，应正确处理好趋利与避害的关系、借鉴与独创的关系、民族化和全球化的关系、主导性和多样性的关系。     

论民族民间传统文化的法律保护

民族民间传统文化保护立法中存在争论的法律名称、立法目的、法律方法和司法救济等问题,不能以非物质文化遗产保护法代替民族民间传统文化保护法,应当简化立法目的,创新法律方法,建立符合传统文化保护规律的特别制度,并在具体法律缺位的情况下,鼓励司法救济。     

贵州少数民族文化资源开发的思考

本文通过对贵州民族文化资源现状及旅游开发中存在的问题的阐述,提出了贵州旅游开发应更多地注入民族文化的内涵,同时在开发中强调对整个文化生态环境的保护。     

暴力文化对青少年的危害及其治理对策

随着社会的进一步发展,文化中的"异质"——暴力文化,在商业性舆论导向以及整个社会对之炒作的情势下,似有愈演愈烈之势。这对处于文化需求高峰期、经验不足、辨别是非和抵制消极影响能力差的青少年产生了极为不良的影响,受暴力文化影响而发生的悲剧屡见不鲜。这就需要全社会通力合作,形成预防暴力文化侵蚀青少年的安全网,从多个渠道、多个方面对此问题予以解决。     

天之德化--论泛道德之境与天人之思的乖悖

学术界的天人合一论,有两种走向,一是依主与客二元观建立的"命题性"天人合一论,二是拿"天人合一"当作基本概念(范畴)的解释性天人合一观.而中国古代思想文献和传统思想文化中的"天"是道德形而上学化的结果,天人关系具有泛道德化的统一性.用后一种天人合一观来解释中国古代思想文化亦无不可,但用前一种命题性天人合一论来概括中国古代思想文化的特质,就会产生思想史无法厘清的混乱,遮蔽中国古代思想文化的特质.     

网络时代的青年思想政治工作

随着信息技术的迅猛发展 ,国际互联网被视为继报纸、广播、电视之后的“第四传播媒体” ,日益介入到社会生活的各个方面 ,对我们开展青年思想政治工作带来了全新的挑战。本文从网络文化的特征入手 ,客观分析了网络对青年思想政治工作的影响 ,提出了新形势下做好青年思想政治工作的建议和对策。