/172-general

Greece: A Debt Colony, Shackled to Its Lenders

►http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/172-general/52160-greece-a-debt-colony-shackled-to-its-lenders-.html

Greece is set to comply with another austerity measure dictated by the eurozone members, this time lowering its debt in return for bailout funds. The Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras described this as a “landmark for the country’s rebirth" although similar measures have recently been imposed undemocratically by bypassing parliamentary control. In a country where about 30 percent of the population now lives below poverty, “austerity is shredding the social fabric.”According to Matthaios Tsimitakis, Greece has become a “debt colony” and these “calls for ‘national unity’ are nothing but dust in the eyes of a dazed and confused people.” This ultimately raises concern about the capacity of supra-national bodies like the European Union to genuinely address the national struggles of their members.

Matthaios Tsimitakis
Al Jazeera
December 19, 2012

Post-Election Georgia: Turning the Dream of Peace Into Reality?

►http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/172-general/51989-post-election-georgia-turning-the-dream-of-peace-into-reality-.h

Rachel Clogg
Open Democracy
October 12, 2012

Since Georgia’s independence from the USSR in 1989, autonomy movements in two regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - have threatened to break up the new country. After more than two decades of political upheaval, violent conflicts and stunted economic growth, Georgia’s recent parliamentary elections have been described as the country’s first peaceful transition of power. The oppositional “Georgian Dream Coalition” led by billionaire businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili’s won the majority of seats. In addition to economic stimulus, the coalition will focus on finding political solutions to the enduring regional conflicts. Will the newly elected government be able to “translate positive noises into action”?

For those of us working toward peace in the South Caucasus, recent events in Georgia have brought a renewed sense of possibility. Political upheaval, large populations of displaced people, and stunted economic growth have characterised the decades since violent conflicts broke out following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Peace processes in the Caucasus have swung between dialogue and deadlock, with periods of heightened tension or war, and the ever-present risk of renewed violence.

While peacebuilders have persevered with their efforts at building understanding across conflict divides and creating conditions for conflict transformation, many people have been cautious in their assessments of what is possible. If the newly elected government proves able to translate positive noises into action, those viewpoints may need to be revisited.

#georgie #caucase #europe

Colombia : Peace at Last ?

Les pourparlers de paix s’ouvrent dans le courant du mois d’octobre à Oslo

►http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/172-general/51988-colombia-peace-at-last.html7

International Crisis Group
September 25, 2012

Since 1964, Colombia’s different conservative and oligarchic governments have been threatened by the violent struggle of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN). Recognizing that the country’s intense counter-insurgency military strategy to defeat these guerillas has failed to put an end to the conflict, Bogota’s government now seems more open to political discussions. Formal peace talks will therefore be held in Oslo this month. Not only does the government enjoy more popular support, but the security forces of the country, and especially violent paramilitaries, are now better controlled by the central government. Yet, the International Crisis Group recalls that “a deal would not eliminate violence” and argues that, in order to reconsolidate Columbia’s statehood, “only strong social and political ownership of that deal can guarantee that it leads to the lasting peace.” But will this possible in the near future?

After decades of failed negotiations and attempts to defeat the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas and the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN) militarily, a political solution to the Western Hemisphere’s oldest conflict may be in sight. Following a year of secret contacts, formal peace talks with FARC are to open in Oslo in October 2012 and continue in Havana. They may be extended to the ELN. There seems a firmer willingness to reach an agreement, as the government realises military means alone cannot end the conflict and FARC appears to recognise that the armed struggle permits survival but little else. With no ceasefire in place, both sides must act with restraint on the battlefield to generate immediate humanitarian improvements. And they will need to balance the requirements of fast, discreet negotiations and those of representativeness and inclusion. The government and the guerrillas have the historic responsibility to strike a deal, but only strong social and political ownership of that deal can guarantee that it leads to the lasting peace that has been elusive for so long.

#colombie #amérique latine #processus-de-paix #oslo #jan-egeland