The myth that African agriculture and livestock farming is causing desertification originated early in the colonial times. The reason was that colonial authorities wanted to exploit resources for their own profits. Efficient management of natural resources was presented as part of the white man’s burden. The losers were smallholder farmers and herders who lost access… Read more »
Nils Petter Gleditsch: Ted Gurr Has Passed Away
Sad news: Ted Robert Gurr died on 25 November
He was a true giant of our field, who will be remembered for his contributions to the study of civil violence, crime, genocide, democracy, and ethnic conflict – and more.
Ted’s main contribution to the study of civil violence, Why Men Rebel, was published as early as 1970 and quickly became a standard reference. His formula for what generates rebellion – opportunity plus motive plus shared identity – remains central to the field.
– No Land, No Life
Why are individuals willing to join armed groups and fight over land access? To find answers to this question I studied a militia in the Mt Elgon conflict in Kenya. A key finding of interviews with 75 ex-members of the SLDF militia was that the economic importance of land for farming communities is important for… Read more »
A More Comprehensive Measure of Women’s Wellbeing
Despite major strides, women in many countries continue to face huge constraints in personal security, social and political inclusion, and legal protections that harm their wellbeing and hold back economies.
Several global indices endeavor to capture women’s status in countries around the world, distilling an array of complex information about their lives into a single number. However, most are limited to indicators of inclusion, such as whether women complete secondary school or are represented in parliament or paid work. These aspects of inclusion are important, but incomplete in the absence of aspects of justice and security. For example, to get a full measure of a girl’s well being, data on schooling alone is insufficient, if she is not safe in her community.
Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) have taken a new approach to measuring women’s wellbeing. Recent research has shown how this “scorecard diplomacy” can be a powerful agent for change. Highly comparative and easy to understand numbers call out low performers and help to reinforce good performance.
This Week in South Sudan – Week 47
Tuesday 21 November Conflicting reports over clashes in Ayod area, Jonglei State. SPLM (IO) rejected the recent reunification deal between SPLM and SPLM Former Detainees (SPLM-FD) signed in Cairo, Egypt. Pagan Amum denies that the SPLM (IO) is excluded from the process, saying that this is part of the implementation of the Arusha agreement. Wednesday… Read more »
Climate Change, Jihadism and Policy Failures in the Sahel
On the 22 November 2017, the Subcommittee on Security and Defence in the European Parliament held a public hearing on the ‘The Security Dimension of Climate Change – What Implications for EU Common Security and Defence Policy?’. I was one of three invited speakers at this event, and talked about ‘Climate Security in the Sahel’…. Read more »
This Week in South Sudan – Week 46
Monday 13 November The President of Sudan, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, arrived in Kampala for a two-day state visit to met with his Ugandan counter part, President Yoweri Museveni to discuss, amongst other things, the situation in South Sudan. Tuesday 14 November Following diplomatic pressure from the US, the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) has promised… Read more »
Why Isn’t Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Treated the Same as Gender-Based Violence in Humanitarian Contexts?
The recent #MeToo hashtag and associated social media storm highlighted the extensiveness of sexual abuse and harassment and the exploitation of women and girls (and in some cases men and boys) by those in positions of power. It showed that the problem does not come down to a few “bad apples”, but is systemic, impacting people around the globe and of varying socio-economic levels.
UN Peacekeepers Day celebration in the DR Congo. PHOTO: Wikimedia Commons
Sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) is most prominent in contexts where people experience gendered and material vulnerabilities or inequalities, such as in conflict and post-conflict contexts and during natural disasters where unequal power dynamics, material deprivation and insecurity are rife. SEA perpetrated by UN peacekeepers is probably the most insidious and well-known example of this dynamic.
Zimbabwe: from Coup to Democratization?
In the early hours of the morning on 15 November, the Zimbabwean military placed President Mugabe under house arrest. The coup against one of the longest serving rulers in Africa appears to have been a reaction to Mugabe’s ouster of his vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa, to pave the way for his wife as the successor to his rule.
Robert and Grace Mugabe. Wikimedia Commons
Dictators are often deposed in military coups, and historically as many as 2/3 of all deposed dictators suffer this fate. The question now is: what kind of rule will Zimbabwe see after the fall of Mugabe? In a best-case scenario, this coup could be the beginning of the end of dictatorial rule in Zimbabwe.
This Week in South Sudan – Week 45
Tuesday 7 November Sudanese presidential assistant Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid met with the British and Norwegian special envoy to discuss the regional and international efforts to end South Sudan’s civil war. SPLA officer from Aweil, Col. Chan Garang Lual, has reportedly defected to join the SPLA (IO) together with an unconfirmed number of other SPLA officers and… Read more »