Post-conflict Regions Research Articles

Remembering the Causes of Collective Violence and the Role of Propaganda in the Yugoslav Wars

AbstractLegal narratives about collective violence have given an outsized explanatory role to propaganda in conflicts such as the Rwandan genocide and the Yugoslav Wars. While post-conflict ethnographies have examined what Rwandans remember about propaganda and collective violence, similar studies have not been undertaken in territories of the former Yugoslavia. The present ethnographic study fills this gap. After introducing the theoretical and empirical problems that have stemmed from recent speech crime trials in international criminal law, I examine the causes of collective violence in the Yugoslav Wars as remembered by former combatants, survivors, and the greater populations of post-conflict regions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia. I show that remembered causes, including the role of propaganda, vary significantly between former combatants and the greater populations. Nevertheless, local perspectives, especially among former combatants and survivors, converge on the effects of populist movements following Yugoslavia’s economic crisis and the rise of ethnic, religious, and nationalist leaders who engaged in inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation to mobilize war efforts. This article thus corroborates key findings from other post-conflict ethnographies which show that propaganda plays a secondary but significant role in the cultural manufacturing of state-sponsored ethnicity and cultural logics of violence.

Training of psychotherapists in post-conflict regions: A Community case study in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The number of wars in the world is on the rise. A number of studies have documented the devastating impact on the public and especially public mental health. Health care systems in low- and lower-middle income countries that are frequently already challenged by the existing mental health services gap cannot provide the necessary care for those displaced by war with existing services. This is especially the case in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) after the invasion of the terror organization ISIS in 2014. Most projects in post-conflict areas focus on short term basic psychological services and do not contribute to sustainable long-term capacity building of mental health services. An “Institute for Psychotherapy and Psychotraumatology” was therefore founded in order to train local specialists on a professional level with evidence-based methods adapted to culture and create sustainable long-term structures for psychotherapeutic treatment in the KRI. To achieve this, a number of measures were implemented, including the creation of a “Master of Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Psychotraumatology” in collaboration with local communities and the regional University. Two cohorts of students have successfully finished the master’s program and a third cohort are expected to graduate in 2023. Improving the capacity of local health care services to provide low-barrier, professional psychotherapeutic care in post-conflict regions supported by the innovative model presented in this article can be expected to improve the burden of psychological problems and contribute to peacebuilding.

Implementation of a non-randomized controlled trial of yoga-based intervention to reduce behavioural issues in early adolescent school-going children in Sri Lanka

BackgroundAdolescence can be difficult to navigate and the post-conflict environment in Jaffna Province, Sri Lanka compounds existing issues for adolescents. Conduct problems, hyperactivity along with emotional problems are challenges faced by adolescents, particularly in fragile, post-conflict settings. This study was a non-randomized controlled trial carried out in 4 educational zones over 6 months. The study implemented a yoga-based intervention package: two types of slow breathing for 5-6 min, Surya-namaskaram for 6-8 min, and mindfulness meditation for 5-6 min. Pre/post quantitative assessments were conducted with intervention and control groups. A focus group was conducted with the intervention group. The aim was to evaluate. Effectiveness of implementing a yoga-based intervention package in grade 8 school children (early adolescents) to address behavioural problems.ResultsPaired t-test and independent t-tests were completed for both arms using statistical product and service solutions (SPSS21). Parents’ assessments of emotional issues reduced for the intervention group (n = 584) [t(584) = 11.41, p = 0.001] along with reduction of the total difficulty score [t(584) = 28.12, p = 0.001]. Teachers’ assessments indicated prosocial scores improved in the intervention group [t(584) = − 28.5, p = 0.001]. Students’ self-assessments in the intervention group indicate a reduction in emotional problems [t(584) = 6.4, p = 0.001], and reduction in problems with peers [t(584) = 14.4, p = 0.001]. Within the control group (n = 499), teachers’ assessments indicated emotional problems increased [t(499) = − 9.5, p = 0.001] and prosocial scores reduced [t(499) = 13.5, p = 0.001]. Students’ self-assessments in the control group indicated emotional problems increased [t(499) = − 27.1, p = 0.001]. A comparison of post-test scores revealed a statistically significant difference between groups. Focus group results indicate students felt the intervention had an overall positive effect on school achievements, family dynamics and individual health.ConclusionsThis yoga-based intervention package appeared to be effective in reducing both externalizing and internalizing symptoms in adolescents. Practicing Surya-namaskaram, breathing control techniques and mindfulness meditation significantly reduced both externalizing symptoms (conduct problems and hyperactivity) as well as internalizing symptom (emotional problem and peer problems). It is recommended this intervention be scaled up across Sri Lanka and other similar post-conflict regions.

Strategic Allocation of Development Projects in Post-Conflict Regions: A Gender Perspective for Colombia

We know little about the general geographic allocation of development projects in post-conflict regions, and specifically of gender-focused projects. In this study, we explore whether donor agencies prefer to work in “safe” places or dare to operate in conflict-affected zones. Using Colombia as a case study, we combine data on battle deaths from the UCDP Georeferenced Event Dataset (1994–2004) with georeferenced information on the location of development projects from the Colombia AIMS dataset (2006–2013) and manually geocode data for German-funded development projects (2012–2018) with gender as a significant objective. Using count models (N = 1120), we find a statistically strong and positive relationship: an increase in battle deaths increases the number of development projects (with and without gender-focus) in a municipality. Interaction models further reveal an amplification of this relationship for regions with a large proportion of female-headed households, as well as a high number of formally employed and literate women. A context-sensitive interpretation of our findings suggests that (1) development projects in general, and German-funded gender-focused projects in particular, dare to operate in post-conflict settings; (2) women may play an active role as community leaders and mobilizers to influence the allocation of development programs to certain regions.

Upholding sensitization as a pillar of sexual, reproductive health, and rights implementation among youth in post conflict area in Eastern DR Congo

Conflict and crises have dire consequences on access to sexual and reproductive health information and services. Over the years, Global and Humanitarian Health actors have developed health policies and guidelines to improve the delivery of health services in emergencies or humanitarian crises. Despite these advancements, the international health response in conflict-affected settings still faces gaps and challenges. This commentary highlights the need for an increasing sensitization as a pillar for sexual reproductive health and right implementation among youth in the post-conflict regions in Eastern DR Congo. The eastern part of DRC is living in a situation of armed conflict with an impact on the health system which renders SRH services difficult to access among youth. This has an impact on the health status of the future leaders of this country and achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 3. Sensitization of the community based on the complete sexuality education approach has the potential to positively impact the integration of SRH services in this post-conflict region.

The Basic Principles of Training Future Teachers to Work With Younger Students With Experience of Traumatic Effects

The article shows that the unstable situation in the world leads to possible armed conflicts, affecting primarily children, experiencing various traumatic consequences. Such a situation arises in post-conflict regions and creates a need for teachers who possess the necessary competencies when teaching children with experience of traumatic effects. The purpose of the article is to study the state and trends in the development of psychological and pedagogical issues related to the use of collaborative learning technologies to form the psychological culture of future teachers in order to further work with children with experience of traumatic effects. It is shown that the analysis of the formation and development of the problems of group psychological corrective work is grounded on the basic principles identified by representatives of various directions. The authors propose to build the training of future teachers on the basis of a model of joint thinking for the subsequent organization of teachers’ interaction with children who have experience of traumatic effects. The authors analyzed the basic principles of group psychologically corrective work from the point of view of the possibilities of organizing joint thinking. The basic principles of the organization of training of future teachers were highlighted, their meaningful characteristics for the purposes of organizing joint thinking were given. A comparison of the principles of group psychological corrective work and the principles of the organization of joint thinking of future teachers is carried out. Their correlation and the importance of using joint thinking in organizing the training of future teachers and for conducting psychologically corrective work with children are shown.

"Heritage-for-Peace and Development": An Opportunity Not to be Missed

The dominant approach of the international community to the subject of our research and teaching is to instrumentalise cultural heritage safeguarding within stabilisation and development programs in post-conflict regions. Since the turn of the Millennium, cultural heritage safeguarding has been among the crucial instruments used by the international community, especially in post-conflict regions, for: reconciliation and peace building; development of a common sense of belonging; promoting mutually respectful dialogue in culturally complex societies. Many international organizations, such as the UN, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, NATO, the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, the Council of Europe, and the EU, promote the management of ethno-political conflicts as their priority. Their agendas follow the principles of a) the overall relevance of cultural heritage for society and b) the importance of social networks for peace-building and peacekeeping in post-traumatic contexts. Instead of opposing this peace and development oriented paradigm from either anti-realist or nationalist perspective, we can recognize it, apply it and use it to improve the social status of social sciences and humanities in Serbia. Anthropological and critical heritage studies-based criticism of UNESCO-driven, state-governed ICH safeguarding fails to comprehend that standard academic constructivist analyses of a community’s key symbols of identity are offensive from the native’s point of view. Our typical analyses unwittingly confuse, annoy or even insult a great majority of the wider public who view/perceive collective identity as something given, inherited and real analogously to the objects and processes of the physical world. Consequently, our theoretical work counterindicates both peacekeeping, stability-building efforts by the international community in post-conflict regions and the goals of critical social science (which it nominally represents). Hence, a novel approach is required, one prioritising heritage stakeholder inclusion (and not our theoretical or ethnoreligious commitments). It is precisely the studies of nationalism and its consequences which forbid us to think of heritage as something useful, a counter-intuitive method for achieving fundamental anthropological goals. As communities regularly perceive their identities as objective and real, and see a critical social theory approach to their customs and traditions as confusing, non-academic, illegitimate or even offensive, I here propose a shift from constructionist criticism, standard in anthropology, to realist instrumentalism, typical of ethnology, in order to boost ICH safeguarding potential for achievement of both social and disciplinary-specific goals.

Post-conflict tourism opportunity spectrum (POCTOS): a framework for destinations recovering from conflict

Scholarly debate around phoenix tourism offers destination managers scope to chart out the nature of early recovery for those regions that have endured protracted conflict. This provides an opportunity to be able to transition destinations to a more developed and normalised state where tourism is viewed as both a catharsis for communities to heal and a wider tool for economic development. The authors propose in this article a visitor management framework (POCTOS) that focuses on the potential opportunity that exists in post-conflict regions and how that can change and mature over time. Recovery can be deliberately linked to re-packaging the past conflict as tourism experience or not. POCTOS is shaped by concepts such as the life-cycle model, tourism as a form of destination development, destination resilience, and destination capacity toward change. The framework presents “opportunity factors” that are tourist-centric as well as management centric. POCTOS is conceptual and has not been applied in this article to any particular case study. The authors, however, encourage that it be operationalized by researchers to determine its utility as a destination development managerial tool for post-conflict destinations.

Restaurant failure in post-conflict Beirut: the macroenvironmental context and mismanagement

PurposeGiven the complexity of a post-conflict environment, the restaurant sector needs to be analyzed not just from the economic perspective. This paper aims to identify the diverse macroenvironmental and managerial factors underlying restaurant failures in Lebanon. The authors hope that this effort may help increasing restaurant success rates in other post-conflict settings.Design/methodology/approachThe aim of this paper is to explain how macroenvironmental pressures influence the restaurant business and which managerial factors are most critical in a post-conflict context. The authors adopted a qualitative method by conducting face-to-face, semi-structured interviews.FindingsThe findings show that restaurant failures in a competitive and uncertain post-conflict environment were caused mainly by a snowball of internal organizational factors related to bad management, poor human resource management policies, inefficiency and fraud. Internal organizational factors can all be associated with human mistakes and bad decisions, including excessive initial investment, expensive decoration, inability to manage monthly expenses, bad communication and market research.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature regarding restaurant failures in post-conflict regions and presents results that are expected to help managers in family- and non-family-owned businesses to enhance their decision-making process.

Digital financial inclusion and fiscal solvency in Uganda’s local governments: A review of regulation mediation

Fiscal solvency has become a popular phenomenon in numerous decentralizing countries in recent years. The ability to mobilize adequate revenue to fund expenditure in a given budget period, and provide public goods and services, makes fiscal solvency very pertinent, especially in local government. However, policy, practice, and research, claim that most local entities, both in the developed and developing world, rarely achieve required fiscal solvency standards. While no clear explanation of the problem abounds, digital financial inclusion dominates the ongoing debate. Besides, regulation is also considered a very crucial factor for fiscal solvency. This study examines the probable mediation effect regulation has on the digital financial inclusion-fiscal solvency relationship in local governments in Uganda, East Africa. Based on a cross-sectional research design, data were collected from 21 districts, nine municipalities, and many sub-counties in the country’s post-conflict northern regions. The data were then subjected to structural equation modeling analysis. Its findings reveal that digital financial inclusion explains changes in fiscal solvency in surveyed local governments. Moreover, regulation has an indirect influence on the digital financial inclusion-fiscal solvency formation. Findings implications to practice and theory are discussed, and future research direction is provided

Association Between Prolonged Grief and Attitudes Toward Reconciliation in Bereaved Survivors of the Khmer Rouge Regime in Cambodia.

BackgroundDuring the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, about a quarter of the population died, resulting in many individuals losing close relatives. Still today, many individuals are suffering from the psychological consequences of these losses, which might also affect the process of reconciliation within the Cambodian society. The aim of this paper is therefore to investigate the association between symptoms of prolonged grief and attitudes toward reconciliation.MethodsA sample of 775 survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime who lost relatives during the conflict were interviewed about their losses and traumatic events, prolonged grief (PG; Complicated Grief Assessment Self-Report, CGA-SR), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD Checklist - Civilian Version) and attitudes toward reconciliation (Readiness to Reconcile Inventory, RRI).ResultsA higher symptom severity of PG was significantly associated with readiness to reconcile even when controlling for other relevant variables (β = −0.22; p <.001). Persons who met caseness criteria for PG were significantly less ready to reconcile, t(773) = 5.47, p <.001, than persons who did not meet caseness for PG.ConclusionPG seems to be a relevant mental health correlate of attitudes toward reconciliation. The results of the current study underline the importance of also considering PG with regard to the reconciliation process in Cambodia and possibly also in other post-conflict regions.

The Significance of Justice in the Psychotherapeutic Treatment of Traumatized People After War and Crises.

In the aftermath of crimes against humanity, human rights violations, and genocide, the question arises whether and how justice can be restored. A lack of social justice and continuing injustice in post-conflict areas prevent survivors from processing their traumatic experiences. As a consequence, the individuals and often their families, their community, and the whole society are changed in a lasting way. The trauma can even be passed on over generations. Yet, if war has a negative impact on health, then, programs that focus on achieving justice, peace, and stability should be able to offset or reduce this negative impact. For this reason, the importance of psychosocial well-being and mental health for the reconstruction of societies is acknowledged. Various political, legal, and social programs, like transitional justice, are being implemented in post-war regions to develop justice. Developing or restoring justice also requires good psychosocial care, like a treatment that supports individuals when coping with injustice and gaining a new sense of justice. Such a psychological treatment can make an important contribution when it comes to building new trust and improving mental health. Ethical standards in coping with trauma and developing or restoring justice in post-conflict regions are indispensable to enable long-term peace. The course for new social justice can be set, through a just health system. Thereby, only programs and legal processes, which try to do justice to the survivors and take their needs into account, are ethically justifiable. Human rights and health cannot be separated in psychotherapy with survivors of war and terror. Based on ethical principles, new approaches must be generated for psychotherapy in war regions and with survivors of war and terror. The aim will be to make an important contribution to the mental and social reconstruction of countries after mass violence.

Medicinal plants species used by herbalists in the treatment of snakebite envenomation in Uganda

BackgroundThere are high mortality and morbidity rates due to poisonous snakebites globally with sub-Saharan Africa having some of the highest cases. However, traditional medicine practitioners (TMP) have been treating snakebites in Uganda for long despite the fact that few studies have been conducted to document such vital and rich indigenous traditional knowledge before it is lost. This study aimed to document the medicinal plant species used by experienced TMP in treating snakebite envenomation in selected post-conflict parts of Uganda. An ethnopharmacological survey was conducted in Kitgum, Serere, Kaberamaido and Kaabong districts in Uganda. Twenty-seven TMP with expertise in treating snakebites were purposively identified using the snowball technique and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics.ResultsSixty plant species from 28 families were documented with high consensus among the isolated indigenous Ik tribe of Kaabong district. Most of the plant species used were from the Asteraceae and Fabaceae families with eight species each. The genus Echinops was the most well-represented with three species. The most commonly used plant species were of citation were Steganotaenia araliaceae (16), Microglossa pyrifolia (Lam.), Gladiolus dalenii Van Geel (13), Aframomum mildbraedii Loes. (11), Jasminum schimperi Vatke and Cyathula uncinulata (Schrad) Schinz (10) and Crinum macowanii Baker and Cyphostemma cyphopetalum (Fresen.) Desc. ex Wild & R.B. Drumm (10). S. araliaceae which was mentioned by all the TMP in the Ik community was used for first aid. Most of the plant species were harvested from the wild (68.75%) and were herbs (65.0%) followed by trees (23.3%). The most commonly used plant parts were roots (42.6%) and leaves (25.0%). Thirteen different methods of preparation and administration were used. Most of the medicines were administered orally (61.2%) and topically (37.6%). The commonest methods of oral application were cold water infusions (32.5%) and decoctions (21.7%).ConclusionsTMP widely use several medicinal plant species for treating snakebite envenomation in the selected post-conflict regions of Uganda

Digitizing Community Building and Reconciliation in Post-Conflict Communities: A Case of #Let’sTalkUganda in Northern Uganda

This research examines the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs; social media) as a tool that fosters community building and reconciliation in post-conflict regions, in particular Northern Uganda. Using Twitter data collected over 27 months (12 June 2016–9 September 2018), we found that information technology (IT) increased social actors’ (Justice and Reconciliation Project [JRP]-Uganda) advocacy for transitional justice in post-conflict communities. Interview findings evidenced the effectiveness of using social media (SM) to connect post-conflict communities to share and discuss reconciliatory ideas. This study connotes that well-thought-out SM use by social actors to share information used in resolving conflict results in socio-political stability and harmonious coexistence.

Applying Deep Learning to Automate UAV-Based Detection of Scatterable Landmines

Recent advances in unmanned-aerial-vehicle- (UAV-) based remote sensing utilizing lightweight multispectral and thermal infrared sensors allow for rapid wide-area landmine contamination detection and mapping surveys. We present results of a study focused on developing and testing an automated technique of remote landmine detection and identification of scatterable antipersonnel landmines in wide-area surveys. Our methodology is calibrated for the detection of scatterable plastic landmines which utilize a liquid explosive encapsulated in a polyethylene or plastic body in their design. We base our findings on analysis of multispectral and thermal datasets collected by an automated UAV-survey system featuring scattered PFM-1-type landmines as test objects and present results of an effort to automate landmine detection, relying on supervised learning algorithms using a Faster Regional-Convolutional Neural Network (Faster R-CNN). The RGB visible light Faster R-CNN demo yielded a 99.3% testing accuracy for a partially withheld testing set and 71.5% testing accuracy for a completely withheld testing set. Across multiple test environments, using centimeter scale accurate georeferenced datasets paired with Faster R-CNN, allowed for accurate automated detection of test PFM-1 landmines. This method can be calibrated to other types of scatterable antipersonnel mines in future trials to aid humanitarian demining initiatives. With millions of remnant PFM-1 and similar scatterable plastic mines across post-conflict regions and considerable stockpiles of these landmines posing long-term humanitarian and economic threats to impacted communities, our methodology could considerably aid in efforts to demine impacted regions.

Implementation mechanism of impact investing in the post-conflict regions

The paper examines the conditions and opportunities for impact investment in post-conflict regions of Ukraine, ways to attract foreign investment, as well as assess the potential of impact investment for the national economy. The mechanism of impact investment in the regions of post-conflict economy is detailed in order to rationale use investment resources and minimize risks for impact investors. It is established that the losses of the Ukrainian economy from the military conflict are primarily related to the role of the affected regions in the development of industry, agriculture, trade and services. Reconstruction of post-conflict regions requires the creation of favorable conditions and a rationale mechanism for investment in these regions to ensure the restoration of economic stability in the country. In the context of this study, it was found that the received and interpreted signals give impact investors a specific moment to start working in post-conflict regions. The process should include the following elements: such as data selection and analysis; decision making; project implementation. Accordingly, these elements of the study of a potential investment object allow you to assess the prospects and potential risks for investors. The author formed a matrix of SWOT-analysis of the project, which claims to receive financial assistance from the impact investor, during which it was determined that in the process of implementation of measures developed within the impact project information should be updated to monitor progress and achieve goals. Accordingly, the hierarchy of goals of the impact project of post-conflict reconstruction of the regions is systematized. To attract impact investment, it is necessary to create an investment-friendly environment to obtain the most positive effect from investment. Given that the risks can be quite high, especially in the initial stages of implementation of an impact project, any opportunities for support in the implementation of projects by other structures should be used, such as peace restoration in post-conflict areas, reconstruction and reconstruction. infrastructure, etc. Keywords: investment, reconstruction, impact investment, investment risks, post-conflict economy, economic development.

Overcoming The Socio-Economic Consequences Of Military Conflict in Ukraine And The Impact Investment Of Post-Conflict Recovery Of Anti-Terrorist Operation

The article analyzes the socio-economic consequences of the armed conflict for the economic development of the ATO regions. The key problems related to the temporarily occupied territories were identified, the directions of their solution and the role that impact investment can play in this were specified. A dynamic analysis of indicators of socio-economic development of Ukrainian economy as a whole and in the regional context for the period from 2012 to 2019 was conducted. It is determined that the loss of territorial control has led to a significant deterioration of the economy in Ukraine; the assessment of losses of economic potential at the anti-terrorist operation zone was carried out. The social component of this issue is analyzed separately, namely, how the conflict affected the population, the loss of human capital, in particular due to mass displacement. These include human losses, forced displacement, destruction of physical infrastructure, disruption of so-called soft economic infrastructure (for example, existing links between sellers and consumers). Given the scale of losses and consequences, we can talk about a wide range of areas for impact investment, related to economic recovery in post-conflict regions. The article presents a list of steps to restore the occupied territories, which can be translated into the plane of solving socio-economic problems, as well as an assessment of the overall needs for the restoration of government-controlled areas of the ATO. This allowed us to conclude that the restoration of infrastructure is one of the most promising areas for attracting investment and implementing impact investment. However, a study of this area for investment revealed that not all areas will be cost-effective and attractive to investors. Therefore, the direction of impact investments immediately after the political settlement of the conflict in Donbass in infrastructure should be expected only in the field of telecommunications. Other sectors will receive private investment only after a few years of stability, so only public financial support and public investment policy should be considered a key source of funding. Keywords: socio-economic consequences, recovery, military conflict, impact investment, loss assessment, development.

Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Tourism in Colombia: A Baseline Study in Post-conflict Regions

Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Tourism in Colombia: A Baseline Study in Post-conflict Regions

Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Tourism in Colombia: A Baseline Study in Post-conflict Regions

Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Tourism in Colombia: A Baseline Study in Post-conflict Regions

SPATIAL REPRESENTATION OF DESTROYED CITIES OF SYRIA

An objective comprehensive assessment of the extent of destruction in post-conflict regions is a topical theme of scientific and applied importance. In March 2019, an atlas of 15 destroyed cities in Syria was developed and published under the aegis of the United Nations (based on satellite images). Maps of the atlas make it possible to assess the destruction of the spatial structure of cities. Catastrophic spatial destruction is the loss of 75-100% of the center's buildings, most geographic sectors of the city and its suburban area. In the process of analysis 8 (out of 15) cities under analysis are included into this category. Most of these cities are centres of the destroyed historical axes of settlement in Syria. The main element of scientific novelty of the study is the typology of spatial destruction of cities and their suburbs. In this work the transition from the typology of destroyed cities to the modeling of options for their primary (early) reconstruction has been made.