The case for demilitarising Lesotho

ABSTRACT

The Kingdom of Lesotho spends around five per cent of its annual budget – some 700 million Maloti ($US52.6 million) in 2017 – on the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF). Lesotho’s geographical position means that the LDF has no meaningful role regarding its primary function of defending the country from external aggression and it hardly engages in its secondary functions. In addition, the LDF has a long history of interference with democratic processes and engaging in human rights abuse. The financial resources currently allocated to the LDF could do far more for security, widely defined, if they were allocated to a number of other government expenditure categories.     

“Government contracting options: A model and application“∗

This paper models and simulates a government‐contractor principal‐agent weapon system repair model. Insights are derived as to how government repair contracts should be constructed so as to induce optimal contractor behavior. The paper's general conclusion is that the best contracting approach combines a lump‐sum payment that does not vary with the number of units repaired, expensive item cost‐sharing, and a contractor‐provided availability guarantee. Provided there is intercontractor competition, this type of contract performs well even if the government is poorly informed about weapon system break patterns or repair costs.     

The unnecessary uprising: Jeju Island rebellion and South Korean counterinsurgency experience 1947–48

This paper systematically analyzes the causes of the escalation of violence during the initial stages of the Jeju Island Rebellion and the failure of South Korean counterinsurgency operations. It is argued that four interrelated factors provided the conditions for armed insurgency in the small island of Jeju: inter-agency tension between the Korean National Police (KNP) and the Korean Constabulary; the mainlanders' misinterpretation of the insurgency; the effect of systematic police brutality; and the role of youth groups. Consequently, two counterinsurgency lessons will be drawn from this study: that inter-agency cooperation and coordination at the tactical level between security branches and the incorporation of local population at the micro-level is essential in conducting efficient and effective counterinsurgency operations.     

The artful use of national power: Portuguese Angola (1961–1974)

In its colony of Angola, Portugal during its colonial wars (1961–1974) was able to exploit the economic dependence and divided population loyalties of its hostile neighbours the Congo and Zambia as well as the cleavages within the nationalist movements to prevent a crippling insurgency. The rulers of both countries were largely dependent on Angola for trade, and were eager to have the side effects of the robust Angolan economy with its 11% annual growth brush off on their own moribund ones. While relationships were never comfortable, the sponsors of revolution were forced to reign in their ‘freedom fighters’ in order to maintain the functioning of their export-dependent economies. Portuguese leadership also played a vital role, as it was able to bring together diverse elements of national power in a concerted policy for dealing with these enemies, whether they were insurgents or their sanctuary countries. This policy of leveraging national power and playing on the vulnerabilities of its opponents worked well during its war in Angola and still holds valuable lessons for countries that find themselves in similar circumstances.     

文化安全视角下的新疆高校网络舆情管理探究

文化安全的关键在意识形态,意识形态领域中的关键问题是价值观掌控问题。作为文化传播的主要组成部分,网络舆情对文化安全的表层和深层结构都有重要影响。本文从文化安全视角下切入,结合新疆高校网络舆情调研,分析了文化安全面临的冲击与挑战,并提出了基于文化安全保障下的新疆高校网络舆情有效管理方式和路径。     

浅谈高校无机化学实验教学的绿色化

针对在化学实验教学中因大量污染物的排放可能对师生健康和环境造成严重危害的实际,就如何进行绿色化学实验教学这一问题,文章提出了学生开展无机化学实验废液的处理实验、进行实验微型化教学以及实验应多采用仪器法等方法,在高校化学实验教学中渗透绿色化学教学思想是必要的,也是可行的。化学教师应该用绿色化学的理念指导化学实验教学,培养具有绿色意识的化学人才,实现化学实验教学的绿色化。     

科学制定发展规划 彰显地方高校职能

地方高校制定发展规划是适应国内外高等教育发展的客观需求,是区域经济社会发展的必要需求,是高校自身发展的迫切需求。地方高校要履行高校职能,更好地为地方经济社会发展服务就必须科学制定规划,特别是要战略规划学校的办学定位、特色和目标。同时,规划的实施要强调监控并要与高校职能协调统一。     

加强高校预算管理的思考

预算管理是高校财务管理的核心,加强高校预算管理,能促进高校事业计划顺利完成,有效提高各项资金的使用效益。本文通过对高校预算管理的内容、特点及不足的分析,提出了加强高校预算管理的对策。     

对高师模拟课堂的几点思考

“模拟课堂”作为提高师范生执教能力的有效途径之一,目前在诸多高等师范院校及相关专业中被广泛采用。本文在充分肯定模拟课堂的前提下,就高师模拟课堂存在的有关问题进行了论述。