The role of African universities in the protection of the rights of indigenous peoples: A development agenda

Before the emergence of the United Nations at the end of the Second World War, human rights were generally scantily recognised in international law and, even under the UN Charter of 1945, indigenous peoples received merely tacit reference. Since the 1970s, however, several normative instruments have been adopted to give recognition to the rights of indigenous peoples as a distinct component of international human rights law. With the further adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by the UN General Assembly in 2007, the subject has assumed new dimensions with the possibilities of new vistas. What, for instance, is the role of African universities in the promotion and protection of the rights of indigenous peoples as critical agents in the global human rights and development agenda? The purpose of this article, among others, is to synthesise the strategic approaches to the rights of indigenous peoples and to accentuate a more informed conceptualisation of what the role of African universities on this subject ought to be, and must be, in the light of the dynamic opportunities of the post-2007 era.     

The role of the IFI and the EU Peace III Fund in creating sustainable peace in Northern Ireland and the border counties

NGOs aided by external economic aid can play a critical part in post-accord peacebuilding situations. This article explores the impact of the International Fund for Ireland and the European Union Peace III Fund in nurturing sustainable peace through development in Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Republic of Ireland by examining the perceptions and experiences of 107 local NGO leaders and 13 funding agency development officers. During the summer of 2010, 120 people were interviewed using semi-structured interviews in Derry city and nine border counties. The article explores the role of external economic international assistance aids in building sustainable development, reconciliation, and peace in Northern Ireland and the border counties.     

The relationship between urbanisation and cross-national homicide rates: robustness across multiple estimation methods

Urbanisation has generally been found to be a non-significant predictor of homicide rates in cross-national studies. Despite this, there is strong theoretical support for the presence of a positive association between the two. The present study analyses data for up to 57 nations for the period 1993–2005 and examines the relationship between urbanisation and homicide using pooled ordinary least squares, feasible generalised least squares, panel-corrected standard errors, fixed-effects, and random-effects estimation. The results show that urbanisation is one of the strongest predictors of homicide in the cross-national context. This is consistent with the expected relationship according to modernisation theory and suggests that rapidly urbanising nations should be concerned with the unintended consequences of urbanisation.     

命案发案特点与侦破对策

提高命案侦破能力,实现“命案必破”的奋斗目标,是摆在公安机关当前的一项重大任务。目前,在故意杀人等严重刑事案件中,犯罪分子作案手段和方法出现了新特点、新趋势。公安机关应根据新变化．把握新特点,有针对性地采取相应措施,不断提高侦破命案能力,努力实现“命案必破”的目标。     

建设生态文明，实现社会可持续发展

中共十七大报告明确提出“生态文明”的概念,并将生态文明作为全面建设小康社会的一个目标要求。中国进行生态文明建设不仅具有很强的理论依据,而且是解决经济高速增长过程中诸多问题、实现经济社会可持续发展的内在需要。因此,一要加强生态文明教育和宣传,在全社会树立生态文明观念;二要加快转变经济发展方式,加强能源资源节约和生态环境保护;三要完善环保的法律和政策体系,为生态文明建设提供法律和政策保障。     

促进循环经济发展的税收政策探讨

随着各国环境资源瓶颈的日益凸现和可持续发展理念的不断深入,循环经济作为一种新的经济发展模式迅速发展起来。税收作为国家宏观调控的重要手段,在促进循环经济发展上具有其他经济手段无法替代的作用。该文简要探讨循环经济税收政策的理论依据,分析研究中国循环经济税收政策的发展现状,提出关于完善中国循环经济税收政策的对策建议。     

美国青少年法院的形成与发展

美国的青少年法院在预防青少年犯罪,打击和保护美国青少年群体中起到了重要作用,具有重要意义。文章将系列介绍美国从十九世纪起,至二十世纪九十年代,青少年法院建立及发展的情况,并通过经典案例分析了早期青少年法院存在的司法程序问题,以及各时期美国涉及有关打击青少年犯罪政策变化。     

劳动改造手段的经济基因抑制与科学发展探索

将劳动改造确立为改造罪犯的基本手段之一,通过劳动将罪犯改造成为守法公民,是我国监狱工作的特色之一。监狱组织罪犯参加劳动不仅产生社会效益,而且产生经济效益,劳动改造手段的这一经济基因,使其易于异化为赚钱手段。因此,监狱既要坚持“劳动”改造罪犯这一中国特色,更应从科学发展的高度对其加以审视．并采取有效的应对措施。     

科学发展观视野中的高校思想政治工作探析

高校思想政治工作是一项全面而系统的工程,肩负着“谁来培养人、培养什么样的人以及如何培养人”的重要使命。在新的历史形势下,高校思想政治工作面临新的情况和问题,必须用科学发展观的视野进行审视和思考。     

当代恐怖主义的特征与发展趋势

近年来,恐怖主义已成为影响世界稳定和地区安全的首要威胁与影响和平发展的巨大阻力,日益引起世界各国的高度重视.国际社会对其进行了联合打击,但其活动仍呈蔓延之势,表现出鲜明的政治性、组织性、非国家主体性、隐蔽性、突发性、宗教性等特征,并呈现出恐怖主义组织类型与恐怖手段多元化、组织形式网络化与分散化、恐怖主义活动国际化等发展趋势,必须予以密切关注,在此基础上做好相应的情报预警工作,努力把恐怖主义的危害降低到最低限度.