From conflict to peacebuilding

S. Halle (ed.), 2009, From conflict to peacebuilding. The role of natural resources and the environment, UNEP
This report highlights that many conflicts are associated with the use, access and control of environmental resources, and this is the reason why integrating the environment and natural resources management into peacebuilding is essential. In fact, demand on resources [...]

The Roar on the Other Side of Silence

Joyce Wu presents “The Roar on the Other Side of Silence: A pre-fieldwork presentation for a multi-country research on sexual violence in conflict/post-conflict situation”. Centre for International Governance & Justice (CIGJ), Regulatory Institutes Network, the Australian National University. At Coombs Extension Lecture Theatre, Bldg 8, Room 1.04. Tuesday 11 August 2009, 12.30pm – 1.30pm.

Nationality Rights for All

As long as the nation state has been around there have been stateless people. According to the latest report of Refugees International, these number around 12 million worldwide: roughly the same numbers as those categorised as refugees, but without any of the rights or recognition of refugees.

Wu’s seminar on “From ‘Fallen Blossoms’ to ‘Army Latrines’

In this seminar, I highlighted some of the discourses at hand surrounding the issue of sexual- and gender-based violence (SGBV) in conflict situation, and the influence they have upon aid agencies.

In particular, I wanted to explore how the prevailing understanding and distinction of the private vs. public understanding about violence against women during the so-called peacetime is carried into discussions about violence against women in conflict and post-conflict situation. This distinction is played out in the prioritisation of different forms of sexual violence, where military-perpetrated forms of sexual violence takes precedence, as demonstrated in wider media attention as well as the rhetoric of aid agencies and donors.

Continued crisis in Darfur alongside ICC action against Sudanese president

On March 4, 2009, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir on charges alleging genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan’s western Darfur region, where an ethnic conflict has raged since 2003. This is the first time that the ICC has issued such a warrant for a sitting head of state. Almost immediately the Sudanese Government responded by expelling 13 international humanitarian organisations and NGOs from Sudan including Oxfam, CARE and MSF and closed down three local relief agencies.

On the 24 March Ayman Al-Zawahri, the notorious second-in-command of Al-Qaeda, entered the fray saying that this would not help to solve the problems of Darfur, and called for all Muslim countries to arm themselves against further such interventions and intrusions into their affairs on the part of foreign countries.

From ‘Fallen Blossoms’ to ‘Army Latrines’

Gender, Sexuality and Culture Seminar Series. Joyce Wu (PhD candidate) on “From ‘Fallen Blossoms’ to ‘Army Latrines’: the Sexual Politics of Interpreting & Representing Rape during Conflict Situation”. 1.00 – 2.30pm Monday 23 March 2009, Seminar Room C, Top Floor, RSPAS Coombs Building.

Conflict resolution for integrated water resources management

L. A. Swatuk, A. Mengiste and K. Jembere, 200, Conflict Resolution and Negotiation Skills for Integrated Water Resources Management, Cap-Net UNDP.
The need for this manual, according to the authors in the overview, is that conflict is an unavoidable component of human interaction, and given the importance of water for survival it is inevitable that conflict [...]