Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
A large swath of Africa has been engulfed by war for several years. The situation is unlikely to improve because the conflicts arise from the disintegration of postcolonial states—the order that was imposed on Africa by outside states. Wars will continue to flare up until a new order emerges, either imposed by the international community or based on new territorial and political arrangements.
The way out of the Israeli-Palestinian impasse may be two sets of unilateral steps: a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from most of the Palestinian territories still under its control, coupled with both consolidation to most of the larger and contiguous Israeli settlements and abandonment of the smaller and isolated ones–and, on the Palestinian side, a unilateral declaration of independence.
In light of the failed Oslo Peace Accords and other events that have transpired since, Edward Said's support for an Israeli unilateral withdrawal from Palestinian territories, rather than reaching a Israeli-Palestinian rapprochement, was not only pragmatic, but it was right.
Mending the sad state of relations between Israel, Palestinians, and Arab countries is not merely an issue of peace-making, but rather of reconciliation. And this simply cannot be achieved without addressing the deep-rooted feelings of hatred which have become socially ingrained over the years.
The Great Lakes Region of Africa has the greatest need of humanitarian aid yet receives the lowest proportion of resources relative to that need. Bishop Phillip Straling, Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Wenski, Father Michael Perry, and Lacy Wright discussed their recent trip to the region in a talk moderated by Kathleen Newland.
Time and again, US officials have stated that they do not want America to become the policeman of the world. Yet the one institution that can help the United States from being placed in that role-the United Nations-has been treated shabbily by the United States. The United States must re-affirm the UN’s mission with concrete action, beginning with the payment of long-overdue UN dues.
Improving security measures alone will not solve the problems in the Caspian region and the role of the US in this process is a limited one. The countries of the region must add to the number of stakeholders in their countries to begin this reform.
Foreign policy is playing a big role in the 2000 Republican primary contest. Bigger than education. Bigger than campaign finance reform. As big as Social Security. Public interest in foreign policy is one big reason John McCain is giving George Bush a run for his money. McCain has convinced many Republican voters that he will be a stronger world leader. The difference is biography.
Breakfast Briefing on the repatriation of refugees to Kosovo.