spotlight europe 2010/10, November 2010: The Middle East as a region of opportunity

The Middle East is more than a hotbed of conflict, war and terror. It is time the EU woke up to the opportunities this region has to offer. The four Es - economy, energy, environment and education-suggest numerous areas of cooperation in which Europe can become profitably involved. Furthermore, the six GCC states ought to play a greater role in the resolution of regional conflict

Tunisia's transformation - Cooperating with the neighbours: Europe, North Africa and the GCC. July 2015 Strategy paper.Bertelsmann Studies

Tunisia is a democratic partner of the EU in Europe's immediate southern neighbourhood. The societal and political developments in the country since 2011 have formed an encouraging exception in North Africa and the Arab world. In 2014, the country adopted a new constitution, and free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections took place. Since 5 February 2015, Tunisia has had a democratic government. Tunisia's export-oriented economy possesses an industrial base, infrastructure and a demographic segmentation which, when compared with other countries in the region, can lead to more growth and employment opportunities

Syria in its fifth year of civil war: Overview, analysis and thoughts on resolving the conflict. Bertelsmann Studies

After the First World War, the then colonial powers Great Britain and France created a number of countries from what remained of the Ottoman Empire. One of those countries was Syria, a nation of artificial borders. In 1946, Syria gained its independence. The government promoted secularization and saw to it that the benefits of modernization accrued to many, which meant that the country’s 12 different ethnic and religious groups lived together in peace until the 1980s. During the Assad dynasty, however, problems and conflicts arose, culminating in open revolt in 2011

Wahlen im Irak : eine amerikanisch-europäische Perspektive

Perceptuella röstanalyser är en viktig del i logopedens arbete med röstpatienter. Syftet med föreliggande studie var att med hjälp av lyssnarbedömningar undersöka skillnader i röstkvalitet mellan spontantal och instruerat tal hos femåriga barn och vuxna kvinnor. Även inter- och intrabedömarreliabilitet undersöktes för fyra logopeder vilka utgjorde bedömningsgruppen. Resultatet visade signifikanta skillnader i röstkvalitet mellan spontantal och instruerat tal för kvinnorna gällande parametrarna heshet, hyperfunktion och skrovel. Hos barnen kunde starka tendenser till skillnad mellan spontantal och instruerat tal ses för parametrarna hyperfunktion och röstläge. Interbedömarreliabiliteten var högst vid bedömning av heshet hos barn och tendensen var att interbedömarreliabiliteten överlag var högre vid bedömning av barnrösterna än vid bedömning av kvinnorösterna. Värdena för intrabedömarreliabilitet visade starka tendenser till att vara högre vid bedömning av kvinnornas röster jämfört med barnens röster

Towards a New European Neighbourhood Policy: Impulses for discussion. European Neighbourhood Conference Berlin, November 26/27, 2014

The Lisbon treaty calls on the EU to “develop a special relationship with neighbouring countries, aiming to establish an area of prosperity and good neighbourliness, founded on the values of the Union” (Art. 8). Collaboration within the ENP framework is independent of the process of potential EU accession, yet it neither prejudges future development of EU relations with any respective partner. In times of geopolitical turmoil and revolutionary transformations, the existing framework neither meets the aspirations of the 16 neighbours nor the expectations of the EU. The future ENP has to develop alternative mechanisms and answer new needs

spotlight europe # 2011/05 – Diciembre de 2011 Europa y la rebelión árabe de 2012 = spotlight europe 05/2011: Europe and the Arabellion in 2012

A year after the start of the Tunisian rebellion, Europe’s southern neighbourhood is in turmoil and in a state of upheaval. It is a paradoxical fact that the revolt by secular groups will bring Islamist parties to power for the first time. The transition from dictatorship to democracy is not a straightforward affair, and differs from country to country. Europe certainly has good assistance programmes, but there is a need for more courage and greater coordination

spotlight europe 05/2011: Europe and the Arabellion in 2012

A year after the start of the Tunisian rebellion, Europe’s southern neighbourhood is in turmoil and in a state of upheaval. It is a paradoxical fact that the revolt by secular groups will bring Islamist parties to power for the first time. The transition from dictatorship to democracy is not a straightforward affair, and differs from country to country. Europe certainly has good assistance programmes, but there is a need for more courage and greater coordination

The Arab World in transition: prospects and challenges for a revitalized relationship between Europe and North Africa

"After decades of authoritarian rule increasingly self-confident citizens in North Africa and the Middle East are asking to be given political, social and economic participation rights, responsible governance and the rule of law. This civil society revolt against established government structures has differed significantly from country to country. New political systems are in the making in Tunisia and Egypt. Far-reaching political reforms have been announced in Morocco, Jordan and Oman. In Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen the rulers have resorted to the use of force in an attempt to suppress the protests. The European Union and its citizens and member states should lend their support to popular demands for political and economic participation and justice which are being voiced in their southern neighbourhood. This is not only a moral obligation. It is also in Europe’s best interests. Detailed country-specific strategies are now required. The EU must make it clear to governments which have elected to use repression that their blatant disregard of the political will of the people will have consequences and that their leaders will no longer be seen as legitimate political partners of the EU. The EU should attempt to enlist the support of the international community for its views. At the same time this standpoint should not prevent the Europeans from providing for the humanitarian needs of refugees and victims of armed conflict. However, in keeping with the notion of positive conditionality and its “more for more” principle, Europe should concentrate on cooperating primarily with the new democracies in Tunisia and Egypt and the governments which have not only announced meaningful reforms, but are actually implementing them." [author's abstract

Floristische Neu- und Wiederfunde aus dem Hakel und seiner Umgebung

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