This is my first issue as
the managing editor of e-Extreme. When I was asked by Cas to take his place as
editor I felt both honored and a bit apprehensive. The e-Extreme newsletter was
established by Roger and Cas over three years ago. During that period it has
become a major publication for hundreds of scholars and students who are
interested in the different aspects of the relations between extremism and
democracy. Only after I became a member of the editorial team I began to
understand the amount of time and effort that both Roger and Cas put into this
venture. Without their commitment and devotion the newsletter would have never
become such a vital element for our community. I would like to express my
deepest gratitude to the founders of the newsletter as well as to Michael
Dartnell. I am truly happy that Cas agreed to serve as the book reviews editor
while giving me his support in my first steps as editor. I would also like to
welcome Jennifer Holmes, the newest member of the editorial team and thank her
form the wonderful work she has done on this issue.
As Cas mentioned in the last
issue, the survival of the newsletter is dependent, to a large extent, upon the
cooperation of the members of the standing group. This is especially true with
regard to the two new sections which we would like to publish beginning with
the winter issue. The first will be a personal column. Scholars in the field
are invited to offer a column of up to 1,000 words in length in which they
express their views or describe finings of studies they are involved in which
are related to the issues covered by the newsletter. We believe that such a
column can broaden our knowledge on different issues, help members of our
community to share their views and research with other scholars in the field
and even raise some interesting debates. This leads me the second section which
will be entitled e-Letters to the Editor. You are all invited to e-mail Ami Pedahzur and comment on
relevant issues, as well as make suggestions for upcoming issues. Based on your
responsiveness I will be happy to expand this section and offer room for
debate.
I promise to do my best to
keep this newsletter as a fundamental source of information and to maintain the
high standards set by the former editors. I call upon all of you to help us in
expanding the readership of the newsletter and to take active part in this
endeavor.
Wishing you a happy and
productive academic year,
Ami Pedahzur