NewsNotes - December 2005
Peace
on
Earth
You are cordially invited to join us
for our Annual Dinner
in honor of
Amartya Sen
Saturday, January 7, 2006
At the Sheraton Boston Hotel
6:30pm - 10:00pm
$100 per person ($75 for EPS members who register before December 16; $25 for students).
Reservations are required. Please email Thea Harvey to register.
EPS is looking forward to the ASSA/AEA meetings in January. This new posting includes times and locations.
We will be hosting three sessions again this year:
- Saturday, January 7, 10:15am, Sheraton Boston, Room Constitution B. A roundtable on Grand Strategies against Global Poverty, chaired by James Galbraith, with Joseph Stiglitz, Amartya Sen, and Sir Richard Jolly.
- Sunday, January 8, 8:00am, Sheraton Boston, Room Republic B. A session organized for the AEA on The Costs of War, chaired by James Galbraith, with Joseph Stiglitz, William Nordhaus, Steve Kosiak, Allen Sinai, and Bassam Yousif.
- Sunday, January 8, 1:00pm, Hynes Convention Center, Room 210. A joint
session with the AEA on Economics and National Security, a
roundtable chaired by Michael Intriligator, with Peter
Galbraith, Carl Kaysen, Richard Kaufman, Lawrence Korb, Gareth Porter
and Robert Solow.
Other EPS events include:
- Saturday, January 7, 5:30 - 6:30pm, Sheraton Boston, Dalton Room. Annual Membership Meeting. The meeting is open to anyone interested in learning more about EPS.
- Saturday, January 7, 6:30pm, Sheraton Boston, Room Constitution B. Annual Dinner, in honor of Amartya Sen. Reservations are required. The cost is $100; $25 for students; $75 for current EPS members who register by Dec. 16. Please email Thea Harvey at theaharvey@epsusa.org for more information.
- Sunday, January 8, 10:00am - 12:30pm, Sheraton Boston, Fairfax B. Annual Fellows Meeting, and Quarterly Board of Directors meeting
We hope you plan to join us at these events. Our booth will be in the exhibit hall again this year, in the last row to the right as you enter the exhibit hall. Please stop by and say hello.
Call for Papers: Tenth Annual Conference on Economics and Security. Thessaloniki, Greece, June 22 - 24, 2006.
Offers of papers are invited for a conference sponsored by Economists for Peace and Security (EPS-UK), the Arms Production and Trade Group, the University of the West of England, CITY Liberal Studies - Affiliated Institution of the University of Sheffield, and SEERC (South East European Research Center), Thessaloniki, Greece. The conference will have plenary sessions with keynote speakers plus specialist workshop streams.
Proposed topics include:
- Security in the Balkan Region
- European Security
- Globalization and the Restructuring of the MIC
- Militarism and Development
- Economics of Conflict and Post-conflict Reconstruction
- Economics of the Arms Trade
- Procurement and Offsets
- Arms Races, Offsets and Alliances
- Peace Science
- Conversion and Demilitarization
- Terrorism
Offers of papers on other related topics are welcome.
Please send a title and abstract as soon as possible and before March
15, 2006 to:
Dr. Eftychia Nikolaidou, Business Administration & Economics Department,
CITY College, Affiliated College of the University of Sheffield, 2 Kalapothaki
St., 546 24, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Tel. (+30) 2310 224026; Fax. (+30) 2310 22406; email: enikolaidou@city.academic.gr
To keep up with developments see: http://carecon.org.uk/EPS/index.htm or http://www.city.academic.gr
Call for Papers: GEVOREV International Symposium on Co-Management of Natural Resources and the Environment - from the Local to the Global Sphere, at the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), France, June 26 - 28, 2006. Claude Serfati, member of EPS-France, is organizing a panel on “Conflicts over natural resources and international security."
Control over natural resources has always been a decisive element in international economic and geopolitical relations. It has been a non-negligible factor in rivalries and conflicts over sharing the world since the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The relations between natural resources and security stakes took on a new dimension during the 1990s. The continuity of access to the natural resources vital for production and consumption and the protection of the property rights of industrial groups that control the global commodity chain are now at the center of the strategic preoccupations of the major developed countries.
Oil is not the only resource for which the security of supply is a national security objective for the United States and the other OECD member countries. Natural resources are also factors behind wars and their continuation in numerous developing countries. Between 1990 and 2002, according to the 2005 Report on Human Development, the major cause of 17 wars and inter-State conflicts was the control of natural resources. Resource wars are now an integral part of economic and financial globalization processes.
The proposed contributions are invited to address the relations between globalization, security and natural resources. They may examine, among other themes, the following questions:
- Historical perspective: a comparison of the relationship between security and natural resources during the “first” globalization (c.1870 - 1914) and the contemporary period
- Resource wars and their integration in contemporary globalization processes
- Conflicts between populations and communities, governments and global groups over the control and management of natural resources”
Call for communications and forms can be downloaded at :
http://www.c3ed.uvsq.fr/en/recherche/activites/activites5.htm
Please note that the deadline for proposals for a paper is on January
10, 2006
An attempt is made to measure the loss of productivity and growth due to excessive military expenditures of five countries in the Southern Cone of Latin America during the 1970's and 1980's. These countries are Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru. A transcendental production function that incorporates a ratio of military expenditures to GDP as a separate input factor is estimated for each country. The elasticity coefficients demonstrate a significant trade-off between military and nonmilitary spending from the supply side. For every one percentage aggregate growth point, growth of military share saps 0.048 in Argentina, 0.013 in Bolivia, 0.043 in Chile, 0.173 in Paraguay, and 0.071 in Peru. A counterfactual new scenario is simulated by reducing military shares of GDP to one percent. The results show that these five countries lost on an average 1.5 percent of growth due to excessive defense burden during 1971-1991.
"In its National Strategy for Victory in Iraq, the Bush administration recognizes that the key to defusing the insurgency is drawing the Sunni Arab community into the political process. And it correctly sees that this requires 'inclusive institutions that offer power-sharing mechanisms and minority protections.' As the strategy notes: such institutions would 'demonstrate to disaffected Sunnis that they have influence and the ability to protect their interests in a democratic Iraq.' Unfortunately, the administration finds it difficult to apply this precept where it would matter most: in the election process.
"The procedures for the December 2005 election of Iraq’s Council of Representatives, which will govern for four years, puts Sunni Arab areas at a distinct disadvantage. It virtually guarantees that Sunni Arabs will be under-represented in government. This is no way to 'win hearts and minds' or to erode support for the insurgency."
To read the entire article visit http://www.comw.org/pda/0512bm35.html
"This is a resource war, fought by surrogates, involving great powers whose economies are predicated on growth, contending for a finite pool of resources. It is a war straight out of the pages of Michael Klare's book, Blood and Oil; and it would be a glaring example of the consequences of our addiction to oil, if it were not also an invisible war."
Read the article at http://www.alternet.org/story/24471/
The British American Security Information Council recently released an occasional paper on Private Military Companies: Options for Regulating Private Military Services in the United Kingdom. The UK Government is currently reviewing options for regulating PMCs. The principal criteria for this regulatory system are that it be enforceable and that it satisfies key demands including (but not limited to):
- Ensuring PMCs do not adversely impact on peace, security and conflict resolution;
- Ensuring that their use is both legal and legitimate and does not contravene human rights;
- Ensuring that they are made accountable both for their actions and for those of their employees;
- Guaranteeing that they do not in anyway undermine the sovereignty of states; and
- Making certain that PMCs are as transparent as possible in their operations and business functions.
But some issues are not so clear. For instance, what would be the impact of regulating PMCs on the mineral-extraction and oil industries, both of which have come to rely on the security services offered by PMCs to protect their operations in the more volatile regions of the world, or for that matter, non-governmental organizations, which also draw on these companies' skills?
Read the analysis at http://www.basicint.org/pubs/Notes/BN050907.htm
The Arms Trade Resource Center has a new report entitled Tangled Web 2005: A Profile of the Missile Defense and Space Weapons Lobbies. The report includes sections on:
- Missile Defense Technical and Cost Issues: Should Missile Defense Be a Priority?
- A Capsule History of the Missile Defense Lobby
- Missile Defense Contractors: Who Makes What?
- Contractor Political Contributions: What are They Getting for Their Money?
- Other Congress/Corporate Connections
- Seeds of a Space Weapons Lobby
- Examples of Space Weapons Programs
- Impediments to Development of Space Weapons And a Space Weapons Lobby
To read the entire report, please visit http://www.worldpolicy.org/projects/arms/reports/tangledweb.html
TOPICS INCLUDE: Introduction to Peace Studies, Cross-Cultural Communication, Peaceful Conflict Transformation, Human Rights, International Law, Governance, Participation, the Global Economy, Peacebuilding and Development, Safeguarding a Livable Environment, Demilitarization, Nonviolence, Security, United Nations Reform, Mediation, Peace Education, Peace and the Media, Reconciliation after Violence, Peace and Deep Culture.
Fall term 2006: September 24 - December 16 (Apply by March 15, 2006)
Spring term 2007: February 4 - April 28 (Apply by September 15, 2006)
Summer term 2007: June 3 - August 25, 2007 (Apply by January 15, 2007)
WHO SHOULD APPLY: Students from any discipline interested in peace and conflict resolution, young diplomats, government officials, NGO members, teachers, journalists, lawyers, social workers, psychologists, officers, and anyone interested in solving conflicts by peaceful means. A first university degree (bachelors or equivalent) is required, and preferably professional experience.
DEGREES: Those who successfully complete one trimester obtain an Advanced Certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies. Those who complete three trimesters (Fall, Spring and Summer) and write a thesis obtain a Master of Arts in Peace and Conflict Studies, approved by the Austrian Ministry of Education. Students can begin in any of the three trimesters.
COSTS: Euro 2500 tuition + Euro 1400 room rent per trimester, plus Euro 700 examination fee for the Master of Arts program. Those who pay for three trimesters in advance obtain a reduction from 12'400 to 11'500 Euro. A small number of full scholarships are available for participants from focal countries of Austria's development cooperation (one trimester only), but they are highly competitive. Some partial scholarships (30% reduction in tuition) are also available for participants from Third World countries.
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO APPLY: see http://www.epu.ac.at, and click on "European University Center for Peace Studies", second on the left. If you have further questions, please contact Anita Flasch, EPU Administrative Assistant <epu@epu.ac.at>, Tel +43-3355-2498-515 (mornings). They will be happy to answer your questions and help you.
"You might not expect a West Point graduate, Vietnam veteran and career soldier to come out with a book titled 'The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Addicted to War.' But that's what Andrew Bacevich, who now directs the program in International Relations at Boston University, has done. Writing in the Seattle Post Intelligencer, Anthony B. Robinson reviews the book.
"A self-described conservative, Bacevich argues that Americans
have fallen prey to a 'military metaphysic.' By that he means all international
problems are seen as military problems and the likelihood for finding
a solution except through military means is discounted. The result is
war as a permanent condition with the only acceptable plan for peace
a loaded pistol. One has only to consider the relative weight given
to the Pentagon and the State Department to get the point... It's an
old story: When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks
like a nail."
A Costly Budget Cut: Doing Nation-building on the Cheap, a recent article by Susan E. Rice, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies and Stewart Patrick, Research Fellow, Center for Global Development, discusses budget cuts that take us in the wrong direction.
"In its sudden and reckless zeal for budget-cutting, the Republican-controlled Congress is doing President Bush and the nation multiple disservices. Threatening to slash assistance to the most impoverished Americans and forcing Mr. Bush once again to break his public promises to deliver on his Millennium Challenge Account for developing countries are just the beginning.
"Another little-noticed casualty with big implications is the complete elimination in the Foreign Operations bill of yet another presidential initiative - the State Department's $100 million Conflict Response Fund. This relatively small fund represents crucial support for the newly-established Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (CRS).
"The Bush administration is loath to admit mistakes, especially when it comes to Iraq. But it came as close as it ever does last year, when it created CRS. Originally proposed by Senators Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Joseph Biden (D-Del.), CRS was to be the hub for US government efforts to stabilize war-torn societies and rebuild nations...In every post-conflict situation there is a short window of opportunity - a 'golden hour'- when outside actors can potentially shape a foreign country's trajectory. As the administration explained in its FY06 budget request, the Conflict Response Fund is required 'to support rapid field deployments essential to creating positive dynamics on the ground.'"
http://www.brookings.edu/printme.wbs?page=/pagedefs/
acb6d1d48153ff3f77e2c5500a1415cb.xml
The Ford Foundation is seeking a Program Officer, to create the Global Economic Governance, Peace and Social Justice, Governance and Civil Society program. The new Program Officer will be responsible for developing and overseeing the Foundation’s work designed to strengthen Global Economic Governance in the interests of all members of the world community. Building on prior Foundation-funded work to reform international markets and institutions in trade and finance, this portfolio will support new thinking and action designed to bring about a global institutional architecture that promotes economic security while addressing poverty in the developing world. The portfolio will also support work on global economic circuits as a cause of conflict, and how to govern them more effectively. Strengthening capacity in the Global South will be a priority throughout.
More information about the job and application process can be found at http://www.fordfound.org/employment/jobdetail.cfm?id=72
The Levy Economics Institute of Bard College invites applications for a Research Scholar in the program on distribution of income and wealth. The scholar will collaborate with a team of economists on updating and extending the Levy Institute Measure of Economic Well-Being (see www.levy.org/limew) and developing analyses of well-being using the measure and its components. Given the broad nature of the measure, a wide variety of research interests can be complementary to the project. Subject to approval, the Institute is planning to launch a Ph.D. program in economics by Fall 2007. They are, therefore, especially interested in candidates who are able to contribute to the Ph.D. program.
Requirements:
The successful candidate will have solid quantitative skills (including
familiarity with analyzing survey data using SAS or Stata) and strong
interest in policy issues. Special consideration will be given to applicants
with a background in applied econometrics who are competent to teach graduate-level
econometrics. A completed Ph.D. is required, but candidates expecting
the degree in the immediate future will also be considered.
IANSA (the International Action Network on Small Arms) website includes a Job Board. Jobs are listed for IANSA and network member organizations. Among the listings this month:
- Senior Policy Advisor on Conflict sensitivity for International
Alert - for full details of the job and to download an application
pack, please go to http://www.international-alert.org
or contact Neil Ford by phone: 020 7627 6868 or email nford@international-alert.org
- Senior Programme Design & Fund Raising Officers (2 posts) at International Alert - for full details of the job and to download an application pack, please go to http://www.international-alert.org or contact Neil Ford by phone: 020 7627 6868 or email nford@international-alert.org
- International Programme Manager for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Albania http://www.iansa.org/jobs/Vacancy-SSSR-PM-Albania.doc
- Great Lakes Programme Manager for International Alert - for full details of the job and to download an application pack, please go to http://www.international-alert.org or contact Neil Ford by phone: 020 7627 6868 or email nford@international-alert.org
- Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Education Consultant at SEESAC (Serbia and Montenegro) http://www.iansa.org/jobs/380-education.pdf
- Director of Research at Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC)
http://www.iansa.org/jobs/bicc-director-research.pdf
The ECAAR Review 2003: Conflict or Development? This edition has a regional focus on Africa, the site of most of the world's current armed conflicts. In its pages some of the leading economists of the day analyze and reflect on the relationships among military spending, domestic and foreign policy, security, and human welfare. Features include country studies, sections on business and conflict, and "Trends in World Military Expenditure." Written in clear English, with informative maps, tables, and graphs, the series is designed to inform the debate among policymakers, activists, journalists, academics, students, and citizens worldwide.
To order the Review, please email Thea Harvey (theaharvey@epsusa.org).
The Review can be a valuable tool in teaching economics, political science, and international relations courses. If you are interested in teaching this book, please contact Thea Harvey (theaharvey@epsusa.org) for a copy to review.
Data Resource webpage offers links to data sources for
- International military expenditure and conflict indicators
- US military expenditure and capabilities
- Western Europe
- Russia
http://www.epsusa.org/network/data.htm. If you know of a data source that you feel should be added to our list, please contact our webmaster, Kate Cell, at katecell@epsusa.org
Continuing a tradition begun last year, we offer a few ways to be an activist and fill out your holiday shopping list at the same time.
Of course, we think one of the nicest gifts you can give is membership in EPS. A one year membership costs as little as $35, and gives your friend the same benefits you enjoy: discounts on events and publications, monthly and quarterly newsletters, and welcome into a group of dedicated individuals committed to reducing dependence on military power and to searching for political and institutional change through peaceful democratic processes.
Please email Thea Harvey (theaharvey@epsusa.org) to purchase a gift membership.
http://www.goodgifts.org/goodgifts/product_info.php?cPath=75&products_id=149
Working Assets offers a holiday gift guide with treats that will please even the choosiest activist, like exquisite chocolate from Dagoba, organic holiday wreaths and bouquets, cool T-shirts that make a statement, and engaging books, calendars and DVDs your friends will truly enjoy. Best of all, a portion of the purchase price goes to progressive organizations, at no extra cost.
You can also make a donation to Carbonfund.org, and offset the pollution your friends and family emit while driving, flying and heating their homes by supporting climate-friendly projects; or give your loved ones peace of mind with a donation to the Anti-Corruption Fund, which supports organizations working hard to fight dirty politicians and public officials on the take.
Show John Murtha you stand with him by sending him a single, symbolic flower for just $3. Any amount you contribute over that will be given to Veterans for Peace. We'll deliver these flowers to Representative Murtha in DC so he can bring them on his weekly trip to visit injured Iraq War veterans at Walter Reed Hospital. https://www.workingforchange.com/Order/index.cfm?OrderFormID=3&mktcode=afc1tl
Anyone who would be willing to put an EPS flyer up on a departmental bulletin board or similar venue, please contact Thea Harvey at theaharvey@epsusa.org.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTDEC/EXTAMSTERDAM/0,,contentM
June 22 - 24, 2006. Tenth Annual Conference on Economics and Security. Thessaloniki, Greece. Conference sponsored by Economists for Peace and Security (EPS-UK), the Arms Production and Trade Group, the University of the West of England, CITY Liberal Studies - Affiliated Institution of the University of Sheffield, and SEERC (South East European Research Center), Thessaloniki, Greece. See above for call for papers. To keep up with developments see: http://carecon.org.uk/EPS/index.htm or http://www.city.academic.gr
UMR 063 C3ED
Université de Versailles St. Quentin en Yvelines (UVSQ)
47 Bd Vauban - 78047 Guyancourt Cedex, France
Telephone 00.33.1.39.25.56.04 - Fax 00.33.1.39.25.53.00
Email: gecorev@c3ed.uvsq.fr
If you have enjoyed this issue of EPS NewsNotes, or if you wish to support our mission, please consider making a donation to EPS. You can do so securely online through our website or by sending a check to:
Economists for Peace and Security
at the Levy Economics Institute
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USA
If you have any questions call (845) 758-0917, or email info@epsusa.org
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