Nostalgia for Rabaul1

In September 1994, an eruption of the Rabaul Volcano in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, devastated the town of Rabaul and many surrounding Tolai villages. Many villagers were resettled or lived in refugee camps far from their homes. Many non-Tolai residents of Rabaul were repatriated to other parts of Papua New Guinea. Tolai villagers and former residents of Rabaul, be they Papua New Guineans or expatriates, mourned the passing of ‘Rabaul’. This article examines the different nostalgias for Rabaul which are articulated in the Australian print media, by Tolai villagers, and by migrants from the Sepik provinces who had lived in Rabaul prior to the eruption. The article concludes with a reflection on Rabaul as a symbol for the Papua New Guinean nation.     

Towards rapprochement? Anglo-Argentine relations and the Falklands/Malvinas in the late 1990s

This article argues that Britain and Argentina are now in a position to move towards unprecedented levels of political and economic cooperation concerning the governance of the Falklands and the surrounding seas. Since 1990, bilateral relations have been strengthened over issues such as fishing, oil and natural gas licensing communications and visits of the Argentine next-of-kin. It is argued that the Blair government has an opportunity not only to further the process of reconciliation but also to stimulate progress towards a permanent 'sovereignty umbrella'. Against this setting, there is some pressure on the Menem government to obtain some recognition of their interests and claim to the Falklands/Malvinas. The article concludes by asserting that all major parties should seek to generate a permanent cooperative structure which recognizes a measure of self-governance of the Falklands within a world increasingly characterized by supraterritorial and transborder relationships.     

Zu den Aśoka-inschriften

Ohne ZusammenfassungMeine Studien zu den Aoka-Inschriften I/II und III erschienen als: Nachrichten der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, Phil.-hist. Klasse, 1959, 4 und 1961, 1.     

Unternehmen in der Verantwortung

Factory closures, relocations and extensive measures to reduce personnel have consequences far beyond the affected employees – the social and economic coherence of the location and region are often negatively affected, too. This presents an interesting and important field for economic and applied geography. Apart from the development and evaluation of concepts of instruments of regional development, geographers can discuss and conceive options and obstacles for compensation and replacement measures after corporate restructuring. This text discusses structural and individual opportunities and obstacles in implementing company-induced economic development measures in the wider context of the corporate responsibility debate.