A comparative analysis of regionalism in the Global South: The security and defence dimension of Unasur and the African Union

The aim of this article is to compare Unasur and the African Union with regard to their institutional structure, agenda and performance. Although some scholars have made comparative assessments of regional institutions in the same region or comparisons between regional projects worldwide and the European Union, there are still few academic contributions which develop a cross-regional comparison among regional initiatives from different regions of the Global South. By assessing the cases of Unasur and the African Union, and particularly Unasur’s Defence Council and the AU’s Peace and Security Council, taking into account their institutional structure, performance and limitations, and the role of regional leaders and exogenous actors in both cases, we have elaborated an analytical framework aiming to identify and explain the similarities and differences between two regional institutions outside Europe. Based on the contributions of comparative regionalism and the evaluation of Unasur and the AU, we conduct a comparative analysis of both regional organisations, giving specific attention to their security and defence agendas, moving forward the empirical and analytical agenda of comparative regionalism.     

‘Things are not working now’: poverty,food insecurity and perceptions of corruption in urban Malawi

ABSTRACT

Malawi is one of the world's least urbanised countries, but its cities are growing rapidly and poverty in urban Malawi is becoming a prominent political issue. Food insecurity is a widespread manifestation of urban poverty in Africa, especially in informal settlements. This article is based on in-depth interviews with food insecure residents of Lilongwe’s informal settlements who, when asked why they were food insecure, overwhelmingly pointed to the Cashgate corruption scandal as a cause. There have been many political corruption scandals in Malawi, but the Cashgate scandal, which was revealed in September 2013 and reverberated throughout the political culture, has been among the most prominent and consequential of these scandals. The article seeks to contribute to literature on the political dimensions of urban food security in Africa while also presenting a way of understanding corruption from the point of view of vulnerable people whose lives have been directly and indirectly affected.     

公安高等院校实施素质教育的探析

公安高等院校如何实施素质教育 ,怎样担当培养 2 1世纪公安工作需要的高素质的公安应用型人材 ;全面实施素质教育是公安高等院校面临的紧迫任务 ;明确公安高等院校学生素质目标在构成内容是实施素质教育的前提 ;提高教师队伍的整体素质是公安高校实施素质教育的关键 ;优化教育思想观念 ,加大教育教学改革力度 ,是公安高校实施素质教育的根本保证。     

试论禁毒部门的反情报对策

情报工作在侦破毒品违法犯罪案件中有着举足轻重的作用。随着禁毒工作加强 ,毒品违法犯罪分子的反情报能力也更加全面。针对当前毒品违法犯罪分子反情报活动的特点 ,各级禁毒部门应当采取相应对策 ,以在禁毒斗争中取得主动。其对策为 :一是加强禁毒部门的反情报意识 ;二是严防出版物泄密 ;三是加强情报安全 ;四是建立快速反应机制 ;五是加强禁毒谋略的运用。     

日本典型劳动社会保障智库研究:主要类型与特征分析

中国特色新型智库建设已经成为国内外学术焦点,而率先步入少子高龄化社会的日本,其劳动社会保障智库建设可为中国提供有益参考。分别考察了日本具有代表性的劳动社会保障民间智库、官方智库和高校智库的发展演进历程。民间智库通过与公益财团法人结合,得以保持其专业性与财务可持续性;官方智库体现出较显著的整合趋势,由法律赋予其相对独立的法人地位;高校智库在财务可持续性上有天然优势,而有效整合内外部资源是其主要抓手。日本劳动社会保障智库的特征包括:重视田野调查与数据挖掘,依据智库性质分类治理,智库资金来源多元化,智库影响渠道多层次。     

朝核问题视角下的东北亚安全

冷战后,自从朝核问题出现以来,东北亚的安全局势发生了巨大的变化,朝核问题已然成为东北亚安全的焦点与核心。基于东北亚的区域特点和安全形势,朝核问题的地区解决方式应该是比较稳妥、长远、符合现实的,同时需要地区内主要大国的推动以及双边与多边机制的结合,重要的是在区域的核心点上将朝鲜纳入国际社会的发展轨道。然后,在这些原则基础上去探索东北亚安全机制建构的路径。     

Irregular Secondary Movements to Europe: Seeking Asylum beyond Refuge

This study examines the contrast between initial and secondarymovements, and explores exile in relation to broader forms ofsecurity and need. It tests the assumption that safety is themost important consideration for refugees and looks at additionalinterests that they have and why. It contrasts conditions ininitial places of exile (experienced or anticipated) with thoseexpected of the UK and highlights reasons for subsequent movements,arguing that distinctions between stages are false and thateach is part of what exile means. This study shows that initialand irregular secondary movements arise because of the interestspeople have in accessing safety, as well as quality of lifeand certainty in exile. It concludes that it is only by wayof how refugees are defined that these are overlooked or aredistrusted by host areas, and recommends that hosts should revisitexpectations and properly respond to refugees’ needs.     

针对女性罪犯的社区矫正工作

目前,我国已经开始了社区矫正的试点工作,但对社区矫正的具体对象没有明确的规定。女性作为弱势群体中的一部分,犯罪后将面临身份和性别的双重歧视,不利于其顺利回归社会。将符合条件的女性罪犯纳入社区矫正范围,不但可以保证社区矫正工作的有效开展,同时也可以达到有效保障妇女合法权益的目的。     

加强和改进公安基层基础建设是实现公安工作跨越式发展的必由之路

公安基层基础建设是各项公安业务工作的根本和依托,是公安事业赖以发展的基石。当前和今后一个时期,公安基层基础建设要以维护稳定为目标,以深化改革为动力,以基层所队建设为龙头,以构建大基础格局为导向,强化工作措施,完善保障机制,增强公安工作可持续发展的后劲。     

论计划经济与市场经济条件下的城镇治安

正确区分、认识和掌握计划经济与市场经济条件下城镇治安不同的特点,是做好当前城镇治安工作的前提和基础。从城镇治安“防控力”与“破坏力”、基本特点、主体职能任务、治安行政管理、公众参与动力及方式、群防群治力量、警民关系与警察形象等方面的分析、比较,可以了解计划经济条件下和市场经济条件下城镇治安的差异。