Religious Liberty


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The Geopolitics of Culture


Book Description

Through the lens of James Billington and the institution he led as Librarian of Congress during a key period of US-Russian relations, The Geopolitics of Culture examines culture as a neglected area of US foreign policy. Billington advised presidents and members of Congress and mobilized the resources of the Library of Congress to promote reform in Russia. He believed that rather than preaching to the Russians, the United States should expose the rising generation of Russian leaders to what was best in America and encourage them to rediscover positive elements in pre-Bolshevik Russian culture. The Geopolitics of Culture is the first book to chronicle Billington's influence on US engagement with Russia as it transitioned from communism to democracy under Gorbachev and Yeltsin and back to authoritarianism under Yeltsin and Putin. Drawing on published and archival sources (including recently released papers) and interviews with current and retired Library of Congress staff members, John Van Oudenaren casts new light on this era. Billington's efforts led to a remarkable degree of cooperation between the Library of Congress and Russian cultural and political institutions. Yet these efforts ultimately failed as Putin turned back toward authoritarianism. The experience of the Library of Congress during this period nonetheless holds important lessons for today. Billington believed that a transition to democracy in Russia was essential if the United States was to head off the geopolitical nightmare of a Eurasia dominated by an alliance of hostile authoritarian powers. The "geopolitics of culture" thus remains a challenge for US foreign policy.




Religious Liberty


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Chercheurs de Dieux Dans L'espace Public


Book Description

Originale, insolite, renaissante, l'action religieuse émergente bouscule les habitudes, ébranle les certitudes, construit ici, maintenant, l'autre monde. Peut-on courir le risque ? Voilà que la question se pose et se résout en rumeurs publiques, poursuites judiciaires et tensions scolaires, lesquelles mettent à nu des mécanismes inédits d'institutionnalisation de l'expérience religieuse en modernité groupes tactiques d'intervention, cellules gouvernementales de crise, commissions parlementaires, cercles technocratiques précurseurs d'une ingénierie pluraliste. Sur fond de traditions religieuses, nationales ou républicaines, avec la perspective de la menace sectaire, s'esquisse sous nos yeux un religieux correct, acceptable. Comment est-il possible aujourd'hui d'inscrire l'exceptionnel, l'originel, le merveilleux, le transcendant religieux dans le quotidienne ? Et dans quelle mesure, paradoxalement, les gestionnaires de dieux ne repoussent-ils pas toujours plus loin la frontière religieuse ? -- By their nature, emerging religions explore unfamiliar territory and probe unchartered regions of human creativity. For these same reasons, religious transactions that venture beyond the boundaries of traditional religious frontiers often rouse suspicion, anxiety or even fear among the general population. As new religious movements seek to carve out their own niche in society, public controversy and opposing beliefs can spark bitter debates, and can even lead to calls for state intervention. How then do new or borderline religious groups negotiate or mediate the building of public space? What impact can the media have on new religions? How does the law withstand the "creative destruction" of religious innovation? In this provocative collection of essays, twelve experienced specialists break new ground in the sociological study of religion. Publié en français




Religious Liberty


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Intelligence-Led Policing


Book Description

What is intelligence-led policing? Who came up with the idea? Where did it come from? How does it relate to other policing paradigms? What distinguishes an intelligence-led approach to crime reduction? How is it designed to have an impact on crime? Does it prevent crime? What is crime disruption? Is intelligence-led policing just for the police? These are questions asked by many police professionals, including senior officers, analysts and operational staff. Similar questions are also posed by students of policing who have witnessed the rapid emergence of intelligence-led policing from its British origins to a worldwide movement. These questions are also relevant to crime prevention practitioners and policymakers seeking long-term crime benefits. The answers to these questions are the subject of this book. This book brings the concepts, processes and practice of intelligence-led policing into focus, so that students, practitioners and scholars of policing, criminal intelligence and crime analysis can better understand the evolving theoretical and empirical dynamics of this rapidly growing paradigm. The first book of its kind, enhanced by viewpoint contributions from intelligence experts and case studies of police operations, provides a much-needed and timely in-depth synopsis of this emerging movement in a practical and accessible style.







Promoting and Protecting Minority Rights


Book Description

"The present guide offers information related to norms and mechanisms developed to protect the rights of persons belonging to national, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities. It includes detailed information about procedures and forums in which minority issues may be raised to minorities and by also covering selected specialized agencies and regional mechanisms, the present Guide complements information contained in Working with the United Nations Human Rights Programme: A Handbook for Civil Society"--Introduction.




Toolkit to Combat Trafficking in Persons


Book Description

In the light of the urgent need for cooperative and collaborative action against trafficking, this publication presents examples of promising practice from around the world relating to trafficking interventions. It is hoped that the guidance offered, the practices showcased and the resources recommended in this Toolkit will inspire and assist policymakers, law enforcers, judges, prosecutors, victim service providers and members of civil society in playing their role in the global effort against trafficking in persons. The present edition is an updated and expanded version of the Toolkit published in 2006.