Essays

“To the average person, politics during times of civil war is more about economics than anything else.” Discuss.

Liz Jardine-Smith • Jun 11 2008 • Essays

Although ideology might at first appear to be of major importance to average people involved in civil wars, it was often regarded as a means to an end: a method of securing basic necessities in times of political and economic flux. Economics, if it is taken to mean ‘how scarce resources are or should be allocated’, can be seen at the root of issues such as ideology and nationalism, or as a major contributing factor in their shift to prominence.

To What Extent Should States Regulate the Media Under International Law Relating to Violence Against Women?

Will Tucker • Jun 6 2008 • Essays

This piece aims to influence campaigns which are combating violence against women and to help organisations holding governments to account for the violence that States do not take adequate action against.

What do you find more Convincing when Explaining the Outbreak of Intra-state Wars: Greed or Grievance?

James Boot • Jun 3 2008 • Essays

Understanding the causes of such human devastation is arguably the most important question facing contemporary peace research. Can the desire for self-enrichment by corrupt government elites or rebel leaders be solely responsible? Are we to believe the rhetoric of the latter who claim they represent the interests of oppressed populations? In short, what is the most convincing explanation for the outbreak of intra-state wars?

Evaluating the Potential of Public-Private Partnerships in Global Governance

Fedor Meerts • May 29 2008 • Essays

This essay deals with a central question regarding the value of Public-Private Partnerships: what governance functions can they accomplish that neither public nor private authority can accomplish independently? The question boils down to two subsidiary questions, which will be dealt with in turn: (1) What governance functions cannot be accomplished unilaterally by public actors on the one hand and private actors on the other? (2) How can PPPs overcome these governance problems?

Ethnicity, Identity and the 2007-2008 Electoral Violence in Kenya

Adam Groves • May 25 2008 • Essays

Violence surrounding the recent election in Kenya has gained high-profile media coverage in Europe and North America. In this context, the dynamics of nationalism and ethnicity in Africa—and popular understandings of the role of ‘identity’—represents a pertinent subject for critical analysis.

State Building, the Colonial Legacy and Development: How the North and South Were Born

Nicolo Nourafchan • May 25 2008 • Essays

Developed regions are generally able to provide basic welfare services for their citizens, while developing regions are plagued by extreme poverty, government ineffectiveness, and other socioeconomic adversities.Many scholars have attributed these disparities to the different processes through which state formation occurred in developed and developing countries. It is the purpose of this essay to examine these claims by comparing the state building processes.

An Examination of the Personality Types of Three Intelligence Leaders Within the British Intelligence Community

Oliver Lewis • May 25 2008 • Essays

This study examines officials within the British intelligence community – Nicholas Elliott, Maj. Gen. Sir Kenneth Strong and Dame Stella Rimington – to ascertain any commonalities in the traits and type of their personalities. Being psychologically-informed, the study employs the Five-Factor Model and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator on the leader’s autobiographies to identify the primary motivational traits to inform their categorisation into a personality type. While none of the leaders share a single personality type, there are considerable commonalities in trait behaviour and positioning on the MBTI dichotomies. Furthermore, there emerge common trait dimensions shared by successful intelligence leaders (INTJ): Guarded social engagement (Introverted), creativity and intellect (Intuition), rational impartiality (Thinking) and systematic, efficient administrative ability (Judging).

A Bloodless War: An Analysis of the Weapons used by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines

Nicolo Nourafchan • May 22 2008 • Essays

Through an analysis of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, this essay sheds some light on the strategies which successful transnational action networks have pursued in their efforts to shape policy .

Ethno-Politics, Mobilization and Violence in Northern Ireland and the Basque Country

Pavlos Ioannis Koktsidis • May 14 2008 • Essays

The conflicts in Northern Ireland and the Basque Country have attracted a great deal of research on the macro-political, economic, social and conflict management parameters but there has been little research on the evolution and changing nature of ethno politics in regards to the radical ethno nationalist parties; namely Sinn Fein and Herri Batasuna

Do Nuclear Weapons still have a Role in International Relations in the Post-Cold War Era?

Martin Taggart • May 10 2008 • Essays

This essay questions the role of nuclear weapons in international society through an analysis of their function as a deterrent, nuclear terrorism and proliferation.

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