... And Peace

In today's world, international politics is still shaped by masculine attitudes: dominance is prized above mediation, human rights count for...

In today's world, international politics is still shaped by masculine attitudes: dominance is prized above mediation, human rights count for less than power interests, disarmament and climate justice are mocked as unrealistic, out-of-touch utopias, and health is the privilege of those living in rich countries. Kristina Lunz, co-founder of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy, is a courageous advocate of a feminist, justice-oriented foreign policy. She shows us how we can build a peaceful, fair and secure world.

Fifty years of German and global history... Now, Jürgen Chrobog has written an account of his 'life in politics' -...

Fifty years of German and global history... Now, Jürgen Chrobog has written an account of his 'life in politics' - from Brussels, Bonn, Singapore, Berlin and Washington to trips halfway round the world - using both a personal perspective and the sober, analytical eye of an observer and insider. Beyond the biographical, Chrobog provides insights into the variety of roles within the diplomatic service, offers pen-portraits of his mentors and superiors, and explores a sweep of history - from the post-war policy of détente to German reunification and the global political fault lines of the early 21st century.

The thoughts and confessions of an uncompromising author, who fought his entire life against war and militarism and for humanity...

The thoughts and confessions of an uncompromising author, who fought his entire life against war and militarism and for humanity and altruism. This volume's texts, interviews, work notes, reviews and political essays provide a comprehensive insight into Remarque's thinking while also mirroring the history of the century. "I'd always thought that everyone was against war, until I discovered some are for it - especially those who don't have to go [to war]." (E.M. Remarque)

Margot Käßmann and Konstantin Wecker are convinced that the idea of being able to stop armed violence with arms is...

Margot Käßmann and Konstantin Wecker are convinced that the idea of being able to stop armed violence with arms is a dangerous illusion. In this book, they make an important contribution to current debates, staunchly rejecting high levels of arms and arms deliveries, and declaring: 'No one can take away our faith in the power of pacifism!' Alongside their own extensive thoughts on the topics of war and peace, the theologian and songwriter have gathered texts from various pacifist traditions that illustrate the power of non-violent action.

In 1798, Immanuel Kant defined anarchy as 'law and freedom without force'. At first, this idea seems to have little...

In 1798, Immanuel Kant defined anarchy as 'law and freedom without force'. At first, this idea seems to have little to do with the world in which we live, but it has enjoyed the support of many who voted with their feet: with remarkable frequency down the ages, they have chosen to reject a life under the rule of others. Thomas Wagner's radical revisioning of the history of democracy follows these feet down the many paths they have taken. Until well into the modern age, a substantial portion of humanity lived in stateless societies because they wished to escape the control of rulers. Tales of the free lives of 'noble savages', 'Amazons', buccaneers and Bedouins have also stimulated the political imaginations of those forced to continue living in bondage all around the world. The idea of political freedom definitely didn't originate solely in Europe, and Fleeing to Freedom makes this the starting point for an urgent decolonisation of political thought. It is an invitation to pick up this fascinating trail and to follow it further.

23 distinguished authors examine the wide-ranging topic of population flight. Their analysis is sharp, with clear statements and concrete pronouncements....

23 distinguished authors examine the wide-ranging topic of population flight. Their analysis is sharp, with clear statements and concrete pronouncements. They also draw conclusions from the Ukraine War. The book is a political plea: it provides orientation for politicians, civil society and engaged individuals - for all those needing an impetus to do what needs to be done.

This book offers an insightful analysis of the emerging refugee and mixed migration crisis in the context of four major...

This book offers an insightful analysis of the emerging refugee and mixed migration crisis in the context of four major current migration flows: two in Western and Eastern Europe and one in Central America and Asia respectively. This analysis is followed by an astute identification of key issues and the presentation of a series of proposed policy responses. The discussion is subsequently placed in a global framework and linked to the recently launched United Nations initiative to adopt global compacts for refugees and migrants. 

Human rights are one of the undisputed pillars of liberal democracies. That all human beings are 'born free and equal...

Human rights are one of the undisputed pillars of liberal democracies. That all human beings are 'born free and equal in dignity and rights' seems self-evident to us. But in his history of human rights, Stefan-Ludwig Hoffmann shows just how recent this view is.  The belief in the universality of human rights, Hoffmann argues, is itself historical, arising from the social and political conflicts of the past few centuries: colonialism and imperial world domination; the rise of the nation state and a world of independent states; globalisation and new inequalities. Only in retrospect is it clear that human rights were often used to negotiate completely contradictory things at different historical moments. In this brilliant study, Hoffmann traces the tensions that formed part of their development and poses an uncomfortable question: is the human rights idealism of the late 20th century now coming to an end?

In the multi-faceted world of anarchism, non-violent anarchism and anarchist pacifism have always played a role. But what makes this...

In the multi-faceted world of anarchism, non-violent anarchism and anarchist pacifism have always played a role. But what makes this particular strain of anarchism distinctive? What are the foundations of non-violent anarchist theory? These questions are explored in depth in this illustrated introductory text, along with many other aspects of non-violent anarchism and anarchist pacifism. Its scope is wide-ranging: from theory to practice, from past to present and from biographical observation to the history of the movement - providing a comprehensive picture and coherent analysis of this particular form of anarchism.

On the hunt for global connections, causes and mechanisms: this book's focus is on the unequal distribution of income, wealth...

On the hunt for global connections, causes and mechanisms: this book's focus is on the unequal distribution of income, wealth and life chances around the globe. Contributions address the historical and contemporary effects of colonialism and racism, the global political economy, financial market capitalism, the international division of labour and ecological inequality. Case studies are used to illustrate the complex subject matter. Inequality is most evident within society, communities, the places where we live. But in many ways we ourselves partake in the global processes that create or reinforce local inequalities. The financial and real estate markets, labour relations and the consumption of resources all have local and national traits, but are characterised by global linkages and causal connections. This textbook traces these connections. 

Good preparation is the key to successful campaigns for social justice. This handbook gathers together experiences from non-violent campaigns in...

Good preparation is the key to successful campaigns for social justice. This handbook gathers together experiences from non-violent campaigns in different social contexts and countries around the world. While there is no single guaranteed recipe for the success of non-violent actions and campaigns, this handbook offers many helpful practical tips that activists can use to build their own campaign. 50 authors from the War Resisters' International (WRI) antimilitarist network contributed to the making of this handbook.

Handbook Against War is not a 'guide' to the everyday global murder and slaughter taking place in our fields and...

Handbook Against War is not a 'guide' to the everyday global murder and slaughter taking place in our fields and cities. War can't be reduced to simple answers. In her thinking and writing, Marlene Streeruwitz has constantly interrogated the line between patriarchy and psychosis, the private and political, losing and winning, past and present, war and peace. Handbooks typically treat a field of knowledge in a systematic way, but Handbook Against War moves far beyond that approach. Because war is constant, Streeruwitz argues, we know nothing of peace. This book shows how peace must become our model for living, how war is the opposite of life and democracy, and the steps we must take for peace. Handbook Against War is a brightly illuminated snapshot of our present reality.

Who were the German army deserters? Were they heroes or cowards? Did they contribute to resistance against National Socialism and...

Who were the German army deserters? Were they heroes or cowards? Did they contribute to resistance against National Socialism and put down a marker against the war? How were they perceived by their comrades, by their superiors and by the Wehrmacht lawyers sitting in judgement upon them? To answer these questions, Stefan Kurt Treiber examined several thousand Wehrmacht files, stretching from the 1941 campaign against the Soviet Union to the end of the Second World War. He thereby created a unique social profile of almost 1,000 deserters, which he uses in this study to analyse the biographies of the deserters, and to explore the circumstances of their flight, their motivations and their chances of survival.

Down with profit and hypocrisy! Up with help that really helps! Someone is begging on the street: should you give them...

Down with profit and hypocrisy! Up with help that really helps! Someone is begging on the street: should you give them money or not? Helping out in this way is always double-edged: you give help in the short term and have a clear conscience, but change nothing in the long run. In this book, Thomas Gebauer and Ilija Trojanow scrutinise the many facets of charity, from the actions of the super-rich and state to the work of local initiatives. Based on concrete examples from all around the world, as detailed in reports from Sierra Leone, Pakistan and Guatemala, among others, the authors think through the entire system of giving aid, and show what works and what does not. Because what's needed is a critical concept of aid that encourages self-help but also makes fundamental change possible.

The global bestseller of anti-war literature and the source text for the Oscar-winning Netflix film adaptation. The most important German...

The global bestseller of anti-war literature and the source text for the Oscar-winning Netflix film adaptation. The most important German novel about the First World War, presented here with a history of the text's creation and reception, and an afterword by Remarque expert Thomas F. Schneider. Erich Maria Remarque created a timeless depiction of the horrors of modern war and achieved worldwide fame with this novel. It tells the story of nineteen-year-old Paul Bäumer, who goes straight from the classroom to the frontline as an unsuspecting war volunteer. The way in which Bäumer is shown experiencing the full brutality of slaughter and the senseless deaths of his comrades - a far cry from the brief, exciting war adventure he was hoping for - is moving and shocking.

This book remembers the German conscientious objectors of the Second World War, most of whom were executed by the military...

This book remembers the German conscientious objectors of the Second World War, most of whom were executed by the military justice system, and asks: what prompted these largely ordinary people to remain true to their conscience on religious grounds? What exactly motivated Franz Jägerstätter, Wilhelm Kempa and Hermann Stöhr to refuse to follow Hitler and to choose death over killing others in criminal wars? These are shocking testimonies of courage, integrity, trust in God and adherence to fundamental Christian values. All were abandoned by the major German churches, which preached a 'just war' and obedience to the authorities. Alongside well-known materials, other documents such as letters, photographs and personal testimonies are published here for the first time. There is also a chapter on the mechanisms and criminal actions of the Wehrmacht's justice system. In addition, the book traces the ways in which, after having been forgotten for so long, those who were discriminated against and ostracised as 'shirkers', 'cowards' and 'subverters of the war effort' have now become role models, with many regarded as martyrs by their churches. A book that counters still widespread prejudices.

Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the best-known and most successful novels of the...

Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front is one of the best-known and most successful novels of the 20th century. Beyond literature, Remarque was a drinker and lover of women. Twice married to dancer Ilse Jutta Zambona, his affairs included Marlene Dietrich, the 'divine' Greta Garbo and Tsar's niece Natasha Paley. And finally there was Paulette Goddard, whom he got to know while she was with Charlie Chaplin, and with whom he shared a liberating, happy time.

This is a fascinating portrait of Remarque - and an extraordinary tribute, one hundred years on from the First World War he so hauntingly described.

This book mediates between postcolonial positions that criticize Marxist approaches (and Marx's writings) for their Eurocentrism, and defenders of Marx...

This book mediates between postcolonial positions that criticize Marxist approaches (and Marx's writings) for their Eurocentrism, and defenders of Marx who claim that this accusation is a myth. In a set of contributions to this volume, Kolja Lindner pleads for a differentiated assessment of the whole of Marx's work, including less well-known manuscripts, and a theoretical reconstruction of various elements that are the focus of postcolonial critique: ethnocentrism, Orientalism, false universalism and the oblivion of modernity's global entanglement. Against this background, two opportunities simultaneously arise: Marx's Eurocentrism can be deconstructed, and his growing awareness of global developments and cosmopolitan struggles established.