Temporary Truce Research Articles

Large wood remobilization in Asakura (North Kyushu, Japan): Adapting strategies to climate change and rural population depletion

In the aftermath of the heavy rainfall events of 2017 in North Kyushu, Asakura (Japan), driftwood-related disaster risk has proven to be as real as it was in 1933, when wood-laden debris-flow invaded the city centre of Kobe City near Sannomiya station. Despite a temporary truce obtained thanks to extensive Sabo dam constructions, climate change, the return of forest on agricultural land due to rural exodus and an ageing population are once again increasing driftwood hazard and disaster risk. In the face of these novel challenges, new management strategies may need to be considered, and the present contribution aims to propose a new approach to driftwood hazards and disaster risk. For this purpose, the present contribution is analysing the 2D hydrodynamic of scenario-based floods on driftwood deposited after the 2017 heavy-rainfall event in Asakura. The boundary conditions for the simulation were generated using UAV photogrammetry calibrated against existing DEM data to generate a DEM at 25 cm horizontal resolution and an orthophotographs at 5 cm resolution. The results show that with the new river configuration (post-2017), an instantaneous peak flow of 90 m3/s is necessary to flood the areas where the driftwood has stopped with a water depth of >40 cm. This is 9 times the mode discharge calculated from the inlet geometry. The majority of the driftwood is thus not an immediate hazard, and leaving the wood instead of removing it should be considered as a management strategy whenever it is feasible. Recent research in Western Europe and Northern America has already shown the importance of driftwood for biodiversity and wildlife, and combining both environmental and hazards and disaster risk objectives may be a solution. For this purpose, the authors propose that medium-size ditch and artificial “abandoned channels” could be created in order to trap the wood in the floodplain, so that the cost from removing the wood can be alleviated, horizontal trapping could complement vertical trapping at slit dams, and the local wildlife could benefit from the wood decomposition in the floodplain.

Creative Work Ethic and Autofiction: Sheila Heti’s How Should a Person Be?

Abstract: The rise of autofiction in the 2010s can be partially explained by the genre’s reflection of the contemporary work ethic, specifically its demand to use personal life as part of people’s work. Readers can recognize their tendency to use life for work in the way autofiction writers utilize their experience to write. This paper argues that Sheila Heti’s How Should a Person Be? (2010), one of the primary examples of contemporary autofiction, deals with the idea of using life for work in the context of the increased expectation of employers that their workers do so. At first, social engagement and writing are presented as competing for the protagonist’s attention. Then through the development of her friendship with the painter Margaux and tape-recording their conversation, life turns into a resource for writing. Sheila hopes that the new relationship with a friend, mediated and preserved through recordings, will save her writing project. It is not just that life is an inspiration for writing, but that it actively contributes to work by providing a text that will be part of the novel we are reading. Then as the novel progresses, problems with this new arrangement come up, and we are asked to question the viability of subordinating personal relationships to work. By its end, a temporary truce between work and life is presented, one that may be satisfying to readers but does not subvert the contemporary work ethic.

Основные направления борьбы с раскольническими движениями во второй половине XIX в. в Российской империи на государственном и церковном уровнях

Introduction. In the modern world, there are different directions of faiths. Christianity, Islam and Buddhism are the main religions, but there are separate groups of people who, under the influence of odious leaders, form independent currents that differ from traditional faiths. One of the oldest sects – Jehovah's Witnesses today includes from 8 to 9 million people. Efforts are being made at the State level to preserve the unity of the Russian Orthodox Church and strengthen the basic spiritual values. With the adoption of the decree of November 9, 2022 "On the approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the preservation and strengthening of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values", the main moral guidelines underlying the all-Russian civic identity were fixed at the legislative level. In this regard, the problem of studying the history of the emergence of sectarian and schismatic movements, analyzing the degree of harmful influence on the development of society, the state and the position of the Church remains relevant. This article is devoted to the analysis of state and Church policy in relation to sectarian and heretical movements in Russia. The author studies legislative policy, church literature, analyzes the results of research by pre-revolutionary authors on this issue. Materials and methods. The main sources of the work are the "Code of Criminal and Correctional Punishments", legislative acts, the results of the First All-Russian Population Census for 1897, as well as the study of the ethnographerfiction writer Pavel Melnikov "Letters about the split". The analysis of sources made it possible to study the process of tightening the fight against heresy and determine the principles of its division according to the degree of harmfulness. Results. The author comes to the conclusion that the reasons for the beginning of heretical movements lie in attempts to reform the system of statechurch relations, as well as in the active penetration of foreign culture and religion into Russian soil. The attempts made to violently combat heresy did not give the expected results. Sectarians skillfully disguised themselves as ordinary parishioners and even visited temples. Only through the joint efforts of the Church and the state was it possible to restrain the mass withdrawal from the bosom of Orthodox culture. Conclusion. A new wave of large-scale reform of state-confessional relations contributed to the weakening of control and legalization of sectarian activities, including in the field of education. The temporary truce of the authorities and religious organizations from 1905 to 1917 allowed the creation of an entire Old Believer educational system. At the same time, the Old Believers had absolute freedom and only some communities received legal status.

Do media events still unite the host nation's citizens? The case of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

The Olympic Games are a typical media event and are seen as a festive occasion that monopolizes people's attention through the mass media. The Games and their media coverage have a predetermined schedule that enhances the nation's sense of unity by placing a temporary truce on political conflicts. Governments, especially those of Olympic host countries, tend to take advantage of this effect to garner support for their own policies. However, the effects of such media events may be weakening owing to changes in the media environment and increasing political polarization. Examining the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, this case study analyzes a large amount of Twitter data to probe Japanese social media users' attitudes toward the Olympic Games and the relationship of these attitudinal changes with their attitudes toward the political leadership of the prime minister. The results showed that previously negative attitudes toward the Olympic Games improved as people enjoyed the event. However, this positive shift did not appear to be associated with their attitudes toward the prime minister. Users' political predispositions strongly determined their attitudes toward the Olympic Games, indicating that the Olympic Games as a media event had limited implications for support for the administration.

The casebre on the sand: Reflections on Luanda's excepted citizenship through the cinematography of Maria João Ganga's Na Cidade Vazia (2004)

Abstract This article discusses Maria João Ganga's representations of musseques and the casebre in Na Cidade Vazia (2004). It reads such images and characterization of neglected characters as visual expressions of the way in which Luanda's informal spaces have become the most visible expression of precarious, indeed, excepted citizenship. Set in 1991, the film depicts a period during which the government and the rebels entered a temporary truce, which rapidly disintegrated, gesturing towards a continuing sense of exclusion from postcolonial prosperity. However, the bloody civil war that ensued between rival factions (1975–2002) – the governing Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola (MPLA), led by Jose Eduardo dos Santos, and União Nacional para a Independência Total de Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas Savimbi – remarkably shifted the way post-Portuguese citizenship in Angola could be discussed. It clearly necessitates a new way of thinking about inclusion with respect to the incipient repercussions of indeterminate governance. In the context of this historical process, this article uses exception as a lens to conceptualize postcolonial urban citizenship in Luanda's cinema. The article sets off with an overview of 1975 literary imaginations of Luanda when the Portuguese colonialists were leaving Angola, which resulted in a clamour for the so-called spoils of independence. It then critiques excepted citizenship using two approaches: analysing urban architecture as a visual code for precariousness and filmic characters as embodiments of excepted citizenship.

ПІДПІЛЬНА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ УВО ТА ОУН НА ТЕРИТОРІЇ ПОЛІСЬКОГО ВОЄВОДСТВА (1928 – 1939)

The article examines characteristic features of Ukrainian Military (UVO) and Ukrainian Nationalists Organizations (OUN) cells creation and activity in the territory of Polissia voivodeship, the Second Polish Republic. That is to say, on the lands which now belong to Belorussia. It is proved that local indigenous population – 'Polishchuks' – actively supported the Ukrainian national liberation movement. The first UMO cells emerged there almost simultaneously with the neighboring Volyn. Moreover, Kovel district became the spread center of Ukrainian nationalists influence on the north. At that time the main OUN means of activity was 'dark-blue line' tactic, when they achieved the influence on legal Ukrainian organizations and propaganda spreading. The strong position among communist underground organizations, which were the main rivals of Ukrainian nationalists, was the regional peculiarity of the locality. It was ascertained that Polissia district leadership's flexibility of UNO allowed to conclude a temporary truce with them and to form the largest anti-Poland rebellion unit in the West part of Ukraine, called 'Polissia Lozovi Cossaks'. Afterwards, it appeared as the precursor of transformation of liberation movement to more extensive level and rise of the first Ukrainian Rebellion Army subordinate units in the territory of Polissia district.

Ο ρουμάνος ηγεμόνας Μιχαήλ ο Γενναίος (1593-1601) και οι Έλληνες

The present work constitutes a detailed study of the relations between the Romanian Prince Michael the Brave (1593-1601) and the Greek world of his time. From our research it follows that Michael was the son of a Greek by the name of Yannis the Epirot, a person of great influence in the Ottoman Court, where he was holding the dignity of representative for the Romanian Lands. From a young age Michael had close links to the Cantacuzin family that helped him come to power, and to which he consequently proved faithful over time. In line with his anti-Ottoman policy, the prince proved hostile to the Greek elements subordinated to the Sultan’s power, but would offer, by his often humble means, his support for several Greek rebel leaders, plotting against the Turkish rule (Dionysios Rallis Palaeologos, Metropolitan of Târnovo, Athanasios, Archbishop of Ohrid, Dionysios Bishop of Larisa and Trikala). Benefiting from Michael’s help were also those Greek prelates that fought against the attempted union of the orthodox to the Romanian Church, e. g. Nikephoros Daskalos. Moreover, the Romanian ruler chose to send Greek emissaries for several of his own diplomatic missions (to Poland and Russia). The need for a temporary truce with the Turks to reinforce his armies that had been weakened by wars, pushed him to resort to the mediation of some high orthodox hierarchs fully vassal to the Porte, such as Meletios Pigas, patriarch of Alexandria. Also, in the ranks of the Romanian Prince’s army the presence of Greek mercenaries has been confirmed, though of lesser importance than the one of other subjugated Balkan peoples (Serbians, Bulgarians, Albanians). Michael’s victories against the Turks resounded loudly in the conscience of the subjugated Greeks and led to the composition of two literate poems (by Stavrinos and Palamedes) and of several folk songs extolling the supposed liberator from the Ottoman yoke. In relation to these, in the present paper we have analysed the reasons behind Michael’s adoption by the Greeks as a real national hero and studied the prince’s image, as depicted in the two literary works.

The relation of intellectual capital disclosure strategies and market value in two political settings

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the political setting (civil war versus temporary truce) in a country has an influence on firms' current narrative, visual, and numerical intellectual capital disclosure being included in the current market value of equity.Design/methodology/approachUsing content analysis for data generation, this study identifies narrative, visual, and numerical intellectual capital disclosure in firms' annual reports. Financial data were obtained from firms' annual reports and the stock exchange. Fixed effect panel regression was conducted separately for the civil war period and temporary truce period.FindingsThe paper finds that during the period entirely beset by civil war, the current market value of equity includes net book value and current earnings only, and does not include narrative, visual, or numerical intellectual capital disclosure. During the period of temporary truce, the current market value of equity includes net book value, current earnings, and narrative disclosure, but not visual or numerical intellectual capital disclosure.Practical implicationsThe findings provide insights into the effectiveness of disclosure strategies in politically unstable environments.Originality/valueThis study analyses the disclosure strategies in a civil war and temporary truce context.

Preliminary Reference and Constitutional Courts: Are You in the Mood for Dialogue?

This article aims at describing the new trends in the relationship between the ECJ and Constitutional Courts. From a situation characterized by the reluctance by the latter to raise preliminary references to the former, we moved to a context where Constitutional Courts accept the mechanism of art. 234 ECT. After trying to identify the main reasons for this strategy-change, the article explains why one ought to consider this situation as a temporary truce rather than the beginning of a stable cooperation.

Middleman in the Middle East: America's Flawed Approach to the ‘Peace Process’

President Bush professes optimism that an Arab-Israeli peace accord can be reached before he leaves office. Hamas, which presumably senses his urgency, has recently proposed a temporary truce with Israel in Gaza, with an option to extend it to the West Bank. This initiative is eerily reminiscent of Soviet behavior during the Cold War. Hamas essentially advocates a short-term period of peaceful coexistence to bide time while it strengthens its forces and lulls Israel into a false sense of security. If the United States accedes to this proposal or pressures Israel to do so, it will demonstrate once again the Cold War-style attitudes and perceptions that still characterize its approach to the “peace process.”

Bacteria between protists and phages: from antipredation strategies to the evolution of pathogenicity

Bacteriophages and protists are major causes of bacterial mortality. Genomics suggests that phages evolved well before eukaryotic protists. Bacteria were thus initially only confronted with phage predators. When protists evolved, bacteria were caught between two types of predators. One successful antigrazing strategy of bacteria was the elaboration of toxins that would kill the grazer. The released cell content would feed bystander bacteria. I suggest here that, to fight grazing protists, bacteria teamed up with those phage predators that concluded at least a temporary truce with them in the form of lysogeny. Lysogeny was perhaps initially a resource management strategy of phages that could not maintain infection chains. Subsequently, lysogeny might have evolved into a bacterium-prophage coalition attacking protists, which became a food source for them. When protists evolved into multicellular animals, the lysogenic bacteria tracked their evolving food source. This hypothesis could explain why a frequent scheme of bacterial pathogenicity is the survival in phagocytes, why a significant fraction of bacterial pathogens have prophage-encoded virulence genes, and why some virulence factors of animal pathogens are active against unicellular eukaryotes. Bacterial pathogenicity might thus be one playing option of the stone-scissor-paper game played between phages-bacteria-protists, with humans getting into the crossfire.

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series, November 1st–30th 2004

In This Issue Pan–African Parliament Tough Challenges 15980 Namibia Nujoma's Man 15986 Nigeria The Edge of Chaos? 15990Tension in Anambra 16000 Sudan Policy Failure 16003 Uganda Temporary Truce 16004 Culture Growth Sector 16011ContentsContinental Alignments 15979Internal Developments 15982National Security 15993Military 16006Overseas Relations 16008Social and Cultural 16011Rates 16013Index 16014

Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go everywhere—advertising under suspicion

In the mid 1950s Vance Packard (Packard, V., 1957. The hidden persuaders. David McKay, New York) seemed to give a final proof of a public secret! Advertising is a hidden persuader! Even though most of Packard's fears had since the 1980s at the latest given way to a general high polished aesthetics, till today advertising remains in a very specific way under suspicion. It is argued that advertising is a product of contesting forces within the advertising system. A number of these forces are considered with respect to both the production and the reception side of advertising. On the production side any given advertisement in the end is a ”temporary truce”, as Jib Fowles (Fowles, J., 1996. Advertising and popular culture. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA) formulated it. On the reception side, however, the conflict between suspicion and fascination constitutes an energetic source for advertising's role in modern societies.

The Icebreaker Controversy: Did Stalin Plan to Attack Hitler?

Historians have had a great deal of difficulty accounting for the debacle wrought by Operation Barbarossa. How could the Red Army, a large and heavily equipped force, be so thoroughly decimated by the Wehrmacht, especially when evidence of the impending attack was plentiful? Most commonly, explanations have focused on the unexpectedly rapid success of the Blitzkrieg in western Europe, the impact of the Great Purges on the Soviet officer corps, the problems of reequipping the Red Army with modern weaponry and protecting newly expanded borders, the lack of adequate training for the rapidly growing Soviet armed forces, the confusing nature of available intelligence, and, most of all, the nearly fatal self-delusion of Iosif Stalin, which prevented the implementation of proper defensive measures. Although Stalin certainly realized that the Nazi-Soviet Pact was no more than a temporary truce and that a German attack was ultimately inevitable, he deluded himself that Adolf Hitler could be appeased until Soviet forces had grown strong enough to meet the Nazi assault. Soviet shipments of petroleum products, various raw materials, and foodstuffs were critically important to the German war machine and, thus, the key element in Stalin's strategy of appeasing Hitler.