Afghanistan after the US withdrawl
This paper analyses the role of Afghanistan’s regional neighbours in securing it’s recovery and stability, as well as the wider implications of America’s strategic policies in the region. Will things fall apart or hold together in Afghanistan after December 2014?
A Reminder of the Costs of the Iraq War and the War on Terror
As tensions escalate again in Iraq and the United States considers further involvement, Andrew Syrios recommends that the American people take a moment to acknowledge the significant costs that the “War on Terror” has already incurred.
Localities of Peace Building: Grassroots Peacebuilding between Sri Lankan Tamils and Sinhalese People
This paper is about three local peacebuilding initiatives in Sri Lanka, each focused on the personal or community level, where many Tamil and Sinhalese people share bonds of friendship and family, as well as a common love for good tea, good food, and good drama. Amarathunga uses these case studies to make a deeper point about the nature of knowledge and truth, and about the importance of local peacebuilding initiatives at the community level, rather than political or military settlement.
Kirkuk Conflict: The Underlying Energy Dimension
This paper offers a different perspective on the conflict within Kirkuk Governorate vis-à-vis the commonly held view of it being principally an ethno-national conflict based on territorial claims of Kurdish nationalism. The foundation of this analysis is the recognition that the local politics of the energy rich Kirkuk region are increasingly connected with the national and regional energy geopolitics, which are responsible for many of the defining characteristics of the conflict today. After reviewing the positions and interests of various stakeholders, this paper lays out certain recommendations that can be considered by relevant parties in resolving the conflict.
Japan weakens its commitment to constitutional pacifism
The Japanese government’s recent reinterpretation of the constitution without the full participation of the people, jeopardizes the peace that japan has enjoyed for the past 60 years and raises regional tensions. Historian and peace scholar Takuo Namisashi comments.
How South Korean Agents Used Social Media to Manipulate Public Opinion and Subvert Democracy, and How the Public is Reacting
Elements of ROK’s security and intelligence services have been implicated in a controversial campaign to sway public opinion through the use of social media during last year’s presidential campaign. Chan Woo reports on the techniques used to manipulate the outcome of the election, and the international grassroots democracy movement that it has provoked.
Grassroots Movements Shedding Light on Gun Violence in Colorado
This work is my personal journey of finding hope in grassroots movements working to address gun violence in Colorado. I present a review of academic literature and question how academic research connects to people on the ground. I advocate for the potential of utilizing human emotion in academic writing to link academics to the people experiencing what academics merely research. It is my aim to amplify a few glimmers of light, within people on the grassroots level, amongst the darkness that surrounds gun violence in the United States of America. I hope that ultimately, this will begin to open up the stalled conversation of gun control by escaping the dichotomy of pro-gun and anti-gun control politics and in turn creating a space for the many other paths forward to surface.
Tolstoy at the Mir Centre for Peace—the Long Tradition
Myler Wilkinson describes some of the fascinating history behind the Mir Center for Peace in British Columbia, Canada, particularly in terms of the impact of Leo Tolstoy and the Russian Doukhobor pacifists who settled the area in what was one of the largest and most significant utopian experiments in North American history.
The Role of Regional Integration in Fighting Crime and Terrorism: The Case of the African Union’s (AU’s) Initiatives, 1999-2014
As regional organizations facilitate economic integration, they also find themselves increasingly taking responsibility for security issues as well. This paper outlines the experience of the Africa Union, and the challenges it faces as it emerges as a guarantor of security on the continent.
The Law and Practice of the Devolved System of Governance in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s new constitution provides a legal framework for a devolved system of governance. Harmonizing with this new system, Jephias Mapuva suggests, will be to the benefit of local authorities, and the nation as a whole.