New Media and Russian-Georgian August 2008 War

This paper is to study the role of new media in Russian-Georgian August War 2008. There are some blogs which were created by Georgian bloggers. They were trying to express civil activities, wanted to be involved in information war and provide information to western online space. The author of this paper reviews these online recourses. She is trying to study what kind of publications people could come ＂across, which one dominated-- materials based on information or on personal feelings, how frequently the blogs were renewed, how many readers visited these websites and etc. The purpose of the research is to find out how effective working with these groups was; whether the world leader TV or newspaper agencies used these alternative media publications and photos as the source of information or not. From the very beginning of the war several groups were formed in Facebook which is the unconditional leader in the social networks. The aim of these groups was to protect Georgia from Russian aggression. Most of these groups united Georgia＇s supporters but people also met supporters of Russia and Ossetia. These are open groups of interactive type where anybody and not only by the registered members could participate. The members, besides leaving comments and taking part in discussions, could also upload photos and videos. Consequently, we came across shots describing Russian aggression as well as facts of bombing Ossetia by the Georgian side.

A Reexamination of the Legacy of Lt. General James Longstreet, CSA

It is the purpose of this paper to reexamine the systematic process by which James Longstreet became the scapegoat for the defeat of the Battle of Gettysburg and consequently caused the South to lose her chance to become an independent country. James Longstreet played a crucial role in the American Civil War. He was Robert E. Lee＇s hand chosen Senior Lt. General, commanding the 1st Corp of the Army of northern Virginia. At the close of the war, he was a highly respected and accomplished general. However, following the death of Robert E. Lee, Longstreet＇s military reputation came under severe criticism. Without Lee to dispute the controversial allegations, the public accepted them as true. This organized effort of a small group of Confederate officers to destroy Longstreet＇s military accomplishment was also known as The Lost Cause Writers.

The Relevance of Nigeria＇s Freedom of Information Act （2011） to the Country＇s Anti-corruption War

This essay is centred on Nigeria＇s Freedom of Information Act, with special interest in its relevance in the country＇s anti-corruption war. The paper reiterates that the law was passed to enable the public to access certain government information, in order to ensure transparency and accountability. The FOI Act aims to make public records and information more freely available and to protect public records and information, in accordance with the public interest and protection of personal privacy. It enables citizens to hold the government accountable in the event of the misappropriation of public funds or failure to deliver public services. It also seeks to protect serving public officers against any adverse consequences from the unauthorized disclosure of certain kinds of official information, and to establish procedures for the achievement of these purposes. The Act further regulates conflicts between its provisions and those of other legislations. The paper contends that Freedom of Information is a fundamental indicator of economic development and progress, civic engagement and a properly functional democracy in every economy, describing it as a promising start in ensuring good governance and rule of law in Nigeria. The paper stresses the need for vigorous implementation of the FOI Act if the country is to make any significant breakthrough in the enthronement of good governance, transparency and accountability, adding that a strengthened FOI regime will enhance citizens＇ demand for accountability and check corruption in Nigeria.

Defining Landscape： Resolving Contradictions at Postcolonial Omhedi, the Oukwanyama Royal Palace, Namibia

The history of Omhedi in north-central Namibia is not simply about place but is a site that internalizes conflictual and contradictory social forces which are inscribed in place. While Omhedi was a contested site of conflict during the war of liberation and served as a stage for ethnographic tours and photography, it has in post-colonial period come to represent a segment of important local power as it is currently the seat of the new Oukwanyama kingship. The central aim of this paper is to explain the transformation of Omhedi as a site of＂spectacles＂ of culture during the colonial period and as the seat of Oukwanyama monarchy in post-colonial Namibia. It centrally asks how the colonial politics of the time influenced the way Omhedi was organized and accessed and the ways in which people attach meaning to and organize a sense of space and place in the postcolonial era. This paper is significant as it explores how political legitimacy can be reactivated at such a contradictory site of＂traditional＂ power like Omhedi and what meanings these hold in terms of access in postcolonial Namibia. I conclude by raising issues of the past with the restoration of the Oukwanyama monarchy and its installation at Omhedi after independence, posing key questions about shifts in political legitimacy in both the colony and the post-colony. My analysis utilizes theories on the important use of landscape as a physical ＂space＂ for living, but also as a ＂place＂ with its meanings and contributions to societal identity. Consequently the place identity is a particular element contributing to sense of place. I argue that there exists a sense of nostalgia that many Ovakwanyama people have for a precolonial past, and the Omhedi landscape serves that purpose. In analyzing these sentiments against the construction of Omhedi as a space and place, this highlights a sense of identity and belonging that many Ovakwanyama people have towards Omhedi in default of any site with deeper legitimation or authenticity.

Multicultural Women＇s Views on the First World War in Virginia Woolf＇ s Mrs. Dalloway

This year highlights the centenary of the outbreak of World War I and this paper aims at comparing and contrasting multicultural views on the First World War in Virginia Woolf＇s Mrs. Dalloway （1925）. The views on the First War are portrayed by a plurality of voices, most of which are women＇s, and they allow readers to think of the war experience in a more subjective but also more plural way. In this novel, voices from both sides of the First War resonate, i.e., the hegemonic side of the war--the Allies--is compared and contrasted to the subjectivity of the voices of the ＂others＂--the Axis, although they do not necessarily work in harmony. Such innovation in point of view has, in great part, contributed to converging story and history, allowing this literary work to partake in the production of historical knowledge and cultural memory of the War.

The United States and the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895

In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the United States claimed to be neutral, but was in fact pro-Japanese. Before the war, it repeatedly refused mediation requests by China and Korea and rejected Britain＇s joint mediation proposal while tacitly agreeing to or inciting Japan＇s launching a war. During the war, American diplomats, as wartime protectors of both Japanese and Chinese nationals, frequently went beyond the limits of international law to protect Japanese spies in China. As the only mediator between China and Japan, the United States rejected the joint mediation efforts of European powers and helped reduce international pressure on Japan. At the same time, it unilaterally convinced the Qing government to accept Japan＇s aggressive demands so as to help Japan achieve its war aims. The main reason for the United States＇ bias towards Japan was that it hoped to use Japan to end the tributary relationship between China and Korea in order to further open the door to China while weakening the influence of Britain and Russia in East Asia.