Conflict Situations Research Articles

Public Health In Conflict And War: A Response To An Ever Evolving Landscape

Abstract Background The bases for this proposal are the current and ongoing conflict and war situations around the world, causing turmoil for nations and hardship and public health crises for people. We can no longer ignore the critical and time-sensitive need to address issues of Public Health (PH) in conflict and war in our education and training programmes. Objectives To consider appropriate themes and topics in Conflict and War that should be included in PH education and training programmes; and to consider how and where they are best represented. Member schools of the Association of Schools of PH in the European Region (ASPHER) were asked to provide details of their curricula relating PH in Conflict and War. Submissions on this topic were received from over 10 schools. Information was collated into logical themes, to which elements of the curriculum were mapped. In a modified Delphi process, respondents were asked for their level of agreement for inclusion in a curriculum and at what level content should be delivered. Results Findings from the survey allowed identification of seven main themes from topics provided: Contextual Factors; Preventive Strategies; Emergency Preparedness; Impact and Response; Conflict Resolution and Solidarity, Rehabilitation and Recovery. Respondents had high levels of agreement that content should be included in curricula and be delivered at every level in PH education and training. Conclusions PH education and training have been deficient in not including PH in Conflict and War as a subject area in programmes. The knowledge and expertise developed of necessity in some places can be shared across the ASPHER network and beyond to increase awareness of the PH considerations of conflict and war. Key messages • Public health in war and conflict zones is critical due to unique challenges and urgent needs of affected populations. • An Integrated curriculum is vital for addressing conflict’s long-term health impact and preparing skilled workforce for health, resilience, action and laying the path to peace.

COURSE «MANAGING CONFLICTS IN CRISIS CONDITIONS» IN THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING SYSTEM OF SPECIALTIES 053 «PSYCHOLOGY»

The article presents an analysis of the theoretical and methodological aspects of teaching the educational discipline «Managing conflicts in crisis conditions». The role of the academic discipline in the system of professional training of students who obtain a master's degree in the specialty 053 «Psychology is determined». The goal of the educational discipline is determined, which consists of acquiring competences in resolving conflicts, developing the ability to predict and control conflict situations in difficult life conditions, and promoting significant progress on the path of professional improvement. The dominant tasks of studying the discipline are highlighted: getting closer to the understanding of the professional necessity of in-depth study of the nature of the emergence and development of various conflicts; identifying the causes of conflicts; using different tactics, and conflict resolution technologies; mastering psychological techniques for getting out of conflict situations. It is noted that the educational material of the discipline «Managing conflicts in crisis conditions» is divided into two content modules, namely: 1. Basics of conflict theory; content module 2. Conflict management in crisis conditions. It is emphasized that the lectures on the discipline «Management of conflicts in crisis conditions» are conducted taking into account the problematic nature, dialogic communication, activation of the thinking and speaking activity of the master's students, namely: lecture-discussions with posing problematic questions, which help to direct the attention of the master's students to the key issues of the topic of the lecture session. A description of the tasks that master's students perform during practical classes is provided. An important place in the process of psychological training of future specialists in crisis psychology is given to the use of multimedia tools. It is proven that mastering the discipline «Management of conflicts in crisis conditions» by master's students is important in the professional formation of a specialist in crisis psychology, as it provides the necessary knowledge and skills to manage conflicts in difficult life situations and reduces the psychological suffering of people experiencing crises. We see the prospects for further study of the problem in the generalization of innovative approaches to improving the professional competence of future specialists in crisis psychology. Keywords: conflict, conflict management, specialist in crisis psychology, crisis, difficult living conditions, competencies, master's degree, independent work

Potential Identification of Root System Architecture Using GPR for Tree Translocation as a Sustainable Forestry Task: A Case Study of the Wild Service Tree

Sustainable economic development serves society but requires taking over space, often at the expense of areas occupied by single trees or even parts of forest areas. Techniques for transplanting adult trees used in various conflict situations at the interface of economy and nature work as a tool for sustainable management of urbanized and industrial areas, as well as, in certain circumstances, forest or naturally valuable areas. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in determining the horizontal and vertical extent of tree root systems before transplantation. Employing this non-invasive method to map root system architecture aids in the appropriate equipment selection and helps define the dimensions and depth of trenches to minimize root damage during excavation. This study specifically focused on the root systems of wild service trees (Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz) found in a limestone mine area, where some specimens were planned to be transplanted, as the species is protected under law in Poland. The root systems were scanned with a ground-penetrating radar equipped with a 750 MHz antenna. Then, the root balls were dug out, and the root parameters and other dendrometric parameters were measured. The GPR survey and manual root analyses provided rich comparative graphic material. The number of the main roots detected by the GPR was comparable to those inventoried after extracting the stump. The research was carried out in problematic soil, causing non-standard deformations of the root systems. Especially in such conditions, identifying unusually arranged roots using the GPR method is valuable because it helps in a detailed planning of the transplanting process, minimizing root breakage during the activities carried out, which increases the survival chances of the transplanted tree in a new location.

“Pilgrims Speaking Angry Words: Change and Anger in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales”

Medieval literature presents emotions such as anger as negative and destructive for the development of the medieval subject and society and defines anger not as a positive constructive affect but as an emotive reaction that should be suppressed, controlled or avoided. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, written against a background of tremendous change generated by political and religious conflict, the Black Death and the Peasants’ Revolt, acknowledges anger as an essential element of medieval culture although it does not give much space to the causes of it. The Canterbury pilgrims experience and perform anger as a result of the unstructured and fast change taking place in the traditional stabilities. Indeed, the changing society represented by the pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales appears to have anger issues and accordingly is characterised by situations of conflict and emotional crises. The pilgrims are presented as failing in terms of conformity and obedience to the regulatory principles of the feudal structure also because they foster anger and have angry responses when they are expected to suppress, avoid and control their anger. Anger in this context is presented as an essential element of the new culture that produces it. This paper reads Chaucer’s representation of anger as an affect/emotion in the Canterbury Tales and argues that as an emotive/affective agent, anger performed by the defiant pilgrims represents and forms the cultural response to the pervasive change and its results in the medieval feudal social structure represented in the Canterbury Tales.

Engaging Data Literacies in Displacement

Data-driven humanitarianism is changing the face of aid. More data potentially enables quicker and more efficient evidence-based responses to situations of conflict and disaster. Yet the proliferation of data also challenges traditional lines of accountability, exacerbates the drive toward extractive relations and processes while deepening communication barriers and asymmetric relations between humanitarians and affected communities. This article reflects on critical data literacy as a transformative method in the context of the datafication of the humanitarian sector. It draws on research carried out with internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria and South Sudan as part of a collaborative international project examining the practice and ethics of data collection and use. The article discusses the project’s participatory ethos, its engagement of IDPs with the project over time and the importance of developing co-produced tools of critical data literacy together with IDPs. Reflecting on the significance of our findings for humanitarian practitioners as well as for academics working in the field of humanitarianism and displacement, the article argues for a collective commitment to engaging with affected communities while cautioning against viewing data literacy as an easy fix to empowerment challenges, both in the conduct of humanitarian work and in the implementation of research.

Эмоциональное выгорание и поведение в конфликте специалистов органов опеки и попечительства

<p style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The article is prepared on the basis of the results of the final qualifying work and is devoted to the study of the relationship between emotional burnout and behavior in conflict among specialists of guardianship and guardianship authorities in relation to minors (hereinafter — OIP). The participants of the empirical study were 78 employees of the Department of Guardianship and Guardianship of the Department of Education of the Omsk City Administration, aged 22 to 65 years (the average age in the test sample is 40.10 ± 9.69 years). The average work experience of the subjects was 12.18 ± 5.41 years. The study was conducted using psychodiagnostic tools: the Thomas-Killman Questionnaire for Identifying Leading Behavior in a conflict situation, the Questionnaire for Professional (Emotional) Burnout (K. Maslach). It is shown that the statistical dependence of the features of emotional burnout with patterns of behavior in conflict is insignificant. The stage of emotional burnout — “emotional exhaustion” significantly correlates with the scale of behavior in conflict “compromise”. For the other two scales characterizing the stages of emotional burnout, there were no significant correlations with the characteristics of behavior in conflict situations.</span></p>

Archival documents on the events in the Yaik Cossack army that preceded the “pugachevshina”

This article shows in detail the process of development in the Yaik Cossack army of the conflict situation between ordinary Cossacks and their senior leadership during the several decades preceding the “pugachevshina”. Currently, this topic continues to be poorly studied and practically unrelated to the topic of “pugachevshina”. Documents deposited in the capital’s archives (RGADA and RGVIA), as well as in the Orenburg regional archive (OGAOO), made it possible to reconstruct in detail the events of the Yaik Cossack uprising of 1772 and show their direct connection with the “pugachevshina”. For citation: Dubovikov A.M. Archival documents on the events in the Yaik Cossack army that preceded the “pugachevshina”. From History and Culture of Peoples of the Middle Volga Region. 2024, vol.14, no.3, pp.52–68. https://doi.org/10.22378/2410-0765.2024-14-3.52-68 (In Russian)

A new politics of international criminal justice: accountability in Ukraine and the Israel–Gaza war

Abstract Protecting civilian populations affected by violent conflict and mass atrocities is a challenge in global politics, particularly in view of the persistence of contestation over the application of the Responsibility to Protect principle and geopolitical gridlock in the UN Security Council. Over the past decade, there has been a pronounced rise in international accountability mechanisms to fill protection gaps in the multilateral system. Increasingly, international accountability mechanisms have been activated in the early phases of conflict situations to counter atrocities, promoting protection in ‘real time’. This article proposes that the deepening association between accountability and protection is best understood as an emergent human protection transnational legal order (HPTLO), a mode of decentralized governance that was driven by diverse agency across borders and aimed at solving problems of a global reach through legal ordering. The article provides an account of the formation and character of the HPTLO, demonstrates how it is operating in the context of the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and identifies key risks and opportunities that these developments present to the global governance of human protection.

Legal mechanism for securing humanitarian assistance by Ukrainian defense forces during the initial phase of the full-scale Russian invasion

Purpose This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the legal status and mechanisms involved in the receipt and registration of humanitarian aid by Ukrainian defense forces. The study aims to highlight the importance of proper control and accountability by military unit commanders, addressing the challenges and responsibilities associated with the management of humanitarian aid during the initial phase of the full-scale Russian invasion. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative approach, analyzing legal documents, organizational procedures and case studies related to the receipt and registration of humanitarian aid by Ukrainian defense forces. The research involves examining the actions of military unit commanders, identifying gaps in existing legislation and proposing improvements based on observed challenges and best practices. Findings The study finds that the legal status and proper accounting of military property received as humanitarian aid are critical for ensuring its effective use. It identifies significant challenges in the organizational and legal mechanisms, including issues of non-receipt and non-registration of aid. The findings emphasize the need for improved legislation, better control measures and increased accountability of military unit commanders to enhance the efficiency and transparency of humanitarian aid management during conflict situations. Research limitations/implications The research is primarily limited by the availability and reliability of data due to the ongoing conflict, which may affect the comprehensiveness of the analysis. Additionally, the dynamic nature of the legal and organizational environment during wartime poses challenges in maintaining updated information. Future studies could benefit from longitudinal data and comparative analysis with other conflict zones to enhance the robustness and applicability of findings. Practical implications This study provides actionable recommendations for improving the legal framework and organizational processes related to humanitarian aid in military contexts. It offers guidance for military unit commanders on best practices for receiving, accounting and preserving aid. The findings aim to inform policymakers and military officials to ensure more effective and transparent management of humanitarian resources, ultimately enhancing the operational capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Social implications By addressing the legal and organizational challenges in managing humanitarian aid, this research contributes to the overall welfare of military personnel and affected civilians. Ensuring the effective use of humanitarian aid can improve the living conditions and morale of soldiers and support communities impacted by the conflict. The study also highlights the importance of accountability and transparency, fostering trust among international donors and encouraging continued support for humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. Originality/value This study provides a novel and comprehensive examination of the legal mechanisms and organizational practices involved in the receipt and registration of humanitarian aid by the Ukrainian defense forces during the initial phase of the Russian invasion. By focusing on the unique challenges faced in this conflict, the research offers original insights into the legal status of military property received as aid and the accountability of military commanders. The findings contribute valuable recommendations for policy and practice, aiming to enhance the effectiveness and transparency of humanitarian aid management in conflict situations.

On the issue of maintaining a balance of private and public interests in satisfying creditors’ claims in bankruptcy proceedings

The article analyzes the problems of satisfying creditors’ claims in bankruptcy proceedings. In the context of a conflict of interests of creditors caused by insufficient property of an insolvent debtor, the search for an optimal model for satisfying their claims was carried out. Common conflict situations arising between pledgees and authorized bodies have been identified. For example, in cases of satisfaction of claims for mandatory payments secured by the seizure of a taxpayer’s property. The tax authorities, as current creditors, also file claims for payment of income tax, property tax and land tax. The legal positions of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation are analyzed. It is concluded that it is necessary to eliminate the imbalance of interests of collateral creditors and authorized bodies, and restoration of the security function of the pledge.

Assessing the frontline competency gap: Emergency care perceptions among nurses in Yemen's conflict zone.

Nursing competencies in armed conflict situations are critical for effective response and recovery. This study explores nurses' perceptions regarding their competencies in armed conflict zones to identify areas of proficiency and those requiring further emphasis in training. This cross-sectional descriptive study adhered to the STROBE reporting guidelines. It used a validated questionnaire examining 47 different competencies for nursing in armed conflict zones, which were subsequently ranked to identify those that were valued most and least. In total, 102 questionnaires were returned (85% response rate). The highest-ranked competencies focused on immediate life-saving interventions and personal safety. In contrast, competencies involving broader disaster management, such as understanding organizational disaster plans, post-death care, and risk identification, ranked lower. This observation may indicate a tendency to prioritize direct clinical care over strategic planning and long-term recovery in disaster nursing education. This study highlights the critical need to strengthen emergency care competencies among nurses working in armed conflict zones in Yemen. Its findings underscore the importance of targeted training programs, particularly in complex trauma management and psychological first aid, to address nurses' self-identified competency gaps. Policy implications include prioritizing resource allocation for emergency care infrastructure, implementing competency-based deployment strategies, and ensuring access to mental health support for nurses in working conflict zones. These actions are essential for building a resilient nursing workforce capable of providing quality care amidst the unique challenges of armed conflict.

One style does not fit all: the relationship of mediator behavioral adaptivity to mediator empowerment, efficacy, and satisfaction

Purpose Prior research on the situated model of mediation has suggested that mediators’ abilities to be more flexible and adaptive in responding to potential derailers in mediation situations lead to better outcomes. The purpose if this paper is to build on this theory and research by developing a new scale of mediator behavioral adaptivity and investigating the hypothesized effects of mediator adaptivity on their sense of efficacy, empowerment and satisfaction when mediating. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents findings from two survey studies with currently active, experienced mediators. Findings The findings offer a new scale for the study of effective mediation – the mediator behavioral adaptivity scale – and offer support for the hypothesis that mediators reporting an ability to use more diverse behavioral tactics and strategies (both standard and specialized strategies) report higher levels of satisfaction with mediation outcomes as well as more self-efficacy and empowerment during mediations. Research limitations/implications These studies are both self-report and correlational and so should be supplemented by subsequent research using experimental methods and more objective measures of mediation outcomes. Originality/value The program of research extended in this paper offers a new integrative model of adaptive mediation, which aims to provide evidence-based guidelines for using different types of mediation strategies in categorically different conflict situations. The model can ultimately help the field transcend discussions of preferred or best mediation styles and focus instead on how distinct strategies offer different degrees of fit for different types of mediation challenges.

Study on mixed traffic characteristics around highway on-ramp bottleneck using a microscopic simulation model

In the early mixed traffic environment, connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) tend to follow simple control rules for the sake of traffic safety and stability. Comprehensive analysis of overall mixed traffic performance and vehicle to vehicle interactions around highway on-ramp bottleneck is a basis for further traffic management and control. And yet CAVs in existing researches are mainly in the form of cooperative vehicular platoon, and mixed traffic scenarios within simulation software are not applicable for in-depth investigation. The purpose of this paper is to develop a microscopic simulation model to study in detail lane-based mixed traffic performance around the highway on-ramp. This model firstly considers vehicle characteristics of individual human vehicles (HVs) and CAVs by combining different microscopic traffic models. After the hypothetical on-ramp bottleneck structure is constructed, various simulation scenarios are developed under varying traffic volumes and changing market penetration rates (MPRs) of CAVs. Simulation results show that mixed traffic flow is improved in terms of congestion patterns and traffic capacity. For oscillating and nearly homogeneous congested traffic, congestion degrees are greatly reduced when CAV MPR above 30 % and 50 % respectively. Mixed traffic capacity is increased by 19.3 % when a smaller desired time gap set for CAVs, while it shows no significant change in a larger value. In the HV-HV interactions, traffic conflicts are slightly influenced by CAVs. Comparatively, conflict situations in HV-CAV interactions get worse, the proportion of time to collision (TTC) greater than 2 s monotonically declining with the rise in CAV MPR. It is concluded that traffic characteristics overall show a good momentum when MPR of CAV and the desired time gap of CAVs in mixed traffic are appropriate.

Strengthening guideline contextualization in the WHO European Region.

The World Health Organization (WHO) plays an important role in developing evidence-based and ethically sound guidelines to assist health workers, programme managers and policy-makers, particularly in countries with limited capacities to create their own. While the development of these guidelines follows rigorous methods, contextualizing recommendations is often necessary to ensure their applicability, feasibility and acceptability at the country level. The adaptation and adoption of global guidelines should happen in a transparent, systematic and participatory manner to maintain credibility while ensuring the ownership necessary for implementation. Here, we present an example from Estonia that showcases the process, requirements and outcomes of implementing WHO guidelines through effective contextualization. The work in Estonia showed that contextualization can shorten guideline development time and reduce costs. To support countries in contextualizing guidelines, including those developed by WHO, to local contexts while maintaining trustworthiness and relevance, the WHO Regional Office for Europe has developed a handbook based on the GRADE-Adolopment approach to guide this process. Furthermore, a rapid assessment of 21 of the 53 Member States in the WHO European Region revealed that many countries need guidance and support to build capacity for contextualizing guidelines. To address the capacity gaps, we suggest a way forward that encompasses four areas of further work: standardizing methods; institutionalizing guideline programmes and initiatives; promoting continuous and shared learning; and providing support and identifying resources. Strengthening countries' capacities to contextualize global guidelines is crucial and will become especially relevant during future health threats, such as pandemics, climate change and conflict situations.

Using virtual reality technology to prevent substance misuse and violence among university students: A pilot and feasibility study.

Objectives: New prevention approaches that use engaging and innovative technologies are needed to reduce high rates of substance use and violence among university students. The present study developed and pilot-tested virtual reality (VR) technology that presented university students with immersive environments where they practiced skills with virtual peers. Methods: After viewing e-learning modules with prevention content, students engaged with immersive VR module prototypes to practice cognitive-behavioral skills for preventing risk behaviors, including assertive communication, negotiation, compromise, conflict resolution, and bystander intervention strategies. Results: Paired t-tests showed increases in life skills knowledge and anti-violence attitudes among students from the pretest to posttest assessments. Students and educators were enthusiastic about the VR prototypes, rating them as feasible, relevant, appealing, engaging, and innovative for prevention. Participants provided feedback on ways to improve the VR experience by including a greater variety of conflict situations, more nuanced branched scenarios and response options, and a more complete representation of all scenario outcomes. Conclusions: Findings suggest that VR scenarios are a promising strategy for enhancing life skills to help prevent health risk behaviors among university students.

ЖАСӨСПІРІМДЕР ҚАРЫМ-ҚАТЫНАСЫНДАҒЫ ЖАНЖАЛ МӘСЕЛЕСІ

The article is devoted to the theoretical analysis and experimental study of various phenomena encountered in communication in adolescence. The causes and factors influencing the conflict, which is most often found in adolescents in everyday life, its negative impact on development and personality formation are analyzed. In the course of practical work, it has been proved that the process of positive communication of children in adolescence can be developed and adjusted through work aimed at special practical improvement. It is proved that the organization of special programs, by implementing them, allows you to achieve effective results in the development of communication characteristics of adolescents in the process of educational activities. In the course of the study, the results of the test "Schwarzlander success rate study" "methods of finding solutions" were presented. The purpose of the research work proved that it is possible to choose a number of defining directions and achieve an effective result of the application of developmental and correctional work. During the continuous work, the ways out of the conflict situation for teenagers were identified. In the course of correctional and developmental work with adolescents, such game and situational methods as communicating with them on equal terms, getting into various situations, getting out of them, and the emergence of psychological conflict situations were used. It was only with continuous psychological work that the possibilities and ways of prevention and correction of adolescent conflict were identified, recommendations were developed, and effective results were achieved.

An Intelligent Decision-Making Approach for Multi-Ship Traffic Conflict Mitigation from the Perspective of Maritime Surveillance

Potential multi-ship conflict situations in coastal or near-shore port areas have always been one of the important factors affecting ship navigation safety and a key target of maritime traffic regulatory authorities. In recent years, with the continuous development and integration of various emerging technologies in the maritime field, maritime traffic supervision has also shown a trend of intelligent and autonomous development. The traditional supervision method dominated by human experience is evolving towards data and model-driven practices. In order to solve the problem of ship navigation safety supervision under multi-ship conflict scenarios, it is urgent to build an intelligent conflict mitigation decision-making model. Therefore, this paper designs a novel risk mitigation decision-making model for multi-ship conflict scenarios from the perspective of maritime supervision. The model proposed in this paper first extracts high-density ship clusters based on AIS (Automatic Identification System) data and uses the MCD (Mean Core Density) and PRM (Proportion of Relative Motion) as feature indicators to further mine potential multi-ship conflict scenarios. Finally, a global optimization decision-making model is constructed to effectively mitigate conflict risks. Experimental verification shows that the intelligent decision-making model for the mitigation of maritime traffic conflict proposed in this paper can autonomously identify conflict scenarios and make reasonable decisions in real time. It can effectively ensure the navigation safety of ships in multi-ship conflict scenarios and further improve the supervision level of maritime departments.

Возможности интеграции функции обмена местами в мобильное приложение «РЖД пассажирам»

Railway transport is traditionally preferred when travelling between 400 and 1000 km. Depending on financial possibilities and personal idea of comfort, passengers choose different types of cars. Despite the fact that the passenger is familiarised with the conditions of travel in advance (at the time of ticket purchase), requests to change seats with fellow travellers are often noted at the moment of boarding, which complicates the work of the car conductor, provokes violation of the Rules of Passenger Transportation and causes discomfort to persons with whom the passenger wants to agree on such an exchange. Despite the de facto existence of the problem, the carrier does not have statistical data on passengers' perception of seat exchange requests. This paper examines the need to introduce an additional parameter in the menu of the mobile application "RZD to Passengers" to enable early legitimate seat exchange in purchased tickets with provision for compensation for the passenger who expresses consent to the exchange in the incoming request. As a methodology of the research a set of methods of analysis, synthesis, deduction and induction was used. The author proposes to improve the quality of passenger service of long-distance trains by preventive solution of the issue of seat exchange, thereby eliminating the probability of conflict situations during the journey and reducing the number of violations of the Rules of Passenger Transport. This article may be of practical interest to companies providing passenger transport services on long-distance trains (e.g. JSC FPC, TC Grand Service Express, LLC Tverskoy Express).

Locus of Control and Emotional Responses as Determinants of Young People’s Preferred Coping Strategies in Social Conflict Situations

Locus of Control and Emotional Responses as Determinants of Young People’s Preferred Coping Strategies in Social Conflict Situations

Mediation in conflict situations among early childhood children

Mediation in conflict situations among early childhood children