Participants In International Relations Research Articles

THE CONСEPT OF AUTHENTHIС DEVELOPMENT AS AN ALTERNATIVE IDEOLOGY OF MODERNIZATION

This article is devoted to Russian identity and “Russian way” in ecology, economy, politics and social relations. It also can be considered as presentation of the new concept of development. The author formulates the concept of authentic development as a global and local ideology which key aspects are tradition, family and agriculture values, conservative strategy and alternative rationality. After the Soviet system’s transformation, one of the problems of contemporary Russia is non-critical attitude to Western political and social theory that leads to the deformation of the social relations and ideological crisis. Also, the subject of the article is critical analysis of postmodern consumer society. The author uses methods of political conceptology. The author proposes “philosophy of life”, integrated in the project of socio-political transformation. One of main conclusions of the study consists in assertion that the global liberal democracy concept has exhausted itself because it was made in the framework of repressive logic. Russia today does not need modernization or democratization. It needs its own authentic development project. Moreover, the project of authentic development can be universally alternative ideology for the most various participants of international relations.

TRENDS OF RESEARCH OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP (ASPECT OF MODERN HISTORY)

The article analyzes the multidimensionality of world politics, which requires global actors to search for conceptual forms of interaction to solve complex international processes, which contributes to deeper cooperation and creating special partnerships. The growing political, economic and military instability at the global level has led to the need for theoretical and practical renewal of foreign policy strategies, as well as for the development of effective mechanisms for collective cooperation. A comprehensive study of the conceptual and applied dimensions of strategic partnership, which is a special tool for aligning the foreign policy of global actors and at the same time serves as one of the effective types of international partnership, allows to take into account the growing political risks and identify ways to mitigate the effects of global destabilization on global actors, identify points of coordination for their strategic engagement and to offer programs of cooperation at the international, transregional and global level of forming partnerships. The strategic partnership of global actors at this stage is marked by the impact of global trends in international development, so the topic is examined through the transition from general to specific, taking into account the problems and processes of globalization that affect all participants in international relations, who are forced to seek optimal solutions for foreign policy issues.

International Cooperation of the Odessa Region (1950-2015): General Characteristics of the Source Base

In today’s conditions of active growth of the non-government parties’ participation in international relations and fast development of the municipal partnership, the issues of identification, analysis and generalization of the source base of the formation of a complex phenomenon of twin cities as participants of the international cooperation are becoming of paramount importance. The article analyzes the source base of the process of formation, development and modern state of twin and partner relations of Odessa, as well as international cooperation of Odessa Region in the second half of the XXth – beginning of the XXIth centuries. The basis of the source for the study consists of published and unpublished archival materials which are stored in the archives of the Union of Soviet Friendship and Cultural Relations with foreign countries, the Association of Soviet and Foreign Cities, the regional and city committees of the Communist Party of Ukraine, the archives of regional and state administrations, city councils and city executive committees, archives of local authorities of twin and partner cities. The second group of sources is represented by materials from periodicals containing reports on exchanges of delegations, joint events, speeches by members of delegations of twin cities. A separate group of sources consists of journalistic publications, materials from the Internet portals, information resources, which quickly covers the news and expert opinions on cultural, educational and other international events, the establishment of twin/partner relations and the development of the international volunteer movement. In general, the source base is wide and diverse and quite sufficient for a comprehensive analysis and comprehensive coverage of the international cooperation of Odessa Region during the specified period. Large-scale complex of archival documents that are stored in the State Archives of the Odessa Region, the Department of Archival Affairs of the Odessa City Council and departmental archives of the region are required further scientific analysis and synthesis.

Foreign Policy Strategies for Declining Hegemony: Searching for the Balance between Costs and Involvement

The article explores and analyzes the foreign policy strategies of a declining hegemon. For this purpose, it develops an analytical framework for the classification of the strategies based on the two variables, costs and involvement. While amount of costs required to be spent in order to attain the goals of a certain strategy affects a hegemon’s power, and involvement represents the hegemon’s ability to achieve desired outcomes though participation in international relations, the variables empirically express the two attributes of a hegemon as defined in the theories of international relations - power and willingness to be a hegemon. Therefore, beyond classification of strategies, the analy- tical framework illustrates how implementation of each strategy affects the attributes of a hegemon. Based on the framework, the article defines the most optimal foreign policy of a declining hegemon by discovering the one that minimally affects the attributes of a hegemon by enabling it to preserve high involvement in relatively lower costs.

Digital Diplomacy in the Discourse of Global Policy

The article presents a comparative analysis of the official presence on the Internet, including social networking sites, of the state diplomatic agencies of France, Italy, Russia, and others. A new form of "digital diplomacy" on the one hand provides new opportunities for the implementation of the state international politics, and on the other, imposes special requirements on its members. There is the feedback loop between the diplomatic and public agencies (a new phenomenon of the modern information society). Social media play an important role in shaping public opinion, which puts forward specific requirements for how information on the official pages of diplomatic offices in social networks. The new format of close cooperation between the public and diplomatic agencies makes the modern diplomacy more public and less restrained. In these circumstances, it is very important information without losing the initiative and applying new and modern means of communication with their particular style of communication, they can not fall the level of political culture, as happened with the diplomatic authorities of the USA and some other countries. Thus, the ongoing technological revolution complicates the interaction between the participants of international relations. The usage of digital technologies in the diplomatic activity opens up new possibilities for conducting a policy of «soft power» aimed to develop concerted action to overcome the political, social and economic crises, as well as develop the measures to prevent them.

Compound states as subjects of international relations

The article is carried out legal analysis of the legal status of subjects of international law. Systematically discusses the classification of subjects of international law. Special attention is paid to the state as the main participant of international legal relations and legal status. Investigates the difficult part of States, in particular federations and their actors in international relations. Separate attention is paid to the subjects of the Federation as a potential participants in international relations.

How the European Parliament's participation in international relations affects the deep tissue of the EU's power structures

The European Parliament’s (EP) public refusal to consent to several international agreements gives EU citizens a voice in international relations, which, with all its flaws, draws on a source of democratic legitimation that is independent and separate from the EU member states. These acts of contestation vest the EU’s actions under international law with a popular backing that is not ultimately rooted in the member states. The EP’s new role and visibility also creates a degree of competition between the EP and national parliaments, since the latter while they can exercise political power within the EU legal order, cannot represent EU citizens to the outside. It further gives support to the Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU) implicit claim that the EU possesses original (sovereign) rights. This article sheds light on how the EP’s new role may strengthen the link to its citizens and influence the relationship between the EU and its member states.

La Cooperación Sur – Sur de los Poderes Regionales: El caso de Brasil / South-South Cooperation of Regional Powers. The Brazilian case

The increase in number and variety of regional agreements has been accompanied by an increase in South-South cooperation (SSC) but no clear linkage between the two phenomena has been established. So far the participation in international relations of regional groups of developing nations (regionalism) has not shown significant changes in their relative power. In this article we explore if other actors, different from regional groups, have increased their power due to regionalism and what role does SSC play in that power. We support the notion that the relationship between regionalism and SSC is mediated by the global insertion of regional powers, such as Brazil, that protect and promote the objectives of their national foreign policies through cooperation toward other developing nations. Keywords: regionalism, regional powers, South-South cooperation. Received on September 17, 2013. / Accepted on October 7, 2013.

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF ECONOMIC WARFARE

The article presents definitional issues as well as the objectives and tools associated with the concept of economic warfare. It also highlights the changes in the existing approach to the issue of economic warfare. The topics presented as a conflict occurring nowadays in the relations between states and countries as well as other participants in international relations. Furthermore, an attempt was made to analyze the social consequences arising from the usage of the measures of economic warfare. Additionally, the authors show the forecast of the future trends of the issues discussed.

Indigenous peoples as international political actors: presenting the INDIPO project

Indigenous peoples have emerged as active participants in international relations. They claim the right to participation and to consultation in international political decision-making and to represent their interests based on principles of self-determination. Indigenous peoples' organizations in the Arctic have been in the forefront of the political mobilization of indigenous peoples in different international forums. The aim of the INDIPO project is to study the dynamics of interactions between states, international organizations, and indigenous peoples. This research project draws on theories and practices in international politics and international law in order to analyse how ‘indigenousness’ is used politically as a claim to self-determination and sovereignty in the international system and what the political consequences of this claim will be. The research objective consists in seeking answers to two interrelated questions. Firstly, how relations between states, international organizations and indigenous peoples have been and are currently constructed as legal and political practices? Secondly, how indigenous peoples, through different strategies, construct political agencies to further their political interest? The research project advances knowledge about the construction of the political agency of indigenous peoples and their participation in international policy-making. The researchers seek to establish a constructive dialogue with the representatives of major stakeholders and to organise two workshops with them in order to discuss the objectives and results of the project. The first one was held in Inari, Finland in January 2006.

Internationalizing Colleges and Universities

Dean Cordier has cautioned wisely that centers of international studies should concentrate on excellence rather than on universality of coverage and should not expand beyond the limits of their expertise. I shall develop a complementary theme, asserting that within any college or university a number of departments and professional schools have responsibility for international studies. Centers of international studies cannot reach their maximum potential if these responsibilities are not carried out. The first portion of my comments will be concerned with international relations but later discussion will be broadened to include other aspects of international studies. Over the past two decades the experience of university departments and centers traditionally concerned with international relations has been rather similar to that of foreign offices in national governments. Until recently the foreign office served as the agent of government through which most foreign affairs were conducted. As a variety of economic, social, cultural, and scientific problems were added to the agendas of intergovernmental dialogue, other departments of government became increasingly involved in international relations. Foreign offices have attempted to control, or at least coordinate, the foreign relations of their sister departments of government but with limited success. As each department of government becomes involved directly in international relations there are wider and wider areas of international activity in which the foreign office is involved only marginally. Similarly, departments and professional schools of colleges and universities heretofore uninterested in international relations now are increasingly involved. This includes direct participation in international relations through expanding activities of international pro-