Could these men bring peace to Iraq?
01 Dec 2006
With Iraq descending into chaos by the day, Zaki Chehab makes the case for giving the tribes — the traditional source of authority in Iraq — a more formal role in the political process.
Dec 2006: Could the Tribes Bring Peace to Iraq?
Switch on the kids' telly, switch off their brains
01 Dec 2006
Martin Large warns that too much TV is damaging to a child's physical and mental development , and that it turns children into passive consumers, under the spell of marketers. He recommends a health warning to parents, and a ban on advertising to children.
Fury of the faithful as Dr. No says Yes
01 Dec 2006
Is Ian Paisley facing a back-lash from his own Free Presbyterian congregation as he prepares to back a power-sharing agreement with IRA/Sinn Fein? Smyth suggests that he is is, and that opposition to a detente with his long-time foes runs deeper still within Ulster's Protestant community.
These smash-and-grab bailiffs who make a mockery of justice when they come knocking at the door
01 Dec 2006
Think an Englishman's home is his castle? Time to think again: the common law that prevents forced entry by bailiffs is effectively about to be abolished by the Commons. Nicolson warns that it is primarily society's most vulnerable members that will fall victim to the passing of this centuries-old protection.
Will the saga of the Lords end with the House that Jack built?
01 Dec 2006
With Labour's refom of the Lords still unfinished business, Donald Shell suggests that any solution must retain the primacy of the Commons while more effectively holding the executive to account. Could Jack Straw's forthcoming white paper hold the key?
Stern words while in the EU they're trading hot air
01 Dec 2006
In the wake of Stern, can emissions trading deliver the desired drop in carbon pollution? Kevin Smith thinks not, and suggests a return to good old-fashioned tax as a possible solution.
30 years after Barbara Castle, the lessons ministers fail to heed
01 Dec 2006
With the NHS in a deficit-crisis, health economist Alan Maynard argues that the Labour government's failure to manage the NHS competently has a long history, and that recommendations made by Barbara Castle thirty years ago remain to be acted upon.
Pensions reform? The reality is another raw deal for the poor old Brits
01 Dec 2006
With British state pensions lagging behind the rest of western Europe (and even the US), will Tony Blair's latest reforms to tackle the issue through private provision work? Noel Whiteside argues not: only reliable and adequate state provision can rescue many of Britain's future pensioners from a retirement in poverty.
Which is it to be — peace in Uganda or Coney being brought to justice?
01 Dec 2006
With Uganda on the brink of real peace after a long and bloody civil war, John Ashworth argues for a South Africa-style 'truth commission' in a bid to heal the wounds of decades of fighting. Rather than emphasising the punishment of alleged 'war criminals' such as LRA leader Joseph Koney, the authorities such seek restoratve rather than retributive justice.
Slavery: the evil goes on
01 Dec 2006
Thought that slavery had been abolished during Wilberforce's time? Think again. Baroness Cox investigates slavery in the 21st century and comes to the conclusion that the world still has a long road to travel before completing the great campaigner's victory.
The quiet man with the world on his shoulders
01 Dec 2006
With South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon about to replace Kofi Annan as Secretary General of the UN in the new year, Chung-in Moon profiles the man. Does he have the skills and the personality to succeed in this 'impossible' task? Our man in Korea thinks he does.
If Cyprus turns into a goodbye to Turkey then it will be a blunder with both sides as losers
01 Dec 2006
With the issue of Cyprus remaining a thorn in the side of Turkish relations with the EU, and with many existing member-states expressing grave reservations about Turkey's membership, has Turkey's enthusiasm for the membership of the European club gone cold? Ozel argues that unless relations are handled carefully the prospect of Turkish membership may be a distant one indeed.
The forgotten Arabs facing destruction
01 Dec 2006
While the black Africans of Darfur are the main victims of the Khartoum government's offensive in the region, Julie Flint highlights the forgotten plight of the region's Arab nomads. Camel herders by trade, these tribes are caught in the crossfire between Khartoum and its Janjaweed proxy militia, and their African victims. Only by including these forgotten Arabs in the peace process can any such process hope to succeed.
The rebels price for a real peace in Darfur
01 Dec 2006
With peace in Darfur continuing to exist only on paper, Julie Flint argues for the imperative of greater involvement by the international community in the area to attempt to encourage a ceasefire and bring about a new, and more credible, peace agreement.
Afghanistan: it's not all bad news
01 Dec 2006
Mark Evans ,of the Post-War Reconstruction and Development Unit at the University of York, counters the negative image of Afghanistan as a hopeless case. He tells of a people desparate for peace and security, and the economic and social development that they hope will accompany it. He argues that the military investment by NATO in Afghanistan must be matched (at the very least) by investment in development projects if the Taliban are to be defeated.
No law, no order
01 Dec 2006
With politicians on bnoth sides of the Atlantic talking up Iraqisation of security as the quickest exit route from Iraq, Olga Liker's exhaustive study exposes the shortfalls in such a strategy: to make it work requires a commitment spanning years. And it may not work.
What is science for?
01 Dec 2006
Alister Scott, Science and Technology Policy Research, University of Sussex, assesses government science and innovation policy, and identifies the ideas of weakness and confusion in UK strategy. 123
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December 2006 edition
Iraq's tribes are the one hope of preventing outright civil war, argues Zaki Chehab. We must hope so because, as Olga Oliker demonstrates, the Iraqi army and police are far less prepared than numbers and coalition reports suggest. Mark Evans reports on the success of Afghanistan's largest development project, and argues that the battle for hearts and minds is being won. Closer to home, Noel Whiteside shows why pension reform is another raw deal for the Brits. Though the Stern Report backs carbon markets, Kevin Smith points out that it is legislation that is most effective at cutting emissions. Cracks in the DUP as Paisley commits the party to power-sharing — Clifford Smyth reports. Should TV come with a health warning? Martin Large argues that it should, and explains why.