International Human Trafficking Law

International Human Trafficking Law

This piece will focus on International Human Trafficking Law and will discuss and critically evaluate four elements. Section one will cover the historical development of international human trafficking law.  Section two will focus on the legal models employed in the European Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings [2005][1].  Section three will take a look at the European Court of Human Rights’ (ECHR) approach to international human trafficking in Ranstev V. Cyprus and Russia [2010][2].  Section four will contain a discussion of proposed amendments to improve the European Convention on Action against Trafficking Human Beings [2005][3].   

Globalisation. Myth or Reality?

The term globalisation is one that is used with ever increasing frequency as if it had a universally accepted meaning and definition.  According to Modelski, globalisation is a historical process which is characterised by a growing engagement between peoples on all corners of the globe (Modelski, 2003, pp.55-59).  However, as Heywood points out, it can refer to various things such as processes, policies, strategies, an occurrence or an ideology.  He suggests, its elusive meaning lays in the fact that it “is not so much an it as a them” (2007, p.143).  The reason for the elusiveness of the term is that, as Heywood pints out, it involves many different facets which many different academics proclaim as its defining features.

What Causes Wars? A Theoretical View. Realism, Liberalism and Marxism.

What causes wars?

War is a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country.  War can take on many forms including world, inter-state, intra-state or revolutionary. In order to assess the causes of wars, a theoretical approach is useful to broaden our understanding and perspective on the issue. 

Ireland's Future. Lessons From History

Since early 2007, the world capitalist free-market economic system has been experiencing a systemic crisis.  A report circulated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2008 stated the crisis was caused by “global macro policies affecting liquidity and by a very poor regulatory framework that, far from acting as a second line of defence, actually contributed to the crisis” (Blundell-Wignall et al, 2008, p. 2).  As a small and open free-market based economy, Ireland was caught in the contagion from the unfolding crisis of world capitalism.  However, far from being an innocent victim of conditions in the world economy, the Irish state’s economic problems were the result of both international and domestic factors. 

Words Matter, Equality Matters.

A vote will be taken next week in DCU on whether to change the Student Union's constitution.  A new constitution has been drawn up to replace the old one which stands since 2007.  The new constitution, written by the Student Union executive and a constitutional review committee, and voted upon by the class representative council, contains a number of vital flaws.  The new constitution removes the concept of equality from the workings of the Student Union.  In fact, the new constitution does not contain the word 'equality' once within its pages.

Power To The People

Today, March 9th 2011 saw the first sitting of the 31st Dail.  The make up of that new Dail had in the region of 70 new T.D's.  Amongst their number was the 5 new United Left Alliance (ULA) T.D's, Joe Higgins, Clare Daly, Richard Boyd Barrett, Joan Collins and Seamus Healy.  Before taking their seats in the Dail, all of the ULA T.D's marched to parliament from the central bank with the people who had voted them in.  I was one among their number.

We Only Want The Earth (James Connolly)

Some men, faint-hearted, ever seek Our programme to retouch, And will insist, whene’er they speak That we demand too much. ’Tis passing strange, yet I declare Such statements give me mirth, For our demands most moderate are, We only want the earth.