International Forces Research Articles

Memory of Colonial Crimes in Belgium

The article explores Belgium as a case-study of the phenomenon of “colonial amnesia” in the EU. Contemporary discourse on European history includes the Holocaust and Communism as central and unifying themes, while colonialism is determined as a distinct phenomenon. Despite its official condemnation, European states attitude towards colonialism differ. The authors argue that European states tend to avoid responsibility for the colonial-era atrocities and even deny their involvement. At the same time, public discussions over the silencing of colonial crimes are fueled by research that implicates European states in (post)colonial violence and negatively impacts their reputation on the international arena. Concerns over their international image forces the European countries to publicly apologise for their past. In 2022 the subject-matter of public apologies in Belgium was colonial violence committed by Belgians against the Congolese, as well as the events of the early 1960s, which led to the murder of Congolese Prime-Minister Patrice Lumumba, allegedly condoned by the Belgian government. Under the public pressure, former colonial powers are forced to at least “turn over” the painful page of their past in order to normalize relations with the former colonies. Using critical discourse-analysis and qualitative and quantitative content-analysis, authors analyze the apologies addressed to the DRC by Belgium authorities in the period of 2002‒2022. The article concludes that these statements are meant to frame Belgium’s responsibility exclusively in terms of morality by acknowledging the “wrong moral choices”.

Review of Opportunities and Challenges in China-Afghanistan Relations Post-U.S. Withdrawal

The relationship between China and Afghanistan has witnessed significant changes over the years, encompassing various political, economic, and security dimensions. Afghanistan's strategic location as a bridge between Central and South Asia holds particular significance for China, serving as a key transit route for infrastructure projects like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and others. Additionally, Afghanistan's rich mineral reserves, including copper, oil, and lithium, are particularly attractive to China, especially for its technology and electronics manufacturing industries. Therefore, despite these attractions, China seeks to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan to enable the country to serve as a reliable economic and trade partner. However, despite the opportunities present in bilateral relations, the unstable security situation in Afghanistan, especially after the withdrawal of international forces, the presence of regional powers like India, Pakistan, and Iran, and their competition for influence in Afghanistan, along with security concerns, represent significant challenges that could impact bilateral relations. This article uses a descriptive library-based method to address the question: What opportunities and challenges exist in China-Afghanistan relations, and how can both countries manage these challenges to capitalize on opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation? It is assumed that China and Afghanistan, by leveraging economic opportunities stemming from Afghanistan's natural resources and joint infrastructure projects, can strengthen their relations, provided both countries manage security challenges and regional competition wisely to ensure the necessary stability for such cooperation.

Analysis of the Process of RMB Internationalization with Special Emphasis on the Offshore Bond Markets

With rapid economic growth in recent years, China has become the world's second largest economy. In the context of economic globalization, the process of RMB internationalization is gradually accelerating, and remarkable achievements have been made in cross-border settlement and offshore market. This paper first reviews the relevant theories of currency internationalization and analyzes the historical conditions of the development of RMB internationalization. It reveals the internal and external driving forces of RMB internationalization and sorts out its development context. Taking the offshore bond market as the research object, the currency structure in the international bond market is selected as an index reflecting the degree of currency internationalization, and the determining model of international bond proportion is established. Using the data of 28 countries from 2005 to 2019, the regression analysis shows that a country's economic size and domestic macroeconomic stability are positively correlated with the level of currency internationalization, while foreign exchange reserves are negatively correlated. According to the model, the difference between the theoretical demand and the actual issuance of RMB international bonds is nearly 10 times. Therefore, it can be inferred that the offshore RMB bond market has great development potential.

Buying and selling in the Balkans: the case of Kosovo

The study analyzes from the anthropological viewpoint the transformation of trade relations, trade transactions, the inclusion of men and women of different ages, representatives of various ethnic groups, religions and strata of society in the circulation of goods and services in the territory of Kosovo/Kosovo and Metohija at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. From a quiet “province” of the Ottoman Empire, royal Yugoslavia and the SFRY, the historical region has turned into the forefront of confrontation between both Balkan elites and international forces. Leaving aside, as far as possible, the multi-vector discussion regarding the status of the territory/region/state, the author focuses on the social and cultural aspects of the type of activity and economic sphere that directly and acutely affect all residents of the region without exception – be they Albanians, Serbs, Turks, Gorans or Roma, Muslims or Christians, rich, poor or middle class – namely, trade. Growing all over the world, both in the business community and among professional researchers studying culture and society, the interest in corporate anthropology is due to the importance of the ethnic factor in the development strategy of individual states and the global economy, and this involves the collection of empirical data and an attempt to assess the risks of conducting business, trade, scientific and other projects that directly affect people’s lives and influence their social “well-being”.

The Red Sea Crisis: Implications of The Houthi Attack on Maritime Trade and Global Security

The study explores the impact of the Houthi group's missile and drone attacks on Israeli commercial ships in the Red Sea, focusing on the broader implications for regional stability, maritime and global trade security. The strategic position of the Red Sea as an important trade route connecting the Middle East with Asia and Europe has made it an important area of international attention, especially after the Houthi attacks in November 2023. The research uses a qualitative approach, analysing data from a variety of sources including academic literature, official reports, and news articles. The findings highlight that the Houthi attacks have caused significant disruptions in maritime trade, with the capacity of container ships in the Red Sea decreasing by 80 percent as ships moved around Africa, resulting in higher costs and longer travel times. In addition, the attacks have exacerbated regional tensions and required increased military patrols by international forces. The study concludes that the ongoing Houthi aggression poses a serious threat not only to regional stability but also to global trade and security, and calls for coordinated international efforts to mitigate this impact.

A Disputed Hegemony: Negotiating Neurosurgical Patient Care in the Netherlands, 1930-1952.

The emergence of the neurosurgical patient as a novel clinical entity in the Netherlands was marked by a lingering conflict between neurologists and neurosurgeons, in which both types of specialists sought to assume the clinical and institutional leadership of neurosurgical patient care. In the 1920s and 1930s, neurologists had facilitated the establishment of the first generation of neurosurgeons in the country, and in the process, had managed to clinically and institutionally subordinate neurosurgery to neurology. As the demand for neurosurgical patient care grew, the neurosurgeons began to challenge this hegemonic relationship. The neurologists, however, were unwilling to give up their control, fearing that they would be bypassed in the diagnosis of patients eligible to neurosurgery. These conflicting aims and interests resulted in an intricate demarcation battle, in which the boundary work between neurologists and neurosurgeons was directly played out at the local workplace and at the meetings of the Study Club for Neuro-Surgery, and indirectly at various other sites of contestation, such as medical journals and academic lecture halls, as both parties sought to rally external stakeholders to their cause. During these negotiations, local, national, and international forces increasingly intertwined to shape the particular organization of Dutch neurosurgery in the middle of the twentieth century. By analyzing this multilayered demarcation process, this article draws attention to the complexity of medical boundary work, and to the way in which, despite pervasive international influences, specialist practice was ultimately negotiated at the local and national levels.

Prospects for the creation of OSCE international police forces: International legal aspects

Prospects for the creation of OSCE international police forces: International legal aspects

Peran BUMDes (Badan Usaha Milik Desa) Untuk Pemulihan Ekonomi Masyarakat Desa

In Law No. 6 of 2014, the establishment of Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) is intended to encourage or accommodate all activities to increase community income, both those that develop according to local customs and culture, as well as economic activities that are submitted to be managed by the community through programs or local government programs projects. As a village business, the establishment of BUMDes is expected to be able to take advantage of all the potential of the village community, both in terms of economy, natural resources and human resources. The establishment of BUMDes in villages is able to absorb village workers, open up productive economic business opportunities, build business networks, improve the welfare of rural communities, and have a contribution to PADes (Village Original Income). BUMDes S is one of the important economic forces owned by the village in the midst of the entry of various national and international business forces. Even during the pandemic and post-covid-19 pandemic, BUMDes is one of the institutions in the village that plays an important role in supporting the economic recovery of rural communities. BUMDES is expected to be the "base of the people's economy" and strengthen village government finances through productive economic business activities for rural communities and contribute to economic recovery of rural communities.

THE INTERSECTION OF SCIENCE AND POLICY IN SPORTS SAFETY

The growing and deepening geopolitical differences suggest a growing threat to international security. People often ask us if there is still a cold war. With the involvement of regional and international forces, crises are becoming more widespread and conflicts are becoming more transnational. This is confirmed by the situation in Ukraine, as well as by the rising tensions and conjecture on a European military confrontation. Even in 2021, with fewer people traveling across EU borders due to the COVID-19 epidemic, migration remains one of the most contentious issues in European politics. In an attempt to slow the spread and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, nations have limited international, transnational, and domestic travel. This has had an impact on migration and human mobility in the European region. Safety in sports is of paramount importance to ensure the well-being and longevity of athletes across various disciplines.

Childhood in the Anthropocene (Information about the UNICEF Report – Places and spaces: The impact of the environment on children's well-being)

The UNICEF report has educational value and is a resource of knowledge about the environmental conditions in which children worldwide live and develop. Childhood in the Anthropocene is not idyllic. Poverty, ecological threats and climate changes adversely affect the development and physical and mental health of the youngest generation. Apart from presenting reliable research, the title document argues for solidarity and uniting local and international forces to protect the environment and children growing up in it. The time frame takes the reader from the inherited world to the future. The state of the environment depends only on man and international solidarity.

Historical Perspective of Industrial Relationship in Nigeria

This study provides a comprehensive examination of the evolution of industrial relations in Nigeria, tracing its historical development from the colonial era through post-independence fluctuations, military rule, structural adjustments, and contemporary global influences. It highlights the interplay between colonial legacies, nationalism, authoritarian governance, economic liberalisation, and globalisation in shaping Nigeria's labour landscape. Analysing the various eras—Colonial, Post-Independence, Military Interregnum, Structural Adjustment, Return to Democracy, and Contemporary Global Influences—the study underscores the dynamic interactions among government policies, employer strategies, labour union activities, and international forces. It delves into the challenges of political interference, corruption, legal inadequacies, global labour standards, and economic transformations. The study emphasises the importance of resilience, adaptability, and collaborative dialogue in navigating the complexities of industrial relations towards ensuring labour equity and economic progress in Nigeria's continuously evolving socio-economic.

INTERPRETATION IN POST-2003 IRAQ

The history of translation in Iraq arises of its deep roots. It started strongly twelve hundred years ago and has been participated in showing the scientific and thinking identity of Iraq. The most thriving period was during the time of the Abbasid state, when translation helped spreading knowledge and science around the world. Later, it has been disappeared for centuries, in a period has called dark ages, during which Iraq and other Arab states were suffering of cultural deterioration. Eventually, Iraq has returned back to be an independent state after the declaring of the modern Iraqi kingdom in 1921, where assisted in appearing the translation at the elite level in universities, ministries, institutions, courts, and companies. The real widespread of interpretation began after 2003. Exactly, after the occupation of Iraq by the international coalition forces led by the United States of America, which led to the deployment of more than 150,000 individuals in Iraq, those who were not able to speak Arabic, while their mission supposed to be in direct contact with Iraqis. They thought that their task in interpretation and communication with Iraqis would be solved by modern technology, but they were surprised that high-cost modern translation devices were unfunctional. Therefore, they had forwarded to the Iraqi citizens to be their mediator; they had contracted with large, numerous and local interpreters. However, they couldn’t deal with this issue easily, due to its sensitive relationship among many Iraqis who were rejecting and resisting the American occupation. During that period, the profession of translators was subjected to the sense of sovereignty, betrayal, and patriotism in Iraq. In spite of the difficulties, the experience was productive. There are many lessons that can be studied and learned from it, the most important of which are the birth of a new generation of young interpreters, as well as the attention among young people to learn languages and practice professional translation. Therefore, many of those who worked as translators continued their studies and obtained the highest educational grades in translation and other language topics.

China’s Financial Statecraft under Xi Jinping Administration in Selected Southeast Asian Countries

With China’s economic rise and influence, financial statecraft has increasingly been deployed to serve the country’s national interest. The growth of China’s financial statecraft in the region has drawn greater media and academic attention. Notwithstanding the abundant literature on China’s financial statecraft in Southeast Asia, the previous studies lack a detailed analysis of various financial statecraft instruments deployed by China. To get a better understanding of China’s deployment of financial statecraft over the years under Xi Jinping’s administration, this article fills the gap in the existing literature by delving into various factors that influenced various financial statecraft instruments with respect to the objectives, trends or patterns and agencies involved in the region. Given Xi’s successful bid for continued political rule by eliminating a term limit on the presidency as well as the escalating China-US strategic rivalry, it is important to examine how the interaction of domestic and international forces has shaped the evolution of financial statecraft in Southeast Asia. Due to the changes in domestic politics and shifts in the geopolitics and geoeconomics, an important question that deserves our attention is how these changes has influenced China’s deployment of various financial statecraft instruments in different Southeast Asian countries. The paper focuses on two middle-income countries (i.e., Malaysia and Thailand) and two low-income countries (i.e. Cambodia and Laos) in the region.

Coal Exists, Therefore it Must be dug up

As the world’s second largest exporter of coal, Australia has been notoriously reticent to facilitate the technological transitions required to alleviate climate change. The influence of the mining lobby has been well documented, as have the machinations of successive governments, who have had little success in overcoming this influence, or determination to do so. Yet communities in coal mining regions of the Hunter Valley are increasingly, and actively, questioning the morality of the industry. From conflicts over land use, to the impacts that burning coal has on climate change, the coal industry is aware of the tenuous nature of its social license to operate. In response it has invested in campaigns which emphasises the role of the industry in building the local ecology: not only of the local regional economy, but also in building historical and cultural value, in an attempt to ‘lock-in’ mining’s particular values and ethics. As the pressure on coal from international forces increases, this restrictive view is challenged, with the nation committed to the technologies and pollutions of the past and left behind as others move towards cleaner sources of energy. Power and ethics shape not only visions of the future, but the capacity to engage with the likely social and physical outcomes of those actions.

Rwanda: Genocide and International Humanitarian Law

It was difficult to hold the international world, led by Boutros-Ghali, accountable for starting the Rwandan genocide, which was fueled by vile propaganda and the residual anger of the past that the prime minister's assassination had stoked. However, the UN might be held accountable for ignoring its obvious warning signals. The notorious "genocide fax" was sent to UN headquarters in January by General Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian commander of the tiny international peacekeeping force stationed in Rwanda. He alerted readers about the Hutu junta's intentions to "register all Tutsi" in order to get ready "for their extermination." Gen. Dallaire asked for permission to raid weapons caches that might end up in the hands of Hutus and facilitate their murderous plans in order to stop the carnage. At the time, Kofi Annan led UN peacekeeping efforts. refused his request, citing the need for the blue helmets to maintain their neutrality. The UN would turn a blind eye to the Rwandan situation, just like Pilate did, and genocide would ensue. To address this gap in action, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) protocol was created, outlining a series of situations in which the UN can and ought to step in. The R2P protocol's development is the topic of this study. The topic of the UN is then examined, with a focus on the organization's capacity to deal with violations of human rights. Using Rwanda as a case study, the Responsibility to Protect protocol is discussed along with the difficulties Rwanda faces in applying international humanitarian law. Given this, the creation of the R2P protocolis reviewed, including background information and contemporary implications. A summary of the key ideas and issues covered in this research work is provided in the conclusion

High-power Microwaves Against Locust Invasion

Background:: There are a lot of phytophagous and harmful animals in agriculture and forestry in the entire world. The ultimate goal in locust control is the use of preventive and proactive methods that disrupt the environment to the least possible extent. This would make agricultural production easier and more secure in the many regions where growing crops is of vital importance. Method:: The possibility of using high-power microwave systems to combat harmful animal pests in agriculture and forestry is discussed. The proposed method is compared favorably with respect to the environment. Results:: The obtained results of the study demonstrated the possibility of using modern sources of high-power microwave radiation to solve the problem of insect invasion. Conclusion:: It should be noted that the use of powerful microwaves is a promising means of controlling locusts and other pests. Mobile international forces equipped with modern microwave apparatus can solve the problem of combating locusts and other pests on a global scale without harming the environment. Microwave systems can also be used against other phytophagous pests of agriculture and forestry.

Jugoslavija i Sovjetski Savez (SSSR) - od međusobnog nepriznavanja do ugovora o večnom prijateljstvu

This article is dedicated to shedding light on one of the most challenging periods within the complex genesis of Serbian-Russian relations. Among the numerous scientifically intriguing phenomena related to the subject of research, a paradoxical fact stands out, which testifies to the relations between two civilizations and cultures with common roots, yet diametrically opposed political regimes. From the academic community's perspective, particular attention should be drawn to the policy and stance of Yugoslavia during this delicate historical moment, when it seemed that new directions in the development of relations were being created, including the pragmatic need to establish diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union. On the other hand, the Soviet Union's strategic calculations toward Yugoslavia were no less complex, as they evolved from purely ideological foundations to pragmatic considerations due to a series of changing circumstances on the European continent. When the complex internal situations in these states are considered with the international dimension, marked by extremely volatile and turbulent European and regional circumstances, a more comprehensive and complete picture emerges regarding the nature and dynamics of Yugoslav-Soviet relations. An interesting aspect of these relations lies in the fact that, despite their differing ideological structures, both countries, within a relatively short period, found themselves targeted by the same international forces. Given the complexity of the research subject, the article strives to identify the turning points, within the persistent continuity of Yugoslav-Soviet relations, that mark the beginnings of discontinuity.

О способах усиления чрезвычайного гуманитарного реагирования МЧС России за пределами Российской Федерации

Purpose. Currently, on average, a disaster which demands international response forces for elimination is registered in the world every week. In this regard, there is an increasing need to train specialists capable of participating in international emergency response in accordance with the universal methodology developed by UNDAC. To solve this problem, it is necessary to work out an algorithm for conducting exercises and training sessions. The purpose of this article is to analyze the international exercises on coordinating and assessing emergency humanitarian response conducted in November 2023 by EMERCOM of Russia in order to work out didactically sound methodology for conducting such exercises in the long run. The relevance of the study is accounted for the demand for Russian specialists in humanitarian response at the international level, on the one hand, and the need to develop uniform algorithms for training Russian rescuers for international cooperation when responding to emergencies, on the other hand. Methods. System analysis, information synthesis methods and expert analysis methods have served as a scientific basis for the study. Findings. The analysis of the exercises effectiveness has been carried out from the point of view of implementing the assigned tasks – updating communication skills in English in the professional sphere; forming theoretical basis and developing practical skills in the field of international humanitarian response to emergencies; forming soft skills. A unified algorithm has been worked out for preparing Russian rescuers for international cooperation when responding to emergencies. Research application field. The results obtained can be used to organize similar exercises in future, which will increase the effectiveness of training international-level Russian rescuers and allow them to successfully solve professional tasks in real emergencies. Conclusions. The format of the international exercise gives its participants an opportunity to gain the necessary theoretical knowledge and practice key skills and habits in a short time. The success of the exercises allows the organizers to conclude that it is advisable to keep this format and content in future regarding all components of the exercise: language training, practical value and updating soft skills.

The state and industrialization in Turkey since the nineteenth century

State directed industrialization in developing countries became a common strategy after World War II. The success of a small number of countries in East Asia added new dimensions to the debates on the role of states in taming domestic and international market forces. However, it soon became evident that states and government-private sector relations in developing countries show a great deal of variation which is reflected in the different degrees of success with state directed industrialization. This paper focuses on a country which has experienced above average rates of industrialization but has not been amongst the most successful cases. It examines the evolution of the larger political order, the state-private sector relations and the related “micro” institutions in four periods. One key finding is that the international environment has not always been conducive to industrialization. Moreover, industrialization outcomes did not depend on a single or a specific set of institutions but on the relations between the political and private sector elites, and more generally, on the political economy.

Оккупация и освобождение территории курдов-езидов в Ираке от боевиков "Исламского государства Ирака и Леванта" в 2014–2015 гг.

This article examines the circumstances of the occupation of the town of Sinjar (Shengal) in the north-west of Iraq by the terrorist organization known as the Islamic State (ISIS). Sinjar is the center of a vast territory inhabited by the ethno-confessional group of Yazidi Kurds. In August 2014 this territory was surrendered to ISIS militants by the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdish Autonomous Region without serious resistance. The defense of the area and the refugee escape routes were provided only by weak detachments of the local militia and the arrived People’s Defense Units of the Syrian Kurdistan and Kurdistan Workers’ Party. ISIS militants considered Yazidis as devil worshipers and demanded Yazidis to renounce their faith. During the occupation of Sinjar, they practiced massacres, destruction of shrines, and abductions of women and children for sale into sexual slavery. The ISIS policy towards Yazidis during the occupation was recognized by many states and international organizations as genocide. The aim of this article is to assess the reasons for the surrender of the territories of the Yazidi Kurds to the Islamic State in the context of the political struggle of various parties and groups for power and influence in the area. The author examines the occupation of Sinjar from two perspectives. First, it was a result of a difficult political situation: the interest of local authorities to subordinate the clergy and secular elite of the Yazidi Kurds to the family clan of President M. Barzani, and the weakness of the central government of Iraq, which in difficult conditions did not have the ability and desire to protect the people of their country from militants of the Islamic State terrorist organization. Second, it was a reason for the organization and unification of various resistance forces in Sinjar and the surrounding territories: Yazidi militias, PKK-affiliated units, the Peshmerga and the international coalition forces providing air support. The general course of military operations against the Islamic State made it possible to begin the liberation of Sinjar only a year and a few months after its occupation. The author of the study concludes that the attempts of the leaders of the Kurdistan Region, M. Barzani and his nephew, Prime Minister N. Barzani, to justify the undue withdrawal of the Peshmerga armed forces from the Sinjar region on the eve of the ISIS militants’ invasion with the excuse to protect the capital of the Kurdish Autonomous Region, the city of Erbil, do not call for any trust and leniency. Behind this excuse lies the desire of the ruling elite of Southern (Iraqi) Kurdistan to veil their careless and criminal actions without any serious grounds to justify them.