Political Dialogue Research Articles

A structural approach to detecting opinion leaders in Twitter by random matrix theory

This paper presents a novel approach leveraging Random Matrix Theory (RMT) to identify influential users and uncover the underlying dynamics within social media discourse networks. Focusing on the retweet network associated with the 2021 Iranian presidential election, our study reveals intriguing findings. RMT analysis unveils that power dynamics within both poles of the network do not conform to a “one-to-many” pattern, highlighting a select group of users wielding significant influence within their clusters and across the entire network. By harnessing Random Matrix Theory (RMT) and complementary methodologies, we gain a profound understanding of the network’s structure and, in turn, unveil the intricate dynamics of the discussion extending beyond mere structural analysis. In sum, our findings underscore the potential of RMT as a tool to gain deeper insights into network dynamics, particularly within popular discussions. This approach holds promise for investigating opinion leaders in diverse political and non-political dialogues.

African feminist activism and democracy: Social media publics and Zimbabwean women in politics online

“We need to begin our questioning, activism and theorising from the spaces from which we are dying,” Funmi Olonisakin. The political landscape in Zimbabwe is largely a post-colonial hetero-patriarchal domain that pushes women politicians to the border of politics. Constraints in civic engagement and political participation that is characteristic of a shrinking democracy and exclusionary public sphere subsist. The 2023 election and its campaign period has shown that the socio-economic and political landscape is unpredictable with serious threats to women’s participation in politics. The lives of Zimbabwean women in politics are continually subjected to multiple forms of violence online and offline. Meanwhile, African feminist activism in the country has seemingly taken several steps back. Zimbabwean feminist activists risk being co-opted into the hetero-patriarchal socio-political structures. There is evidence of a considerable disconnect between feminist/gender activists and women in politics that needs to be addressed. In Senegal and South Africa among other countries, protests by younger generations of feminists have addressed this divide through innovations in protest strategies resulting in the re-formation of radical politics (Dieng, 2023; Hassim, 2023). With social media at the disposal of the younger generation of women politicians the movement is set on a revolutionary trajectory. The sustained social media presence of the new crop of women politicians has created active intimate and counter-publics who engage in vital Zimbabwean political dialogue. The new crop of women politicians referred to here are younger women politicians who unlike their predecessors are very active on social media and have no liberation war experience. The study locates social media as a provenance for Zimbabwean feminist activist revolutionising and democracy initiatives. Theoretically, I posit that the contentions around women’s political participation and violations against Zimbabwean women in politics are revealing of intricacies in African feminism and the coloniality of gender and how these, together with theories of the public sphere can further feminist activism. The study will utilise online ethnography of purposively selected Facebook posts and Tweets by Zimbabwean women in politics, feminist activists and/or gender organisations.

Hajj Humanitarianism

This article explores how pilgrimage to Arabia became the catalyst for Northern Nigerian Muslim leaders to develop a kind of humanitarianism for the poor to expand their political power in the era of independence from Britain and postcolonial Afro-Arab alliance-making. Muslim elites forced the British to provide welfare for poor pilgrims who conducted the pilgrimage over land through Sudan and then undertook their own relief and reform as means to resist national integration with Southern Nigeria and bolster their reputation and influence in the Muslim world. Muslim West Africans did not simply side with Sudanese or Saudi Arabian officials in the matter of hajj but instead critiqued Arab racism and enslavement of Africans while also playing on British and American fears of communism in Africa and attempts to use Islam and religious discourse more broadly to create alliances with Muslim Nigerians. Hajj humanitarianism reveals careful Nigerian negotiations of global politics during the Cold War and non-Western involvement in international humanitarianism, which has been treated as a largely Euro-American phenomenon.

Педагогическое образование в Кот-д’Ивуаре

In recent years, there has been a significant reinforcement of mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and African countries on the broad agenda. Russia builds these relations, taking into account new African realities and on the principles of sovereignty respect, national interests and equality. Today, the African agenda actively reflects in political meetings, economic forums, and scientific conferences, where the most famous is the Russia-Africa Forum of 2019 and 2023. In Ivory Coast, a diplomatic mission first appeared 7 years after gaining sovereignty, but then the ties were severed on Ivorian initiative due to the remaining significant French influence. Since 1986, the relations have been friendly and today they cover political dialogue, security, trade and economics, investments, energy, mining and new technologies, scientific exchanges, cultural, educational areas, etc. The educational sphere has traditionally been represented only by the practice of studying Ivorians in Russian universities. Nowadays, Russia participates in educational projects already in Ivory Coast. But their educational system is very poorly covered in Russian scientifical literature. The objectives of the article are to identify specifics of teacher training in Ivory Coast and to determine its problems and achievements.

Regional cooperation formats and the issue of military security of post-conflict states. Case study of the South-East European Cooperation Process

The South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) was launched in 1996, however, its functioning is an ongoing research phenomenon. This regional cooperation format includes all 13 states of South-East Europe. It was established as a forum of political dialogue and consultation, where regional issues could be addressed at the highest level. One of the objectives of the SEECP was security cooperation. The aim of this article is to analyse the role of the SEECP in maintaining security in the region of the Western Balkans. This article argues that since 1996, the SEECP has been evolving and is becoming an important format of regional cooperation in South East Europe, however, it plays a limited role in maintaining the military security of the post-conflict states of the Western Balkans. From the point of view of the members of the SEECP, military security and peace could be obtained through the integration of the participants of the SEECP, in particular those located in the Western Balkans, with the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The article also shows that establishing the SEECP did not eliminate tensions and riots based on ethnicity in some states of the Western Balkans and so, the SEECP still has a lot to do in the matters of reconciliation and good-neighbourliness. The article is based on primary and secondary source analysis, case study method comparative analysis, and the historical method.

Ukrainian Refugee Crisis under the Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Influences, Reflections and Suggestions on Europe

Since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in March 2022, more and more Ukrainian refugees have left their homes and flocked to other countries. Because Europe is geographically adjacent to Ukraine, it has become the first choice for most refugees. This paper will present the current social background of the influx of Ukrainian refugees into Europe and comprehensively analyze European countries positive attitudes toward welcoming and accepting Ukrainian refugees and the series of significant changes due to challenges such as the occupation of employment opportunities in asylum countries. The paper also analyzes the process and reasons for the transition from solid support to reducing refugee policies financial and social welfare in asylum countries. Finally, some suggestions are provided for creating a lifeline to protect refugees with different needs and promoting political negotiations between Russia and Ukraine from two aspects: humanitarian assistance and political means to ease conflict.

Political Relations: Political Identity and Social Media in Elections in Indonesia

This research examines the role of social media in shaping political identity and political participation in contemporary Indonesia. Utilizing document analysis, the study explores how individuals and societal groups use social media as a tool to influence and participate in political discourse. The method employed in this research is qualitative descriptive. The findings reveal that social media facilitates a framework for personal action, enabling widespread participation in various political and social issues, and integrating personal lifestyle values into political dialogue. The study also pays attention to the challenges faced by political parties in Indonesia in attracting voters, especially the younger generation who are highly engaged with social media, in the lead-up to the 2024 simultaneous elections. Lastly, it is found that social media has deepened social interaction and information for the millennial generation, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, affecting their views on politics and religion. The conclusion of this research emphasizes the importance of social media in shaping the political landscape in Indonesia, providing significant insights into how digital technology affects political participation and social identity.

Communal Geographies: Space, Identity and Electoral Constituency in Colonial North India

The Indian Councils Act, 1909, the Government of India Act, 1919, and the Government of India Act, 1935, defined political space—an arena of political negotiations through electoral representation—along religious lines. The most crucial aspect of these legislative-institutional developments was the definition and delimitation of ‘communal-territorial constituencies’, and franchisee qualifications. This specific colonial form of representative politics, which was debated, negotiated and translated by the religio-political elite in the arena of local politics, produced a communal notion of space. Thus, each of the localities, wards, cities and regions at large were officially demarcated into Muhammadan, General/Hindu, Sikh and Indian-Christian electoral constituencies. The paper explores the intricacies of this process and the complex question of ‘representation’ during the period of the national movement. It argues that this official demarcation of social groups and localities into political constituencies produced a complex configuration of identity and space, which had multiple manifestations with extended franchise. It established electoral representation as a mode to make legitimate claims and counterclaims over space.

How (Not) to Break Up: Constituent Power and Alternative Pathways to Scottish Independence.

In October 2022, the UK Supreme Court unanimously held that the Scottish Parliament lacks the power to legislate for a second referendum on Scottish independence (Indyref 2) absent an enabling Order by the UK government under section 30 of the Scotland Act 1998. With no such Order forthcoming, alternative pathways to Indyref 2 are being investigated. In this article, we examine two such potential pathways-a plebiscitary election and an unauthorised referendum-through the lens of constituent power. We argue that both pathways are theoretically available if one accepts (as we argue) that the Scottish people is the bearer of constituent power. However, we conclude that there are significant obstacles dotting both potential pathways, and as such the only feasible route to internationally recognised statehood for Scotland is via political negotiation.

The Role of Young People's Political Participation in Building a Strong Democracy: Case Study in Indonesia

This research discusses political participation among young people as the key to building and improving the political system in Indonesia. Young people play an important role as the future generation of voters who have great potential in determining political direction and policies. In this context, political awareness and political education are key factors in forming a young generation who are active and responsible in the political process. This research also discusses challenges such as apathy towards politics and efforts that can be made to overcome this problem. Through active participation, comprehensive political education, and involvement in political dialogue, the younger generation has great potential to become agents of positive change in building a strong and clean democracy in Indonesia.

Building Political Discourse Skills: Students as Teachers

In a highly polarized political environment, political discourse on divisive topics is all the more important. Heeding the many calls for higher education to teach political discourse skills, this study investigates the impact of political discourse lessons in a college-level, political science classroom. Further, it explores the effectiveness of student-peers as teachers. The study finds peers, compared to faculty, are better able to relate to students, and this strength is ideal for teaching subjects that require social connections such as the active listening and perspective taking techniques. Discussion of sensitive political topics can easily lead to discomfort and uneasiness. Our findings suggest that student learners may be more receptive to peer-leaders than to instructors when it comes to such situations. Further peer-teachers experienced increased comfort levels when involved in controversial political discussions and increased ability to engage in political dialogue.

The pragmatics of royal discourse in William Shakespeare’s Henry vi

Abstract Politeness (Brown and Gilman 1989; Rudanko 1993; Kopytko 1995) and impoliteness (Culpeper 1996, 2001; Bousfield 2007) have a prominent place in the reading of Shakespearean drama and serve as a means of characterisation. In this study, I utilise (im)politeness and face theory to characterise the royal discourse in 1, 2, 3 Henry vi . The study aims to analyse the linguistic behaviour of King Henry vi to see how well his royal discourse reflects his kingship and how his linguistic inadequacy contributes to his political failures. I investigate Henry’s use of (im)politeness and facework to handle political negotiations and I evaluate his level of awareness of the “political face”, which is the king’s desire to preserve a positive public image and to save face in social interactions. I look at the examples of Henry’s inadequate linguistic behaviour and try to establish why this behaviour was inefficient in a given scene and context.

A Qualitative Study of Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Political Participation

This studies examines the influence of social media on political participation by exploring the stories, perceptions, and behaviors of people. Through thematic evaluation of consciousness organization discussions and interviews, regarding 10 members (5 men and 5 girls), key findings emerge. Firstly, social media serves as a extensive supply of political statistics, allowing people to access diverse perspectives, information articles, and actualtime updates on political occasions. Secondly, social media systems facilitate political discussion and dialogue, allowing individuals to specific their critiques, engage with various viewpoints, and mission their personal ideals. Thirdly, social media performs a crucial function in political mobilization, empowering people to endorse for causes, improve awareness, and arrange campaigns. Additionally, social media complements individuals' feel of political efficacy, fostering their perception in their ability to make a distinction within the political sphere. Lastly, the examine highlights the relationship among social media engagement and offline political participation, with social media frequently serving as a catalyst for people' involvement in political activities. These findings emphasize the capability of social media as a tool for political engagement, information dissemination, and mobilization, however additionally spotlight challenges related to incorrect information. The implications of those findings advise the need for media literacy training, strategic use of social media by using policymakers and political actors, and efforts to sell knowledgeable and inclusive political engagement in the digital age.

EU’S TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE POLICY, PROGRAMS AND INSTRUMENTS

The article examines the EU’s policy framework, programs and tools on support to transitional justice, and evaluates their impact and challenges. Transitional justice refers to the various ways of addressing the past human rights violations and serious crimes that occurred in contexts of political transition, such as post-conflict or post-authoritarian situations. The EU has adopted a comprehensive policy framework on support to transitional justice in 2015, which defines its principles, objectives, and modalities of engagement with partner countries and international and regional organisations on transitional justice issues. The EU has also used various instruments and actions to support transitional justice initiatives worldwide, such as providing financial assistance, engaging in political dialogue, offering technical expertise, and advocating for transitional justice norms and standards. The article also illustrates how the EU has supported transitional justice processes in different contexts and regions, such as dealing with the legacy of World War II, the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe, the war in the former Yugoslavia, and the Arab Spring. The article concludes by identifying some of the achievements and shortcomings of the EU’s involvement in transitional justice processes, such as contributing to accountability, recognition, trust, reconciliation, and non-recurrence; but also facing inconsistency, selectivity, conditionality, interference, cooptation, politicisation, fragmentation, duplication, etc. The article also suggests some ways to improve the EU’s policy framework, programs and tools on support to transitional justice, such as enhancing consistency, coherence, coordination, complementarity, and adaptability. The article also explores how the EU’s role and approaches in the field of transitional justice can affect its own identity and credibility as a global actor that promotes human rights, democracy, and the rule of law as core values of its external action.

Maritime Digital Diplomacy: Legal Revitalization and Reform of Modern and Solutive Diplomacy

The existence of international politics and the foreign policy processes of a country has changed since the presence of the internet as a form of digitalization. The internet changed the practice of diplomacy and relations between countries. The Internet of Things is provided for all sectors. This also changes the dimension of diplomacy to digital diplomacy. Digital diplomacy cannot replace face-to-face diplomacy, but it still exists, and its needs will continue to increase. Digital diplomacy has also not been accommodated in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, even though the development of diplomacy is very dynamic, along with the many disputes that arise between countries. Disputes between countries that often arise are disputes in the maritime sector. Therefore, maritime diplomacy is needed in resolving disputes in the maritime sector, considering that one of Indonesia's maritime axes. This research is normative juridical research that uses qualitative methods with statute and conceptual approach. The result of this research is that maritime digital diplomacy has a position as a means of communication and political negotiation, which is important for defending and fighting for national interests. Indonesia needs maritime digital diplomacy as a medium to fight for national interests and strategic issues in the maritime sector. A modern and solutive revitalization and legal reform of diplomacy is needed in order to establish good relations between countries.

A political game?: the dispute over the Canal Istanbul project

ABSTRACT This study aims to understand how ideologies become embedded in political projects through strategies of legitimation aimed at justifying specific ideas, beliefs, and emotions. By using the political negotiation between the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) concerning the Canal Istanbul Project as an illustrative example from Turkey to ‘ideology in action’, this article shows how various rhetorical combinations appeal to an analysis of ‘ideology at work’. Our analysis is based on 20 in-depth interviews with both opponents and supporters of the project, in addition to a comparison of two official websites providing scientific evidence from each party’s perspective. The results show that the two poles of the dispute aim to recruit more people as their political supporters by using their own scientific reports with claims that they are ‘objective’ and aspire for the benefit of Istanbul.

Front and Back Covers, Volume 39, Number 5. October 2023

Front and back cover caption, volume 39 issue 5IBN KHALDUN AND RE‐TRIBALIZATIONA bust of Ibn Khaldun (1332‐1406), at the entrance of the Kasbah of Bejaia, Algeria. As you gaze upon this scholar, who first delved into the cyclical dynamics of tribes and civilizations, you are not just looking at history — you are looking at a mirror reflecting our modern world. Khaldun's pioneering insights into tribal cohesion (asabiyyah) and its impact on societal rise and fall are not relics of the past; they are prophetic echoes reverberating in today's global landscape.In an increasingly interconnected yet paradoxically fragmented world, the concept of ‘tribalism’ is making a surprising comeback.No longer confined to anthropology textbooks or remote communities, tribalism resurfaces in our political dialogues, social affiliations, and even international relations. But this is not your grandfather's tribalism; it is ‘re‐tribalization’, a modern reimagining of ancient affiliations and loyalties shaping nations and rewriting global equations.In this issue, the first of a two‐part article by Ahmed et al., ‘Re‐tribalization in the 21st century’, peels back the layers of this complex phenomenon. It challenges the conventional wisdom that pits ‘tribalism’ against ‘civilization’, revealing instead a dynamic interplay that influences everything from state governance to globalization. Whether it is the UK Brexit vote, the rise of ethnonationalism in various countries or the enduring conflicts in the Middle East, the fingerprints of tribalism — and its modern avatar, re‐tribalization — are unmistakably present.As we navigate the complexities of a world that is both a ‘global village’ and a patchwork of evolving tribal identities, the concept of re‐tribalization serves as an analytical lens. This resurgence of tribal affiliations is a complex adaptation to the challenges and opportunities of a globalized world. The ancient codes of tribalism are being reinterpreted in the context of modern geopolitics and digital communication. While the old and the new may seem to be in tension, they are part of a complex dynamic that requires scrutiny. The ancient and the modern coexist in a world as fraught with conflict as it is ripe for cooperation.FOOTBALL AND CLIMATE CHANGEOn the dwindling sands of Ariyallur Beach in the coastal hamlet of Ottummal, Malabar, India, children passionately kick a football around, savouring the shrinking space that remains for their cherished sport. Their laughter and shouts echo against a backdrop of rising tides and eroding shores, a poignant reminder of the impermanence of their playground.In this issue, Muhammed Haneefa delves into the heart of this coastal community to explore how the relentless rise in sea levels is not just a geographical alteration but a transformation of a way of life. He uncovers the erosion of subaerial beaches — once the lifeblood of the community's social and cultural fabric — and its devastating impact on leisure activities, most notably the deeply ingrained pastime of football.Haneefa also scrutinizes the local government's ‘managed retreat’ strategy, a well‐intentioned but complex proposal that involves relocating these vulnerable communities away from their endangered coastal homes. While the plan may offer a temporary respite from the encroaching waters, it fails to account for the fisherfolk's profound emotional and cultural ties to their land and traditions.This article serves as a lens through which we can view climate change from the ground up. While satellite images and climatological data may provide a bird's‐eye view of the planet's changing face, it is through the worm's‐eye view of anthropologists and ethnographers like Haneefa that we truly understand the human cost. Here, climate change is not just a statistic or a future projection; it is a lived reality that is reshaping communities, altering identities and challenging the very essence of cultural heritage.

Negotiating the Carceral Space

Following the Sepoy Mutiny (1857), a penal settlement in the Andamans started operating to accommodate mutiny and other prisoners, and a convict society devised by class, caste and religion gradually evolved in the Andaman Islands. Starting in 1909, the government transported “political prisoners” whom they labelled as “anarchists” or “terrorists”, and the settlement witnessed a revolutionary history. Subject to incessant tortures, the political prisoners wrote constant mercy petitions to the government reflecting remorse for their past revolutionary activities. This essay reads the politics of juridical and mercy petitions of the political prisoners and their families, and suggests that an inverted political identity negating contemporary nationalism operated in the carceral and personal site. It also presents the narrative of the struggle for personal and political freedom that involved hunger strikes and political negotiations in the penal space.

From ‘the conscience of humanity’ to the conscious human brain: UNESCO’s embrace of social-emotional learning as a flag of convenience

ABSTRACT This article analyses UNESCO’s advocacy of social-emotional learning (SEL) as key to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG target 4.7. It interrogates the agency’s growing emphasis on digital SEL and conscious “whole brain” approaches as part of a wider neuroliberal turn towards the behavioural, psychological and neurological sciences and considers their implications for UNESCO’s status as the “conscience of humanity.” It argues that “SEL for SDGs” operates as a “flag of convenience” hoisted by UNESCO to garner legitimacy in a global governance landscape increasingly shaped by private/corporate interests, new (tech-based) philanthropy, and neoliberal policies and funding infrastructures. It demonstrates how the privileging of biological and neuropsychological explanations for complex global problems is reconfiguring UNESCO’s global citizenship work towards a depoliticised, individualistic and neuroliberally-inflected “conscious human brain” response to complex societal challenges which forestalls political dialogue and undermines an appreciation of their material and economic determinants.

Political and Business Negotiations in Spain: Socio-cultural and Linguistic features.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the specifics and structure of negotiations and discourse in politics and business, some speech techniques and phrases, as well as important details of national and cultural specifics that need to be studied in order to avoid conflicts and misunderstandings. The objectives of this work are to identify the ethno-cultural features of business communication in Spanish during negotiations, to analyze some lexical units and speech structures of the Spanish business language and to describe situations that can lead to conflicts in business communication.The material of the article was scientific culturological works of russian and foreign authors, interviews of political figures and businessmen. The research methodology includes analytical, descriptive, interpretive, classification methods.The scientific novelty of this work consists in identifying and systematizing common verbal and nonverbal features of political and business negotiations in Spain, as well as the linguistic techniques used. It should be concluded that Spaniards definitely prefer verbal communication to non-verbal, try not to focus on audiovisual material and presentations. Analysis of the way of life of Spaniards, national values, traditions, holidays, shows that in Spain there is a huge number of events, festivals which reflects the expressive and creative nature of the Spanish people. Ignorance of the fundamental elements of the Spanish national culture can lead to disagreement in official business relations, so they should be thoroughly studied before negotiations begin.