Projects |
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Past, present, and future of projects of the Culture and Conflict group or its members... |
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STOP - Society Takes Over Politics |
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Article published
Patrick Hiller published the article “Changing the system from the outside – an evaluative analysis of social movements opposing the 2007 G8 summit” and it was published in the Resistance Studies Magazine. The journal is an online, peer-reviewed quarterly publication (ISSN 1654-7063). The entire journal can be downloaded for free at: http://resistancestudies.org/
Abstract:
This essay examines the large-scale social protests surrounding the 2007 G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany. Based on a discussion of social protests surrounding the 2007 G8 summit with respect to their goals and objectives and the exploration if and how they are related to public policy changes, it is argued that contextual factors surrounding social movements’ intents to change public policy outweigh content-related issues on the activists’. A document analysis of the summit and its environment leads to the following conclusions: (1) The government will evaluate how to deal with social protest depending on factors not directly related to social protest. (2) The logistics of the G8 summits are highly influenced by the anticipated protests. (3) Selective media coverage and the self-representation of assorted movements minimize the movements’ struggles. (4) Organized social movements intend to increase the salience on issues that differ from the objectives of the G8 summit participants. (5) Violence by splinter groups justifies violent countermoves by authorities against larger groups of social protesters. (6) By using the ‘instantaneity of the internet’ as a platform, social movements can act as educators and address their issues and objectives in an in-depth manner and reach a virtually unlimited audience. (7) Contextual factors determine the extent to which social movements act.
New book published
Jacques Koko's book National Conference as a Strategy for Conflict Transformation and Peacemaking: The Legacy of the Republic of Benin Model has been published.
Abstract:
Events in the post Cold War era have challenged the notions of realism and realpolitik, with an upsurge in intrastate conflicts involving other actors than just the state. During this period, the international community has witnessed the limitations of the tenets of realism for addressing disastrous civil wars or ethno-political conflicts internal to the states. Largely because of this, and alongside the emerging field of conflict resolution in western countries, transitional conflict resolution mechanisms emerged with characteristic multi-track diplomacy orientations for solving national problems within African countries. By the end of the 1980s and early 1990s, several African countries, including South Africa, Burundi and Sierra Leone resorted to either a Truth and Reconciliation Commission or an international tribunal to handle violence and restore peace and justice. In the same period, other African countries opted for what was called ‘national conference’ to solve their national problems and transform conflict into an opportunity for structural change.
In February 1990, the Republic of Benin, a small nation-state in West Africa, achieved peace through a national conference. The national conference in Benin was a national gathering for crisis resolution through social debates on critical issues facing the nation, and political decision making for constructive changes. As a pioneer, Benin led the political change movement of the national conference and was later followed by eight other African countries namely, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Mali, Niger, Togo, the Central African Republic, and the former Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.
To date, most of the existing literature on the subject explores the phenomenon of national conference as something of a prelude to political transition to multipartyism and democracy. Part of the literature depicts the national conference as a civil coup d’état, and recommends its institutionalization as a system for democratic transitions. This book takes a different approach by conceptualizing the national conference phenomenon as a multi-track diplomacy tool or as a process for conflict transformation and peacemaking. Building upon theories of conflict and conflict resolution, the author analyzes the national conference as a unique diplomatic approach to transforming national crisis, which expands the scope of strategies for peacemaking.
Click here to go to the publishers website
The many horizons of the Negev - looking beyond the myth of a dichotomous narrative
When thinking of Israel and conflict, a widespread, false assumption is that a homogenous Jewish-Israeli society is engaged in an intractable conflict with Palestine. Beyond this myth of a dichotomous ‘us versus them’, however, is a multicultural Israeli society, within which lies an intricate web of conflict among political, ethnic and religious groups. Jews, Arabs, Bedouins, Ethiopian immigrants, Black Hebrew, Ashkanazim, Mizrahim, Kibbutznik, leftists and those in the right wing, are only a few of these groups that make Israel a far more complex State than meets the eye.
Cristina Andriani and Patrick Hiller, doctoral students at the Department of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Nova Southeastern University developed a booklet based on their experience of an advanced practicum in Israel in 2006.
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