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This book is an open access book. Many scholars have wondered if a non-Western theory of international politics founded on different premises, be it from Asia or from the "Global South," could release international relations from the grip of a Western, "Westphalian" model. This book argues that a Buddhist approach to international relations could provide a genuine alternative. Because of its distinctive philosophical positions and its unique understanding of reality, human nature and political behavior, a Buddhist theory of IR offers a way out of this dilemma, a means for transcending the Westphalian predicament. The author explains this Buddhist IR model, beginning with its philosophical foundations up through its ideas about politics, economics and statecraft.

Worldwide, 59.5 million people were displaced in 2014, 51 % of which were children under the age of 18. Officially, 34,400 asylum applications were submitted by unaccompanied minors. Due to their particular vulnerability, they pose a particular challenge for their host societies. The study describes the phenomenon of unaccompanied minors and compares the international, European and national standards of protection with the current situation and the legal practice in Austria, Canada, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United States. In addition to the overall situation, the following topics are analysed: the application of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, special treatment as a minor, age determination, guardianship, residences status, asylum procedure, accommodation, youth services, livelihood support benefits, medical treatment, schooling, work permit and changes in the protection status when coming of age. Recent developments are identified, and conclusions are drawn regarding further improvements. The study makes an important contribution to highlighting the particular vulnerability of unaccompanied minors even in the face of the enormous challenges which the current refugee situation brings with it.

This exciting book provides an illuminating account of contemporary globalization that is grounded in actual transformations in the areas of production and the workplace. It reveals the social and political contests that give 'global' its meaning, by examining the contested nature of globalization as it is expressed in the restructuring of work. Rejecting conventional explanations of globalization as a process that automatically leads to transformations in working lives, or as a project that is strategically designed to bring about lean and flexible forms of production, this book advances an understanding of the social practices that constitute global change. Through case studies that span from the labour flexibility debates in Britain and Germany, to the strategies and tactics of corporations and workers, the author examines how globalization is interpreted and experienced in everyday life. Contestation, she argues, is about more than just direct protests and resistances. It has become a central feature of the practices that enable or confound global restructuring. This book offers students and scholars of international political economy, sociology and industrial relations an innovative framework for the analysis of globalisation and the restructuring of work.

THE CREATION OF CLOSED-END COUNTRY FUNDS HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT STEP IN EXTENDING THE GLOBALIZATION OF FINANCE TO DEVELOPING REGIONS. THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES THREE INSTANCES OF CLOSED-END FUND CREATION AND ARGUES THAT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS (IFIS) HAVE BEEN NECESSARY FOR THE EVOLUTION OF THE CLOSED-END FUNDS INDUSTRY IN AFRICA. IFIS PROVIDE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT MONEYS; THEY REDUCE TRANSACTION COSTS, PROVIDE INFORMATION AND PROMOTE PRODUCTS THAT ALLOW STATES, FIRMS AND INVESTORS TO BENEFIT. EVENTUALLY, IF IFIS CAN DEMONSTRATE THE BENEFITS OF INVESTMENT, THE NETWORKS THEY FOSTER CAN MAKE OTHER PRIVATE CAPITAL MARKET ACTIVITIES EXCLUSIVE OF A PARTICULAR IFI POSSIBLE. THE ARTICLE SPECIFICALLY CONSIDERS TWO CORPORATIONS AND COMPARES THESE EXAMPLES WITH ONE WHERE AN IFI WAS NOT INVOLVED. TAKEN TOGETHER, THE EXAMPLES CONCEPTUALIZE IFIS AS GO-BETWEENS AMONG STATE AND NON-STATE ACTORS WHICH CAN FACILITATE SOLUTIONS TO ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL MARKET FAILURE IN THE CONTEMPORARY ERA OF GLOBAL GOVERNANCE.