Political Science Commons^™

Understanding Transitional Justice And Its Two Major Dilemmas, Jared Bell

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

Transitional justice is an ever growing field and greatly intersects with conflict science and peace studies. With the horrific crimes committed during World War II and the latter half of the 20^th century societies now more than ever before are devising processes, mechanisms, and policies to move past gross human rights violations or communal violence. However, these mechanisms much like anything else are not perfect and come with a variety of dilemmas. In particular two main dilemmas plague transitional justice which this paper aims to deal with: Getting to Truth and Reality versus Expectation. Within the context of …

Moving Beyond The Crossroads: Strengthening The Atrocity Prevention Board, James P. Finkel

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Native America And The Question Of Genocide, Amy Fagin

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

Ukraine At The Fulcrum: A Nuclear House Of Cards, Natalie Manaeva Rice, Dean P. Rice, Howard L. Hall

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The foundation of preserving and enhancing global nuclear security rests on three fundamental pillars: nuclear disarmament; preventing further proliferation of nuclear weapons; and international cooperation aimed at safeguarding nuclear materials. Today, experts argue that the recent decision of Russian president Vladimir Putin to cut cooperative efforts to secure nuclear materials are placing in peril the future of international efforts to promote global nuclear security. We argue that in addition to the clear erosion of the third pillar of nuclear security, there are more threatening ramifications resulting from the recent actions of Russia in Ukraine.

The aggressive actions of Russia in …

Why Terrorist Networks Maintain Viability Within Today’S Modern Society., Cade Resnick Ph.D., Amy Guimond Ph.D, Heather Wellman Ph.D., Shawna Resnick M.S.

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

Common concepts of terrorism refer to acts which are intended to create a system of fear. The ideological argument for terrorism relates to a politically and emotionally charged scenario in which terrorism is necessary. The development of a terrorist organization requires an environment that is ripe with social degradation and has idealistic minded people who are able to believe in a cause. The organization utilizes a social system to maintain its own stability and to retain the people who are involved within its self-contained community. Suffering oppression from its own government or an-other nation is a crucial component in fostering …

War, The United Nations, And Peacekeeping, Robert Weiner, Carlos Andres Aguilera Ariza

New England Journal of Public Policy

While the amount of interstate war in the international system had declined by 2013, since then both intrastate and internationalized intrastate war has increased. In 2015 there are sixteen UN peacekeeping operations around the globe, involving about 130,000 military, police, and civilian personnel. Over the past seventy years, UN peacekeeping operations have evolved from simple buffer forces tasked with observing cease-fires and armistices to complex multidimensional operations in intrastate conflicts, involving peacebuilding in an increasingly dangerous environment.

Editor's Note, Padraig O’Malley

New England Journal of Public Policy

In this edition of the journal several articles address a range of important, and in some cases too often overlooked policy issues, too broad in scope for their conclusions and recommendations to be encapsulated adequately in a brief paragraph. Their diversity, however, highlights a key characteristic of the New England Journal of Public Policy – that of being open to publishing articles that have insightful bearings on how public policy is addressed, not only in the New England states, but throughout the country and in the international community – a community of nations increasingly interdependent with constraints on national sovereignty …

A Close Look At The Relationship Between Poverty And Political Violence In Nepal, Lauren C. Griffin

Global Tides

Today, one quarter of Nepal’s population of 27 million lives on a daily income of less than two dollars (Sharma 8). Villages are deprived of an ample water supply, and some areas still lie in ruins from the aftermath of the Maoist insurgency. This paper will seek to understand the role of poverty in the historically and presently unfolding political environment of Nepal. Several factors show direct correlation between poverty and insurgent activity, such as land ownership, level of education and socio-economic standing. Nepal has had a volatile and bloody past in the midst of medieval dynasties, an authoritative monarchy …

About The Contributors

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

The Foumban "Constitutional" Talks And Prior Intentions Of Negotiating: A Historico-Theoretical Analysis Of A False Negotiation And The Ramifications For Political Developments In Cameroon, Fonkem Achankeng

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper links the nationalist conflict in postcolonial Cameroon to the prior intentions of the parties at the 1961 Foumban “Constitutional” Talks characterized by a false negotiation experience. I argue that the political developments in the Cameroon post-Foumban and the tensions that have led to outcomes such as the desire of British Southern Cameroons to “restore independence and sovereignty” resulted from the fact that the parties at the Foumban Constitutional conference had divergent prior intentions of the meeting, including false negotiating. In exploring the 1961 Foumban Talks, the framework through which the two former and separate UN Trust Territories under …

Anglo-French Negotiations Concerning Cameroon During World War I, 1914-1916: Occupation, "Condominium" And Partition, Lovett Z. Elango

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Anglo-French disagreements over Cameroon during World War I and the efforts to resolve them both during the Allied campaigns in the territory and at the end of the war suggest that negotiation can occur even in wartime successfully. At the outbreak of the war Cameroon was a German territory like Tanganyika, South West Africa, and Togoland. The Anglo-French grand strategy and war aims were to seize these territories and oust the Germans from them. Consequently, Cameroon became the theater of an intense military struggle and a pawn of Anglo-French imperial rivalry fuelled by the conflicting territorial ambitions and claims of …

Faith-Based Organisations And Conflict Resolution In Nigeria: The Case Of The Christian Association Of Nigeria (Can), Paul Ilo

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

With so much emphasis on religion as a source of conflict, the role of religion and by extension religious actors as strong forces in conflict resolution is usually overlooked. For a long time, research in the Conflict Resolution field failed to focus on the role religion plays in conflict resolution (as opposed to its role in making conflicts intractable) or specifically to the unique features and strengths of faith-based actors in conflict resolution. In Nigeria, as well as in Africa and other parts of the world, faith-based organizations (FBOs) have been increasingly involved in attempts to end conflicts and make …

Beyond Moral Panic: Negotiation Theory And The University Strikes In Nigeria, Isaac Olawale Albert

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

“Moral panic” is a concept of growing importance in the social sciences. It has to do with the emotional reaction of the media, the public, and agents of social control to an emerging or anticipated social problem. My paper uses this concept to portray how Nigerians react to the incessant industrial action by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) since the 1990s. During these many strikes, which often last for months, Nigerian universities and private businesses domiciled in them are shut down. Members of the public often cast the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)/Federal Government (FG) …

Tackling Nigeria's Security Challenges: Negotiation Or What With Boko Haram?, Phillip E. Agbebaku, William E. Odion, Mary Fadal Edokpa

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

For many years now Nigeria has been facing a plethora of security challenges. This includes the Niger Delta militants who engaged in disrupting oil exploration by kidnapping oil workers in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Their grievance was that the region that produces the wealth of the nation was neglected in terms of development. They wanted a better deal. The conflict situation improved with the declaration of Amnesty by the Yar’Adua administration. Another security challenge was posed by the Boko Haram insurgency. Boko Haram reared its ugly head in full force in 2011. The insurgency concentrated in the North …

Negotiating The Federal Accommodation: Minorities And The Issue Of The National Question In Nigeria, Tunde Agara

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Ethnic minority tensions and agitations in Nigeria are important features of the on-going struggle to resolve the “national question” through convening the Sovereign National Conference, all in a bid to dialogue and negotiate a true federal system that incorporates and accommodate the minorities within the federal system. This paper suggests that the minority issue in Nigeria is deeply rooted in the complex triad of pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial historical and structural processes that have foisted and institutionalized the oppressive hegemony of the country’s three major ethnics over the minorities. To further illuminate this perspective, we have adopted Edward Azar’s Protracted …

The Negotiation Issues In Nigeria's Post-Independence Conflicts, Layi Egunjobi, Ndubuisi O. W. Odiaka

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Nigeria which typifies the condition in most African countries, is bedeviled by disputes and conflicts which impact so negatively on the country’s economic growth and quality of life indices. Disputes usually range from local, tribal, and religious skirmishes to national, regional, and international engagements. These naturally involve negotiations in form of agreements, treaties, dialogues, and national conferences which may be conventional or cultural. At the same time, Nigeria’s nationhood is still being questioned and even threatened 100 years after unification and 54 years after independence. The basic argument in this paper is negotiation as a factor may have played a …

Getting On The Agenda: The Influence Of Local Civil Society Organizations During Pre-Negotiation, David R. Andersen-Rodgers

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This article examines the types of strategies that different local civil society organizations use to get their issues addressed during a peace negotiation. Previous research has shown that the inclusion of civil society groups in a negotiation improves the likelihood for a durable peace. This paper argues that during conflict civil society organizations make a number of strategic choices that then affect their ability to get their societal interests placed on the agenda. These strategies are partially dictated by when and why the civil society group organized, the levels and types of advocacy that they choose to engage in during …

The False Promise Of Principled Negotiations, Victor Martinez Reyes

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

For over two decades, the method of principled negotiation has been the dominant formative approach to negotiation. Its flagship book, Getting to Yes (Fisher & Ury, 1981; Fisher, Ury, & Patton, 1991) remains the standard presentation of the method. Getting to Yes promotes the method of principled negotiation as an all-purpose strategy of negotiation. The authors of Getting to Yes developed the method of principled negotiation as an alternative to positional bargaining. In this article, the author contends that the method of principled negotiation is not the all-purpose strategy of negotiation promised in Getting to Yes. Furthermore, the author contends …

Introduction To The Special Edition, Akanmu G. Adebayo

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Cover, editorial board, submission guidelines, subscription information, and table of contents for Vol. 9, No. 2.

Introducing Students To The Cinematic Art Of Akira Kurosawa And Hayao Miyazaki, Thomas Pynn

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Following Donald Richie’s observation that the “Japanese film is richest in mood or atmosphere, in presenting characters in their own surroundings,” I introduce undergraduate students to the cinematic art of Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki emphasizing each director’s use of mise-en-scène or the way in which the elements of the scene are arranged. For the purposes of the two courses (ASIA 4490/FILM 3220 and HONORS 4490: The Films of Kurosawa and Miyazaki), mise-en-scene was used strictly in reference “to the elements within a scene” or sequence of scenes “which places greater emphasis on pictorial values within a shot” or sequence …

She Who Laughs Loudest: A Meditation On Zen Humor, Andrew Whitehead

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Articulating a Zen Buddhist perspective on humor, this paper examines the Japanese Zen Buddhist response of humor in the face of the suffering of situated existence and the motivations for this response. The examination will take the school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism as its exemplar. I argue that in order to appreciate the function of humor in Zen a number of cultural and historical influences must be considered: correlative ontology; the Buddhist notion of emptiness; the impotence of language; sense and nonsense; and the senselessness of transgression.

The Bubble Economy And The Lost Decade: Learning From The Japanese Economic Experience, William M. Tsutsui, Stefano Mazzotta

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

This paper presents a concise overview of Japan’s economic development since World War II, with a particular emphasis on the speculative boom of the 1980s known as the “bubble economy” and the subsequent period of economic stagnation known as the “Lost Decade.” The essay is largely descriptive. It provides an historical contextualization and interdisciplinary synthesis accessible to readers from a wide range of backgrounds, including those with limited formal expertise in economics.

Wasuren! ---We Won't Forget! The Work Of Remembering And Commemorating Japan's And Tohoku's (3.11) Triple Disasters In Local Cities And Communities, Millie Creighton

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Based on estensive Fieldwork, this paper explores the needs of people and communities in hard hit areas of Japan's 3.11 triple disasters including Sendai, Fukushima, Ishinomaki, Kesennuma, Kamaishi, and Yoriage to commemorate the event and their dead, while redirecting efforts to the future. It discusses the activities of Sendai's Wasuren! (We Won't Forget!) Center to document the disaster and Project Fukushima! organized by Fukushima residents to consider the city's future after the nuclear disaster as well as examining memorials (as memoryscapes and mourning work) created by other communities in the region where the disaster occurred. It compares local narratives of …

Introduction To The Special Issue, Daniel J. Paracka, Masako Racel

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Introduction to the issue.

The Ninja: An Invented Tradition?, Stephen Turnbull

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

The ninja is a well known phenomenon in Japanese military culture. The popularity of the tradition is centered on the neighboring areas of Iga and Kōka where ninja are a profitable tourist attraction. This paper examines the historical sources on which the ninja tradition is based to see if the pre-eminence claimed by Iga and Kōka is justified. It is shown that they were no different from several other places in their geography or their politics and that only one reliable account of secret warfare can be identified before 1581, the year when Iga Province ceased to exist as an …

Japan's Food Security Issues: A Geopolitical Challenge For Africa And East Asia?, Thomas Feldhoff

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

Japan’s food self-sufficiency ratio is remarkably low compared to other industrialized nations. Growing world population, food, water, and energy shortages in combination with climate change and the rising competition for the world’s limited resources are the transnational dimensions of food and nutrition security related risks that are already affecting Japan. This paper analyzes the development and institutional context of Japanese policies related to its food security, particularly in relation to its commitments to support developing countries and to promote food security in Africa. One dimension of particular interest is the Japanese engagement in large-scale land investments in Africa. ProSAVANA, Japan’s …

About The Contributors

Journal of Global Initiatives: Policy, Pedagogy, Perspective

No abstract provided.

Defeating Isis: The Need For A Cooperative Effort, Sabrina Chikhi

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of a collective approach in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria also known as ISIS. The approach of the international community had been doomed to failure because it excluded key players in the region. In order to annihilate this terrorist group and the threat it poses to international security, this article proposes a revision of the approach to the resolution of this problem through the inclusion of all the parties susceptible to secure an efficient contribution to that endeavor before the situation becomes irremediable. In order …

Evaluating The “Success” Of Disarmament, Demobilization, And Reintegration Programs: The Case Of Congo-Brazzaville, Zachary Karazsia

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

The end of hostilities between warring factions in Congo-Brazzaville has marked a decisive moment in the state’s developmental history. Post conflict reconstruction is a foundational component of public policies that restore order within society, igniting the engines of economic development, and in obtaining sustainable peace. In recent years, Africa has experienced a disproportionate share of conflicts compared with other regions; and leads the world in the number of present intrastate conflicts. Since the end of the Cold War, some African states have made advances in post conflict peacebuilding and intergroup reconciliation. This article focuses on post conflict reconstruction through the …