More than just victims: the truth about human trafficking

Benjamin S Buckland argues that the language used to debate human trafficking can cloud the issue itself. Exploitation is only one side of the story. Deep-rooted socioeconomic and political reasons explain why some people fall into illegal or forced migration channels, and tackling these fundamentals requires a new language to acknowledge the agency and ambition of trafficked persons. Copyright (c) 2008 The Author. Journal compilation (c) 2008 ippr.

Resonances of neoconservatism

Since 2003, scholars and pundits alike have vigorously debated the role of neoconservatism in the run-up to the US invasion of Iraq. Few, however, have examined the power of neoconservatism in terms of its resonance on an affective level. To more fully understand the influence that neoconservatism has had in recent US foreign policy debates, this article argues that scholarly analyses should also examine what could be termed its discursive efficacy. Neoconservatism incorporates many images and symbols of what many Americans would consider as being ‘American’, and the affective force of this discourse is vital in understanding its resonance with audiences. Employing insights from psychoanalytic theory, this article argues that a critically under-examined aspect of neoconservatism’s varying influence on US foreign policy debates is found in the kinds of identifications that it offers audiences. The article, in this sense, contributes to the growing literature on neoconservatism, and raises the under-explored issue of resonance for the study of security discourses

Fractionality in Homogeneity? Value differences and Cross-Cultural Conflict in Somalia

Despite the fact that intra-state conflict is a common feature of post-colonial African states, the seemingly endless nature of the Somali crisis has necessitated this study. The Somali case has proved immune to peace talks, military interventions, restructuring of governments by the international community, etc. The crisis had lingered, producing alarming figures of dead and displaced persons; a collapsed State, giving room for anarchy; unhindered militia presence on both land and sea; and persistently becoming a menace and threat to the peace of its immediate neighbours, the region and the world. All these visible manifestations of the Somali state can be regarded as convulsions of its internal value differences. Thus, this study seeks to examine the Somali value systems, the differences emanating from the jealous protection of such values, and how they have rendered conflict resolution attempts futile. With more emphasis on the structure of the Somali society, this study explores its unique stratifications that have kept the state collapsed. A descriptive-analytical approach is applied, while the data are basically collected from secondary sources. The findings of this research reveal the divisive characteristics of values which have manifested in segmentation, clannism, loyalty, among others. It has led to the endless violent struggle for dominance among the clans and social classes culminating in a total collapse of the state. It is therefore concluded that value differences have been detrimental to the peace of Somalia. This study recommends, among others, that genuine resolution efforts should thoroughly consider and engage these value differences. Keywords: clannism, conflict, loyalty, values, value differences

Humanitarian intervention - what's in a name?

Why has the term humanitarian intervention experienced such a meteoric rise into the core of academic as well as public political discourse? An investigation of classical theory shows that the use of force to help citizens of other states has been regularly contemplated and practiced in the past. The concept of humanitarian intervention therefore does not describe new policies; instead it serves to hide the political nature of these policies today and functions as a ‘doctrinal advance guard’ for a new international order. It is the political conjuncture that requires a new name for old policies and its radical political content that explains the timing, speed and impact of this ter