Peace and Conflict Studies Commons^™

The Position Of The United States Of America Vis-A-Vis The Question Of Western Sahara: Assessing The Role Of Think Tanks In The Conflict, Hamid Baadeche

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

ABSTRACT

The Position of the United States of America Vis-à-vis the Question of Western Sahara: Assessing the Role of Think Tanks in the Conflict

Hamid Baadeche

Think tank organizations, particularly in the United States, have become a prominent feature of the political landscape. They act as advocates for specific policies that they consider beneficial for the country or a particular societal group. They function as a primary source of information, which they then aim to transform into well-informed policies and sound decisions. They are referred to as "the revolving doors," "idea brokers," and "idea factory." As such, their foremost objective …

Nuclear Disarmament And The Erosion Of Deterrence Effectiveness Case Study: Ukraine, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The invasion of Ukraine demonstrates an interesting security paradox between nuclear disarmament norms, territorial integrity and deterrence in a self-help unpredictable international environment. Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons under the Budapest Memorandum in order to receive security guarantees resulting in brutal betrayal by nuclear armed Russia. The research investigates how Russia maintains an effective nuclear deterrence capability against other nuclear powers in the region through threats despite challenges on the battlefield. Through the combination of military resistance, strategic partnerships and robust combat methods, Ukraine has established an unmatched ability to deter a nuclear-armed enemy - Russia. This research ponders …

Nuclear Deterrence Strategies And The Balance Of Power In Europe, Chick Edmond

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The beginning of the Cold War era indubitably defines nuclear deterrence strategies in Europe by reinforcing and re-strategizing security dynamics amongst European States. The balance of power in Europe has been geopolitically influenced by NATO and Russia in a quest to avoid any kind of security dilemmas from either side. In order to maintain a strategic deterrence balance posture, this complex security navigation scenario therefore act as stabilizing factor in the region as well as preventing any future conflict on the Europe continent resulting from security imbalances. NATO eastward enlargement has maintained a significant strategic balance of power in the …

Effects Of Actualized Language Policy On Ukrainian Stability, 1989-2022, Dawn Hersey

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

This dissertation seeks to generate a new perspective of the complicated relationship between actualized policy and stability through looking at Ukraine’s language policies and stability in a mixed manner approach that includes both primary and secondary sources. Russia justified its irridentist activities through claiming to protect Russian nationals within Ukraine’s borders: language policies within Ukraine appear to be a trigger for Russian antagonism. Neither Russian irridentism nor Ukrainian nationalism are being considered as right or wrong in this dissertation: the intent is to highlight trends, patterns, and perceptions in alignment with Ukrainian language policy. This dissertation does not present a …

Symposium On Leadership Competencies For Peace Leadership: An Overview And Invitation, Whitney Mcintyre Miller

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"This Symposium proposes eight leadership competencies, presented by experts in each area, as examples of ways in which leadership can be aligned with peace in order to bring about sustainable, positive change. This Symposium does not argue for just another list of leadership skills and practices, but rather, illustrates that when leadership competencies are intentionally combined with peace practices, we can engage in the work of peace leadership: leading our communities, organizations, and societies toward peace and equitable justice. Therefore, this Symposium utilizes these competencies as a “jumping off point” to nudge the field of leadership studies to begin to …

Ecological Niches Applied To Socioeconomic Phenomena: The Case Of The Colombian Internal Conflict, Alexander Alegría, Laura Jiménez, Jhon Jairo Alvarado-Quintero

Peace and Conflict Studies

Recent studies of the Colombian conflict have shown that struggle for resource accumulation and territorial control, in a very competitive and violent environment in which the illegal armed groups are involved, is crucial to their survival and development. Here, we applied a highly successful methodology from ecology (Ecological Niche Modelling) to the problem of identifying the ideal socioeconomic conditions for the presence of a Colombian illegal armed group, named the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). We analyzed some determining factors of FARC´s presence and permanence within the Colombian territory that reflect aspects of the socioeconomic dynamics and productive capacity …

The National Defense Authorization Act V. The Bill Of Rights, David W. Bolton

Liberty University Journal of Statesmanship & Public Policy

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is an annual renewal of authorization for the Pentagon to spend money separately appropriated in an appropriations bill. Authorizations contained within this controversial document have grown from permission to spend funding on military munitions to allowing the use of indefinite detention and certain ‘advanced interrogation’ techniques by the members of the armed forces against those actively or perceived to be seeking to dismantle the integrity of the American governmental structure. In 2011, it was signed into law in the middle of the night on New Year's Eve by President Barack Obama. For the purposes …

Finding Identity Complexity Through Dialogue, Johanna Solomon

Peace and Conflict Studies

Intractable conflicts like the longstanding one between Israel and Palestine have the social psychological effect of exacerbating and enshrining negative inter-group dynamics (Bar-Tal, 2007; 2013). In these conflicts the welfare, status, power, and resources of the in and out-groups can seem directly at odds with each other (Brewer, 2001) leading to dehumanization, violence, and difficulty seeing the other side as potential partners in ending war. Groups affiliated with these conflicts around the world often also find themselves polarized, disconnected, and even threatened by groups on the ‘other side.’ College campuses, cities, and workplaces can become mired in hostilities that interfere …

Heads Above The Parapet: Personal Motivation And Professional Practice Among Northern Ireland's Community Of Grassroots Peace Practitioners, Ann C. Kelleher Dr., Anna Leon-Guerrero Dr., Maureen Hetherington Ceo Retired

Peace and Conflict Studies

Members of the Northern Ireland’s grassroots peace practitioner community have sustained their careers-long dedication to constructive local engagement across the deep historical divide throughout the decades of The Troubles, the post-agreement era, and up to the present. An exploration of their development as individual practitioners and as a community of practice will contribute to our understanding of grassroots level peace-building.

Based on 29 in-depth interviews with Northern Ireland community practitioners we examine why they, with widely differing personalities, capabilities, and backgrounds, came to care deeply about their society, and how their dedication to changing its historical trajectory produced constructive cross-community …

The Sexuality Of Technology: Memories Of Existing In Techno-Societies, Mardiya Vip Lab Fellow

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Sexuality of Technology is a research-based-fiction that puts together accounts of queer Ghanaians navigating threats and anxieties in a digital society. It examines technology-facilitated surveillance as violence and power that creates inequalities in motion illustrated through the lens of three friends navigating the intricate relations of power. The project grounds pain, rage and practices of survival of queer people, moving away from the ‘acceptance’ narrative to highlight that for many queer people in Ghana, violence and power is messy, unspectacular, and embedded in their every day existence within techno-societies.

When Is It Convenient For Indigenous Women To Influence State Policies?, Alaide Vences Estudillo, Norma Don Juan Pérez, Patricia Torres Sandoval, Fabiola Del Jurado Mendoza

Peace and Conflict Studies

This paper examines the difficulties that a network of Indigenous women in Mexico deal with when they seek peace for their people under a hybrid political structure. This paper discusses some distinctive aspects of the politics that these women engage in, how they conceive their political ideas, and how they use these ideas to structurally transform the colonial relationship that the liberal state maintains toward their people. They devise various strategies to influence state policies and to withstand the discrimination they face whenever they participate in democratic affairs.

Mobilizing For Peace: Civil Society’S Influence On The Peace Process Between The Colombian Government And The National Liberation Army (Eln) (2010-2021), Cécile Mouly, Esperanza Hernández Delgado

Peace and Conflict Studies

This article analyzes how different civil society actors in Colombia used civil resistance to influence the peace process between the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) between 2010 and 2021, thereby contributing to a recent research agenda on civil resistance and peace processes. Drawing on interviews and documentary analysis, we examine how social actors employed nonviolent resistance tactics to: (i) get the parties to the negotiating table, (ii) carve themselves a space to participate in the process and influence it, (iii) press the parties to take measures to alleviate civilians’ suffering, (iv) help the parties overcome hurdles at the …

Code Blue: How Police And Health Care Providers Disrupt Healing For Violently Injured Black Men, Cherrell Green

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

While Black males are disproportionately impacted by gun homicide, they are also grossly impacted by non-fatal shootings. The impact of gun violence extends far beyond the immediate physical harm inflicted by bullets; this harm can permeate and disrupt personal relationships, create lasting psychological distress, and undermine a sense of safety within communities. However, the needs of injured Black men are often overlooked in public discourse. Despite the prevalence of these traumatic experiences in the lives of low-income Black men, their response to trauma is often treated as pathology, with fewer resources devoted to addressing the adverse consequences associated with these …

California Threats And Harassment Initiative: A Literature Review Contextualizing The Environment Of Threats And Harassment Of Local Elected Officials In The United States Between 2013 And 2024, Ioli Filmeridis, Rachel Hodel, Thomas Oliver

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Given the attention dedicated to violence targeted against national figures and representatives, this literature review focuses on the less prominent, but nonetheless critical, issue of threats and harassment directed at locally elected officials. In particular, it considers school board officials, members of city councils, community college boards, elected sheriffs, city and district attorneys and mayors in Southern California as well as across the United States. It draws on traditional media coverage, academic and think tank discussions of the scope of threats and harassment faced by local officials, the drivers of threatening and harassing behavior, and their impact on local officials …

Beyond Borders: Confronting Transnational Violence Against Black Migrants, Nana Afua Yeboaa Brantuo

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Beyond Borders: Confronting Transnational Violence Against Black Migrants explores the systemic violence and exclusion faced by Black migrants throughout their migration journey, with a focus on the U.S. immigration system. Synthesizing literature, data, and expert interviews, the paper highlights the intersecting forms of violence—political, community, racial, and gender-based—that Black migrants experience before, during, and after migration. The paper emphasizes how structural racism, anti-Blackness, and inadequate legal protections contribute to the compounded vulnerabilities of Black migrants. It calls for comprehensive policy interventions, including trauma-informed care, policy and legal system transformations, and community-based support, to address these multifaceted challenges and promote a …

Exploring The Pathway Of Far-Right Radicalization In The Age Of Neoliberalism, Biko Koenig

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

This paper examines the complex relationship between young white men and the rise of far-right extremism in contemporary American politics, particularly in the context of the MAGA movement and its implications for political violence. The January 6th riot serves as a stark example of how mainstream political affiliations can rapidly devolve into radicalization, as evidenced by the profiles of participants who often lacked formal ties to extremist groups yet shared a commitment to conspiracy-laden narratives and grievances. By framing these shifts within the broader socio-economic landscape marked by neoliberal decay, I explore how feelings of inequality, alienation, and powerlessness serve …

Mobilizing Memory Diasporas, Transnational Sectarianism, And The Memory Of Violence, Mirna M. Wasef

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Memory has power. Memory and narratives of violence—beyond the acts themselves—shape identity and subjectivity. The significance of narrative lies not just in the story told, but in the political, social, and nationalist contexts surrounding it. When is memory invoked and why? How are acts of violence contextualized, narrativized, and mythicized? What galvanizes, or not, around the memory of the violence? Furthermore, how does violence expose the significant underpinnings of power inequalities and societal fissures that contribute to conditions conducive to its occurrence? The connection between memory and violence is crucial in understanding how memory is used to bolster, challenge, and …

La Discriminación Hacia La Mujer Wayuu Como Sistema De Violencia Colectiva En El Pueblo Wayuu En Venezuela Y Colombia, Dayanna Palmar Uriana

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Quería sacar a la luz la situación de las mujeres indígenas en Colombia y Venezuela, tomando en consideración la situación de las Mujeres Wayuu que habitan la frontera norte de ambos países. La identidad de una mujer indígena soporta una carga contenida en el género y la etnicidad que determina condiciones de vida y acceso a derechos dentro de una cosmovisión de vida colectiva de pertenencia hacia un pueblo indígena. Como mujer indígena Wayuu e investigadora en temas de derechos humanos mi objetivo fue identificar formas de discriminación mediante la escucha de mujeres Wayuu en territorio de ambos países, de …

Reintegrating Ex-Combatants Or Dividing Communities? Analysing Power Inequalities In Nigeria’S Amnesty Programme, Tarila Marclint Ebiede

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) programmes are integral components of post-conflict peacebuilding. The reintegration of ex-combatants is seen as the hallmark of successful DDR programming. While there is significant analysis of social and economic reintegration of ex-combatants, research seldom analyses how DDR impacts power relations in conflict-affected communities. This study addresses this gap by analysing the impact of Nigeria’s Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), a DDR programme designed and implemented by the Federal Government of Nigeria, on reproducing unequal power relations in conflict-affected communities in the Niger Delta. Based on primary data, the study finds that the implementation of PAP empowered …

The Disappearing Fishermen, Areli Palomo Contreras

Kroc IPJ Research and Resources

The Disappearing Fishermen is one of a series of ethnographic journalism stories about the violence embedded in the web of power structures shaping our global market system. In the Honduran wetlands of the Central American Gulf of Fonseca, these structures result in multiple forms of harm and damage to artisanal fishing communities. During the eighties and the nineties, the shrimp farming industry that settled in these wetlands was conceived to meet the Global North’s “need” for shrimp. Powerful international institutions including the World Bank and development agencies such as USAID provided loans to private companies, while the Honduran government enabled …