(Estimated Pub Date) the Challenge of Ethnic Conflict to National and International Order in the 1990S: Geographic Perspectives- October 1995

Approved for Release: 2018/06/01 C00123268
Dr: Ronald Wxman, in his response, discusses the
region from a slightly different perspective, viewing
the Soviet Union as an empire that is going through
stages of decolonization.
Africa
Dr. Harm J. de Blij, Landegger Distinguished Profes-
sor of Geography at Georgetown University, examines
the three kinds of ethnic conflict in Sub-Saharan
Africa: religious, tribal, and strategic. He then looks
detail at current ethnic strife in Liberia, Sudan, Dji-
bouti, Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, and Angola and
assesses the potential for ethnic conflict in Nigeria and
South Africa. '
in
Dr: Rex Honey, Associate Professor of Geography at
the University of Iowa, responds by placing African
ethnic conflict in a historical perspective. He associ-
ates current problems with the European colonialists’
imposition of boundaries and of the modem nation-
state system.
Latin America
Dr: Gary S. Elbow, Professor of Geography, Texas
Tech University,_discusses the potential for ethnic
conflict in South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean
in the 1990s. Hefocuses on the potential for confron-
tation between indigenous peoples and national gov-
ernments.
Mr: Mac Chapin of Rights and Resources responds
by discussing ethnic tensions among groups in Central
America. He concentrates on the marginalization of
the indigenous population.
Middle East
Dr: Marvin Mikesell, Professor of Geography at the
University of Chicago, examines the ethnic realities
that make the Middle East a region of inherent instabil-
ity and the persistent conflict between ethnic groups,
many of whom share a common language and religion.
Dr: Mildred Berman, Professor of Geography at
Salem State College, calls attention to refugees as
another of" the destabilizing aspects of the region’s
human geography.
Southeast and East Asia
Dr: Dru Gladney, Research Fellow, Program for
Cultural Studies at the East West Center, Hawaii,
illustrates some of the potential ethnic and subethnic
faultlines in Chinese society. He explores ethnicity in
the context of the shifting nature of identity and pro-
poses some policy considerations.
Dr: Eric Crystal, Coordinator for Southeast Asia Stud-
ies at the University of Califomia, Berkeley, presents
four key focuses for understanding ethnic tensions in
Southeast Asia: highland-lowland divides, religious
identification, cultural and linguistic differences in bor-
der regions, and ideological conflicts articulated in
terms of ethnic interest. Dr. Crystal highlights the
impact of outside intervention on infiaming ethnic ten-
sions in the region since World War II and concludes
with some observations for policymaking.
South Asia
"_
Dr: Joseph Schwartzberg, Professor of Geography at
the University of Minnesota, examines evolving eth-
nicity in South Asia, focusing on postindependence
India. Among the issues he discusses are the processes
ofethnic identity formation, linguistic affiliation as an
organizing principle, and Hindu nationalism.
Dr: Robert Stoddard, the respondent, is Professor
of Geography at the University of Nebraska. He dis-
cusses the regionalization of the Tamil population in
Sri Lanka and comments on two major perspectives of
Indian nationalism, the secular and the Hindu.
Part III: Regional Comparisons and
Implications for the United States and the
International Community
Perspectives on Demographic and
Humanitarian Issues
Dr. Gary Fuller, Professor of Geography and Popula-
tion Studies at the University of Hawaii, examines the
demographic underpinnings of ethnic conflict. He
argues that certain demographic data, such as infant
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Approved for Release: 2018/06/01 C00123268