National Conflict Research Articles

Intergenerational Conflict in Contemporary Cuba: Rivalry within Las Congas Santiagueras

The current article reflects on the topic of intergenerational conflict between those Cubans who lived closer to the beginning of the Castro-led Revolution of 1959, and those who were born closer to the beginning of the 1990s, during the fall of the Soviet Union, now referred to as the Special Period in the Time of Peace. In the documentary Lázaro and the Shark: Cuba under the Surface (2022), Cuban exile director William Sabourin O'Reilly showcases this national conflict. Through the screen, O’Reilly highlights the beauty of the Afro-influence combined with the intimate and lively rivalry between Santiago’s local Conga groups in a country riddled by harsh conditions to dive deeper into the ever-growing intergenerational conflict. Within this current conflict, Cuba’s generations are separated into Fidelists and Oppositionalists; in opposition to the Pragmatist and the Disengaged generation (Krull and Kobayashi). With recent restrictive legislation for Cuban filmmakers, the director’s ability to make a controversial documentary of this nature is only possible from outside of Cuba as an exile.

Social Media and Conflict: A Visual Analysis of War and Peace Frames in Pakistan

Based on traditional peace communication scholarship, this study, embedded in journalism studies and visual politics literature, analyzes photographs of conflict using war and peace frames and explores the role social media can play in digital peacebuilding practices. A content analysis of 674 visuals of the second deadliest terrorist attack in Pakistan posted on Twitter revealed the dominance of war photographs. The majority of the visual tweets were related to the afflicted victims and the visiting elites. Our analysis revealed that the visual narrative predominantly adopted a war approach. Results also showed significant variations in the war and peace narrative over time. Overall, this study challenges the views of peace journalism scholars that social media would lead to a more peace-oriented approach. We argue that peace narratives may be difficult to occur on digital platforms in securitized national conflicts where elites and a dominant public opinion oppose alternative perspectives.

National Conflicts in North Caucasus: Origins and Resolution

This article examines the causes and consequences of national conflicts in the North Caucasus. It addresses issues related to the sources of ethnic conflicts in contemporary times. The significance of the North Caucasus as a bridge connecting north to south and west to east is emphasized, highlighting its immense importance for the Russian Federation. From a geostrategic perspective, this region serves as a gateway to Central Asia while also providing access to Western markets. The paper pays particular attention to events that have transpired since the late 1980s in the Caucasus, where some of the most acute ethnopolitical conflicts and wars have occurred. Six out of eight armed ethnopolitical civil conflicts in the post-Soviet space unfolded in this region. The article raises the issue that, as a result of these events, the Caucasian region has become a battleground for separatist organizations within the post-Soviet context. Armed conflicts have led to numerous human casualties, material losses, economic downturns, and other tragedies. Based on the materials studied, it is concluded that ethnic conflicts are diverse in their manifestations. The conditions for the politicization of ethnic conflicts in the North Caucasus are also explored.

Interwoven relationships between inequality, poverty, thuggery, and terrorism

This article aims to justify the relationship between inequality, poverty, thuggery, and terrorism, mainly in third-world countries. The primary issue is the incessant growth of inequality that leads to chronic poverty, which gives way to political thuggery and, consequently, terrorism in weak democracies or developing countries. In this particular context, the social disorganization theory was selected to elucidate the correlation between inequality, poverty, criminality, and terrorism in the top ten poorest countries in the world. The relationship between the stated societal negative factors could be mutualistic or commensalism, or both depending on the scenario and political cum economic idiosyncrasies of the affected society or community. In order to provide additional support for the arguments, data from various sources such as the Gini coefficient, per capita national income, crime, conflict, and terrorist indexes were utilized. The article justified that the higher the level of inequality, the higher the level of poverty, which have a mutually beneficial relationship with the pockets of criminality and terrorism in a given society.

Counseling to Strength Religious Moderation In The Framework of Handling Religious And National Conflicts In Riau Province

Counseling to Strength Religious Moderation In The Framework of Handling Religious And National Conflicts In Riau Province

Changes in Crisis Diplomacy in the 21st Century

This article explores the transformation of crisis diplomacy in the 21st century and reflects on the evolution of crisis diplomacy from primarily focusing on national and international conflicts to encompassing broader global crises such as climate change, public health, and technological interference. The discussion revolves around three main themes: the increasingly complex global crisis that transcends borders, the increasing influence of non-governmental actors in shaping diplomatic participation, and the impact of the rapid development of information technology on diplomatic practice. The paper emphasizes how traditional diplomatic methods can be adjusted to address the interdependence and multifaceted nature of modern crises, which require international cooperation efforts and innovative diplomatic strategies. Analyze and draw on historical examples, compare past diplomatic methods with contemporary approaches that integrate non-state actors and digital platforms, and emphasize the need to expand diplomatic scope in today's interdependent global environment.

Should academic staff be the arbiters of peace in the classroom when the war rages outside? Gatekeepers of a national conflict in higher education

Should academic staff be the arbiters of peace in the classroom when the war rages outside? Gatekeepers of a national conflict in higher education

Trade union renewal against a background of national conflict: the strategies of the trade unions ELA and LAB in the Basque country (1976–2008)

ABSTRACT The structural transformations of the world of work, together with certain strategic choices, have caused a crisis in unionism in Western Europe and distanced them from their social origins. As a result, the unions have needed to renew their strategies in order to revitalise their power. Using qualitative techniques of discourse analysis and in-depth interviews, we analyse the keys to the success of the Basque nationalist unions ELA and LAB and their strategic renewal stretching from the beginnings of the Spanish democratic transition until 2008, a process that occurred against a backdrop of national political conflict in the Basque Country. Firstly, we contextualise the particularity of the political, institutional and union situation in the Basque Country. Secondly, we go on to present the main keys to understanding the crisis of unionism in the West and strategies for revitalizing its power. Thirdly, we describe the methodology used for the analysis. Finally, we present the main results of the research.

Military education. A look from security and defense

The education, in the military environment, has different looks for its analysis. Among the possible focuses, they are the aspects of security and defense, being these the spine of the military forces. Starting from an analysis regarding the security and defense in the field of the military education, and applied to the Colombian national context, the present study had as objective to meditate on the formation of the military one, taking as reference scenario the military teaching in the aerospace formation, in a specific way: the Military School of Aviation (EMAVI) and the School of Posgraduate of the Colombian Aerospace Force (EPFAC). In that way, together to the analysis of bibliographical sources on the thematic one, the article presents general considerations on the topic of the security and the defense, followed by a look to the national internal conflict and the experience in the aviator's formation at the present time.

«Кристаллизация» культурной идентичности как основной механизм формирования современного поликультурного мира

The modern global landscape is characterized by a complex interplay of cultural forces, necessitating a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying the formation and negotiation of cultural identities. This article explores the concept of “crystallization” as a fundamental mechanism for shaping cultural identity in the context of the modern polycultural world. Drawing on insights from social philosophy and cultural studies, the article examines the dynamics of cultural interactions and the emergence of non-complementarity in modern society. The notion of “eternal return” is introduced as a main tool through which cultural identities are perpetuated and reinforced over time. The crisis of polyculturalism is analyzed in light of increasing national conflicts and challenges to the principle of cultural equivalence. This crisis underscores the need for new approaches to fostering dialogic relations and mitigating the proliferation of conflict and non-complementarity. Convergent technologies are identified as pivotal in the “crystallization” of cultural identities, transcending traditional boundaries and facilitating the convergence of diverse cultural expressions. This phenomenon has profound implications for the negotiation of identity in modern society. The study highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms of cultural identity formation in addressing the challenges of the modern polycultural world. By elucidating the concept of “crystallization” and its implications for social philosophy, the article contributes to ongoing discussions on polyculturalism and identity politics.

Follow the Leader: How Culture Gives Rise to a Behavioral Bias That Leads to Higher Greenhouse Gas Emissions

This research investigates the influence of national culture, particularly power distance, on firms’ carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Drawing on a large international dataset spanning over a decade, we examine how power distance, agency conflict, and socioeconomic stability interact to shape firms’ emission decisions. Our analysis reveals a significant positive relationship between power distance and firms’ CO2 emissions, indicating that firms located in countries characterized by higher power distance tend to emit more greenhouse gases (GHGs). Furthermore, we find that agency conflict moderates this relationship, with firms experiencing high levels of debt or paying substantial dividends exhibiting lower emissions in high power distance environments. Additionally, socioeconomic stability attenuates the positive association between power distance and emissions, suggesting that the effectiveness of cultural influences on emission decisions is contingent upon the stability of the societal context. These findings underscore the importance of considering cultural dimensions, agency dynamics, and socioeconomic conditions in understanding corporate environmental behavior. Our research contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of the nuanced interplay between national culture, agency conflict, and socioeconomic stability in shaping firms’ emission decisions. Policymakers and practitioners can use these insights to develop more targeted environmental policies and strategies aimed at promoting sustainable development globally.

The Regulatory Dilemma of the U.S. Government: The Protecting Americans from Applications Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act and the Limitations to Freedom of Speech

This article examines the legal issues surrounding First Amendment challenges in the Protecting Americans from Applications Controlled by Foreign Adversaries Act. After introducing the background of the bill and an overview of the First Amendment and freedom of speech in America, this article uses case law research methods to explore the unconstitutional determination of the bill and the balancing approach adopted by the court when national security and free speech rights conflict. Finally, this article reaches a conclusion that based on past cases, intermediate scrutiny can only be passed if the federal government can submit sufficient evidence to prove that national security risks actually exist, and demonstrate the bill does not excessively restrict freedom of speech beyond necessary. The United States protects the freedom of speech in the Constitution from arbitrary infringement through the checks and balances between the courts and the legislature, so different levels of scrutiny tests are set up. However, as long as the government can provide sufficient evidence to prove that there is a more compelling government interest, it can pierce the protection of the First Amendment.

A novel mathematical model for simultaneous optimization of desalination plant location and water distribution network; A case study

In recent decades, water scarcity has turned into a serious problem spanning many countries, now even capable of causing or inflaming ethnic and national conflicts. While our planet has very limited freshwater resources, it has huge amounts of saltwater in seas and oceans. There is a very limited number of ways that can make saltwater drinkable, the most important of them is desalination. This study aimed to provide a method for the simultaneous optimization of desalination plant location and its water distribution network based on mathematical modeling. For this purpose, the authors formulated a non-linear mathematical model with the objective of minimizing the costs of water production and transmission. A genetic algorithm was also developed for solving the proposed nonlinear model. The method was used in a case study of Sistan and Baluchestan, which is one of Iran's most water stressed provinces. The proposed genetic algorithm managed to provide an acceptable solution for this problem in 3.74 s. The best solution was found to be constructing a desalination facility with a capacity of 394,052 cubic meters per day in a single location, that is, the city of Chabahar. The water transmission lines needed for transporting water to other parts of the province and their capacities were also determined.

The Northeast of England in the era of the Wars of the Roses (using the example of the Paston family)

The subject of the study is the participation of the English small-scale provincial nobility in the events of the Wars of the Roses (1455-1485) and their behavior patterns in the context of a dynastic conflict, using the example of the fate of John Paston from Norfolk County (northeast of England). Special attention is paid to how the relationship between the average nobleman and his neighbors was built, the circle of his acquaintances, the degree of involvement in national politics, personal conflicts and motives. Both the general patterns characteristic of the fate of most representatives of the privileged class of the XV century are considered, as well as the specifics that distinguish the region specifically studied and the personalities of interest to us in comparison with data from other counties (primarily the south-west of England). The main source is the fundamental family archive "Letters of the Pastors", which contains invaluable information on the English history of the period we are interested in. The research is based on the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity and is based on the problem-chronological principle. Analytical, comparative historical and dialectical methods are used in the analysis of historical sources. Due to the fact that the study is built around the biography of a particular person, the events of the epoch we are interested in are considered from the perspective of microhistory. Within the framework of the study, the working hypothesis developed by the author in other articles ("John Trevelyan and the Wars of the Roses", "English provincial Nobility and the Wars of the Roses", "The political struggle of the era of the Wars of the Roses in the light of English parliamentary legislation") on the evolution of the policy of the royal power in relation to the provincial nobility is being tested. At the initial stage of the Wars of the Roses, the Lancastrian party is the first to move to form the ranks of its supporters in the counties, which, using the example of Norfolk, leads to a conflict between John Paston and Lord Molanes, a prominent supporter of the Lancaster dynasty. The fact that Paston did not become an active Yorkist turned into difficulties for him at the next stage, when King Edward IV switched to a policy of reconciliation of warring factions, which is why the nobles, who remained neutral during the conflict, found themselves at enmity with both supporters of the Yorks and former Lancastrians reconciled with the new dynasty.

동유럽·발칸 민족분쟁과 공존 가능성: 21세기 코소보 사례

that ushered in the ‘New Cold War’ of the 21st century. And it was an event that clearly impressed the international community on the geopolitical and geostrategic importance of Kosovo in the international dynamics. In terms of the history of international relations, there are two main implications of the ‘Kosovo War’. First, it was the first attempt to convert NATO's traditional concept of ‘defensive strategy’ into the concept of ‘offensive strategy’. The Kosovo War was the first war involving NATO in a country outside the region. And through this, NATO can be said to have laid the foundation for pursuing its own influence in the Interest Sphere of United States in the 21st century. The second can be said to be the ‘resurrection of the Russian Empire’ and the ‘emergence of Putin’. As a result of the 1999 Kosovo War, Russia chose Putin in 2000, and he promised to revive Russia in the 21st century as an empire similar to that of the Cold War era. And this led to the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and the outbreak of war in Ukraine in 2022. As Kosovo’s geopolitical importance has been confirmed, the United States and Europe agree on the need to establish permanent peace in Kosovo for peace in Europe. However, it is also true that there are still many obstacles to the possibility of peace and coexistence between the Serbian and Kosovo governments surrounding Kosovo today. Therefore, in this study, based on theoretical discussions on the origins of national conflicts in Balkan Europe, I will introduce the various aspects and characteristics of national conflicts in Kosovo in the 21st century, and consider the possibility of their coexistence.

Doing History at the Edge of the Map: The “Digital Thrace” Research Project

Abstract “Digital Thrace: Mapping the History and Culture to Enhance the Tourist Economy” is a three-year (2021–2023) research project conducted by the Democritus University of Thrace. “Thrace,” a geographical rather than a regional or political designation, is divided into three nation-states (Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey). Despite historical nationalist conflicts and ethnic stereotypes, Thrace maintains its multicultural character. This article shows that the Digital Thrace Project not only generates research but also transforms it into knowledge and cultural experiences for visitors. It bridges the gap between academic historiography and cultural studies on one side and the public space on the other. This multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary project employs cutting-edge technologies to provide two main components to its users: a digital platform primarily aimed at researchers and educators, and a digital tour application for the general public. Special attention is devoted to the project’s pedagogical section. Based on the principles and methodologies of intercultural and democratic education, over 30 educational projects have been designed for primary and secondary school classes. These projects aim to engage students in exploring not only the history and culture of their own communities but also those of the others.

ON SOCIO-CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE USE OF POSTCARDS IN THE GERMAN-CZECH CONFLICT AT THE TURN OF THE 19TH CENTURY

Postcards as a reflection of German-Czech contradictions in the period of the Badeni crisis in the late 19th and early 20th centuries have more than once been the subject of study. The research novelty of this article lies in the fact that the problem is examined not through postcard images themselves, but from the point of view of the primary functionality of postcards as a means of communication and a commercial product. The author focuses on commercial, postal-technical, consumer practices, institutional and legal aspects, as well as the reception of postcard messages, both individual and public. Various national associations and private entrepreneurs, main producers of postcards, oft en deliberately radicalized their content in their political or commercial interests. The specificity of the postcard as a means of postal communication and its mass appeal served as the basis for unique practices in mobilizing supporters and criticizing opponents by “cartographical attacks”. Even the design of postcard forms was a means of national struggle and expression of personal position. Publishers of the respective orientations designed them in the “German” or “Czech” spirit, while the official position was to refuse any name for this postal product. At the same time, the numerous variants of handwritten edits concerning all the constituent parts of the postcard (technical design of the form, address, and stamp) allowed users to state their position on the national question. Th e legal side of postcards’ production, functioning and existence was determined, on the one hand, by conditions which were common to other types of printed matter, in particular, by the liberal press law of 1868, and, on the other hand, by postal regulations that periodically withdrew certain postcards from circulation. All this became the subject of litigations and debates in parliament and thus provided a way for postcards to enter the public sphere and, accordingly, served to attract further public attention to the national conflict and its aggravation.

The Politics of Legal Pluralism in a Muslim Society

Egor Lazarev has offered us a book of uncommon ambition and erudition. At its core, State-Building as Lawfare: Custom, Sharia, and State Law in Postwar Chechnya explores how elites and ordinary citizens pursue their interests by weighing the costs and benefits of using alternative legal frameworks in postwar Chechnya. By describing how politicians encourage nonstate legal remedies to build political coalitions—and how everyday Chechens engage in forum shopping when trying to manage their own legal issues—Lazarev teaches us about the challenges associated with the extension of state legal institutions in the wake of prolonged, nationalist conflict. Although Lazarev treats his exploration of legal pluralism as the theoretical framing for the book, such a reading belies what I view as his primary empirical contribution: a meticulous exploration of gender politics in the North Caucasus. In this review, I describe Lazarev’s arguments about elite and citizen legal strategies, discuss his understanding of gender disputes in a postconflict Muslim society, and offer a provocation for future research that would situate the study of Chechnya in a broader literature on autocratic politics.

Globalization in international tensions: the impact of military conflicts on the cultural orientations of multinational corporations’ advertising in modern China (1932–1937)

How do international conflicts influence the communication between multinational corporations (MNCs) and local markets? Using advertisements published in two historical newspapers in modern China from 1932 to 1937, this study examined how MNCs adjust their cultural orientations in advertisements amid international tensions. While a significant decline in globalized values was found, no significant changes in localized values were found in the advertisements for imported commodities during military conflicts. The more familiar a corporation is with the local market, the less globalized its advertisements will be. Given the current wave of nationalism and international conflicts across the globe, this study sheds lights on MNCs’ conflict management through intercultural communication.

The Role of Nationalism and Ethnic Conflicts Before and During WWI: The Case of Pan-Slavism, Pan-Germanism and French Revanchism

The Role of Nationalism and Ethnic Conflicts Before and During WWI: The Case of Pan-Slavism, Pan-Germanism and French Revanchism