Engaging EVERYONE In The Fight To End Violence Against Women & Girls

Call For Submissions – 16 Days Of Activism: Engaging Men In The Fight To End Violence Against Women & Girls  

What are Ordinary Men Willing to Do to End Violence Against Women & Girls?
Are you a man working to end gender-based violence in any of its many forms in Africa? Are you a man who considers yourself an ally to the women’s movement—working alongside your female counterparts in solidarity? Are you a man with a vision on how to make every woman count and end all violence against them? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then we want to hear from you!

Introduction:

Make Every Woman Count would like to invite you to join our efforts to contribute to the global campaign to end gender violence. Building on last year’s momentum, the international theme for the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign remains focused on challenging militarism as a means to end violence against women. The campaign focuses on three priority areas:

1) Violence Perpetrated by State Actors: State actors use the threat or act of violence to maintain or attain power;

2) Domestic Violence and the Role of Small Arms;

3) Sexual Violence During and After Conflict.

 

In the last few years, there has been a growing recognition that the role of men is crucial in changing unequal power relations. In particular, involving men in movements to end violence against women, focusing on men’s roles and responsibilities and emphasis on men as part of the solution to combat violence against women has gained increased attention in the last several years.
In effort to join this international campaign in solidarity, for the 16 days of activism we would like to highlight the voices of African men from around the globe who are working to end violence against women or who have a vision for a better world—a world free of gender-based violence. Though commonly we are a platform to amplify women’s voices, we at Make Every Woman Count strongly believe that it takes men and women to work together to end violence against women. It takes inclusive and creative strategies to challenge the limitations of the patriarchal world order that limits both women and men in our pursuit of a more equal world. To contribute to this international campaign we would like to highlight one unique story per day, featuring 16 male activists and allies from around the globe.

Furthermore, we feel as though sharing men’s stories and thoughts fits well with the theme, “From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let’s Challenge Militarism and End Violence Against Women,” as military culture is predominantly a masculine sphere, men are crucial allies in dismantling some of the harmful power structures of militarism in all levels of our society, in all corners of the globe which contribute to violence against women as an international epidemic.

Context:

“By the mid-1970s more than half of Africa was under military rule, and between 1990 and 2005, no fewer than 23 nations were involved in conflict, with an average cost per year of US $18 billion to African economies,” write Amina Mama and Margo Okazawa-Rey in their editorial Militarism, Conflict and Women’s Activism

Today, violent conflicts, largely intrastate, cost the region and estimated US $3 billion per year and military spending.  And arms continue to flood into the continent as Cold War politics have been replaced by those of the War on Terror declared by the United States in 2001.

This year we seek to go beyond raising awareness of violence against women during wartime.  We seek to join other organizations around the globe in saying NO to a culture of militarism that promotes a masculinity that equates strength with violence and power. Militarism, as it is, induces and perpetuates gender-based violence, against women and men in the form of domestic violence, and structural violence. The impacts of militarism run deep, with material, institutional, cultural, and psychological impacts on all of our communities. It privileges violent forms of masculinity, and presumes that violence is an effective way to solve problems.

We want to hear from you!

Send us your stories, thoughts and ideas on ending violence against women in Africa and across the globe. We will accept poetry, blog posts, creative media submissions of any kind. We will select what we feel are the 16 best submissions and we will highlight them throughout the 16 days of activism on our website as well as through various social media outlets. This is a great way to have your voice heard!

In your submission feel free to address the issue creatively. Speak about militarism, violence against women in general, a personal story, the situation in your country, your vision for a better future—whatever is you want the world to hear!

With your submission, please send a small write up about yourself and a picture if you would like. We can publish this along with your piece of work.

 

SUBMISSION:

 

Written Pieces

Essays or blogs should be between 500-1000 words and need to have a title; poetry or other forms of Art need not follow the word limitation.

If applicable, properly cite your sources through links and introductory statements such as “According to Human Rights Watch (link to the piece). Do NOT use footnotes. Include links within your text.

Submission – If possible attach your article in Microsoft Word format, otherwise copy it directly into the email. Please note that we cannot accept .pdf files.

Photography and Artwork

  1. The photograph or artwork must be an original piece
  2. The submission should have a title and at least a one-sentence description of the piece.
  3. Attach the file preferably as a .JPG file.

Videos

  1.     Please contact us with your submission through e-mail.

For ALL forms of contributions the following applies:

The subject line of the submission email should read: “Submission: Firstname Lastname, Country of Origin.

Please also attach a brief bio of yourself in one paragraph (approx. 3 sentences) consisting of where you’re from, what you do, how you have fun, what you love etc. Examples can be found on existing blog posts and if possible a photo of yourself.

All submissions must be sent to blog@makeeverywomancount.org

Deadline:
Wednesday, 20th November 2013

The 2nd Call for Applications of ALRAKIS II

Deadline: 12 January 2014

Open to: Students and academic staff registered in one of the universities member of the partnership and nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine or EU.
Scholarship:   Available scholarships  Here

Description

Georg-August Universität Göttingen is happy to welcome you to ALRAKIS II, one of the awarded Erasmus Mundus action 2 projects that promotes exchange mobility in the South Caucasus region and Ukraine. The beneficiary countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine.

The Erasmus Mundus Action 2 programme is a co-operation and mobility scheme in the area of higher education co-operation launched by Europe Aid cooperation Office and implemented by the Executive Agency Education, Audiovisual and Culture (EACEA).

The ALRAKIS II- Programme consits of 19 co-operating partner institutions, 8 of them are from EU countries and 11 are third country partner universities.

The EU-Partner Universities are:
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Germany), Masaryk University (Czech Republic), Tallinn University (Estonia), Université Paris-Est (France), Università degli Studi della Tuscia (Italy), University of Groningen (Netherlands), Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) (Poland), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (Spain),

Third Country Partner Universities are:
Eurasia International University (Armenia), Yerevan State Medical University (Armenia), Azerbaijan University of Languages (Azerbaijan), Baku State University (Azerbaijan), Qafqaz University (Azerbaijan), Akaki Tsereteli State University (Georgia), Ilia State University (Georgia), Tbilisi State Medical University (Georgia), National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy (Ukraine), National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (Ukraine), Odessa National Maritime University (Ukraine).

Eligibility

Students and academic staff registered in one of the universities member of the partnership and nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine or EU.  more detailed HERE

Scholarship

  1.  Available scholarships
  2.  Available scholarship durations

 

Application

The deadline for the scholarship application is 12January 2014. 

General information regarding the application process 

Before starting the application process, please make sure that you fullfill all requirements and you understand how the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 scholarship scheme works (nationality requirements, levels and types of mobility, target groups, fields of study, etc).
The application must be submitted online, i.e. no paper versions will be accepted. In order to complete your application, you must upload all the required documents. Therefore, make sure to have all necessary documents translated (if needed), scanned and uploaded.

 
Dear candidate please follow closely the following instructions

 

1. Application:
Once you have checked that you are eligible for a scholarship and know what program type, mobility level and study program you want to apply for, fill in the online application form, upload all necessary documents and close your application.

 

 

2. Evaluation by the home university:
After the application deadline, your application will be validated by your home university (Target Group 1) or the partner university representing your country of origin at the Advisory and Selection Committee (Target Group 2 and 3) regarding the eligibility criteria such as nationality, language proficiency, mandatory documents, etc. If your application is valid, it will be assessed according to the selection criteria indicated in our website. If your application were classified as not eligible, you will be informed about the reasons and have at least one week to appeal against this decision.

 

3. Evaluation by the host university:
Your application will be assessed by the host university according to the selection criteria established in this project. If your application were classified as not admissible, you will be informed about the reasons and have at least one week to appeal against this decision.

 
4. Selection:
The Advisory and Selection Committee will meet for the final selection of the ALRAKIS scholarships following the criteria of academic merit taking into account also cross-cutting requirements such as a balanced scholarship distribution among the partner universities, gender-balance and real participation of disadvantaged people. If your application were not selected for a scholarship and included in the reserve list, you will be informed about it.

 

5. Validation by the host universities: The final selection result will be notified to the host universities. They should confirm the list of their (selected) candidates.

 

6. Notification of the award decision: All selected candidates and applicants included in the reserve list will be informed about the award decision by email. Selected candidates will have not more than 10 days to accept or reject the offered scholarship.

 

7. Visa procedures:
All selected candidates will receive a letter of invitation from the host institutions as well as the acceptance letter of the scholarship and the insurance policy from the main coordinator from the University of Goettingen. It is responsibility of the selected candidates to provide all necessary documents requested by the Embassies of the host university countries . Local coordinators from host institutions may provide assistance and information about what documents are required.
Please consider that we are sending only e-signed documents as original paper documents: If you need a paper version for your visa application, please print all received documents in color and in good quality.

8. Exact mobility period:
All nominated candidates will have to define their exact mobility dates together with their host university, according to the invitation or study periods:
– Exchange students should know, when the semester at their host university starts.
– PhD and Postdic candidates should receive the invitation letter from the supervisor or inviting faculty.
– Full-time master students should receive all needed materials from their particular master program.

Please consider that ALRAKIS II is not providing any places for the full-time master programs: Full-time master candidates should apply for the particular master study programs of their choice directly at the same time, while applying for the ALRAKIS II scholarship!

9. Start of mobility:
After you wll receive your visa, the main coordinator at the Univeristy of Goettingen will book flight tickets for you and renew (if needed) your insurance policy.

 

 

For that, you need to fill an online application form AVAILABLE HERE.

Before filling this application form you MUST read   Required Documentation HERE    , Application Procedure  and  Application Guide

For any general enquiries relating to applications, scholarships, please read the relevant pages in the general menu at the official website HERE and only after doing so write exclusively to   at: alrakis2@uni-goettingen.de

Tell Your Story: How Girls Are Changing the World

Deadline: 31 December 2013
Open to: girls between 12-25 years of age
Prize: $10,000 in funding, training, and equipment to create their own short films

Description

Let Girls Lead is a global movement that empowers girls and their allies to lead social change through advocacy, education, economic empowerment, storytelling, and strategic partnerships. Let Girls Lead improves girls’ education, health, and livelihoods through strategic partnerships that ensure girl-friendly laws, funding, and programs around the world. They enable girls to share their own inspiring stories of leadership through the interactive media platform and powerful short films. They support girls’ economic empowerment and entrepreneurship, and sustainable solutions to ending poverty. The results include laws and policies that improve girls’ lives, and programs that empower young women to develop their own solutions to the obstacles they face.

Girls are powerful leaders and the Global Girls Conversation is their chance to tell their stories, raise their voices, and share their success with the world. Let Girls Lead’s Global Girls’ Conversation video contest is now accepting submissions of 1-2 minute videos that capture how girls are transforming their own lives and the world.

Your video submission will be judged by a panel of experts and girl leaders based on how clearly it shows:

  1. Why you are a leader in your community
  2. How your leadership changed your family or community
  3. Why your important story should be made into a film
  4. Your unique point of view as a girl leader or organization working with girl leaders

Videos should be between 1-2 minutes in length and must be accompanied by a full video transcription in English. The full rules and terms are AVAILABLE HERE.

Eligibility

This contest is open to girls between 12-25 years of age. Enter as either individuals, groups, or organizations.

Prize

A jury of filmmakers, global experts, and girl leaders will select the best videos submitted, and winners will receive $10,000 in funding, training, and equipment to create their own short films. 

Application

Apply online HEREVideos must be received by 31 December 2013 11:59pm GMT.

Visit the official website HERE for further details.

 

Writing and Reporting Course in London !

The core activity concerns the actual writing and reporting of news, as practiced by Reuters and other global agencies. Practical exercises form the core of the programme, with an emphasis on improving basic reporting and writing skills including accuracy, impartiality, speed, clarity and structure. The course will help journalists recognise their good habits and provide them the time and space to work on their weak points, within a mentored framework. The course combines face-to-face teaching with online study. It starts with five days in London followed by online modules made up of ten units of study. It is anticipated each online unit will take about two weeks to complete and the modules can be completed in six months.

COURSE DETAILS:

Start date: Feb 10, 2014

End date: Feb 14, 2014

Location: London, UK – England and Wales

Application deadline: Nov 15, 2013

ELIGIBILITY:

All applicants for Thomson Reuters Foundation training courses must:
Currently be working as journalists or regular contributors to print, broadcast or online media organisations.
They must be able to demonstrate a commitment to a career in journalism in their country.
Have at least two years’ professional experience.
Have a good level in spoken and written English.
Please note: If you have been on a Thomson Reuters Foundation training programme within the last two years you will not be eligible to apply.

FUNDING:

Thomson Reuters Foundation offers:

Full bursaries for journalists from the developing world/countries in political transition working for organisations with no resources for training. Bursaries would include air travel expenses (economy class), accommodation and a modest living allowance. This arrangement is subject to variation. The cost of the online modules will be included in the full bursary.

Part-funded bursaries are available for journalists from the developing world/countries in political transition who work for organisations that have limited resources for training, in this instance Thomson Reuters Foundation waives the tuition cost and the participant will be expected to cover travel and accommodation costs. In exceptional circumstances journalists from the developed world will be considered for part-funded bursaries. The cost of the online modules would not be covered by Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Thomson Reuters Foundation also offers training for journalists from any region from an organisation that has the resources to fully cover the following costs of the programme: tuition fees: £200 per day (£1000 for a 5-day London course), travel and accommodation costs and living expenses.Thomson Reuters Foundation would provide a list of hotels for participants who require accommodation in London. If you have any questions please email: trustmedia@thomsonreuters.com The cost of the ten online modules is £1,000.

SUBMISSIONS:

A biography of up to 250 words outlining your career

One recent example of your published work, preferably relevant to the course for which you are applying, with a brief summary in English (if necessary). TV/Radio journalists can send in their scripts and a brief summary.

A statement of between 250 and 500 words describing any factors affecting your work as a journalist. Explain how you hope to benefit from the course for which you are applying.

 

APPLY HERE

 

Call for Papers, 17th IZA European Summer School

Accommodation and travel cost are covered !

Deadline : January 13, 2014

Organizer:
Place:
Buch/Ammersee, Germany
Date:
May 12 – May 18, 2014
Submission Deadline:
January 13, 2014
Event Manager:

 
Online Application Form

The IZA European Summer School in Labor Economics was created in 1998, as an annual event taking place at the conference center of Deutsche Post DHL at the Ammersee Lake (near Munich) in Bavaria, Germany. The Summer School is supported by the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), the European Economic Association (EEA), theEuropean Association of Labour Economists (EALE), and the European Society for Population Economics (ESPE).

The objective of the Summer School is to bring together a large number of PhD students and senior lecturers to study new areas in labor economics. Students have the opportunity to present their work and discuss ideas with established researchers in a relaxed and open atmosphere.

The School is open to advanced graduate students from European universities, or Europeans studying abroad, engaged in the preparation of a doctoral dissertation or approaching that stage. Around 35 students will be selected, based on their preparation to participate in advanced study on the subject.

Lecturers

Richard Blundell (University College London and IZA) “Advances in Modelling Labour Supply”

Mirjam van Praag (University of Amsterdam and IZA) “Entrepreneurship and Human Capital”

Funding

Accommodation and travel cost are covered conditional on attending the whole Summer School.

Applications

Applications to participate should be submitted by January 13, 2014, using the online submission form. Please submit your CV and an abstract for a potential presentation of your research work. A letter of support from your PhD supervisor must be sent before the deadline by regular mail to
Karina Doorley (IZA, Schaumburg-Lippe-Str. 5-9, 53113 Bonn, Germany) or by email to doorley@iza.org.

The GLN Teaching Fellowship

ABOUT FELLOWSHIPS

THE GLN TEACHING FELLOWSHIP IS OUR TEACHER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

We engage talented and committed individuals who wish to teach their language and share their culture with the DC community. Selected Fellows commit to a year (three semesters) of teaching with GLN. They receive comprehensive training, ongoing coaching and support to effectively apply GLN’s communicative approach in the classroom and build our learners’ communicative competence.

The goal of our Teaching Fellowship is to ensure high quality and consistency of our language offerings by recruiting, training and retaining highly capable and motivated volunteers. On the one hand, motivated and prepared Fellows deliver excellent classes and maximize student learning. On the other hand, Fellows receive invaluable professional development opportunities and real experience from teaching a diverse group of learners. This builds their confidence, skills and credentials and enables them to grow personally and professionally.

The Teaching Fellowship is a scalable and sustainable program that will allow us to grow our services and further our mission.

FELLOWSHIP DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIE

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The GLN Teaching Fellowship is a rewarding opportunity, but also a serious commitment. GLN Fellows commit to a year of teaching their language and culture to the wider DC community.

Responsibilities:

  • 1-year teaching commitment = three semesters of teaching:
    • Spring: February 3rd – May 11th
    • Summer: June 2nd – July 20th
    • Fall : September 10th – December 7th
  • Attend all GLN training sessions:
    • Pre-Service Training:
      • 5-hr Workshop on Saturday, December 7th -OR- Sunday, December 8th
      • 4-hr Workshop II/Curriculum Training on Saturday, December 14th -OR- Sunday, December 15th
      • One-day long Fellowship Conference on Saturday, January 11th
      • 1- hr Administrative Webinar
    • In-service Trainings:
    • 3-hr mid-semester bootcamp each semester (except summer)
    • 3-hr Advanced Workshop before the start of the 2nd and 3rd semesters
    • Coaching circles and peer-coaching (twice per semester)
    • Other ongoing sessions and external opportunities
  • Create thorough lesson plans, adhering to GLN’s methodology and curriculum
  • Maintain timely and open communication with GLN at all times.
  • Commute to GLN class location (Note: Fellows may apply for a transportation stipend)
  • Perform administrative duties, such as marking attendance promptly
  • Represent GLN in and outside of the classroom
  • Between class preparation, teaching and participation in various trainings and functions, Fellows should expect to commit on average 25-35 hours a month to volunteering with GLN.
  • FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS

BENEFITS

Serving as a GLN Teaching Fellow is an excellent opportunity to teach your language and culture, develop professional skills and experience, and make a positive impact in our multilingual community. Here are the main Fellowship benefits:

  • The opportunity to teach your language and share your culture with the DC community
  • Excellent professional development opportunities:
    • GLN teacher and leadership training
    • GLN-sponsored opportunities for external training and certification
  • Relevant and transferable professional experience and skills:
    • Teaching experience
    • Leadership
    • Management
    • Interpersonal skills
    • Public speaking / presentation skills
    • Flexible schedule: we will schedule your class time according to your availability (Classes take place on evenings and weekends)
  • Invitations to exclusive GLN Teacher and Leadership get togethers
  • Networking opportunities within our vast community of learners, partners, supporters and fellow teachers and other volunteers
  • Priority registration and fee waiver for GLN language classes
  • Membership in the GLN Fellowship Alumni Society upon completion of Fellowship which includes exclusive networking and career development opportunities

Note: This is an unpaid fellowship.

How to apply ?

APPLY TO BE A GLN TEACHING FELLOW TODAY!

The GLN Teaching Fellowship 2014 application is now open. Apply today!

Application Process

The Teaching Fellowship is open to everyone and we do not require previous teaching experience. We are looking for capable and motivated individuals who are passionate about GLN’s mission and learning approach, committed to teaching and education, and driven to make a positive impact in our community. The ideal Fellow is someone eager to learn, a team player with demonstrated leadership skills, teaching potential, and motivation to improve and grow as a person, leader and educator.

The Fellowship application and selection process consists of three rounds:

  • Candidates submit an ONLINE APPLICATION and their resume
  • Strong applicants are invited to an interview
  • Selected candidates are confirmed as Fellows upon completion of pre-service training

Selection Criteria

  • Passion about GLN’s mission and learning approach
  • Commitment to teaching and education
  • Teaching potential and prowess
  • Motivation to grow and develop as an individual and as a leader
  • Demonstrated leadership ability/potential
  • Team work and the ability to work in a collaborative environment

Fellowship 2014 Timeline

  • Applications currently accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Fellowship interviews: October & November 2013
  • Fellowship Selection: October 28th – November 15th, 2013
  • Pre-Service Training: December, 2013
  • Annual Fellowship Conference and inauguration: January 11th, 2014
  • Class of 2014 Fellowship: January, 2014 – December 2014

Please contact us at teach@thegln.org with any questions.

Internships with the Cold War International History Project

OPEN/CLOSE DATES:
Feb 15, 2013 to Dec 31, 2016

Spring Semester Application Deadline is 15 November 2013.

Background

The Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) at the Woodrow Wilson Center is currently accepting internship applications for the Spring 2014 academic semester.

The Project supports the full and prompt release of historical materials by governments on all sides of the Cold War, and seeks to accelerate the process of integrating new sources, materials and perspectives from the former “communist bloc” with the historiography of the Cold War which has been written over the past few decades largely by Western scholars reliant on Western archival sources. It also seeks to transcend barriers of language, geography, and regional specialization to create new links among scholars interested in Cold War history.

Interns at the Project will assist with research at archives and libraries, editing document manuscripts, publishing, translating, and disseminating CWIHP bulletins and working papers, coordinating scholarly conferences, and answering various information requests. Interns will also assist with digitizing, describing and uploading historical documents to the CWIHP Digital Archive. Interns at CWIHP are at the forefront of the debate and research over the historiography of the Cold War and will gain valuable knowledge from interaction with CWIHP staff, Woodrow Wilson Center Fellows as well as visiting scholars.

CWIHP’s internship appointments are generally consistent with academic semesters (i.e. Fall, Spring, Summer / three to four months); although appointments are made throughout the year for periods of varying length. No internship will exceed one year in duration.

Eligibility

Successful applicants should have strong research and/or administrative skills; be extremely attentive to detail; be able to work independently and as part of group; be enrolled in a degree program, have graduated, and/or have been accepted to enter an advanced degree program within the next year. Knowledge of a foreign language(especially Albanian, Bulgarian, Czech, German, Hungarian, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Modern Hebrew, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian or Vietnamese), is helpful.

This internship with the Cold War International History Project is unpaid, though we do offer interns the opportunity to earn academic credit in accordance with their programs’ requirements. As a general rule, our office is looking for individuals who can work between 14 and 35 hours/week.

The Wilson Center is an equal opportunity employer and follows equal opportunity employment guidelines in the selection of its interns. Internships are open to all U.S. residents and qualified international students with F or J visas.

Application Instructions

Spring Semester Application Deadline is 15 November 2013.

To apply, email a resume and cover letter to the Cold War International History Project at coldwar@wilsoncenter.org by the application deadline.

New media contest

Students, bloggers, artists and writers can submit their innovative storytelling.

The Media School at Bournemouth University is accepting entries for its New Media Writing Prize (NMWP).

NMWP is looking for innovative and interactive storytelling (fiction or non-fiction) written specifically for delivery and reading/viewing on a PC or Mac, the Web or a hand-held device such as an iPad or mobile phone. It could be a short story, novel, documentary or poem using words, images, film or animation with audience interaction.

The overall winner will receive GBP1,000 (US$1,616). The student winner will receive a three-month work placement at the leading e-learning company Unicorn Training, in Dorset, UK, with a weekly pay of GBP250 (US$404). The People’s Choice winner, voted for by the public, will be awarded with GBP250.

The deadline is Nov. 25. The deadline for students is Dec. 13.

For more information, click here.Students, bloggers, artists and writers can submit their innovative storytelling.

The Media School at Bournemouth University is accepting entries for its New Media Writing Prize (NMWP).

NMWP is looking for innovative and interactive storytelling (fiction or non-fiction) written specifically for delivery and reading/viewing on a PC or Mac, the Web or a hand-held device such as an iPad or mobile phone. It could be a short story, novel, documentary or poem using words, images, film or animation with audience interaction.

The overall winner will receive GBP1,000 (US$1,616). The student winner will receive a three-month work placement at the leading e-learning company Unicorn Training, in Dorset, UK, with a weekly pay of GBP250 (US$404). The People’s Choice winner, voted for by the public, will be awarded with GBP250.

The deadline is Nov. 25. The deadline for students is Dec. 13.

For more information, click here.

Request for Proposals to Funded Project Workshop, Japan

From January 1, 2013, Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organization changed editorial hands to the new team of Ramesh Thakur (editor-in-chief), Brian Job, Mónica Serrano, and Diana Tussie. As part of a portfolio of exciting changes, the journal and The One Earth Future Foundation (OEF), which co-hosts the journal, plan to develop an annual workshop and book series. The editors of Global Governance and the associate director of research at OEF will act as series editors. On an annual basis, the collaborating partners will identify a specific area of interest—global health, environmentalism, security policy, etc.—and select one or two appropriate project director(s)-cum-book editor(s) who will be responsible for convening a workshop, supported by OEF, which will bring together contributors who can provide manuscripts that will speak to the area of interest.

 



The workshop will be used as a tool for identifying junior scholars and scholars from developing countries. The experience should help them to develop international contacts, expose them to the etiquettes of international publishing, and develop their skill-sets and self-confidence to submit manuscripts to the professional journals in the field—including Global Governance. The workshop will be used to refine the contributions provided and generate an overall collective structure for the eventual book.

 

The inaugural workshop will be held at the headquarters of the United Nations University (UNU) in Tokyo in January 2014, on the theme of Weak States, Strong Societies.

 

Global Governance and OEF now invite scholars and practitioners to submit proposals for a project workshop and edited book that will explore some aspect of the international drug control regime in the twenty-first century. To support this book project, UNU will provide lodging and meals for a 2-3 day workshop at one of its campuses. Economy-class airfares and modest honoraria for the editor and chapter authors will be provided by OEF. Proposals will be judged by the editors; One Earth Future; Lynne Rienner; and Alistair Edgar, ACUNS.

 

Background
In 1909, the International Opium Commission, with representatives from Austria-Hungary, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, met for the first time in Shangai. As the commission’s call to gradually suppress opium smoking, and the manufacturing and trade of narcotics crystallized in the 1912 Hague Opium Convention, the foundations for a multilateral narcotics control regime were laid down.1

 

The centennial of the prohibitionist international drug control regime has been marked by mounting discontent. The regime’s aim to codify “internationally applicable control measures” turned into an ever more powerful and expansive industry of control and criminalization. Its promise to guarantee the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes, while preventing their diversion into illicit channels, has floundered in the midst of burgeoning illicit drug markets. Not only have its provisions to tackle illicit drug trafficking and drug abuse come to nothing, but as the evidence gathered in the course of one century has made clear, they have proved catastrophic.

 

Although the aims of this regime were undoubtedly morally well-intended, its enforcement proved hugely problematic. For too long quantitative criteria were the yardstick of success or failure of drug policy. This has been so, whether we think of hectares sprayed, quantity of drugs intercepted, properties confiscated, drug lords arrested, or even the number of people detained and imprisoned.

 

A second and equally problematic aspect of the regime concerns the way in which drug policies have too often denied or ignored the interests that have long propelled their enforcement. The historical record of drug control policies has brought a myriad of actors and interests out of the shadows. These range from the use of drug prohibition as an instrument for racial and social control; the electoral logics that have long underpinned aggressive drug control policies; to the economic and financial interests that now drive a flourishing prison industrial complex. Along with these intended and unintended consequences stand the immense risks that coercive drug control policies have entailed for the security and stability of state institutions and the protection of human rights in countries around the world.

 

For nearly half a century the prospects for a genuine and honest debate were in short supply. Critical voices were systematically silenced and deeply entrenched opinions prevailed. By the turn of the century, two initiatives, one in Latin America and one in Africa, signaled a change. In Latin America three ex-presidents—Fernando Enrique Cardoso, Cesar Gaviria, and Ernesto Zedillo—launched the Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy whose report in 2011 called for a change in drug policy. Two years later, the sudden increase in drug trafficking in West Africa prompted former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to establish a Commission on the Impact of Drug Trafficking on Governance, Security, and Development in West Africa. As members of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, Annan, Cardoso, Gaviria, and Zedillo have systematically called for a more “humane and efficient drug policy” and a “genuinely global conversation on drug policy reform.”



In May 2013 the landmark report on the drug problem issued by the Organization of American States drove a wedge in the century-long global consensus on drug policy. The report, which was originally requested by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and endorsed by all heads of American States, rejects one of the key assumptions that for over 100 years informed the drug control regime: the possibility of a drug-free world. In addition to highlighting the devastating consequences of repressive
1 The conventions and instruments agreed during the interwar period were superseded, in the second half of the twentieth century, by three major international drug control treaties: the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 (amended by 1972 Protocol); the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances and the 1988 UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

 

 

and prohibitionist drug policies, the OAS report persuasively questions the prospects for success in the war on drugs.
Whilst the publication of the OAS report unleashed the most high-level discussion on international drug policy reform, the liberalization of drug laws in countries around the world, including the US, has injected much dynamism to ongoing debates calling for more humane and efficient drug policy. The shift in national and international public opinion, favoring decriminalization and legal regulation, presents a direct challenge to the dominant prohibitionist approach embodied in the 1961, 1971, and 1988 UN drug conventions and the international drug control regime.
As the century-old taboo on drug policy crumbles and the multilateral architecture built around prohibitionist and supply-side formulas is under attack, the need to discuss alternatives is ever more pressing. The findings of this project are expected to contribute to the debates leading up to the 2016 special UN General Assembly session on global drug policy.

 

Application Procedure and Deadline
Please submit the following documents. Applications lacking any of these items will not be considered.
1. Project Overview: Explain your proposed project and how it relates to drug control regimes in the twenty-first century.
2. Significance of the proposed book:
Please comment briefly on the timeliness, contribution to scholarship, and policy relevance of your project.
3. Potential audience(s): Explain who your intended audiences will be. These may include academics, policy makers, employees of international organizations, or others.
4. Contributors and proposed chapters with short description and an indicative word count: We prefer a clear, coherent framework for the book, not a disparate collection of chapters that could stand on their own. Please list likely contributors and a synopsis of their likely contributions, bearing in mind the objectives of the series as explained above. Provide a short statement on your qualifications and experience to undertake this project and your rationale for the team you propose to assemble.
5. Budget: Please provide an indicative budget that includes travel, honoraria for the project director and authors, and other expenses, but not hotel and meal costs for the workshop. OEF anticipates its budget for this project will be between $40,000–$50,000.
6. Timeline. Decisions on the grant will be announced in March 2014. Provide an indication of your preferred timetable for the workshop, chapter revisions and submission of final manuscript.

 

Deadline: All submission must be received by January 17, 2014.
Please send submission and any queries to Roberta Spivak, managing editor at: globalgov@oneearthfuture.org

Nov. 2, 2013 – Redefine your career path: U of M Education Fair

College of Continuing Education - University of Minnesota

EDUCATION FAIR

Dear Student,

Are you at a career crossroads? Searching for something more in your work life?

Whether you’re looking to complete a degree, gain the skills to be a stand-out candidate in a job search, or build an education portfolio specific to your industry, the College of Continuing Education is ready to help you reach that next level.

Redefine your career path
What: FREE Education Fair
When: Saturday, November 2, 2013, 10 a.m.–noon
Location: Bloomington Center for the Arts

Breakout sessions featuring:

Bachelor’s Degrees

  • Individualized degree completion programs
  • Construction Management/Facility Management
  • IT Infrastructure
  • Manufacturing Operations Management

Master’s Degrees

  • Master of Liberal Studies
  • Master of Biological Sciences
  • Master of Professional Studies in Horticulture
  • Master of Professional Studies in Arts and Cultural Leadership
  • Master of Professional Studies in Integrated Behavioral Health

There will also be information on credit certificates, professional development certificates, taking evening and online courses, and applying for financial aid.

Questions? Contact our Information Center at 612-624-7213. We look forward to seeing you at the November 2 Education Fair!

Sincerely,

Julia Dugan
University of Minnesota
College of Continuing Education
Learner Representative
612-624-7213
ccejulia@umn.edu