|
Issue 33
Thursday, 23 August 2012 |
|
27 August, Pretoria: Dealing with child soldiers - the LRA and beyond
In
this seminar former Sierra Leonean
child soldier Ishmael Beah will share his thoughts and experiences in conversation with
ISS Senior Researcher David Zounmenou. More Information...
29 August, Pretoria: Zimbabwe: The political Situation in the Run-up to the Constitutional Referendum
The ISS is hosting a seminar
that will unpack the political dynamics in the run-up to the constitutional
referendum in the context of the GPA
More Information...
24 September, Addis Ababa: ACPST Course: Managing Diversity
African countries are known for their ethnic, linguistic and
religious diversity. Nigeria and Cameroon, for example, are estimated to have
250 ethnic groups each while South Africa has 11 official languages. While some
celebrate this diversity, there is also the view that it is implicated in many
of the conflicts, wars and economic challenges faced by societies on the
continent. Given the basic fact of such diversity, the question arises of how
we can manage it for the improvement of human security in Africa. How can we
manage diversity to ensure peaceful and rights-respecting electoral politics? How
can diversity be handled to ensure the management of natural resources in ways
that promote equitable economic development? What sorts of mechanisms can we
put in place to ensure that relations between (forced and voluntary) migrants
and host communities take on a peaceful and development-enhancing character? How
can diversity be managed to ensure transitional justice and developmental post-conflict
reconstruction?
More Information...
25
to 26 October, Johannesburg: ISS 3rd International Conference: National
and international perspectives on crime reduction and criminal justice
In
October 2012 the Institute for Security Studies` Crime
and Justice Programme will be holding its 3rd annual international
conference on crime and criminal justice. For detailed information about
the conference, travel information or abstract submissions, click on
the link below.
More Information...
| |
Selected ISS Publications Available in EPUB Format
 Selected ISS publications are available in EPUB format for
tablet devices. Each week in the ISS Weekly, EPUB availability will be
highlighted by the EPUB logo. Simply save the EPUB file to your mobile
device and enjoy access to ISS publications on the move.
The Marikana Shootings a Failure of Key South African Institutions
Hamadziripi
Tamukamoyo, Researcher, Crime and Justice Programme, ISS Pretoria
The deaths of 44 people as a result of a strike by mineworkers at the Lonmin platinum mine in Marikana in the North West, is a sign that key institutions in South Africa are failing as a result of poor leadership.
Read more...
Security and Political Governance Overlooked at the Maputo SADC Summit
Dimpho Motsamai, Researcher, Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis, ISS Pretoria
The consolidation of peace and security forms part of the SADC common agenda, yet security and governance issues constitute ‘high politics’ that remain invisible in the agendas of the summit.
Read more...
Can Citizen Action Alone Tackle Lawlessness and Corruption in South Africa?
Lizette Lancaster, Manager: Crime and Justice Hub, Crime and Criminal Justice Programme, ISS Pretoria
South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030 calls for an active citizenry to ‘strengthen development, democracy and accountability’. What can be expected from citizens? Various surveys that explored South Africans’ perceptions of government institutions provide clues.
Read more...
Situation Report: Zimbabwe`s Tortuous Road to a New Constitution and Elections, Gwinyayi A Dzinesa
In July 2012, the Constitution Select Committee of Parliament (Copac)
that was mandated to consult Zimbabweans and draft a new constitution
finally accomplished its task after more than three years of acrimonious
debate. This came after the Extraordinary Summit of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government held
in Luanda, Angola, in June 2012, urged Zimbabwean parties to the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) ‘to finalise the constitution-making process
and subject it to a referendum thereafter’ … ‘assisted by the
facilitator (South African President Jacob Zuma), to develop an
implementation mechanism and set out time frames for the full
implementation of the road map to elections’.
Read more...
ISS Seminar Report: The African Standby Force: An Instrumental Idea Whose Time may be Overdue?
This seminar was convened
to provide a forum to examine and discuss questions about the progress made so
far in operationalising the force, its status and the challenges militating
against its timely operationalisation.
Read more...
Gender, Peace and Security in Africa, Brainstorming Session
The ISS, African Leadership Centre
(ALC) and Fahamu successfully co-hosted a one-day brainstorming session
on gender, peace and security in Africa. The meeting brought together 19
researchers, practitioners and academics engaged on issues of gender,
conflict management and post-conflict reconstruction from across the
continent. The event took place on 4 May 2012 at the ALC in Nairobi,
Kenya. Read more...
Peace and Security Council Report No 37
Mali has become one of the top issues on the agenda of the Peace
and Security Council of the AU. The political and security instability coupled
with the humanitarian crisis made the country more fragile then ever. The article on Libya contemplates the future of the nation
in the light of the recent elections.
The report also brings recent
developments in Angola to the attention of the PSC. Recent months have witnessed
protests staged by ex-combatants in the capital, Luanda, and growing waves of
protests by the youth and opposition parties calling for reform. The country analysis of Somalia looks at recent efforts to
draft a new constitution and the weakening of Al-Shabaab, as well as challenges
faced by the transitional government.
A brief open page article shedding light on the growing
China-Africa partnership on peace and security is also part of this
report.
Read more...
Situation
Report: Swaziland`s Non-Party Political System and the 2013 Tinkhundla
Elections, Dimpho Motsamai
The Kingdom of Swaziland is widely recognised as
an absolute monarchy and a non-party state where
executive authority lies in the king as the head of state,
governing with his Advisory Council and traditional
advisers.1 The monarchical political system is a stark
departure from the policy framework of the Southern
African Development Community (SADC), which
considers democracy and popular participation to be
part of the imperatives of economic development and
human security.2 The Swaziland 2005 constitution,
whose democratic legitimacy is contested because
the constitution-making process was highly defective,
effectively vests legislative power in the king,
Mswati III, who can veto all legislation approved by
parliament. This is a major weakness of the tinkhundla
constituency model, since even an elected legislature
cannot override the veto.
Read more...
ISS Seminar: Somalia’s Transition New Hopes, Old Fears
Abdulrazak Fartaag, former Head of Public Finance Management, Office of the Prime Minister, Republic of Somalia and Dr. Ibrahim Farah, Lecturer, Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies (IDIS), University of Nairobi give their views
Listen Online...
South Africa Insight Episode 24
Gareth Newham speaks about the Marikane tragedy. Why did this happen? Was the police irresponsible? How could this have been prevented?
Listen Online...
|
