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The impact of the 1968 events on the FRG's Ostpolitik and its reception in Poland may be considered in the short and the long term. What the article takes into consideration are the short-term effects of this political approach, observed in the years 1968–1969.Writing about the events of 1968, the author dwells on March 1968 in Poland, or more precisely, on those of its aspects which were related to the formation and implementation of the state's policy, namely, the turbulence in ruling circles, the replacing of the people who occupied the high-ranking posts and the staffing changes in Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Nevertheless, from the point of view of the creators of Germany's Eastern politics, what was fundamental was the intervention of the Warsaw Treaty armies in Czechoslovakia. The rebellion among the youth was of lesser importance to the current politics at the time. Its consequences were felt mostly in the succeeding years and were related, i.a., to public opinion in the FRG and its attitude toward the forms and extent of normalising relations with the countries of East Europe, including Poland.After 1968, in the case of the FRG, the mode of implementation of its Eastern politics was modified. It was concluded that it is the Soviet Union which must be the main partner in any talks (though it was the most important interlocutor anyway, albeit attempts were also made to hold autonomous talks with the satellite countries) and that attention must be paid to avoiding the impression that for Bonn, Ostpolitik is just an instrument to help loosen intra-block dependencies.For Poland, the events of 1968 implied a reduced field of manoeuvre, not so much because not only in Bonn, but also in other Western capitals, it was formally acknowledged that the priority lies with Moscow, but also because of diplomatic practice. Warsaw did not, however, intend to give up the right to pursue its interests, tangible evidence of which was provided by the diplomatic activity of 1969, manifest both by a turn in its policy toward Germany, and by undertaking efforts to sell its own vision of the European Conference.

ambién nos contaron que habían encontrado gentes nacidas en tierras lejanas y queaunque hablaban en otras lenguas o con otro modo eran como hermanos, pues teníansentimientos nobles y estaban dispuestos a darnos apoyo y acompañarnos … Asísurgieron los lazos de lucha que hermanan y fortalecen, supimos de los acompañantesy aprendimos que la solidaridad es una fuerza que acerca a las gentes, acorta distanciasy permite compartir penas, esfuerzos, logros, sueños y esperanzas…« Sentires», fragmento de relato inédito de Mario Domínguez

RESUMEN
A partir de una etnografía reflexiva, se prioriza sobre una participación política que ha trascendido hasta hoy por la organización y resistencia durante el conflicto armado interno de Guatemala. Es el caso de personas originarias de las Comunidades de Población en Resistencia, CPR, del Ixcán que han intervenido activamente en los procesos políticos de su municipio, debido en parte a una nueva identidad que emergió y creció con el lema «Resistencia para Avanzar». Apostaron por la organización y por una política activa que, con los Acuerdos de Paz y con proyectos estratégicos de descentralización política, participan en alcaldías municipales apoyándose en las experiencias de organización comunitaria aprendidas durante el conflicto armado interno. Así surgió una nueva cultura política que desde las masacres crea esperanza al pueblo indígena y a la sociedad.

ABSTRACT
On the basis of reflexive ethnography, the author focuses on the political participation that has taken place to date as a result of the organization and resistance during the internal armed conflict in Guatemala. This is the case of the people from the Ixcán CPRs who have actively intervened in the political processes in their municipality, partly due to their new identity that emerged and expanded as a result of the motto, «Progress through Resistance». They committed themselves to organization and active politics. As a result of the Peace Agreements and through the strategic projects of political decentralization, they participated in municipal town councils, using their experience in community organization from the internal armed conflict. And so a new political culture arose as result of the massacres, creating hope for indigenous people and society.

This paper highlights the levels of commitment, purposefulness, transparency, efficiency, effective administration and good governance in the delivery of Health Care Services observed and experienced at the largest ever gathering of humans (30 million people on 24th January 2001 on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya) at one single place of a 3000 acre temporary township since the inception of Human race on our planet Earth. This occasion was KUMBH MELA in the year 2001 wherein 70 million people congregated over a period of few weeks. During this Allahabad (the city where Kumbh was organized) turned into the most densely populated city in the world. (For detailed description of KUMBH and the legend behind please refer to supplementary notes at the end of the paper titled KUMBH MELA a story). The paper tries to analyse the factors behind the successful administration and management of the Health Care Services provided during this period. Though the author himself closely observed the situation by staying there at the location and throughout otherwise wherein he could find the methodology, but answers to few questions still remain to be debated and analysed and one of the major question is that what propels people to manage and execute tasks so precisely despite of the magnitude and high constraints associated with such tasks? The felt and understood answer is 'Motivation absorbs Magnitude' but the question is How one gets so much motivated? For example, Dr. G.R.Sharma, Additional Director of Medical and Health Care Services of the Allahabad Region who headed the team of Health Care Services at the time of this unheard congregation of Human Beings on this Earth had to retire from his services just after this occasion and serving the State Medical and Health Care Services for 30 odd years as a Medical Doctor and an Administrator, he very well understood the nuances of taking such a task at hand. Taking responsibilities and then accomplishing those has a passage of extreme concentration, commitment and conviction in between.

- In response to a concern that the impact of the Holocaust will not be recognized by psychotherapists treating survivors, several psychoanalysts who were refugees from Nazi Germany devoted a great deal of time and effort to detailing the psychopathological consequences of the Holocaust trauma. Considering the magnitude of the trauma, it was not difficult to find evidence of psychopathology. However, because of their almost exclusive emphasis on psychopathology, most of these researchers failed to recognize the particular manner in which survivors mourned their enormous losses and made an effort to integrate their painful memories into the rest of their personality. This meant the loss of an opportunity to learn about the process of recovery following severe traumatization. The paper also described a hypothesis regarding the psychological mechanisms involved in adaptations to extreme conditions. From the author's point of view, this constituted a link in the survivors' effort to establish psychic continuity between their pre-Holocaust psychological organization and adaptations to a new life. Unlike her colleagues, the author believes that integration of traumatic memories was possible as long as the survivors encountered an empathic listening perspective and their effort to recover was validated. Survivors of trauma have every reason to expect that their stories will evoke fear, confusion, horror and disbelief and that therapists will protect themselves from these affects by resorting to generalizations or praise for the survivor's heroism or special qualities. Such responses however make it impossible for survivors to proceed, and the affects associated with the traumatic memory may never, or only partially, enter the therapeutic dialogue. Once recovered and articulated, the memories are accompanied by grief and anger, indicating that an increase in self-cohesion, a healing of the vertical split, has allowed the previously feared affects to enter consciousness. From the author's viewpoint, feeling anger is an expectable and healthy response in this context. Justified anger is not to be confused with chronic narcissistic rage, which can constitute the nucleus of severe personality disorders.Key words: Holocaust, trauma, traumatic memories, adaptation, integration, empathic listening.Parole chiave: Olocausto, trauma, ricordi traumatici, adattamento, integrazione, ascolto empatico.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to devise, test, and refine a method suitable for providing effective feedback for second language university students learning to write academic and business English.Design/methodology/approachThe research takes the form of a case study using real learners in a Middle Eastern university who are provided with feedback slips which has been specifically designed to cover actual learning objectives along with standard features that remain common across all writing. The feedback slips are attached to assignments, marked using international symbols to highlight errors, for return to students. Following the use of such specifically designed feedback slips throughout the semester, students are invited to participate in the research activity to provide comments as to their effectiveness.FindingsThe paper led to a finding that not only are the feedback slips welcomed but also they are appreciated by all 15 students who participated as volunteers because they have found them to add value to their learning.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is limited by its small sample group and the fact that it is carried out in only one Middle Eastern university where the students are under pressure not only from overcrowded classrooms, but also to complete degrees in the same time frame as native English speaking students. The paper can be extended to include students in other universities with similar issues. It can even be extended beyond the Middle East and not necessarily only in universities where overcrowding pressures exist, i.e. it can include postgraduate students, high‐school students, and even native English learners of composition who might benefit from this particular feedback system.Practical implicationsConsidering student views, it is suggested that specifically designed feedback slips would provide a welcome addition to the repertoire of feedback options that are available to instructors.Originality/valueThis is an original initiative by the author which has been proven useful according to the end‐users, i.e. students. It can therefore be of value to instructors who would wish to explore ways to assist aid their own students so that they can make the most of their limited study time by being directed to specific areas for personal development.

Background  The supports paradigm has shifted focus from assessing competence and deficits among people with disabilities to identifying supports needed to live meaningful and productive lives in inclusive settings. Consequently, a rigorous and robust system is required that is capable of accurately determining the type and intensity of support needed and of allocating resources accordingly. The aim of the present study was to develop such a system to identify and classify support needs of people with disabilities based on the conceptual framework of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) [WHO, The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), Author, Geneva, 2001], and the supports concept [Mental Retardation: Definition, Classification and Systems of Support, 9th edn (1992), 10th edn (2002), American Association on Mental Retardation, Washington, DC).Method  A total of 1012 individuals with disabilities who were supported by accommodation and day programme organizations across the eastern states of Australia were assessed. The instrument was used in a team setting involving the person, their family and friends and staff as appropriate. Version 1 was administered with 595 people with disability. This version was refined according to qualitative and quantitative analyses. Another 342 individuals were assessed using Version 2, resulting in a combined data set for 936 individuals. Version 3 was then trialled with a further 76 individuals with disabilities.Results  Ten domain scales in Health and Well Being (HWB) and Activities and Participation (A&P) were explored and refined. The scales effectively discriminated a range of intensities of support for people with various disabilities, with the highest support needs generally recorded by individuals with multiple disabilities who were ageing. The instrument can be used to develop a profile of needed supports across the domain scales. These measure current and predicted support needs, and contribute to future planning. The team approach proved beneficial in this regard.Conclusions  The I‐CAN is a useful instrument for effectively assessing the support needs of people with a disability using a person centred approach. It is effective in identifying support needs across health and well‐being areas, and activities of daily living.

Med udgangspunkt i nyere diskussioner om kvalitativ metode, intersektionalitet og metodeproblemer som datakilde analyserer artiklen de problemer i form af modstand og undvigen, forfatteren har mødt under udarbejdelsen af sin ph.d. afhandling blandt marginaliserede unge mænd med indvandrerbaggrund. Det vises, at de unge mænd gør modstand mod den objektivering, der kan ligge i det sociologiske blik, og at feltrelationerne får en etnisk/racial gennemfarvning, således at det som undviges især er en etnisk/racial forskellighedslogik. De unge antager, at forskningsinteressen drejer sig om kriminalitet og gør følgelig modstand mod det kriminaliserende blik. De påberåber sig normalitet, ligesom de ironiserer over stereotype forestillinger om kriminelle unge indvandrermænd. Modstanden viser noget om de unge mænds forhold til voksne hvide autoriteter og noget om de komplekse identiteter, som produceres blandt de unge. Således problematiserer analysen den teoretiske udlægning, at de unge mænd internaliserer stereotype forestillinger om dem selv.

ENGELSK ABSTRACT:
Sune Qvotrup Jensen: ''Is There Something Special about Bands?'' On Resistance, Otherness and Positions in a Socio-logical Fieldwork

The author addresses the problems of resistance and avoidance encountered in the empirical part of his PhD. project among marginalized young men with immigrant background. This is done through a discussion of qualitative methods, intersectionality and methodological problems as a source of data. The young men resist being seen as objects in the sociological gaze, and the field relations become cast as ethnic and racial, so that what is resisted is in particular a logic of ethnic and racial difference. The young men assume that the researcher is interested in criminal matters, and resist the criminalizing gaze. They claim normality, just as they use irony when playing with the stereotype imaginary of young criminal immigrant men. The resistance casts light on the relation between the young men and adult white authorities. It also illustrates the complex identities constructed by the young people. The article questions the theoretical idea that these young men internalize stereotypical understandings of themselves.

Key words: Qualitative method, intersectionality, field relations, field work, resistance, methodical problems.

SUMMARY:
"Moshko the Imperial" is a chapter from the book Lenin's Jews (forthcoming from Yale University Press). The book discusses urban culture in the towns where Moshko Blank lived in the first half of the nineteenth century (ch. 1, "From Nowhere to Zhitomir"); contextualizes Lenin's attitude to Jews in his milieu and his conceptualization of Jews in general and in the Russian Empire in particular (ch. 3, "Lenin, Power, and Jews"); reconstructs consistent attempts of the Bolsheviks to suppress any mention of Lenin's Jewish roots in the Soviet historical discourse (ch. 4, "Glue for the Vertebrae"); and sheds light on the questions of the Judaization of Lenin and the Bolsheviks in the writings of the Russian far right (ch. 5, "How Lenin Became Blank"). The second chapter of the book, "Moshko the Imperial," offered to the readers of Ab Imperio in the authorized translation, utilizes the existing narratives about Lenin's maternal grandfather from Starokonstantinov and introduces a number of recently uncovered primary documents. It seeks to contextualize Moshko Blank against the broad backdrop of contemporary political, cultural, and ideological trends among East European Jews. Moshko is portrayed as an ingratiating individual who hated his brethren and a Jew in himself and who achieved notoriety among Russian administration as the author of claims, appeals, protests, and denunciations. A master of denunciations, Moshko bowed down before imperial power: the Russian imperial authorities, the Russian Orthodox Church, and Russian state symbols were his utmost values. As a close analysis of his letters to Tsar Nicholas I has proved, Moshko was neither a harbinger of Jewish religious reform nor a champion of the Haskalah. He planned to uproot Judaism, not to modify it. Ultimately, he should be placed among other Jewish informers of his time – individuals who sought to solve their personal financial or social problems, to be remunerated by the administration, or to achieve upward mobility by denouncing the Jews to the Russian authorities. "Moshko the Imperial" tells the story of the romance of Moshko Blank with the Russian imperial "vertical of power," a romance that had both a happy and unsettling end.

Abstract: The Quelle case is not only a milestone in the protection of consumers through European Court of Justice (ECJ) case law in that it prohibits sellers to impose any cost on consumers in the context of the replacement of a defective good. It also poses to the German courts the challenge of interpreting the German Civil Code in the light of the ECJ judgment in a situation where it is clear from the documentation of the legislative process that the legislator intended the seller to have a claim for compensation for use, inconsistent with the Quelle judgment. The author argues in favour of the prevalence of interpretation in the light of the Consumer Sales Directive, since the wording of the relevant § 439 BGB is suffi ciently open and since the legislator did intend to implement this Directive correctly, although it misinterpreted its scope of application.
Résumé: L'affaire Quelle n'est pas seulement un jalon dans la protection des consommateurs par la jurisprudence de la CJCE dans le sens qu'elle interdit aux vendeurs d'imposer des couts aux consommateurs dans le cas du remplacement d'un bien defectueux. Elle confronte egalement les tribunaux allemands a l'interpretation du Code Civil allemand a la lumiere de l'arret de la CJCE dans un cas ou il est clair, au vu des travaux preparatoires, que le legislateur entendait attribuer au vendeur une action en reparation pour usage, action incoherente eu egard a l'arret Quelle. L'auteur plaide en faveur de la primaute de l'interpretation a la lumiere de la directive de vente aux consommateurs, etant donne d'une part que la formulation du paragraphe pertinent § 439 BGB est suffi samment ouverte et d'autre part que le legislateur entendait bien appliquer cette directive correctement, bien qu'il eut mal interprete son domaine d'application.
Zusammenfassung: Der Quelle–Fall ist nicht nur ein Meilenstein des Verbraucherschutzes durch den EuGH, in dem dieser es Verkaufern untersagt, Verbrauchern irgendwelche Kosten im Zusammenhang mit der Ersatzlieferung fur eine mangelhafte Ware aufzuerlegen. Er stellt gleichzeitig den deutschen Gerichten die Herausforderung, das BGB richtlinienkonform auszulegen, obwohl die Begrundung des Gesetzesvorschlags der Regierung eindeutig erkennen lasst, dass der Gesetzgeber dem Verkaufer in dieser Situation einen Anspruch auf Nutzungsersatz zuerkennen wollte, der mit dem Quelle–Urteil nicht zu vereinbaren ist. Der Autor spricht sich dennoch fur eine richtlinienkonforme Auslegung aus, weil der Wortlaut des hier masgeblichen § 439 BGB hinreichend offen ist und der Gesetzgeber beabsichtigte, die Richtlinie korrekt umzusetzen und lediglich deren Regelungsintensitat fehl interpretierte.

Although best known as a satirist of the classical Roman era, Lucian's (c120-200CE) Essays in Portraiture and Essays in Portraiture Defended provide considerable insight into the problematics of people knowing and defining objects (along with the consequential and related matter of people sharing their definitions of reality with others). Engaging notions of admiration, beauty, and character in these two statements, Lucian not only faces the task of establishing viable frames of reference for linguistically defining the essence of a woman deemed to be particularly beautiful and gracious but also assumes the challenge of defending one's preferred definitions of particular subject matters from others who do not share these views. Whereas Lucian uses the works of prominent sculptors, painters, poets, and philosophers as reference points in articulating beauty and grace, this paper also acknowledges the perils of people who sincerely express their viewpoints on others even when these descriptions of others are cast in clearly positive terms. Lucian may be a lesser-known classical Greek (Syrian) author, but he is an astute observer of human endeavor. Lucian's work on portraiture also has a striking cross-cultural and transhistorical relevance for a more enduring pragmatist emphasis on human knowing and acting. Not only is Lucian (a) explicitly attentive to the necessity of people establishing frames of reference for describing objects to others in meaningful terms, but he also overtly recognizes (b) the multiple viewpoints that people may invoke with respect to describing particular objects, (c) the resistances that people may encounter from others, and (d) the importance of speakers articulating the foundations for their claims amidst contested notions of reality. Approached from an interactionist perspective (Mead 1934; Blumer 1969; Strauss 1993; Prus 1996, 1997, 1999), wherein attention is given to the more general matters of people acquiring perspectives, defining objects, and sustaining particular notions of reality, this paper uses Lucian's materials on portraiture as a cross-cultural and transhistorical resource both for assessing (and qualifying) existing interactionist conceptualizations of human group life and for suggesting some more particular areas of inquiry to which contemporary scholars may attend.

SUMMARY:
Like many European countries Russia has experienced post-colonial processes of mass migration from the former borderlands of the USSR in the past 15–20 years. These processes gave rise to social tensions that were permeated by a distinct anti-immigrant attitude. This article attempts to find a general pattern in attitudes towards migrants and demonstrate the links between this pattern and the widespread mindset that shapes the perception of social reality in contemporary Russia. This article does not discuss migrants and their culture; it explores the image of migrants in political, administrative, and public discourse as well as in the discourse of the immigration experts. In particular, the author discusses in a critical light the dubious scholarly expertise that underpins anti-migrant legislation.

The article explores the process of racialization of the "Other" and the development of the local euphemisms "blacks" or "persons of Caucasian nationality." The image of this particular "Other" is tied to the concept of a distinct "national character" or "mentality," which in turn appears to be anchored in the concept of biological determination. This discourse hinges upon the ideological constructs that were elaborated by Soviet and post Soviet scholars and experts who introduced such operational categories as "local civilization," "ethnos," "superethnos," "ecology of culture," " passionarnost '," and "ethno-cultural portrait." On the other hand, this discourse includes relatively recent borrowings from Western racial discourses ("the threshold of tolerance," "archetype," "cultural distance"). The two traditions in combination constitute the intellectual landscape of contemporary Russia that is highly conducive to the rise of cultural racism. The phobia of migrants in present day Russia is also aimed at ethnic-Russian immigrants which makes it possible to rule out a connection between anti-immigrant sentiment and the discourse of ethnic nationalism. The key role in this new situation is played by culturally constructed oppositions, such as "local/non-local," and "indigenous/non-indigenous." These oppositions are actualized and should be understood in the context of claims of privileged social and political statuses, which is typical for the structure of imperial relations.

Straipsnyje, apžvelgus kai kuriuos bendruosius filosofijos ir politikos santykio klausimus, siekiama išaiškinti, kodėl Lietuvos politinio atgimimo laikotarpiu, 1988–1993 metais, jos filosofai, atstovavę disciplinai, laikytai sovietinės valdžios ideologine atrama, aktyviai įsitraukė į politinę veiklą, kurios tikslas buvo Lietuvos išlaisvinimas iš tos valdžios. Tuo tikslu analizuojama filosofijos padėtis okupuotoje Lietuvoje ir pirmiausia, Vilniaus universitete. Bandoma atsakyti į klausimą, kuo ji skyrėsi nuo filosofijos padėties kitose TSRS aukštosiose mokyklose. Nagrinėjami veiksniai, lėmę gan aukštą filosofų prestižą Lietuvoje, turėję įtakos jų įsitraukimui į politinius Atgimimo procesus ir aktyviam dalyvavimui valstybingumo atkūrime ir nepriklausomybės įtvirtinime. Glaustai aptariami kai kurie pastarųjų šešių dešimtmečių filosofijos raidos Lietuvoje periodizacijos aspektai. Pagrindiniai žodžiai: Lietuva, Atgimimas, filosofija, politika, marksizmas.Philosophy and Politics in the Epoch of RebirthEvaldas Nekrašas
SummaryAfter examining shortly some general issues concerning relation of philosophy to politics, the author of the article makes an attempt to answer the question why during the period of Lithuania's political rebirth, in the years 1988–1993, Lithuanian philosophers representing a discipline which in its Marxist form had been regarded as an ideological basis of the Soviet rule took a vigorous part in political activities aiming at liberation from that rule. With this aim in mind, analysis of the situation of philosophy in occupied Lithuania is presented. A special emphasis is put on the situation at Vilnius University. An attempt is being made to explain why and in which respect it was different from that at other universities in the Soviet Union. The factors that were responsible for a relatively high reputation of philosophers among Lithuanian reading public are examined. Exactly that high reputation and the developed sense of responsibility explains why philosophers were so eager to join the popular movement aiming at the liberation of Lithuania, were able to become its distinguished leaders and play a very important role in the political rebirth and the consolidation of the regained independence. Some issues related to the periodization of the development of Lithuanian philosophy during the last six decades are also put under scrutiny. Key words: Lithuania, Rebirth, philosophy, politics, Marxism.

La política ambiental europea es una de las más completas y coherentes que se han conformado en los últimos años en la consecución de un desarrollo sustentable. El conjunto de instrumentos, normas, estrategias y acciones está orientado a ser efectivo; cuenta con mecanismos de evaluación y corrección, e integra derechos fundamentales, la solidaridad entre regiones y la diversidad del territorio europeo.En este artículo se presenta el proceso que ha seguido desde que se estableció como una política por sí misma, y se exponen los principios que la sitúan en el camino de una gobernanza ambiental global o al menos regional. Se analizan los factores clave para el logro de objetivos ambientales en sistemas jurídicos afines al mexicano, lo que puede servir de referencia para la conformación, instrumentación y evaluación de la política ambiental mexicana (sobre todo se revisan los factores críticos, que se reflejan como debilidades en nuestro sistema). Se revisan modelos o marcos de referencia y actuación ante problemas ambientales similares, sin que ello signifique una transferencia automática de políticas públicas. AbstractEuropean environmental policy is one of the most complete and coherent to have been designed in recent years as regards achieving sustainable development. The set of instruments, norms, strategies and actions is designed to be effective: it has evaluation and correction mechanisms and includes fundamental rights, solidarity between regions and the diversity of European territory.This article describes the process it has followed ever since it was established as a policy in itself and explains the principles that place it on the path towards global or at least regional environmental governance. Key factors are analyzed for achieving environmental objectives in legal systems similar to the Mexican one, which can serve as a reference for the design, implementation and evaluation of Mexican environmental policy (particularly if one reviews the critical factors reflected as weaknesses in the Mexican system). The author reviews the models of frameworks of reference and reaction to similar environmental problems, although this does not mean an automatic transfer of public policies.

PORTAL Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies enters its fourth year with the journal's first special Chinese-language issue. Organised under the rubric of 'The Revival of Chinese Cultural Nationalism,' the issue has been guest edited by Dr Yingjie Guo of the Institute for International Studies, University of Technology Sydney, and features the work of scholars based in China and Australia. As Guo says in his introductory essay to the special issue, debates over cultural nationalism in China have been on the rise since the events in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989; indeed, the post-Tiananmen era in China may be witnessing what Guo calls an unparalleled cultural-political movement in the country's history. The various contributors to this special issue explore the ramifications and manifestations of that broad cultural-political movement in film production, television drama, literary texts, cultural essays, regional entrepreneurship, and contemporary debates on nationalism and liberalism. This issue of PORTAL also features four non-special issue essays: a study of feminist ethics in the work of Filipino-Australian writer and dramatist Merlinda Bobis, by Dolores Herrero (Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain); a taut critique of the discourse that regards the twentieth century as the bloodiest and most atrocious in human history, by David B. MacDonald (Otago University, New Zealand); a trenchant analysis, by Ramzi Nasser and Kamal Abouchedid (Notre Dame University, Lebanon), of what the authors call the rise of "academic apartheid" in the university sector throughout the Arab world; and a fascinating exploration of the feminism and environmentalism pioneered by the Australian author, mountaineer, solicitor and Buddhist Marie Byles (1900-1979), by Allison Cadzow (University of Technology Sydney). Finally, it is a huge pleasure to also include in PORTAL's cultural works section a selection of poems by the Chinese poet Yang Lian, translated by Mabel Lee (responsible for translating Nobel Laureate Gao Xingjian's novels Soul Mountain [2000] and One Man's Bible [2002] into English).

Paul Allatson, Chair, PORTAL Editorial Committee