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.     

Virtual regionalism,regional structures and regime security in Central Asia

The failures of regionalism and regional structures for cooperation between the five CIS Central Asian states are well studied. However, explanations so far do not convincingly account for the apparent enthusiasm of these states for the macro-regional frameworks of the Eurasian Economic Community, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This article argues that, as with previous efforts at Central Asian regional self-organization, these broader organizations still largely represent a form of ‘virtual regionalism’. But for the Central Asian states they offer a new and increasingly important function, that of ‘protective integration’. This takes the form of collective political solidarity or ‘bandwagoning’ with Russia (and China in the SCO) against processes and pressures that are perceived as challenging incumbent leaders and their political entourage. A primary motivation for Central Asian leaders' engagement in the EAEC, CSTO and SCO, therefore, is the reinforcement of domestic regime security and the resistance of ‘external’ agendas of good governance or democracy promotion. These goals are concealed behind a discourse that denigrates the imposition of external ‘values’ and continues to give pride of place to national sovereignty. This offers little to overcome the underlying fractures between states in Central Asia.     

民族落后地区化解社会不和谐现象的对策探讨——以广西为例

在民族落后地区社会经济发展过程中,城乡差距与贫富差距仍在扩大、社会分配不公之矛盾比较突出、医疗卫生事业薄弱、扶贫开发任务艰巨、就业岗位供给不足和就业结构性矛盾突出、人民群众的内部矛盾日渐突出、社会稳定与公共安全形势依然严峻等方面问题仍在相当程度上不利于和谐社会的构建。鉴此,现阶段也就有必要加快经济发展和新农村建设步伐,不断夯实化解社会不和谐现象的物质基础;努力完善社会保障体系,积极构建起和谐社会建设所需要的社会安全网;畅通利益诉求渠道,广泛开展平安建设,以便形成化解不和谐现象的社会基础。     

农村集体土地国有化是完善我国土地制度的必然选择

我国现行的城乡二元土地制度的弊端已经成为土地资源科学利用的最大障碍。调整农村土地集体所有制为国家所有制有利于促进农村土地的市场化、商品化；有利于实现农村剩余劳动力的自由、有效转移；有利于国内外资本向农村的投入；有利于土地资源的科学利用和我国工业化与城市化的发展。农村土地国有化不是对农民利益的剥夺，而是农民、国家和集体的共赢。具有实行的可能性。因此，我们应加快立法与改革的步伐，积极稳妥地推动农村集体土地国有化的进程。     

着力把握中国特色社会主义理论体系

中国特色社会主义理论体系是一个崭新的理论范畴。这一理论体系，以发展为主题，以改革开放为主线，坚持解放思想，在探索与实践中，形成了一个内涵丰富、结构完整、逻辑严密的科学体系。这个理论体系是马克思主义中国化的最新成果，是全国各族人民团结奋斗的共同思想基础，是实现中华民族伟大复兴的行动指南。     

亚洲移民的社会性别研究——以菲律宾、印度尼西亚和中国为例

研究亚洲移民社会性别时,要关注两种主要形式:合同式的劳工移民和自发式的劳工移民,同时应关注劳工移民中的社会性别问题。以菲律宾、印度尼西亚和中国的移民情况为例,一般说来,这些移民工人的生存状况都受到了很大的局限,无法拥有输入国公民和永久居民拥有的许多权利,这是需要从国际、地区和国家等不同层面给予解决的政策性问题。     

论我国行政处罚听证制度的不足及其完善

听证制度是行政程序法基本制度的核心。从司法执法实践可以看出,《行政处罚法》缺乏较为详细的配套性规定,尤其是一些重要的制度性建设欠明确与具体,及时总结以往听证工作的经验,完善行政处罚的听证程序已是一项紧迫任务。     

试论治安秩序的特性

维护治安秩序的关键是要了解治安秩序的特性。治安秩序具有主观性和客观性、稳定性和协调性、目的性和持续性、变化性、具体性和抽象性等特性。认识和掌握这些特性对治安学学科发展和具体治安实践具有重要的理论意义和实际意义。     

加强领导干部作风建设推动公安教育健康发展——关于公安院校领导干部作风建设的几点思考

公安院校作为培养公安事业接班人的摇篮,领导干部的作风如何,直接关系到人才培养质量和公安事业的兴衰成败。认真学习领会中纪委第七次会议精神,充分认识新的历史条件下加强领导干部作风建设的重大现实意义和深远历史意义,以思想作风和学风建设为前提,以工作作风和领导作风建设为核心,以生活作风建设为重要内容,从教育、监督、制度三个关键环节入手,建立健全领导干部作风建设的长效机制,全面加强和改进领导干部作风建设,引领公安教育事业持续协调健康发展,既是一个重大的理论课题,更是一项严肃的政治任务。     

关于失地农民医疗保障制度的思考

中国工业化和城市化进程的加速发展催生了“失地农民”这一特殊群体，随着中国城市化水平的不断提高，失地农民的数量还将急剧增加。而当前失地农民的医疗保障问题显得越来越突出，主要表现为缺乏相应的医疗保障制度。因此，针对失地农民这一特殊群体，构建广覆盖、多层次、多形式的医疗保障制度尤为必要，该制度应当包括医疗保险金的筹集、监管、医疗保障制度的模式以及具体实施办法、医疗体制的配套改革等相关内容。