Amid the financial storm: redirecting climate change , Mike Hulme
Climate change is often described as the greatest environmental crisis faced by the world. So what is the significance of the unfolding global financial crisis for the "climate crisis"? Might it lead to a retreat from concern, a resurgent interventionism or a reflection on society's deeper dilemmas?
Mike Hulme is professor in the school of environmental sciences at the University of East Anglia. His next book is Why We Disagree About Climate Change (Cambridge... more »
America and Syria: a political raid, Paul Rogers
A single incident can often reveal much about the thinking of its architects. This is certainly true of the United States's military raid across the Iraq-Syria border on 26 October 2008, even though at present it is still surrounded by more speculation than fact. The attack in the Abu Kamal region seems to have killed eight people - most of whom were civilians, according to local sources. The briefings from US officials contest this, and claim that the raid succeeded in its objective: to... more »
The core crisis: stand with the poor, Anita Sharma
The international effort to end world poverty may not at present be the highest-profile one on a global news agenda dominated by financial turmoil and worries over the coming recession. But the public engagement with the issue is real and sustained. This was reflected in an extraordinary global mobilisation on the weekend of 17-19 October 2008. "Stand Up and Take Action" was supported in 131 countries by nearly 117 million people, who participated in diverse events - from marches to... more »
The wrong turn (4): a real choice , Rosemary Bechler
It is this kind of counter-strategy, worthy of feminist acclaim and experiment, (and capable of setting a standard for the assessment of all manner of candidates) - a politics of empowerment indeed - that seems so lacking from the current discussion around Sarah Palin and the feminist vote. Viewed from this perspective, for example, how do we judge her achievement when to become governor of Alaska she ‘took on her own party's good ole' boys and won'? Jonathan Raban's recent... more »
The wrong turn (3): siren voices , Rosemary Bechler
Sometimes referred to as ‘standpoint analysis', what was and remains exciting about this body of work, committed to articulating the experiences and perspectives of women, was its recognition of the gendered nature of power itself. As a point of critique it raised the possibility of a radical reconstruction of core concepts central to the study of international relations, such as autonomy, power, conflict and security.
The introduction of a recent collection of essays, ‘Rethinking... more »
Posts
