Defending the Individual: the Personal Rights Association and the Ligue des droits de l'homme, 1871–1916

This article investigates the conceptual and organisational connections between late nineteenth-century civil-liberties activism and the emerging human-rights paradigm of the twentieth century. The comparison of the two largest and most influential civil-liberties organisations to emerge in Britain and France before the First World War (the British Personal Rights Association and the French Ligue des droits de l'homme) has three objectives: to place the two groups in a wider context of civil-liberty organisations of the pre-First World War era and to identify personal connections and inspirations. Secondly, by analysing functional definitions of ‘rights’ and who these rights should apply to, the article argues that although one group conceptualised their activism on the basis of ‘civil liberties’ and the other on ‘human rights’ there were significant similarities between the approaches of the two groups. Moreover, differences stemmed from internal politics within each group rather than the dissimilar conceptual framework. Finally the article seeks to understand why the Ligue des droits de l'homme was much more successful than the British Personal Rights Association both in its ability to mobilise supporters, and in inspiring sister organisations in other European countries.     

Reviews

Brccngaard, Carsten, Muren om Israels hus. Regnum og sacerdotium i Danmark 1050—1170 (The wall round the house of Israel. Regnum and sacerdotium in Denmark 1050‐1170). (København, 1982). ISBN 87‐12‐09300‐9.341 pp. English summary.

Næss, Hans Eyvind, Trolldomsprosessene i Norge pa 1500‐, 1600‐tallet (Trials of witches in Norway in the 16th and 17th centuries). (Oslo, 1982). ISBN 82‐00‐06386‐0 IX, 582 pp.

Seppo, Juha, Uskovien yhteisö vai valtionkirkko. Uskonnolliset vähemmistöyhteisöt ja evank‐elis‐luterilaisesta kirkosta eroaminen Suomessa vuosina 1923—1930 (A community of the faithful or the State Church. Religious minority communities and withdrawals from the Lutheran Church in Finland in 1923—1930). (Suomen kirkkohistoriallisen seuran toimituksia, vol. 127, Helsinki, 1983). ISBN 951‐9021‐50‐7. 492 pp. German summary.

Seppinen, Ilkka, Suomen ulkomaankaupan ehdot 1939—1944 (The terms of Finnish foreign trade in 1939—1944). (Societas Historica Fennica. Historiallisia tutkimuksia, vol. 14, Helsinki, 1983). ISBN 951‐9254‐49‐8. 268 pp. German summary.     

Piloting Regional Innovation or Much Ado about Nothing?—Evaluating the R&D Policy Initiative of Nordland,Norway

This article evaluates the results of almost a decade of experience with regional R&D development and implementation for enhanced innovation in the county of Nordland, Norway. Following a 2002 national devolution initiative, the county of Nordland was the first among Norwegian counties to coin and implement a distinct R&D policy for business-related innovation and development. This was done by setting up a broad regional partnership, framing a regional strategy and by coordinating substantial budgetary resources to implement the strategy. The evaluation describes the results of this process as ambiguous. This article looks at the process from three perspectives. First, we look at the organizational side of how the policy formation and implementation processes have performed. Second, we evaluate the business community response to the policy initiative to see whether any signs of altered behaviour can be found. Third, we look at how the partnership dynamic can explain policy outcomes. Theoretically and policy-wise we then discuss how our findings contribute to new insights in the field of analysing and generating regional innovation policy.     

Nordic Investments in the Former Soviet Baltic Frontier: A Survey of Firms and Selected Case Studies

Nordic companies have been leaders in the rapid expansion of Western business into Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the St Petersburg area of Russia. While joint ventures were being developed prior to the demise of the USSR, investment rose sharply in early 1992. Our survey of companies from Nordic countries revealed a pattern of location and of adaptation to the conditions of former Soviet infrastructure, culture, politics and economy. Initial Nordic investment has renewed economic ties across the Baltic Sea, with inter‐country links stronger between specific countries. Frustrations with changing government rules, communications, work ethic, quality expectations and other conditions were expressed in interviews with managers of Nordic companies in the Baltic area. Optimism was tempered by continued uncertainty about Russian governmental policies and market potential.     

Environmental Narratives on Protection and Production: Nature‐based Conflicts in R7iacute;o San Juan,Nicaragua

This article focuses on local processes and global forces in the struggle over the fate of forests and over the contested claims of protection and production in a protected area buffer zone of Río San Juan, Nicaragua. The struggle over control of local natural resources is seen as a multifaceted process of development and power involving diverse social actors, from agrarian politicians and development agents to a heterogeneous group of local settlers, absentee cattle raisers, timber dealers, transnational corporations, and non‐governmental organizations. The initial interest is in the local resource‐related discourses and actions; the analysis then broadens to include the larger political‐economic processes and environment‐development discourses that affect the local systems of production and systems of signification. The article underlines environmental resource conflicts as one of the major challenges in subjecting structures of social power to critical analysis.