Truth Subversion And The Challenges To International Order,
2025
Old Dominion University
Truth Subversion And The Challenges To International Order, David Acosta
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
This essay explores the increasing prevalence and impact of truth subversion on the liberal international order (LIO). It examines how modern disinformation campaigns seek to undermine shared epistemological foundations critical for international cooperation, and looks to answer the question: what impact does truth subversion have on international order? Furthermore, it investigates how truth subversion creates uncertainty, challenges alliances, and exacerbates security dilemmas. The essay identifies four core truth subversion tactics: disinformation, double speak, conspiracy theories, and flooding, and applies them to the 2014 Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 tragedy, where Russian actors employed these techniques to distort facts, challenge investigative findings, …
From Shatter Zone To Shatterbelt: The Role Of The Three Seas Initiative In Shaping Central And Eastern Europe,
2025
Old Dominion University
From Shatter Zone To Shatterbelt: The Role Of The Three Seas Initiative In Shaping Central And Eastern Europe, Ian Murphy
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
The Three Seas Initiative (TSI) is a relatively new political and economic platform aimed at enhancing connectivity and infrastructure development in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). This initiative seeks to address the region’s historical underdevelopment and lack of north-south connectivity. This paper examines the role of the TSI in the context of a changing geopolitical landscape, where Russia and China are increasingly seeking to exert influence. The central research question is: Does the TSI represent a fundamental shift in the CEE region, and how can it foster interdependence while mitigating the risk of conflict? I argue that the TSI signifies …
Peace Engagement And Non-Negotiable Commitment Through An In-Depth Lens (P.E.N.C.I.L) Theory: A Film Perspective On Un’S Conflict Resolution,
2025
Old Dominion University
Peace Engagement And Non-Negotiable Commitment Through An In-Depth Lens (P.E.N.C.I.L) Theory: A Film Perspective On Un’S Conflict Resolution, Edward Moses Sam Selvaraj
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
This paper introduces the P.E.N.C.I.L. Theory—Peace Engagement and Non-negotiable Commitment through an In-depth Lens—as a metaphorical and analytical framework for understanding the United Nations Security Council’s role in conflict resolution. Using the symbolic structure of a pencil, the theory critiques the Council’s decision-making power ("the lead") and its human consequences ("the eraser"), highlighting how failures in peacekeeping and diplomacy disproportionately affect civilian populations. Drawing on constructivist theory, the paper argues that norms and social narratives, especially those shaped by cinema, are critical in holding international institutions accountable. Through close analysis of films such as Hotel Rwanda, Sometimes in April, and …
The Frozen Sleeping Giant: How The U.S. Can Awaken To Arctic Challenges And Advance Its Northern Interests,
2025
Old Dominion University
The Frozen Sleeping Giant: How The U.S. Can Awaken To Arctic Challenges And Advance Its Northern Interests, Daniel White
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
For much of human history, the Arctic Ocean was persistently inaccessible to mass trade and transportation. With warming global temperatures, the ice of the Arctic Ocean is slowly giving way to navigable ocean, and creating new opportunities for states wanting to take advantage of the upcoming maritime access. With U.S. adversaries like Russia and China pursuing their Arctic interests, one would assume that the U.S. is hard at work at reinforcing its Arctic territory. Despite the United States being the global hegemon, scholars have remained puzzled as to why the U.S. has continued an apparent apathy towards the Arctic. This …
Soft Law, Activism, And Climate Displacement: Rethinking International Protections For The Environmentally Displaced,
2025
Old Dominion University
Soft Law, Activism, And Climate Displacement: Rethinking International Protections For The Environmentally Displaced, Guljannat Huseynli, Andrea G. Brown
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
Climate change is displacing millions of people globally, yet those forced to migrate due to environmental factors remain unprotected under existing international refugee law. This paper argues that legal recognition for climate refugees can emerge not through immediate treaty reform but through the evolution of soft law and norm creation. Drawing on constructivist theory, it examines how activism, international organizations, and legal precedents contribute to shifting global norms. Through case studies such as Ioane Teitiota v. New Zealand and the Fridays for Future movement, the paper shows how strategic litigation and advocacy can build momentum for future legal protections. It …
U.S. - Azerbaijan Cooperation In The Field Of Security,
2025
Maria Curie Skłodowska University, Poland
U.S. - Azerbaijan Cooperation In The Field Of Security, Malahat Eynalizade
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
This research work will explore the security partnership between the United States and Azerbaijan. A key issue in the Western relationship with Azerbaijan is security. The defense and security cooperation between the United States and Azerbaijan is a fundamental aspect of their bilateral relations. It serves as a driving force behind their political ties and provides a solid foundation for enhancing the capabilities of Azerbaijan’s institutions through various aid programs. In the late 1990s, the U.S. government concluded that it had significant, albeit ancillary, interests in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Security in the South Caucasus is important to the …
Embedding And Enabling Multi-Domain Combat Capabilities With Partners And Allies: A Joint Concept Proposal,
2025
Old Dominion University and U.S. Army
Embedding And Enabling Multi-Domain Combat Capabilities With Partners And Allies: A Joint Concept Proposal, Nathan Colvin, Aljoša Kaučevič, Randall Mercer
Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)
Future military operations will rely upon a coalition partnership’s ability to conduct regional and global operations across all domains. Currently the US has the most robust multi-domain skill sets of any existing military force, but the US cannot be solely responsible for operations around the globe. To do so would be geopolitically and economically infeasible. An answer may be to build cohesive coalition force units capable of combining localized capabilities and specialized US global competencies. The ability to respond to any type of threat through the synergy of coalition strengths will act to deter regional threats throughout the cooperation, competition, …
Sport, Soft Disempowerment And The 1966 Fifa World Cup,
2025
Technological University Dublin
Sport, Soft Disempowerment And The 1966 Fifa World Cup, Richard Woodward
Articles
Sport is increasingly acknowledged as a vital component of the United Kingdom’s arsenal of soft power assets. However, the UK’s attempts to wring soft power from sport have met with mixed success. Many of the UK’s experiences align with an embryonic literature suggesting that sport, as well as enabling the production of soft power, is simultaneously capable of eroding it, a phenomenon dubbed ‘soft disempowerment’. Drawing upon original archival documents, this article examines how the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) commandeered the 1966 World Cup and England’s victory in the competition in a doomed attempt to communicate positive messages …
Sex, Campaign Contributions, And State Courts Of Last Resort,
2025
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Sex, Campaign Contributions, And State Courts Of Last Resort, Andrew H. Smith, Conny Sidi Kazungu
Political Science Faculty Publications
Women have struggled to be elected at the federal, state, or local levels—with the notable exception of State Courts of Last Resort (SCLR), where women have experienced (comparative) electoral success. While scholars have sought to explain this relative success, one factor often overlooked is the role of campaign contributions and whether women are outraising their male counterparts. Using an original database of campaign contributions from 1989 to 2020, we seek to shed more light on female candidate fundraising in SCLR elections, both in terms of amounts raised and who is contributing to these campaigns. After controlling for other factors, we …
By All Means Available: Memoirs Of A Life In Intelligence, Special Operations, And Strategy,
2025
US Army War College
By All Means Available: Memoirs Of A Life In Intelligence, Special Operations, And Strategy, Todd Greentree
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
Todd Greentree examines By All Means Available: Memoirs of a Life in Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy by Michael G. Vickers, who Greentree views as an exemplar of strategic leadership for current and future leaders.
Parameters Spring 2025,
2025
US Army War College
Parameters Spring 2025, Usawc Press
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
Welcome to the Spring 2025 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Russia, Ukraine, and NATO; Strategic Competition and Managing National Security; and Joint Sustainment Strategies), the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment, and a review essay.
Ukraine’S Not-So-Whole-Of-Society At War: Force Generation In Modern Developed Societies,
2025
US Army War College
Ukraine’S Not-So-Whole-Of-Society At War: Force Generation In Modern Developed Societies, Ilmari Käihkö, Jan Willem Honig
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
This article argues that Ukraine offers a cautionary tale regarding the two main modern models of force generation. Neither the professional high-tech war model, favored by Western militaries, nor the whole-of-society war approach, said to have saved Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, proved successful formulas for Ukraine. Considering that Ukraine is fighting for survival, with Russian forces inside the country, the failure of both models in action has serious implications for NATO member states as they deliberate their choices regarding future force generation.
Measuring Interoperability Within Nato: Adapted Off-The-Shelf Or Bespoke Solution?,
2025
US Army War College
Measuring Interoperability Within Nato: Adapted Off-The-Shelf Or Bespoke Solution?, John R. Deni, Matthew R. Macleod, Sarah E. Stewart, Katherine M. Banko, Adrian Jones
The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters
Despite decades of work on interoperability, NATO Allies cannot measure, assess, and build upon it fully and accurately. The lack of agreed formats or standards for collection, management, and the communication of findings have prevented the Allies from developing common interoperability measurement and assessment tools. Nonetheless, NATO could adopt extant standards, methodologies, processes, or tools to achieve its interoperability objectives. Testing this notion through use cases, the authors identify practical and conceptual hurdles to adopting an off-the-shelf solution. They conclude that the Alliance may need to create assessment standards, methodologies, processes, and tools from scratch, despite the difficulties of doing …
Covid-19 Conspiracies: A Bodyguard Of Lies,
2025
University of California, Santa Cuz
Covid-19 Conspiracies: A Bodyguard Of Lies, Chris Hables Gray
Secrecy and Society
No abstract provided.
Mal-Information, The Anatomy Of An “Information Disorder”,
2025
San Jose State University
Mal-Information, The Anatomy Of An “Information Disorder”, Susan Maret
Secrecy and Society
Mal-information is a fairly recent addition to federal policy and the lexicon of political communication with implications for understanding censorship and secrecy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper reviews documents authored by IGOs, NGOs, and the US government that mark the evolution of mal-information as true information intended to cause harm. The term, as it is currently employed, is now associated with misinformation and disinformation to create a complex of “information disorders” known as the acronym MDM. In this paper, the creep of the term mal-information and its use by federal agencies such as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency …
A Narrative Review Of The Covid-19 Infodemic And Censorship In Healthcare,
2025
University of Colorado School of Medicine
A Narrative Review Of The Covid-19 Infodemic And Censorship In Healthcare, Mitchell Liester, Sohaib Ashraf, Patricia Callisperis, Hector Carvallo, Shankara Chetty, Robert Enzenauer, Carlos Franco-Paredes, Raul Pineda, Panagis Polykretis, Rachel Wilkenson, Peter Mccullough
Secrecy and Society
Ideological and financial motivations have undermined science for decades. In this narrative review, we explore how organizations and governments used misinformation, disinformation, censorship, and secrecy to manage the COVID-19 pandemic. Various rationales for employing censorship and secrecy during the COVID-19 pandemic are examined including how organizations and governments create confusion about the risks associated with their products and blame avoidance to shift responsibility and to avoid accountability for their actions. Methods of censorship employed during the COVID-19 pandemic are reviewed, examples are provided, and the consequences of these actions are reviewed. Information included in this review was obtained from scientific …
Covid Cover-Up: Secrecy, Censorship And Suppression During The Pandemic,
2025
University of Wollongong
Covid Cover-Up: Secrecy, Censorship And Suppression During The Pandemic, Brian Martin
Secrecy and Society
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, most health authorities, governments, and mass media organizations presented a single official view concerning lockdowns, masking, distancing, and vaccines. The methods used against contrary views can be classified into four types: flooding, ignoring, censoring, and attacking. The method of information flooding involves presenting dominant views in a unified front, overwhelming contrary views by volume and consistency. The method of ignoring includes the absence of research on alternative approaches, failure to report on research contrary to orthodoxy, and not mentioning challenging views. Censoring involves active measures to prevent the circulation of contrary information and …
Introduction, Special Issue On Pandemic Secrecy: The Covid Origin Story And Pandemic Risk Society,
2025
San Jose State University
Introduction, Special Issue On Pandemic Secrecy: The Covid Origin Story And Pandemic Risk Society, Susan Maret
Secrecy and Society
No abstract provided.
Political Psychology As Applied To The Israeli Palestinian Conflict,
2025
Montclair State University
Political Psychology As Applied To The Israeli Palestinian Conflict, Michael J. Reimer Dr
Department of Political Science and Law Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works
The of the field of study of Political Psychology can be a useful tool in analyzing both the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the attempt to resolve it in the twenty-first century.
Welfare In Area Of Rehabilitation In Nigerian Correctional Centers: A Study Of Ikoyi Custodial Center,
2025
University of Lagos, Lagos Nigeria
Welfare In Area Of Rehabilitation In Nigerian Correctional Centers: A Study Of Ikoyi Custodial Center, Ejiroghene Lisa Numa
African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies
The Nigeria Correctional Service is an agency of the criminal justice system (CJS), saddled with the responsibility of safe custody and rehabilitation of persons remanded. This paper examined the welfare and rehabilitation of inmates in Nigeria correctional centers, focusing on the Ikoyi Custodial Center, Lagos state. For rehabilitation to occur, certain conditions must be necessary, including the welfare of inmates in recreational activities and vocational training/skill acquisition. Data was collected using structured questionnaires administered to one hundred and fifty (150) inmates and in-depth interviews. Results from the study showed a significant positive relationship between recreational activities and rehabilitation. It also …
