It's been a season of plenty for Laurie Nathan, research associate in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences. His new book was just out when he was named co-winner of the Journal of Southern African Studies 2006 best article prize.

The article, SADC's Uncommon Approach to Common Security, 1992-2003 (JSAS 32:3), describes and explains the Southern African Development Community's difficulty in establishing a common security regime and its failure to play a useful peacemaking role.

"The malaise is attributed to three major problems: the absence of common values among member states, which inhibits the development of trust, common policies, institutional cohesion and unified responses to crises; the reluctance of states to surrender sovereignty to a security regime that encompasses binding rules and decision-making; and the economic and administrative weakness of states.

"These are all national problems that cannot be solved at the regional level. Paradoxically, the challenge of common security in southern Africa is less a regional than a national challenge."

Nathan's co-winner is Denise Walsh, whose article is titled The Liberal Movement: Women and Just Debate in South Africa, 1994-1996 (JAS 32:1).