Vivimos una era de cambio determinada por la globalización de la sociedad de la información y, también, por el desplazamiento del centro de gravedad global hacia Asia Pacífico y la conformación de China como potencia global y su centralidad en el sistema internacional.
In ELIAMEP Briefing Note 51/2017 Associate Professor at the University of Macedonia Yorgos Christidis offers a brief analysis of the Bulgarian Parliamentary Elections of 26th March 2017 and of the negotiations concerning the formation of the next government.
On Tuesday 21 March 2017, the latest research programme hosted by ELIAMEP and titled ‘Architectural replicas in the scramble for the past: Politics of identity in Istanbul, Athens, Skopje’ (REPLICIAS) was presented for the first time. This project is carried out by Kalliopi Amygdalou, a Marie Skłodowska – Curie Fellow. Dr Amygdalou presented the research objectives and first findings of the project, which explores the politicization of cultural heritage through its reproduction/reconstruction in three cities of South-eastern Europe, and the way this affects the relations between the countries involved. The presentation was followed by a discussion with participants from ELIAMEP, the academic community and the field of heritage management. The research is supervised by Professor Thanos Veremis and Associate Professor Ioannis N. Grigoriadis.
It is noteworthy that ELIAMEP has hosted in the past many fellows who were funded by researcher mobility programmes such as the Marie Skłodowska – Curie Actions, and it is the first research institution in Greece that is hosting a programme in the humanities funded by the European Research Council.
This project has received funding from the Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions [European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme]under grant agreement No [748634]
This report written by Dr Dia Anagnostou and Dr Dimitris Skleparis was completed in the frame of the RAD MONITOR project. Its main objective is to provide a background study on radicalisation in Greece and the various forms that it takes: the extreme left radicalization and its transmutation into the anti-authoritarian movement, the far-right radicalization, the Islamist radicalization, and football ‘hooliganism”. It provides an overview of past and current radicalisation trends, the social groups most vulnerable to each form of extremism, their repertoires of action, and the institutional responses of Greek authorities.
This policy report written by Dr Dia Anagnostou and Dr Dimitris Skleparis provides a brief overview of the phenomenon of radicalization in its different forms in Greece, which is based on the research conducted in the frame of the RAD MONITOR project. The second part contains a list of policy recommendations that specifically pertain to indicators and tools for the prevention and monitoring of far-right and Islamist radicalization, and their relevance for the Greek context.
You can read here here the article written by Dr Dia Anagnostou on the refugee crisis. This commentary was published in the Sunday edition of Kathimerini newspaper on 2 April 2017.
Einen Strengbeweis für ihre Behauptung haben die beiden zwar nicht, die Indizien seien aber deutlich: Es fand sich kein Wasser in der Lunge des Königs, obwohl er angeblich ertrunken sei. Außerdem sei die Stelle im See viel zu flach, um dort ertrinken zu können. Hubers Ur-Großvater und der Fischer Lidl, die den König aus dem Würmsee zogen, mussten schwören, niemals über die Bergung und deren Umstände zu sprechen. Dafür erhielt Huber angeblich ein lebenslanges Wohnrecht im Schloss Nymphenburg. Der andere durfte der Erzählung nach Bürgermeister von Berg werden, wurde nie zum Kriegsdienst eingezogen und erhielt finanzielle Unterstützung. Auf dem Totenbett überlegte Huber es sich angeblich aber anders und berichtete über die zwei furchtbaren Einschusslöcher auf dem Rücken des Königs. So wurde es in der Familie Huber tradiert. Und Ludwig II war eben nicht ‚verrückt‘, wie aller Welt glauben gemacht wurde: Ein Brief, ein schriftlicher Hilfeschrei, belege, das Ludwig klar bei Verstand war und merkte, dass sich gegen ihn etwas zusammenbraue. Und schließlich wurde auch dem Starnberger Arzt, der den Totenschein ausstellen musste, die Todesursache in die Feder diktiert. Auch er wurde zum Schweigen verpflichtet, erleichterte aber auf dem Totenbett sein Gewissen: Auf Anweisung hätte er die Todesursache tatsachenwidrig dargestellt. In Wirklichkeit sei eine rückwärtige furchtbare Schussverletzung sichtbar gewesen.
Letztendlich wird vielleicht nur eine Sargöffnung die wahre Todesursache nachweisen können. Bis dahin muss der Wunsch des Königs „Licht sollte in den Abgrund von Bosheit kommen“, wohl unerfüllt bleiben.
Following the thawing of relations with the United States under Obama, Cuba is now seeking closer integration into the global economy through a programme of “guidelines” for updating the country’s economic model adopted in 2011. The central goals are increasing exports, substituting imports and encouraging foreign direct investment in order to improve the country’s hard currency situation, increase domestic value creation and reduce dependency on Venezuela. The guidelines also expand the space for private business activity, for example legalising “self-employment”. In this context, Cuba also wants to strengthen economic relations and political dialogue with the EU – its most important trading partner after Venezuela – on the basis of the EU-Cuba Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement of 2016. But the broader perspective for cooperation will depend heavily on whether Cuba succeeds in advancing and consolidating its economic reforms. The economy remains tightly state-managed, creating disincentives for internal actors and external investors alike. The restrictions arise from the political/military elite’s wish to retain control over the development course and secure its own power base. As such, great tensions exist between the political situation and the government’s external economic objectives. Cuba’s agreements with international partners will only bear fruit if the internal framework can be improved. The EU and Germany should use the political dialogue to encourage Havana to pursue the requisite reforms.
China, Japan and South Korea are the largest economies in East Asia and, as such, play a decisive role in the region’s prosperity and security. Their relations with each other, however, are increasingly marked by tensions in the absence of a regional organisation or institution playing a stabilising role. This study considers a constellation that has so far received little attention, namely the cooperation between these three states, which began in the late 1990s and has since established itself as an independent format. The study’s central question is whether this trilateral cooperation can bring forth a new model of interaction in Northeast Asia, or whether it only confirms and reproduces existing (and predominantly negative) trends. The research has two focal points: it analyses developments within the three sets of bilateral relations, and provides a systematic overview of the extent of this trilateral cooperation to date. It shows that tensions within the Northeast-Asian triangle are caused not only by historic, territorial and maritime conflict, but also by the increasing competition between the US and China for primacy in the Asia-Pacific. To date trilateral cooperation between Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul therefore has a mixed but overall modest balance sheet, especially in security policy. The format is nevertheless significant in that it provides an institutional framework for exchanging views and keeps open channels of communication below “high politics”, even in times of heightened bilateral tensions.
Russland tritt als Protagonist internationaler Terrorismusbekämpfung auf und begründet damit seinen Militäreinsatz in Syrien. Vom Beginn des zweiten Tschetschenienkriegs 1999 bis ins Jahr 2013 sah es sich mit 75 größeren Terroranschlägen auf seinem Staatsgebiet konfrontiert, die Hunderte Zivilistinnen und Zivilisten das Leben kosteten. Verantwortlich dafür war eine über Tschetschenien hinausgehende Aufstandsbewegung im Nordkaukasus. Aus dieser Region kommen in den letzten drei Jahren zwiespältige Nachrichten. Einerseits heißt es, der bewaffnete Untergrund sei deutlich geschwächt und zersplittert. Andererseits verlagerte sich der regionale Jihad, der sich als »Kaukasus-Emirat« manifestiert hatte, auf die globale Ebene, weil Kämpfer aus der Region sich islamistischen Milizen in Syrien und Irak anschlossen. Von dauerhafter Stabilität ist der Nordkaukasus wohl noch entfernt. Das zeigte zuletzt eine Serie von Anschlägen auf Sicherheitskräfte in Tschetschenien im Dezember 2016 und im März 2017. Zudem stellt sich für Russland, seine Nachbarn im Kaukasus und in Zentralasien wie auch für Europa die Frage, wie viele Jihadisten aus dem nun schrumpfenden IS-Territorium in ihre Heimatregionen zurückkehren werden.
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Painters from the Middle East and North Africa Region donated artwork to the International Peace Institute for the Middle East and North Africa (IPI-MENA) during an “Art for Peace” exhibition hosted in collaboration with Wedad Al Bakr, a Saudi painter and peace advocate.
Zakeya Zada, a Bahraini artist, cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the exhibition—dedicated to addressing the growing need for peace and stability in the MENA region and beyond—on April 2nd in Manama.
Artistic compositions representing unique renditions of peace were showcased by prominent painters, which included Mayasa Al Sowaidi, Zakeya Zada, Dawiya Ebrahim, Thajba Najeeb, Wedad Al Bakr, Ali Almahmeed, Abbas Almosawi, Abderrazak Hamouda, and Ebrahim Busaad.
The event was inaugurated by Nejib Friji, Director of IPI-MENA, Wedad Al Bakr and the donor painters.
The works, donated to IPI-MENA as a token of dedication of the artists’ commitment to advocating peace, were signed by the painters—5 women and 4 men—who devoted their talents and skills as canvas to illustrate the ever-increasing necessity of comprehensive and lasting peace.
The exhibition, attended by diplomats, senior officials, artists, academics, media and members of civil society involved a discussion and exchange around art inspiring, reinforcing and mobilizing global efforts of peace, tolerance and sustainable development.
Abderrazak Hamouda, Tunisian-Swiss calligrapher, quoted Syrian poet Adonis, asking, “How can we write poetry about peace, if we are not living in peace?” He stated that this provided the inspiration behind his calligraphy of “I hope Peace” on canvas, which he donated to IPI-MENA.
Ali Almahmeed, Painter and President of the Bahrain Arts Society, said “donating my peace-inspired paintings to the IPI is in line with my conviction that all efforts should contribute to the culture of peace.”
Thajba Najeeb elaborated on how her paintings reflected an “internal struggle for peace, and that we need to start within ourselves” in order to spread a like-minded global philosophy.
Dawiya Ebrahim stated that her painting was “inspired by the need to help peace to prevail in the region and beyond amid the many conflicts tearing up the MENA region.”
Abbas Almosawi said “our combat for peace requires our artworks as weapons.”
Saudi painter Wedad Al Bakr hailed her team of painters “for accepting the opportunity to act as peace messengers.”
The artists voiced their appreciation to IPI-MENA for providing a platform that effectively brought like-minded talents to share a vision and understanding of regional peace challenges through artwork, and to inspire and encourage new generations to find ways in which to contribute to sustainable peace.
In his closing remarks, Mr. Friji expressed his sincere gratitude to the artists for bringing “beauty at the service of peace and connecting the world of art and the world of policy-making and research to create a better, safer and more tolerant world for all of us.” He also stated that the artwork donated “will create the first permanent art collection dedicated to peace at the International Peace Institute.”
Related Coverage:
“English News Bulletin,” Bahrain News Agency (April 2, 2017)
“Artists Unite for Peace,” Daily Tribune Bahrain (April 2, 2017)
You can read here the article written by George Tzogopoulos on the visit of US Secretary State Rex Tillerson to Japan, South Korea and China. The article was published on 1 April 2017 in To Vima.
The new book: The Greek civil society and the economic crisis authored by ELIAMEP Senior Research Fellow and Associate Professor at the University of Athens, Dimitri P. Sotiropoulos, has been published. You can find more information about the book here (in Greek).
Alors que les « affaires » ont laissé peu de place au débat de fond, la vie des idées continue. Les intellectuels s’engagent auprès de la société civile et souvent hors de l’arène politique. « Aujourd’hui nous requiert, il y a urgence. » Ainsi s’exprimait, en janvier dernier sur la scène du Théâtre de […]
Cet article L’autre campagne des intellectuels est apparu en premier sur Fondapol.