Latin America: Popular Movements in Neoliberal Modernity

The aims of this article are first to examine some common characteristics of Latin American social movements in general and the influence on them of the systemic parameters in the era of neoliberal modernity and, second, to discuss five major Latin American movements in particular, in order to draw some conclusions on the way out of the present multi-dimensional crisis.     

Hardt and Negri's Empire : A New Communist Manifesto or a Reformist Welcome to Neoliberal Globalisation?

Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri's Empire (Harvard University Press, 2000) has generally been characterised by the establishment press, but also by some in the Left, as a kind of new 'Communist Manifesto'. However, a careful examination of the content of the book makes it clear that, far from having any radical implications similar to those of the original Manifesto , Empire should better be characterised as an 'objective' welcome to neoliberal globalisation.     

Winning Peace Frames: Intra-Ethnic Outbidding in Northern Ireland and Cyprus

Ethnic outbidding in divided societies can have dire political consequences, ranging from the derailment of peace processes to inter-ethnic warfare. This article investigates the conditions contributing to successful outbidding within the framework of protracted peace negotiations by using the contrasting cases of Northern Ireland and Cyprus. Evidence demonstrates that successful outbidders are able to exploit the fears of their communities with respect to inter-ethnic compromise while identifying appropriate strategies and opportunities for redressing these grievances. The article demonstrates that the degree of outbidding success over the long term derives from combining diagnostic and prognostic frames linked to credible political and constitutional strategies.     

Contemporary Left‐wing Populism in Latin America: Leadership,Horizontalism, and Postdemocracy in Chávez's Venezuela

Critical engagement with the case of Chavismo in Venezuela can offer valuable insights for a fuller understanding of contemporary populism in Latin America. While for some scholars Chávez's populism has fostered popular empowerment, others dwell on the newly confirmed tensions between populism, liberal rights, and democratic proceduralism. This article embraces both positions but moves beyond their one‐sidedness to cast Chavista populism as an inherently contradictory phenomenon that has constituted an ambivalent and transitory process in response to the gradual closure of liberal (post)democracy. Chavista “caesaro‐plebeian” populism is construed as a site of tension and contention, which entails both promises and dangers for democracy. To make these points, the article draws on the discursive analysis of populism and on a new, productive shift in the study of populism in Venezuela, which pursues ethnographic field research on social movements instead of focusing exclusively on the figure of the leader.     

Allele distribution of 15 STR loci used for human identity purposes in the Greek Cypriot population of the island of Cyprus

Allele frequencies for 15 STRs (D3S1358, vWA, FGA, D8S1179, D21S11, D18S51, D5S818, D13S317, D7S820, THO1, Penta E, D16S539, CSF1PO, Penta D and TPOX) in the PowerPlex-16 System (Promega Corporation) were derived from a sample of 1475 unrelated Greek Cypriot individuals from the island of Cyprus.     

The 'Objectivity' of a Liberatory Project and the Issue of 'Leaders': Preliminary Notes - in the Sequel of the Marx-Proudhon Exchange

After dealing with the 'objectivity' of a liberatory project, we go on to discuss the attacks on various liberatory projects on the grounds that they are centred around a 'leader' (who usually is the engineer of the project in question). We then see how these two factors may influence the possible deterioration of a liberatory project. This is done by referring to a historic example, the influence of the characters of Marx and Proudhon on the socialist and anarchist movements respectively, while trying to understand whether it is the personal traits or the 'objectivity' of a particular project that is to blame for it possibly becoming authoritarian during its realisation.