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651.More information
Without blindly condemning the world system within which we live, nor systematically finding fault with every action or policy favouring cultural integration, the author seeks, in the first part of this article, to become aware (1) of the nature of the system (humanism, world norms, megamachine), (2) of the homogenizing tendencies which threaten existing cultures, and (3) of the characteristics of the modern Nation-State.In the second part of this article, he examines: (1) what can be done in the present context to change the « integrationist » political system even though we are necessarily a part of that system, (2) some concrete measures which are part of the political strategy proposed by the Monchanin Intercultural Center of Montreal.
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654.More information
AbstractInvestigating Belgian policies towards the institutions ofthe francophonie reveals an interesting case study. It clarifies the sometimes excentric manner in which a small, very federalised power shapes its foreign policy. The latter results from the coupling of a spécific political culture (characterized by a respect for pluralism, the subsidiarity principle, and consociational democracy) with a novel institutional system, thereby causing uncommon consequences. The relations between Belgium and the francophonie confirm the hypothesis according to which this country's foreign policy is elaborated in a relatively autonomous fashion. This process ignores the significant constraints of the international environment typically observed in the case of other federal entities.
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655.More information
AbstractTo understand the « Tocquevillian » defence of democracy proposed by Pierre Manent, one should consider it within the wider perspective of its treatment of human nature. In a style of thought that recalls Leo Strauss'philosophical endeavour, P. Manent describes in The City of Man (1994) a genealogy of modernity that puts at the center of it the loss of the idea of man. P. Manent intends to give a new life to this question by presenting the complex history of relations between Ancient philosophy, Christianity and modernity. This article attempts to pinpoint the original position of P. Manent regarding the interplay of these three « spiritual masses ». The author suggests the hypothesis that in the last analysis P. Manent would be a a friend of democracy, since he would agree with the description of the human soul as presented by Christianity.
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656.More information
The Mulroney government's South Africa policy and the specific measures through which it was implemented broke with long-standing norms and practices of Canadian foreign policy in several significant ways. They foreshadowed the more expansive and intrusive conception of foreign policy associated with Lloyd Axworthy's notion of « human security », but which was already taking shape under Mulroney in the early 1990s. In this connection, the Tories' South Africa policy can be seen as an important, albeit incomplete, bridge from the post-Second World War to the post-Cold War eras in Canadian foreign policy. In support of this argument, three key dimensions of Canadian policy towards South(ern) Africa in the 1985-90 period are analyzed: sanctions; diplomatic activity in support of change; and aid to « victims and opponents of apartheid » inside South Africa. To illustrate the incompleteness of this foreign policy transition or departure, a brief consideration will be given to the contentious issue of security assistance to Mozambique in response to South Africa's ruthless campaign of destabilization during this time.
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657.More information
The recent backlash of the peacebuilding operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina has been explained by the local elites' political immaturity, communist background and electoral strategies. This article argues that it can be explained by the erosion of the informal agreement between local parties and interveners. In return for the local elites' cooperation, the external authorities used to contain radical factions, and had installed a “benevolent autocracy” that spared the elected officials from assuming the political costs of taking decisions. The international wavering on the exit strategy put an end to this understanding, which led to the reorganisation of local political strategies.
Keywords: Bosnie-Herzégovine, intervention internationale, consolidation de la paix, Bosnia and Herzegovina, international intervention, peacebuilding