Peacebuilding Research Articles

The civil norm building role of news journalism in post-civil war settings

This paper seeks to provide an answer to the question of the role that news journalism can play in the building of civil peace as peaceful cooperation in post-civil war settings. Alternatively expressed, how it can utilise its communicative capacity to facilitate and contribute to contextually and culturally appropriate versions of sustainable peace within civil society. Peacebuilding tool kits are wide and varied and often narrowly focus on news journalism as a political actor and its role in political life. We would like to shift the focus away from the ‘political’ to the role that news journalism can play in the (re-)building of an associative and cooperative civil society. Specifically, we believe that news journalism should and can develop for itself an ethos of civil norm building that aims to stimulate a civil consciousness in its audiences which is indispensable for the practical application of the categories of civil norms of peaceful cooperation in everyday life. To understand how such an ethos can be developed we need to recognise three features that are necessary for news journalism to achieve its potential as a civil norm builder: (1) its transformative communicative capacity, (2) its institutional and organisational commitment toward news reporting that exemplifies peaceful cooperation in everyday life and (3) the way it can concretely undertake the application of editorial guidelines in post-civil war settings which exemplify the three basic categories of civil norms of peaceful cooperation: (a) assent to civil peace, (b) substantive civility and (c) building civil capacity and civil competencies.

Art, Science and Anthropology: Co-Creating Knowledge and Building Peace in Colombia

Abstract Following a peace agreement with guerrillas in November 2016, Colombia has been transitioning from almost six decades of violence to a post-conflict period. In such a process, members of society must reestablish dialogue and learn to coexist. Based on a participatory art approach used during a science project that involved ex-combatants, community leaders and biology researchers, this paper presents research methods that combine art and design exercises to advance scientific knowledge. Participants contributed to and developed new ways of understanding biological knowledge. Their collaboration also forged mutual trust and progress toward peace in the region.

Military Dogs and Their Soldier Companions: The More-than-human Biopolitics of Leishmaniasis in Conflict-torn Colombia.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a vector‐borne disease that produces growing skin ulcers. In Colombia, the transmitting phlebotomine sandfly is native to the same jungles that have been the primary theater of war. Although combatants are the most affected by leishmaniasis, military landmine detection dogs are also significantly impacted. This article draws on ethnographic field research with human and canine members of the Colombian military. While their leishmaniasis ulcers constitute a shared expression of violence that makes evident the closeness of the human–dog bond, differences in their state‐provided health care reveal the production of shifting species hierarchies. I argue that war scrambles both human–dog affective relationships and biopolitically configured interspecies hierarchies in ways that produce suffering, not just for humans and dogs separately, but also for the bonds they forge together. Building peace through health care demands repairing the ways in which armed violence has rendered the bonds between humans and nonhumans pathological.

Imagining Peace Outside of Liberal Statebuilding: Anarchist Theory as Pathway to Emancipatory Peacefacilitation

Critical scholarship on peace has coined the term liberal peacebuilding and proven that it is unsuccessful, even counterproductive, in achieving that what it sets out to do—foster peace after violent conflict. The dominant part of this endeavor has been statebuilding. This paper adds to a slowly developing literature that starts to ask the question what an alternative to the reliance on statebuilding could look like. By employing anarchist theory, a new theoretical methodology is introduced to International Relations that allows to imagine forms of peace outside the liberal paradigm whilst preventing imperialistic claims. Such an emancipatory peace practice based on anarchism is envisioned as to build on prefigurative politics and direct action, strengthening autonomy, decentralization, and horizontality as well as challenge all structural forms of domination through radical forms of self-determination. Incorporating such an anarchist agenda offers one perspective on what fostering peace outside decontextualized and imposed liberal nation states could be. I argue that challenging statebuilding foreshadows a greater implication an anarchist research agenda promotes, namely, the need to move away from peace building toward emancipatory forms of peace facilitation.

THE MAJOR INTERNAL CHALLENGES OF THE FAILED PEACE-BUILDING PROCESS OF AFGHANISTAN

In this paper, I want to explore the internal challenges of peace building in Afghanistan. The faction groups who are the major shareholders of the current government are considered one side and Taliban are the other side of the problem for peace in Afghanistan. In addition, land-mafia, corruption, weak economy divided society are the other core factors. Here in this paper we discuss the role of faction groups and other factors excluding Taliban.

Building peace by peaceful approach: The role of Oromo Gadaa system in peace-building

Building peace by peaceful approach: The role of Oromo Gadaa system in peace-building

The Impact of ICT in Conflict Management and Peace Building in Nigeria

The Impact of ICT in Conflict Management and Peace Building in Nigeria

Making and unmaking bonds: Humanitarianism, local politics and peace building in Southeastern Zimbabwe, 1988 to 1992

For a long time, perspectives of governments, civil societies and humanitarian organisations have overshadowed the voices of host communities during humanitarian emergencies. In a few instances where literature mentions host communities, they are often portrayed as homogenous groups that share similar views and attitudes towards those in need of assistance. In this article, I draw from host-refugee interactions to argue for the incorporation of local voices in civil society and humanitarianism studies and to illustrate the need to disaggregate host communities and pay attention to local politics during interventions. The influx of thousands of migrants from different countries and ethnic groups, changes the environment of the host community positively and negatively. Often, initial benevolence gives way to hostility as resource scarcities and insecurities arise. When this happens, it creates an environment of suspicion, blame, and stigma, which negatively impacts relations and cohesion between the two groups. Paying attention to local residents’ diverse perspectives during humanitarian emergencies may contribute to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

The Role of the New Media in the Educating of Yemeni Women in Peace Building

The Role of the New Media in the Educating of Yemeni Women in Peace Building

Religious Education as Peace Education: A Perspective from Northern Ireland

The role of religion in schooling in Northern Ireland has long been contentious and has often been represented as a major factor in the region’s conflicted sectarian history. Religious Education (RE) in schools is predominantly Christian in style and content, often largely instructional in nature and is perceived to be representative of one or other of the dominant cultural communities. Yet, throughout the decades of political conflict and right up to the present, some educators have proposed pedagogies and developed resources towards a conception of RE as a major contributor to peace and community cohesion. This study sets out the background to this situation and outlines the obstacles and challenges to a Religious Education focused on building peace through improving good relations in the local sectarian context as well as in relation to the wider context of race and inter-religious relationships. It draws on a range of research and on-going qualitative studies, based on interviews and questionnaires, focusing on the attitudes and experiences of serving teachers, student teachers, parents and members of minority ethnic-cultural communities. In particular, it highlights attitudes to diverse learning beyond traditional confines and to the levels of pedagogical confidence of educators in dealing with potentially controversial topics in the classroom. Overall findings in Northern Ireland have indicated significant teacher wariness about tackling such topics but also a growing openness to the possibility of moving towards a more inclusive and professional approach to the teaching of RE. These views are analysed and some options for further research and professional development are proposed and discussed.

THE NEED TO DEVELOP A CONCEPT SAFE ENVIRONMENT ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS OF UKRAINE: NORMATIVE-CRIMINOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL-VALUE ASPECTS

The authors raise important issues of normative-legal framework the current security environment, his role is actualized with spiritual and value considerations, formation of high levels legal psychology and legal ideology of citizens, from the construction of the corresponding concept national level, namely: “will”, “values”, “culture”, “security”. A significant role in these processes belongs to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (in particular the National Police of Ukraine, as the largest law enforcement agency of our country, when from police structures world and national levels, their effective (fruitful) work and providing services and quality service to its people, jointly, in interaction with citizens and state bodies success and stability will depend stability of order in the state (on it internal, invisible front), as well as achieving victories on the front lines in the difficult conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Issues of overcoming the negative are raised security environment through the prism of current ones’ criminogenic states, situations and circumstances; the international experience of effective ones is summarized law enforcement and defense practices and interactions. It is noted that most often in scientific articles are about the security environment in the field of economy, health care, education and culture. At the same time, it should be considered from the positions various interpretations (in particular interdisciplinary-scientometric) that will help to see the comprehensiveness of importance spheres of security in the most diverse spectrums preservation of human life and health, its normal existence and aspiration to high truths. Among the general directions that should be developed in Security environment concepts is offered cyber security and psychological (spiritual-value) security components (given that the sociological and psychological school Kharkiv region is one of the most powerful in Ukraine). It is emphasized that the processing of this problem requires a great effort of many searches and analysis in order to constantly conceptualize threats and challenges, which poses every lived day in conditions of unstable situations, new states of war, when the entire system of international security regarding building peace and stability blown up to the ground and humanity reached the extreme point of its boiling point, when exercises are conducted on the use of nuclear weapons.

ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AS A FOREIGN POLICY TOOL IN THE LIGHT OF RUSSIA`S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE

RUSSIA`S WAR AGAINST UKRAINE The Russian military aggression against Ukraine forced international community to response to the biggest armed conflict in the modern history of Europe by the means of economic sanctions. Most nations condemned Russia`s war against Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Russian Federation which are aimed at cutting Russia`s economic ties. After the two world wars in order to prevention such tremendous military conflicts the means of economic restrictions have become an essential tool to response to any kind of abuse by an aggressive state. Economic warfare is considered as an alternative to a conventional one. For this reason, the issue of sanction policy has become an object in international relations, political science, security and peace studies. Since the annexation of Crimea and war unleashed by Russia in the East of Ukraine the issue of sanctions imposition on Russia, their regime and effectiveness have become an object for above-mentioned studies. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both scholars and politicians have paid more attention to the problem of imposition sanctions on the Russian Federation. The specifics of sanctions imposed on the aggressor country are examined in the article. The purpose of the article is to study the sanction policy carried out by allies and partners of Ukraine against Russia. The article is based on content analysis method of statements and releases of both governments and supranational organizations like the EU and UN, newspaper articles, as well as recently published articles devoted to sanctions. The present analysis is an interim study of the sanction policy against Russia that would be needed to reveal the ineffectiveness/effectiveness of economic sanctions as a reaction to Russian aggression. Subsequently, the analysis of a tool of sanctions can be used  to rethink the importance of economic sanctions as the part of peace building strategy.

Challenges and Opportunities in Gender-Based Activities toward Cross-Border Conflict Management in Kisumu and Nandi Counties, Kenya

Both men and women are significantly affected during conflicts. It is however important to note that the impacts differ from none gender to the next. In the same breath, conflict management efforts made by both men and women do not get the same recognition, with women facing a myriad of challenges in their attempt to be active participants in the process of conflict management. Therefore, gender parity in conflict management activities, just like in other activities within the society is a major concern. In this regard, the study sought to analyse the challenges that emanate from gender-based activities in the process of conflict management in Nandi and along the Nandi and Kisumu counties border. The target population of this study included Household heads, Deputy County Commissioners, senior police officers, the In-charge Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU), Chiefs, National Intelligence Officers, Local CBOs in-charges, Male and Female Members of Local Peace committees, Leaders of Sugarcane Out growers; Leaders of Market Traders, Local Micro-finance Institutions and religious leaders in the along the border of the two counties. The study employed a descriptive research design. The total sample size was 456. Both probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 23 and presented as percentages and frequencies in charts, graphs and tables while qualitative data was summarized in themes and presented in form of narrative reports and verbatim quotations. The study found that there were a number of factors that prevented women from being actively involved in conflict management among them lack of trust in women, perception, gender roles and level of education of women. The study also found out that there were a number of actors who worked towards gender-based conflict management in the study area, and they included government agencies and religious leaders; civil society as well as the community members. The study further found that the role of actors provided opportunities for human rights protection, Reconciliation, Gender Mainstreaming, Peace Building Workshops, media peace campaigns and peace caravans. The study concluded that women face a number of challenges that obstruct their involvement in conflict management as compared to their male counterparts. It’s however important to note that the involvement of various actors including government agencies, CSOs, religious leaders and community members provides an opportunity for sustainable conflict management through human rights protection and education, gender mainstreaming, reconciliation and peacebuilding activities and forums.

The Judiciary and Post Election Peace Building Issues in Nigeria

The Judiciary and Post Election Peace Building Issues in Nigeria

Women and Peace Building Process in Global South Countries the Importance and Limitation of the Role

Women and Peace Building Process in Global South Countries the Importance and Limitation of the Role

Operacija ODKB u Kazahstanu 2022. godine

The CSTO operation in Kazakhstan during 2022 hadn't only a character of building peace mission, but also has the purpose to prevent violent political coup in the form of color revolution in this, for Russian interest strategic important post-Soviet republic. Beside that, this CSTO operation had essential and crucial importance for the preservation of Kazakhstan constitutional order, and also prevented the constitution of a new geopolitical framework and order in the extremely challenging region of Central Asia. Through the research work on the analysis of this operation, interesting data on the refractions of various factors of the foreign policies of Russia, China, the United States and Turkey through Kazakhstan were obtained. Also, article reveals the cause and effect relationship between the complex political and security events in Kazakhstan, primarily through the prism of radical Islamist factor which played an active role in Kazakstanian scenario, particularly if we have in mind withdrawal of the American contingent from Afghanistan. American focus since than has been placed in Eurasian circle, bearing in mind strengthening project of created by Russia, known as Eurasian security and economic integrations.

A new war on nature and people: taking stock of the Colombian peace agreement

Non-technical summary Almost 6 years have passed since the Colombian peace agreement was signed. However, the promise of a ‘Stable and lasting peace’ is slipping away as the transition towards peace is increasingly tainted and overshadowed with violence. The future of Colombia is at a crossroad and without international support and action taken to monitor global supply chains, these particular drivers of conflict, violence and environmental degradation will persist. We summarize the current situation and shed light on the complexities of building peace in Colombia, with a particular focus on the environmental changes that took place since the peace agreement was signed. Technical summary The Colombian peace agreement officially ended one of the world's longest internal armed conflicts. But the transformation of land use that takes place in the wake of the peace agreement has made the historic inequalities of access to land more visible and revealed inherent and violent struggles over resources that persist across the country. In this briefing we analyse the current status of peacebuilding in Colombia and highlight the major barriers and challenges in the current peacebuilding efforts. We show how the last few years brought severe and negative repercussions for people, communities and the natural environment in Colombia as cattle ranching, ‘productive agriculture’ and extractive industries are increasingly encroaching into indigenous territories, protected areas and forest ecosystems, replacing diverse natural forests that support biodiversity and contribute to human well-being locally and globally. The resurging presence of numerous armed groups seeking to control the profitable drug trade and mineral deposits are a major problem and obstacle for building lasting and sustainable peace among people and with the natural environment in Colombia. We conclude this briefing with points that we see as crucial to support the implementation of the peace agreement. Social media summary Colombia's peacebuilding effort must foster environmental stewardship and respect its biological and cultural diversity.

THE URBAN PROFILES OF PEACE TOURISM IN ARAB CITIES: OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHANGE TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY. CASE STUDY: AS-SALT (JORDAN) AND CONSTANTINE (ALGERIA) CITIES

Tourism is not only considered as a stimulator for the social and economic development for countries, but also it contributes in spreading peace and enhancing negotiation, comprehension, and exchanging cultures among people in the light of the increased tourist demand. Arab countries confronted fluctuation and instability in the number of tourist arrivals due to security disturbances, conflicts and the vanishing of peace opportunities. In this regard, this research reveals the urban features for some Arab countries in achieving peace tourism because it is considered as touristic destinations that enhance heritage tourism due to the existence of the whole touristic features. The study sheds the lights on both As-Salt (Jordan) and Constantine (Algeria) cities. For the purpose of highlighting the opportunities of peace tourism by its urban features for changing towards sustainability by adopting that combine tourism development, peace building, and heritage conservation in both Arab cities. The researchers also required the development of certain tactical techniques to attain clear results in the research, the study relied on qualitative research in reviewing many documents and research related to both tourism and peace. In addition, field investigations contributed to providing data and information during the period from (2015-2018), like that the observation and interviews conducted with the local community in both cities. Results of the research, represented mainly in the presence of opportunities for peace tourism, which are reinforced by the specificity of the urban characteristics of the two cities, and its clear role in establishing a culture of peace, understanding, dialogue and exchange of cultures, which requires defining a model for the relationship between the development of tourism, peace and heritage in the cities of Salt and Constantine and which is based on tourism planning with the effective participation of different stakeholders.

Nations Quest for Peace and Alignment to the New Normal: Any Roles for the Marketing Profession?

Peace is one of the most desirable ingredients required for the existence of every human community, and the need for it has quadrupled as a result of the multiple challenges facing the world today. These challenges have further been exacerbated by the need to adjust to the new normal in our contemporary society which nexuses with business operations. The chances for peaceful societies have been fatally sacrificed at the altar of greed, selfish inclinations and the desires for self-aggrandizement of man; and these have made peace a scare commodity. The absence of peace has been linked with catastrophic effects, including business turbulence; which is the reason why deliberate efforts are constantly made by individuals, governments and religious institutions to foster peace. Sadly, the outcomes of these initiatives have not been much to be desired hence the need for a paradigm shift. This paper examined extant literature on the place of the marketing profession in nations’ quest for peace. Peace like every commodity can be marketed; hence the argument of this paper that the marketing mix variables of product, price, place, promotion, preach, propagate and patronize readily find application in marketing peace. This paper concluded on the note that the clamor for a paradigm shift in the quest for peace in nations is in the right direction. More so, such shift must include the involvement of marketing professionals into the army of global peace seekers. Therefore, this paper recommends that national governments should promote matters that foster unity, develop a common national value and deploy social marketing programs. Furthermore, corporate organisations should consider peace marketing as a worthy cause to embrace, and firms should be willing to finance peace building activities as well as form coalitions of mega corporations for the promotion and protection of global peace.

Optimistic Role of China in Peace Building in Africa: A Case Study of Darfur

The developing Sino-African relations are perceived by some foreign affairs academia as a measure of the basis on which its larger strategic drives are fabricated. Chinese interests on the continent not merely focus on economic benefits however also includes governmental, security, and sociopolitical interests. This fast-developing correlation offers opportunities besides challenges to both China and Africa. China’s trade, venture, and infrastructural development support are primarily re-modeling African markets. However, Chinese growth posturing retreat dilemma to international power balance.Particularly, the US perceives the African continent as ravenous for their investments, expertise, and peace, and cordiality.Moreover, argumentative concerns are distressing these relations. Africa remained a fatality of Western colonialism in addition to "strings-attached" methodologies. Hence, carried around using “quasi-state” players, thus, frequently condemned through majority African leadership to interfere with the local affairs within a few African states besides also offering reliant over foreign-aid support. This article endeavors to use the qualitative nature of the study based on secondary sources.Therefore, the descriptive-analytical technique is used to conclude a critical study of Sino-African relations besides conflict management in Africa, making a case study of Sudan. This paper also attempts to examine that how China’s investments on the continent are donating to issues by observing transmission of Chinese weapons towards Sudan underbid of securing petroleum to guard its domestic safeties.