This issue of the Unesco Yearbook focuses on World War II, a war which raises a number of issues for peace research and for social science research in general. One issue concerns the extent of the war which, although centered in Europe, also involved large parts of North Africa and Southeast Asia as well. Conflict outside of Europe can be traced to underlying problems of colonization and decolonization. In Europe, the war can be related to the aftermath of World War I and the subsequent inability of the League of Nations to arbitrate between opposing interests. The economic depression of the 1930s and the rise of fascism are also key factors; the rise of fascism, in turn, can be traced in part to the desire on the part of Germany and Italy to retrieve ingredients of their cultural past. In Japan, however, militarism was incurred less by the rise of fascism, than by Japan's semifeudalized, militarized industrial development. Perhaps the most significant issue is the watershed nature of World War II, which was marked by the impact of the atomic bomb in changing the nature and implications of warfare and by the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as major powers with new alliances which drastically altered the geopolitical balance of power. The essays in this collection represent the contributions of international authorities on these critical issues. They deal with European currents of war such as the rise of fascism; the psychological mobilization of the German people; the policies of the Third Reich towards Jews, Gypsies, and Slavs; the Polish Resistance; the impact of the German and Italian occupation of North Africa; and Irish neutrality. They also treat movements in Asia, including the impact of militarism on Japanese society before and during the war; China's resistance against Japan and the founding of a new China; and the impact of the war on independence movements in Asia. The final sections of the volume contain the 1985 update of Unesco activities relating to peace and disarmament, and regional and national develolpments. The international perspectives of this volume's contributors make this a valuable contribution to peace studies and the study of the impact of World War II. It will provide enlightening reading for political scientists and for courses in peace studies and government policy.

The 1983 Unesco Yearbook takes a more theoretical approach to the subject of peace and conflict research than previous editions. The first section, Trends and Approaches to Peace and Conflict Studies, is itself divided into three parts, beginning with two socio-psychological views of perceptions of threat and attitude formation in societies and among individuals. This is followed by the results of a study which used content analysis to relate perceptions of threat to the arms race and examined the use of mass media to shape those perceptions. The second part continues the debate begun in the 1982 yearbook over the notion of security itself, relating it to international legal and economic problems in general and perceived threats and corresponding conceptions of security in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Theoretical and Bibliographical Surveys provides sources and material on peace and conflict research. The report of the Unesco meeting on Different Perceptions of Threat and Conceptions of Security opens the final section. The yearbook ends with a brief discussion of the newly formed Peruvian Peace Research Association.

The Unesco Yearbook on Peace and Conflict Studies 1981 is the second annual Unesco yearbook and contains the latest information on peace and conflict studies. Part I, Trends and Approaches in Peace and Conflict Studies, includes essays which discuss the scope and priorities in peace research, the methodology of peace research in the USSR, the role of women in peace research, and the reorientation of the empirical study of international conflict. Part II is a bibliographical essay, the subject of which is non-violent action and civilian defense. Part III, Unesco Meetings Concerning Peace and Conflict, lists and reports on Unesco's activities. The focus in 1981 is on the World Congress on Disarmament Education. Part IV surveys institutional developments in peace research, reporting on international organizations, regional groups, and national institutions in numerous countries. The annual publication of Peace and Conflict Studies will aid the study of international relations from a historical-developmental perspective.

Peace, Security, and Conflict Prevention: SIPRI-UNESCO Handbook is a comprehensive, concise volume on security and conflict prevention in the post-cold war period 1992-96. It is drawn from the results of SIPRI's research and includes chapters on major armed conflicts; armed conflict prevention, management and resolution; world military expenditure, arms production and the arms trade; nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons; the arms control and agreements currently in force and under negotiation; the United Nations Organization; and special studies of regional and subregional security in Europe and Asia. A detailed chronology lists the major events of 1992-96 related to peace, security, and conflict prevention. The book also includes a useful glossary of terms and acronyms used in the security literature and gives the membership of international organizations concerned with security issues.

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the information profession. The series IFLA Publications deals with many of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems.

Human rights are at the heart of UNESCO's work in the fields of education, science and culture. Conceived from an international human rights legal framework, Human Rights in Education, Science and Culture: Legal Developments and Challenges combines insights into the content, scope of application and corresponding state obligations of these rights with analyses of issues relating to their implementation. The volume begins by presenting the principles of the indivisibility, interrelatedness and interdependence of all human rights. It then turns to questions related to economic, social and cultural rights, including their justiciability, their application between private parties and the development of indicators for measuring their implementation. Finally, it addresses the right to education, the right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications, and the right to take part in cultural life - the content and scope of application of the latter two rights being especially in need of further elucidation. Dedicated to the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this volume should be an invaluable resource for all those working in the area of human rights.

Peace, Security, and Conflict Prevention: SIPRI-UNESCO Handbook is a comprehensive, concise volume on security and conflict prevention in the post-cold war period 1992-96. It is drawn from the results of SIPRI's research and includes chapters on major armed conflicts; armed conflict prevention, management and resolution; world military expenditure, arms production and the arms trade; nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons; the arms control and agreements currently in force and under negotiation; the United Nations Organization; and special studies of regional and subregional security in Europe and Asia. A detailed chronology lists the major events of 1992-96 related to peace, security, and conflict prevention. The book also includes a useful glossary of terms and acronyms used in the security literature and gives the membership of international organizations concerned with security issues.

"Volume VI" of this acclaimed series is now available in an abridged paperback edition. The result of years of work by scholars from all over the world, "The UNESCO General History of Africa" reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and contains a comprehensive bibliography.
"Volume VI" covers the period from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the onset of the European "scramble" for colonial territory in the 1880s.
In spite of a growing European commercial, religious, and political presence during the first three quarters of the century, outside influences were felt indirectly by most African societies, and they made a number of culturally distinctive attempts to modernize, expand, and develop. These are detailed in four thematic chapters, twenty-three chapters detailing developments in specific areas, and two concluding chapters tracing the African diaspora and assessing the state of the Continent's political, economic, and cultural development on the eve of the European conquest.

"Volume IV" of this acclaimed series is now available in an abridged paperback edition. The result of years of work by scholars from all over the world, "The UNESCO General History of Africa" reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and contains a comprehensive bibliography.
The period covered in "Volume IV" constitutes a crucial phase in the continent's history, in which Africa developed its own culture and written records became more common. Major themes include the triumph of Islam; the extension of trading relations, cultural exchanges, and human contacts; and the development of kingdoms and empires.

"Volume III" of this acclaimed series is now available in an abridged paperback edition. The result of years of work by scholars from all over the world, "The UNESCO General History of Africa" reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and contains a comprehensive bibliography.
Volume III documents the increasing influence of Islam and its dissemination and interaction with traditional African culture in northern and western regions. The essays place Africa in the context of world history at the opening of the seventh century and examine the impact of Islamic penetration, expansion of the Bantu-speaking peoples, and the growth of civilizations in West Africa.

"Volume VII" of this acclaimed series is now available in an abridged paperback edition. The result of years of work by scholars from all over the world, "The UNESCO General History of Africa" reflects how the different peoples of Africa view their civilizations and shows the historical relationships between the various parts of the continent. Historical connections with other continents demonstrate Africa's contribution to the development of human civilization. Each volume is lavishly illustrated and contains a comprehensive bibliography.