New Forms Of Conflict Research Articles

CONFLICT COMMUNICATIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT

The article describes the features of the conflictual communicative behavior of agents of the modern digital environment. Such an environment guarantees a person new opportunities in the field of communication, which, on the one hand, opens up new freedoms for him, and on the other – new forms of conflicts. It was found that conflict communication occurs in various types of aggression and violence, the most famous of which are analyzed in detail: cyberbullying, hating, trolling, grifting, etc.

New cold war or ‘world civil war’? Wertkritik and the critical theory of capitalism in an age of conflict

This article explores the contribution of Wertkritik, a contemporary tendency in German critical Marxist thought, to the theorisation of capitalism, and in particular its relationship with geopolitical conflict and war. Against traditional Marxist and liberal determinism, Wertkritik emphasises how the rationally organised ‘forces of production’ do not motivate the historical development of capitalism, but rather the forces of destruction. This article suggests that Wertkritik illuminates contemporary capitalist development insofar as it lays bare how the apparent ‘post-neoliberal’ turn to state-driven industrial policy is motivated less by a drive to unleash the productive forces in pursuit of a more dynamic or green economy and more by the management of the unfolding destructive forces represented in the new forms of conflict and competition arising between warring military and economic powers. The explanation this offers of the cultural dynamics shaping a context of authoritarian convergence provides vital materials towards a critical theory of a capitalism conditioned by increasing geopolitical tensions. Offering the concept of a ‘world civil war’ as an alternative to the rationalisations inherent in prevailing notions of a ‘new’ or ‘second’ cold war, this theorisation also offers pointers for an emancipatory praxis attuned to the current context.

Mogućnost primene pravila međunarodnog humanitarnog prava na sajber rat

Cyber warfare represents a new form of conflict in today's world. Unlike earlier traditional armed conflicts, cyber warfare is different in terms of means, methods, techniques, and actors. Cyber warfare takes place in virtual space through the use of information and communication technologies. The actors may be states, but also individuals who can inflict significant damage on their opponents. The consequences of cyber attacks may not be immediately apparent, but can manifest much later. Similarly, the outcome of a cyber attack can be material damage or the loss of human life. Since cyber operations can take place not only during conflicts but also in peacetime, the concept of cyber aggression is often present. States are aware of the new cyber threats and are developing their defensive and offensive capabilities, adopting strategies and doctrines addressing these issues. However, there is no international agreement that regulates the open issues related to cyber warfare, as there is no consensus among states on how to regulate it. There are attempts to apply the rules of international humanitarian law that govern armed conflicts to the realm of cyber warfare. Consensus within the international community has not been reached, leaving this area unregulated. The paper aims to examine the possibility of applying the rules of international humanitarian law, specifically the rules governing the right to use force in international relations (jus ad bellum) and the rules governing the conduct of parties in conflict (jus in bello), to cyber warfare.

From Promised Land to Perilous Plight: Unpacking Tensions, Contestations and Marginalisation in Resettlement Schemes of Zimbabwe

Phase 1 of the Land Reform Programme soon after independence redistributed land previously owned by white farmers to the majority of black Zimbabweans. In understanding this phase, previous studies have emphasised on how it was structured, the tenure systems, the beneficiaries and land use patterns. However, the existing socio-political landscape, livelihoods and well-being of resettled farmers have been understudied. This article examines tensions between resettled farmers and illegal settlers using empirical qualitative data from a case study in the Nyajezi resettlement scheme, Nyanga District. The article presents new forms of conflicts, contestations and marginalisation in resettlement schemes.

Nature and Dynamics of Peace and Conflict in Yoruba land: A Qualitative Scoping Review

Conflict is one of the dynamic social relationships upon which the survival of a society is predicated, hence conflict resolution mechanisms are developed to ensure peace and stability in society. Given the nature of conflict and conflict resolution strategies, this review adopts the historical method by exploring publications on peace and conflict causation in Yoruba land with primary purpose of establishing the use and abuse of names as tools for resource control in peace and conflict understanding. Forty-two publications met the inclusion criteria and the review adopted metasynthesis/ qualitative approach. It was noted that conflict and conflict resolution mechanisms existed in the pre-Oduduwa era that revolved around self-interests, political ambition and rebellion. The 19th century Yoruba land witnessed emergence of socio-political, migrant-settler differences, fears of domination types of conflicts. Disputes over economic resources, boundaries and political gains emerged during the colonial period as new forms of conflict with the introduction of modern litigation and legal fireworks. While sources of conflict continued to increase in post colonial Nigeria, mechanism for resolution also became more dynamic to accommodate all possibilities in conflict resolution. Publications examined in this review were mainly qualitative and theoretical; focused on specific locations hence, findings may not be generalized.

Problema konstruirovaniya istoricheskoj pamyati v sovremennom mire

Wie article discusses such concepts as “historical memory”, “cultural memory”, “post-memory”, “digital memory". It is emphasized that with the advent of network communication, the construction of the image of the past ceased to be the prerogative of professional historians and turned into a “collective project”. The authors emphasize that these changes correspond to the postmodern concept of plurality. It is noted that the digital environment strengthens and creates new forms of conflicts of historical consciousness: different versions of the past turn into competing narratives, provoke memory wars.

LAND OWNERSHIP A HUMAN/WILDLIFE CONFLICT: IMPLICATIONS FOR NYANGA NATIONAL PARK AS A TOURIST DESTINATION

This study explored the implications of landownership in Zimbabwe as a factor motivating humanwildlife conflict and its’ implications for Nyanga National Park as a tourist destination. Previous studies have overlooked land ownership and its implications for tourism. Impacts of human-human conflict on wild-life for tourism have also been side-lined. This study was guided by Qualitative research philosophy. Data gathered was guided by a Historical document analysis to access the past as a basis for understanding the present. Longitudinal document analysis traced political changes and developments in Nyanga. Documents were in the official public domain hence content validation was based on the consensus of different historical sources. Interviews with key informants confirmed events and enhanced interpretation. The study found political land ownership events contributing to the destruction of wild and aquatic tourist attractions in Nyanga. Freedom of settlement reduced area for Nyanga National Park tourism activities. In 1890, Lippert Concession granted Nyanga land and its Wildlife to a few privileged Whites against the African inhabitants. Whites’ sophisticated weapons killed more animals than the Africans who were forced to crowd in Tribal Trust Lands (TTLs). The move broke the symbiotic relationship between Africans and their wildlife in Nyanga. Their settlement in TTLs had new forms of conflicts as human and wildlife tried to understand each other in a new habitat. Park boundaries cut off Africans from their ancestral places of worship like the Mtarazi falls, water and mountain spirits. Their medicinal plants like zumbani which reduces chances for Covid -19 were enclosed in the name of animal protection. Anyone who entered the park for medicinal plants was classified as a poacher and arrested. Unjust land redistribution in 1930: Blacks got 22%, Animals 27% and Whites 51%, marginalised human livelihoods triggering poaching as a natural form of aggressive retaliation to the unjust land ownership. The Native husbandry Act (1951-1961) drastically reduced livestock among the blacks, forcing them to resort to wildlife for meat. Overcrowding Africans in TTls increased human-wildlife interactions and its conflicts. A period of land ownership conflict subjected tourism attraction species to extinction. For Nyanga National Park to thrive as a tourist attraction centre, locals should own the land, its’ wild and aquatic life. Study recommends local community ownership of land for the development of Nyanga National Park as a tourist resort.

The Economics of Conflicts: Natural Resources and The Dynamics of Conflicts in Post-Colonial West African Sub-Region

Of all the sub-regions in Africa, the West Africa sub-region has become very notorious concerning conflict over natural resources. This has become rather endemic with virtually all the states making up the sub-region involved. Although the spate of conflicts has reduced somewhat over the years, especially with the interventionist policy of ECOWAS, however, the conflicts have presented us with domestic, regional as well as international dimensions. While it is crucial to understand the impact which these different trajectories have on the nature, dimensions, direction and dynamics of conflicts in West Africa, it is critical also to understand the role played by natural resources in both escalating and resolving conflicts in this area. While we are aware that, as at anywhere else in the world, these conflicts in the sub-region may be multidimensional and complex in nature, they nevertheless stem from socioeconomic, psychological, and political conditions internal to the respective nations. However, the paper argues that while the internal dimension can always be resolved among contenders, it become probably and takes longer time because of the external dimension which globalization has introduced. Thus, not only has globalization engendered new forms of conflict but it has also made certain that its resolution may not be possible and what we may be at best a reprieve. Keywords: Conflicts, Dynamics, Globalization, Natural Resources, Sub-Region, West Africa .

“People Want a Clean Environment”: Historical Roots of the Environmental Crisis and the Emergence of Eco-Resistances in Tunisia

Abstract In Tunisia since the 2010–11 revolution, the relationship between activism and territories has emerged as central in the redefinition of social conflicts. The present essay analyses the growing environmental protests, focusing on a series of movements in defence of urban and rural regions which, although different from each other, share the centrality of the local dimension in defining new forms of conflict and the environmentalist theme as the guiding thread of their struggles. Based on a historical analysis of the roots of the environmental crisis and inequalities in the country, on the one hand, and on the results of fieldwork on the ongoing environmental protests, on the other hand, the aim of this study is to give an enlarged image of the plural forms of eco-resistance that are taking place in Tunisia.

‘Healing the institution’: Conflict and democratic sovereignty in an Indigenous Community of the Argentine Chaco

This article provides an ethnographic exploration of democratic sovereignty in an indigenous Guaraní settlement of Argentina's Gran Chaco. Focussing on legally instituted Indigenous Communities, it analyses political assemblies, elections, and bureaucracy as practices of self-government that mediate indigenous recognition and extend state authority. The article hones in on the 'social drama' of a particular settlement to show how extractive engagements combine with recognition to generate new forms of conflict. As state entities and officials mediate between Guaraní factions, institutionalisation advances, enfolding conflict and replicating state forms among local populations. This makes certain forms of political action legible, while rendering others opaque. By drawing attention to how indigenous leaders and state officials utilise opacity and legibility to further their own agendas I show how democratic institutions are co-produced through everyday interactions. The article argues that procedural efforts to incorporate and recognise indigenous societies through communal institutions have resulted in ambiguous forms of sovereignty. Shifting the emphasis away from multiculturalism to institutionalisation highlights the overlaps between indigenous and national forms of sovereignty and draws attention to the fact that many of the key political relations that structure indigenous recognition partake in broader mechanisms of democratic rule.

Climate Change and Violence in Post-Conflict Colombia

The aim is to explain the link between climate-related issues and violent patterns in Colombia after the 2016 peace agreements. The main premise is that the effects of an erratic climate has an indirect but relevant influence in the emergence of new forms of violence. In other words, the climatic change and environmental degradation act as a “stressor” in different forms of violence in this commodity-based economy recovering from more than 50 years of internal armed conflict. The qualitative approach is based on semi-structured interviews with government representatives and academics to track different perspectives. It is argued that key environmental and climate-related issues in new forms of conflict after the peace deal are linked to the fragmentary distribution and control of land, the ongoing forced migration patterns, and expansion of a new and more lucrative illicit economy.

Contemporary conflicts, cross‐border military operations, and the declining role of the UN: The case of Turkey and Saudi Arabia

AbstractThis article examines an emerging trend of cross‐border conflicts between states and non‐state actors. It looks at the narratives fronted by Turkey and Saudi Arabia to justify their operations in northern Syria and Yemen, respectively. The authors argue that the increased inaction and lack of influence by the UN in response to such operations reaffirm states as the core actors in international politics and that national security and interests continue to shape the behavior of actors at the international level. The article concludes that the UN needs to adjust to the new forms of conflicts, actors, and behavior being experienced at the international level if it is to retain its relevance as an anchor of peace and international security.

Violence in international relations: The first and the last word

This article examines change and continuity in the function, role and moral judgement of violence in international relations. In terms of change, the conclusions are mostly pessimistic if the aim is the complete eradication of political violence. The control of violence, on the other hand, and the ability to hold those who employ it to increasing moral and legal standards is perhaps one of the most significant changes in international relations from 1919 to 2019. However, this does not mean that violence has been replaced or even transformed. Violence is constitutive of the political. It is the first and the last word in politics. This is the continuity of violence. Violence, of which war is only the most visceral expression, has not been transformed or replaced, but rather it has been displaced into legal systems, institutional orders and new forms of conflict. Inter-state war may be in decline, but intra-state conflict is rising. To develop this argument, the article argues that change can only be understood as change against a horizon of continuity.

Violent Transnational Social Movements and their Impact on Contemporary Social Conflict

This paper takes the perspective that violent transnational social movements (VTSMs) have profoundly impacted contemporary conflict scenarios. Social movements, underpinned by ideology, create partisan, transnational echo chambers, and communities, which are in the process of ‘changing the weather’ in contemporary social interactions. Transnational advocacy networks work in tandem to ‘create the message’ and perpetuate narratives. Where extremist dialogue crosses over into violence, we argue that a new form of conflict emerges. Such conflict does not have the preservation of the state as a territorially important factor or reference point, but rather, the preservation and promotion of a cultural identity. Where ‘other’ identities also co-exist, as in multicultural societies, these extremist views, and the crossover to violence from extremist rhetoric, arguably create a new type of warfare which we label fifth generation.

Recurrent Models of Randomized Processes in Foreign Intelligence Tasks. Part 2. Simplified High Order Models

Foreign intelligence at all times has always remained the sphere of special attention of many states. Its significance has particularly increased at the present time in connection with the acute nature of their relationship. New forms of conflicts have appeared: network and hybrid wars, large-scale terrorist acts, the space for their conduct has become more complicated − cyberspace has been added to the traditional maritime, land and air spaces. The development of foreign intelligence tools is a long and expensive process, requiring constant additions and changes in accordance with events in the international arena. However, the use of the theory of random processes for these purposes encounters one very difficult problem. The fact is that the classical theory implies the processing of data under conditions of equidistant observations, while in reality intelligence data is a stream of data obtained at random times. Moreover, a random amount of data may arrive at random times and, finally, there may be a situation where there is so small quantity of intelligence data that it is impossible to draw any conclusions on the decision making. For such very often encountered conditions, spline models of varying degrees of complexity are proposed in the work, which allow synthesizing adaptive algorithms with precisely known and unknown moments of changes in the state of the reconnaissance object. The Poisson process is used as an event flow model. The correctness of the algorithms is ensured by the mathematical rigor of the above reasoning; the results of simulation are presented.

Desigualdad y exclusión social como desafíos para las democracias en América Latina

En los últimos años, los países de América Latina han dado importantes pasos en materia de inclusión. Sin embargo, millones de ciudadanos y ciudadanas aun no participan adecuadamente de la vida social, económica, y política de sus respectivas sociedades. El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar la relación entre la persistente desigualdad, y las implicaciones que esto tiene para las democracias en los países de la región. La metodología empleada en el desarrollo de este artículo fue analítica y cualitativa, donde las contribuciones de autores como Munck (2005), Casas-Zamora et al (2014), Zovatto & Herrera (2011) y datos provenientes de trabajos de CEPAL y PNUD, entre otros, fueron clave para el análisis plasmado en el trabajo. Entre los principales aspectos evaluados como consecuencias de la desigualdad existente en América Latina se encuentran (a) el desencanto de la ciudadanía con la democracia, y erosión de su legitimidad, (b) el aumento de la violencia y otras prácticas antisociales, (c) el acceso diferenciado a derechos, especialmente para indígenas y afrodescendientes, (d) la emergencia de nuevas conflictividades, en particular proveniente de las clases medias, y (e) la reducida representatividad y calidad de las decisiones provenientes del sistema político. El artículo concluye que la concentración del poder económico-político en pocas manos desvirtúa la práctica democrática y los procesos políticos, con frecuencia poniendo al Estado al servicio de las élites, afectando el ejercicio pleno de los derechos humanos, deslegitimando la representación política, y las instituciones republicanas.

From the core to the periphery: Conflicts and cooperation over land and water in periurban Gurgaon, India

Recent studies that emphasize the contested nature of resource allocation address the politics of periurban development. However, the issue of conflicts and cooperation in periurban contexts continues to remain weakly studied. Based on the study of periurban Gurgaon in North-West India, this paper unravels the different types of conflicts and cooperation that have emerged around land and water, drawing insights from conflict/cooperation studies and urban political ecology. We focus on how changes in land-use bring about changes in water use, access and practices in periurban Gurgaon, giving rise to new forms of conflicts, conflicts of interest and cooperation. Conflicts over land and water are linked to the changing characteristics of land and water appropriation that has occurred in the aftermath of neoliberal reforms. Drawing insights from urban political ecology perspective, we show how periurban areas are systematically undermined through the acquisition of land and water to serve urban expansion and growth. We conclude that periurban conflicts are rooted in the issue of land-use change and are fundamentally tied to the politics of urbanization and its impact on periurban areas. These processes give rise to conflicts of interest and explicit conflicts, whilst creating new forms of cooperation. Cooperation is exemplified by emerging forms of collective action over the use of wastewater and groundwater. The paper distinguishes between conflict and cooperation but concludes that these are in fact not mutually exclusive; rather points along a continuum.

‘I want (to be) an active grandmother’ – activity as a new normative framework of subjective meanings and expectations associated with the grandmother role

ABSTRACTThe article analyses the norms of grandmothering in relation to cultural representations of active ageing. Based on interviews that were carried out with 20 mothers and 20 grandmothers of children under the age of ten, the article focuses on the way in which the current emphasis on activity influences ideas about how the roles of grandparent should be performed and how women relate to their own ageing. The analysis shows that being active represented a significant framework of the mothers’ notions and expectations associated with care provided by grandmothers, of grandmothers’ talk about their own grandparental role and how both generations of women interpret their own memories of their own grandmothers. Both the mothers and the grandmothers noted how the family role of grandmothers had changed compared to past generations of grandmothers. This change was framed by the idea of having an active lifestyle and this idea formed an important framework for the mothers’ expectations about what their role as grandmothers might be like in the future. This paper critically analyses those representations of the grandmother role and point out the emergence of new forms of conflicts and challenges, and the sense of ambivalence about traditional roles that result from the close association made between being active and the representation of grandmothering.

Comparative Legal Analysis of Mediation in Russia and the EU

Introduction Mediation--a procedure in which an impartial third party helps to understand and resolve the conflict of interest that has risen in between the other two opposing parties. The advantage of this method of dispute resolution is that the mediator helps the parties to develop their own terms of agreement between them. It is important to point out that was first developed and outlined in the United States in the 20th century. US economy at the time witnessed a completely new form of conflict in the struggle between the trade unions and employers on the matter of wages and working conditions. It was necessary to resolve the dispute expeditiously to eliminate the risks of protests and continuous strikes. Then the US government issued a proposal for the parties to refer to the Ministry of Labor in order to resolve the dispute in a neutral way. In 1947, to fulfill this function a special federal agency--the US Federal Service for Mediation and Conciliation (Federal Mediation Conciliation Service, FMCS) created, which still exists today. For the first time the term mediation was used. The second prerequisite for the emergence of was the emergence of such organizations as > and > in the late 1960s. These local nongovernmental organizations, whose activities are focused on resolving conflicts between families, neighbors, as well as low-income groups. Thus, citizens are provided access to justice. The third prerequisite that was established in the 60s, features the American civil procedure. Mediation became a fully independent procedure only since mid 1970s. The first countries to take on after the US took over the Anglo-Saxon legal system were UK and Australia. So in the UK found its primary use in the resolution of labor disputes. As a result since 1976, there is Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service operating in the UK, the objectives of which are: to contribute to the improvement of industrial relations, in particular, support collective bargaining process. In Australia, the protection of rights of the native population (that by initiating numerous lawsuits tried to defend their right to cultural autonomy) required an efficient settlement. To resolve the dispute, the National Court of Rights for Indigenous Population has established the possibility of the judge forwarding claims to the independent mediator. In Russia, the first step towards the implementation of was seen in the adoption of the Federal Law of 27.07.2010 N 193-FZ On alternative dispute resolution procedure involving a mediator (mediation procedure). In this work, the leading hypothesis formulates that the development of in Russia is inevitable; it is just due to the peculiarities of the law enforcement practices. The authors of this work aim to test this hypothesis, the definition of the concept of mediation, the development of this institution in Russia and abroad, as well as the relationship of with other spheres of legal activity in modern Russia. Literature review History of development of and its periodization have been affected the works of many foreign lawyers and legal scholars (H. Besemer, 2004; Parkinson, L. 2010; Russ K. 2008). Besides, Europe has progressed far enough in exploring mediation, which is confirmed in the works of foreign scientists (Joerg Risse, 2005; Grefin, K. von Schlieffen, 2005; R. Fisher, 2006). The of the Russian Federation has also attracted attention of both practitioners and legal theorists (Blazheev, B. 2008; C. A. Shamlikashvili, 2010; Nosyreva, E.I. 2012; Emelkina, 2016; Famina, 2016). Neither did escape the eyes of philosophical theorists (Berzele, 2000; Solovyov, V.S. 1990). It is said that following the adoption of the federal law in Russia (2010) began to penetrate many spheres of human life. …

Islamist Violent Extremism: A New Form of Conflict or Business as Usual?

Islamist violent extremist (IVE) groups are frequently involved in civil conflicts. Indeed, some groups owe their origins to conflict, and tens of thousands of Islamists have chosen to participate in conflicts taking place in foreign countries in the past 35 years. Increasingly, IVE groups appear to have the capacity to influence the conflicts they are involved in, and are influenced in turn by their experiences. As a result, for those working on conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction, the involvement of IVE groups raises questions of whether traditional responses remain adequate. Drawing on three country case studies – Nigeria, Kenya and Iraq/Syria, this article examines the similarities and differences between IVE groups and other conflict actors, and what this means for development, state-building and peacebuilding responses.