International Conflict Research Articles

Indonesia’s ambivalence in the Russia-Ukraine war: Balancing equal sovereignty norms with a familial approach

ABSTRACT This article examines Indonesia’s position during the Russia-Ukraine war, highlighting the tension between its traditional foreign policy principles and pragmatic approach to international conflicts. Indonesia’s support for UN resolutions condemning Russia, compared with its avoidance of directly naming Russia as the aggressor, reveals an ambivalence rooted in the paradox of upholding equal sovereignty norms while promoting a ‘familial’ approach to conflict resolution. This paradox is evident in Indonesia’s simultaneous support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity while calling for peace negotiations, which equates the aggressor with the victim. The study explores the historical context of Indonesia’s foreign policy, emphasizing sovereign equality and non-alignment, and how these principles are challenged by the current geopolitical landscape. Through qualitative content analysis of official statements, public opinion and media narratives, the article argues that Indonesia’s ambivalence in the Russia-Ukraine war reflects a tension between its normative commitments to sovereignty and pragmatic needs to peacefully end conflict.

Studi Literatur tentang Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Kemunduran Pendidikan Islam

Uu's research investigates changes and setbacks in Islamic education from its heyday to contemporary times. The research methodology used is a Literature Study/Library Study approach, by collecting data from various sources such as digital libraries and the internet. Analysis was carried out on the factors that influenced the decline of Islamic education, including the tendency of excessive philosophy, lack of appreciation for scientists, internal and external conflicts, as well as the impact of Mongol attacks and the Crusades. The results of the research showed that the decline of Islamic education had significant impacts such as stagnation in motivation, a decline in the quality of education and intellectual thinking and a narrowing of the curriculum in madrasas. However, efforts to purify Islamic teachings in the eighteenth century gave hope for a more progressive renewal of Islamic education

Paradiplomacy and international conflict: disengagement from China by Swedish local governments

This article analyzes the development of paradiplomatic relations between subnational governments in China and Sweden. The empirical material comprises official documents, media reports, and interviews, and correspondence with local decision makers. Following steady growth in the 1990s and 2000s, the number of paradiplomatic agreements between the two countries declined dramatically at the end of the 2010s. To our knowledge, this extensive “local decoupling” is unprecedented, at least in the history of modern paradiplomacy between Europe and China. The decline can primarily be explained by three interrelated factors: worsening bilateral relations between Sweden and China, growing Swedish concern about the human rights situation in China, and the lack of activity in some of the cooperation projects. Rather than pursuing goals such as peacebuilding and economic benefit, generally described as the main drivers behind local governments’ international activities, several subnational governments in Sweden deemed it appropriate to terminate cooperation with their Chinese counterparts due to other concerns. This development demonstrates the usefulness of a more constructivist perspective of paradiplomacy.

Geo-political risks, uncertainty, financial development, renewable energy, and carbon intensity: Empirical evidence from countries at high geo-political risks

Geopolitical risks and uncertainty negatively affect the economy and environmental quality. High geopolitical risks and high uncertainty increase carbon emission intensity by increasing dependence on fossil fuels. However, research in this area is still in its infancy and more empirical evidence is needed to justify the causal link. This research examines the causal mechanism linking geopolitical risk, uncertainty, financial development, renewable energy, and carbon intensity in a sample of eighteen countries with high geopolitical risk between 1985 and 2021. The selected countries have a high intensity of geopolitical risks due to internal and external conflicts that have worsened in recent years. We employ cointegration techniques from Hatemi-J [1] and Maki [2] in the presence of structural breaks, fully modified ordinary least squares (FMOLS), canonical cointegration regression (CCR) models, and static time-variant Granger causality (1969) test. We find robust empirical evidence that geopolitical risk, financial development, renewable energy, uncertainty, and carbon intensity have a cointegrating relationship in the presence of structural breaks. Results from FMOLS and CCR models indicate that carbon intensity responds differently to changes in geopolitical risk, renewable energy, uncertainty, and financial development. Environmental and energy policymakers should mitigate carbon intensity through long-run rather than short-run mechanisms to achieve SDG12 and SDG13.

The Relationship between Sovereign Debt and Politics

ABSTRACT: With the rise of bonded private debt over the past 15 years, there is an increased dependency on private creditors for sovereign nations that borrow to finance their government activities. The power of private creditors gained through increased sovereign debt burdens is affecting the internal political dynamics of these borrower countries, especially in the Global South, including Latin America. A larger external debt burden creates internal political conflict around the distribution of benefits, so debt is intimately linked with politics. Standard economics literature ignores this problem by hypothesizing markets based on perfect competition. We outline a set of hypotheses regarding the relationship between creditors' political preferences in sovereign debt markets that feature "power rents," when relatively powerful foreign investors can obtain significantly higher returns by lending to smaller, weaker nations. Bringing power asymmetries into the debt discussion, we also present a research agenda for economics and political science.

Tensions in caring for chronic patients' medication adherence: A qualitative study in Cyprus.

Medication adherence (MA) to recommended treatment is a multi-faceted problem and an ongoing challenge for healthcare providers (HCPs) to monitor. This qualitative study with 10 HCPs in Cyprus aims to explore HCPs' perceptions and strategies used on addressing medication non-adherence (MNA) in patients with chronic conditions. Two main themes emerged from the analysis reflecting the ways that HCPs described their reactions to MNA of their patients: (1) "Relying on information provision to improve MA" and (2) "Trying to understand patients' perspective." HCPs reported empathizing with patients and engaging in discussions to understand patients' perspective and reasons for MNA, so as to explore alternative solutions. Simultaneously, some HCPs reflected that the techniques used to improve MA are solely centered around information on medication and side-effects. HCPs experienced an internal conflict between providing patient-centered care versus using directive approaches to improve MA. Findings suggest how HCPs could thoroughly address patients' individual barriers.

Analysis of Conflict Faced by the Main Character in “Spiderman No Way Home” Movie

This research is entitled “The Analysis of Conflict Faced By The Main Character In “Spiderman No Way Home” Movie”. This study aims to find out the types of conflict in Spiderman No Way Home movie and to analyze the conflict management strategies are used by the main character in Spiderman No Way Home movie. In collecting data, this study applied observation method. The method used in analysing the data is a descriptive qualitative method. The writer analysed the data based on the theory types of conflict and conflict management strategies by Kenney (1966). In presenting the findings, formal and informal methods are used. The formal method is used by presenting the data in the form of table to present research findings on the type of conflicts the main character faces, and the informal method is used by explaining the data using description or sentence as well as in the form of text to describe how the main character manages to settle the conflict in the movie through a narrative form. The results showed that the main character of “Spiderman: No Way Home” movie faced two types of conflicts, which were internal conflict and external conflict. The external conflict dominated the data result, with 87.5% over 12.5%. The external conflict happened between the main character with other characters, also with the society. Meanwhile, the internal conflict occurred inside the main character, which was Peter Parker. An analysis of the way the main character manages the conflict was found in “Spiderman: No Way Home” movie, they were compromise, pacification, and competition. Based on the analysis result using Kenney theory (1966), the most strategy found in the movie was competition. It took 90% of the strategy result.

의미 네트워크(Semantic Network)를 활용한 중국 독자의 한국 여성 서사 수용 연구: 최은영 『밝은 밤』의 정동(Affect)적 접근

This study analyzes Chinese readers' rating reviews of Eunyoung Choi's Bright Night using a semantic network to explore Chinese readers' acceptance of Korean female narratives in terms of affect. Eunyoung Choi's Bright Night was ranked second overall and first in the foreign fiction category in the 2023 annual book rankings on Douban, China's largest book rating site. The novel centers on the stories of four women: a great-grandmother, a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter. The relationship between the great-grandmother, aunt, and neighboring women who lived through the Japanese occupation and the Korean War, as well as the conflict and reconciliation between grandmother, mother, and me, are important narrative devices in the novel. Affect refers to the continuous transformation of potential states inherent in the body into reality through ‘encounter’. The bodies that are encountered are not only human bodies, but also literary works such as Bright Night. The idea transformed by the encounter between bodies is affect, and the actual state is objectified in language. The analysis showed that Chinese readers were most affected by the matriarchal narratives of the four women, and the women's painful lives and internal conflicts, and the friendship and solidarity of other women to help them overcome them. Cluster analysis of the reviewed texts to identify specific emotional patterns revealed four patterns: ‘empathizing with women's suffering and pain’, ‘emotions of healing and hope for female characters’ ‘friendship and reconciliation’, ‘literary emotions of female solidarity’, and ‘heart-to-heart encounters’. This study confirms that Korean women's narratives can reach readers with different national systems and social structures and cause emotional changes, which can be extended to East Asian women's narratives.

Research on External Manifestation of Character Existentialism in Chinese Animation in the New Media Era - Taking The Outcast, Killer Seven and Incarnation as Examples

Existentialism, after over a century of development, has evolved from a philosophical idea into a way of life. In recent years, a group known as "refined egoists" has emerged in both reality and animated works. The appearance of these extreme existentialists who ignore social responsibility reveals that in this era of transition between old and new ideologies, existentialist thought has awakened in people's value systems. This article intends to analyze the external manifestations of character’s existentialism in animation works to summarize the reflections of objective phenomena in reality and to discuss the contradictions and problems that the current young generation are facing between themselves and society. This article uses qualitative research methods to analyze representative characters from three animated series, The Outcast, Killer Seven, and Incarnation, and uses a thematic analysis method that combines existentialism theory to summarize the external manifestations of characters in terms of their internal conflicts, conflicts between individuals, and conflicts between individuals and society. These manifestations include the denial of determinism, affirmation of subjectivity under relative justice, identification with minority groups, denial of authority, and autonomous choice of values. Young generation people are confronted with unprecedentedly great uncertainty and insecurity brought about by the freedom of choice, as well as the social reality of the gradual awakening of existentialist consciousness in contemporary society.

Black male college athletes’ self-schemata and (Un)critical consciousness

ABSTRACT Extant literature on the experiences of Black male college athletes focuses on outcomes, such as their college engagement (academic, athletic, and social), graduation rates, and post-college transitions. However, there is a lack of focus on the antecedents of these outcomes. This article offers empirical findings from a study of 16 Black male college athletes’ developmental experiences at Division I historically white institutions. The study employed a constructivist grounded theory methodology and incorporated a three-stage coding analysis to make sense of data. A key finding from this study is the identification of the (Sub)Conscious Decision-Making Filter, which is comprised of the following four components: (a) Self-Schemata; (b) Critical Racial Consciousness; (c) Social Associations Related to Racial, Athletic, and Student Identities; and (d) Internal Conflict. Data analysis offers insights into the meaning-making processes of Black male college athletes as they exist in majority white spaces, which is vital for sport administrators who seek to support the optimal holistic development of this important stakeholder group.

Expelling controversies: assessing the effectiveness of party expulsion procedures to resolve internal conflicts

ABSTRACT Intra-party conflicts are a constant challenge for political parties, involving both personal and political aspects. Notably, expulsion procedures are initiated against members involved in these conflicts as a means of resolution. However, the question arises whether expulsion procedures are an effective approach to addressing internal conflicts. This paper aims to examine the practice and effectiveness of expulsion procedures as a mechanism for resolving intra-party conflicts. The study focuses on Germany, where parties and expulsions are strictly regulated by law, and uses a case study approach including three cases from different contexts of intra-party conflict in recent years: Max Otte and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Boris Palmer and the Greens and Sahra Wagenknecht and the Left Party. Unresolved conflicts can have serious consequences, potentially even destabilising or dismantling the parties. Therefore, effective conflict resolution mechanisms are crucial to ensure internal functioning and cohesion and need to be systematically analysed. However, political science literature has so far barely addressed the issue of party expulsions. The study will show that, in many scenarios, expulsion procedures often fail to resolve internal conflicts and that conflicts involving larger groups, such as factions, tend to persist or intensify even after expulsion procedures have been initiated.

Language Politics in Sri Lanka: Linguistic Purism, Cultural Pluralism and Identity

This study, based partly on archival research, tackles a number of interrelated issues regarding the sociolinguistic dynamics of language politics in Sri Lanka from the colonial era to the present. In colonial Ceylon, such politics initially manifested as resistance against foreign elements, but later evolved into internal conflicts when majoritarian Sinhala-focused linguistic purism movements appropriated Sinhala as a national identity marker. The resulting civil war until 2009 indicated that misguided prospects of linguistic purism in the name of ethnic nationalism have been a costly mistake for this small state, threatening to tear the nation apart. Regarding more recent issues of language planning and policy reforms, which also concern the place of English, the focus turns specifically to the rapid digitalisation of communication and related impacts of global virtual language environments. These substantially reduce the significance of any specific language or local vernacular, while individual and group identity is strengthened through inclusive use of linguistic registers within multilingual digital spaces.

Leadership transition: Challenges faced by millennial leaders in leading multigenerational employees at a service company in Surabaya

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to find out what challenges are faced by millennial leaders and the efforts made in carrying out their role as new company leaders, where the employees currently working at the company are multi-generational. Method: Qualitative study approach using a phenomenological approach. Result: Generational transition in a company where the gap between generations is quite large and causes internal conflict which has an impact on the company's internal condition. A leadership transition occurred in a service company in Surabaya where the previous leader was from the baby boomer generation who was then replaced by a leader from the millennial generation. Baby boomer leaders who have a command and control leadership style cause internal conflict which has an impact on low levels of engagement and several employees decide to resign from Company X due to differences in viewpoints between generations. Company X has multi-generational employees. The new leader of Company X, the millennial leader, must start leading the company under conditions that are far from ideal. However, the millennial leader succeeded in overcoming this problem and made Company X employees more productive and positive by adopting a transformational leadership style. Conclusion: The subject tends to apply a transformational and adaptive leadership style. Not only that, the main principle possessed by the participant, where the participant always tries to serve and help his team members well, makes him can be said to be a leader who has the servant leader type.

Muhammad Abduh's Qur'anic Interpretation Of Jihad: Implementation And Challenges In Modern Indonesian Society

Muhammad Abduh is a modern mufassir whose thoughts are widely studied by scholars, one of which is about the verse of jihad. Abduh's ideas about the interpretation of the verse of jihad have inspired the birth of new thoughts that are more accommodating to the times. The purpose of this paper is to explore Abduh's thoughts on jihad in the Qur'an; implement and analyze the challenges of Abduh's jihad interpretation for modern Indonesian society; and analyze the positive and negative impacts of the implementation offer. The method used is library research with a content analysis approach. The results revealed that Abduh understood jihad was not limited to military and war aspects, spiritual, moral, social, and educational struggles also included the meaning of jihad. Jihad is also understood as a continuous effort to improve oneself and society, uphold justice, and advance science and social reform; the implementation of Abduh's meaning of Jihad is very relevant and in line with the needs of a plural and dynamic Indonesian society. By integrating education, dialog, and active involvement from all components of society, it can encourage the creation of a more just, peaceful, and advanced society. The challenge is that there is resistance and rejection from traditional circles that hold fast to old thinking; the positive impact of Abduh's thinking is to encourage the constructive contribution of Muslims in various aspects of life and inspire a peaceful and progressive renewal movement. Meanwhile, the negative impact is the potential for internal conflict, because his offer of thought will face the traditionalist thinking adopted by most Indonesians.

Compassionate revanchism, homelessness, and the divided local state: the case of Spokane, WA

ABSTRACT This study deepens our understanding of compassionate revanchism in the spatial management of homelessness in a relatively understudied, midsize city: Spokane, WA. Spokane has observed consistently increasing levels of homelessness in recent years and has been vastly understudied as a site of homelessness compared to larger American cities. This study investigates the internal workings of the City of Spokane in its efforts to solve its worsening homelessness crisis and presents a critical discourse analysis of compassionate revanchism in the process. Spokane’s homelessness practices mirror the contradictory trend of persistent revanchist approaches coupled with increased funding to systems of care experienced in other cities. But a deeper analysis reveals a sharp internal conflict within the local state in Spokane, especially between the Mayor’s Office, the City Council and other local state agencies. This conflict reflects a stark divide within the homelessness discourse regarding its primary causes and applicable solutions and demonstrates that local governments are not the singular actors that are frequently portrayed in the literature. In the process, compassionate revanchism is revealed to be indicative of a more complicated internal division within local government (between starkly opposing narratives regarding homelessness) as much as it is a singular ambivalent policy approach.

Strategi Komunikasi dalam Mengatasi Konflik Internal di Perguruan Tinggi XYZ (Studi kasus: Antara Departemen Komunikasi Pemasaran dengan Departemen Keuangan)

XYZ College experienced conflict issues at the time of closing new student admissions (PMB) for the 2023-2024 period. This was triggered by the injury time promotion which was carried out during the final seconds of the closing of PMB for the 2023 - 2024 period. This research aims to analyze the communication strategies used in resolving internal conflicts at XYZ High School. Through this research, it is hoped that effective communication strategies can be found to resolve conflicts in this organization. This research can also provide insight and recommendations for XYZ universities and similar organizations in handling conflict effectively. This research uses a qualitative method, a descriptive narrative approach with 2 informants, namely the marketing communications manager and the financial manager of XYZ College. Based on the research results obtained regarding Communication Strategies in Overcoming Internal Conflict at XYZ Higher Education, namely by implementing the three important steps needed to develop a communication strategy according to Anwar Arifin.

Problem państw de facto w stosunkach międzynarodowych w okresie dekolonizacji w Afryce

THE PROBLEM OF DE FACTO STATES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DURING THE DECOLONISATION IN AFRICA: THE CASE OF KATANGA AND SOUTH KASAI In modern history of Sub-Saharan Africa there have been several attempts of secession, most of which failed. Some of them were successful, such as Eritrea or South Sudan, others were close to success, such as Katanga in the Belgian Congo or Biafra in Nigeria, and some others never had any practical chances of success, such as Cabinda, aiming to separate from Angola, or South Kasai from Congo. The Republic of Congo, one of the largest countries in Sub Saharan Africa, was the first of the independent states in this region to experience civil war and separatism. This former Belgian colony gained independence on 30 June 1960 and was plunged into an internal conflict just two weeks later. The military rebellion and the chaos that arose in the country after the declaration of independence were used by politicians from the mineral-rich Katanga and South Kasai provinces. The conflict, taking place in the realities of the Cold War and decolonisation, became an element of a larger international game between the Western world, the Eastern bloc, and non-aligned countries. Katanga is the only example so far when the international community has made an effort towards ending secession of an unrecognised state and has tried to restore state unity using military force through the United Nations.

Dyplomacja Chińskiej Republiki Ludowej w okresie pandemii COVID-19 wobec państw Afryki

DIPLOMACY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TOWARDS AFRICAN COUNTRIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC COVID-19 pandemic has been a real challenge and severe test of International Relations. It has been also a chance to gain or lose points in inter-power rivalry in Africa, which is full of contradictions. On the one hand, rich in human and natural resources, including energy ones. On the other hand, full of poverty, poor infrastructure (including health infrastructure), internal conflicts and political and economic instability what have a bad influence on the world economy and security. China, which nowadays is perceived as one of the most aggressive competitors in Africa, seems to conduct highly consistent policy towards this continent without any break, even in time of COVID-19 pandemic. This paper is an attempt to analyse Chinese activities in Africa at that time in context of global competition in this area and to evaluate how much they can influence China’s position there. Thus, after a brief historical background, it presents the most significant formal events and declarations between both partners, along with Chinese “mask and vaccine diplomacy” towards Africa from early 2020 until the beginning of 2023. The elements like soft power actions were especially under consideration in this analysis as these ones that are the most effective in the contemporary global policy, or at least equally fruitful as hard power.

Kedudukan dan Fungsi Lembaga Kemasyarakatan Desa di Desa Buar Kecamatan Rahong Utara Kabupaten Manggarai Berdasarkan Peraturan Menteri dalam Negeri Nomor 18 Tahun 2018 Tentang Lembaga Kemasyarakatan Desa dan Lembaga Adat Desa

This study analyzes the position and function of village community institutions in Buar Village, North Rahong District, Manggarai Regency based on Permendagri No. 18 of 2018. The method used in this study is an empirical judiciary method using primary data and secondary data. Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 23 of 2014 (Law No.23 of 2014) concerning Regional Government states that in the village a community institution can be established stipulated by Village Regulations guided by Laws and Regulations. In the general explanation of the Law, it is explained that in order to realize democratization and transparency of development at the community level and to encourage, motivate, and create access so that the community plays a more active role in development activities as well as assisting the village government in managing development and community empowerment, it is necessary to establish community institutions in the village. The formulation of the problem in this study is: (1) What is the position of Village Community institutions in Buar Village, North Rahong District, Manggarai Regency Based on the Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 18 of 2018?, and (2) Factors Hindering the Implementation of the Authority of the Position of Village Community Institutions in Buar Village, North Rahong District, Manggarai Regency Based on the Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 18 of 2018?. From the results of the research, the author concludes that the function of community institutions in the implementation of development in Buar Village, North Rahong District, Manggarai Regency has not been maximized in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Home Affairs Number 18 of 2018. Some of the functions that have not been implemented include the preparation of development plans in a participatory manner, the shelter and distribution of community aspirations, and the increase of community participation in development. Factors inhibiting the implementation of the authority of Village Community institutions include lack of resources, limited knowledge and skills of village institution members, dependence on the central or regional government, corruption and nepotism practices, internal conflicts, and leadership instability.

Revisiting Empathy, Motivational Systems, and a Theory of Cure

ABSTRACT Lichtenberg’s chapter on “Empathy, Motivational Systems, and a Theory of Cure” was a brilliant effort to integrate his new paradigm of multimotivational systems with Kohut’s empathic approach to psychotherapy. Lichtenberg shows how the clinical dialogue with patients can be monitored by using empathic perception to track shifts in motivational systems. At any given moment, a particular motivational system may become dominant. Successfully identifying the dominant motivation through empathic perception creates in patients a feeling of being understood without judgment. This ambience of safety allows for a shift that activates an exploratory motivation with patients and a spirit of inquiry. An observational platform is created where experience from the past with attachment figures and interaction in the here and now in therapy can be explored from new perspectives. Recent research in psychotherapy that uses monitoring the clinical dialogue with patients by tracking shifts in motivational systems supports the view of its positive effects. Lichtenberg’s “theory of cure” is based on the premise that an empathic perception that monitors shifts in motivational systems will mobilize intrinsic self-righting capacities in patients. I note that there is controversy about what mutative factors in psychotherapy are most important: building an ambience of safety and trust or creating new insights into personal and internal conflicts through the use of language and symbolic representations. Both factors are crucial for positive changes in psychotherapy, and their importance will vary from patient to patient and from one patient–therapist relation to another. I note that Wilma Bucci’s multiple code theory that sees experience coded at subsymbolic and verbal symbolic levels supports this view. I close by proposing that we can build on Lichtenberg’s multimotivational system by adding a trans-survival need to give meaning to our lives.