Peaceful Means Research Articles

Leo Tolstoy’s Anti-Colonial Views and Their Influence on Liberation Movements in Africa

Leo Tolstoy is one of the few Russian thinkers of the pre-Soviet era whose views influenced leaders of liberation movements in Africa. Soviet researchers explored his anti-colonial views and their perception in the African continent. Although based on extensive source material, these publications are overly ideologized. The topic is reconsidered, using previously untapped archival data, as well as publications which appeared in Russia and internationally over the past thirty years. Tolstoy’s first attempts to speak out in the press about the colonial partition of Africa date to the Italo-Ethiopian War of 1895–1896. He denounced colonial expansion as an attempt by governments to distract their people from problems at home and force them to sacrifice themselves for business and political interests of others. Tolstoy advised people in metropoles not to take part in colonial schemes, and prompted colonised peoples to defend their rights through peaceful means so that the vicious circle of violence could be broken. His anticolonial rhetoric resonated in Africa, and from the beginning of the 20th century, his ideas were accepted as a guideline. M.K. Gandhi, a future leader of the struggle for Indian independence, who spearheaded a civil-rights movement of South African Indians in the 1900s, used Tolstoy’s ideas in developing his tactics of nonviolent resistance (satyagraha). Indirectly, these ideas continued to impact the South African liberation movement thanks to Gandhi’s influence. It was not until 1961 that the African National Congress (ANC) had to form a military organisation to fight against the apartheid regime. Yet the ANC managed to achieve a non-violent transition from apartheid to non-racial democracy. The success is associated with President N.R. Mandela, who shared Tolstoy’s views on the need to abandon armed confrontation.

Comparative Analysis of Contextual Usage of the Lexemes мiръ / миръ / мир and their translations into Spanish

In the critical literature devoted to the L.N. Tolstoy’s novel «War and Peace», the contradictory contexts of usage of the lexemes мiръ / миръ / мир and their relation to homonymy, were repeatedly discussed. The study is a comparative analysis of the contexts of usage of the lexems мiръ/ миръ / мир in Russian in the texts of the «War and Peace» novel by L.N. Tolstoy, as well as their translation into Spanish. The author refers to two editions of the novel - in 1912, before the spelling reform of 1918, and mid-20th century, as part of the 90-volume edition of the works of L.N. Tolstoy. The aim of the study is the comparative analysis of the semantics of the мiръ / миръ / мир in connection with the idea of the novel-epic. It is determined in what context and why L.N. Tolstoy prefers the lexemes of мiръ / миръ / мир , and also considered the use of the word глобус ‘globe’, meaning the ‘world’. The conclusions of the work are a proposal to introduce in the commentary to the novel interpretations of the meaning of the word peace in accordance with the context of the media world , in the curricula of students-philologists, as well as to take into consideration the data in translations into foreign languages, Spanish in particular,. Taking into account the specificity of semantics of words Mir and Worlds in the pre-revolutionary edition and the word world in the modern editions of the novel-epic «War and Peace» and their functioning with the literary text under the consideration contributes to revealing the idea of the multi-layered work, a special place in the artistic heritage of L.N. Tolstoy.

Dopuszczalność wojny w myśli chrześcijańskiej. Refleksja polemologiczna

Aim: The article aims to conduct a multifaceted analysis regarding the permissibility of war in Christian thought within the context of contemporary security, attempting to answer questions such as whether Christians should condemn wars as incompatible with God's law and Christian morality, or if there are situations where war becomes a necessity. What stance should Christians adopt towards war itself? Methods: The article employs an analytical-synthetic method. Analyzing the content of the issues allowed for breaking down the components into parts, examining each separately. Meanwhile, synthesis brought these elements together into a new whole, providing a holistic approach. As a result, this facilitated drawing general conclusions based on acknowledged specific assertions. Results: Reflection on the addressed issues indicates that a pivotal concern in today's world is the reality of the danger of war and the pursuit of maintaining peace. Christian teachings unequivocally state that every possible effort should be made to put an end to wars. Despite the idea of just war and the right to legitimate defense remaining unchanged, this cannot exempt individuals from the obligation to act in favor of peace. This is exceedingly challenging since wars cannot be avoided by mere desires. It should be the duty of a Christian to vehemently protest against tendencies leading to war. Additionally, there should be a search for and discovery of new peaceful means to resolve international disputes. Conclusion: The phenomenon of war and peace is deliberated upon in most publications addressing contemporary civilization's problems, nature, and future. It also finds a place in polemological reflection. Thus far, within the domain of contemporary polemological thought, Catholic reflection deserves distinction. It holds the greatest contribution to the analysis of war and peace issues, especially since the Second Vatican Council and the pontificate of John XXIII. Christians believe that war is a manifestation of disorder existing in the world. They are convinced that in the face of war, they cannot remain indifferent and should react to injustice and suffering primarily affecting civilian populations. Presently, Catholics firmly reject war to solve any international problems. Originality: This work fills a specific gap in an exceedingly interesting area of scientific exploration, providing significant suggestions and conclusions based on the author's analysis and assessments. Keyword: security, peace, war, Catholicism, religion, Christian concept of just war

TOWARDS INSTITUTIONALIZING INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION

The obligation to settle international disputes through peaceful means is one of the most fundamental principles of international relations. A variety of dispute resolution mechanisms are at the disposal of states to resolve international disputes. Mediation is undoubtedly one of the most effective dispute-resolution means. However, unlike arbitration and adjudication, there is a lack of consistency in mediation approaches and standards of practice. A careful analysis of international disputes resolved in contemporary history reveals that the facilitators who purport to be mediators do not always comply with fundamental principles of mediation, namely independence, impartiality, and neutrality. This article calls for the institutionalization of international mediation through a permanent independent entity. It argues that institutionalizing mediation is the only way to achieve a reasonable degree of standardization of mediation practices and approaches. The proposed institutionalization will inevitably make mediation more accessible to disputing parties, resulting in a greater number of conflicts being settled through mediation. Institutionalization will also promote research and academic literature in international mediation, bringing about further professionalization of the field. The first part of this article draws a distinction between judicial dispute resolution mechanisms and diplomatic dispute resolution mechanisms, including mediation, which continues to evolve in an organic and unsystematic manner. The second part explores well-known international conflicts that have been successfully or unsuccessfully mediated by prominent individuals, namely the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Heads of state, religious leaders, and other dignitaries. The third and last part of the article makes a case that the UN, states, international organizations, religious leaders, and other prominent individuals are rarely, if ever, suitable mediators because they are not independent, impartial, or neutral for a variety of reasons. The logical conclusion to which the analysis leads is that it is high time to institutionalize international mediation by establishing a permanent independent entity entrusted with mediating international disputes.

The Black Sea Regional Security and Geostrategy Balance: A “New Cold War” Scenario

The Black Sea region is increasingly becoming a priority on the international agenda. In fact, a regional approach is emerging as actors understand that common problems need to be addressed jointly. Nevertheless, cooperation efforts are hampered by a number of factors, such as uneven economic and political development within and among countries, nationalist forces, and longstanding animosities between regional players. In this context, it is imperative to foster sound policies aimed at strengthening dialogue and cooperation so as to contain and ultimately resolve conflicts with peaceful means. However, there is little policy-oriented research on the challenges and opportunities for cooperation in the Black Sea region. The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of terrorism and its dangers towards the Black Sea region. The work also describes the significance of international terrorism and its general definitions. Besides, the result and findings are based on theoretical studies and assumptions and the result of the analysis of the “Case Study” of the Black Sea region. Case study examines how the Black Sea region influences the spread of terrorism and what threats it poses for this region. Furthermore, the aspects of what makes the region important on international arena are analyzed and the existent and potential security issues are examined, as well as strategic importance of the region for the EU and NATO is analyzed even from academic framework – “Securitization” theory (Buzan, Wæver, De Wilde, 1998). The theory is based on security studies conceptual background and the background spectrum includes: the Copenhagen School and Critical security studies as the type (Ondrejcsak, 2014). Moreover, the Black Sea regional security and geopolitics are to be reviewed and scrutinized in several modalities in aegis of the Securitization theory, like military and economic sectors. The hypothesis provides provision that the Black Sea regional security has already became indispensable part of the contemporary international security system and determines tendency in geostrategic balance at global level. In addition to that the Black Sea Region has to contend with numerous threats of a conventional and non-conventional kind. These hard and soft security problems make the region volatile, insecure and unstable. That is why the region is very vital for inter-governmental organizations, dealing with military security (NATO case) and local actors in case of Georgia’s national security.

Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes

Disputes (disagreements) between States are an evitable part of international relations and have frequently led to armed conflicts. Under Article 2/3 of the UN Charter, all member States are obliged to settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endanger. It is a natural corollary to the obligation of States to refrain from the threat or use of force as enshrined in Article 2/4 of the Charter of the United Nations, The maintenance of international peace and security has always been the major purpose of the International Law. It was the basic objective behind the creation of the League of Nations in 1919 and the United Nations in 1945. Since the direct cause of war and violence is always a dispute between States, it is therefore in the interest of peace and security that disputes should be settled. Methods and procedures for the peaceful (pacific) settlement of disputes have been made available in the International Law. The methods of peaceful settlement of dispute can be classified into three principal categories: diplomatic, adjudicative, and institutional methodologies

The Role of Traditional Heads in Resolving Land Disputes in Sekerat Village, Bengalon District, East Kutai Regency East Kalimantan Province

The role of traditional heads in resolving land disputes that occur in Sekerat Village, East Kutai Regency provides a solution in solving problems faced by warring communities because of land disputes, especially customary land. This is so that the problem does not take place continuously causing a dispute between the two disputing parties. This type of research is descriptive with a qualitative approach, using purposive sampling techniques as informants. This study uses qualitative data analysis methods. The people of Sekerat Village have their own way of solving the problem outside court or non-litigation, namely through the traditional head in his territory. Where they feel that the problem can be solved relatively faster, can be materialized, low cost, and its settlement is carried out by peaceful means through deliberation. And historically, the culture of Indonesian society is very upholding high deliberative approach.
 Keywords: role, traditional chief, settlement, land disputes

Природа и цели экономических санкций

Introduction. The nature of economic sanctions is relevant for analysis due to the need for a proper approach to the sanctions policy, its goals and objectives, as well as the assessment of its efficiency. Purpose. The author aims at revealing the nature of economic sanctions by analyzing their key function. At the same time, the author focuses his attention on the evolution of this function in the development of world economic relations. Materials and Methods. The epistolary heritage of national and foreign scientists devoted to the problems of sanctions and sanctions policy was used as a theoretical basis of the study. The analysis of the works shows the interpretation of these categories in terms of their key function pursued in their implementation. The fundamental methodological basis of the study includes the historical and genetic method of analysis which identifies their properties and traces their evolution, as well as the typological method which organizes and classifies the existence modes of the analyzed phenomenon. Results. The author comes to the conclusion that the nature of sanctions and their content evolved with the world economy. Initially used as a tool to limit and undermine the economic potential of rivals, they are globally transformed into a way to minimize the costs of the world community on maintaining the existing political and economic order that ensures the efficient functioning of international trade. Conclusions. The analysis shows that international economic sanctions are a peaceful means that is used to prevent behavior that violates international law and creates threats to peace and security.

Формирование ценностей в международном праве: историко-правовой анализ

At present, in the transitional period of the evolution of the international legal system, it becomes more relevant than ever to turn to historical and legal studies of various aspects of the formation of international law, to search for political and legal constants, evolutionary regularities, legal traditions and, of course, legal values formed at previous stages, because it is they who keep the results of past legal activity and allow understanding and reforming the current legal systems, determining the conceptual vectors of development. Legal values, among other things, have a direct normative form. First of all, these are principles of law as basic principles reflecting the general format of legal regulation in a particular legal system at a particular stage of its development. Principles allow building a legal system in accordance with the (ideal) attitudes of society, their nonrecognition or ignoring leads to various kinds of conflict situations in society. Principles of law are designed to fulfil the axiological function, which consists in the fact that they include the understanding of values in law, in the legal system, legislate the basis of the legal ideal. International law, as well as national law, can certainly be considered as an object of value relation from the standpoint of the categories of good and evil, true and untrue, permissible or prohibited, just and unjust. International law as an independent legal system has been recognised since the 19th century, at the same time, as a result of the intensification of international relations, international law was actively developed. In parallel, the corresponding international legal values began to be formed, including those reflected in the principles of international law, which in this period have not yet been legally formalised, however, on the basis of the analysis of international legal relations can be formulated. In the author's opinion, such principles include the principle of co-operation, the principle of settling disputes by peaceful means, the prohibition of trade in Negroes, and the legal status of diplomatic representatives and consular agents. These principles are directly related to the international legal values that were in the process of formation. In the course of the conducted research it was established that in the XIX century, the period of active formation of international law, including the formation and formalisation of international legal values took place. Despite the fact that the considered legal values and relevant principles back in the XIX century, we cannot but note that they have their direct significance for modern international law. Moreover, international legal values are in direct relationship with the legal values of individual states and influence national legal systems and their values.

Engaging Young People in Peace Education Research: Using an Arts Based Approach to Gain Congruence through Democratic Methods

Qualitative research has increasingly been utilising visual methods such as drawing to collect richer insights from participants of all ages and backgrounds. This article demonstrates the methodological potential of a structured arts based workshop that included a data walk, a drawing session, and a reflective peace wall. We reflect on the suitability and value of this approach to support young people’s learning about peace, to collect insights on what peace means to them, and how they envision their contribution to a peaceful world. This project was done with 12–18-year-old students in three schools in Glasgow, Scotland. We found that a structured approach allowed students to understand and express what positive peace means and to see themselves as agents of change. Three key methodological insights are offered: ways the approach addresses a crisis of praxis in peace education research, how research methods can gain congruence with democratic concepts in of peace education, and normative validity established through the voice of young people. This article contributes to the literature on arts based and creative methodologies and offers a novel model of peace education research inclusive of multiple ways of knowing and more democratic methods.

Atrocities of Wars and their Invisible Wounds

Only when you experience the atrocities of war, you will know the real meaning of peace and cordially appreciate it and do your best to prevent wars or at least put them to an end.

한국사회의 남남갈등 완화 논의를 위한 노력

The governments of North and South Korea are unable to internally converge on peace and unification. Accordingly, discussions among civic groups in Korean society are requested to seek discussions on the direction for peace and unification unfolding in North and South Korea. In reality, Korean society is in more urgent need of practicing a cooperative approach to inter-Korean reconciliation. Therefore, this study seeks to identify areas where civic groups' perceptions of peace and unification existing in North and South Korea may converge. Through this, Korean society seeks to advance the meaning of peace and unification and the will for integration. The unification movement and various measures of unification education must be strengthened to alleviate South-South conflict. Accordingly, we would like to discuss whether it is possible to seek to alleviate the South-South conflict by understanding the left and right groups that exist in our society, the Pan-National Alliance and the Free North Korea Democratic Alliance

The Extent To Which Teachers Of The Arabic Language Have The Methods Of Resolving Student Disputes By Peaceful Means

The Extent To Which Teachers Of The Arabic Language Have The Methods Of Resolving Student Disputes By Peaceful Means

The right to peace: modern approaches to legal understanding

The article defines the right to peace in the context of the third generation of human rights, i.e. rights, the subject of which is society as a whole. It is determined that the right to peace is an international collective right, which is based on ensuring the prerequisites for a safe, stable, and dignified life of human societies away from the dangers and disasters of wars, as well as the consequences and dangers of armed conflicts, in the light of the basic requirements that arise from the idea of ensuring achieving security of human rights, non-violence, achieving development, environmental protection and other elements that cannot be separated from the right to peace.
 The author lists the characteristics of the right to peace as a third-generation right, namely: the international nature of the organization, collectivity, protection from the provisions of international law, and subsidiarity compared to the rights of other generations.
 The essential characteristics of the right to peace are determined, in particular the interrelationship of peace with other fundamental human rights, as well as the interdependence of all states in the aspect of ensuring the right to peace. The author proves the thesis that the right to peace is the duty of all states because the existence of a conflict between two parties determines the disturbance of peace and stability beyond the borders of the conflicting parties.
 The means of ensuring the right to peace and measures taken by the United Nations to maintain and establish peace and security, i.e. effective and collective measures to prevent and eliminate threats to peace and to achieve it by peaceful means and in accordance with the principles of justice and international law are described. The characteristics of peacekeeping operations and monitoring missions, the latter of which took place for settlement between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, are given.

Hopes and dreams: youth activities in civil society organizations in post-conflict countries

ABSTRACT For a long time, youth have been seen as a driving factor for conflicts or as victims of conflicts. While some literature and research on youth in conflict tend to be overly negative and focus on the danger posed by youth, we argue that these descriptions do not reflect reality: youth are crucial to sustainable peacebuilding and must, therefore, be included in conflict transformation processes. We demonstrate that while youth continue to experience difficulties in overtaking meaningful roles as actors of change in peacebuilding, there is an improvement in the acceptance of their agency. The article explores the case of Sierra Leone where the perception of youth can be seen as a massive change from immediately after the war to today. The article explores different roles that youth can have during and after a conflict, investigates positive impacts youth can have, describes what peace means for young people and how they would describe a desirable future, and finally speaks about how youth respond and interact with international ideas of peace and sustainability.

“Peaceful” nuclear explosives?

Proponents of Project Plowshare argued that using nuclear explosives for peaceful means offered technical and economic advantages. But getting the biggest bang for the buck didn’t outweigh the varied environmental and sociopolitical costs of their use.

Penyelesaian Sengketa Mawah di Lembaga Adat Aceh dalam Hukum Islam

Mawah transactions in Aceh is agree orally without written evidence, potentially leading to prolonged disputes. The mawah agreement does not mention a time limit for the duration of the agreement with a certain period of time, causing the heirs of the mawah property manager to sue. If there is a dispute in Acehnese society (including mawah disputes) it will be resolved through peaceful means and/or customary courts before being handed over to the police. This research approach uses an empirical juridical approach that aims to examine aspects that must be considered in resolving mawah disputes and procedures for resolving mawah disputes in Aceh Customary Institutions based on Islamic law. The results showed that aspects of the agreement, legal aspects and judges need to be observed so that the settlement does not violate Islamic law. The dispute resolution procedure in the Acehnese customary court is in accordance with the settlement in Islam which is in the nature of the settlement in accordance with peace (aṣṣulh) and the form of implementation is in accordance with the judiciary (al-qaḍā) with an appeal at the Mukim level if Keuchik unable to complete. Furthermore, if the customary court has not been able to be resolved it will be resolved through the Religious court, for Aceh the Religious court is called the Shar'iyah Court.

Irreversibility in nuclear arms control and disarmament law?

Abstract While irreversibility of nuclear arms control and disarmament measures can be supported by compliance with applicable legal norms, the existing treaty regulation has serious gaps: pertinent treaties are not universally applicable; limitations on missiles as important carriers of nuclear warheads have been abrogated; the strategic doctrines of nuclear weapons powers are not fully transparent, and while the latter may strengthen the effectiveness of nuclear deterrence, it also raises questions as to compliance with fundamental obligations to refrain from a threat or use of force and to settle international disputes by peaceful means. There are certain principles of general international law that can and should be used in international cooperation to overcome nuclear crisis situations and strengthen international security: fundamental norms regarding the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament under strict and effective international control have an erga omnes character and are accepted and recognized by the international community of States as a whole. Furthermore, general rules of international responsibility are fully applicable in the law of nuclear arms control and disarmament. It is in this sense that irreversibility in nuclear arms control and disarmament is served by legal principles and rules, which require States to comply with existing obligations and to cooperate for the maintenance of peace and security.

Revisiting Zoning in Nigerian Politics

From 1999 to 2022, ethnic affiliation, religiousity and geo-political zones has been the unofficial pre-election criteria for selecting candidates for the presidential and governorship positions in Nigeria. The selection process created unnecessary tension in the polity. To stem the tide of political volatility, there has been intensification in calls for zoning principal offices between the north and the south, and between the various senatorial zones at the state level. In revisiting the politics surrounding zoning, and the questions about its constitutionality, the paper examines its historical antecedent, as well as Article 72(C), 2009 of People's Democratic Party's Constitution. Adopting Elites theoretical framework, and for methodology, qualitative descriptive data and content analysis was utilized. The paper found that intra-elite rivalries and the 'do or die' politics during the process of selection and election of candidates, has marred the development of democratic ethos in the country. It concluded that due to the above anomalies, democracy has faced some dysfunctionality, giving rise to the quest to zone principal offices. Considering Nigeria's multi-ethnic diversity, the study recommends that before its adoption, the National Assembly should constitutionally spell out the modalities for its operation, as it stands out to be a more peaceful means for achieving equity and inclusiveness in governance.

The Attempt to Universalise Domestic Jurisdictions: International Criminal Justice and Russia

INTRODUCTION. Over the past two decades, the Western bloc has intensified pressure on Russian Federation through attempts to expand its area of influence as well as to interfere in the domestic affairs of Eastern Europe countries. Russia's response to what it perceives as a threat to its interests has been met with recourse to all available means, including international criminal justice. This paper proposes the identification of legal proceedings brought in the last decade before the International Criminal Court and critically examines the possibility of triggering domestic jurisdictions against Russian or Ukrainian citizens associated with Russia, in order to assess the legality of the ongoing actions and the solutions that international law presents.MATERIALS AND METHODS. This paper first gives a brief overview of international justice cases started in the last decade against the Russian Federation and persons allegedly associated to Russian interests. It will then go on to focus the analysis exclusively on international criminal justice aspects, which are of interest because of the potential friction they may cause for international peace and security. Highlighting previous international courts decisions as well as the evolution of customary law, the fourth chapter is concerned with the activity of the International Criminal Court worldwide and the attempts made by the Western bloc to expand the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court in order to increase pressure over countries out of Western countries sphere of influence. After an inroad into the particular features and dangers of the principle of universal jurisdiction, the last two sections will explore the peaceful means to settle international disputes as well as the final thoughts on the main focus of this study.RESEARCH RESULTS. Having in mind customary international law, the inherent nature of treaty law and decisions derived from international judicial bodies, campaigns launched against the Russian Federation before criminal courts, regardless of whether they are national courts or they have an international mandate resulting from international treaties, are more able to aggravate the tension between Russia and the Western bloc than to settle any specific dispute between these two sides.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. The results in this paper indicate that any unilateral attempt developed by a State or a group of States to pursue a campaign against third States and persons outside the UN environment in order to bring any of them to face justice under a specific group of States’ values and principles is deemed unlawful. Therefore, such State or group of States are only able to settle disputes through options that are less likely to increase the level of threat against international peace and security.