War-torn Countries Research Articles

Exploring the “Cozy Cabal of Academics, Dealers and Collectors” through the Schøyen Collection

In the wake of the trade in ancient materials, several ethical and political issues arise that merit concern: the decimation of the cultural heritage of war-torn countries, proliferation of corruption, ideological connotations of orientalism, financial support of terrorism, and participation in networks involved in money laundering, weapon sales, human trafficking and drugs. Moreover, trafficking and trading also have a harmful effect on the fabric of academia itself. This study uses open sources to track the history of the private Schøyen Collection, and the researchers and public institutions that have worked with and supported the collector. Focussing on the public debates that evolved around the Buddhist manuscripts and other looted or illicitly obtained material from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, this article unravels strategies to whitewash Schøyen’s and his research groups’ activities. Numerous elements are familiar from the field of antiquities trafficking research and as such adds to the growing body of knowledge about illicit trade and collecting. A noteworthy element in the Schøyen case is Martin Schøyen and his partners’ appeal to digital dissemination to divorce collections from their problematic provenance and history and thus circumvent contemporary ethical standards. Like paper publications, digital presentations contribute to the marketing and price formation of illicit objects. The Norwegian state’s potential purchase of the entire Schøyen collection was promoted with the aid of digital dissemination of the collection hosted by public institutions. In the wake of the Schøyen case, it is evident that in spite of formal regulations to thwart antiquities trafficking, the continuation of the trade rests on the attitudes and practice of scholars and institutions.

Investing in epidemiological surveillance for recovering health systems in war-torn countries.

Investing in epidemiological surveillance for recovering health systems in war-torn countries.

China’s Involvement in Syria’s Postwar Reconstruction

After years of war and chaos, the situation in Syria has stabilized with the active intervention of external forces, providing necessary conditions for national reconstruction. Security reconstruction, economic recovery, and political reconciliation will be the three key areas in post-civil war rebuilding. As an important node country along the Belt and Road Initiative, Syria’s urgent need for reconstruction makes it possible for China to play a larger role. Deeper Chinese involvement in postwar reconstruction will not only help restore political and economic order in a war-torn country and its neighborhood, but also improve Beijing’s image as a responsible stakeholder. At the same time, Beijing may find a bumpy road ahead as great power rivalry, Syria’s factional politics and weak economic foundation, and regional terrorism will pose significant challenges. While economic reconstruction should be the focus of Beijing’s efforts, China should also not lose sight of the role it can play in facilitating national political reconciliation in Syria.

UN Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding: Progress and Paradox in Local Ownership

AbstractUN peace operations have increasingly focused on the importance of “local ownership.” The logic is simple. For peace operations to succeed in helping war-torn states to create accountable, democratic institutions grounded in the rule of law, peace operations need to internalize democratic principles by making UN missions accountable to different domestic constituencies—crossing ethnic, religious, racial, social, and gender lines—within the war-torn country. As part of a special issue on “The United Nations at Seventy-Five: Looking Back to Look Forward,” this essay argues that while there is widespread consensus among UN member states and UN bureaucrats that local ownership is necessary, UN peace operations have faced significant obstacles to creating true local ownership. These obstacles include the UN's focus on host-government ownership; the challenge of creating trust with different domestic constituencies that represent diverse perspectives; the supply-driven nature of UN intervention; and the mismatch between the UN's ideal post-conflict state and the preferences of post-conflict societies. To make UN peace operations more responsive to post-conflict societies, UN staff often have to bend or break rules established only to hold them accountable to their member states.

Newly arrived refugee parents in Sweden and their experience of the resettlement process: A qualitative study

Aims: The Swedish public support system for the integration and establishment of newly arrived refugees includes an individualized introduction plan, containing language, civic and health information classes. As the plan requires active involvement, the simultaneous establishment of childcare and school start for children risks creating additional challenges and frustrations. The aim of the study was to explore the experience of adjustment among newly arrived refugee parents in the resettlement process, so as to understand how this risk may be mitigated. Methods: This paper presents findings from a qualitative study conducted with 24 Syrian refugee parents participating in the resettlement process and having received asylum status. Results: Parents experienced stress due to long waiting times for residence permits and the struggle to find stable housing. The parents established themselves by enrolling in language studies and looking for employment. They also faced challenges adjusting socially since they were mainly meeting people from their own country and, therefore, felt excluded from the Swedish society. Conclusions: The parents describe the experiences of having escaped from a war-torn country and arrived in new surroundings as mainly challenging for their current situation. Feelings of uncertainty arise as families struggle with daily life while waiting for residence permits, finding stable housing, learning a language and adjusting to new social circumstances. Having this in mind, we conclude that this group of refugees is exposed to health risks in the near future and, as such, is in need of additional support.

Antimicrobial resistance in a war-torn country: Lessons learned in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

There is no doubt that antibiotics have reduced the burden of bacterial infectious diseases. Antimicrobial resistance threatens the effectiveness of successful treatment of infections and constitutes a public health concern with national and global dimensions. This problem is worrisome in war-torn areas like the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The difficulties experienced by war-torn nations in addressing antimicrobial resistance are significant for the rest of the globe as microbes do not acknowledge boundaries and do not distinguish between peace and wartime. In this paper, we describe the impact of warfare on the social determinants of health, the environment and biodiversity, and its consequences on the antibiotic use and the host-pathogen interplay. Furthermore, we describe different pillars to be taken into account, learned in a war-torn area, in combating antimicrobial resistance. These lessons are summarized in terms of tools to be used for combating antimicrobial resistance, challenges to overcome in war-torn setting and core actions to be undertaken. Surveillance is a valuable tool to combat antimicrobial resistance as it helps to detect resistant bacteria, enables correct decisions to be taken, guides policy recommendations and tracks the antibiotic use and misuse. The challenges encountered in this region include the shortage of competent laboratories, poor infrastructure and data management, lack of standard protocols, low coverage of surveillance, lack of intersectoral cooperation, and inadequate national, regional and international collaboration. Regarding this situation, the core actions to be undertaken include the establishment of ABR surveillance and monitoring systems, building laboratory capacity for rapid and reliable diagnostic testing, and engagement in national, regional and global surveillance networks. Therefore, this study showed an urgent need for establishing and implementing sentinel site surveillance laboratories and elaborating and implementing national action plans for combating antimicrobial resistance.

Surviving or thriving in the Eastern Mediterranean region: the quest for universal health coverage during conflict

When the world endorsed the Sustainable Development Agenda in 2015, it committed to achieving universal health coverage (UHC), for everyone, everywhere. 1 UNResolution A/RES/70/1. Transforming our world: the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. United Nations General Assembly 70th session. United Nations, New York2015https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworldDate accessed: December 3, 2019 Google Scholar UHC supports development and health security and represents the ultimate right to health. 2 Kieny MP Bekedam H Dovlo D et al. Strengthening health systems for universal health coverage and sustainable development. Bull World Health Organ. 2017; 95: 537-539 Crossref PubMed Scopus (115) Google Scholar Unfortunately, during times of conflict, reaching this goal is threatened because health-care use, availability, and affordability supersede issues of equity in access, quality, and financial protection. As international civil servants working with war-torn countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region (EMR), we question every day the relevance of UHC in the context of conflicts.

The Global Compact on Refugees: A Historic Achievement

The Global Compact on Refugees: A Historic Achievement

AAP and America: Inclusive, Embracing, and Nurturing Community.

This 40th anniversary of Pediatrics in Review (PIR) gave me an opportunity to reflect on 1979, the year the first issue of PIR was published. From the time of its first issue, PIR’s core mission has been the education of pediatricians. I reflected on where I was in 1979. A young man finishing middle school in the war-torn country of Lebanon in the midst of a brutal civil war, a war that came like a plague infesting this beautiful place that was called “the Switzerland of the Middle East.” I clearly recall several years later going through medical school at the American University of Beirut, studying in candlelit shelters, taking exams with shelling in the background, and crossing the demarcation lines between east and west Beirut. Early on I knew that pediatrics was my specialty calling. I vividly remember using PIR as my reference journal as a medical student on the pediatric clerkship. I never imagined that one day, many years later, I would be part of this great educational journal and its mission, participating first hand in the making of the various issues, the continuing medical education questions, and its 40th anniversary celebration.My journey to America started right after medical school. America welcomed me as a recent graduate coming to complete my pediatric residency during times of turmoil in Lebanon. This was not something new for this great country. My grandfather sailed for 3 months with his mother from Lebanon to America to study medicine in this great country. He completed his medical degree in 1912 from Boston University, returned to Lebanon to practice medicine, and lived through World War I and World War II. It is no surprise to me that America has a long-standing tradition of welcoming people from all walks of life seeking a better education, refuge from dangerous war situations, or simply to improve their opportunities and achieve their full potential. America is the land of opportunities, where anything is possible.During and after my residency, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was and continues to be my professional home. And, similar to America, the AAP (and its various sections, councils, and activities) is the model of inclusivity and diversity that shaped my professional trajectory. I am thankful for all the opportunities that I had and continue to have at the AAP in general, and at PIR in particular. I am grateful for the mentors I interacted (and continue to interact) with, and for the great honor and privilege of being part of PIR and its 40th anniversary celebration. PIR is an inclusive journal with an international presence spreading knowledge across the globe in many languages. PIR continues to be my main “go to” reference for my pediatric education.

Resurgence of Vaccine-Preventable Disease: Ethics in the Pediatric Emergency Department.

After a decades-long reduction in vaccine-preventable illnesses worldwide, there has been a reappearance of childhood illnesses once thought to be eradicated. This resurgence in illnesses such as polio and measles is a consequence of multifactorial events leading to decreased vaccination rates. A lack of resources in poor and war-torn countries, coupled with increasing global travel, and decisions to delay or defer vaccinations because of inaccurate studies further emphasized by media have combined to result in current state of frequent local and widespread epidemics, specifically the current outbreak of measles. As providers in the pediatric emergency department, we are often the first to encounter children manifesting these diseases. It is imperative that we understand the circumstances leading to these encounters, so that we can have engaged conversations with families, gain an understanding of their motivations, dispel any misinformed beliefs, and encourage positive health behaviors for their children.

Board-certified specialty training program in radiation oncology in a war-torn country: Challenges, solutions and outcomes

BackgroundResidency programs leading to board certification are important for safe and competent Radiation Oncology (RO) practice. In some developing nations, there is a gap in this field. This work addresses the experience that was accomplished to establish such a program in Iraq despite all the challenges that faces a country under war. MethodsDescriptive report of challenges faced in a developing country that is still reeling from war, the steps taken to overcome these challenges and outcomes after graduation of two classes. ResultsAfter over 18 months of prerequisite technical and logistical preparations, a group of local and external faculty members were invited to establish the required syllabus of a structured RO residency program in Iraq. It is comprised of a total of 100 post-graduate academic credits over a 48-months period after clinical internship. First year evaluations included regular practical assessments; seven in-house papers covering RO, cancer and radiation biology, medical physics, radiological anatomy and diagnostic oncology, tumor pathology, onco-pharmacology, and medical statistics, research methodology, and cancer epidemiology, followed by a comprehensive examination. Subsequent evaluations were on an annual bases with enrollment in the American College of Radiology In-Training examination in RO. Final assessment included logbook and skills' reviews, graduation thesis or peer-review publication, two-papers’ written examination, and an exit practical examination. ConclusionsGiven the political, economic and social difficulties in post-war Iraq, it was a major challenge to establish a residency program in RO. Despite the significant difficulties, the first residency program leading to board certification in RO was successfully started in Iraq. The new specialists will help in addressing the shortage of radiation oncologists in the country.

United Nations Peacekeeping Locally: Enabling Conflict Resolution, Reducing Communal Violence

United Nations peacekeeping operations (UN PKOs) increasingly engage with local communities to support peace processes in war-torn countries. Yet, while existing research tends to focus on the coercive and state-building functions of UN PKOs, their concrete local activities with community leaders and populations remain, empirically and theoretically, understudied. Thus, this study investigates how peacekeepers’ community-based intergroup dialogue activities influence communal violence. It argues that facilitating dialogue between different communal identity-based groups locally can revive intergroup coordination and diminish negative biases against other groups, thereby reducing the risk of communal conflict escalation. This argument is tested using a novel data set of intergroup dialogue activities organized by the UN PKO in Côte d’Ivoire across 107 departments from October 2011 to May 2016. Bivariate probit and matching address the nonrandom assignment of these interventions. The analyses provide robust evidence that the UN PKO mitigated communal violence by organizing intergroup dialogues.

United Nations Peacekeeping Locally: Enabling Conflict Resolution, Reducing Communal Violence:

United Nations peacekeeping operations (UN PKOs) increasingly engage with local communities to support peace processes in war-torn countries. Yet, while existing research tends to focus on the coer...

War and city-making in Somalia: Property, power and disposable lives

Rapid urbanisation in Somalia, as in many other war-torn countries, is driven by in-migration of displaced people who are often amassed in camps. Although such camps become institutionalised sites of exclusion where ‘bare life’ is generated and disposed, they are also characterised by socially messy and continuously evolving relations of space, power, violence and displacement. The article draws on fieldwork with displaced people in Somali cities to analyse claims to property and (often violent) competition to uphold them in contestation for sovereignty. Comparing two cities, Mogadishu and Bosaaso, we show how a broad range of international and local actors, including displaced people themselves, negotiate (urban) property and establish relations that guide and foster political authority, while rendering the lives and livelihoods of displaced people precarious and insecure. In property, politics and the economy intersect, and property relations are therefore subject to struggles for both power and profit. We underscore how sovereign power produces spaces of indistinction, but emphasise that property as an analytical category contributes to understandings of sovereignty. Furthermore, propertying as social practice draws attention to the way sovereignty emerges and is connected to the market. This enables the differentiations of forms of sovereignty and draws attention to how it is negotiated, openly challenged or silently undermined.

Capoeira Angola: An alternative intervention program for traumatized adolescent refugees from war-torn countries.

Following resettlement in Australia, young traumatized refugees often face social challenges, including language and cultural barriers and social adjustment, which can lead to behavioral difficulties. Providing support at this vulnerable stage is therefore vital for reducing future setbacks. The STARTTS Capoeira Angola program was developed to help traumatized adolescents successfully integrate into their school environments. As an Afro-Brazilian martial art that incorporates dance, Capoeira appeared an appropriate intervention for adolescent refugees due to its unique ethos of empowerment and group membership. 32 refugeesfrom Middle Eastern and African countries (aged12-17) from the Intensive English Centre (IEC) department of the participant schools were assessed pre- and post- intervention using the Teacher's Strengths and Difficulties Scale (SDQ). Teachers were also asked to observe the students' functioning in a range of different situations at school. A significant overall decrease in behavioral problems was observed, which was associated with improvements in interpersonal skills, confidence, respect for self and others, self-discipline, and overall sense of responsibility.

Immigrant integration policy and practices in Poland

Globalization, open borders and population movements, especially from war torn countries, have brought a new set of chances and challenges to every modern state. Since its accession to the European Union in 2004, Poland has been experiencing a steady transformation from a country producing emigrants to a destination country for a growing number of immigrants. The aim of the article is to discuss the impact of immigration on policymaking at the national level with emphasis on the legal status of immigrants and integration policy issues. Furthermore, the paper aims to initiate scientific discussion on migration integration policy and a complex system of migration policy and management. The study uses critical analysis of secondary sources: literature and sectoral policies in areas such as the labour market, education, and welfare pointing out benefits offered to immigrants. The analysis presents immigration integration policies and practices adopted and implemented in Poland. The research leads to the conclusion that the number of immigrants in Poland will significantly increase by 2030. Therefore, it is urgent to develop comprehensive migration management system in Poland, which will regulate the status of immigrants paying close attention to resolving integration policy issues. <b></b> <b></b>

EMDR Group Treatment of Children Refugees—A Field Study

Given the significant growth in the migration flow of refugees who are fleeing from persecution, terrorism, and war-torn countries to Europe, there is an urgent need for effective interventions for the treatment of this highly traumatized population. EMDR Integrative Group Treatment Protocol (EMDR-IGTP) was provided to 14 child refugees (7 females) in 2016 at a Turkey orphanage near the Syrian border which was housing adult and child Syrian refugees. Treatment was provided in three groups, one each for children aged 3–7 years, pre-adolescents aged 9–12, and adolescents aged 13–18 with three sessions provided to each group. Pre-treatment assessment with multiple measures was compromised by difficulties with translator availability and refugee mobility, resulting in high attrition. When the post-treatment assessment was conducted 45 days later, many refugees had already left the orphanage. The sparse character of the data matrix produced analyzable data for 8 children (mean age 11 ± 3; 4 females) on the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES). Statistical analysis showed a significant decrease in CRIES scores, reflecting a decrease in severity of posttraumatic symptoms.

A Brief Overview of HPLC-MS Analysis of Alkyl Methylphosphonic Acid Degradation Products of Nerve Agents.

The analysis of degradation products from the classic chemical warfare nerve agents by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry has been of much interest in recent years owing to the possible use as a terrorist weapon, and the incidents of chemical weapon usage in recent years in war torn countries. The alkyl methylphosphonic acid degradation products are of a particular interest, and they represent a specific chromatographic technical challenge for use in typical separation systems. Various published methods are summarized in this review and some of the problems associated with the analysis of these compounds are discussed. Future trends of the analysis in this area of research are also considered.

How the different policies and school systems affect the inclusion of Syrian refugee children in Sweden, Germany, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey

Since the war in Syria started in 2011, many children left their war-torn country, alone or together with their families, and fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East, to Turkey or to Europe. This article will compare how Syrian refugee children are included – or not - in school systems both in Europe (Sweden, Germany and Greece) and outside Europe (Turkey and Lebanon). These five countries represent very different ways of receiving children in their educational system. We will compare national institutional arrangements like access to compulsory school, access after compulsory school age, welcome or immersion classes, second language education and tracking mechanisms. Including children as soon as possible in regular classes seems to provide the best chances for school success, whereas educating refugee children in a segregated parallel school system for extended periods often results in early school leaving or not attending school at all.

‘Khalas! Literature is the resistance against politics, and this is the politics of literature’: an interview with Atiq Rahimi

ABSTRACTAtiq Rahimi is a director, photographer and translingual author who has published in Dari (Persian) and in French since 1999. As an outspoken author, Rahimi did not refrain from narrating loss, trauma and fundamentalism already in the 1990s. For his first publication in French, Syngué Sabour. Pierre de patience, he was awarded the highest literary price in France, the Prix Goncourt. With his recently published novel Les Porteurs d’eau, set in Afghanistan and Europe, Rahimi also explores challenges of the global Afghanistani diaspora. Inspired by his personal experiences of travelling from Kabul to Paris, Rahimi explores, with his Kafkaesque narratives, themes of loss, suffering and survival, all located in a war-torn country. In this interview, conducted in Paris, conversing in Persian and French, Rahimi talks about his personal journey and discusses cultural as well as literary theories. He mentions literature without borders, considers the power of literature as a means of taking a stand against political reality, learning French as a teenager and depicting strong female characters. Additionally, Rahimi explains to what extent Persian linguistics allowed him to depict the absurdity of living exile in his latest novel and ends the interview explaining the rationale behind the idea of authors without borders.