Reproducing remoteness? States,internationals and the co-constitution of aid ‘bunkerization’ in the East African periphery

ABSTRACT

The physical and social retreat of international interveners behind the walls of ‘bunkered’ aid compounds in (putatively) more remote and dangerous regions of the South has been the focus of growing critical attention in recent years. An increasingly remote and fearful culture of risk aversion and differentiation among Western states and organizations has been largely identified as the driving force behind this set of practices. This article presents a different perspective on the bunkerization phenomenon through focusing on the agency of Southern states in the process. Exploring bunkerization across eastern/central Africa—and in Ethiopia’s eastern Somali region in particular—the study emphasizes not only how African states have been key promoters of modern bunkerization, but also how bunkerization behaviour and mentalities have historically characterized how many African borderlands—and contemporary sites of international intervention—have been incorporated into the global state system.     

欧盟东扩与俄罗斯的对外经济贸易取向

在 90年代 ,通过东西欧经济一体化和对俄共同战略 ,欧盟已成功地把中东欧候选国和俄罗斯纳入欧盟的国际分工体系 ,并将最终把它们融入欧洲的政治和法律体系。欧盟东扩不仅使俄罗斯的对外贸易地理方向明显偏向西欧 ,而且使俄罗斯成为欧盟原材料和燃料的主要提供者。东扩后的欧盟将与俄罗斯拥有漫长的共同边界 ,从而使双方经贸关系更加密切 ,这无疑会成为 2 1世纪制约中俄贸易发展的一个重要因素。只有早日形成以产业内贸易为主体的贸易格局 ,中俄贸易才有可能取得较快的发展。     

The elephant in the room: offshore companies,liberalisation and extension of presidential power in DR Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, donors promoted rapid liberalisation and presidential elections in the aftermath of the war, and after two terms, President Kabila has not left office. This article engages with the question of how liberalisation and elections are connected, and how they are related to the extension of presidential power. It finds that the international market for minerals has shaped the domestic political economy but its nature has effectively been ignored in the formulation of donor policy; efforts at regulating trade have been concentrated on due diligence of origin in Congo but have not addressed the secrecy of international trade. Liberalisation has removed control of economic resources from Congo, provided returns for elite politicians and funded violence to control the disenfranchised population. The offshore companies are the elephant in the room; without acknowledging them, analysis of the liberalisation and its interaction with presidential tenure lacks assessment of the opportunities, interests and power that shaped the processes.     

大隈重信的“东西文明调和论”

东西文明调和论是日俄战争后在日本思想界兴起的一股带有文明使命观性质的思想潮流,其代表人物是大隈重信。该理论是作为解决当时欧美排斥日本移民问题的思想手段登上历史舞台的,其核心内容是＂对于东洋来说,日本是西洋文明的介绍者;对于西洋来说,日本是东洋文明的代表者＂。该理论为大隈重信的对外政策论：＂支那保全论＂和＂日英同盟论＂提供了理论支持。该理论具有对西洋先进国的从属性和对落后于西洋的东洋后进诸国的优越性的双重性质,其特征是完全无视东洋后进诸国的主权和自主性,因此最终沦为日本帝国主义对亚洲实施侵略的意识形态。     

Poverty amid plenty: structural violence and local governance in western Congo

The protracted conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has drawn sharp criticism regarding the model of liberal peacebuilding employed in the country. Critics emphasise the importance of local ownership of peacebuilding mechanisms at sub-national as well as national levels. This raises questions in relation to the popular legitimacy and efficacy of local mechanisms. Drawing on field research conducted in the relatively affluent province of Bas-Congo in Western Congo, this article highlights a lack of popular legitimacy for provincial-level political authority within the province stemming from an acute marginalisation of the population from local structures of power and wealth. The article also demonstrates the inefficacy of more local, village and neighbourhood-based political structures which, aimed at conflict mitigation rather than transformation, ignore the structural roots of local conflicts and do little to counteract the growing social distrust, conflict and disintegration within local communities.     

客观性的探索与主体性的确立——“日本的哲学”课题

真正的"哲学",应该说并不是在一个背离"生命"的、抽象思辨的过程中被捏造出来的学问。倒不如说,它的本质就在于我们的"存在经验的精炼化"。日本一直以来都是站在具体事象的立场,以自身的存在经验所凝练出来的精神活动为核心,由此来展开自身的学术研究。"日本的哲学"这一研究本身应该说带有了双重内涵:第一,应该是一个学术探索,即如今要站在"哲学的"基础上来认真地、客观地重新探索日本人的"人生观.世界观"的历史传承;第二,应该说是一个哲学研究,即不局限于第一个立场,而是要在"现代"这一科学技术极度发达、文明冲突与异文化摩擦频繁发生、充满了冲突与争执的全球化人类社会之中,我们日本人面对世界必须形成一种主体性的自觉,必须提出并树立起一种新的"哲学性"的"人生观·世界观"。     

欧盟东扩进入深水区（英文）

Since the drastic changes in Eastern Europe more than 20 years ago, the EU has been making tireless efforts on its eastern expansion project. That said, the attempt to include Ukraine as a member state recently triggered chaos in Europe that has not been seen in decades, flaring up a serious struggle between Russia and Western countries. Currently, EU enlargement faces a more complicated situation and is in urgent need of new measures.     

Astuteness in Commitment: Rwanda and UN Peacekeeping 1994–2014

Abstract

This article traces Rwanda’s history under German and Belgian colonialism, through independence and genocide to international respectability and membership of the Commonwealth. It examines Rwanda’s impressive contributions to United Nations and African Union peacekeeping forces. There is no single explanation for the magnitude of Rwanda’s contribution. It owes something to Rwanda’s commitment to ‘African solutions for African problems’. Deployment is relatively cheap and allows Rwanda to use its participation for political leverage in international affairs, to attract donors and to benefit financially. Peacekeeping is a factor in the astute foreign policy of Paul Kagame’s government that enhances its authority and stability at home and its prestige abroad.     

The Contribution of Commonwealth Armed Forces in UN Peacekeeping: The Case of Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh is one of the top troop contributing countries to UN Peacekeeping Operations. This paper traces the antecedents and history of the Bangladesh Armed Forces and follows Bangladesh’s participation in various peacekeeping operations over the past 25 years including Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo.     

从大文化的角度看东西方文化在东南亚的冲突与融合

人类社会已经进入大文化时代,各种文化之间需要进一步借鉴、学习和取长补短,共容共进.所有文化的最高境界在本质上是相通的.每一种文化都不是绝对的好或绝对的坏,也不是一成不变的,需要随时代发展斟酌进退.从长远观点看,文化的特殊性终究要融入到文化的普遍性与世界性之中.东西方文化在经过数百年的冲突与融合之后,最终会聚集到世界大文化的屋顶下,把文化的共性、全球性贡献给全人类,贡献给未来.