February 21, 2008
OJPCR 8.1: Can Tibet Play the Role of Buffer State Again?
Gunjan Singh
The establishment of the British Empire in India in 1757 and economic penetration of China by the Western Powers from 1839 fundamentally altered the traditional balance of power on the Asian continent. British policy towards Tibet was characterized by two conflicting imperatives which, throughout their rule in India, they sought to reconcile. From early on, the British rulers realized the importance of Tibet as a buffer between India and any other external power on the north, be it France, Russia or China. However, to support or even encourage a completely independent Tibet was to damage a much larger commercial interest in China. Thus, they sought to limit Chinese power in Tibet and encourage Tibetan autonomy. In short, the British Government recognized what they called Chinese “suzerainty” but not sovereignty in Lhasa. The British rulers were unsuccessful in establishing contact with Lhasa until 1904.
Posted by Editor at 10:48 AM
October 17, 2006
OJPCR 7.1: Youth Negotiating Conflict and Life: A Photo Essay
by Anders Høg Hansen
Midways between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in Israel-Palestine, around the hilly Latrun area, one can find the only Jewish-Arab village within the state of Israel. The place is called Neve Shalom/Wahat al-salam or in English, ‘Oasis of Peace’. The name may confuse visitors. It is a biblical quote used to signal an intention to try peacefully, as one of the residents explained. People who live here know it is not an ‘oasis’. The village has the West Bank border running literally through its alleys, yet it is under Israeli jurisdiction. Spiritually it may be different. It was set up in the early 1970s by Bruno Hussar, a Dominican monk of Jewish extraction born in Egypt who aimed to establish a place where Jews and Arabs could live together. Today, around 50 families, about half Jewish and half Palestinian Arabs with Israeli citizenship live there. You need Israeli citizenship, but as many Arabs in Israel do, you can also call yourself ‘Palestinian’. Hussar, the founder, a Mr. Hybrid par excellence, is buried in the village. This little fragile society is the only one of its kind in the Middle East, which also has a Jewish-Arab board, a bilingual school and an educational centre offering a range of conflict coping projects.
Posted by Editor at 03:23 PM
January 19, 2006
OJPCR 7.1: Diplomatic Efforts in the Middle East: Can Psychologists and Conflict Resolution Specialists Contribute to the Negotiation Process?
By Mark J. Hovee
There are a variety of ways that a clinical psychologist can write about a particular issue or subject matter. Perhaps the more traditional route involves some form of objectified research and analysis. As much as I might like to utilize such an approach, the actual implementation of this kind of format seems to elude me. So, I have given way to the more precarious mode of communication that is both personal and experiential.Perhaps it should be noted from the outset that the core theme here is particularly devoted to the “conflictive flashpoints” in the Middle East, and the outside powers which have inextricably been drawn to the region as of late. Like so many Americans and citizens of many other countries in the world, the unfolding events in the aftermath of September 11, 2001 have captured my attention enormously, both from a professional and personal standpoint.
Posted by Editor at 01:45 PM | Comments (0)
November 01, 2005
OJPCR 7.1: Teaching Gandhi in Estonia
By David J. Smith
In the fall 2003, I had the privilege of participating in the U.S. Fulbright Scholar program. My grant took me to Tartu University in Tartu, Estonia. In this article, I wish to describe my experiences and offer my impressions of teaching overseas in the hopes of inspiring other educators to pursue opportunities teaching and learning peace and conflict abroad. It is particularly important that American educators experience other cultures and perspectives to ensure that their craft is relevant, accurate, and continues to maintain a worldview. This is critical in our field, which by its nature is current, ever changing, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural. To only offer viewpoints that are U.S.-centric fails to incorporate the global perspectives that characterize not only our specialty, but all disciplines and fields today.
Posted by Editor at 02:07 PM