NewsNotes - May 2009
Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many decisions by many people in many countries. It is an attitude, a way of life, a way of solving problems and resolving conflicts. It cannot be forced on the smallest nation or enforced by the largest. It cannot ignore our differences or overlook our common interests. It requires us to work and live together.
~Oscar Arias Sanchez
EPS is pleased to welcome these new fellows: Bill Black, Pierre Calame, Ping Chen, Paul Davidson, John Paul Dunne, Gary Dymski, Teresa Ghilarducci, Steve Killilea, Dimitri Papadimitriou, and Barkley Rosser.
EPS members are invited to Strengthening the Peace-Development Nexus - Insights from the Global Peace Index 2009 at UN headquarters in New York 10:30am - 12:30pm, Friday, June 5. The discussion will include elements of a recent study EPS conducted for inclusion in the GPI addressing the questions: What are the results of measuring peace? How do they relate to development? What is the economic value of peace?
To RSVP please email Zoe Cooprider at zcooprider@visionofhumanity.org
Congratulations to EPS Board member Jeff Madrick on the selection of his book, The Case for Big Government as a Finalist in the 2009 PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award for Nonfiction. It was one of three books, and the only university press book on the list. The award went to Steve Coll for his excellent book The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century. The other finalist was Jane Mayer’s book The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals.
On May 12, EPS Fellow Bill Hartung joined Christopher Paine of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Nuclear Program and Ingrid Drake of the Project on Government Oversight to discuss Lost in Transition, The Costs and Consequences of the Pending Program to Modernize the US Nuclear Weapons Complex.
Despite President Obama's recent pledge to seek a world free of nuclear weapons, the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration plans to spend tens of billions of dollars to upgrade the nation's nuclear weapons complex. Why is this happening, and what can be done about it? The panel discussed the future of US nuclear policy and the security risks posed by the current weapons complex.
Video of the event is posted on New America Foundation's website at http://www.newamerica.net/events/2009/lost_transition
The Straus Military Reform Project works to inform the public about our high-cost weapons that are huge performance disappointments. These weapons also contribute to the negative trends that have beset our defenses for decades: a larger defense budget means forces that are smaller, older, and less ready to fight. This new video, in which experts discuss the F-22 Raptor's history and flaws, features EPS Fellow Winslow Wheeler, Danielle Brian of the Project on Government Oversight(POGO), and Colin Clark of DoD BUZZ.
To view the video on YouTube, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1hDI2URVVA
The 13th Annual International Conference on Economics and Security will take place June 24 – 26, 2009 at CITY College in Thessaloniki, Greece. The conference is sponsored by EPS-UK; EPS-Greece; the Business Administration and Economics Department, CITY College, an affiliated institution of the University of Sheffield; the University of the West of England; and SEERC (South East European Research Centre). The conference will have plenary sessions with keynote speakers, plus specialist workshop streams.
Info at http://www.city.academic.gr/special/events/economics_and_security09/index.html.
Volume 4, No. 1 of the Economics of Peace and Security Journal is now available online. Non-subscribers can access the abstracts and contents pages. This issue contains symposia on defense innovation and the economics of conflict with contributions by:
- Renaud Bellais on defense innovation and venture capital
- Sylvain Daffix and Yves Jacquin on European defense R&D and national R&D systems
- Peter Hall and Andrew James on industry structure and innovation in the British defense sector
- Philip Verwimp introduces the symposium articles
- S. Mansoob Murshed on greed, grievance, and social contract
- M. Zulfan Tadjoeddin and Anis Chowdhury on violence in Indonesia
- Ana María Ibáñez on forced displacement in Colombia
- Steven Spittaels and Filip Hilgert on conflict mapping in the Congo
And articles by:
- Christopher E.S. Warburton on war and exchange rate valuation
- Steve Chan on the democratic peace proposition
- Steve Townsend on Thomas Friedman’s First Law of Petropolitics
- Ronen Bar-El, Kobi Kagan, and Asher Tishler on military planning
EPS members receive a 25% discount on the annual subscription to the Economics of Peace and Security Journal. Regular one-year subscriptions are $40 per year; for EPS members the one-year subscription is $30.
The Journal is a peer-reviewed online publication hosted by EPS-UK. Published twice yearly, it raises and debates all issues related to the political economy of personal, communal, national, international, and global peace and security. Past contributors have included Joseph Stiglitz, James Galbraith, and Lawrence Klein. The Journal’s website also includes book reviews submitted by members and subscribers.
You can find more information or subscribe to the Journal at http://www.epsjournal.org.uk/.
To become a member of EPS (and to qualify for the subscription discount) visit http://www.epsusa.org/membership/membership.htm.
Institute of Religion, Culture and Peace, Payap University, Chiangmai, Thailand offers a PhD in Peacebuilding.
The worldwide increase of violent and potentially violent conflicts in recent decades has given rise to a number of programs in the field of Peace Studies at several major universities. These programs research and study the various causes of violence, and the ways and means of attempting to resolve them. In addition to research and study centers, organizations devoted to the specific purpose of mediating conflicts through dialogue and other means have also been established.
Ideally, these theoretical and practical aspects of peace work should complement each other and thereby increase the chance of success in bringing peace in the world. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case. There seems to be a disconnect between theory and practice, resulting in fewer successes than there should have been considering the resources and energy put into this work. This program will consist of a rigorous study of the theoretical side of Peace Studies combined with experiential fieldwork in the area of conflict transformation and resolution. The objective is to develop ways in which theory and practice can be combined in ways that provide a better and more cohesive grounding for both theoretical peace studies and actual peacebuilding.
Rather than being “study for study’s sake,” it will be “study for practice’s sake.” Thus, it is analogous to advanced academic programs provided by schools of medicine, social work, music, and architecture. Reflective study resulting in a thorough knowledge of theories of peacebuilding is the starting point of the program; this is then followed by and combined with critical evaluation and the development of new improved theories.
For further information, please contact: Dr. Chaiyan Rajchagool at chaiyan.r@gmail.com
On April 24, 2009, the European Parliament recommended complete nuclear disarmament by 2020, through the “Model Nuclear Weapons Convention” and the “Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol.” The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol is complementary to the NPT and receives growing support from cities, governments and civil society around the world. As of April 28, 2009, there were 769 signatories (http://www.2020visioncampaign.org/pages/462/) to the “Cities Appeal in support of the H-N Protocol” from 45 countries. They range from the Mayors of London, Luxembourg, Rome and Stockholm in Europe to Sapporo (Japan), San Francisco (USA), Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Cape Town (South Africa) and Toronto (Canada). And on June 23, 2008, the US Conference of Mayors at its 76th annual meeting in Miami, Florida unanimously adopted a far-reaching resolution entitled “Support for the Elimination of All Nuclear Weapons by the Year 2020” supporting the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol.
More information: http://www.2020visioncampaign.org
Call for papers: Eurasian Peace Science Conference, January 8 – 9, 2010 at Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey. The Conference's goal is to broaden cooperation among Eurasian and Middle Eastern peace science scholars and seeks to bring together research on conflict and peace-related topics from throughout the world.
All aspects of the peace science field are welcome including in particular: (a) empirical studies of political violence and peaceful resolution, (b) quantitative and formal analyses of conflict and peace processes, (c) peace science methodology and theory, (d) alliances, investment, trade, and conflict, (e) economic and political causes of war and terrorism, (f) contemporary regional conflicts in Eurasia and Middle East, (g) security and foreign policy, and (h) conflict analysis and management.
All submissions with tentative titles, abstracts (150-300 words) and contact information for authors should be sent to Eurasiaps@ku.edu.tr. All submissions before July 15, 2009 will be considered for the conference. Proposals after that date will only be considered if there are presentation slots available.
Call for papers: September 8 – 9, 2009. Conflict and Complexity II: an international interdisciplinary conference University of Kent, Canterbury, UK. Title and abstract: very preferably before May 31, 2009.
http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/getfile.cfm?documentfileid=15245
The Review is a fully peer-reviewed, open-access journal hosted at the headquarters of the UN mandated University for Peace. See http://www.review.upeace.org for submission guidelines and additional information.
For more information, please visit www.bepress.com/peps
Fulbright Scholar Program for US Faculty and Professionals for 2010-2011 is open. The Fulbright Scholar Program offers 105 awards in lecturing, research or combined lecturing/research in economics, including seven Fulbright Distinguished Chairs and the Middle East and North Africa Regional Research Program. Faculty and professionals in economics also can apply for one of the 144/All Discipline awards open to all fields.
The application deadline is August 1, 2009. US citizenship is required. For a full listing of all Fulbright programs and other eligibility requirements, please visit our website at www.cies.org or send a request for materials to scholars@cies.iie.org. For a detailed listing of Fulbright opportunities in economics, please consult our website at:
http://www.cies.org/award_book/award2010/discipline/ECON18.htm
For more details on the position, see http://www.armscontrol.org/employment#ACAResDir.
The position will remain open until filled. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume/curriculum vitae, names of 3 references, and relevant writing sample to aca@armscontrol.org with “Research Director” in the subject field.
The New Ideas Fund is seeking to support individuals to generate and develop new ideas in the fields of foreign policy and national security. NIF projects should result in a policy brief or a “white-paper” style report detailing the author’s new vision for American foreign policy. The New Ideas Fund will also consider publicizing already published material.
NIF funds ambitious projects that promise to shift foreign policy and national security debates in new, progressive directions. When submitting a project proposal, prospective grantees should explain the focus of their project, its significance to the foreign policy and national security disciplines, how it differs from past approaches, and its potential to effect progressive change either in the near future or in the long term.
Grants are available in the $5,000 to $25,000 range. For more information visit http://www.newideasfund.org/node/23.
The mid-year update of the American Security Project's report on global terrorism trends, “Are We Winning?” continues to paint a troubling picture. The report, released on April 29, showed several trends that raise serious concerns about the effectivess of US counterterrorism policy. These include a dramatic increase in Islamic violence in the Middle East, a worsening situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and new “hot spots” of violence in Somalia and Russia, as well as a dampening of the initial “Obama effect” in the Muslim world.
The full report, as well as an audio recording of the online release briefing, can be viewed at http://www.americansecurityproject.org/
Economists for Peace and Security is proud to announce the release of a report on the Bush Administration’s outer space policy. The report, Space, Security and the Economy, warns that the present policy of space dominance could transform outer space into a military battleground.
Official US policy asserts the right to deny any nation access to space if its actions are “perceived” to be hostile. This policy, together with other actions such as withdrawal from the ABM treaty and the ongoing development of weapons intended to attack objects in space, could lead to the deployment of weapons in space. If the US stations weapons in space other nations are likely to do the same, and we will be faced with an arms race in space.
The report concludes that no one can prevail and all stand to lose in an arms race in space. Among other consequences would be negative effects on the growing scientific and commercial uses of space, and on the economy. In particular, private investors are unlikely to place additional resources at risk in a vulnerable area of potential military conflict.
The report calls for changes in the policy of space dominance, greater transparency in military space spending, and detailed information about government and commercial space activities.
To view a PDF of the report, visit http://www.e/psusa.org/publications/papers/spacesecurity.pdf.
To request a hard copy, please email Thea Harvey theaharvey@epsusa.org.
Read YubaNet’s blog about the report: http://yubanet.com/usa/Report-Economic-Impact-of-Arms-Race-in-Space.php.
“Arms, War and Terrorism in the Global Economy Today: Economic Analyses and Civilian Alternatives” is a volume published by Bremer Schriften zur Konversion. It presents papers of two joint seminars of EPS and the European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy (EAEPE), which took place in Rethymon, Crete, Greece, as well as papers from the 2004 Second International Conference on Defense, Security, and Economic Development held in Larissa, Greece.
Contributing authors include Michael Intriligator, Fannie Coulomb, Jacques Fontanel, Jurgen Brauer, Gulay Gunluk-Senesen, J. Paul Dunne, Luc Mampaey, Claude Serfati, Christos Kollias, Clark Abt, and Lucy Law Webster, as well as many other notable economists.
The book is available from the publishers, LIT Verlag, for €24.90 at http://www.lit-verlag.de/isbn/3-8258-0045-1.
Fact Sheets: Periodically, we release two-sided fact sheets designed to give an accessible, graphic look at one specific issue of concern to our members and constituency.
Global Arms Trade 2004 examines the world’s supplies of conventional weapons and small arms. http://www.epsusa.org/publications/factsheets/globalarmstrade.pdf.
Military vs. Social Spending: Warfare or Human Welfare compares US and global military spending with the costs of achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals. http://www.epsusa.org/publications/factsheets/milexMDG.pdf.
Conflict or Development? This book 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 a general-interest style, 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 Conflict or Development by emailing theaharvey@epsusa.org.
Conflict or Development is also a valuable resource in teaching economics, political science, and international relations courses. To review a copy for use in your syllabus, email Thea Harvey at theaharvey@epsusa.org.
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 Thea Harvey at theaharvey@epsusa.org.
The American Clean Energy And Security Act of 2009 (HR2454), also known as the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, was introduced in mid-May "to create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming and transition to a clean energy economy."
The bill includes a cap-and-trade global warming reduction plan designed to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent by 2020. Other provisions include new renewable requirements for utilities, studies and incentives regarding new carbon capture and sequestration technologies, energy efficiency incentives for homes and buildings, and grants for green jobs, among other things. The bill is currently being considered by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and will likely be on the full House floor in June.
More information and the text of the bill can be found at http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h2454/show?gclid=CLbA9qHi3JoCFQxGkwodeXCZ2g
Many conservatives are opposing the bill on the grounds that "cap and trade will be bad for local economies", that "cap and trade hasn't worked in Europe", and that "climate change is not a serious concern".
Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana is among the bill's detractors. http://www.indystar.com/article/20090515/NEWS05/905150400/Daniels+attacks+climate+change+proposal
The Union of Concerned Scientists is encouraging economists and other climate scientists, especially in Indiana, to respond with letters to the editor. A sample letter can be found at www.epsusa.org/actioncorner/lettertotheeditor.htm
The US foreign aid system is still governed primarily by laws written in the 1960s. Rep. Howard Berman (CA) has pledged to rewrite foreign aid legislation to focus more on development, addressing climate change, and conflict mitigation. His first step has been to introduce the Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009, which requires the president to develop a comprehensive strategy for global development.
To encourage your representative to cosponsor this legislation, visit http://action.fcnl.org/r/71456/43984/0.
Want to get the word out on the topic that matters most to you? With a letter to your local paper, you can help bring your message not only to your neighbors, but directly to the offices of your Members of Congress as well, where staffers and our lawmakers themselves follow opinions from home with an especially watchful eye.
The ACLU has a tool that helps write and send letters to local papers. Available are a list of media outlets by state, tips on how to write a letter in your own words, plus talking points for the listed topics.
http://action.aclu.org/site/PageServer?pagename=LTE_SOTU_2007&JServSessionIdr001=3bu4
9o8t91.app20a
July 9, 2009. Modeling Social Conflict 10am to 4pm, at the London School of Economics. Gordon Burt will run a workshop showing how modeling in various academic disciplines can give an insight into social conflict. A 300-page monograph, Lecture Notes on Conflict, Complexity and Mathematical Social Science, supports the seminar.
For further information on the workshop and on the monograph, see: http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/document.cfm?docid=12158
July 10 – 12, 2009. New Directions for International Relations, a conference at the Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy at IDC-Herzliya, Israel. Topics include: Behavioral Approaches to International Relations; Rational Choice and International Relations; Quantitative and Formal Analysis of Conflict and Conflict Resolution; Negotiations and Mediation in International Conflicts; Methodological Innovations in IR; and a special panel on Conflict Resolution in the Middle East: Bridging the Gap between Academia and Practice.
August 7 – 10, 2009. 7th General Conference of Mayors for Peace in Nagasaki, Japan. Registration and travel information at https://apollon.nta.co.jp/peace07e/.
For more information, please email Eurasiaps@ku.edu.tr.
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