NewsNotes - July 2005
Plans are coming together for EPS's presence at the ASSA/AEA meetings next January 6-8. We will be hosting three sessions again this year:
- A roundtable on Grand Strategies against Global Poverty chaired by James Galbraith, with Joseph Stiglitz, Amartya Sen, Sir Richard Jolly, Jeff Sachs (invited).
- A joint session with the AEA on An Economic Program for National Security chaired by Michael Intriligator, with Carl Kaysen, Richard Kaufman, James Galbraith, and Paul Krugman (invited). Discussants will be Robert Solow and Lawrence Korb.
- 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.
Our annual dinner this year will be in honor of Amartya Sen.
We hope you will make plans to join us at these events. More information on dates, times and rooms will be posted as soon as it's available. Watch this space.
Congratulations to EPS-UK. During a very successful conference June 23-25, the loose group which had been ECAAR-UK officially voted to form as a registered charity, under the name Economists for Peace and Security (UK). The organization's main activities will be to host an annual conference, as indeed they have been doing for 9 years, and to publish an online journal.
The Economics of Peace and Security Journal was also formally launched during the conference. A preview of the first issue, which will be released in January, may now be viewed at http://eps.abrc.co.uk/
Abstracts and papers from the Ninth Annual Conference on Economics and Security are available at http://carecon.org.uk/Conferences/Conf2005/List%20of%20papers%2005.htm
Next year's Tenth Annual Conference on the Economics of Security will be at CITY College in Thessaloniki, Greece.
In The End of the Beginning of Ending Poverty, an article that was picked up by many media outlets, Joseph Stiglitz offers his take on the G8 summit. Dr. Stiglitz agrees that debt relief is a good place to start, and suggests some further actions that could make a big difference.
The PeaceMajority Report is an email newsletter and online resource with news and information for building the American peace community. http://www.peacemajority.org/index.html
The website includes information on actions and events, as well as a scorecard for legislators. Select your Congressional representatives and see how they score on their voting records for legislation in three broad areas: 1) votes to authorize and fund war, and to support its conduct; 2) votes for excessive investment in preparations for war; and 3) votes for strengthening global peace institutions. http://www.peacemajority.org/ratings.htm
The Center for Policy Studies in Russia (PIR Center) is an independent nongovernmental organization founded in April 1994 and based in Moscow. The PIR Center carries out research, as well as educational, public awareness and publishing activities, and provides consulting services. The priority areas of the Center's research studies are international security, arms (primarily nuclear) control and nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. http://www.pircenter.org/eng/about/about.html
Currently, the Center offers seven nonproliferation educational programs:
- Professional development of young specialists in nonproliferation of WMD and arms control;
- Professional development of instructors and lecturers in nonproliferation
of WMD;
- Lecture course "Nuclear Nonproliferation: International Legal,
Political and Economic Aspects" at the Moscow Engineering Physics
Institute;
- Field lecture courses;
- Internship in the PIR Center;
- PIR Center grants for young specialists in nonproliferation;
- Distance education in the area of nuclear nonproliferation.
In a June 26 interview on NBC News' Meet the Press, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated, "Anyone who tries to estimate the end, the time, the cost or the casualties in a war is making a big mistake...I never estimated the cost of the war. And how can one estimate the cost in lives or the cost in money? I've avoided it consistently. And how can that be a misestimate? "
Read a complete transcript of the interview at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8332675/
"America is now threatened less by conquering states than we are by failing ones." That was the conclusion of the 2002 US National Security Strategy. For a country whose foreign policy in the 20th century was dominated by the struggles against powerful states such as Germany, Japan, and the Soviet Union, the US assessment is striking. Nor is the United States alone in diagnosing the problem. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has warned that "ignoring failed states creates problems that sometimes come back to bite us." French President Jacques Chirac has spoken of "the threat that failed states carry for the world's equilibrium." World leaders once worried about who was amassing power; now they worry about the absence of it."
In response to the above quotes The Fund for Peace has released the first annual Failed States Index. Based on twelve indicators, the Index currently lists countries most affected by conflict. In the coming years the Index will be expanded to include all 191 UN members.
"We encourage others to utilize the Failed States Index to develop
ideas for promoting greater stability worldwide. We hope the Index will
spur conversations, encourage debate, and most of all help guide strategies
for sustainable security."
http://www.fundforpeace.org/programs/fsi/fsindex.php (This page takes a few minutes to load.)
Reuters News reported on July 11 that a US judge has ruled that a corruption trial against a security contactor in Iraq can go ahead in US courts. In what is seen as a test case for U.S. companies working in Iraq, the judge left open a key question over the legal status of the U.S.-led occupation authority that paid the contractor and whether it was subject to U.S. law. The case involves Custer Battles, an upstart security firm based in Rhode Island that had a contract with the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority in 2003 to guard Baghdad Airport and a later logistical deal. Former associates of the company sued under the False Claims Act that it defrauded the U.S. government of millions, a claim Custer Battles strongly denies.
To visit the sources sited in the article, see below:
US House of Representatives Government Reform Committee Minority Office http://www.democrats.reform.house.gov/
US General Accountability Office http://www.gao.gov/
Defense Contract Audit Agency http://www.dcaa.mil/
International Advisory and Monitoring Board http://www.iamb.info/
Coalition Provisional Authority Inspector General http://www.cpa-ig.com/
Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction http://www.sigir.mil/
As governments gather at the United Nations in New York this week to review progress on the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms, an independent global research project shows that four years after this agreement was signed, little has been achieved. It has been four years since the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) was agreed in July 2001. In preparation for the meetings the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and the Biting the Bullet project report "Examining Implementation of the Programme of Action" shows that
- Less than 40 countries have laws controlling arms brokers, and many
countries’ controls on arms transfers are inadequate or out of
date.
- More than 100 states have failed to establish governmental bodies
to coordinate national action on small arms – a minimum step towards
implementation.
- Only 18 states have developed specific national strategies on small
arms, and only another 14 states have got as far as discussing one.
- More than 120 states have failed to review their laws and regulations governing small arms
Download the report at http://www.iansa.org/un/bms2005/red-book.htm
of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations, is now available from Greenleaf Publishing. http://www.greenleaf-publishing.com/catalogue/profitp.htm
"It may seem a strange notion to give the private sector a role in conflict prevention or resolution, but multinational corporations (MNCs) do have some characteristics that make them good partners in a well-designed strategy for peace and stability. By focusing on their core competencies, their presence in a conflict region can help to provide prosperity for rebuilding society and its institutions, and improved respect for human rights."
id21, the newletter of Institute of Development Studiesat the University of Sussex featured several articles on refugee issues recently. Among them:
Bridging development and humanitarian work in protracted crises: Development
aid donors are paying more attention to countries in long-term crisis,
which may help conflict-affected populations. However, it is difficult
to distinguish between the forms of aid available, especially with donors
now linking security and aid. How can and should the humanitarian community
respond to the increasing involvement of development groups?
http://www.id21.org/society/s10ajm1g2.html
Post-conflict education: what are the prospects for co-ordination
and local ownership? The fifth objective adopted by the Dakar World
Education Forum in 2000 focuses on the rights of children in emergencies.
Dakar participants called on national Education for All (EFA) plans to
include provision for education in emergency situations. Achieving this
goal, however, is complicated by the lack of clarity concerning the responsibilities
of international and local stakeholders during emergencies and the early
stages of reconstruction.
http://www.id21.org/society/e2ms3g1.html
Integrating refugees locally could be a durable solution The usual response to mass refugee movements is to explore ways to send refugees home. But many refugees cannot go home as it unsafe for them to do so. The 1951 UN Refugee Convention recognises that refugee problems can be resolved through local integration. However, as refugee problems have grown, this approach has been very limited in its implementation http://www.id21.org/society/s10cjc3g1.html
Call for Papers: First Annual Workshop sponsored by Households
in Conflict Network (HiCN)
Berlin, Germany, January 15-16, 2006
A non-exhaustive list of topics to be covered in the workshop includes:
- Triggers of collective violence grounded on individual interactions
and/or group identities
- Relationship between individual/household risk, security and coping
mechanisms
- Dynamic links between poverty, inequality, social exclusion and violent
conflict
- Relationship between common resource management and violent conflict
- Gender aspects of violent conflict
- Impact of violent conflict on household/individual health status
- Impact of violent conflict on migration and population displacement
(including the role of
refugees)
- Links between violent conflict and local forms of governance (including
forms of
traditional leadership
Of particular interest are empirical papers based on innovative household-
or
individual-level surveys.
It is hoped that this study will stimulate a constructive dialogue between activists and international actors that, ultimately, will improve the way in which we respond to conflict … together."
To download the study, visit http://www.urgentactionfund.org/publications.htm
What are the roots of violence, war, genocide, or terrorism? Is it scarcity of resources and the struggle for survival that lead to atrocities? Does poverty create violence? Or is human nature inherently aggressive? New research suggests that increasingly the dynamics of humiliation may figure as "missing link" in the search for root causes, a phenomenon that is gaining ground in tact with growing global interdependence.
Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies is a network of researchers dedicated to studying these issues. http://www.humiliationstudies.org/index.shtm
Sixth Annual Global Development Awards Competition Submissions will be accepted for an ongoing development project, completed research, or a new research proposal. The last day for submissions is September 16, 2005.
Global Development Network’s Board of Directors has chosen ‘Institutions and Development: At the Nexus of Global Change’ as the theme for the Seventh Annual Global Development Conference to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia in January 2006. The five topics proposed for the research awards are consistent with this theme. Under each topic, GDN welcomes submissions from all branches of the social sciences. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary submissions are particularly encouraged.
The competition carries prizes in cash and travel of over $300,000. For more information see http://www.gdnet.org/activities/gdn_competitions/global_development_awards/2005_awards/
The Ford Foundation is seeking a Program Officer for the Peace &
Social Justice Program of the Governance and Civil Society Unit. 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.
The new Program Officer will be required to evaluate these strategies
against the changing context and identify priorities for the future. The
Program Officer is responsible for identifying prospective grantees; soliciting,
reviewing and responding to grant proposals; and preparing recommendations
for Foundation funding.
Along with economic expertise, the Program Officer will be expected to
bring a broad perspective to the position, including an understanding
of the strengths and weaknesses of economic liberalization; the ethical
challenges posed by inequality; the ways in which political forces and
the absence of social equity affect global economic stability; the manner
in which changing distributions of income and wealth alter the distribution
of political power and the role of the State; and the differential impact
of economic change on men and women.
Qualifications: A Ph.D. in economics; experience working internationally,
preferably in the developing world; relevant academic, non-governmental,
and/or governmental experience in issues of Global Economic Governance
as described above; fluency in English; excellent analytical, oral presentation,
writing and interpersonal skills; and the ability and willingness to work
as a member of multiple teams, are required. Fluency in a second language;
and expertise in gender and economics and/or economics and conflict, are
preferred. Applicants from developing countries are encouraged to apply.
Salary is based on experience and on the Foundation's commitment to internal
equity. A generous benefits package is provided.
To apply for the position, visit http://www.fordfound.org/employment/jobdetail.cfm?id=72
or send full application materials (consisting of substantive cover letter,
c.v., and a 5-20 page sole-authored writing sample in English) to Ms.
S. Ashton at 320 E. 43rd St., New York, NY 10017, USA, by September 14,
2005.
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.
You can order the Review by emailing theaharvey@epsusa.org.
We believe the Review can be a valuable teaching tool in 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.
As we approach the 60th anniversary of the dropping of nuclear bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima on August 6 and 9, the U.S. government is still considering developing new nuclear weapons, including a "bunker buster" nuclear bomb that would be 70 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. In June the House voted not to fund the study of new nukes; the Senate voted in favor of further study. The final appropriations process is not finished, and your communication with your Senators does make a difference.
For more information on bunker busters, see the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) nuclear section: http://www.fcnl.org/pdfs/nuclear/BunkerBuster.pdf
To view a short, funny video on the new "bunker buster" nukes, visit http://www.fcnl.org/nuclear/busterflash.htm Make sure your sound is turned up.
To email your Senators and let them know that you oppose funding the development of new nuclear weapons, go to: http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=7782281&type=TA
http://conflicttransformation.org/Home/OverviewSummerInstitute2005/tabid/100/Default.aspx
August 6-9, 2005. There will be events all over the globe in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Many will use the opportunity to urge the world to rid itself of nuclear weapons. Lists of events can be found at:
- In the Us: http://www.peace-action.org/home/7.08.05nukes.html
- In the UK: http://www.quaker.org.uk/peace/exchg/hiroshim.html
- This site has a searchable database including most countries http://unitedforpeace.org/calendar.php?caltype=35&bydate=2005-07-12
http://www.acydforum.faithweb.com/photo.html
December 9-10, 2005. Guns and Butter – The Economic Causes and Consequences of Conflict conference in Munich, Germany presented by The CESifo Group, consisting of the Center for Economic Studies (CES), the Ifo Institute for Economic Research.
Call for Papers at: http://www.cesifo-group.de/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/IFOCONTENT/BISHERIGESEITEN/
CESIFO_INHALTE/EVENTS/CONFERENCES/ECC05/ECC05-CFP.PDF
More conference information at: http://www.cesifo-group.de/portal/page?_pageid=36,34737&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL To see the information for this conference, scroll down through the page's listings.
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