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The objective of this paper is to explore the political implications of the Covid-19 pandemic in the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. Studies displayed that although these governments varied in their initial response to the pandemic, all three underwent a uniform experience as to its broader effect of amplified authoritarianism. The public health crisis was utilized as a pretext to consolidate autocratic power, suppress regime criticism, and restrict the political rights and freedoms of citizens. Of particular concern were implications on media and civil society organizational efforts, statuses of detainees, ethnic minority rights, and freedoms of assembly and speech. This paper is an in-depth case analysis that uses policy analysis and process tracing to examine the Central Asian countries' response to Covid-19 and its effects on human rights and political freedoms in the named countries. It concludes that despite the changes in leadership and relative progress towards democratization, authoritarian patterns ensued and changed form during the pandemic period in these Central Asian countries.

The worsening violence between Farmers and Nomadic herdsmen in Nigeria has remained an issue of concern on the laundry list of the Nigerian State, policy makers, security agencies, International bodies as well as Social science scholars. While conflict is considered a normal and inevitable outcome of human relationships, the concern here is the devastating socio-economic, political and environmental implications of the conflict between these two livelihood groups as well as its impact on national development. Whereas a number of factors have been adduced for this growing violence ranging from climatic transformations, deteriorating environmental conditions, desertification, soil degradation; political and ethnic strife; breakdown in traditional conflict resolution mechanisms; proliferation of arms in the country and a dysfunctional legal regime that neglects justice; this paper, relying on the demographic theory of conflict, demonstrates how population overshoot in Nigeria explicate the new violent and widespread dimensions of the Farmers-Herders conflict. This paper, relying on the Demographic theory of conflict, argues that among the various causes of the Farmers-Herders conflict, the exponential growth of Nigeria’s population and the inability of the Nigerian State to meet the needs of the populace, contributes to the endless contest for space and property in the country, referred to in this paper as ‘population induced warfare’. In line with this thesis, this paper recommends that Nigeria as a country should begin to pay serious attention to the costs and impacts of population growth and create accordingly, rights-based population policies that adapts Nigeria’s population strength to a positive force for sustainable development.

Papers of the International Conference "Reforms in Lisbon Strategy Implementation: Economic and Social Dimensions", was held on 3 May 2006 in Zagreb. Contents: Samardzija, V.: The Lisbon strategy in the wider European context; Randzio-Plath, Ch.: The Lisbon strategy: Framework for social reform agenda in the EU; Zgajewski, T.: The Lisbon strategy: What is wrong? Radlo, M.: The Lisbon Process inthe EU: Kesson for Croatia; Hribernik, M.: Lisgon Agenda implementation: The exemple of Slovenia; Szemler, T.; Reform programmes in Hungary: Lisbon matters? Potucek, M.: Does the Lisbon strategy matter? The Czech experience. Mimica, N.: The Lisbon agenda and the relocation of economic activites abroad: Services and the labour market.

This analysis should contribute towards concretization of the debate about accession of Croatia to the European Union. It purpose is to explain, inform and enable a deeper insight into perspectives which are opening up to Croatia as a candidate country for membership in the EU. The analysis however does not undermine the fears and the prejudices of the citizens but it confronts them. The citizen's fears shoud be taken seriously since accession to the EU represents the only realistic option for the future of Croatia. Furthermore, for its neighbours from the former Yugoslavia Croatia already represents an important bridge towards the EU. Its accession is therefore in the interest of the whole region, as potential regional conflicts can face a long term solution only within the EU.