Also in this issue: Mervyn Frost discusses ethical competence in international relations and Amy Zalman and Jonathan Clarke argue that the "global war on terror" narrative needs a rewrite.
Essays
Ethical Competence in International Relations [Full Text]
- 06/24/09
In order to participate effectively in international relations, this essay argues that international actors of all kinds, including states, international organizations, corporations, and individuals, have to acquire the skills necessary to protect freedom and diversity in the modern world.
Author(s):
Mervyn Frost
The Global War on Terror: A Narrative in Need of a Rewrite [Full Text]
- 06/24/09
This essay focuses on how the global war on terror was constructed and how it has set down deep institutional roots both in government and popular culture. The war on terror represents an "extraordinarily powerful narrative," which must be rewritten in order to change policy dynamics.
Author(s):
Amy Zalman,
Jonathan Clarke
Special Section: Postwar Justice and the Responsibility to Rebuild (with Guest Editors Alexandra Gheciu and Jennifer Welsh)
Introduction [Full Text]
- 06/24/09
This collection of articles focuses on the ethical assumptions that underpin views of postwar reconstruction, in particular on the question of whether (and under what circumstances) outsiders can legitimately take over the reins of government.
Author(s):
Alexandra Gheciu,
Jennifer Welsh
The Imperative to Rebuild: Assessing the Normative Case for Postconflict Reconstruction [Abstract]
- 06/24/09
In view of the recent growth of peacebuilding and reconstruction missions, and the serious challenges and crises that have plagued them, the authors construct a map for understanding and evaluating the different ethical imperatives advanced by those who attempt to rebuild war-torn societies.
Author(s):
Alexandra Gheciu,
Jennifer Welsh
Moral Responsibilities and the Conflicting Demands of Jus Post Bellum [Abstract]
- 06/24/09
The inclusion of
jus post bellum in just war theory may be justified. But, according to Evans, it becomes problematic when confronted with tenets of "just occupation," namely that sovereignty or self-determination should be restored to the occupied people as soon as is reasonably possible.
Author(s):
Mark Evans
Just and Unjust Postwar Reconstruction: How Much External Interference Can Be Justified [Abstract]
- 06/24/09
This article discusses various approaches to "shared responsibility" in recent international reconstruction efforts in war-torn societies and speculates about how best to ensure a timely transition toward full domestic ownership of governance.
Author(s):
Stefano Recchia
The Norms and Politics of Exit: Ending Postconflict Transitional Administrations [Abstract]
- 06/24/09
This paper examines the impact of the liberal-democratic norms governing statebuilding operations on the timing and process of exit of post-conflict international transitional administrations.
Author(s):
Dominik Zaum
Book Reviews
"The Refugee in International Society: Between Sovereigns" by Emma Haddad [Full Text]
- 06/24/09
How is it that within a couple of short decades refugees in European public perception went from being the archetypal "heroes" of the international system to being a disparaged and unwanted "flood" of migrants?
"On Global Order: Power, Values, and the Constitution of International Society" by Andrew Hurrell [Full Text]
- 06/24/09
"This is one of the finest books on the normative dimension of global governance published in the past decade," writes reviewer Samuel Makinda. "[It] should serve as a resource for a wide range of readers."
"Defending Humanity: When Force is Justified and Why" by George Fletcher and Jens David Ohlin [Full Text]
- 06/24/09
The authors seek a legal foundation for humanitarian intervention without Security Council authorization squarely within the UN Charter's Article 51, which grants UN members an "inherent right of individual or collective self-defense" in response to armed attack.
"Embedded Cosmopolitanism: Duties to Strangers and Enemies in a World of ‘Dislocated Communities’" by Toni Erskine [Full Text]
- 06/24/09
The ongoing debate about the importance of promoting an idea of shared human identity that is not mediated by any personal connection, particularly in times of war, is made better by Erskine's contribution, says Vernon.
Briefly Noted
Briefly Noted [Full Text]
- 06/24/09
This section contains a round-up of recent notable books in the field of international affairs.
