Surprising Trends Uncovered in New Homicide Visualization

Posted by & filed under Civilians in Conflict, Conflict Patterns

PRIO is a partner in a new global homicide monitor that has just been published. Hosted by the  Igarapé Institute in Brazil, the monitor presents counts and estimates of global homicide over the period 2000-2014 and is intended to provoke reflection and stimulate debate. The Monitor reports 437,000 homicides in 2012, the last year for which global estimates are available. A small number of countries account for a disproportionately large share of the global burden of homicide. For example, it is estimated that 2 out of every 5 people murdered around the world live in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela or South Africa.

The Homicide Monitor can be found here: http://homicide.igarape.org.br/. It is based upon technology developed by Google in conjunction with PRIO and the Igarapé Institute  for the Mapping Arms Data project that is hosted by PRIO and which visualizes the trade in small arms and their ammunition.

The Homicide Monitor interface panel. Photo: Screengrab

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This Week in South Sudan – Week 20

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Tuesday 12 May Members of Parliament passed the 2015 NGO bill that will regulate, monitor and require a new registration for NGOs within 3 months. A NGO umbrella group says the bill can lead to a humanitarian catastrophe. SPLA and SPLA (IO) fought over the control of Mayiandit county headquarters in Unity state. Wednesday 13… Read more »

The Buddhist Face of Peace: Buddhist Peace Initiatives in Times of Religious Intolerance

Posted by and & filed under Religion

Buddhist radicalism is on the rise in countries like Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Buddhist anti-Muslim rhetoric, violence against Muslim minorities and hate speech against UN officials are now global media sensations. Less known is the growing number of religious peace initiatives, by both Muslims and Buddhists, to address the situation. Recently, practitioners and scholars met in Bangkok to discuss ways forward.

Buddhist and Muslim religious leaders at inter-religious peace meeting in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Photo: Susan Hayward

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The Victory of Mustafa Akıncı in Northern Cyprus gives Hope to Turkish Cypriots of a Better Future

Posted by & filed under Civilians in Conflict, Conflict Patterns

Northern Cyprus held the second round of its presidential election on 26 April, with Mustafa Akıncı defeating the incumbent President, Derviş Eroğlu. Rebecca Bryant writes on what the result of the election might mean for the people of northern Cyprus and future negotiations with the Greek Cypriot-controlled Republic of Cyprus. She notes that while Akıncı’s victory has been met with euphoria on both sides of the island, all indications are that he will not only work toward a federation, but will also seek to defend the interests of Turkish Cypriots.

Turkish flag alongside the flag of the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Credit: Nick Leonard (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

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What Would Have Been New about Bombing Migrant Boats?

Posted by & filed under Humanitarianism, Migration

GUE/NGL (flickr)The European Union has made it clear that bombs were not part of the plan for war against people smuggling after all. “No one is thinking of bombing,” said Federica Mogherini, EU foreign policy chief, yesterday. The alleged plans for bombing had already caused widespread alarm and protest.

But what would have been new about bombing the boats that might have  ferried migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean? On the one hand, such action would have been unprecedented and dramatic — the ultimate militarization of migration control.

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After the swaggering celebrations, a “Now what?” moment for Russia

Posted by & filed under Regions and Powers

Chinese troops marching on the Red Square.

The extraordinary pomp around the celebration of the V-Day made it possible for Putin to sustain the momentum of mobilization created by last year’s Crimean anschluss. Now that the fanfare and fireworks have fallen silent, this momentum may dissipate—and Putin, who has made himself into the central figure in militarized festivities, can ill afford such a slackening of “patriotic” fervor. The heavy emphasis on the decisive and glorious victory won by the “grandfathers” sits poorly with the evasive and ambivalent discourse on the on-going war with “brotherly” Ukraine. For the aggressively “patriotic” propaganda, it is hard to explain the point of demonstrating all the tanks and missiles, if there is no intention to use them for achieving another great victory for Russia. Reckoning with reality is not an option for Putin, but the stock of other useful “national projects” is quite exhausted.

This is the final passage from the article in Eurasia Daily Monitor, May 11.

This Week in South Sudan – May 1-11

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Friday 1 May The South Sudanese government accepted the involvement of the Troika countries in the IGAD + negotiations. The SPLA claimed they have regained control of rebel-held areas in Nhial Diu Payam, south-west of Unity state’s capital, Bentiu. The SPLA (IO) dismissed the claims, saying they tactically withdrew from some areas to avoid harming the civil population. Saturday 2 May… Read more »

Women’s Empowerment in India

Posted by & filed under Gender, Peacebuilding, Uncategorized

From participation to political agency

Women’s empowerment and equal participation in political life is important at all levels of Indian society.

A school outing in Taj Mahal. Photo: Jason Miklian, PRIO

Despite benefitting from reservations, women frequently experience obstacles when they participate in politics. However, to address women’s aspirations for political agency we should explore the emerging opportunities, and not only the challenges. We should also keep in mind that there are multiple aspects of identity, and huge differences in the economic and political status of women, within India as in the rest of the world. ‘Women’ is not a homogenous category that can be defined merely by the need for aid or support.Read More

Dead economy walking in South Sudan

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Ever since early 2012, South Sudan’s imminent economic collapse has been routinely predicted. Impressions from a recent visit to Juba indicate that this time around it might be more to these divinations than before.  The economic crisis is compounded by a de facto break-down in peace negotiations and South Sudan faces a formidable threat to… Read more »

A Climate of Conflicts?

Posted by and & filed under Conflict Patterns, Environment, Urbanization and Environment

Political violence correlates strongly with climate: Civil conflict risk is seven to ten times higher in dry and tropical climates than in continental climate zones. Yet, there is little evidence that climatic variability and change are important in understanding this pattern. The prospect of climate change causing forced migration and food and economic insecurity, meanwhile, raises new concerns about possible future conflict scenarios.

  • Climate change is not likely to have a common and universal effect on armed conflict risk.
  • Indirect effects of climate on conflict may work via migration, food insecurity or economic shocks.
  • Many of the factors that increase conflict risk also make societies vulnerable to climate change.
  • Investing in climate change adaptation is likely to have significant, positive security implications.

Read more in a recent Policy Brief from the Conflict Trends Project at PRIO.