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202. The Tigray Crisis: The Ethiopian government’s incessant attempts to resolve the internal conflict militarily
- Author:
- FARAS
- Publication Date:
- 09-2021
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Future for Advanced Research and Studies (FARAS)
- Abstract:
- The conflict in Ethiopia continues despite international appeals to put an end to it. The government forces were able to slow down the progress of the forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front over the last two weeks, and to control some areas. However, the main areas of Afar and Amhara remained under the control of the Tigrayan rebels, who managed to form a broader alliance with other rebel groups.
- Topic:
- Security, Government, Conflict, and Crisis Management
- Political Geography:
- Africa, Ethiopia, and Tigray
203. Three Crises: Escalating security threats to the future of the Somali State
- Author:
- FARAS
- Publication Date:
- 10-2021
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Future for Advanced Research and Studies (FARAS)
- Abstract:
- Somalia is witnessing an escalation in the current political crisis, which is likely to undermine the credibility of the Somali leadership, in addition to threatening the internal stability in Somalia, as concerns heighten regarding the country possibly plunging into civil wars, similar to what happened in previous historical periods due to the clan nature of the Somali society.
- Topic:
- Security, Leadership, Crisis Management, and Political Crisis
- Political Geography:
- Africa and Somalia
204. Advancing a Rules-based Maritime Order in the Indo-Pacific
- Author:
- Jeffrey Ordaniel and John Bradford
- Publication Date:
- 07-2021
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Pacific Forum
- Abstract:
- Authors of this volume participated in the Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Expert Working Group’s 2021 workshop that took place, virtually on March 23-24. The working group, composed of esteemed international security scholars and maritime experts from Japan, the United States, and other Indo-Pacific states, was formed to promote effective U.S.-Japan cooperation on maritime security issues in the region through rigorous research on various legal interpretations, national policies, and cooperative frameworks to understand what is driving regional maritime tensions and what can be done to reduce those tensions. The workshop’s goal is to help generate sound, pragmatic and actionable policy solutions for the United States, Japan, and the wider region, and to ensure that the rule of law and the spirit of cooperation prevail in maritime Indo- Pacific. The Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Expert Working Group’s 2021 workshop and this volume were funded by a grant from the U.S. Embassy Tokyo, and implemented in collaboration with the Yokosuka Council on Asia Pacific Studies (YCAPS).
- Topic:
- Security, International Law, Maritime, and Crisis Management
- Political Geography:
- Japan, United States of America, Indo-Pacific, and South China Sea
205. Lessons from the Covid Care Centers in West Bengal
- Author:
- Jishnu Das, Patrick Agte, Abhijit Chowdhury, Parthasarathi Mukherjee, and Satyarup Siddhanta
- Publication Date:
- 12-2021
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Centre for Policy Research, India
- Abstract:
- With the continuing emergence of Covid-19 variants, there is underlying concern in all countries, including India, that another surge will occur in the coming months. In case of a surge like that experienced with the Delta variant, a strategy that deserves further attention for the provision of care in rural areas is the use of off-hospital sites for patients who are not severely ill. We discuss one such effort from the state of West Bengal, the lessons from which may be relevant for the management of surge cases for generalized pandemic planning. In March 2021, India experienced a large surge in Covid cases and the spike in patients led to a shortage of hospital beds and oxygen cylinders around the country. Following a notification by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that allowed organizations to set up care centers for the treatment of Covid-19 patients outside the hospital setting, the Liver Foundation and the Covid Care Network established eight Covid Care Centers in rural West Bengal. These centers were operational between May 2021 and September 2021, which coincided with the post-peak phase of the second Covid-19 wave in India. This report describes the project, summarizes the performance of the centers, and discusses the challenges faced during the project. We conclude that temporary facilities like the Covid Care Centers can be a viable option to provide urgent care during health emergencies.
- Topic:
- Health Care Policy, Crisis Management, Public Policy, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- South Asia and India
206. Airing Differences? Reading the Political Narrative on Air Quality Management in India
- Author:
- Santosh Harish, Mandakini Chandra, and Sahithi Uppalapati
- Publication Date:
- 11-2021
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Centre for Policy Research, India
- Abstract:
- Air pollution exposure is a year-round, nation-wide public health crisis in India. This paper presents a careful reading of nearly eleven hours of discussions on air pollution that took place in the upper and lower Houses of Parliament in November 2019. The discussions provide unique insight into the emerging political narrative around air quality governance in India. The parliamentarians constructed an overly peak-oriented and Delhi-centric view of the problem. Contrary to the long-held scepticism of the environment ministry, parliamentarians across political parties cited global evidence on the adverse health impacts of air pollution exposure, especially on children. In addition, they drew on themes like intergenerational responsibility, equity, and Indian cultural heritage while signaling the need to act with urgency. As the discussions were dominated by crop residue burning, the Delhi government received significant criticism for blaming farmers, and parliamentarians across the board expressed solidarity with farmers as they proposed various alternative interventions to penalties. Legislators highlighted a variety of institutional, legal, and financial opportunities to strengthen Indian air quality governance, but demonstrated relatively limited engagement with the nuances of sectoral mitigation measures. Reflecting on an issue of growing political salience in India, this paper also offers insight into significant developments and gaps in the political discourse on air pollution in the two years since these discussions, and into the present day.
- Topic:
- Governance, Crisis Management, Public Health, and Air Pollution
- Political Geography:
- South Asia and India
207. China’s Vaccine Diplomacy Amid COVID – 19 Pandemic: A Case Study of South Asia
- Author:
- Shabana Fayyaz and Tabinda Siddiqui
- Publication Date:
- 07-2021
- Content Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal:
- South Asian Studies
- Institution:
- Department of Political Science, University of the Punjab
- Abstract:
- COVID-19 onset has questioned the proclaimed notions of Globalization such as shared prosperity and security across the board. The ongoing pandemic once again calls for collective action in men and material terms rather than erecting technology barriers and doubting the intentions of each other. This paper aims to address the following inter-related queries: What is the nature of China‟s health-based assistance to the South Asian states for mitigating the COVID-19 risks? How and why do the United States and India remain skeptical of Chinese anti COVID- 19 Vaccine efforts? And how do other South Asian states perceive Chinese contributions to deal with the ongoing Pandemic? And, finally what lessons can be learned from this divergent debate centered on: Chinese Vaccine Diplomacy? Comparison and contrast of the available information is employed as an analytical technique to determine the nature of skepticism surrounding the Chinese vaccination campaign in South Asia. Consulting data on three various accounts assisted to conclude the findings of this research paper. The findings of this study establish that Western and Indian skepticism, directed against Chinese health diplomacy in South Asia is motivated by their geopolitical contestations with China. In nutshell, the paper‟s main thrust is to stress the essential value of mutual cooperation in dealing with the Pandemic like COVID-19. There is a need to embrace the concept of „holistic security‟ in the highly interconnected world of today and tomorrow.
- Topic:
- Diplomacy, Globalization, Crisis Management, Vaccine, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Pakistan, China, South Asia, and United States of America
208. First Response: Initial COVID-19 Actions from the IIENetwork
- Author:
- Clare Overmann, Lindsay Calvert, and Sylvia Jons
- Publication Date:
- 02-2021
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- Institute of International Education (IIE)
- Abstract:
- At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, IIE launched the IIE Network Engagement Series, which consists of thought leadership webinars and interactive small group discussions, called Day-by-Days. These events offered a platform for practitioners and leaders from the field to share their experiences from the first weeks and months of the crisis. These responses and others are captured in this publication to highlight the practices that worked during COVID-19 and to act as an informal reference on how to handle future crises.
- Topic:
- Education, Crisis Management, Higher Education, and COVID-19
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus and United States of America
209. On Total Defense
- Author:
- Giorgi Surmava
- Publication Date:
- 01-2021
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- Georgian Foundation for Strategic International Studies -GFSIS
- Abstract:
- Recently, the world has faced new threats and challenges which have revitalized "total defense," somewhat forgotten after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Socialist bloc. Russia's military activities (in Georgia, Ukraine, Syria) and other challenges have made some states rethink this concept and total defense has once again become a topical issue. In general, in its essence, total defense is not a novelty - the Great Patriotic War waged by the Soviet Union was an example of mobilizing all of the available resources of the state to win the war. However, the challenges, threats and conceptual approaches of the Cold War period and, especially, of the first decade of this century significantly differ from that of the previous ones. During the Cold War, European countries, especially northern states, gained some experience in total defense and developed new approaches to this concept. Their experience was shared by the Baltic countries which later developed their own methods. Recently, due to the current situation, the issue of a comprehensive approach to security has become topical in Northern Europe; it is based on the doctrine of total defense developed during the Cold War and combines military and non-military components of national security. A multifaceted approach to security is a way to maintain the resilience of the state and society in the event of external pressure and war. It also implies the provision of the best possible environment for the operation of the armed forces. Along with the traditional approach, this involves creating additional capabilities to respond to threats that were hard to perceive in the past (e.g., cyber threats).
- Topic:
- Security, Defense Policy, History, Crisis Management, and Soviet Union
- Political Geography:
- Europe, Eurasia, Georgia, and Singapore
210. Building European Resilience and Capacity to Act: Lessons for 2030
- Author:
- Roderick Parkes, Anna-Lena Kirch, and Serafine Dinkel
- Publication Date:
- 07-2021
- Content Type:
- Special Report
- Institution:
- German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)
- Abstract:
- Containing twelve scenarios for the world in 2030, this report offers insights into how the EU can maintain and build up its capacity to act in the face of the major disruptive changes that are likely to come over this decade. It is being released in the run-up to German elections in September 2021 that will serve as a kind of referendum on ten years of government-heavy crisis management.
- Topic:
- Elections, European Union, Crisis Management, and Resilience
- Political Geography:
- Europe and Germany