Political Dimensions Research Articles

Exploring the artistic dimensions of soils in the vadose zone

AbstractThe rise of industrialized agriculture, coupled with a global demographic shift toward urbanization, has marginalized every‐day connections between individuals and soils. This societal shift has led to a decline in the appreciation of and cultural identity with soils. Amid a broader movement aimed at fostering soil awareness and environmental action, many artists and designers have been instrumental in bringing soils to the cultural mainstream, figuring their esthetic, social, political, and ecological dimensions. Contemporary artists place great importance on the underlying idea of animating soils through artistic practice, often transcending the physical artifact itself to assign agency to soils and the myriad beings that occupy them. Artists harness a multitude of media to articulate human‐soil relationships. From the early environmental art movements of the 1960s and 1970s to contemporary works centered on urban and industrial brownfields, soils’ multifaceted roles in CO2 transformation, water and nutrient cycling, agriculture, and as living bodies buffering against pollution have become ground for public discourse. What could this mean for the vadose zone in terms of reflecting on material flows in porous media beyond understandings of soil physics? In this paper, we draw on over 20 years of experience in studying the portrayal of soil in various arts genres to deliberate the potential of creative thinking about and thinking with the vadose zone.

Historical Evolution of Trade Fairs against Urban Evolution: Divergence and Convergence of Thessaloniki Fair with International Practice

This paper conceptualizes trade fairs as complex socio-spatial phenomena, which are constantly transformed, following socio-economic change, and reflect aspects of social and urban life. Methodologically, we apply a longitudinal systematic comparative analysis of historical fair evolution between international practice and the case of the city of Thessaloniki, exploring convergence and divergence, throughout the historical evolution of the city. It is shown that Thessaloniki fair exhibits similarities and differences vis-à-vis the international practice, with these linking to the socio-economic conditions of the city. Fair activity in Thessaloniki exhibits a time lag in integration of international practices while incorporating economic, social, cultural, and political dimensions. Particularly within the conditions of the 2008 global economic crisis, Thessaloniki fair emerges as a hybrid model that combines fairs’ strategies and social and urban practices with aspects of pre-modern, modern, and post-modern fair forms, significantly influenced by the historical evolution of the urban context.

INTEGRATION OF ENGINEERING AND POLITICS IN WATER MANAGEMENT: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ENHANCING PUBLIC

This article explores the evolving concept of water governance across various nations, serving as a reference for effective and sustainable water management. Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 6, which focuses on Clean Water and Sanitation, Indonesia faces unique challenges due to its dual climate patterns of rainy and dry seasons. These climatic variations necessitate sound water resource management to address water shortages during droughts, prevent drought-related disasters and mitigate flood risks during the rainy season. Utilizing a literature review methodology, this research aims to comprehend the development of knowledge in the water governance concept, incorporating both technical and political dimensions in policy formulation. The findings underscore the significance of collaboration, cooperation, and participation among the government, community, and private sector in implementing effective water governance. Embracing the governance paradigm, the key takeaway is the need for collective efforts to establish robust water resource management, thereby ensuring the success of the clean water and sanitation program nationwide by 2030. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that not all variants of water governance models can be universally applied, considering the diverse institutional contexts and political cultures across different regions in Indonesia. Despite these challenges, this research underscores the importance of a holistic approach that integrates both technical and political aspects in water management policies, providing a foundation for achieving sustainable water access and sanitation goals.

Seeing Santurbán through ISDS: A sociolegal case study of Eco Oro v. Colombia

AbstractThis article aims to enrich the emerging, multi-coloured tapestry of ‘international law in context’ through a study of how international economic law operates in complex investment-related disputes. Focusing on the Eco Oro v. Colombia investor-state arbitration, and drawing on both doctrinal analysis and sociolegal research, the study investigates how different actors make sense of the issues, of the dispute, and of the law. Besides shedding light on the neglected multi-actor, multi-layered dimensions of investment disputes, and on tensions between often incommensurable values, juxtaposing arbitral proceedings and underlying social realities highlights how investor-state arbitration involves a socio-political process of re-presenting actors, territory, the environment, and livelihoods through the prism of international arrangements that are primarily designed to protect foreign investment. The findings provide policy pointers on the need for systemic reform of international investment law, moving away from the predominant emphasis on investment protection and investor-state dispute settlement, towards a governance model that effectively considers the social, political, and environmental dimensions of foreign investment projects.

Investigating the Consequences of Climate Change and its Impact on Afghanistan’s Security

Today, climate change poses a threat to global security. Security is crucial in all areas and for all individuals. Therefore, this study identified the important and effective factors of climate change on Afghan security and categorized them. this study applies an exploratory method because of the nature of identifying factors and its purpose. This article provides an overview of the potential impacts of climate change on Afghanistan across economic, political, environmental, and social dimensions. This using the definitive definition of security, aims to address whether the transformations of the Taliban are advantageous to Afghanistan's survival and security. Research findings show that climate change is caused by changes in rainfall patterns, especially in arid regions, exacerbation and continuity of drought, reduced rangeland levels, decreased production of agricultural products, widespread migration, food security threats, and environmental challenges.

The Contribution of The Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) in Political Matters in The Republic of Congo from 1981 to 2021

The 1960s witnessed the wave of independence in Africa, shaping the course of history and leading to the confirmation of original institutions. Notably, a French-speaking space emerged during this era, giving rise to the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation, later evolving into the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF). Since 1981, the Congo has been an active member of the OIF, contributing to the cultural and political dimensions of this francophone alliance. This research delves into the collaboration between the OIF and the Congo from 1981 to 2016, spanning crucial periods in both entities' histories. Focusing on cultural and political realms, the study explores the promotion of democracy, human rights, and sustainable development within the OIF space. Education, training, and scientific research take precedence in the cultural domain, reflecting their pivotal role in societal development. In the political arena, the Republic of Congo embarked on a challenging journey toward multiparty democracy and a market economy since 1991, marked by civil conflicts and ethnic tensions. The country's transition continued into the 2000s, emphasizing reconciliation and reconstruction. Both cultural and political sectors demand strategic approaches for sustainable success in the ever-evolving landscape of international cooperation

On the Aesthetics and Politics of Neoconservatism in Postwar Japan and America

ABSTRACT This article explores the aesthetic and political dimensions of neoconservative thought in postwar Japan and America. Although neoconservatism today is most often associated with hawkish foreign policy positions and the mythos of American hegemony, it first emerged in the realm of 1960s and post-1960s cultural criticism, much of which was composed by right-of-center literary intellectuals in particular. This article explores how in that earlier context, one of the most distinctive models for answering the cultural questions that motivated the emergence of neoconservatism as an article of global thought appeared in a body of writing centered on Japan. Putting the ideas expressed by the noted American neoconservatives Irving Kristol and Norman Podhoretz into dialogue with the writings of the conservative Japanese literary critic Etō Jun, the ruminations on Japanese cultural conservatism by the American scholar of Japanese literature Edward Seidensticker, the memoirs of the Sony CEO Morita Akio and the former Japanese prime minister Abe Shinzō, and the writings of the noted Japanese neoconservative novelist-turned-politician Ishihara Shintarō, the article argues that the articulation of neoconservative ideals in postwar Japan ultimately provided a model to conservative market advocates worldwide for how to integrate the seemingly incompatible logics of community and capitalism through a cultural synthesis.

The Global Covid-19 Pandemic

The politics of science, or better still, the political science of global politics is what the world is battling, concerning the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, today. Whereas scientific disciplines such as virology and epidemiology would usually take centre stage when an outbreak such as Covid-19 strikes, and now owing to the vacuum that has been created by conflicting and contradictory information from health experts on Covid-19, global health is opened up to, or left up to, political giants. Health matters of virology and epidemiology surrounding Covid-19 have, thus, been reduced to issues of politicking. The World Health Organisation's voice (WHO), despite its sustained campaign and provision of information on Covid-19, is drowned and almost silenced by the number of health authorities and experts that have come out to refute mainstream information and strategies on combating and managing Covid-19. As such, the politicization of Covid-19 and the coloniality of knowledge and information surrounding Covid-19 may very well be the main issue of contention than the Covid-19 itself. This paper, therefore, seeks to unmask the political dimensions that are camouflaged by the Covid-19 pandemic and expose the real issues that Covid-19 has allowed to thrive and are, as a result, sustained by the Covid-19 crisis. Using the qualitative research methodology, I set out to discuss and analyse the debates on Covid-19 as have been proffered in the public domain. Thus, the method of research is a desktop analysis of academic articles, newspaper articles, social media pieces and mainstream television pieces, among others. I offer a decolonial account on Covid-19.

VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PARADIGMS AND THEIR IMPLEMENTATION IN POST-REFORMATION INDONESIA

Objective: The paradigm of village development in Indonesia, which has been put into practice since the reformation era in 1998, has generated three laws that underlie village governance systems: Law No. 22 in 1999, Law No. 32 in 2004, and Law No. 6 in 2014. Method: This descriptive-qualitative study explores the conceptual understanding of village development in Indonesia using secondary data from laws, regulations, and research. Kuhn's thinking is used to interpret the paradigm underlying the development system, spanning from the reformation era to the present. Results: This study reviews the paradigm from the perspective of Thomas Kuhn, who sees the truth from a scientific perspective in the context of Indonesian governance. The findings show that Law No. 22 of 1999 and Law No. 32 of 2004 are built upon political and governmental sciences, highlighting a paradigm shift from centralization to decentralization. Village management and regulatory systems then lie between central and regional governments, which influences its development. Furthermore, Law No. 6 of 2014 positions villages in an exclusive regulatory system with changing sociocultural and economic dimensions but retains pre-existing political and governmental dimensions. In other words, village regulatory systems are not based on radical paradigms. Conclusion: The existing paradigm cannot be abandoned, and new ideas about villages need to be developed. To truly demonstrate autonomy, laws must be released from the previous paradigm and establish a new scientific basis.

Regional inequalities among state universities in Chile: Perspectives on centralization and neoliberal development

Drawing on perspectives from top state-regional universities’ authorities (known as rectors) and public statistics on higher education, we discuss the sources of regional inequality in the Chilean university system. While there is scarce research on regional inequality for Chilean higher education, it is a well-recognized concern within global debates. In this study, the testimonies of rectors link perceptions of regional inequality to the historic, political, and managerial dimensions that have determined their institutions’ development. As the problem of regional inequality stems from a tradition of political centralization, the neoliberal transformations, imposed since 1981, were singled out by the rectors for institutionalizing patterns of marketization that reinforced “inequalities of origin” for state-regional universities. Since the 2000s, trends of massification, regulation, and student protests reshaped higher education, leading to sectorial reform in 2018. However, competitive disadvantages are seen to continue to hinder the public role of state-regional universities. Institutional development strategies emerged, under the direction of rectors, to compensate for such inequalities, differentiating between winners and losers of neoliberal higher education. This article characterizes the modes of reproduction and overcoming of regional inequalities among state universities under neoliberal policy.

The Military–Political Dimension of The Thirty Years’ War

The Military–Political Dimension of The Thirty Years’ War

The strategic significance of Ethiopia's hydroelectric energy exports on Horn of Africa regional integration

ABSTRACT This article seeks to explore the compelling strategic impact of Ethiopia's hydroelectric energy exports on the regional integration of the Horn of Africa. The study employed a qualitative research approach that impeccably integrated primary and secondary data sources. The study shades light on the extensive implications of Ethiopia’s energy exports on socio-economic, political, and security dimensions. Economically, these exports foster a sense of mutual reliance among neighboring states, pooling resources for collective development, expanding regional markets, and driving industrialization. Socially, the initiative cultivates invaluable people-to-people relationships among communities with interconnected fates and destinies. From a security standpoint, it actively engages in diplomatic strategies to avert water-related tensions and emphasizes cooperative approaches. Politically, the exportation of hydroelectric energy is poised to significantly redefine the existing power dynamics in the Horn of Africa, sparking transformative collaboration and integration at a regional level. Furthermore, Ethiopia's hydroelectric energy will decisively reshape the competitive landscape related to shared water resources in the Nile River basin. However, the realization of these initiatives hinges on effective reservoir management and responsible hydroelectric energy exports.

How ‘co’ can you go? A qualitative inquiry on the key principles of co-creative research and their enactment in real-life practices

ABSTRACT This paper aims to gain a better understanding of co-creative research key principles and their enactment in real-life practices. The study is based on interviews and a focus group with academic researchers and professionals (n = 16) involved in eight co-creative research projects funded by the Brussels Regional Institute for Research and Innovation (Innoviris). The study demonstrates the tension between respondents’ understanding of the key principles of co-creative research (e.g. a transformative aim, considering the community as actors, shared ownership, valuing experiential knowledge) and the power issues they face related to a ‘project-funding’ and ‘academic research’ logic when enacting those principles in real-life practices. This paper concludes that although dealing with power relations is inherent in co-creative research, power imbalances should be questioned on the level of (1) the linear, limited and inflexible nature of ‘project-funding’ logics and (2) the exclusive character of research methods, settings and institutions in ‘academic research’ logics. Finally, introducing a political and emancipatory dimension in co-creative research can contribute to reducing the gap between principles and their enactment in real-life practices.

Community-Based Development of Tomohon City Center Tourism Area

Background: Tomohon City has various tourist areas that have the potential to be developed, in which the community's participation is required in the process. This study aims to determine the implementation of the concept of community-based tourism in an effort to develop tourism potential in the downtown area of Tomohon, and to formulate an appropriate community-based tourism development model. Methods: This study used a descriptive qualitative method with data collection through interviews, observation and documentation studies. Findings: The results of this study indicate that the development of the Tourism Area in Tomohon City Center has implemented the concept of community-based tourism which fulfills five aspects including the economic, social, cultural, environmental and political dimensions. Conclusion: The tourism development of Tomohon City is able to drive the wheels of the economy at all levels of society and has a direct impact on the welfare of the community, as well as being able to encourage the growth and development of culture and the environment around the Tomohon City Center Area. Practical Implications: The tourism development model with a community-based approach can be carried out through three stages, namely the initial stage, the middle stage, and the advanced stage.

Do Parties Matter? Party Positions and European Voters’ Attitudes toward Economic and Political Globalization

Abstract To what extent do party positions influence voters’ attitudes toward the economic and political aspects of globalization? Initially an issue following a left-right dimension of conflict, globalization increasingly divides mainstream from nonmainstream parties. In this study, I argue that parties help citizens form opinions on globalization issues. I then use data on voters’ attitudes and party positions on globalization to test this supply-side theory of globalization attitudes on both economic and political dimensions. Holding demand-side factors such as economic self-interest and predispositions/values constant, I find that party positions strongly affect voters’ views on economic and political globalization, with the effect being similar to that of education. Moreover, I find that the effect of cues from left- and right-populist parties is much more negative than that of mainstream parties, replicating previous elite-level findings on the positioning of these party families. Finally, green party cues show conflicting results for the economic and political dimensions, with green cues affecting voters negatively on economic globalization but positively on political globalization. The findings in this study call for a deeper exploration of the supply-side determinants of globalization attitudes.

What Do We Teach to Engineering Students: Embedded Ethics, Morality, and Politics

In the past few years, calls for integrating ethics modules in engineering curricula have multiplied. Despite this positive trend, a number of issues with these ‘embedded’ programs remains. First, learning goals are underspecified. A second limitation is the conflation of different dimensions under the same banner, in particular confusion between ethics curricula geared towards addressing the ethics of individual conduct and curricula geared towards addressing ethics at the societal level. In this article, we propose a tripartite framework to overcome these difficulties. Our framework analytically decomposes an ethics module into three dimensions. First, there is the ethical dimension, which pertains to the learning goals. Second, there is the moral dimension, which addresses the moral relevance of engineers’ conduct. Finally, there is the political dimension, which scales up issues of moral relevance at the civic level. All in all, our framework has two advantages. First, it provides analytic clarity, i.e. it enables course instructors to locate ethical dilemmas in either the moral or political realm and to make use of the tools and resources from moral and/or political philosophy. Second, it depicts a comprehensive ethical training, which enables students to both reason about moral issues in the abstract, and to socially contextualize potential solutions.

Lyotard and Democratic Aesthetics: The Sublime, the Avant-Garde, and the Unpresentable

In recent years, democratic theorists have inquired into the aesthetic dimension of contemporary politics. Influenced by Hannah Arendt and Jacques Rancière, these scholars claim that there is an analogy between democratic politics and aesthetic experiences, since both involve the confrontation of an indeterminacy that cannot be overcome by means of rational argumentation. Contributing to this perspective, but challenging some of Rancière’s insights, this article shows the importance of Jean-François Lyotard’s writings on aesthetics for understanding what I call ‘democratic aesthetics’. This aesthetics, I argue, consists in works of art that bring representation to its limits, thus arousing an experience of the unpresentable. Influenced by Immanuel Kant’s analysis of the sublime, Lyotard claims that avant-garde art, by disrupting the rules of representational art, put representation as such into question. This experience of the unpresentable contributes to cultivating a readiness to listening to voices that are not yet heard, because they lack a discourse by which to express themselves. Given that politics in postmodernity, following Lyotard, consists in shifting the dividing line between the sayable and the unsayable, avant-garde art is conductive to a postmodern politics – which, I argue, is analogous to democratic politics.

EU Defence Policy: Between Functionalism, National Interests, and Transatlantic Realities

Abstract Existing insights into recent defence integration, including against the backdrop of Russia’s war, largely stem from EU governance studies. Although these studies might not explicitly delve into the EU’s politico-strategic role, when combined with the broader framework of International Relations (IR), they imply the EU’s effective progression, at least relatively, as a defence actor. However, a closer analysis of certain key developments and transatlantic dynamics suggests a persistent lack in the political and strategic dimensions of EU defence policy. This disparity arises when IR concepts are tailored to fit the EU context in integration studies.

Animal welfare as the basis of One Health: A UN convention on animal welfare, health, and protection poses a realistic solution to improved animal welfare and human health

Abstract Animal welfare is closely linked to animal health and human welfare and health, as the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) emphasizes in its Global Animal Welfare Strategy of 2017. As a result of recent pandemics, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the WOAH have created the One Health High Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP), committed to animal health and human health in the One Health Joint Plan of Action (2022–2026) and pledged to “[work] together for the Health of Humans, Animals, Plants and the Environment.” Despite these important acknowledgments and efforts from leading world organizations, including the One Health quadripartite, the latter has so far been reluctant to actively pursue the adoption of a legally binding commitment to improve the protection and welfare of animals globally. Animal welfare remains without relevant provisions. In the following, it is argued this must be integrated into the OHHLEP in addition to the creation of an “Animal Think and Do Tank” in the form of a technical working group, which would finalize a UN Convention on the issue, as proposed, e.g., in the drafted UN Convention on Animal Health and Protection (UNCAHP) 2018. The “Animal Think and Do Tank,” within its One Health context, must manifest a transdisciplinary approach, since – unlike globally binding legislation – policies, agreements, and declarations of various world organizations do not suffice to bring about a fundamental change in animal welfare. Acknowledging that animal protection is a complex and multifaceted issue involving ethical, cultural, social, religious, political, economic, and scientific dimensions (GAL Association, 2018 , Preamble), these aspects must be represented within the decision making process regarding the Convention’s content. Besides veterinarians, experts of further disciplines related to One Health must be consulted – such as lawyers and legal academics specializing in animal, international, and UN law, competent representatives of the animal welfare and animal rights movements, and ethicists and economists. Measures must be taken to improve transparency and overall confidence in the dialogue between the actors, including competent and not specifically scientific representatives of the animal protection and animal rights movement as elements of civil society to advocate for the fundamental interests of animals. One Health impact statement This article proposes that a UN Convention on Animal Health and Protection would further the enforceability of a One Health approach to human, environmental, and animal health. Science has proven that these elements are intertwined, but they remain disparate at a legislative level in many jurisdictions. It is suggested that placing animal welfare provisions on a UN-Convention footing by utilizing the positioning of the WOAH and UNEP is the most effective way of rendering One Health policy a global reality. Cooperation between professionals is imperative: scientists, policy makers, and lawyers must work together.

The Impact of the Cityhood of Tabuk on Human Development

The study analysed the impact of Tabuk’s transition to cityhood on various aspects of development, including economic, socio-cultural, political, and environmental dimensions. It sought to understand the demographic profile of respondents, encompassing age, gender, civil status, educational attainment, and employment status. It examined the city government’s demographic profile, including population, land area, income, and internal revenue allocation. The study evaluated the city government’s delivery of services and facilities and assessed the level of impact of Tabuk’s cityhood on economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental development. The research employed percentage analysis for respondents’ demographic profiles, documentary analysis for the city government’s profile, mean to gauge service and facility delivery, and regression to determine the cityhood’s impact on economic, social, cultural, political, and environmental development. Data collection primarily relied on questionnaires. Diverse groups, including business, agriculture, healthcare, education, professionals, transportation sectors, and community groups, participated in the survey. Key findings revealed that a significant proportion of respondents were under 24 years old, with the majority being female, married, and holding at least a bachelor’s degree. A substantial portion of degree holders reported unemployment. The Internal Revenue Allotment of Tabuk City exhibited substantial growth, and local income sustained growth. Population increased, and land area expanded. The study affirmed the city government’s effective provision of services and facilities, fostering socio-economic, political, cultural, and environmental development. Respondents’ demographic profiles, particularly age and employment status, significantly influenced service delivery. Moreover, service and facility delivery significantly predicted the city’s impact, particularly in infrastructure, tourism, low-cost housing, tourism promotion, and support for education, police, and fire services. Based on these findings, recommendations were made, such as crafting comprehensive communication plans, developing public-private partnerships, investing in green initiatives, promoting waste segregation, supporting entrepreneurship, initiating reforestation projects, creating a cemetery office, and establishing a gender and development office to enhance gender equality and inclusion. Keywords: Tabuk cityhood, human development, service delivery, demographic profile, impact assessment