The continued spread of democracy into the twenty-first century has seen two-thirds of the almost two hundred independent countries of the world adopting this model. In these newer democracies, one of the biggest challenges has been to establish the proper balance between the civilian and military sectors. A fundamental question of power must be addressed—who guards the guardians and how? In this volume of essays, contributors associated with the Center for Civil-Military Relations in Monterey, California, offer firsthand observations about civil-military relations in a broad range of regions including Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. Despite diversity among the consolidating democracies of the world, their civil-military problems and solutions are similar—soldiers and statesmen must achieve a deeper understanding of one another, and be motivated to interact in a mutually beneficial way. The unifying theme of this collection is the creation and development of the institutions whereby democratically elected civilians achieve and exercise power over those who hold a monopoly on the use of force within a society, while ensuring that the state has sufficient and qualified armed forces to defend itself against internal and external aggressors. Although these essays address a wide variety of institutions and situations, they each stress a necessity for balance between democratic civilian control and military effectiveness.

In the modern era, solutions to many environmental problems appear to be beyond the reach of a dialogue based solely on argumentation, dialectics, and the presentation of 'evidence.' The purpose of this study is to construct a bridge between incommensurable ways of perceiving reality, a bridge that can facilitate dialogue across worldview boundaries on environmental issues. This book attempts to link ecology, philosophy, and theology through an exploration of a new model of intercultural dialogue. Case studies provide practical and theoretical applications, which lead to a deeper understanding of not only environmental guardianships but also the fundamental relationship between human beings and nature's being. This book attempts to link ecology, philosophy, and theology through an exploration of a new model of intercultural dialogue. Case studies provide practical and theoretical applications, which lead to a deeper understanding of not only environmental guardianships but also the fundamental relationship between human beings and nature's being.

This book reviews the intrusion of the armed forces in African politics by examining contemporary armies and their impact on society. It revisits the various explanations of military takeovers in Africa and disentangles the notion of the military as a progressive force. The study argues the necessity of new civil-military relations in Africa, calling for a democratic oversight of the security forces.

Examines Plato's critique of the notions and embodiments of manliness prevalent in his culture.

"Inspirational historical romance"--Spine.