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Books

May 2009

Against a backdrop of general indifference to the European elections of 2009, Pierre Defraigne presents a clarion call for thoughtful engagement and considered participation in the European project. In a pamphlet entitled "Three challenges ONLY EUROPE can take on", he calls upon the voter to seize this critical moment in the history of both Europe's integration and the world evolution.

Distancing himself from the current, catchy, but nevertheless complacent discourse addressing a Europe of consumers and users, of mobility and Euros in the pocket, of the pax europeana, the author addresses young citizens and confronts them with the world as it is: a world of crisis, climate change and security challenges. His argument is threefold: that only a united Europe can take up these historical challenges; that Europe as it stands is not yet ready to do so because it lacks both strong institutions and unity on a common societal project; and that the return of intergovernmentalism with 27 Member States will condemn the EU to function by fits and starts. A “citizen-takeover”, therefore, is the only avenue that will lead to the emergence of a truly European political leadership equipped to deal with the challenges of our time.

The argument is ambitious and engaged. It strives to awaken, primarily within the younger generations, a consciousness of a European common good that transcends national identities. “To be European” gives a duty to think large and, at an early stage, to take measure of the immensity of the project ahead: to put market capitalism back under control, to counter the climate threat and the loss of biodiversity, to become a strategic power for peace in the world. These are the tasks that await the emergent generation.

Time is ticking for Europe before its demographic winter arrives and consecrates the continent’s relative decline next to the emergent Asia. Unity is no longer an abstract ideal. It is a duty of reason. At stake is an idea of Europe that should not be left to die because Europe, even if reduced to a small peninsula of the Asian continent, both bears and guarantees a set of values that apply across all mankind.

This pamphlet is published in a bilingual French/English version by La Libre Belgique and sold to the benefit of the European Movement-Belgium.

Download the English text (3€, all charges included)

Téléchargez le texte en français (3€, tous frais compris)

Downloadt de tekst in het Nederlands

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2008: Third Parties & Conflict Prevention

Mediation and arbitration have been seen as core instruments for avoiding violent conflict and achieving peace since the early years of the international peace movements. Third parties have obvious roles and responsibilities in conflict prevention efforts.

Conceived in partnership with Uppsala University (Sweden), this fifth and final Anna Lindh volume on Conflict Prevention, released in January 2008, brings together political and diplomatic practitioners with academic analysts. It highlights the ambitions and achievements of various third parties in conflict prevention. Several contributions present and discuss the potential of the United Nations system. There are case studies of the capabilities and activities of the European Union in the South Caucasus, the Middle East and West Africa, and of the Council of Europe as a conflict prevention mechanism.

Among the writers in this edition are: Jan Eliasson, Fen Osler Hampson, Peter Wallensteen and Frida Möller.

2007: Energy and Conflict Prevention

The fourth volume of the Anna Lindh Programme on Conflict Prevention is now available. This book deals with Energy and Conflict Prevention, an issue already highlighted in the EU Security Strategy as a global challenge. Like previous editions in this series, this volume brings together a leading group of scholars and policymakers to explore the relationship between competition for energy resources and the propensity for conflict.

Among the writers in this 2007 edition are: Javier Solana, Svante Cornell, Bjørn Gunnarson, Nick Mabey, and Lijun Zhang.

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2006: Health and Conflict Prevention

This third publication issued by the Anna Lindh Programme on Conflict Prevention suggests an innovative perspective on Health as an issue of diplomacy. It contains various essays exploring the relationship between public health and security, as well as case studies of urgent health issues. It brings together writers form politics, academia and the medical profession, such as Javier Solana, Markos Kyprianou, Hans Blix, David Hamburg, John Wyn Owen and Zsuzsanna Jakab.

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2005 : Development, Security and Conflict Prevention

The link between security and development is a major feature of the UN Millennium Development Goals strategy and of current debate on security and development issues. This edition focuses on development issues and on reform of the United Nations as instruments of conflict prevention.

Contributors to the volume include: Javier Solana, Jim Cloos, Carin Jämtin, Louis Michel, Mark Malloch Brown, Stephen John Stedman, Joanna Spear, Yilmaz Esmer, Fraser Cameron, Serhij Maksymenko and Gareth Evans.

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2004: Developing a Culture of Conflict Prevention

With contributions from prominent political leaders as well as European academics and diplomats, this volume seeks to assess different aspects of conflict prevention in the areas of political science, economics, law and sociology. It highlights the current situation and analyses the role played by different international bodies to prevent the outbreak of war in a period when nascent conflicts, failed states and post conflict scenarios have become a common reality around the globe.

Contributors to the publication include: Javier Solana, Chris Patten, Brian Cowen, Philippe Kisch, Jan Eliasson, Robert Cooper, Alysson J K Bailes, Michael Emerson, Danilo Turk and Ivan Krastev.

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