Global Sphere Research Articles

The Post-Ongwen Case Period and the Reconciliation Process in Northern Uganda: Local Communities as a Site of Knowledge

Abstract By providing victims with more space in the Ongwen case, the International Criminal Court (icc) has significantly contributed to the healing of the trauma and community reconciliation in northern Uganda. That said, this court has also raised issues that could affect local efforts to achieve peace, namely the positioning of victims of child soldiers vis-à-vis criminal child soldiers. Drawing on qualitative data collected through focus group discussions with some community members from locations under investigation by the icc, this sociolegal study examines the victims’ narratives about child soldiers and the different ideas of human rights that emerge. Then, it explores how these ideas may shape future transitional justice mechanisms designed in the global sphere. Finally, it discusses the extent to which they may impact the relevance of current justice initiatives. Overall, this paper analyzes the substantive effect of victim participation in the Ongwen case on local peacebuilding initiatives in northern Uganda.

Mizrahi Rap in Israel: Ethnicity and Intertextuality in the Cosmopolitan Post-Genre Era

Abstract This article uses ethnography and music analysis to compare the intertextuality of Mizrahi music and rap by two generations of hip hop artists in Israel. The perceived compatibility of the two genres is often motivated by apparent similarities between Mizrahiness and Blackness as two ethno-racial categories associated with disenfranchisement. We argue that varied musical approaches to combining Mizrahi music and rap reflect the ways that different generations have negotiated local and global cultural spaces. Early rappers in Israel, who regarded Mizrahi music and rap as two distinct genres, tended to compose a rather mechanistic juxtaposition between them that suggests a perceived ontological gap between the local and the global. Conversely, contemporary rappers have been socialized in and make use of a virtual and borderless musical environment, a realm that arguably breaks down the logic of coherent musical genres and the cultural and spatial compartments they once seemed to occupy. This is reflected in their typical compositional style, which merges the two genres into a seamless, indistinguishable form. The case of “Mizrahi rap” demonstrates how global trends are inscribed into local negotiations of ethnicity and how the perceived relatedness between ethnic and racial categories (i.e., Mizrahiness and Blackness) defines new conceptions of the global sphere itself.

INFORMATION TERRORISM AND ITS PREVENTION IN THE GLOBAL POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

The manifestations of information terrorism can be realized concerning the subjects of the global political sphere. Preventing and countering its consequences is a difficult task, primarily due to the multiple directions of modern threats, as well as the complexity of selecting and implementing measures to be taken to counter such manifestations of information danger. The study aims to analyze the trends in the development of measures to counter information terrorist attacks that have been and are being carried out against the targets of the global political sphere in the XXI century. The research was carried out using the methods of sequential analysis of the peculiarities of development and systemic description of information terrorism. In addition, the article provides a comparative assessment of related concepts. The descriptive method, comparison, analysis and synthesis of information were used to assess the content, methods of counteraction, principles and measures to counter information threats. According to the research results, the key features of countering information terrorism today include the formation and improvement of the regulatory framework based on global cooperation, openness, transparency, increased responsibility and proactive state policy to counter information terrorist attacks.

Leveraging windows of opportunity for expertise to matter in global environmental governance: insights from the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

IntroductionWhether and under what conditions scientific knowledge provided by experts actually leads to political action is a question that academic research in various fields have focused on at length, without reaching a definitive answer. The position of expertise is especially delicate within the global environmental governance sphere containing multiple values, worldviews and epistemological standpoints.MethodsFirstly, we developed a theoretical model to examine how contextual factors, like institutional design and boundary work dynamics, contribute to expertise influencing global environmental governance. Secondly, we applied this model to the case of the Science Policy Interface to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD SPI), using data from semi-structured interviews with SPI stakeholders and participant observation of meetings.ResultsWe identified specific dimensions of the SPI mandate that enabled expertise to matter: inclusive membership of practitioners, close interaction between experts and political actors, coordination with other advisory bodies, regular reviews, and a small group size. However, after underpinning the prevailing differences in power between SPI experts and member states in their interactions, we found that international environmental decision-making and its national-level implementation remain ultimately and inevitably subordinated to political actors, making it less likely for expertise to have a significant impact.DiscussionInternational expertise for sustainable development can only take advantage of the rare “windows of opportunity” that intergovernmental processes concede for experts to influence policy.

Scandals in the Global Village

The specific characteristics of political scandals in a global context follow the historical evolution of international communication technologies and media systems. This article examines the development of political scandals through selected cases in a global context. The global scandal evolution took place in three phases: (1) the written duplication of morals created the conditions for international reports on political scandals; (2) the establishment of an international media system transformed political scandals into an integral part of global public spheres; (3) the digitization of scandals on the Internet put moral pressure on global politics – resulting in permanent and omnipresent international scandal discourses. The digitization of political scandals comes, on the one hand, along with the loss of journalistic gatekeepers, post-truth manipulation of public spheres, influence from abroad and the risk of social unrest. On the other hand, it provides the chance to better understand the chances and limits of globalization.

Globalization in Sanrio’s Virtual Festival: enhancing sacred places, character representation, and musical public spaces

ABSTRACT This paper discusses Sanrio Virtual Festival 2023, held on VRChat in 2022 by Sanrio, a company known for its character business, which includes Hello Kitty. This study explains how Sanrio is gaining global power toward creating a new utopia through multilayered live performances. To this end, the virtual Puroland reinforces the function of a sacred place in pop culture by incorporating diverse musical and cultural resources instead of the cult-like image of a cute sanctuary. Furthermore, media that mixes 2D/2.5D characters creates ones in dynamic 3D with enhanced ubiquity. Through parasocial relations with the user, this humanized digital medium provides users with a sense of life and presence as well as diminishes their perceptual discomfort, while promoting an experience of realism and community grafted onto the user’s extended cultural fantasy. Furthermore, the experience is characterized by stages with various conceptual designs that communicate nonverbally and multisensory, including optical live performances and DJ clubs, which have led to the creation of an interactive global Sanrio public sphere from the formation of a complex musical public space. However, the creation of such an emotional musical community is a communicative process that also voraciously consumes its users’ presence and involvement.

УПРАВЛЕНИЕ ОРГАНИЗАЦИЕЙ: СИСТЕМАТИЗАЦИЯ МЕТОДОВ ПРЕОДОЛЕНИЯ НЕОПРЕДЕЛЕННОСТИ КОМПАНИЯМИ МЕЖДУНАРОДНОГО БИЗНЕСА

The activities of a company engaged in trading operations in the global market must be conscious, which is especially important in the context of high uncertainty in the global trade sphere. In order to achieve this, the company should apply a set of methods to overcome uncertainty in the global trade sphere. The purpose of this study is to systematize the key methods of overcoming uncertainty of a company operating in the global trade sphere. Within the framework of the study, the concept of uncertainty was clarified and the key factors influencing it were identified. The types of uncertainty and its sources, as well as the types and nature of formation, are designated. The study focuses on standard gravity models, which, based on a whole range of criteria, show trends in the development of intercountry trade, identify the shortcomings of the models and present a system of methods on the basis of which a commercial enterprise operating in the global market can overcome uncertainty.

O duplo efeito chinês na política externa brasileira (2003-2018)

Abstract This research examines contemporary Brazilian foreign policy, and its central concern is to explore how China’s global rise has impacted the general guidelines of Brazilian foreign policy from 2003 to 2018. We argue that China has had a double impact on Brazilian foreign policy: (i) restraining its scope due to the restrictive nature of Sino-Brazilian relations, primarily via commerce and political divergence, and (ii) enhancing Brazil’s autonomous insertion in the international system due to the structural gaps produced by Chinese diplomatic support in the global sphere and from the convergence of specific agendas. A case study on Sino-Brazilian relations is conducted with typologies on foreign policy actions elaborated by Schweller (1994). Then, we propose that Brazilian foreign policy, through the ‘bandwagoning for profit’ strategy, sought to interpret a Jackal position within the international system. Our variables are defined based on Ripsman, Taliaferro and Lobell (2016), considering the structural stimulus of China’s rise as the independent variable, the permissiveness, and clarity of the international system as the intervening variable, and the behaviour of Brazilian foreign policy as a dependent variable.

На перепутье: русскоязычные сообщества в Германии

This research seeks to elucidate the role of diasporas and diasporic worlds during periods of crisis between host and sending societies. The article examines the ethno-cultural group of Russian Germans, which is itself a subset of the broader category of Russian-speaking communities. Examining the case of Russian Germans in Germany, this paper investigates the group's internal structure, as well as its perception by German authorities and the academic community through an analysis of expert opinions, scholarly publications, and official government documents, the author also aims to explore the prevailing trends of polarization, particularly in light of recent geopolitical shifts. The study was conducted within the theoretical framework of transnationalism, identity, and spatial approaches, utilizing the analytic categories of political space, diasporic identity, and transnational diasporas. The policies enacted by Germany and Russia to foster engagement with the Russian-Germans were subjected to analysis. The author concludes that these ethnic communities in both countries are in a worldview crisis, precipitated by both geopolitical transformations and the reverberations of these changes within the global digital sphere. The distinctive status of Russian Germans, characterized by their hybrid identity, coupled with the specificities of the electoral laws of Germany and Russia, constitutes a subject of interest for both scholars across diverse humanitarian disciplines and practical politicians. Both states frequently instrumentalize this group to promote their ideological constructs, thus seeking to extend their spheres of influence. Nevertheless, the strained bilateral relations between the two nations are hindering the potential for these groups to serve as an effective communication bridge. The findings of this study suggest that cultivating strong relationships with Russian-speaking diaspora communities could serve as a valuable strategic asset in fostering collaborative initiatives on both national and international levels.

Государственные инвестиции и устойчивость мировой экономики

As history shows, in difficult periods, there is invariably an increase in the state’s involvement in economic life. As of now, there is a number fundamental macrotrends showing that the world fell into a highly dangerous situation of so called polycrisis. These include more and more evident dysfunction of the US-centric model of globalization, the inexorable formation of new independent centers of international power, extremely high level of geopolitical turbulence. The global financial and economic sphere continues to function due to massive debt pumping which translates to its underlying fragility. That is why the formation of an efficient system of sustainable development, as proclaimed in the UN SDG program, is so urgent. In order to overcome the current state of instability the world economy needs to found and engage stable and reliable sources of long-term capital instead of borrowed money. Such capital is available with the institutional investors, primarily the sovereign wealth funds and pension funds. As for the first ones, in recent years, they have noticeably diversified the goals, directions and objects of their operations. The changes are so serious that a term “sovereign wealth funds 3.0” entered into the analytical discourse. In the activities of most state investors, there is a tendency to shift the focus from the external to the internal one, which does not allow capital to completely dissolve in the global financial system. The geographical priorities of investment are changing: if initially the focus of state funds was on the most developed economies of the world, now it is beginning to shift towards the world majority, which in the future should contribute to a more equal distribution of productive forces and wealth and, as a result, to increase the stability of the world economy and improve the quality of its dynamics. “Sovereign wealth funds 3.0” are also characterized by new methods of funding, when it is provided by giving the fund the right to use cash flows generated by the state assets entrusted to it. Some sovereign wealth funds, having reached a certain level of maturity, enter the global private capital market, partially filling the deficit of reliable debt instruments observed there. Due to the peculiarities of financing and a long-term planning horizon, large sovereign wealth funds are able to painlessly absorb temporary financial losses, compensating them in the long-term perspective. This allows them to carry out the most important long-term projects. Thus, the state investment funds make a significant, though not always visible and appreciated, contribution into the stabilization of the financial market and the global economy at large.

India- USA-China Axis and Co-Existence -A Policy Decision Analysis

In the contemporary dynamic global order, shrinking sovereign nation-states prioritize the economical concerns than any other sphere. The hegemonic phenomenon still persists since from the origin of organized governance hitherto in the present century at various levels in differed forms. The Multi-polar system in the aftermath of the 9/11 catastrophe and its eventual action-oriented drastic policy decisions ended with both successive trials and as well as fiasco concerned with the existing state system. Deterrence and diplomacy function together in attaining the targeted decisions. The exhaustion and exploitation of natural resources around the nations of the world made think-tanks and great minds to explore and delve deep into the unexcavated sectors of human capacity. It is startling observation here to mention that most of the human inventions in the science and technology in the modern era serves as an element of curse in the annihilation of entire human community.In global sphere China’s supremacy over south china sea and as well as its progressive actions related with Maritime silk road irks America which unleashed radical policy decisions for protecting its interests at mega level. That said, the initiative of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and its founding members from European countries adds fuel to the fire. String of Pearl theory related with India also creates a stir upon the minds of policy makers of India and as well as USA.Albeit of odd government in China, its progressive performance in economic sector is always the cause of concern for neighbors and countries at distant. It took seven decades in the erstwhile USSR for completing the experimentation with Communist revolution. Although China is nearing the same tenure we may not imagine the similar fate for the dragon nation. Nonetheless the deterrence effect of China’s can never be under estimated. In this junction this piece of work is an endeavor is to focus upon the dynamic policy of USA in the Asian continent and as well as to caution about the Indian security to be strengthened by aligning with USA and other similar partners.

DİJİTAL WEB 3.0 ORTAMINDA GERİLLA PAZARLAMA

The Semantic Internet or Web 3.0 offers increasing access to - popularly called open source programs. At the same time, the digital environment has become an unavoidable area of marketing activity, in many segments more important than the traditional analog environment.
 At the time of Web 1.0 web programmers struggled with extremely complicated computer languages (Basic, Cobalt...), Web 2.0 made the work of computer scientists easier because advanced computer languages (CSS, HTML...) were used for programming and coding; while the current Web 3.0 with semantic technologies through “open source” tools, made it possible for wide use. This change allows the digital marketer to produce web media and designs their content independently. Our research, experimenting in the controlled conditions of the semantic internet, which refers to Poper's research method “trial and error” (Poper, 1997: 157), gave a positive answer to the question of whether the currently available open source tools can be used without a special IT prior knowledge in creating content for digital guerrilla marketing in a way to successfully produce written and design content as part of a digital marketing campaign.
 The research formulated a new terms: Designer of text and visual and Producer web media. They can “guerrilla free” (or very cheap) create media on the Internet and make design content independently, without special IT knowledge. The terms was imposed as a response to today's ubiquitous “interactive image” - the combination of traditional and digital media in the global IT sphere. We also introduced the new term - web station. It is a station on the Internet where the user in multitasking consumes a web site with several scripts and applications as well, for all available digital devices. The research is intended for communicators, economists and other digital marketer as a practical aspect of independent action in a specific marketing campaign.

Evaluating the combustion characteristics of methanol-gasoline blends in IC engines

This study expresses the core elements associated with the various types of fuels used in vehicles functional in the present day. The exploration of chemicals such as methanol and others have also been conducted in an accurate manner to gain objective insights and outlooks in the study. The social and economic impacts of methanol-gasoline blends in engines can be complex in nature that depend on various factors such as the concentration levels of methanol in the blend, the availability of fuel, and public perception, among others. Further research and analysis as conducted in the study have been useful in understanding the potential impacts of methanol-gasoline blends across global spheres.

CROSS-CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: A LINGUISTIC AND COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE

In the modern global business sphere, the necessity for effective cross-cultural communication has become paramount. The article navigates the intricate interplay between language, cognition, and culture within the globalized business landscape. It offers a comprehensive view of the multifaceted complexities that underpin successful cross-cultural interactions, drawing from an extensive review of scholarly works and theoretical frameworks. Beginning with an exploration of culture’s influence on communication styles and norms, it proceeds to highlight the role of language in facilitating effective cross-cultural communication. By comparing managerial preferences across diverse cultural contexts, the study offers a nuanced understanding of cultural variations and their impact on negotiation tactics, team dynamics, and relationship-building within international business settings. Furthermore, the article sheds light on the cognitive dimensions of culture, emphasizing the need for adaptable training methodologies to bridge cultural gaps. It extends discussions to encompass the societal, political, and technological dimensions of cross-cultural interactions, underscoring the critical significance of understanding and respecting these differences to foster successful global partnerships. Through this holistic examination, the article reinforces the critical importance of linguistic and cognitive perspectives in navigating the complex web of cross-cultural communication. It provides pragmatic guidance for businesses and individuals engaged in international collaborations, highlighting the necessity for sensitivity, adaptability, and nuanced approaches to bridge diverse cultural contexts, ultimately shaping the future of successful global partnerships.

Book Review in Political Geography: Rereading “The New Map” by Daniel Yergin

Objectives: The study aims to reevaluate the core issues presented in Daniel Yergin's "The New Map" from a political geography standpoint. Our objectives include analyzing the relationship between geographic factors, energy distribution, and their impact on international relations. We seek to uncover how political geography influences energy policy, trade patterns, and alliance formation, ultimately shaping the balance of power among nations. Through this alternative perspective, we aim to enhance comprehension of the book's findings. Methods: Our approach involves a thorough analysis of Yergin's work, specifically focusing on key topics such as energy, climate, and geopolitics. We examine the connections between geographic dynamics and the global energy sphere as illustrated in "The New Map". By employing political geography as our lens, we investigate how geographical factors play a pivotal role in shaping the complex interactions within the energy sector and their geopolitical consequences. Results: Our research highlights the significant impact of political geography on energy-related issues and international dynamics, as portrayed in Daniel Yergin's book. We demonstrate the intricate relationships between geographic factors, energy distribution, and global geopolitics. Our analysis sheds light on how political geography influences energy policies, trade flows, and the formation of alliances among nations. These findings enhance the understanding of the book's insights and contribute to the existing literature on political geography. Conclusions: Through our reevaluation of "The New Map" from a political geography perspective, we conclude that geographic factors are fundamental in shaping the global energy landscape and its geopolitical implications. Political geography plays a pivotal role in determining energy policies, trade patterns, and the balance of power among nations. By placing Yergin's work within the context of political geography, we offer valuable insights that benefit geography scholars and students, contributing to a nuanced understanding of the intricate interplay between geography, energy, and geopolitics on the global stage.

The Origins of Geospheric Thinking and Its Significance for Understanding the Global World.

The article discusses one of the most pressing problems of man – his aggres-sive nature and the permanent state of war in which he lives, but for which, despite all possible attempts, no effective countermeasure has yet been found in the entire history of mankind. In this regard, the author refers to the history of understanding both the nature of war and the possibility of establishing a stable peace, as well as to globalization, which has radically changed the man’s position of on the planet in the last four centuries. In particular, attention is drawn to the fact that the current scale, quality and nature of military operations in the context of multidimensional globalization threaten with a complete destruction of intelligent life on Earth. The article suggests that, although not an absolute, but an unconditional countermeasure to this is the formation of geospheric thinking among, at least, a certain part of the inhabitants of the planet, reflecting the diversity and the way of cognition of the multi-layered global world. It is shown how geospheric consciousness and thinking, which form the basis of the global worldview, have emerged and developed historically. The analysis gives grounds to conclude that people began to think in terms of global spheres only in the nineteenth century and at the verbal level, the geospheric (planetary) thinking became a reality only by the end of the twentieth century. As a result, it is concluded that, progress in the for-mation of geospheric thinking, however slow, can contribute to the prevention of war and the maintenance of peaceful life on Earth.

Food justice in public-catering places: mapping social-ecological inequalities in the urban food systems

Departing from reflections and observations raised by Food Policy Councils (FPCs) within North America specifically, this article explores the complex material, discursive, and governance aspects of food provision on the urban-regional scale by highlighting recent accounts of public food provision within state-funded public-catering places in Germany. Based on a fieldwork in Southern Germany, and grounded in a methodological approach guided by participatory action research (PAR), participatory observation, feminist GIS, and 17 interviews with different actors within the regional food systems involved we would like to form the basis for pushing these new approaches further toward more food democracy and food justice as we are elevating the key factors and rewards, but also the downsides and challenges of food provision in public catering places regarding social-ecological inequalities. In doing so, the global intimacies of the urban food system on the local scale, their different modes of inclusions and exclusions, and their intersections of inequalities are unpacked by also shifting the focus to the economic and political entanglements at stake within the global sphere of food provision. By amplifying how producers, meal providers, and consumers within the urban food systems perceive (and perhaps contradict) issues of food justice and by coalescing their perspectives about local food system transformations and desires toward food justice and sustainability, not only the challenges at place but also the promises of hope within public-catering places are illustrated.

Eco-social policy in the global political economy: Analysing shifting discourses on agricultural subsidies

While critical political economy (CPE) has yet to play a prominent role in eco-social policy research, this paper argues that a deeper engagement with CPE and a better understanding of the global political economy can enhance eco-social policy debates. CPE can help us to see the contradictions in and impediments to integrating environmental and social policies, and particularly why both of these categories continue to be mediated and shaped by economic logics. In order to develop these arguments, we analyse recent international discourses on agricultural subsidies promoted by key policy actors such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the World Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. By examining agriculture as a nodal point between diverse scales and domains such as the local, global, environmental, social, and economic spheres, we explore how certain positions are prioritised over others. We argue that the discourse on ‘repurposing subsidies’ in global agricultural policy expresses a ‘new critical orthodoxy’ that recognises the need for transformation but fails to address the structural conditions of the global political economy responsible for environmental and social crises. Instead, the proposed solutions rely on existing institutions and capitalist logics to resolve current crises, even if the latter are underpinned by these logics. Our analysis underlines the need for eco-social policy scholarship to be cognizant of how environmental and social policy integration is always embedded within a particular global political economy that reproduces certain inequalities and is not a neutral policy terrain.

The political use of encrypted messaging applications: Evidence from southeast Asia and its implications for the global public sphere

Global Internet users face rising challenges with well-organized disinformation and propaganda campaigns. Scholars have studied this challenge by examining political communication over social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter). Much less work has examined the manipulative political role of encrypted messaging applications (EMAs), despite their massive popularity around the world. Our research examines EMAs as elements of the global public sphere through 16 qualitative interviews with people who design and track propaganda campaigns online in three ASEAN nations: Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines. Interviewees report that: 1) politicians and political groups harness EMAs in coordinated efforts to inorganically amplify their own agendas; 2) disinformation proliferates on EMAs, but civil society works to address this; and, 3) while citizens see the encrypted aspect of EMAs as powerful for civic engagement, they also feel it presents unique barriers to addressing what has become a serious problem with disinformation on EMAs.

Public sphere and global governance

This paper is about the effects of the absence and the possibility of the emergence of a normatively meaningful political public sphere. The effects of the lack of a global public sphere are far-reaching. Namely, the current crisis of global governance and the global political system can be traced back to the absence of a normatively meaningful public sphere that can mediate between global society and the authoritative institutions of global governance. At the same time, I argue that the absence of the public sphere is not primarily due to the population’s attitudes trapped in national horizons but must be primarily attributed to the deficient institutional structure of the global political system.