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241. Will Informal Institutions Replace Formal Institutions? The Primacy of Church and “Uma Lisan” in Fostering Community Security in Timor Leste

Author:
Tulus Warsito, Achmad Nurmandi, Sugito, and Zuly Qodir
Publication Date:
05-2020
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Revista UNISCI/UNISCI Journal
Institution:
Unidad de investigación sobre seguridad y cooperación (UNISCI)
Abstract:
This article departs from liberal institutionalism theory which argues that security sector reform is an important element to guarantee community security in post-conflict state. Nevertheless, this article discovers that Security Sector Reform run by the United Nations in Timor Lester from 2000-2012 failed to provide effective community security. While the people of Timor Leste have their own perceptions about the meaning of security, religious and cultural institutions, the church and "uma lisan" have provided mainly social protection and mechanisms for conflict resolution. Based on in-depth interviews with 15 key informants and survey to 100 respondents during the field research in Dili, this article suggests that the security role of the church and "uma lisan" has substantially substituted the ineffectiveness of the international and state-led security institutions during the United Nations mission in the country.
Topic:
Security, United Nations, Reform, Christianity, and Institutions
Political Geography:
Timor-Leste and Southeast Asia

242. Renewed Transatlantic Responses towards China: Identifying Common Ground

Author:
Katrin Bastian and Graeme P. Herd
Publication Date:
11-2020
Content Type:
Commentary and Analysis
Institution:
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies
Abstract:
The western global order originated in the 19th and 20th centuries. It is characterized by formal international institutions and a regime of treaties, rules, norms, networks, expectations, and moral obligations. As Sigmar Gabriel and John B. Emerson note, “Our liberty is protected by democracy, the rule of law, the separation of powers, and freedom of expression and assembly. These shared principles have shaped the outlook on both sides of the Atlantic for decades.”1 These shared democratic, free, and open society principles are challenged by undemocratic non-western, economically and/or militarily successful powers, not least the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Russian Federation. The PRC has a population of 1.4 billion (comprising 18 percent of the global share), a 5,000-year-old history and culture, and boasts the world’s second largest economy. The PRC is ideologically assertive and displays a visible ambition to play a role on the international stage. Sociological theory suggests that the numeric dimension of a group determines social reality. Indeed, as Lenin noted: “quantity has a quality all of its own.” In this light, the PRC is simply “too big and too many” not to shape international politics. Ironically, the political West is involuntarily assisting in this reconfiguration of international power by voluntarily withdrawing from multilateral institutions and geopolitically-critical regions (the U.S., at least in the Trump administration) or by being overwhelmed with administrative tasks (the European Union, as a result of the growing number of member states, deeper integration, and COVID-19).
Topic:
Civil Society, Globalization, Multilateralism, Institutions, and Social Order
Political Geography:
Global Focus

243. Ordinary Shareholders’ Rights Protection in Botswana

Author:
Ratang Sedimo
Publication Date:
03-2020
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Botswana Institute for Development Policy Analysis
Abstract:
This study seeks to examine institutional frameworks that exist in Botswana to protect the rights of ordinary shareholders. There is no literature on the subject matter in the context of Botswana; hence this study attempts to fill in the literature gap. The study uses a variety of data collection methods, such as semi-structured interviews, the Choppies case study and lessons learnt from other jurisdictions. Findings reveal that ordinary shareholders’ rights protection involves the use of institutional frameworks. In Botswana, existing frameworks are not adequate to protect ordinary shareholders’ rights. Furthermore, the study shows that ordinary shareholders in Botswana are mainly exposed to risks of losing their investments, partially or entirely, in case of non-compliance to regulatory requirements as shown by the reduction in Choppies’ stock price from P1.20 to P0.40 between years 2012 and 2018. The study suggests that the existing institutional frameworks should be reviewed to ensure adequate protection of ordinary shareholders’ rights.
Topic:
Economy, Institutions, and Shareholder Value
Political Geography:
Africa and Botswana