Perspectives and implications for the proliferation of non-lethal weapons in the context of contemporary conflict, security interests and arms control.

This article briefly looks at the characteristics of contemporary conflict and the global political arena, particularly from 1989 and the end of the cold war. The development of and potential roles for second generation non-lethal weapons (NLWs) in war-fighting, peace support operations, and civil policing are discussed. There are arguments both for and against further and rapid development of NLWs. The question of proliferation and arms control is examined within the context of concepts such as the revolution in military affairs (RMA) and factors such as the increasing role of non-state actors, current security requirements and the problems concerning the implementation and enforcement of current and envisaged arms control regimes. Proliferation, which may be vertical or horizontal, may not always be seen as a malign process but rather one which requires specific ethical and operational perspectives. Proliferation is about both technology push and operational requirements. The effectiveness of legislative approaches to controlling proliferation, especially to countries which are considered to have poor human rights records, is discussed and issues about who wants to control NLWs, and why, are raised. Some technologies may be seen as less threatening to existing arms control and management treaties and the ethical debates which surround them. A concern regarding increasing use of non-lethal technologies for political oppression is part of this debate. The issues are illustrated using India as case study.

Social capital and the political economy of violence: a case study of Sri Lanka.

This article examines the links between militarised violence and social capital (trans)formation. It first maps out emerging theoretical and policy debates on social capital and violent conflict and questions a number of the assumptions underpinning these debates. This is followed by an empirical analysis of several war-affected communities in Sri Lanka. The case studies illustrate that the links between militarised violence and social capital are complex, dynamic and context specific. It is argued that social capital cannot be understood in isolation from political and economic processes, and the belief that violent conflict inevitably erodes social capital is questioned. Finally, the implications for external agencies are highlighted. Rather than focusing on engineering social capital, external agencies need to focus on understanding better the preconditions for social capital formation and how they can contribute to the creation of an enabling environment. This requires as a starting-point a rigorous analysis of political and economic processes.

Joseph Rivière: physician and peaceworker.

In 1905, Dr Joseph Rivière, a graduate of the Paris Medical Faculty, founded the International Medical Association against War (IMAW). By 1914 IMAW had members in over 40 countries. This paper looks at the work of Dr Rivière, both as physician and peaceworker.

Mediation: developing a new role for physicians in peacemaking processes.

This paper describes a research programme on medical mediation undertaken jointly by MAPW and Bradford University's Department of Peace Studies. It was available in the resource centre of IPPNW's 9th Congress. A brief description of a workshop at the Congress on stereotyping is also given.