Issues Of Peace Research Articles

Reflections on COVID-19 from a Christian Perspective of Justice and Peace

The COVID 19 pandemic has provoked many reflections. Here we present some of them formulated from a Christian perspective of justice and peace, that is, from the point of view of a Christian committed to building a world of justice and peace following the Social Teaching of the Church. The first group of reflections has to do with being a Christian per se, and therefore the virtues that used to be neglected and those that are currently exercised in the time of pandemic are taken into consideration: hope, humility, prudence, fortitude. The second group of reflections deals directly with the issues of justice and peace. During the pandemic, these issues manifested as closely related: “everything is related, everything is connected.” After a consideration of an existential nature on justice, follow others: on the principles of solidarity, subsidiarity, health as a global public good and on the crucial issues of work and respect for creation. Finally, the Christian proposal is indicated, which is that of the “culture of care” proposed in terms of integral ecology.

Reflecting on Kejawen: Javanese Esoteric Teachings in Indonesian National Development

Kejawen as a concept of spirituality arose out of ancient Javanese society. Many Western scholars have used the term ‘Javanese mysticism’ to refer to Kejawen teachings, which focus on inward rather than outward religious expression and feeling. Kejawen teaching offers an esoteric understanding of religion and spirituality, one that seems to circulate mainly outside formal religious traditions. This paper demonstrates the significance of Kejawen teaching in spiritual, psychological, and social development in Indonesia, suggesting it has especial relevance to issues of peace and violence. Placing Kejawen in its context, this study shows that the national development in Indonesia after independence was influenced by the esoteric ideas of Kejawen, as portrayed in the national motto “unity in diversity”. This expression resembles the post-independence state ideology of Pancasila. Through analysis of key nationalist texts, themes linked to elements of Kejawen teachings are identified and analysed in this study. This is done by analysing key texts, including Soekarno’s independence speech, Pancasila, and other relevant materials from various available sources. The reader will find out more about the need for comprehensive symbolic and resource-based recognition of Kejawen teachings in Indonesian society.

Myśl Wincentego Granata wobec problemów współczesności

The aim of the article is to present relevance of the personalistic Granat’s thought in the context of contemporary social challenges. In the article, I analyze the topic of Christian humanism in Granat’s thought. I point out that he saw the sources of this concept in man’s aspirations to learn the full truth about himself. Granat saw the final answer to these desires in the relation of man and the sense of his existence to the person of Christ. I also consider Granat’s opinion about the role of the Catholic church today. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Granat clearly emphasized the deep spiritual and apostolic dimension of the Church, pointing out that the Church is above all the Mystical Body of Christ. Therefore, the fundamental task of the Church is to unite God’s children around Christ. The Church also has a duty to proclaim to man that he cannot understand himself without Christ. The Church accomplishes these goals by administering the sacraments and moderating interreligious dialogue. I consider the issue of peace in his philosophical refl ection as well. According to Granat the source of peace is God. Man drawing his strength from his closeness with God can contribute to peace through mutual respectful relationships. At the state level the key role is played by the concern of each country for the common good and international cooperation in this field. In conclusion, I formulate summarizing remarks.

Attempt to View War and Peace Issues Through Religion Historical Perspective and Current Perceptions

Despite rich experience indicating that waging wars is risky and not very ‘profitable’, particularly from the last decades’ perspective, and it also has a demoralizing effect on societies engaged in the conflict strengthening the tendency to aggression, nationalism, at the same time destroying the natural environment, it is difficult to imagine the world without an armed confrontation in the future. Such a course of action is proven by ‘the Ukrainian scenario’, or the situation in the Middle East. Motives pushing people to armed confrontations are quite complex and do not result from a simple need of domination and possession. War is quite closely connected with the domain of the sacred. Violence and religion are placed in close neighbourhood. Thus can values represented by great monotheist religions be ‘useful’ in the conducted polemological-irenological discourse and in the process of building a desired international security system? Do the components fostering war aggression dominate over ‘pacifist reflection’ in Judaic-Christian and Islamic spirituality? One may risk a statement that religion regardless of time and latitude, is not an indifferent factor from the point of view of waged conflicts.

THE THEME OF JUDAICA IN THE MURAL ART OF POLAND (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE MURALS OF THE CITIES OF KRAKÓW AND ŁÓDŹ)

The subject of the study are frescoes created in the cities of Krakow and Lodz, where contemporary underground artists address the theme of Judaism. The purpose of the work is to investigate the specificity of the artistic-figurative component of murals in the cities of Krakow and Lodz, which indicates an appeal to historical events associated with the Jewish population of Poland. The methodology of the work is based on the principle of scientific reliability and completeness; philosophical, historical, cultural, art history approaches; ontological, semiotic, historical-chronological, historical-cultural, micro-historical method, cross-cultural, comparative, iconographic, formal-stylistic and artistic-compositional methods of analysis. The results of the work allow us to get relevant topics that are covered by modern writers in the cities of Krakow and Lodz. The sphere of application of the results is the artistic practice of our time, history, theory and criticism of art, pedagogical activity of students and post-graduate students of creative specialties. Conclusions. It was determined that among the popular topics of street art that writers in European cities cover, in particular, ecology, religion, portraits of famous personalities, issues of tolerance, historicism, military aggression and peace, one of the main themes in the murals of Krakow is Judaica. The artists, whose works are located in Lodz, focus their attention precisely on the historical significance of the events that took place in the intermediate periods of the First and Second World War. Accordingly, plots devoted to the theme of the Jewish population are shown as important and significant. In doing so, they work compositions that use stylized symbols of the Jewish faith of Judaism and try to connect the events of the past and the future.Thus, in the plots of the murals of both cities, there is an appeal to the theme of the life of the Jewish population of Poland. These images are performed by the artists in monochrome colors and stencil spray art, imitating archival photos with a hint of the important cross-cultural significance of the depicted plots, their "documentary" and historical truth.

“New” State Actors and Conflict-Affected States: Confronting Violence, Shifting Ambitions, and Adjusting Principles

Over the past couple of decades, “new” state actors, such as Brazil, China, Russia, India, Turkey, and countries of the Arab Gulf, have been playing an increasingly prominent role in assistance provision to conflict-affected states. Skeptical of the liberal peace-building model, they have emphasized supporting economic development and avoided promoting political reforms, viewing them as too interventionist in domestic affairs of conflict-affected states. Rather, they have emphasized solidarity, cooperation, mutual support, and respect for state sovereignty; and they are committed to non-intervention norms. However, the foreign policies of “new” state actors have been far from static. This article argues that these norms mask more complex relationships between “new” state actors and conflict-affected states. Historically, the “new” actors have tended to adhere less to non-intervention norms in their immediate neighborhood. Now, as they become more deeply engaged with countries emerging out of violent conflict, have come to aspire playing more prominent global roles, and the competition among them has risen, their adherence to principles of non-interference is under strain and policies regarding issues of peace and security are shifting.

TINJAUAN HUKUM TATA NEGARA ISLAM TERHADAP PERAN PEMERINTAH DALAM MENJAGA KETENTERAMAN DAN KETERTIBAN UMUM

This study examines the review of Islamic state administration law on the role of government in maintaining peace and public order. The problem is that there are still many violators of peace and order, one of which is a homeless person and a beggar. From this problem the question arises How the Role of the Tanah Datar District Government in Implementing Article 12 of the Tanah Datar District Regulation Number 4 of 2010 concerning Peace and Public Order and How the Legal View of Islamic State Administration against the Role of the Government in the Homeless and Beggars. This research is field research. Data obtained through the interview process conducted with sources related to research. After the data is collected then analyzed by means of qualitative descriptive analysis. this research found that the implementation of Article 12 of Tanah Datar District Regulation Number 4 of 2010 concerning Peace and Public Order by the Tanah Datar District Government related to homelessness and beggars had not been implemented well. This can be seen from the data that there are still many beggars and homeless people who violate the prohibited rules in Article 12 of Tanah Datar District Regulation Number 4 of 2010 concerning Peace and Public Order. The lack of public legal awareness and the unavailability of supporting facilities such as rehabilitation centers are also a factor in the large number of violators of peace and public order regulations. The view of Islamic Constitutional Law on the role of government in the homeless and beggars is the role of the government to carry out amar ma'ruf nahi munkar. The Prophet Muhammad formed the institute of Hisbah. This institution, among others, is tasked with holding control. Judging from the role of the Tanah Datar District Government in implementing Article 12 of the Tanah Datar District Regulation on Homelessness and Beggars, the Tanah Datar District Government has formed an institution tasked with dealing with issues of peace and public order namely the Civil Service Police Unit (SATPOL-PP), this has in accordance with Islamic Constitutional Law.

The narrative of ukhuwah wathaniyah as nationalisme project based on sustainable development

National development is believed to positively influence issues of peace, justice, and strong institutions, especially in countries with multi-ethnic and religious characteristics. Unfortunately, religious identity politics that emerged in the 2019 election campaign on social media were used to polarize netizens. Factually, in the history of the Indonesian nation, religion has been an indicator of nationalism’s emergence. The purpose of this study is to identify the national narrative in religious teachings on Instagram @santrionline, using a qualitative approach with content analysis. As a result, Instagram @santrionline legitimizes the figures of Habib and Kiyai in campaigning for Ukhuwah Wathaniyah in explaining the concepts of social solidarity, national integration, and nationalism, and national resilience. All of this is in line with the goals of sustainable development.

Dealing With Sri Lanka’s Demons: Using Documentary Film for Peacebuilding

Documentary film is a popular resource amongst peacebuilding organisations and practitioners. Despite this popularity, research on documentary film is still emerging in peace and conflict studies. This article explores documentary film’s role in the study and practice of peacebuilding by examining the documentary Demons in Paradise and its engagement with issues of peace and conflict in post-war Sri Lanka. This article makes conceptual, methodological, and empirical contributions. Drawing from empirical research, I identify and discuss documentary film’s engagement along three analytical angles: documentary film as a text, within social processes, and within research processes. Under each angle, I explore how empirical observations and understanding of peace emerge through the visual, using diverse methods and data, including interviews, participant observation, visual elicitation in post-screening focus groups, and film analysis. I conclude that documentary film can contribute to the study and practice of peacebuilding by offering multiple analytical angles that elucidate plural, disparate understandings of peace in post-war societies.

Methodological problems of interdisciplinary peace research

The increase in international tensions and the threat of global selfdestruction has determined the appearance of new interdisciplinary sciences aimed to investigate ways of contradictions resolving and raising the peace process’s effectiveness. Since the Second World War, issues of peace have become the object of study for several disciplines: polemology, eirenology, conflict resolution, and peace studies. They coexisted and rivalled in questions of methods and ways of cognition and achievement of peace. From 1960 to 1980, peace studies had been taking the first place. It had broadened and deepened the object and methods of peace research and been transformed into a separate interdisciplinary scientific field for studying and analyzing the preconditions for forging a lasting peace. Peace studies has combined conflict studies, development studies, philosophical-ethical reflections, historical context, and the international relations theory. Within peace research, two main schools have coalesced. The American traditional school (J. Burton) went in for peace keeping through predominantly analyzing international relations, arms control, disarmament, balance of power, and methods to establish peace „from the top”. The Scandinavian critical school (J. Galtung, B. V. A. Rolling, K. Boulding), based on updated social doctrine of the catholic church (the encyclicals of Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI), studied the underlying basis of conflict, having developed the theory of positive peace as a state of absence of not only direct but also of structural violence. Since the beginning of the 21st century, over 300 academic institutions and universities have been engaged in peace studies. Current peace research focuses on problems of global climate change, terrorism, sustainable development, failed states, and violation of human rights. At the same time, unsteady terminology is a significant problem of peace studies. R. Seidelman spoke about peace studies as a discipline in its infant stage. Evidently, a hybrid type of warfare, novel compound risks and threats to international security will promote the appearance of new directions of peace research. Key words: war, conflict, peace studies, peace research, peace process, conflict resolution, polemology.

The press and Nigeria's isolationist foreign policy (1993-1998)

Gen. Sani Abacha took over from Chief Ernest Shonekan's interim government which was formed when Gen Ibrahim Babangida "stepped aside". On assumption of office, Abacha was faced with the imminent disintegration of the country caused by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, widely believed to have been won by the late businessman, Chief M. K. O. Abiola. Also, threatening the administration was the activities of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) both at home and abroad. The main objective of this study was to find out how the press covered Nigeria's foreign policy within 1993-1998. The study involved content analysis, historical and case study designs. The instrument for data collection included content analysis of newspaper contents library material related to the subject matter. The sampling technique used for the study is the purposive sampling, involving all the newspaper stories, features, opinion articles on the subject matter. The population included all newspaper stories published on Abacha’s regime within the period of 1993-1998. A total sampling size of 56 news stories, articles and features were selected purposively through the constructed weeks based on two days interval. Four national newspapers, namely, The Guardian, This Day, the Vanguard and the Post Express were used. From the findings of the study we concluded that press reports on the examined foreign policy did not make much impact on the outcome of these foreign policy issues since the military regime in power never wanted opposition or criticisms. Therefore, the regime went ahead to Isolate itself from main stream international politics and the press was helpless due to the fear of being gagged or proscribed as was the practice of the Abacha's administration. However, the press assumed a patriotic posture in her support for the regime's approach to Bakassi Peninsula dispute between Nigeria and Cameroun. Also the issue of peace keeping in the sub-region got the strong approval of the Nigerian press, even when a cross section of Nigerian citizens were skeptical about the regime interventionist policy in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Todorova M. The Lost World of Socialists at Europe’s Margins: Imagining Utopia, 1870s – 1920s. London; New York: Bloomsbury, 2020. 384 p. ISBN 978-1-3501-5033-1

This monograph by Maria Todorova discusses the establishment and mutual acceptance of the international socialist movement in Bulgarian social democracy. The main features of the socialist movement in Bulgaria are highlighted and the penetration of socialist ideas into the socio-political environment of the country is presented. The attitude of the Bulgarian socialists to the national question and the issues of war and peace during the Balkan Wars and the First World War are considered. Bulgarian socialists are presented as consistent internationalists and pacifists who did not change their positions even under the influence of the outbreak of the First World War. The problem of the imitativeness of Bulgarian socialism is analyzed as an integral part of the issue of Russian or Western European influence upon Bulgaria. Despite the fact that Todorova does not deny the prevalence and cultural influence of the ideas of Russian populism in Bulgaria, she comes to the conclusion that both Western European and national historiography tend to exaggerate the Russian influence on the formation of the Bulgarian socialist tradition. Features of the two political generations identified by Todorova that operated in Bulgaria during the period under consideration are presented and the typical places of education of Bulgarian socialists are revealed. Analyzing a large volume of historical sources, the author uses the biographical method to acquaint readers with numerous socialists forgotten or bypassed by the national communist historiography. Considering the individual experience of socialists, Todorova demonstrates the various paths that led people to this political camp. Attention is paid to the women's socialist movement in Bulgaria and the history of women's participation in the social and political life of the country.

Ліберально-ідеалістична традиція в дослідженні миру

The article analyzes the role of the liberal-idealist tradition in the study of peace. The author provideі information on the general features of the liberal-idealist vision of peace and the anticipation of the perspective opposition to its development in modern international political science. It is recognized that in the modern conditions of changing the nature of war and moderation and subordination of conflict settlement, it is important to create a theoretical basis for peace building. The article emphasizes that theoretical issues of peace are mostly not the subject of academic interest of Ukrainian researchers and the available scientific research is represented by foreign publications. In view of the potential of the liberal-idealist tradition in building peace, domestic science needs a comprehensive research on theories of peace. The article focuses the reader’s attention on the thesis that idealism laid the foundations for the discussion of peace, vision of peace, understanding of peace. The author reveals the origins of the liberal-idealist vision of peace and characterizes different directions of the liberal-idealist tradition. Particular attention is focused on the discussion of liberal peace and the concept of J. Galtung on positive and negative peace. The thesis that today the theory of democratic peace as a basic vision of peace by neoliberals is the most realistic and achievable version of peace is substantiated. The article describes in detail idealism, liberal internationalism, liberal institutionalism, liberal pacifism, liberal interventionism, neoliberal institutionalism and compares these approaches. It has been found that these approaches have common features and a common framework for peace research. It is emphasized that these approaches are based on the idea of a universal liberal world not on the basis of hegemony, but on the basis of functional networks and organizations. It is argued that all the above concepts depict an achievable general peace. The article suggests the existence of a liberal consensus on peace, but highlights issues that are still unresolved. According to the author, a broad discussion of peace in the scientific space based on an interdisciplinary approach is needed.

The Utility of Collective Security in the Context of Human Security: The Yugoslav and Somali Experiences

When one examines closely the record of performance/non-performance of the UNSC at the crucial moments of the post-Cold War era, where major issues of peace and security are involved, including cases of human security crises, one finds that there is almost always tragic dilatoriness and/or lamentable inactions. While the UN was formed to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’ the list of scourges is growing. The real threats to international peace and security are no longer confined to violations of state sovereignty. Rather, new assertions of nationalism and sovereignty have sprung up, and the cohesion of States has been threatened by interstate conflict, poverty, infectious disease and environmental degradation, internal violence; including civil wars, genocide, ethnic-cleansing and state-failures, weapons-of-mass-destruction; including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear-weapons, terrorism, and transnational-organized-crime, discrimination, and massive violations of human rights. All representing international security threats beyond the scope of any one state to solve. While the concept of peace may be easy to grasp, that of international security is more complex, for a pattern of contradictions has arisen. What is more worrisome is that each of these challenges is in a complex relationship of inter-linkage with each other. This paper intends to look at the changing scope of security, in the new environment of growing inter-linkage between peace-security-and-development, and to take a critical look at the new concept of human security and its implications to the treatment of the issue of collective-security in the UN. Data collection was through content analysis and analysed using the quantitative chi-square scientific method.

HEURISTIC POTENTIAL OF GENDER THEORETICAL APPROACHES IN THE STUDY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Gender research in international relations is a relatively young branch of scientific knowledge. In Russian science, the largest number of studies is aimed at studying gender balance, gender behavior in the social environment, the changing status of women in modern society. Among the few Russian works dealing with the topic of gender in international relations are the publications of T.V. Zonova. At the same time, gender approaches open up new opportunities for studying the influence of social relations on international relations. They do not replace the role of the main actor - State in international relations, but endow them with new characteristics from the sciences that study the behavioral forms and norms of social subjects. The proposed article sets the following tasks: to identify the features of gender theoretical approaches; determine the subject fields of international relations, where gender approaches can manifest their heuristic potential; give specific examples of the effective use of gender theories in the study of international relations. The article contains a brief analysis of the history of the formation of gender theories; the role of gender on the agenda of international institutions and the impact of the coronavirus epidemic on it; femininity and masculinity in politics; gender approaches to the issues of war and peace, state violence, construction of regions.

The African Peace and Security Architecture as a Tool for the Maintenance of Peace and Security. Part 1

This study critically explores the extent to which the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) (such as the African Standby Force (ASF), the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS), Panel of the Wise (PoW) and the Peace Fund (PF)) have been successful in achieving their institutional objectives, as well as the degree to which they are able to contribute to the work of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC). The AU PSC as a key pillar of the APSA is the main decision-making body regarding issues of peace and security. In order to achieve its responsibility, the AU PSC shall be supported by the African Standby Force, the Continental Early Warning System, Panel of the Wise and the Peace Fund. APSA is the umbrella term for the key African Union (AU) mechanisms for promoting peace, security and stability in the African continent. More specifically, it is an operational structure for the effective implementation of the decisions taken in the areas of conflict prevention, peace-making, peace support operations and intervention, as well as peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction. APSA is envisioned as a means by which Africa can take a greater role in managing peace and security on the continent, with the objective of offering “African solutions to African problems”.

The African Peace and Security Architecture as a Tool for the Maintenance of Peace and Security. Part 2

This study critically explores the extent to which the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) (such as the African Standby Force (ASF), the Continental Early Warning System (CEWS), Panel of the Wise (PoW) and the Peace Fund (PF)) have been successful in achieving their institutional objectives, as well as the degree to which they are able to contribute to the work of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC). The AU PSC as a key pillar of the APSA is the main decision-making body regarding issues of peace and security. In order to achieve its responsibility, the AU PSC shall be supported by the African Standby Force, the Continental Early Warning System, Panel of the Wise and the Peace Fund. APSA is the umbrella term for the key African Union (AU) mechanisms for promoting peace, security and stability in the African continent. More specifically, it is an operational structure for the effective implementation of the decisions taken in the areas of conflict prevention, peace-making, peace support operations and intervention, as well as peace-building and post-conflict reconstruction. APSA is envisioned as a means by which Africa can take a greater role in managing peace and security on the continent, with the objective of offering African solutions to African problems.

Questions of the legal nature of the Minsk agreements (international legal analysis)

The importance of the Minsk agreements in resolving the conflict and the fact that they are the only agreed basis for achieving peace in eastern Ukraine has been repeatedly stated by world leaders and leaders of international intergovernmental organizations (primarily the UN, OSCE, EU, NATO, etc.). This fact determines the high importance of the processes taking place in the field of peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
 The relevance of the chosen research topic is due to the fact that the process of resolving the military conflict in Ukraine in the context of establishing stable peace and security in the east, as well as returning the occupied territories of Donbass to Ukrainian control is given much attention by political leadership scientific environment and the average population. In addition, the implementation of the Minsk Agreements was discussed at various international official meetings at the highest political level with the participation of the Ukrainian side.
 For Ukraine, which in the framework of the «hybrid war» faced such factors as the temporary occupation of the territory of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, issues of peace and security in the east of the state have become extremely important. As a result, legal scholars are increasingly questioning the legal nature of the Minsk agreements themselves, as well as the nature of the parties’ international rights and obligations.
 The article examines the international legal aspects of clarifying the legal nature of the Minsk agreements. The parties’ different understanding of the Minsk agreements on their legal nature is analyzed, the possible legal consequences in case of non-compliance with these international legal documents are determined, and the role and place of the Minsk agreements in the process of peaceful settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine are clarified. Scientifically substantiated conclusions on the correct understanding and interpretation of the Minsk Agreements as a specific type of international legal documents are provided.

Namibia’s Foreign Policy and Its Impact on Peace and Security in the Southern Africa Region: A Framework of Liberalism as a Theory of International Relations Studies

This article discusses aspects of Namibia’s foreign policy principles and how they impact on the values of democracy, and issue of peace and security in the region. The article will focus on the attainment of peace in Angola, democratisation of South Africa, and security situations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Madagascar and Lesotho. The main question of this article is: To what extent has Namibia realised the objectives encapsulated in her foreign policy principles of striving for international peace and security and promote the values of democracy in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region? The assumption is that though relatively a newly established state, Namibia has made her contribution towards democracy, peace and security in the Southern Africa region and the world at large.

China’s Footprint in Africa’s Peace and Security: The Contending Views

Abstract China’s role in the global peace politics has been transformed in the past two decades. Apart from its dominance in the economic realm, China has placed issues of peace and security at the centre of its foreign policy. In Africa, China has actively engaged in Africa’s peace and security agenda from opening a military base in Djibouti to participating and contributing to peace talks in South Sudan. Based on the emerging trends, it would appear that the long-cherished non-interference principle is undergoing a deliberate transformation given the emerging realities in the global geo-politics. It is based on this “paradigmatic shift” that this paper interrogates China’s role in Africa’s peace and security. The paper argues that China’s interest in Africa’s peace and security agenda is driven by economic and geo-political interests. The paper further discusses the role that China has played in military cooperation, peacekeeping, conflict resolution and post conflict reconstruction in Africa using specific country case examples.