General

Welcome news, apparently, in Obama's announcement today to postpone his decision about how to respond to the chemical attack in Damascus. Because there is no sense in firing a barrage of missiles as a response to the use of chemicals. Perhaps Obama's reason was his not wanting to be in Russia next week during or just after a US-led attack on Russia's ally. Perhaps he was given pause by the UK Commons vote on Friday. Or perhaps he is not so stupid after all, and has listened to wise counsel.

The prospect of military action against the Assad regime by western powers has become increasingly real. Soon it may be all but inevitable. But what kind of action, for what purpose, in the service of what larger strategy? All this remains obscure.

EU High Representative and EC Vice-President Catherine Ashton steps down from leading the European External Action Service (EEAS) in late 2014. She has presented her review of the organisation and how to make it more efficient.

Si le Mali est au coeur des débats, la prise de contrôle du nord du Mali par les radicaux ainsi que l’ingouvernabilité perçue de cette région, fruits d’une gouvernance insuffisante et de l’implication de l’État avec des groupes criminels, dominent l’ordre du jour. De plus, des groupes terroristes internationaux bien armés, équipés et formés profitent actuellement de cette situation. Toutefois, la lutte contre le terrorisme menée par des puissances extérieures n’est évidemment pas compatible avec la consolidation de la paix.

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This article first appeared in The Huffington Post on 22 May 2013

This year Africa celebrates 50 years of collective action: first through the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and more recently the African Union (AU).

This year Africa celebrates 50 years of collective action: first through the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and more recently the African Union (AU). This is also a critical juncture in African history: the post-colonial period is over and the African Renaissance is underway; economic growth has been steady for a decade; and the number of wars and coups d’état has declined. However, Africans still face many challenges. This paper examines how the AU can enhance its contribution to sustainable peace. This is part of our Peace Focus series.

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Earlier this month youth leaders from 15 Lebanese political parties (pictured) travelled with International Alert to Switzerland to learn about the Swiss experience of democracy. 

The trip, which included representatives from a broad range of political parties in Lebanon, focused on how the Swiss manage plurality in politics and governance. 

International Alert’s new research, Myths and conflicts in the South Caucasus, sheds light on the ways in which myths and stereotypes about the conflicts in the South Caucasus are created, communicated and used in the region.

Данная публикация пытается пролить свет на способы, с помощью которых создаются и передаются мифы и доминантные нарративы, связанные с конфликтами на Южном Кавказе. Особое внимание уделено тому, каким образом связанные с конфликтами мифы обусловлены местными политическими манипуляциями, как создаются «образы врага» и каким образом они, в свою очередь, способствуют усилению сопротивляемости конфликтов их разрешению.

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This publication attempts to shed some light on the ways in which myths and dominant narratives associated with the conflicts in the South Caucasus are constructed, transmitted and used in the region. A region-wide research project examined three main modern mechanisms through which myths are created and disseminated: through history textbooks; through political discourse; and through the media, including the blogosphere.

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Данная публикация пытается пролить свет на способы, с помощью которых создаются и передаются мифы и доминантные нарративы, связанные с конфликтами на Южном Кавказе. В охватывающем весь регион проекте исследованы три механизма, с помощью которых создаются и распространяются мифы. Особое внимание уделено тому, каким образом связанные с конфликтами мифы обусловлены местными политическими манипуляциями, как создаются «образы врага» и каким образом они, в свою очередь, способствуют усилению сопротивляемости конфликтов их разрешению.

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This publication attempts to shed some light on the ways in which myths and dominant narratives associated with the conflicts in the South Caucasus are constructed and transmitted in the region. A region-wide research project examined three mechanisms through which myths are created and disseminated. A particular focus of interest was how myths associated with the conflicts are subject to domestic political manipulation, how “enemy images” are created, and how these in turn serve to strengthen the resilience of those conflicts to resolution.

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После смены власти в Грузии в октябре 2012, International Alert запустила новый процесс «Диалог через исследование» с грузинскими и абхазскими экспертами – и предложила им критически оценить проблемы и возможности, стоящие перед обоими сообществами в среднесрочной перспективе – до 2020 года. В данном сборнике мы представляем девять дискуссионных статей, которые отображают Грузино-Абхазский конфликт в контексте демократизации и управления, строительства государства и национального строительства, социально-экономического развития и международных отношений.

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Following the change of government in Georgia in October 2012, International Alert launched a new 'Dialogue through research' process with Georgian and Abkhaz experts, inviting them to take stock of the challenges and opportunities facing both societies, taking a medium-term view to 2020.

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