Digital Commons Network^™

Review Essay: The New Misogyny And The Rise Of Violent Extremism, Shannon Smith

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Uganda’S Two Tyrants, Helen Epstein

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Essay: The Persistence Of Community In Our Transactional Age, Bill Droel

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

International Mediation In The Sudan Conflict: A Critical Appraisal And Alternative Tracks, The Initiative Research And Analysis Committee The Sudanese Initiative To Stop The War And Build Peace

The Journal of Social Encounters

Extensive international intervention is one of the most prominent features of the ongoing war in Sudan since early 2023. As a result of the conflict that erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, Sudan is witnessing what is widely recognized as one of the most severe humanitarian crises in modern history; It has been characterized by massive displacement, large-scale refugee flows, and famine, along with widespread human rights violations and crimes against humanity—both direct and indirect consequences of military operations that have raged across thirteen of Sudan’s states, where the Rapid Support Forces are actively …

Unraveling The Roots Of Violent Extremism In Sudan: Challenges And Pathways To Peace, Fawzi Ahmed Abdullah Slom

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Rights Of Religious Minorities In Sudan: A Case Study Of Armenians, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay examines the constitutions of the Republic of Sudan and minority rights, with a focus on Armenians in that country.  It provides (1) the demographics of Sudan; (2) an overview of the Armenians of Sudan; (3) a history of Sudan’s constitutions; (4) an analysis of their provisions and related laws on minority rights, citizenship, naturalization, and inheritance; (5) an overview of Sudan’s civil war, which began on April 15, 2023, and (6) a concluding section which analyzes risks to Armenians and other religious and ethnic minorities in Sudan.

Leo’S Choices, Katherine G. Schmidt

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Magnifica Humanitas And The Obsolescence Of Just War, Noreen Herzfeld

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Magnifica Humanitas: Not Just About Artificial Intelligence, John Ashworth

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Riyadh Charter On Artificial Intelligence For The Islamic World, - Islamic World Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (Icesco), - Saudi Data And Artificial Intelligence Authority (Sdaia)

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Riyadh Charter on Artificial Intelligence for the Islamic World was launched by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in September 2024, in collaboration with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, during the third Global AI Summit (GAIN Summit) in Riyadh.

The Charter has been widely recognized and endorsed by Islamic scholars and policymakers. During the 26th Session of the Council of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy, it was highlighted as a moral and strategic compass for AI technologies, addressing the limitations of existing international …

A Catalyst For Change: The Extraordinary Anaka Women’S Collective During The June 2026 Belfast Pogrom, Dianne Kirby

The Journal of Social Encounters

Prompted by the pogrom that erupted in Belfast in June this year, this article explores how a women’s collective, Anaka, established by female asylum seekers, refugees and migrants (ASRMs) less than a decade previously, took the lead in ensuring the safety and welfare of the city’s migrant communities in a context where they were horrifically failed by police and politicians, by the state and the institutions meant to protect them. Anaka began as a small-scale endeavour to mitigate the difficulties confronting women struggling to navigate a harsh asylum system. It became a widely respected advocacy and campaigning group for ASRMs. …

Operation Metro Surge In Central Minnesota: A Personal Perspective, Pedro A. G. Dos Santos

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay provides a personal account, grounded in social science intellectual traditions and methods, of Operation Metro Surge and its aftermath in Central Minnesota. Emphasizing the differences between what happened in Central Minnesota (and other rural areas in the state) and what happened in the Twin Cities Metro area, this essay focuses on two events to contextualize the ways in which Operation Metro Surge disrupted the lives of immigrants and of the Minnesotans trying to protect their neighbors.

The Vatican’S Moral Voice In The Critical Mineral Era: Does The Vatican Need A Policy Platform For Its Meetings With Mining Ceos?, Raymond Offenheiser, Keith Slack

The Journal of Social Encounters

On January 19, three American Catholic bishops issued a striking warning about the future of American foreign policy, lamenting that it was undermining “the moral foundation for America’s actions in the world.” The bishops responded to a retreat toward transactional, power-centric diplomacy – one where human rights, international solidarity, and the common good are increasingly secondary to narrow national interests. This shift is most evident in the global race for “critical minerals,” – and perhaps nowhere is the need and opportunity for Church moral leadership clearer.

Rethinking Women, Peace And Security In Southern Africa: Patriarchy, Policies, And Perspectives, Kgomotso Komane

The Journal of Social Encounters

Southern Africa is a relatively peaceful region, however, it has witnessed a range of diverse, multiple and ongoing conflicts that have prompted various peace interventions from the Southern African Development Community (SADC), neighbouring countries and international actors. An astounding pattern is revealed when observing the involvements of all the actors in the peace interventions. What is revealed is that, till present day, women remain marginalised in peace processes despite existing structures and policies that reaffirm their rightful participation in these processes. Rethinking women’s role in peace and security is necessary because existing approaches to peace are shaped by patriarchal norms. …

Genocide By Algorithm In Gaza: Artificial Intelligence, Countervailing Responsibility, And The Corruption Of Public Discourse, Branislav Radeljić

The Journal of Social Encounters

The accelerating integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into military systems[i] raises major concerns across fields such as security studies, international public law, and critical technology studies. As warned in 2023, “[t]he world’s major military powers have begun a race to wire AI into warfare. […] No one is inviting AI to formulate a grand strategy, or join a meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But the same seductive logic that accelerated the nuclear arms race could over a period of years, propel AI up the chain of command.”[ii] In the military domain, algorithmic systems function as epistemic …

Protecting America’S Critical Infrastructure: A Shared Responsibility In An Era Of Escalating Cyber Threats, Alan Saquella

Publications

The recent cyberattacks targeting municipal water facilities across multiple U.S. states serve as another reminder that America’s critical infrastructure remains under constant attack. According to the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), attackers successfully compromised operational technology (OT) devices, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs), by exploiting Internet-connected systems, changing administrator credentials, and disrupting normal operations. Fortunately, local operators responded quickly by isolating affected systems, restoring backups, and preventing what could have become a significant public health crisis.

While these incidents focused on water treatment facilities, they represent a much larger national security issue. …

Exploring The Definition Of Democracy And Rule Of Law From Afghan Women’S Perspective, Lynda Boswell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although the United States funded programs from 2001 to 2021 to promote democracy, the rule of law, and opportunities for Afghan women, existing reports and evaluations focused primarily on expenditures, implementation, outputs, and accountability rather than Afghan women’s perspectives, particularly after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. This study addressed that gap by exploring how Afghan women experienced and understood democracy and the rule of law before and after the U.S. withdrawal and how U.S.-supported programs influenced their perceptions and experiences. Guided by theoretical frameworks of democracy and the rule of law as applied in Afghanistan and other …

System Leadership For Sdg-Aligned Research Security In Ireland, Seán Lacey

Publications

What is new?

Research security has rapidly emerged as a priority in research governance across Europe and internationally. However, discussions frequently frame research security primarily in terms of national security or geopolitical risk, with limited attention to how security measures intersect with sustainable development objectives. This paper addresses this gap by exploring the relationship between research security and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), using the emerging Irish research security framework as an illustrative context. It argues that research security and sustainable development are not inherently in conflict; however, aligning them requires coordinated system leadership to ensure that security measures protect …

Promoting The Bipartisan Dimension Of Political Leadership: A Study Of The Impact Of A Normative Intervention With Newly Elected Members Of Congress, Jaime M. Ruvalcaba

Dissertations

The U.S. political system is more polarized now than at any time in the past century, as evidenced by the rise of political incivility, legislative gridlock, and hyperpolarization. To date, most studies and efforts have focused on institutional strategies to explain, transform, and mitigate the challenges posed to the political environment. By contrast, little attention has been paid to the normative or values-based behaviors of leaders to either explain or influence political leadership in ways that positively impact the political environment. Fortunately, some organizational programs, like Harvard’s Bipartisan Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress, have taken a different tack, …

The Role Of Political And Media Narratives In Housing Affordability, Craig Anthony Bardo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was that persistent reliance on market-oriented affordability strategies continued despite evidence of declining housing affordability in Nashville. Understanding how policy narratives structured accepted solutions may help explain the persistence of existing policy approaches. Research has shown that housing affordability is a significant policy concern in many U.S. cities. Rising housing costs, displacement pressures, and persistent rent burdens have been indicated in studies as contributing factors. However, less attention has been paid to how political and media narratives shape the boundaries of recognized housing policy solutions within local discourse, specifically in Nashville, Tennessee. The purpose …

Spring Issue, Volume 36, Number 1

CompassPoint

No abstract provided.

From Militarization To Military Enforcement: The U.S. Armed Forces And Immigration Control In The Second Trump Administration, Kit Johnson

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Deportation After Death By Incarceration: A Right To Redemption, Jennifer Lee Koh, Tin Nguyen

Kentucky Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Zeus Network And The Commercialization Of Conflict: A Critical Analysis Of Exploitation, Representation, And Reality Television, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examines Zeus Network as a prominent example of the commercialization of conflict within contemporary digital media. Through reality based programming that frequently emphasizes confrontation, public humiliation, emotional volatility, and interpersonal disputes, the network has cultivated a profitable entertainment model built upon spectacle and controversy. Drawing upon conflict theory, critical race theory, and media sociology, this paper investigates whether Zeus functions as a platform for cultural representation and economic opportunity or as a system that monetizes dysfunction for audience consumption. Particular attention is given to the portrayal of Black women and Black communities, whose experiences often become central to …

Perceiving A Competitor: Culture And Cognitive Biases Of The Strong Enemy And The Pacing Threat, Allison Abbe

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The United States and China are prone to systematic cognitive and cultural biases that distort their mutual perceptions. Addressing these biases through cultural education and professional development is essential to overcoming blind spots in understanding the United States’ primary competitor. By applying dynamic constructivist theories from cross-cultural psychology to national security, this monograph builds on existing scholarship to reveal specific cognitive asymmetries between Western and East Asian observers. Differences such as holism, dialecticism, social inference, and perspective taking reflect the cultural lenses through which security actors perceive their competitors’ actions and intentions, but US observers often overlook the cultural factors …

How Can Electronic Timekeeping Systems Provide Cost And Time Savings Compared To Manual Time Entry And Paper-Based Timesheets?, Jill Childs

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Paper-based timekeeping methods have historically been the default way for both municipalities and businesses to document hours worked by employees. However, due to analog timekeeping’s lack of verification methods, human error and intentional dishonesty combine to make this method unreliable. These discrepancies are also costly, as human resources staff must be compensated for the time it takes to verify entries and correct mistakes, and if unchecked, the falsified time can potentially result in thousands of dollars of unearned wages lost. This article details various methods and motivations for falsification and argues for the implementation of electronic timekeeping systems, such as …

Succession, Sustainability, And Service: Workforce And Leadership Challenges In Rural Municipal Governments, Dewayne Armstrong

Certified Public Manager® Applied Research

Rural municipal governments across Texas and the United States face a convergence of workforce and leadership challenges that threaten long-term service delivery and organizational sustainability. An aging public-sector workforce, persistent recruitment and retention constraints, and fragile leadership continuity interact in ways that uniquely affect small and rural communities. Public works departments, which play a vital role in infrastructure maintenance and regulatory compliance, are particularly vulnerable as experienced employees approach retirement without adequate succession pipelines or mechanisms for institutional knowledge transfer. At the same time, small-town governments face ongoing difficulty attracting and retaining qualified personnel due to constrained fiscal capacity, geographic …

Medical Tourism Patient Guidance: A Content Analysis Of Risk Reduction Guidelines Available To Global Health Seekers., Alicia Mason, Angela Ashmore

Faculty Submissions

This study examines medical tourism (MT) patient guidance messages intended to reduce procedural risks—those directly related to biomedical treatments—and process risks, which involve logistical, administrative, and interpersonal challenges of seeking healthcare abroad. The analysis focuses on print and digital publications authored by individuals independent of the MT industry, including policy researchers, travel health experts, lifestyle reporters, and consumer-focused medical travel writers. Using a two-phase digital and database search strategy, 27 publications from 2009 to 2024 were identified and analyzed using exploratory content analysis methods. Findings reveal important differences in the scope and depth of guidance aimed at reducing risks for …

Fighting With Data: Design Implications For Ai-Enabled Mission-Command Systems, C. Anthony Pfaff

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

Fighting with Data examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping military decision making by changing both the speed of command and the structure of cognition within mission-command systems. Rather than treating AI as a tool that merely accelerates existing staff processes, this monograph recognizes AI redistributes cognitive labor across a network of people, data, tools, and operational processes. In this new environment, commanders and staffs spend less time assembling information and more time interpreting meaning, judging uncertainty, and deciding how to act.

This shift in the human role requires a new way of thinking about trust in military AI. Traditional …

Wildfire Risk & Preparedness For Urban Rail Operators Supporting Large Stadium Events, Karl Kim, Eric Yamashita, Daniele Spirandeli, David Rother

Mineta Transportation Institute

The project team, in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, developed a four-hour training course designed to build a foundational understanding of how wildfire hazards affect rail systems infrastructure operations and how this knowledge can help equip urban rail operators with tools and best practices for proactive risk management. Led by the University of Hawaiʻi and the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, in partnership with Haley & Aldrich, Inc., this technical report presents an overview of the four modules and scenario planning exercise that together make up the four-hour Wildfire Risk & Preparedness for Urban Rail Operators Supporting Large Stadium Events …