The European Union is preparing to spend up to 1 billion euros per year on new 'research' into surveillance and control technologies, according to Arming Big Brother, a new report by the Transnational Institute (TNI) and Statewatch. Arming Big Brother lifts the lid on the secretive committees and arms industry lobbying that led to the creation of the European Security Research Programme (ESRP). The TNI-Statewatch report suggests that the EU 'security research' programme is - like the idea of 'dual-use' technologies - simply providing cover for military subsidies and lucrative government contracts.
The Peace Research Center makes this report available to those readers insterested.
Executive Summary
Full report
After six years of decline in asylum applications Europe now hosts only five per cent of the world’s refugee population. Only a tiny proportion of the world’s 20 million refuges and asylum seekers ever get to Europe. In 2004 the 25 EU countries recorded 19% fewer asylum requests than in the previous year. Focusing on screening out as many applications as possible, and reflecting often unfounded fears of perceived abuse of the asylum system, harmonisation of European asylum policies has moved towards the lowest common denominator. EU states are implementing the Hague Programme for closer cooperation in justice and home affairs by 2010.
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CIP-FUHEM SPECIAL DOSSIER
ETA’s statement, declaring a permanent cease-fire presents some features that allow us, taking into account the facts and signals available at the moment of writing this text (24th of March), to consider it as the first step in a new road towards peace in the Basque Country and in the rest of Spain.
At this historic moment, the Peace Research Center (CIP-FUHEM) offers the following analyses with the aim to contribute to the debate and to provide new ideas in the negotiation process phase than now begins.
- Alberto Piris, a member of the Peace Research Center, analyzes some aspects related to the permanent cease-fire declaration and the perspectives opening now for peace in his article "The Difficult Road to Peace" (also available in the attachment).
- Galo Bilbao, professor of Ethics at Deusto University, explores the possibilities of reconciliation in his analyses "¿Es deseable y posible la reconciliación en el País Vasco?" (only available in Spanish), speech prepared for the annual meeting of the Spanish Association of Peace Research (AIPAZ).
- Vicenç Fisas reviews several types of peace processes in his article "Modelos de procesos de paz" (only available in Spanish), published in the journal Papeles de Cuestiones Internacionales, no. 87, CIP-FUHEM, Fall 2004.
- In the dossier on nationalisms and Europe -- "Los nacionalismos y Europa" (only available in Spanish) --, the experts José María Tortosa, José María Ruiz Soroa, Ferrán Requejo, Alberto Piris y Michael Keating give their opinion on this matter. Published in Papeles de Cuestiones Internacionales, nº 89, CIP-FUHEM, Spring 2005.
- The journal Papeles de Cuestiones Internacionales devoted its issue no. 61 to the Basque question, including analyses by José María Tortosa, Iñaki Lasagabaster, Gurutz Jauregi, Sabino Ayestarán, Pedro Ibarra, Rafael Sáenz de Rozas, Jonan Fernández y Juan María Ollora, among other specialists.
Islam has never been this present or visible in Europe. After 9/11, the arguments of neo-Orientalists and the Huntingtonian predictions regarding the clash of civilizations have set the conceptual scene for this new "Islam-obsession" that tends to transform itself into clear Islamophobia. The first victim of this radicalization of the discourse on Islam is without a doubt the "Muslim" community in Europe.
Over the last few years, the European Union has developed different strategies toward the Colombian conflict that have oscillated between the promotion of a negotiated exit from the conflict and the support of the Government of Álvaro Uribe and his politics of Democratic Security. At the present moment, the European Union is faced with various dilemmas that emanate from the process of demobilization and from the reintegration of the paramilitary groups. Not supporting it would suppose the rejection of the official argument of the Government, which states that this is the first step to a more extensive process of peace. Not supporting it will also, at this moment, appeal and promote the insurgent organizations. It would place the EU in a difficult position since the political point of view, neglecting to accept that in fact something has changed in the Colombian setting, and that there is an opportunity for peace that should be taken advantage of.
The full document is available at www.cip.fuhem.es (only in Spanish).
This report presents an analysis of the motives of the electoral change in Spain after the terrorist attacks of March 11, 2004, comparing this case with the American reaction to terrorist violence of September 11, 2001. The author addresses the topic from the perspective of the changes in the world order after 9/11, and analyzes the consequences of the attacks for issues such as legislation, preventive measures and how the social perception of the Arabic and Muslim immigrant population has changed due to these facts.
