Canada and the Middle East: Bystander or Player?
Does Canada have a natural role in the Middle East? The revolutions of 2011 have made this question suddenly much more relevant, as Monia Mazigh told a Science for Peace meeting in May.

The Canadian Boat to Gaza
Last year’s ill-fated Freedom Flotilla aimed to deliver humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza—only to be intercepted by Israeli commandos, causing the death of 9 activists. In July, the follow-up “Freedom Flotilla II” was also thwarted, but as Lyn Adamson notes, there were some small victories along the way.

Reaction to Palestinian Nonviolence Threatens Israeli Democracy
The Israeli government has been introducing new laws to crack down on Israeli supporters of the Palestinian cause. It’s a strategy laden with contradictions and danger, writes Joseph Dana.

Responsibility to Protect and the Libyan Intervention
Gadhafi’s crackdown on opposition protests may have ensured that the Libyan revolution was much more akin to a civil war. But did outside countries—NATO in particular—have any right to intervene? Metta Spencer discusses the issues with Ernie Regehr and Elizabeth May, MP.

Anonymous: Information Conflict and New Challenges to Peace Practitioners
Alex Comninos looks at the informal hacker network called Anonymous and how they—and similar digital activists—work to oppose government and corporate wrongdoing online. The Arab Spring showed the network’s strength for workers in peace, democracy, and violence reduction, but also some of its limitations.

In Praise of Those Who Would Not Build the Bomb
Science has always had its conscientious objectors, particularly around nuclear weapons development. Mel Watkins pays homage to Max Born, Lise Meitner, Helen Smith, Franco Rasetti, and Leon Katz—some of the brave few who said “no” to work on the Manhattan Project.

Media that Matters: Translating Rights into Reality
The Canadian group Journalists for Human Rights offers training and support to media workers in countries badly hit by civil war and repression. Justine Yu describes their work.

The End of Humanitarian Aid to the North Caucasus
The European Union has decided that the troubled North Caucasus region no longer requires its humanitarian aid. This is in spite of escalating militant attacks and disappearances, argues Huseyn Aliyev.

Reviews: Douglas Roche, How We Stopped Loving the Bomb, reviewed by Ron Shirtliff; William Hartung, Lockheed Martin and the Making of the Military-Industrial Complex, reviewed by Shirley Farlinger.

Event announcement: Vital Discussions on Human Security. A lecture series at the University of Toronto, starting September 29, 2011.