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8881. European Union Boarders in the Face of Insecurities (2015-2016)

Author:
Mira Kaneva
Publication Date:
09-2016
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for Security and International Studies (ISIS)
Abstract:
The associative definition of borders implies the separation or the connection between two contrasting units (even in terms of their coloring on the geographic map). Thus the inherent intermediate position of borders has always marked the bordering practices between and within political communities. In international relations studies, though, despite the centrality of borders in policy-making, border studies are reduced to a marginal position. Ironically, border studies are driven to the periphery of academic research due to the prevailing misconception of them as epiphenomena at the expense of core phenomena such as state, sovereignty, and territory
Topic:
International Organization, Immigration, and Political stability
Political Geography:
Europe

8882. What about the women? Understanding and Addressing the Problem of ISIS Female Recruitment in the Western Balkans

Author:
Eric Mietz
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
Abstract:
In many ways, female recruits, both from the Western Balkans and other regions, are attracted to the Islamic State for the exact same reasons as men, highlights BCSP guest researcher Eric Mietz
Topic:
International Relations and International Affairs
Political Geography:
Balkans

8883. Monitoring and Evaluating the Rule of Law in Serbia

Author:
Andrej Stefanovic
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Policy Brief
Institution:
Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
Abstract:
Serbia checked most of the boxes that were warranted by its accession process to the EU in 2015, a fact which was recognised on 18 July when negotiations on Judiciary and Fundamental Rights (Chapter 23) and Justice, Freedom and Security (Chapter 24) were opened. The opening of these two chapters was a result of a long process that was characterised by several rounds of consultations regarding drafting of corresponding Action Plans, producing Negotiating Positions, and coordination efforts on the part of line ministries hitherto never seen before. The Belgrade-Pristina dialogue continued, despite the fact that the implementation of the already reached agreements was lagging. Finally, early elections were organised on April 24, when the incumbent Prime Minister’s coalition won by a landslide and formed a new, decidedly pro-European Government. Despite the fact that the new parliamentary convocation now gathers parties sceptical toward or against the EU, there seem to be no obstacles when it comes to either support or legitimacy of the Government’s pro-EU agenda.
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

8884. Libya, Extremism and the Consequences of Collapse

Author:
The Soufan Group
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Special Report
Institution:
The Soufan Group
Abstract:
COMMENTARY NEWS ARTICLES INTELBRIEFS TV & RADIO OPINION PIECES PUBLICATIONS Libya, Extremism and the Consequences of Collapse January 27, 2016 RESEARCH TSG_Libya Report_cover Libya Extremism and the Consequences of CollapseJanuary 27, 2016.In a new, in-depth report, The Soufan Group (TSG) examines the security implications of continued instability in Libya. Four years after the revolution that toppled Muammar Qadhafi, the security situation in Libya remains volatile. The lack of centralized control has allowed criminal and violent extremist groups to flourish, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Continued instability in Libya will only see these criminal and violent extremist elements entrench themselves further. The expansion of these networks poses a serious security threat to the region, as well as to the broader international community. .
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

8885. European Union Boarders in the Face of Insecurities

Author:
Mira Kaneva
Publication Date:
01-2016
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Institute for Security and International Studies (ISIS)
Abstract:
The associative definition of borders implies the separation or the connection between two contrasting units (even in terms of their coloring on the geographic map). Thus the inherent intermediate position of borders has always marked the bordering practices between and within political communities. In international relations studies, though, despite the centrality of borders in policy-making, border studies are reduced to a marginal position. Ironically, border studies are driven to the periphery of academic research due to the prevailing misconception of them as epiphenomena at the expense of core phenomena such as state, sovereignty, and territory
Topic:
International Affairs
Political Geography:
Global Focus

8886. The People’s Money: How China Is Building a Global Currency

Author:
Paola Subacchi
Publication Date:
11-2016
Content Type:
Book
Institution:
Columbia University Press
Abstract:
Many of the world's major economies boast dominant international currencies. Not so for China. Its renminbi has lagged far behind the pound, the euro, and the dollar in global circulation—and for good reason. China has long privileged economic policies that have fueled development at the expense of the renminbi's growth, and it has become clear that the underpowered currency is threatening China's future. The nation's leaders now face the daunting task of strengthening the currency without losing control of the nation's economy or risking total collapse. How are they approaching this challenge? In The People's Money, Paola Subacchi introduces readers to China's monetary system, mapping its evolution over the past century and, particularly, its transformation since Deng Xiaoping took power in 1978. Subacchi revisits the policies that fostered the country's economic rise while at the same time purposefully creating a currency of little use beyond China's borders. She shows the key to understanding China's economic predicament lies in past and future strategies for the renminbi. The financial turbulence following the global crisis of 2008, coupled with China's ambitions as a global creditor and chief economic power, has forced the nation to reckon with the limited international circulation of the renminbi. Increasing the currency's reach will play a major role in securing China's future.
Topic:
International Trade and Finance and Monetary Policy
Political Geography:
China, Global Focus, and Global Markets
Publication Identifier:
9780231543262
Publication Identifier Type:
ISBN

8887. How Do Rebels Rule When They Win?

Author:
Kai M. Thaler
Publication Date:
09-2016
Content Type:
Journal Article
Journal:
Centerpiece
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
It is rare in recent years when a civil war has not grabbed global headlines—be it the ongoing civil wars and international interventions in Syria and Yemen, the fragile peace process to end Colombia’s half-century-long war, or the secession and collapse into violence of South Sudan, to name a few. This increase in media coverage reflects a growing number of civil wars around the world: since World War II, civil wars have surpassed interstate wars as the most prominent form of large-scale violent conflict. Most civil wars end in a government victory or negotiated settlement, but between one-fifth and one-third—depending on the definitions used—end in rebel victory with the capture of the central state or secession.1 Significant scholarly attention has focused on when, why, or how a rebel group takes power; we have little comparative evidence about the downstream effects of rebel victory. What state structures do victorious rebels abolish, modify, or create? How do they decide on policy priorities? What explains variation in the strength and scope of the states they build?
Topic:
Civil War, State Formation, Violence, and Armed Conflict
Political Geography:
Middle East, Yemen, and Syria

8888. The Secrets of Containment: Making the Invisible Visible

Author:
Meg Murphy
Publication Date:
02-2016
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
Peter Galison, the Joseph Pellegrino University Professor at Harvard University, is fascinated by the “concrete visuals behind what might appear to be pure abstraction.” His new film Containment is about nuclear waste and its safekeeping for now and the next 10,000 years. The film is co-directed with Robb Moss, Harvard College Professor and chair of the Department of Visual and Environmental Studies, a friend with whom Galison also produced the documentary Secrecy, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008. A historian of science and a physicist, Galison, the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant,” is known for his keen investigations into the outer edge of physics and scientific experimentation. He spoke with the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, where he is a Faculty Associate, about the recurring concepts that drive his curiosity and the thought process that led to Containment.
Topic:
Science and Technology, Nuclear Waste, and Physics
Political Geography:
Global Focus

8889. Research Spotlight: Beth A. Simmons

Author:
Meg Murphy
Publication Date:
03-2016
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
The International Criminal Court is saving civilian lives in multiple countries, according to research that provides the first quantitative evidence. The study by professors at Harvard University and Texas A&M, which will be featured in the summer issue of the journal International Organization, has drawn widespread attention from people on either side of a polarized debate about the ICC’s role in international justice. Vocal critics have long claimed the ICC is an ineffective obstacle to peace processes while enthusiasts believe it useful in advancing global peace and security. The underlying question: is the ICC irreparably flawed or an institution worth investing in? Now researchers Beth A. Simmons and Hyeran Jo have contributed a systematic study that can impartially inform this pressing debate in international affairs.
Topic:
United Nations, Legal Theory, Peace, and International Criminal Court (ICC)
Political Geography:
Global Focus

8890. Neoliberal Policy Implementation Goes Hand in Hand with Stronger Symbolic Boundaries

Author:
Jonathan Mijs and Michèle Lamont
Publication Date:
03-2016
Content Type:
Working Paper
Institution:
Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University
Abstract:
Citizens in countries that implemented more rigorous neoliberal policies over the last two decades (1990 to 2010) draw stronger symbolic boundaries between themselves and unwanted others. Based on publicly available data from the European Values Study, our research suggests that neoliberal policy implementation is intricately related to the ways in which citizens define worthiness. We find that in central and eastern Europe, the adoption of neoliberalism goes together with weakening boundaries toward ethnic others and a strengthening of animosity toward the poor, who are increasingly described as lazy and undeserving of government help. Conversely, in western Europe we find a weakening of boundaries toward the poor, but a strengthening of animosity toward ethno-religious others, Muslims in particular: citizens increasingly do not want Muslims as their neighbors. The trends we observe are supported by studies describing European citizens’ stance toward the (undeserving) poor, on the one side, and research on anti-immigrant sentiments, the rise of nativism, and the vote for extreme right parties, on the other. The contribution of our project is to offer a framework that describes these trends as two facets of symbolic boundaries and to link these to the uneven rate of implementation of neoliberal policies across European societies.
Topic:
Poverty, Religion, Sociology, and Neoliberalism
Political Geography:
Europe, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe