Author: Catherine Brendow

Politics and economics librarian

Geneva Peace Week: A look through our collections

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The city of Geneva claims to be a capital of peace, and our Institute is located in the Maison de la Paix – no wonder peace in all its dimensions is a key theme in our collections. Peacebuilding, peace education, psychology of peace, pacifism, our books and films cover many aspects of a subject that remains high on the agenda. “Peace is possible” is the motto of the Geneva Peace Week this year (31 October-4 November 2022). To celebrate the event, we put a small selection of documents on display at the entrance of the Library.

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Celebrating Democracy Week, October 1-8

Construire la démocratie - du 1er au 8 octobre 2022
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“Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” So said Winston S. Churchill, at the House of Commons on 11th November 1947. At the end of the Cold War, Francis Fukuyama thought that Western liberal democracy would become the universal form of government. This point of view seems quite idealistic today, as democracy is facing many threats. Here is a selection by Catherine Brendow.

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Welcome to Geneva!

Geneva - Pont des Bergues, by Xavier von Erlach
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“Y en a point comme nous!” (There are none like us!). Like probably all nations on Earth, Swiss people are often convinced to live in a special (and God-blessed) country, the “land of milk and money”, as an irreverent Englishman wrote once. Apart from its gorgeous landscapes, Switzerland has many particular features, not always positive. As a new cohort of students arrives to spend some time here, we have selected books and films to introduce them to Switzerland and Geneva.

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Plagiarism – the capital sin in academia?

"Artist's signature", crossed, replaced by "mine"
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Second-year master’s students are now toiling over their theses, which is hard enough in this beautiful weather. Some of them may also be burdened by a nagging doubt: what if I were suspected of plagiarism? Plagiarism can have severe consequences for the culprit and even ruin political careers years later. Here is what you should know about plagiarism and how to avoid it.

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