Publications

This article explores the deep transformation of the Altillanura region in Colombia, where the expansion of the agricultural frontier has brought to light the dynamics of the ‘economies of dispossession and land appropriation’ (Jenss, 2017, this issue) that underpin the extractive model dominating Colombian development.

La consigna de las protestas en México a partir de octubre del 2014 ― ‘Fue el Estado’ ― convirtió aAyotzinapa en un caso simbólico que hace obvio para un público más amplio lo que algunasorganizaciones de defensa de los Derechos Humanos vienen señalando desde hace años (p. ej.ACUDDEH 2012): la transformación de la estatalidad mexicana va de la mano de una colusión entreEstado y criminalidad.

Der Verweis auf zivile Alternativen zum Militärischen hat nicht nur in der Friedensbewegung Tradition: zur Landesverteidigung gibt es die Soziale Verteidigung, zu den Militäreinsätzen die Zivile Konfliktbearbeitung bzw. den Zivilen Friedensdienst, zu Bundeswehrbesuchen an Schulen die Friedensbildung oder zur Rüstungsproduktion und Militärstandorten verschiedene Konversionspläne.

This project explores the politics of migration governance in the Gambia, where an unexpected regime change
in January 2017 gave an impetus for political change. It is the pilot of a larger study currently under
development on the politics of migration governance in eight sub-Saharan countries. The project acknowledges
the political nature of migration as well as the agency involved in the governance of migration. The study
analyses three levels, namely the ‘making’ of migration governance (actual and planned migration governance

Hardly a day goes by without a discussion on the migrants (including refugees) who have entered Europe in large numbers since 2015. Under the European Union Commission’s New Partnership Framework launched in 2016, one of the major short-term objectives is to ‘increase the rate of returns to countries of origin’, and last week, the president of the EU Commission announced a ‘more effective EU policy on return’. That said, return is tricky. It is unclear how effective it is in deterring future migration. And it may even have detrimental effects on the countries of origin.

While Jordan – also in light of the threat posed by the so-called ‘Islamic State’ in neighbouring Iraq and Syria – has become one of the largest recipients of US military aid worldwide, research on the nature and effects of US-Jordanian military collaboration remains scarce. Funded through US$ 99 million in US military assistance, the King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Centre (KASOTC), located just north of Amman, lies at the centre of the latter.

The King Abdullah II Special Operations Training Center (KASOTC) was financed and established by the US Department of Defense, is operated by a US private business, and is owned by the Jordanian army. It not only offers a base for the training of international Special Forces and Jordanian border guards, but also for military adventure holidays, corporate leadership programs, and stunt training for actors.

Abgesehen von Überfällen von Boko Haram im Südwesten des Landes finden im Tschad derzeit keine militärischen Auseinandersetzungen statt. Der seit 1990 regierende Präsident Déby gewann 2016 erneut die Wahlen und unterdrückt jegliche Opposition. Misswirtschaft und sinkende Erdölpreise verstärken Armut und Unzufriedenheit der Bevölkerung.

Fast 80 Prozent der Bevölkerung Afrikas leben in Staaten, die von Gewaltkonflikten betroffen waren oder noch sind, oft begleitet von illegitimer Regierungsführung. Demokratieförderung und politische Konditionalitäten in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit sind daher zentraler Bestandteil der internationalen Unterstützung von Friedensprozessen.