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Buen Vivir: Latin America’s new concepts for the good life and the rights of nature

Thomas Fatheuer — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:18:32 +0200

Leftist governments in Ecuador and Bolivia have drawn up new constitutions. Buen Vivir – the right to a good life and the rights of nature – has been enshrined in these documents. Buen Vivir is based on indigenous traditions and sees itself as a concept that departs from Western paradigms of affluence. This essay describes the political genesis of a complex concept.

Mental Infrastructures: How Growth Entered the World and Our Souls

Harald Welzer — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:21:56 +0200

In light of the recent ecological, financial and economic crisis, criticizing the all-powerful paradigm of economic growth is necessary. But growth as will and representation not only pervades corporate headquarters, stock exchanges and ministries, but also our heads.

Right to Food Impact Assessment of The EU-India Trade Agreement

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:18:29 +0200

The European Union (EU) and the Government of India are currently negotiating a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that aims to liberalise 'substantially all trade' between the two trading blocks. This study assesses the possible impact of an FTA between India and the EU on the Human Right to Food in India.

Women’s Perceptions of the Afghan National Police

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:05:16 +0200

The security needs of Afghan men and women differ. Whereas men bear the brunt of the direct impacts of conflict, women disproportionately suffer from the indirect effects such as increased levels of domestic violence, decreased access to health care and poverty. Due to this difference in security needs, gender must be taken into account when evaluating the relationship between citizens and the Afghan National Police (ANP).

Afghanistan: No More a Priority to the World

Sanjar Sohail — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:05:37 +0200

On November 23rd Heinrich-Boell-Foundation organized the international conference “10 Years after Petersberg: Where does Afghanistan stand today?” that addressed the current state of affairs in the country, the role of the regional neighbors and inquired about future prospects for Afghanistan.

Bonn Conference and Obstacles ahead of Afghanistan

Sanjar Sohail — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:27:29 +0200

One of the clear messages of the international community to the Afghan administration in the recently-held Bonn conference on Afghanistan was that the world is commited to support Afghanistan even after 2014. However, the question of what these commitments will look like, remains unanswered.

Japanese-German Dialogue on Security: Perspectives of East Asian Regional Security

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:21:28 +0200

Last December the second Japanese-German Dialogue on security affairs took place in Berlin. The expert round table talked about the perspectives on security related issues in East Asia. The topics included the role of China, the situation on the Korean Peninsular and the question, how to deal with the Russian nuclear potentials.

Pashtuns in Pakistan: Why the war on terror is being lost

Syed Irfan Ashraf — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:39:00 +0200

The Pashtuns are the ethnic majority in the border area of Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the Pakistani government is not caring about their issues. In the war on terror they often feel like cannon fodder.

Pakistans boycott of the Afghanistan conference: a step in the wrong direction

Britta Petersen — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:23:25 +0200

The second Bonn Conference which took place on December 5th in Germany, is an attempt to correct the various mistakes of the past. At least formally, all parties agree that the Afghan conflict cannot be settled my military means. By boycotting the conference, Pakistan is taking a step in the wrong direction.

Solidarity and Strength: The Future of the European Union

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:30:30 +0200

The European Union is at a crossroads. The Heinrich Böll Foundation has invited renowned experts, to formulate concepts and recommendations for the future of the EU. They are presented in this dossier.

Indo-Pakistani relations: A lesson from European history?

Britta Petersen — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:58:00 +0200

After Germany lost World War II it had to acknowledge that it is a middle power that cannot dominate Europe. It therefore focused on rebuilding relations with former enemies through confidence building measures, economic cooperation and total restraint from military adventurism. Could this strategy be a role model for India and Pakistan as well?

Politics, Principles and Practice: Zimbabwe's Diamonds and the Kimberley Process

Dr. Antonie Katharina Nord and Jochen Luckscheiter (Editors) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:08:56 +0200

Smuggled diamonds are still financing violent conflicts in Africa. In 2003 the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was created to prevent the trade of these blood diamonds. But recent reports of violence, human rights abuses and smuggling are fuelling doubts about the credibility and effectiveness of the certification scheme.

Afghanistan 2011: 10 Years of International Engagement

Mon, 23 May 2011 16:03:58 +0200

After ten years of international involvement in Afghanistan, a second conference will take plan in Bonn this December 2011 to discuss the country’s future. Since 2002, the Heinrich Böll Foundation has actively supported the development of civil society in Afghanistan and has promoted exchanges between the German and Afghan public. The following dossier provides a venue for comments, analysis and debate ahead of the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan.

Syria's Revolution: Society, Power, Ideology

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:06:36 +0200

It is almost a year ago that Syrian citizens, inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, courageously took to the streets in protest against the decades-long denial of their basic rights by the Assad regime. But Syria as a topic for research has long been marginalized in cultural, social, and political studies. This publication written by authors from the region wants to give new perspectives on Syria.

Dangerous journey: Migration through the transit country Mexico

Jennifer Dresel — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:50:11 +0200

The migration stream going through Mexico is the largest in the world. Violence is on the migration routes of the day. At least since the discovery of 72 dead migrants in the northern state of Tamaulipas in August last year, brings the issue of serious human rights violations against migrants in Mexico increasingly into the public interest. An inventory

Hope and forgetting in Pakistan

Britta Petersen — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:26:07 +0200

What has always struck me about Pakistan and the Pakistani people is their ability to generate political passion despite so many disappointments. In other places, hope is a marathon runner who drops dead the moment she reaches her goal - although the real test begins much later. In Pakistan, despite the fact that no politician seems to have ever delivered on the promises he or she made, hope refuses to die.

The beginning of the end? A subjective assessment of the political situation in Hungary

Kristóf Szombati — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:44:44 +0200

Hungary’s new constitution, adopted without a referendum or the support of parties in opposition, came into force on the 1st of January 2012. In the last week of 2011 members of the ruling coalition – despite warnings from their fellow MPs and the country’s international partners – passed a number of bills which break the pillars of the liberal democratic edifice, erected just two decades ago to replace an authoritarian system of rule.

Diversity seeks Council: Councillors with a migration background in German cities

Karen Schönwälder, Cihan Sinanoglu, Daniel Volkert — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:29:19 +0200

Do the institutions of our democracy reflect the increasing diversity of our society? For the first time, a study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity has investigated this question concerning the councils of major German cities. The summary presents the main results of the study.

Women in the Arab Spring: New and distinct forms of political participation

Dalal al-Bizri — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:57:58 +0200

During the Arab uprisings, an unprecedented number of women took to the streets, paving the way for a more important role in politics. However, in the transitional period that follows, they now have to fight against their exclusion from the political arena. This fight will blur the conflict lines between the „traditional-religious“ and the „urban-modern-non-religious“ blocs.

Political Expression in Thailand: New Media and Political Mobilization

Jost Pachaly — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:10:10 +0200

Due to political conflicts in Thailand over the last few years, new media have been widely used as tools in public discussions. The Heinrich Böll Stiftung Southeast Asia Regional Office organized a public discussion forum to stimulate discussion between representatives of different groups about the protection of freedom of expression and access to information.

Syria: "There Must Be a Freedom Square, And We Have Set the Date"

Razan Zaitouneh — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:39:48 +0200

As the Syrian popular uprising continues, so does the brutal response by the regime. A recount of daily confrontations with arrest, torture and disappearance of family members, friends and fellow activists. Through the cracks of repression, though, shimmers an undaunted dream of freedom.

Toward Global (Environ)Mental Change

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:39:37 +0200

The global crisis of unsustainability is not only a crisis of the hardware of civilization, it is also a crisis of the software of minds. Therefore we need a global (environ)mental change, that is a transformation process to affect the many relationships between our minds and their environments.

Locking up the Future - Unconventional Oil in Africa

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:25:17 +0200

What price our future energy?
This short briefing gives an overview of three investments in unconventional oil in Africa currently in prospect in the context of debates about the need to mitigate global environmental threats and ensure sustainable development.

SurVivArt – Art For the Right to a "Good Life"

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:45:23 +0200

For the SurVivArt project the Heinrich Böll Foundation has invited artists from around the world to reflect by means of works of art and related communications on what the “good life“ means to them and those around them. In February 2012, the works will be presented at an exhibition in Berlin.

Climate Change Conference: The climate is changing, so should our economy

Maya M. Givon — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 12:32:17 +0200

The story of climate change is not merely the story of changing components in the atmosphere, nor is it the story of drowning polar bears and melting icebergs. Climate change is also a mirror of the erroneous household management by humanity.

German Climate Finance Tested over the Long Term: New Website Online

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:39:18 +0200

A new website launched by Brot für die Welt, Germanwatch and Oxfam in collaboration with the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation analyzes the financial assistance provided by Germany towards climate protection and adaptation in developing and newly industrialized countries.

No Romance: Mobilising Climate Finance for Africa

Editors: Dr Antonie Katharina Nord, Jochen Luckscheiter and Kulthoum Omari — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:48:43 +0200

While Africa has contributed the least to historic greenhouse gas emissions globally, it stands to be the hardest hit by the effects of climate change. Africa will require substantial financial resources in order to adapt to the unavoidable consequences of climate change. At this year’s Climate Change Conference in Durban, climate finance is expected to feature prominently.

Reaching Boiling Point? Global Perspectives on the 2011 UN Climate Summit

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:13:33 +0200

The 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference will be held in Durban, South Africa, from 28 November to 9 December 2011. With slow progress having been achieved at previous meetings, expectations are high for a binding international agreement to deal with global climate change. Our Regional Office in Southern Africa has prepared a dossier with analysis of the major issues at stake, ongoing commentary and updates on major developments in the run up to the negotiations.

radius of art: Creative politicisation of the public sphere - Cultural potentials for social transformation

Barbara Unmüßig — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:39:06 +0200

This conference is part of the radius project “art-based research /research-based art”, which is the result of a cooperation with a number of partners. Our mission is to promote cultural policy and funding designs that support art for social transformation processes towards cultures of sustainability; we also wish to explore the potentials of art for the public sphere and the new dimensions of knowledge production that research-based art and art-based research can offer.

Conceptual Thoughts on Establishing a Fund for Aesthetics and Sustainability

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:44:33 +0200

We live in an era of comprehensive social transition, in an era of the “not anymore and not yet.” This diagnosis of not anymore/not yet is the point of departure for bringing aesthetics into the debate on sustainability. It is based on the claim that artistic strategies are the best approach in radically open contents and for dealing with gaps.

Future stability in South Asia: Trilateral Student Exchange Programme

Caroline Bertram — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:13:25 +0200

In July 2009, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung organized an exchange between students from various universities of the three neighboring countries Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. In an open dialogue about future stability in South Asia, the question of a common strategy for effective peace processes in the region employed them especially.

Art project SurVivArt: Creativity and the Right to a Good Life

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:06:54 +0200

The concept of a “good life” touches many layers of everyday life. Our art project SurVivArt creates an international bridge between sustainability, climate change, gender equity, art and culture. With the support of our international offices, SurVivArt shows perspectives and views from artists from different regions of the world, mainly from the global South.

Terrorism in Kenya: Remembering the 1998 United States embassy bombing

Samuel Dansette — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:05:20 +0200

During the 1998 United States embassy bombings, the ambassy in Nairobi Kenya was attacked on August 7, killing approximately 212 people. The Kenyan drama film "From a Whisper" portrays the aftermath, capturing the lives of the victims and families who had to pick up the pieces of their lives shredded by the blast. An interview with the films director Wanuri Kahiu.