Adding to the Controversy? Civil Society’s Evaluation of the National Conference Dialogue in Yemen

ABSTRACT

This article assembles a picture of Yemen’s 2013–14 National Dialogue Conference (NDC) by collecting perspectives from local civil society organizations (CSOs), which are contrasted to the views of international commentators. Despite all efforts by internal parties as well as the international community, the dialogue failed to avert war, which broke out shortly after. Through interviews with 50 CSOs, we reconstructed the reasons for failure, as well as paying attention to the observed strengths of the dialogue. Half of the consulted organizations were directly involved in the NDC, either as an invited participant or in a brokerage role. The other half concerns outside observers. We identify aspects on which the opinion of the CSOs converge, but also highlight striking divergences depending on insider/outsider status. In contrast to the view espoused in the international literature, the CSOs overall feel that, in spite of all its procedural and substantive flaws, the NDC was a significant junction in the long road towards peace and stability and laid important groundwork for future dialogues.     

论我国征收立法中公共利益的规范模式

“公共利益”是启动征收程序的前提性要件。在公共利益的规范模式上,我国物权法应采折衷主义立法例,不应明文禁止商业征收,但应明文规定公共利益的决策和形成机制,并建立相应的行政和司法救济途经。     

中国共产党的利益代表性和社会利益关系调节

中国共产党要调节好各种社会利益关系,必须以各种群体利益的共同发展为出发点,制定方针政策,着重调节经济利益,疏通利益表达渠道,扩大执政的群众基础。     

关于领导干部权力运行机制的几个问题

现行领导干部权力运行机制通行的基本原则是一切权力属于人民，党的统一领导和实行民主集中制等；现行领导干部权力运行机制的优势是广泛的人民性和整体性，是政治的民主性和决策的科学性；而现行领导干部权力运行机制的缺陷则是权力过分集中，权力制约乏力和缺少具体的运行规则；完善领导干部权力运行机制的具体原则是法制化原则，公正原则，公开原则，廉洁原则，廉价原则，效率原则，监督原则和稳定原则等，要完善现行领导干部权力运行机制就必须有总体思考和具体思路。     

“文化一心理”选择机制的双重双向选择——温庭筠为什么能够成为第一位大词人

怎样解释词体成于晚唐温庭筠之手而非其他时代其他人这一"温庭筠现象",目前主要有"不可知论"、"写尽论"、"社会文化环境决定论"等三种阐释.这三种阐释各有其片面及失误之处.词体之所以在温庭筠手上得以独立和兴起,主要是"文化-心理"选择机制双重双向反复选择的结果.温庭筠之所以选择了词体,并非如王国维等人所说,是因为"诗"已写尽,而是由于温庭筠正好满足了"文化-心理"选择机制之所以能够选择出"词"这一文体所要求的全部条件.     

开发吉林省农村人才资源的对策建议

建设社会主义新农村,关键在人才,特别是农村实用人才。针对吉林省农业人才匮乏,特别是实用人才匮乏的实际情况,本文在分析农村人才开发的现状及存在问题的基础上,提出了符合吉林省农业发展规律和开发农村人才资源的总体思路及对策措施,以期加快其新农村建设的步伐。     

社会活力问题研究

考察社会活力一般会涉及三个基本要素,即经济要素、社会制度要素和精神文化要素。社会活力有两个来源:一是根本来源,二是直接来源。社会活力的根本来源源于生产力和生产关系之间关系的合理性。直接来源源于社会制度的先进性、社会运行体制的合理性、社会运行机制的多样性。激发社会活力是社会主义制度的特征之一,充分体现了社会主义制度的根本属性。     

区域性人权保护制度对全球性国际人权保护的启示

尽管目前已存在为数不少的国际人权公约,国际社会成员也越来越多地加入这些公约,但全球范围内国际人权保护的效果并不明显。相比而言,区域性人权保护制度更具可行性。区域性人权保护制度在人权保护中取得了显著成绩,对全球性国际人权保护有重大启迪作用。     

NGOs and Ethnic Conflict: Lessons from the Work of the Project on Ethnic Relations in the Balkans

This article examines the impact of nongovernmental organization-sponsored contact and communication on fostering peaceful solutions to ethnic conflict via case studies of the activities of the Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) in Romania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia. It explores five operational principles that guide PER activity: creating credible, neutral forums for dialogue; maintaining momentum; working within political realities; encouraging indigenous solutions from within existing processes; and acting with the backing of powerful states. These principles explain PER's success as a "weak mediator" of ethnic conflicts. According to this analysis, PER also exhibits organizational characteristics that contribute to success, including nonpartisanship, area expertise and extensive networks of local contacts, and an ability to secure the trust of local actors.
A significant indicator of the success of PER activities is the establishment by conflicting parties of institutionalized mechanisms for addressing their differences. Contrary to the view that electoral competition contributes to conflict, this study finds that the possibility of achieving an electoral advantage by participating cooperatively in conflict resolution activities creates incentives for local actors to recognize opportunities offered by PER activities and leads local actors to heed PER's advice. Finally, the article offers a cautionary observation. While PER's perceived influence with major international actors may contribute to its local successes, once a state actor with the power to impose a solution has committed itself to ending a conflict, its preferences outweigh any local interests in determining the outcome and renders the efforts of a "weak mediator" such as PER irrelevant.