Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Review Essay: Receiving Pope Francis’S Condemnation Of Nuclear Weapons, William J. Collinge

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Peace Bishop: Bishop Nicolas Djoma Lola -- Bishop Of Tshumbé, Stephen R. Hilbert

The Journal of Social Encounters

Fr. Nicolas Djomo Lola was appointed a bishop in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 1997 and immediately was thrust into a brutal war between Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire that lasted through 2003. That conflict exacerbated deadly ethnic conflicts in the eastern provinces of the Congo that continue to this day. Bishop Djomo, driven by his belief that Jesus Christ calls all people to build peace, and protect people from violence responded to this war and chaos in remarkable ways. He led a delegation of the Central Africa Bishops to advocate with the Presidents of Burundi, Rwanda and …

Pacem In Terris: Historical Context & The Call For Global Governance, Joseph J. Fahey

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay examines the historical context that led to Pope John XXIII’s proposal for a global “public authority” in his April 11, 1963, encyclical letter, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth). The catalyst for this letter was the Cuban Missile Crisis that occurred between October 22 and October 29, 1962. Pope John offered to mediate that crisis, and President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev agreed and eventually came to an agreement not only to end the crisis but also to negotiate a limited nuclear test ban treaty. In the last year of his life, a time for him …

Relational Leadership And Governing: Somali Clan Cultural Leadership, Farhia Abdi

The Journal of Social Encounters

This research is focused on exploring the distinction between theories of leadership and more contemporary visions of relational leading. In order to do so, the specific case of traditional clan structure seen in the Somali state will be examined, and parallels between the two will be drawn. This paper argues that the old Somali tradition shares much in common with current writing on relational leadership (Uhl-Bien, 2006) and, therefore, can expand our understanding and support for a form of leadership that transcends traditional, individualist, hierarchical leadership. This argument will be supported by a detailed investigation into clan politics, leadership, and …

Organising Civil Resistance - Understanding The Effects And Dynamics Of Organisational Structures On The Outcome Of Civil Resistance Campaigns, Lars Heuver

The Journal of Social Encounters

The use of nonviolent tactics has become the most common way to achieve change. The field of civil resistance has been predominantly focussed on the dynamics related to the outcome, however, surprisingly little or no attention has been given to organisational structures that shape these dynamics. This paper will try to fill this research gap by combining insights from organisational science, social movement studies, and civil resistance literature. The research question that is posed is: What is the effect of the organisational structure on the outcome of civil resistance campaigns? Research from organisational sciences argues that organisational structures, forms of …

Institutional Legacy As Trigger Of Armed Violence Against The Police: Manifestations And The Underlying Factors In African Countries, Usman A. Ojedokun, Muazu I. Mijinyawa

The Journal of Social Encounters

Armed violence targeting police personnel and police facilities has conspicuously emerged as one of the dominant challenges confronting many police agencies in Africa. Consequently, police officers in African countries are increasingly becoming vulnerable to violent deaths and attacks in the line of duty. In view of this prevailing situation, this paper critically interrogates the nexus between institutional legacy and armed attacks targeting the police in African countries. Tom Tyler’s theory of procedural justice was employed as the conceptual framework for the discourse (Tyler,1990; 2003). The paper argues that the negative labelling that is generally associated with policing and police image …

Review Of Selected Essays On Peacebuilding And Reconciliation, Rita Merhej, Bashar Rahme

The Journal of Social Encounters

This paper is a review of selected essays on reconciliation and peacebuilding in conflict-affected and post-conflict societies delineating the fundamental key factors that promote peacebuilding, and the approaches to reconciliation which have proved to be effective over the past 20 years. Acknowledgement of wrongdoing, empathy and the promotion of open dialogue stand out as the factors common to all reconciliation initiatives. The paper examines five approaches to peacebuilding, namely contact theory, restorative justice, making apologies, sharing narratives and reconciliation through education, conceptualizing each in light of its benefits, as well as its challenges, with examples from the real world illustrating …

Remembering Johan Galtung, The ‘Father Of Peace Studies’, Kelly R. Kraemer

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

A Short Supplemental Reading List For The Environment: Issues In Justice, Conflict And Peacebuilding, Ronald Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

The Un Security Council In Conflict: How Does The Protection Of The Environment Related To Armed Conflict Fit Into Its Structural And Inequal Dynamics?, Gabriel Lagrange

The Journal of Social Encounters

Recent conflicts have emphasized the multidirectional linkages between the environment and conflicts and therefore peace and security. As the organ responsible for international peace and security issues, the UN Security Council has the mandate to tackle the environment- conflicts nexus. Although it has delivered several resolutions on a case-by-case basis, the UN Security Council has never included environmental protection through a thematic resolution. Such a resolution is crucial due to the current ecological crisis while the binding nature and implementation capacities of the Council would tangibly improve the current political and legal framework protecting the environment. Yet, obstacles resulting from …

Eco-Virtue Ethics And Anthropological Commitments Of Laudato Si’ And Laudate Deum: Towards A Renewed Integral Ecology, Ugochukwu Stophynus Anyanwu

The Journal of Social Encounters

The Fourth Chapter of Laudato Si’ (LS) of Pope Francis deals with the theme of ‘Integral Ecology’ from a religious tradition. This chapter can be interpreted as the fulcrum of the encyclical because of the density of its anthropological and ethical considerations. The theme of this chapter has informed a more emphatic presentation in the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum (LD) on the climatic challenges confronting humanity. Both documents, with incomparable courage and novelty, offer enriching ethical discourses for advancing social, cultural, and human ecology in consonance with social justice, common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity. They contain the magisterial appeal that …

Guns, Bombs, And Pollution: Unraveling The Nexus Between Warfare, Terrorism, And Ecological Devastation In Iraq, Hogr Tarkhani

The Journal of Social Encounters

Iraq's environment has experienced significant pollution and degradation, earning it the dubious distinction of being one of the most polluted and degraded regions globally, according to the Globe Pollution Review. The past three decades of armed conflict have exacted a heavy toll on the country, resulting in widespread human suffering, including countless fatalities, injuries, and a massive displacement of people. Amidst this death and destruction, the ecosystem has also endured severe damage, and its decline carries long-lasting implications.

The environmental crisis in Iraq has been worsened by the presence of extremist groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS) and various …

On Dialogue And Beyond: Positive Environmental Peacebuilding In Palestine, Elsa Barron

The Journal of Social Encounters

In Palestine, environmental management has been used as a tool of military occupation and oppression. Yet even within that context, many community-based organizations have established programs relating to environmental peacebuilding. Of these initiatives, environmental dialogue programs have received significant attention and resources, even more so since the war in Gaza began in October, 2023. However, a deeper interrogation of these programs reveals the danger that dialogue and collaboration devoid of a critical analysis of power and injustice further perpetuates systemic oppression. Moving these programs into the realm of positive environmental peacebuilding requires a willingness to engage in this structural analysis. …

Islam And The Environment, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

This is a transcript of a presentation at the Thirty-Fourth Annual Peace Studies Conference at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University on September 18, 2023. The presentation provides (1) some background information about Islam; (2) related ideas about Christianity; (3) a discussion of some verses in the Quran, which relate to the environment, and some Islamic interpretations of them; (4) an analysis of Ibrahim Abdul-Matin’s ideas on Islam and the environment; and (5) a tribute to Father Rene McGraw, OSB.

Environmental Peacebuilding: Yesterday, Today, And Tomorrow, Ken Conca

The Journal of Social Encounters

The field of environmental peacebuilding emerged as a counter to the idea that violent conflict was an inevitable byproduct of environmental change. Two decades ago, my colleague Geoffrey Dabelko and I published a book, Environmental Peacemaking, sketching the argument that ecological interdependencies could be instrumentalized as a force for peace (Conca & Dabelko, 2002). Other early works from this period focused on the peace opportunities in biodiversity conservation (Matthew et al., 2002) and transboundary protected areas (Brock, 1991; Ali, 2007). Since that time, a substantial community of research and practice has emerged around these ideas. In this essay I discuss …

Michael Boym: The Polish Marco Polo, Agnieszka Couderq

Comparative Civilizations Review

The following is a selection drawn from Ms. Couderq’s written proposal for a television series based on the book she has published. It offers a summation of the life of this remarkable cross-civilizational traveler.

Military Comparison Of The Han Dynasty And The Roman Republic, Jack Tribolet

Comparative Civilizations Review

The Middle and Late Roman Republic (264 BCE - 27 BCE) and the Han Dynasty (202 BCE - 220 CE) characterized two concurrent military superpowers of the ancient world. Anchoring opposite ends of the Eurasian continent, the two powers shared structural similarities that enabled their longevity and resilience to ruination.

Culture-Oriented Interpretations Of Corporate Responsibility, Berkay Orhaner Phd

Comparative Civilizations Review

Classical narratives of corporate responsibility reflect the cultural values of Western industrialized countries. Meanwhile, the understanding of corporate responsibility has been disseminated by globalization and this has resulted in culture-oriented interpretations of corporate responsibility from non-Western contexts.

This article aims to investigate the multidimensional relationship between corporate responsibility and globalization and outline culture-oriented corporate responsibility interpretations as a global phenomenon.

Reading A Global Landscape, John Berteaux

Comparative Civilizations Review

It seems a truism that while our grasp of the world is at best inconclusive, it is attended by a pressing desire to articulate the ultimate context in which our lives are set. Here, my remarks focus on the limits of our ability to explicate that context or landscape, suggesting that any attempt to de-confuse our world will be inherently inconclusive, indeterminate, and undefined. In other words, I want to encourage a little cognitive dissonance regarding our ability to make sense of the globe.

Raphael Patai. The Hebrew Goddess, Third Enlarged Edition, Joseph Drew

Comparative Civilizations Review

According to the famous French philosopher and revolutionary, the Marquis de Condorcet, we can look back to history and discern therein a number of phases, stages through which the human mind evolves. The number of these is fixed as is the succession of them; progress and human perfectibility always dominate the movement. The progress of the human mind, Condorcet wrote in the Tableau des Progrès Historiques de l’Ésprit Humain, is reflected invariably in the successive stages of society. We move upward and onward, ineluctably.

Chinese Digital Platform Companies’ Expansion In The Belt And Road Countries, Yujia He

Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce Faculty Publications

The emergence of digital platforms is shifting the digital economy toward a platform economy, and Chinese platform-based businesses like Alibaba, Tencent, and JD are increasingly expanding in the Global South. Alongside this, the Chinese government has been promoting digital economy collaboration with emerging markets through high-level engagement under the banner of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its digital economy component the Digital Silk Road (DSR). Despite significant market interest and policy attention, grounded empirical analysis of Chinese digital platforms’ expansion within Belt and Road Initiative countries is scarce. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, drawing on both quantitative …

Quantum Computing And U.S. Cybersecurity: A Case Study Of The Breaking Of Rsa And Plan For Cryptographic Algorithm Transition, Helena Holland

Honors Theses

The invention of a cryptographically relevant quantum computer would revolutionize computing power, transforming industry and national security. While a theoretical possibility at the time of this writing, the ability of quantum algorithms to solve the factoring and discrete logarithm problems, upon which all currently employed public-key cryptography depends, presents a serious threat to digital communications. This research examines both the mathematics and government policy behind these risks and their implications for cybersecurity. Specifically, a case study of RSA, Shor’s algorithm, and the American Intelligence Community’s plan to transition toward quantum-resistant algorithms is presented to analyze quantum threats and opportunities and …

Assessing Victory: Did Different Measures Of Success Lead To An Extension Of The Vietnam War, Brian Althouse

Honors Theses

In his paper Exploring the Bargaining Model of War, Dan Reiter argues how “in some conflicts, militaries may have different measures of success; two opposing sides could conceivably observe the same battle outcome with both concluding that they were successful, coming no closer to agreement on the eventual outcome of the war” (Reiter 2003). Extrapolating on this point, he assesses how this theory could be one explanation for the Vietnam War. Reiter argues that within the conflict both US and North Vietnamese forces measured success through increases in enemy casualties, and that occurrence of combat and casualties on both sides …

Analysis And Application Of The Offense-Defense Theory: Russia, Ukraine, And History., Kirby Ballard

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Political scientists and government advisors have long sought to understand what influences conflicts and how to predict them. Despite constant war, a commonly used empirical theory that can answer this question has not emerged. The majority of theories created are either conflict-specific or not empirically testable. Considering these factors, I sought out a theory that would help me better understand Russia's choice to invade Ukraine in the spring of 2022. I selected the offense-defense theory due to its many attempts to explain territorial conquest, the likeliness of conflict, and overall losses. The main focus of the theory is to explain …

Tunisian Democracy At A Crossroads: A Comparative Analysis Of Beji Caid Essebsi And Kais Saied Regimes, Nizar Lukman

Jurnal Politik

As a new democracy, Tunisia is quite vulnerable to democratic erosion. The implementation of democracy in the country was quite effective during the leadership of Beji Caid Essebsi, resulting in a high democracy index driven by various policies that supported the implementation of this system. However, Tunisia’s quality of democracy significantly declined since President Kais Saied took power in 2019. The dissolution of Parliament, the prime minister's dismissal, the introduction of freedom of expression for council members, and unilateral electoral reforms aimed at consolidating his power are some cases of proof. This pattern raises questions about the recurring nature of …

Feminist Policy Analysis On Gender Mainstreaming Policy In Indonesian International Peacekeeping Forces, Zahra Ayu Kusuma Ricarvy, Sri Lestari Wahyuningroem

Jurnal Politik

This study analyzes the implementation of gender mainstreaming policies within the Garuda troops using the Feminist Policy Analysis (FPA) approach in the context of Indonesia's commitment to gender equality in peacekeeping operations. Gender mainstreaming policies are expected to ensure equal access, participation, control, and benefits for both women and men within the defense system, as well as minimize gender discrimination. The method used in this research involves policy analysis as regulated in Presidential Instruction No. 9/2000, with a focus on its application in Peacekeeping Missions (IPM). Data were collected through interviews with relevant officials from the Ministry of Defense and …

“Old Soldiers Need Only Apply”: Exploring Pathways To The Quasi-Civilianisation Of The Maritime Sector In Indonesia, I Gusti Bagus Dharma Agastia

Jurnal Politik

This article explores the phenomenon of quasi-civilianisation, or the inclusion of former or active-duty military officers in civilian administrative positions, in maritime security governance in Indonesia. To what extent is the maritime sector quasi-civilianised? Second, what are the pathways to quasi-civilianisation in the maritime sector? This paper finds that quasi-civilians tend to be concentrated in paramilitary agencies and to a lesser extent, in limited functional roles within the civilian administration. Quasi-civilians are desirable for these positions due to their expertise and ability to mediate between military and civilian counterparts. Moreover, the appointment of quasi-civilians has generally complied with prevailing regulations …

Iran's Look East Policy Against Western Countries Through Snyder's Foreign Policy Analysis, Juana Clarentine Emmanuela Greevince De Lucas, Muhammad Rayhan Anandito, Tasya Salsabila Hendrayudha, Septyanto Galan Prakoso

Jurnal Politik

Iran has been in disarray following the United States exit from the JCPOA in 2018. It is due to the increasing number of sanctions reimposed by the West, which harms the Iranian economy. With the current economic downturn, Iran, under President Ebrahim Raisi's leadership, has made efforts to become completely independent from the West by establishing the Look East Policy as its foreign policy. This research analyses why Ebrahim Raisi's administration favoured the Look East Policy as Iranian foreign policy. Data collection techniques used in this study are library research, using secondary data from books, journal articles, official websites, and …

One Hundred Years Of The Communist Party Influencing The Islamic World, Muhammad Ridha

Jurnal Politik

The ideology of Communism has had a significant impact on Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia. The emergence of Communist parties has triggered prolonged social and political tensions and changed the power dynamics in Muslim countries.

Front Matter

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.