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Der Beitrag hat die 1925/26 gegründete christlich-demokratische Internationale S. I. P. D. I. C. bis zu ihrer Auflösung 1932 zum Thema. Im ersten Teil werden Vorgeschichte, Struktur, sowie die einzelnen jährlich stattfindenden Arbeitstreffen detailliert beschrieben; im zweiten Teil geht der Autor auf konkrete Inhalte und Ziele dieser Christlich-demokratischen Internationale und ihre Bedeutung ein. Da sich aber im Gründungsstatut die Mitglieder darauf festgelegten, keinerlei Öffentlichkeitsarbeit zu betreiben, hing die Bedeutung dieser Treffen einzig und allein davon ab, inwieweit die einzelnen Delegationsmitglieder selbst die Informationen an ihre Mitgliedspartei weitergaben. Dieser Kreis lieferte "Katholiken, die einer gemeinsamen Sache zu dienen hatten, die Gelegenheit sich zu treffen, um miteinander zu reden". So hatten die Aktivitäten des S.I.P.D.I.C. denn auch keinerlei nachweisbaren politischen Einfluß. (BL)

A review article on 13 books that deal with environmental issues in international relations notes the use of different approaches. The essays in the volume edited by Karen Litfin explore the relationship between sovereignty & ecology to challenge the position that the two are irreconcilable. The collection edited by Young also reflects the regime-oriented approach to international organization, with the contributors exploring the environmental experience in terms of its broader implications for regimes & governance. Elliott's survey of global politics expands upon the global governance theme by looking at issues of structures, frameworks, & world orders. Kuetting's book goes in a different direction by faulting the discipline for failing to address the complex social origins of environmental destruction, resulting in an overemphasis on institutional developments that "externalizes" environmental problems. Weiss & Jacobson's book highlights compliance by eight different nations & the European Union with five international environmental treaties, while the eclectic survey of 10 developing countries edited by Desai offers a useful look at common themes & varied patterns of environmental problems/policies. Maguire & Rasmussen's consideration of environmental protection & population control examines factors like culture, religion, & ethics that are not usually addressed in international relations texts. The collection edited by McGinnis combines natural & social scientific concerns to explore the origins & politics of the organic phenomenon of "bioregionalism." The book by Schaeffer focuses on the consequences of the global emphasis on economics, while Jameson & Masao consider globalization as a philosophical issue, especially in terms of the social implications of large-scale environmental issues. Another dimension, security, is addressed in Homer-Dixon's comprehensive overview of the indirect link between violent conflict & the complex sociopolitical economic relationships associated with environmental stress. Renner's treatment of security centers on its "transformation" by social, environmental, & economic stresses, as well as the dual roles of both "home" & "provider" played by the environment. Hayward's contribution assesses the difficulties involved in bringing ecological concern into political theory, & explores the anthropocentric/ecocentric divide that separates humanity from nature, & nature from politics. 6 References. J. Lindroth

"Can international institutions help create more cooperative and peaceful relations between states? If so, how? And what motivates states to create meaningful institutions in the first place? Though theorists and researchers have approached these questions from different schools of thought, the commonality among them is that institutions are apolitical and their purpose is to assure common gains or develop shared social norms and identities. Institutions succeed if they rise above petty power politics and fail when they succumb to political confrontations. In this book, Erik Voeten offers a new broader understanding of international institutions. Current theories offer conflicting portraits of why IOs form, why the succeed (or not) and their role in current politics. While international institutions can enhance the welfare of participants, they are simultaneously the structural means through which actors try to get what they want, often at the expense of others. Voeten argues that these distributive politics shape institutions and, in turn, institutions shape the conduct of such politics. The book will largely be theoretical, as its purpose is to illustrate an alternative way of understanding institutions rather than to test a specific hypothesis. After developing what the distributive theory of international institutions is, Voeten examines how this theory bears on other understandings of international institutions on a variety of scholarly perspectives, drawing on the extensive work in this area"--