Search results

The articles in this issue of Perspectives seek to reflect on the extent to which African legislatures have taken steps that mark their shift from being the “weakest link” of government to stronger, independent institutions. In essence, we ask – do African Parliaments really occupy the privileged position accorded to them in representational democracies?

Although there continues to be widespread popular support across the African continent for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its mandate to prosecute high-level individuals accused of perpetrating international crimes, strong anti-ICC sentiments are brewing among parts of Africa’s political elite and state actors. 

This new report reveals, for the first time, data on resource use and resource effi ciency for all countries of the world over three decades, from 1980 – 2008. The data covers the global, continental and country level, featuring illustrative case studies. 

The research paper “Borderline” examines two new EU border surveillance initiatives, that would increase surveillance of the EU’s sea and land borders and extend biometric ID checks to all non-EU nationals. The authors of the report are not only in doubt of the social need for the new systems, but also criticise the decision-making process in order to implement the new programmes.

Publication Series on Democracy 28: In 2011 Sudan split into two. For much of the time, both sides have been embroiled in conflict. The Heinrich Böll Foundation has brought together a group of authors to reflect on the challenges of the post-separation era. Their contributions lay out new approaches to a new region, providing guidance to understand the complex political realities of the two Sudans, and pointing out areas where constructive international engagement is possible.

Global struggles over access to ever-scarcer natural resources are in full swing. Power im-balances, regulatory and democratic shortcomings, unbridled corporate power and blind belief in new technologies need a counterweight.

Publication Series on Ecology 26: Natural resources are back on the agenda. This paper underlines a new dimension of international relations and pleads for new approaches, called international resource politics, which can be used for ongoing debates concerning green economy and transition strategies.

The worldwide and sustainable transition of energy systems will only succeed if the economic and technological capacities of all countries are involved. Few developing countries have considerable production capacities for climate-friendly technologies. If the creation of attractive enabling environments in the global South goes hand in hand with new ways of careful export support in the global North, this will work as a global and fair Green New Deal.

Publication Series on Ecology 22: The idea of growth as the way to end poverty and escape economic and financial crisis remains largely undisputed and is currently reflected in the concept of the green economy. But not everything that is “green” and efficient is also environmentally sustainable and socially equitable. This essay outlines a policy of less, of wealth in moderation, to enable the Earth’s resources to make a life of dignity and without need possible for all.

The international community likes to see Brazil as a socially oriented, economically successful state that is sensitive to environmental and climate-friendly issues – a great power on its way to the top; a champion. But in Brazilian civil society, another perception of its own state and the politics it pursues prevails. This publication takes a closer look at this discrepancy between how Brazil is perceived by those outside of and within its borders.

The study analyzes the way in which an adaptation measure carried out in the Mexican state of Tabasco has contributed to modifying gender relations. In the relocation program analyzed, implemented in response to severe flooding in 2007, the housing units built were granted to women.

This volume is the result of the work of the Commission on the Future of the European Union. The Commission, composed of 60 renowned experts from the worlds of politics, science and civil society, was charged with sketching out future prospects and drafting recommendations for key areas of European policy – areas crucial for giving a new dynamic to European cooperation.

Publication Series on Ecology 21: The Future We Want – the motto chosen by the UN in the run-up to the June 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) – is certainly forward-looking. Rio+20 is supposed to define routes towards a safer, fairer, greener, and cleaner world. But the blueprints for a green economy are devoid of gender perspectives. Christa Wichterich’s essay takes a closer look on the relations between feminism and ecology.

Publication Series on Europe 7: The EU debt crisis has clearly shown that the monetary union cannot be upheld without coordinated fiscal and economic policies. However, there is an additional hold-up, as further «top-down» integration driven by the political elites runs into growing opposition. Thus the debt crisis may easily trigger a crisis of EU legitimacy.

Publication Series on Ecology 20: 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.

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.

The Annual Report Heinrich Böll Foundation 2011 - order print version or download as PDF document.

All over the world, information technologies and the internet have taken an increasingly important role in communication, challenging the conventional means of news consumption. Our office in Thailand has performed interviews with academics, journalists and activists to explore the role of new media in social movements in Thailand, and how it will develop.

Although the world's population has reached seven billion people, there is sufficient food in the world to feed the global population. Still about 1 billion are undernourished. How can we feed the world? And what role do environmental issues in agriculture play?

Economic and environmental challenges that threaten to overwhelm the European project. The Heinrich Böll Foundation has set up a commission to examine the future of the EU. This publication puts forward a series of proposals in areas such as foreign and security; agricultural; energy; economics and monetary and enlargement policy.

Publication Series on Europe 6: With the ink on the Treaty of Lisbon scarcely dry, the European debt crisis has once more raised the question as to how the EU should be constituted. The Union’s ability to hold together and withstand the crisis is being put to the test. The EU finds itself at a crossroads.

The 2007–2008 world food price crisis caused political and economical instability and social unrest in both poor and developed nations. This was only the latest example for a functioning food system being an indispensable pillar of a stable economy and a society capable of reproducing itself. A new study outlines steps how the intergovernmental Committee on World Food Security could be expanded towards a politically relevant international steering committee.

In March 2009, the Serbian National Assembly narrowly passed the Anti-Discrimination Law despite immense opposition from religious leaders and right-wing political parties. Nevertheless, breaches of Human Rights of LGBT are still common in Serbia today. This Shadow Report evaluates the law’s application and provides recommendations of how to improve implementation and thus the Human Rights situation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Inter* individuals in Serbia.

The impacts of changes to the global climate affect men and women not only differently, but women are often affected disproportionally worse. Gender equality and the fight against climate change are two challenges that have to be tackled simultaneously, and urgently. A collection of Essays.

In recent months, a number of rapid and dramatic developments have unfolded that demand our attention. The most prominent of these include the tsunami and the ensuing nuclear reactor crisis in Japan, political upheavals in North Africa and the Middle East, and most recently the Green Party‘s swift rise in popularity in Ger many, which led to the election of Germany‘s first Green Minister President at the federal state level – namely in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

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.

How People Define Violence and Justice is a joint research project of ACSFo and HBS on international crimes, massacres, rapes, murders, destruction of residential areas, homicide and imprisonment of intellectuals, torture and human rights abuses of the past fifty years. The standards for justice and human rights violation in this project are defined by people. Views, beliefs and utterances of respondents constitute the basis of this research.

Publication Series on Ecology 17: A short introduction to new concepts for a good life in South America and to nature's rights by Thomas Fatheuer.

Publication Series on Ecology 15: In this paper we take a closer look at a region that could be a pioneer for regional cooperation in the EU: the Baltic Sea Region. As the first region with a European Union regional cooperation initiative and with a long-lasting tradition of cooperation, this region could play an essential role in showing the EU the way forward by sharing their large potential of diverse renewable energy sources.

With their presentation of specific topics and discourses, the media construct specific realities that shape a society’s images of other regions. This comprehensive study analyzes the portrayal of China in German media. Originally published in German, this summary summary shows the essential results.