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7561. Economic Exclusion of Ethnic Minorities: On the Importance of Concept Specification

Author:
Tim Dertwinkel
Publication Date:
12-2008
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
European Centre for Minority Issues
Abstract:
This issue brief is a plea for a more systematic investigation into the concept of economic exclusion of ethnic minorities.1 What does “economic exclusion” exactly mean? How does it relate to the broader and more established phenomenon of social exclusion? Is economicexclusion, especially when applied to historical ethnic minorities, worthwhile studying in its ownright, or is it just a fashionable reframing of “older” development concepts such as poverty or inequality? It is exactly these questions that this issue brief attempts to shed some light on. I argue that such an exercise is overdue mainly for the two following reasons: first, there is a recent abundance in the use of the term “economic exclusion”, prominently taken up and further promoted by the work of minority rights related institutions, NGOs and practitioners. Second, and in sharp contrast to fast emerging policy programs and legal frameworks, theoretical orconceptual clarifications of economic exclusion - as well as empirical results on factors promoting or mitigating exclusion - are rare. The main argument put forward here is that so far, working definitions of economic exclusion are broad and extensive, and tend to vary according to institution. No standard definition of economic exclusion exists so far. This lack of conceptualspecification makes it almost impossible for empirical work to catch up with recent normative developments
Topic:
Economics, Minorities, Ethnicity, and Exclusion
Political Geography:
Europe

7562. PROTECT! People, Economies and Infrastructure

Author:
Saleem Vaillancourt and William Boyd
Publication Date:
06-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
“Do you feel more secure today than you did one year ago?” At the beginning of the East West Institute's 4th Worldwide Security Conference (WSC4), held on February 22-24, 2007 in Brussels, most attendees gave a pessimistic reaction to this straw poll. Two themes were central to the conference. Firstly, that at the core of counter-terrorism is the essential task of not allowing terrorist violence to dictate the nature and function of our society; and secondly, that terrorism is illegitimate and criminal. Terrorism cannot damage our liberties and rights, and it is a crime, not a war. Are we winning the long-term struggle against current terrorist groups and movements? The conference said no. Are the terrorists winning the propaganda war? The conference said yes.
Topic:
Security, International Cooperation, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
Brussels

7563. PROTECT! Building a Global Network to Combat Terrorists

Author:
Greg Austin, Stephen Sullivan, Christine Lynch, and Daniel Bautista
Publication Date:
06-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
The EastWest Institute's 4th Worldwide Security Conference brought attention to two unfortunate realities. More than half of the 600 public officials and private sector participants, all of them involved in some way in counter-terrorism, felt that we are far from winning the long-term struggle against terrorism. Secondly, there was majority support for the view that terrorists are winning the propaganda war.
Topic:
Security, International Cooperation, and Terrorism

7564. New Russia, New Ally: A Bilateral Security Agenda Beyond 2008

Author:
Greg Austin, Simon Saradzhyan, Daniel Bautista, and Jeff Procak
Publication Date:
06-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
Russia and the US agree on many more security issues than cause dispute between them. Neither expects war or major conflict with the other as an act of deliberate policy. The two states agree they are not military enemies. They have no military strategic interests of a bilateral nature that are fundamentally antagonistic.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention and International Cooperation
Political Geography:
Russia, United States, Europe, and Asia

7565. US, Russia Need to Work Together, Opinion pieces

Author:
Jeff Procak
Publication Date:
05-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
At month's end, Sens. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., and Minority Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss., will lead a U.S.-Russia Inter parliamentary Group is one of the few open channels for a broad dialogue by the two countries on the state of the badly frayed relationship. The visit, therefore, on the heels of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's recent meetings in Moscow, presents an important opportunity for the United States and Russia to pull back from an emerging pattern of unnecessary and possibly dangerous disputation.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention and International Cooperation
Political Geography:
Russia, United States, Europe, and Asia

7566. PROTECT! Civilians and Civil Rights in Counter-Terrorist Operations

Author:
Greg Austin and Aisha Sabadia
Publication Date:
04-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
In their efforts to defeat well-organized and well-armed terrorist groups, state agencies face difficult choices about how much force to use and how to distinguish between possible terrorists and the civilian populations amongst which they operate clandestinely. Terrorists lack scruples about locating themselves in or launching their operations from civilian areas.
Topic:
Conflict Prevention, Human Rights, International Cooperation, and Terrorism

7567. Preventing Nuclear Terrorism: The Moscow - Washington Alliance

Author:
Ken Berry
Publication Date:
02-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
The United States and Russia have the biggest responsibility for countering nuclear terrorism because together they account for the overwhelming share of global nuclear materials, expertise and weapons. The two countries also have between them the most substantial capacities in counter-terrorism intelligence and response. There is little to separate the two in their policies against nuclear terrorism. Where there are differences in approach on some aspects of nuclear proliferation, the two countries have accepted an obligation as the pre-eminent nuclear powers to try to narrow their differences. The international community cannot defeat nuclear terrorism or limit it without an active and vigorous alliance between Washington and Moscow.
Topic:
Arms Control and Proliferation, Development, International Cooperation, and Terrorism
Political Geography:
Russia, United States, Washington, and Moscow

7568. Engaging India: Ambassador Ortwin Hennig's visit to Delhi and Mumbai

Author:
Sahiba Trivedi
Publication Date:
01-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
Ambassador Ortwin Hennig is the Vice President and the Head of Conflict Prevention Program of the East West Institute at Brussels. His previous assignments include the Commissioner for Civilian Crisis Prevention, Conflict Resolution and Post-Conflict Peace Building in the German Government; diplomatic postings in Afghanistan, Russia, German Representation at the European Commission and the OSCE in Vienna. He has also served the Office of the German Federal President as a Foreign Policy Advisor. Ambassador Hennig is an alumnus of the NATO Defense College in Rome having specialized in arms control and security policy matters.
Topic:
Conflict Resolution, International Relations, and Development
Political Geography:
Afghanistan, Russia, India, Asia, Germany, and Vienna

7569. Energy Sovereignty and Security

Author:
Greg Austin and Danila Bochkarev
Publication Date:
01-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
Energy security has re-surfaced as a headline issue in the policy councils of Europe and the Americas in a way not seen since the 1970s. On the one hand, some leaders believe that there is a new energy rivalry with ominous geopolitical overtones, and they look at Russia and China with suspicion in this regard. On the other hand, at a more commercial level, there has been rising uncertainty about oil supply and demand, because of political instability in the Persian Gulf and rampant consumption in the major industrial countries and emerging economies. Price volatility, long a feature of the oil market, reached levels not seen for some years, leading to fresh concerns about 'peak oil'.
Topic:
Development, Energy Policy, Globalization, and Nationalism
Political Geography:
Russia, China, America, and Europe

7570. Advancing a Constructive Agenda for US-Russia Relations: Insights and Recommendations from Leading Experts

Author:
Jeff Procak
Publication Date:
04-2007
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
EastWest Institute
Abstract:
On April 25, 2007, the EastWest Institute, together with the Kennan Institute, organized in Washington DC a two-hour roundtable discussion on the current state and outlook for US-Russia relations. The roundtable used President Putin's speech presented to the 43rd Conference on Security Policy in Munich on February 10, 2007 as a point of reference. The purpose of this gathering was to examine strategies and approaches to reverse the significant decline in Russian-American relations over the last several years. The seminar was attended by 20 prominent experts from the US and Russia, including foreign policy advisors, representatives of the academic, business, and NGO communities, and mass media. Topics discussed included the most important issues on the US-Russia geostrategic agenda: arms control and nuclear non- proliferation, international energy, Russia's WTO accession, trade and economic cooperation, mutual perceptions and role of the media.
Topic:
International Relations and Security
Political Geography:
Russia, United States, Europe, Washington, and Asia