During the last two years, I have truly enjoyed writing my This Week in Conflict reports, but alas, the time has come for me to take an extended, and perhaps permanent, break from it.
My goal for the reports was to learn more about what was going on in some of the more obscure conflicts on our planet and try to share that news in the most concise way. The real challenge I found was trying to get at the reality of the situation via news reports, to verify the content. One thing I found…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on April 21, 2012 at 12:38am —
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- A new Oxford University study has found that a beta-blocker drug may possibly reduce “subconscious” racism. The drug is thought to work by clocking activation of the peripheral autonomic nervous system and in areas of the brain involved with formulating emotional responses, including fear.
- The Transitional Justice Institute…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 20, 2012 at 7:44pm —
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- A key player in the 2011 Conservative party campaign for Guelph is refusing to answer more questions, on the advice of his lawyer, from Elections Canada investigators probing fraudulent robo-calls in the riding during the last election that allegedly misled voters. In an extremely rare move, the Conservative…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 15, 2012 at 6:06pm —
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- The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace released a new report discussing the threat of the terrorist group Lashkare-Taiba (LeT) in South Asia. The report suggests that the group is the second most dangerous terrorist group in the region, after al-Qaeda.
- The United States named…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 14, 2012 at 7:56pm —
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- A new American initiative to improve the notoriously poor LGBT rights in sub-Saharan Africa is reportedly inspiring a large backlash. Sub-Saharan Africa is marked by widespread homophobia as well as chronic dependence on foreign aid, in particular from the US, and the idea that the two issues might now be linked seems…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 13, 2012 at 7:11pm —
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- Brandeis University in Massachusetts is offering a Master’s Program in Coexistence and Conflict with several scholarship opportunities. The program is geared towards professionals.
- The Summer Peacebuilding Institute in Harrisonburg, Virginia is still open for the 2012 year. The institute offers courses in development, humanitarian assistance,…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 12, 2012 at 6:03pm —
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- The European Union pulled a TV ad from circulation and apologized after many considered it racist. The ad featured several non-Western martial artists who confront a white brunette (symbolizing Europe) with weaponry and ends with her surrounding them.
- President Lukashenka of Belarus…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 11, 2012 at 4:52pm —
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 11, 2012 at 9:57am —
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 10, 2012 at 2:09pm —
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- A lawyers group claim that police arrested a carpenter on Wednesday who questioned whether Zimbabwe’s President still had the strength to blow up balloons at his 88th birthday celebrations, under a law making it an offense to insult the President.
- The top UN envoy to Libya expressed…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 6, 2012 at 8:09pm —
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- The UN-mandate University for Peace’s Centre for Executive Education is offering an online course on Skills for Effective Negotiations starting March 15th.
- The Center on International Cooperation completed its Annual Review of Global Peace Operations 2012, covering both UN and non-UN peace…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 5, 2012 at 6:54pm —
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- European Union leaders confirmed that Herman Van Rompuy will serve a second term as President of the European Council on Thursday. Van Rompuy has served as the President since December 2009.
- A remote-controlled bomb injured 15 police officers and…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 3, 2012 at 11:03am —
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- At least 28 people were reportedly killed in clashes on Saturday between government troops and opposition forces in Syria as the Red Cross continued efforts to evacuate civilians from the city of Homs; while at least 89 people were reportedly killed nationwide. On Sunday, the ICRC said that…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on March 2, 2012 at 9:45pm —
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- US Secretary of State Clinton announced she had a “constructive discussion” of common concerns with her counterpart in Pakistan on Thursday; new details about American drone strikes were revealed by Reuters; Pakistani jets…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on February 29, 2012 at 7:54pm —
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- Experts say the increasing trend of illicit financial flows are posing a great threat to Africa’s fragile growth as they pump back more dollars to developed countries than those send to poor African states.
- The Open Society Media Program released background papers earlier this month on Mapping Digital…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on February 28, 2012 at 7:07pm —
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- I ask readers interested in peace and conflict to join the Peace and Collaborative Development Network and donate to help keep them alive, if possible. The network is a great place to meet others working in the field, browse job openings, read great blog entries and learn where to find other conflict resources.
- The International Centre on Nonviolent Conflict is…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on February 27, 2012 at 5:58pm —
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- The former foreign secretary of the EU Jack Straw announced that the European Parliament should be abolished after failing to achieve its purpose of bridging the divide between the European people and EU. Straw argued that the body has a “major democratic deficit” as a poll shows 78% believe their voice doesn’t count in the EU.
- Tens of…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on February 26, 2012 at 11:38am —
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- China announced on Friday that it had yet to receive a formal invitation to a meeting of international powers in Tunis next week to discuss the crisis in Syria; the government reportedly blocked a premiere live stream website, Bambuser, that has been used by dissidents to…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on February 26, 2012 at 10:25am —
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on February 23, 2012 at 7:08pm —
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- President Karzai of Afghanistan confronted the Pakistani leadership on Thursday during a visit to Islamabad, accusing Pakistani officials of harbouring the Taliban; he also was quoted as saying there were secret contacts between the US, Afghan governments and the Taliban, and that the…
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Added by Rebecca Sargent on February 22, 2012 at 7:01pm —
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