Theology and the Origins of Conflict

Abstract

War has its origins in the clash of socially-constructed identities, interests, and norms of behavior of states and armed nonstate actors. This essay examines the economic, political, and cultural factors that contributed to the construction of such identities, interests, and norms during the Shining Path insurgency and the Peruvian government’s response in the years from 1980 to 2000. Drawing on the three levels of liberation outlined by Peruvian theologian Gustavo Gutiérrez, the essay then describes how theology enriches without replacing socio-political and cultural explanations of the Peruvian conflict. The practices that formed both the Shining Path and the government’s response to it can be described as social sin, whereas the Catholic Church in Peru’s commitment to truth and the creation of community solidarity became practices that, by imitating the self-giving love of Christ, helped overcome violence and build peace.     

Dis-placed voices: sense of place and place-identity on the Sunshine Coast

The geographical literature on place interrogates, amongst other notions, sense of place, place identity, and their connections or disruptions. Although notions of place are multiple and very fluid, place transformation in rural and regional areas may be more rapid than the changing understandings of place held by residents. This research examines notions of place held by residents on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, one of the fastest growing ‘sea change’ regions in the nation. It presents a reading of empirical material that suggests sense of place and place-identity cannot be easily equated in the region. Sense of place was more important to rural and long-term residents than was the place-identity. Landscape change in the region is narrated, and images of place-identity interpreted, to suggest that place-identity has been created and imposed by the globalising forces of development, rather than emanating from many resident's perspectives. Those local voices have been, and continue to be, successively displaced and disrupted. Thus discursive power in various ways shapes and is shaped by dominant place-identity in the region, and some voices are blocked by the discourses of urbanisation. The unequal geographies of power shaping the regional landscape need to be acknowledged within place transformation processes. These geographies of power suggest that sense of place can be thought of as a ‘view from the bottom’, while place-identity primarily functions as a ‘view from the top’.     

Climbing the Ladder? High-Technology Export Performance in Emerging Europe

A British economist examines the development of high-technology industrial exports across the emerging Europe region over the past two decades. After arguing that the development of high-technology capabilities is a key component of economic development, he presents an original index of high-technology industrial export performance that is used to describe patterns of high-technology exports across emerging Europe. When these developments are placed in comparative perspective, it becomes evident that although the countries of emerging Europe have made considerable progress in increasing across-product sophistication of exports and in increasing across-product diversification, most have been less successful in improving levels of within-product sophistication. For emerging Europe and other low- to middle-income countries elsewhere, this will remain a key challenge for the future.     

The soils of an Iron Age farm site ‐bjellands⊘ynæ, SW Norway

Soil investigations have been carried out at an Iron Age farm site lying under natural vegetation. The soils of the area were mapped and described, and soil samples analysed for pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, acid‐soluble phosphorus, and available sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Two soil types were distinguished on the mineral soils ‐ Brown Podzolic Soils and Iron Humus Podzols. The former are associated with a higher pH, higher phosphorus contents, and a lower carbon‐nitrogen ratio. These differences arc difficult to explain by natural causes, and arc ascribed to cultivation and manuring of the soil during the occupation of the site.     

内蒙古阿尔山森林资源枯竭型城市转型战略决策量化分析

本文通过对阿尔山市实际情况分析基础上,采用层次分析法(Analytical Hierarchy Process),通过建模、计算,对阿尔山市资源枯竭转型战略作了定量化分析,得出以下结论:在相当长的时期内,阿尔山追求生态效益应是第一位的,因此加强森林资源环境的保护与生态治理是首要战略目标,且加强森林养护与生态功能建设是第一重要的发展战略;当前亟待解决的首要发展问题是森林资源枯竭及生态环境恶化、林业系统体制矛盾及资金欠账严重,应采取的重要措施是依托国家政策尽快建立生态补偿机制及衰退产业援助机制,加快阿尔山林业企业的资产剥离重组,理顺政府与林业局关系,进而培育以"绿色"为主题的接续产业体系。     

西部开发挑战资源转化战略

资源是地区发展的物质基础,但资源观、优势观必须随着科技进步和国内外形势的发展而发展变化,在信息化、科技化、全球化浪潮背景下实施西部开发战略,必须对传统的资源转化战略做出新的评价和定位,使西部开发能真正为我国经济持续、快速、健康的发展开辟广阔的空间和领域。     

我国西部不发达区域自然资源要素转换的若干思考

西部不发达区域是我国自然资源密集地区,极具开发潜力,其经济成长采取自然资源转换模式具有客观必然性。但是传统的自然资源要素转换模式已严重制约着西部地区经济的持续发展。本通过对西部地区自然资源优势、资源开发中的技术结构和利益分配机制以及资源转换模式等问题的系统思考,提出了提升区域自然资源转换模式的构想。     

土地改革是一场伟大的历史性变革——纪念《中华人民共和国土地改革法》颁布50周年

本文对新中国土地改革所实行的农民的土地所有制及其法律依据《中华人民共和国土地改革法》进行再思考 ,并分析这次土地改革成功的原因、经验及历史地位 ,以纪念《中华人民共和国土地改革法》颁布 50周年。     

海西地区社会变迁中的犯罪及其治理

我国的改革开放,大力促进了生产力的发展,推动了社会和谐、进步。但同时,改革开放以来刑事犯罪的成因、结构、种类以及危害后果、组织程度、犯罪分子的成份等都发生了重大变化,对此,应给予高度的注意。本文分析了海西地区改革开放以来与社会变迁紧密相连的犯罪态势及其变化情况,探讨了预防犯罪的对策。     

北宋御辽战略的演变与"澶渊之盟"的产生及影响

北宋初确定了通过北伐收复燕云地区,以扭转被动局面的御辽战略思想。宋太宗在两次北伐失败后,放弃以往的主动战略,转而实施全面防御的部署。宋真宗朝继承了“守内虚外”的思想,因此最终与辽达成“澶渊之盟”。“澶渊之盟”的订立,固然维持了长期的北部和平局面,但却给宋朝的国防战略带来了极大的消极影响,使宋廷过分依赖议和的手段,轻视了武备建设,从而令边防陷入长期被动挨打的境地。