A Catalyst For Change: The Extraordinary Anaka Women’S Collective During The June 2026 Belfast Pogrom,
2026
Las Casas Institute for Social Justice, Oxford University
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,
2026
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University
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.
Debates Over Nonviolence And Violence In History: An Interview With Doug Mcgetchin, Ph.D.,
2026
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Debates Over Nonviolence And Violence In History: An Interview With Doug Mcgetchin, Ph.D.
The Journal of Social Encounters
No abstract provided.
Patterns Of Age At First Birth And Child Spacing Behaviour Among Women In Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria,
2026
University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria
Patterns Of Age At First Birth And Child Spacing Behaviour Among Women In Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria, Ismaila O. Orire
The Journal of Social Encounters
Age at first birth influences the length of a woman's reproductive years and affects fertility behavior including choices of child spacing which have profound influence on future population structure and dynamics. This study examines women’s demographic and social characteristics; identified their ages at first birth and relationship with status of marriage; their child spacing behavior; contraceptive usage; and duration of breastfeeding after child birth. Primary source of data was questionnaire administered to women of reproductive age representing three age cohorts whose ages range between 35-44, 25-34 and 15-24 years respectively. Systematic random sampling technique was adopted to ensure representativeness and …
The Vatican’S Moral Voice In The Critical Mineral Era: Does The Vatican Need A Policy Platform For Its Meetings With Mining Ceos?,
2026
University of Notre Dame
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,
2026
University of Pretoria and Centre for Mediation in Africa
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. …
Pax Christi International’S Representation Within International Governmental Organisations,
2026
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi International’S Representation Within International Governmental Organisations, Fr. Paul Lansu, Giulia Bordin
The Journal of Social Encounters
Pax Christi International (PCI) has used its consultative status at the United Nations since 1979 to connect grassroots peacebuilding with international policymaking. Initially focused on disarmament and human rights, PCI contributed to key international treaties and advocated against human rights violations worldwide. Over time, its advocacy expanded to include active nonviolence, ecological justice, sustainable development, and the accompaniment of local peacebuilders. By strengthening collaboration across its global network and enabling partners from conflict-affected regions to engage directly with international institutions, PCI continues to promote human dignity, international law, and a just and lasting peace through inclusive multilateral advocacy.
Genocide By Algorithm In Gaza: Artificial Intelligence, Countervailing Responsibility, And The Corruption Of Public Discourse,
2026
Aula Fellowship for AI
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 …
The Erosion Of International Norms And The Crisis Of Global Leadership In The Era Of Selective Warfare,
2026
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
The Erosion Of International Norms And The Crisis Of Global Leadership In The Era Of Selective Warfare, Farhia Abdi
The Journal of Social Encounters
No abstract provided.
Protection Without Power? The Successes And Failures Of Un Civilian Protection In South Sudan,
2026
Institute for Social Transformation, Tangaza University, Nairobi
Protection Without Power? The Successes And Failures Of Un Civilian Protection In South Sudan, Gatkuoth Lok Gatwich Diet
The Journal of Social Encounters
Since its establishment in 2011, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has been tasked with protecting civilians in the context of ongoing violent conflict and political instability. The mission has recorded some important achievements, especially through the creation of Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites that have provided shelter to hundreds of thousands of displaced people. However, these gains have been accompanied by major limitations. Repeated attacks on PoC sites, continued communal violence, and the inability to prevent large-scale atrocities highlight a persistent gap between mandate and real-world implementation. This essay examines UNMISS’s performance from 2013 to the present, …
Un-African Union Cooperation In Darfur: Multilevel Governance In Action And The Future Of International-Regional Peace Operations,
2026
The Institute for Social Transformation, Tangaza University, Nairobi
Un-African Union Cooperation In Darfur: Multilevel Governance In Action And The Future Of International-Regional Peace Operations, Philip Mutio
The Journal of Social Encounters
This paper will explore the changing dynamics between global and regional governance frameworks using the example of the UN partnership with regional and sub-regional organizations in the management of intricate peace and security issues. The analysis is anchored on the case of African Union–United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), an example of layered governance, to examine the effect of coordination problems, operational difficulties, and joint mission performance in the areas of peace talks, post-conflict reconstruction, and civilian protection. Along with persistent issues including scarce resources, political instability, and disjointed command structures, the report acknowledges significant advancements such as increased …
United Nations Reform: Opportunity For Small And Medium States,
2026
Worcester State University
United Nations Reform: Opportunity For Small And Medium States, Joseph Preston Baratta
The Journal of Social Encounters
The Pact for the Future of 2024, which had been in preparation for years out of general concern for the decline of the United Nations and specifically for the decline of the Sustainable Development Goals, proved a lost opportunity. The small and medium sized states did not respond officially to proposals for UN reform offered by civil society. Hence the Pact reaffirmed principles of the existing UN, which at least was not a withdrawal, and the ideas circulated might yet serve some future reform effort. Proposals considered here include those of the Stimson Center and more radical and systematic ones …
Introduction: Regional And Global Governance: Past, Present And Future,
2026
College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
Introduction: Regional And Global Governance: Past, Present And Future, Ron Pagnucco
The Journal of Social Encounters
No abstract provided.
Cooperation In The Space Domain: The Potential For Cooperation Between South Korea And Japan,
2026
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Cooperation In The Space Domain: The Potential For Cooperation Between South Korea And Japan, Brianna Johnson
Discovery Day - Daytona Beach
This project examines the space security cooperation between two states that are frequently grouped together in discussions of U.S. allies in the Asian region, largely due to the trilateral alliance between the US, South Korea, and Japan. Within this framework, particular attention is given to what some scholars identify as the “weak link” of the alliance: the relationship between South Korea and Japan. Focusing on the space domain as an emerging area of strategic importance, this paper asks when and how states with historically tense relationships engage with one another in space. Drawing on primary news sources and government documents …
Measuring Intensity Of Carrier Strike Group Anti-Air Warfare: 1945-2025,
2026
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Measuring Intensity Of Carrier Strike Group Anti-Air Warfare: 1945-2025, Gavin Perry
Discovery Day - Daytona Beach
The Aircraft carrier and its associated strike group (CSG) have been the preeminent means of both projecting power and securing sea control since the 1940s. Despite this, there exists vulnerabilities associated with operating these groups. Following World War Two, a narrative emerged that in heavily contested (non-permissive) environments, CSGs would be unable to operate effectively. This line of thinking relegates the CSG to a weapon for low intensity conflicts, crisis response, and peacetime power projection. The relevance of this debate has increased in recent years with the bolstering of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) carrier forces. Misunderstanding the ability …
Iniciativas Transfronterizas Informe De Border Fellows 2025-2026,
2026
University of San Diego
Iniciativas Transfronterizas Informe De Border Fellows 2025-2026, Elise Free Ma, Tori Luna Ma, Jonathan De Vicente Encarnación Mtro., Yolanda Viridiana Chávez Flores Dra., Korina Odet Cortés Uribe Dra., Jessie Valcin, Cristina Solano Díaz, Etienne Mulumeoderhwa Mufungizi Dr.
Kroc IPJ Research and Resources
El Informe Border Fellows 2025–2026 documenta seis proyectos comunitarios realizados en la región Tijuana–San Diego en el marco del Programa Border Fellows del Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice. Desde la academia, la sociedad civil y el sector público, las y los fellows abordaron retos distintos atravesados por un mismo contexto: el tráfico de armas y la violencia armada contra mujeres y personas LGBTQIA+; la violencia juvenil y el riesgo suicida en una secundaria pública; la discriminación en una preparatoria federal con más de 4,300 estudiantes; la capacidad organizativa y los derechos lingüísticos de comunidades indígenas en Baja California; el …
Cross-Border Initiatives Border Fellow Report 2025-2026,
2026
University of San Diego
Cross-Border Initiatives Border Fellow Report 2025-2026, Elise Free Ma, Tori Luna Ma, Jonathan De Vicente Encarnación Ma, Yolanda Viridiana Chávez Flores Phd, Korina Odet Cortés Uribe Edd, Jessie Valcin, Cristina Solano Díaz, Etienne Mulumeoderhwa Mufungizi Phd
Kroc IPJ Research and Resources
The 2025–2026 Border Fellows Report documents six community-led projects carried out across the Tijuana–San Diego region under the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice's Border Fellows Program. Working in academia, civil society, and the public sector, the fellows addressed distinct challenges shaped by a common context: firearms trafficking and armed violence against women and LGBTQIA+ people; youth violence and suicide risk in a public middle school; discrimination in a federal preparatory school serving more than 4,300 students; the organizational capacity and language rights of Indigenous communities in Baja California; academic accompaniment for Haitian adolescents excluded from formal schooling; and intercultural …
Ƒ(Enlightenment): A Complex Adaptive Systems Model Of Recursive Causality And Human Meaning-Making,
2026
Portland State University
Ƒ(Enlightenment): A Complex Adaptive Systems Model Of Recursive Causality And Human Meaning-Making, Daniel Lambert
Dissertations and Theses
Conflict Resolution has developed as a richly interdisciplinary field; however, its theoretical architecture remains fragmented across distinct bodies of scholarship. Existing approaches offer valuable but often isolated explanations of conflict behavior, limiting their ability to account for its complexity. This thesis addresses this limitation by advancing systems science as an organizing framework for integrating these perspectives. It introduces the Human-Complex Adaptive Systems (H-CAS) framework, which conceptualizes human behavior as a recursive adaptive process operating across interconnected regulatory domains. Within this model, conflict is not treated as a discrete event or purely deliberative process, but as an emergent property arising from …
Scraping The Earth: Testing Ndvi As An Indicator Of Military Ground Maneuver Within The Israeli Invasion Of The Gaza Strip,
2026
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College
Scraping The Earth: Testing Ndvi As An Indicator Of Military Ground Maneuver Within The Israeli Invasion Of The Gaza Strip, Thomas A. Bergeron
LSU Master's Theses
The advancement of open-source (OSINT) and geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) has allowed independent researchers to study human conflict in new ways, with tools that were previously reserved only for state intelligence agencies. In order to advance methodologies, researchers must continue to evaluate new tools to study war. Valued for its accessibility and moderate spatial resolution, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is one such tool that has not been widely systematically tested for its use in an open-source GEOINT investigation of modern conflict. This study tests NDVI as an indicator of military maneuver by leveraging a mixed-method approach against open-source kinetic …
From Hashtags To Regime Change: How Ai-Driven Social Media Algorithms Fueled Youth Protests Against Authoritarianism In Bangladesh But Stalled In Pakistan (2020-2025),
2026
Coastal Carolina University
From Hashtags To Regime Change: How Ai-Driven Social Media Algorithms Fueled Youth Protests Against Authoritarianism In Bangladesh But Stalled In Pakistan (2020-2025), Rafia Nishan Abbasi
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In this research, it has been investigated that how and why youth protests were amplified by AI based social media algorithms in Bangladesh; however, their impacts resulted in occasional and isolated resistance in Pakistan during 2022-25, taking in account the differences in state regulations, platform governance, and civil society networks. While utilizing Mixed-methods approach, this study employs comparative discourse analysis, a structured survey (N=466), semi-structured interviews, legal and policy tracing, and platform data. This research has proposed a novel theoretical framework of Algorithm Regime Mediation (ARM). ARM considers platform algorithms as politically intermingled intermediaries which can determine socio-political outcomes by …
