Digital Commons Network^™

The New York Police Officer: Democratic And Moral Accountability In Conflict, Sarah Ryan, Dan Williams

Publications and Research

The following case draws upon two views of accountability. One is democratic accountability the other is accountability to one's own moral conscience. As the story unfolds, other facts may get in the way but these central views should not be forgotten. The focus of this case is on the individual. However, the material also covers institutional decisions and policies that deserve considering. The institutional story is the background, not the foreground, of this case. Yet, when the institutional features are considered, they may give new insight to the individuals' decisions.

Why Has Violence Come To Dominate Images Of Png Elections? The 2002 Elections In The Highlands Region, Krisztina Matefy

Theses : Honours

This thesis examines the problem of election-related violence through a number of meta-theories, which have recently emerged in the social sciences to explain intrastate conflicts. By using the case study of the 2002 elections in the Highlands region of Papua New Guinea (PNG), this thesis examines the applicability and usefulness of primordialism, modernization theory and weak state theory in explaining election-related violence in PNG. Critically examining the theories, the thesis analyses a wide range of information about the historical, cultural, social and political factors that played a significant role in the surfacing of election-related violence in the PNG Highlands. By …

Terrorizing Bodies, Chris Gutierrez

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Beginning with one single body painted by Gustave Courbet in 1866 and one temple destroyed on September 11th, this paper moves to consider the far reaching impact that the War on Terror has on the entire social body. By paying attention to the unknowable status of both the events and the perpetrators of terrorism, it will be argued that the overwhelming ambiguity of terrorism and counter-terrorist activity has allowed the War on Terror to return to prior discourses of racism and homophobia to mark the corporeal otherness it hopes to confront. Here, images from Abu Ghraib prison, joke pictures forwarded …

Roger Scruton: The West And The Rest Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In The West and the Rest, Scruton examines the clash between two civilizations: Islam and the West. He contrasts the dynamic, highly institutionalized, but increasingly decadent secular legal tradition of the West, which promotes such ideas as citizenship, corporate personality, and territorial jurisdiction, with the backward-looking but unified vision of a universal community associated with the Koran. One thing that troubles the relationship of these two civilizations today is a crisis of confidence in the West, which has produced a nihilistic, self-condemning “culture of repudiation.” This countercultural solvent has been infiltrating the flood of cultural byproducts of the West that …

Colin Dueck: Reluctant Crusaders Study Guide, Steven Alan Samson

Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.

Noble Human Rights Defender Or International Band-Aid? On Contemporary Humanitarianism, Kurt Mills

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

The Humanitarians: The International Committee of the Red Cross by David P. Forsythe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Making Sense Of A Senseless War, J. Peter Pham

Human Rights & Human Welfare

A review of:

A Dirty War in West Africa: The RUF and the Destruction of Sierra Leone by Lansana Gberie. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2005.

and

Young Soldiers: Why They Choose to Fight by Rachel Brett and Irma Specht. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2005.

A Survey Of Terrorism And Human Rights In Uganda, Arika Long

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Tragically, Uganda is a primary example of a country dominated by terror and human rights violations. In a 2006 interview with Integrated Regional Information Networks IRIN, the news department of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland, called the conflict in Uganda “the worst form of terrorism in the world.” Defining terrorism as indiscriminate violence against civilians, he declares that nowhere in the world is there a more concentrated area where so many people are being terrorized, and have been for such a long period of time. According to …

Chechnya: Human Rights Issues, Latife Bulur

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Chechnya is a country plagued by terrorism and human rights abuses. A primary source of these issues is the unsettled situation between local insurgents and the Russian military. This conflict, increasing in magnitude over time, makes it incredibly difficult to negotiate the terms of Chechnya’s independence perpetuating the crisis. Rising violence fuels Russia’s frustration in addressing the conflict with Chechen groups. Russia has and continues to employ various tactics to minimize the violence, but such tactics have all so far been unsuccessful.

Violations Of Human Rights In The Russian Military, Cathy Smith

Human Rights & Human Welfare

In 2005, an estimated 450 deaths were caused by injuries due to internal military violence. The degradation inflicted on Russian soldiers within their regime necessitates reformation by the government and implementation of resolutions. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian military has been experiencing heightened levels of personnel decline despite the compulsory draft. The prestige that the Soviet Army of the 1950s received through the late 1980s is dwindling rapidly. Despite the military code of conduct, today’s army is afflicted with perpetual violations of human rights. For the future of the Russian military, extensive action must include systemic …

Sudan: A Survey Of Terrorism And Human Rights, Arika Long

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Sudan is a primary example of a country dominated by terror and human rights violations. Upon the release of Amnesty International’s 2007 annual report, Secretary General Khan described the continuing conflict in Sudan's Darfur region as a “bleeding wound on the world’s conscience.” In the report, the authors declare that the world has been “impotent” in the face of major crises like Darfur. They state that policies linked to the “War on Terror” are creating a more polarized and dangerous world, with grave effects in Sudan. In addition to the terror and human rights violations permeating the North, frustration also …

Violations Of Human Rights During Military Operations In Chechnya, Federico Sperotto

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The case-law of the European Court of Human Rights concerning violations of human rights law during armed conflict has been extended after the first decisions on cases arose from violations, committed during the war in Chechnya between 1999 and 2000. In the words of the Court, at that time the situation called for exceptional measures, in order to regain control over the Republic and suppress an illegal armed insurgency. The Court has been ready to admit those measures, including the deployment of army units equipped with heavy combat weapons, military aviation and artillery, were necessary to counter the aggressiveness of …

Fatigue's Influence On Workload, Situation Awareness, And Performance In A Military Simulation Of Combat, Carlotta M. Boone

Psychology Theses & Dissertations

Military operations routinely require military personnel to consistently perform their duties over several hours or days. Tasks that require prolonged work can lead to mental fatigue and decreased performance. The transactional model proposes that individuals cope with changes in the environment and maintain performance. This ability to cope is determined by factors of the environment and the individual's personality. One environmental factor that can influence coping is extended task performance. This study examined the effect of extended task performance and its interaction with task difficulty. Participants interacted with the military simulation game Command and Conquer: Generals™ for three hours. They …

The Marking Of Stuart Chase As A "Red Accountant" - An Epic (1917-1921), Richard Vangermeersch

Special Collections (Miscellaneous)

There has been recent scholarship by Bradley and Merino (1994) and Vangermeersch (2005) on this event and the subsequent eventual firing of Stuart Chase by the FTC. Bradley and Merino’s scholarship was limited to 1918 and 1919. Vangermeersch’s scholarship was limited to two narrow time periods (Oct. 20, 1919 and then from June 1920 to mid January 1921). This piece is written to extend the time frame from early 1917 through August of 1921. This piece, not only takes a broader time period, also broadens the scope of the prior scholarship. This piece examines many documents, articles, and testimony not …

Accelerating The Development Of Adaptive Thinking In United States Army Captains, Scott B. Shadrick

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The contemporary operational environment, the war on terrorism, and the Army transformation effort are requiring officers in the U.S. Army to exhibit high levels of adaptive performance. The Army recognized the need to develop adaptive leaders and developed the Think Like a Commander (Shadrick & Lussier, 2001) training program. Prior to this research no attempt has been made to establish the construct validity of the training program or to measure the levels of adaptive performance exhibited throughout an officer's career. The current research investigated the construct validity of the training program by examining the differences in adaptive thinking behaviors between …

Pre-Tipping Point Operations As A Strategy For Maritime Security In The Global War On Terror, John W. Snedeker Jr.

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

This thesis proposes US maritime forces adopt a new strategy of pre-tipping point operations that involve proactive measures to enhance maritime security. At its core is the premise that since the attacks of September 11, 2001, the propensity of efforts in GWOT have focused on defeating terrorist organizations and denying sanctuaries on land, leaving the maritime operating environment open to the next wave of terror attacks.1 With the preponderance of commercial goods shipped through the maritime commons, this critical nexus remains valuable and vulnerable. Fragile states and ungoverned regions have become safe havens for a host of criminal elements including …

Historical Background: Evolution Of The International Criminal Law, Individual Criminal Accountability And The Idea Of A Permanent International Court, Cenap Cakmak

Human Rights & Human Welfare

© Cenap Cakmak. All rights reserved.

This paper may be freely circulated in electronic or hard copy provided it is not modified in any way, the rights of the author not infringed, and the paper is not quoted or cited without express permission of the author. The editors cannot guarantee a stable URL for any paper posted here, nor will they be responsible for notifying others if the URL is changed or the paper is taken off the site. Electronic copies of this paper may not be posted on any other website without express permission of the author.

The Rise Of Erw As A Threat To Civilians, Mohamed Taghioullah Ould Nema

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In this article, the author looks at the rise of landmines and ERW as military tactics from the First World War to current conflicts. The safety risk their presence poses and various measures to protect civilians are also discussed.

Chechnya, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For the past 10 years, a violent conflict between the Russian military and Chechen rebels has resulted in accusations of kidnapping, rape, looting and other atrocities from both sides. Instances of violence constantly plague the Chechen population, including accidents involving unexploded ordnance and landmines.

The Mine Action Express… Or The Wreck Of The ‘09, Dennis Barlow

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The author discusses current challenges relating to an effective global mine action strategy; he considers approaches and policies that could enhance or impede demining efforts worldwide. There are many emerging concepts to consider in order to improve mine action, such as mainstreaming, risk management and national ownership. The author discusses potential future plans of action the community must undertake regarding these issues in order to deal effectively with landmines and explosive remnants of war.

Explosive Remnants Of War And Their Consequences, Jonmahmad Rajabov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article examines the post-conflict situation of Tajikistan, which has not only anti-personnel mines but various kinds of explosive remnants of war. Recently Tajikistan signed Protocol V of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, which includes a commitment to clear the nation’s ERW. The author highlights some of the different sources of ERW in Tajikistan as well as the progress being made by authorities to clear and destroy ERW.

2006 November, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for November 2006.

Analysis Of Layered Social Networks, Jonathan T. Hamill

Theses and Dissertations

Prevention of near-term terrorist attacks requires an understanding of current terrorist organizations to include their composition, the actors involved, and how they operate to achieve their objectives. To aid this understanding, operations research, sociological, and behavioral theory relevant to the study of social networks are applied, thereby providing theoretical foundations for new methodologies to analyze non-cooperative organizations, defined as those trying to hide their structure or are unwilling to provide information regarding their operations. Techniques applying information regarding multiple dimensions of interpersonal relationships, inferring from them the strengths of interpersonal ties, are explored. A layered network construct is offered that …

Democratic Control Of Armed Forces: An Analysis Of The Role Of The Parliamentary Assembly In The Defense Reform In Bosnia And Herzegovina, Elisabeth Hubbard

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The research beings with a discussion of the legal framework for defense reform in 2003 and in 2005 followed by an analysis of the role of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina in implementing the legislation for reform.

The analysis focuses on efforts to build the capacity of the Parliamentary Assembly and asks the question: have the efforts to build the capacity of parliamentary oversight of the defense reform implementation been successful in increasing democratic control of the Armed Forces of BiH?

I conclude that yes, the capacity-building efforts have been successful in increasing democratic control. However, the Parliamentary …

Feminist Justice In Practice: Witness Experiences Of Survivors Of Wartime Sexual Violence In The Sud Bih, Brett A. Smith-Hams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Wartime sexual violence is currently being prosecuted in numerous legal institutions across the world. In order for survivors of this sexual violence to have the best possible experiences, many improvements in the care, protection, and support of those who come forward to testify in these institutions need to be made. This study looks at the practices of one particular legal institution, the National Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is currently in the midst of trying several war crimes cases, many of which involve incidents of mass, systematic sexual violence as part of a larger military campaign in the region …

Cross-Cultural Encounters: Gringos And Ladinos In Zapatista Territory, Amy Chin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is principally an analysis of the international observers’ experiences in Olga Isabel and the implications of their continual presence in the community. I begin by explaining my methodology in carrying out this project. I then give a brief history of the Zapatistas, followed by a summary of the present situation in Olga Isabel and its historical and political context. The body of the paper examines the experiences of international observers and the effects of their presence within communities. I conclude by placing my findings in the context of the larger Zapatista movement for indigenous rights and autonomy.

The Cresset (Vol. Lxx, No. 1, Michaelmas), Valparaiso University

The Cresset (archived issues)

No abstract provided.

2006 September, Office Of Communications & Marketing, Morehead State University.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for September 2006.

Mine Action Support Group Update, Stacy Davis

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The following article highlights the recent activities of the Mine Action Support Group from the first quarterly U.N. newsletter of 2006, including updates on the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF.

Understanding The Ottawa Convention’S Obligations To Landmine Victims, Kerry Brinkert

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Ottawa Convention is unique for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that the Convention has linked obligations concerning the use of a weapon with a requirement that Convention signatories assist a victim wounded by that weapon. When the Convention was adopted in September 1997, this aspect, while lauded by diplomats and activists, was certain to be a challenge to implement. The real work began once the Convention entered into force and states had to act on this responsibility. This article discusses in particular the Convention’s victim assistance obligations.