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High Stakes at the Horizon: Türkiye General Elections 2023

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High Stakes at the Horizon: Türkiye General Elections 2023

Türkiye’s upcoming elections in June will be the most consequential in the country’s recent history. The country continues to suffer from pressures that threaten to tear apart the Turkish republic. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has continued to mould the political landscape around increasingly greater authoritarian leanings following the failed 2016 Coup. Furthermore, rampant inflation has decimated much of the country’s middle and working classes, even threatening currency collapse. The disastrous earthquake of 2023 and the government’s subsequent response has decimated one of the country’s most insecure regions, impacting the upcoming election. The outcome of the election will ultimately prove to be decisive in determining the future direction of one of NATO’s most critical members.

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Women's Bodies as a Battlefield: Gender-Based Violence in Honduras

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Women's Bodies as a Battlefield: Gender-Based Violence in Honduras

Honduras has been named on several occasions the worst place in the world to be a woman. High levels of gender-based violence persist in a climate of chronic generalised violence. The obvious threat of criminal groups, gangs, and corruption, belies the less perceptible threat of an embedded patriarchal and sexist culture. Women and young girls experience a wide range of violence in both private and public spaces that perpetuate their vulnerability and victimisation in a state that is unwilling and unable to protect them, driving many of them to flee the country.

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One year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine: How the country has changed

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One year of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine: How the country has changed

On the 24th of February, the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is marked. The war has awakened the Ukrainian nation more assertively than it was after the start of Russian aggression in 2014. The Ukrainian Army is actively upgrading, taking advantage of NATO’s ammunition provision and training support. The country continues undertaking overdue reforms, particularly addressing corruption. Finally, Ukraine revives its national identity, uniting people from all over the country and resisting the enemy. This article analyses the main changes that have taken place in Ukraine since its Russia’s full-scale invasion.

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Russian Inroads in Africa: Responsible Power Projection or Regional Instability Preservation

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Russian Inroads in Africa: Responsible Power Projection or Regional Instability Preservation

The African continent has never received significant political attention from Russia’s government, Russian economic investments, or tight trade ties. The peculiarity of Russian-African relations is the specific role of private but indeed state-connected military actors in ensuring Russian presence on the continent. One of the illustrative examples of such a presence is the activity of Prigozhin’s “Company” network, which includes the military organization called “Wagner group”. 

Gas, War, and Europe: (I) The Announced Energy Crisis

Gas, War, and Europe: (I) The Announced Energy Crisis

This first part of the series “Gas, War, and Europe” aims to analyse the different factors that have shaped the longstanding dependency of the European Union (EU) on Russian gas, and how these have laid the foundations for the energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. For this, the spotlight is placed on the interdependence of economic, political, and infrastructural issues as the main factors capable of explaining the current situation.

Can Australia be the new “global critical minerals powerhouse” by 2030?

Can Australia be the new “global critical minerals powerhouse” by 2030?

Critical minerals are important as they are essential in the construction of sustainable energy technologies that will be necessary to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Australia is developing towards becoming an integral part of the international critical minerals supply chain. But to become one of the main suppliers of critical minerals Australia needs to attract investments and challenge China’s dominant position in the downstream of critical minerals.

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Putin "cannot remain in power" – Were Biden’s words a blunder or intentional?

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Putin "cannot remain in power" – Were Biden’s words a blunder or intentional?

On the 26th of March 2022, the President of the United States of America (USA), Joe Biden, visited Warsaw to rally North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries in support of Ukraine [1]. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the end of February, the Western world had started sanctioning the aggressor rather than getting involved militarily [2]. Biden addressed the US allies in a very long speech that contained words described as surprising by some and alarming by others. This article aims at providing an alternative view of the two main narratives that address Biden’s statement that Putin cannot remain in power.

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Antigypsyism: the taboo story of Europe

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Antigypsyism: the taboo story of Europe

The European Commission has finally put out its word on the decades-old phenomenon of antigypsyism. From physical attacks in the East to dormant systematic discrimination in the West, Roma people are the taboo story of Europe. Despite the recent efforts of the European institution for inclusion, anti-Roma sentiment is deeply rooted, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the problem.

The Malware Targeting Human Life and Weaponising Interdependency

The Malware Targeting Human Life and Weaponising Interdependency

Unprecedented internet connectivity in dangerous machinery and the essential function of society requires preventative cyber risk solutions. This article reviews the new Kinetic Cyber, the UK’s upcoming Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill and reflects upon International Humanitarian Law (IHL) relating to weapons of mass destruction.

The Kremlin’s Meta-narratives: The centralized sources of Russian information warfare

The Kremlin’s Meta-narratives: The centralized sources of Russian information warfare

The exploitation of the information space of targeted countries represents an advantageous tactic for the Kremlin that levels the battlefield below the threshold of an open confrontation. The means of Russian information warfare are carefully crafted narratives used as tools to destabilize the information space of targeted countries. The narratives created by Russia are either entirely false or diluted truths void of context. This article will argue that the narratives created and disseminated during Russian disinformation campaigns do not emerge independently of existing meta-narratives. The narratives used in disinformation campaigns will be viewed as tools used on an ad hoc basis connected to one of the Kremlin’s central meta-narratives.

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Terrorist use of the Metaverse: new opportunities and new challenges

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Terrorist use of the Metaverse: new opportunities and new challenges

Research shows that terrorists use the Internet to spread their propaganda, communicate, fund their organisations and attacks, train aspiring terrorists and plan and execute attacks off- and online. With the emergence of the metaverse – or Web3 – opportunities will unfold for terrorists online, and so will challenges to tackle these opportunities. Recruitment and attack planning possibilities will likely emerge and new targets might appear. A set of new laws, regulations and capabilities will therefore certainly be needed from stakeholders to ensure users’ safety and prevent the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes.


Political violence: three reasons education matters

Political violence: three reasons education matters

This article examines the phenomenon of political violence through the lens of education. It is based on a macro-analysis of political violence and discusses the importance of education for peace, democracy, and stability. It concludes that when studying the phenomenon of political violence, education matters because it instils citizenship values in the new generation, shapes the perception of social identities, and can cultivate a culture of peace or violence.

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Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine: How did we get here?

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Russia launches a full-scale invasion of Ukraine: How did we get here?

On February 24th, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Although evidence detected by United States (US) intelligence services revealed that the Kremlin was planning an invasion [1], the attack nonetheless came as a shock to the whole world. The war in Ukraine is the largest invasion in Europe since the Second World War which has already caused the deaths of thousands and forced millions to become refugees. In light of these devastating developments, it is essential to look back and ask how we got here. For many in the West, Moscow’s actions seem unprecedented. Unfortunately, the Kremlin’s revisionist plans have long been clear for Russia’s immediate neighbours. However, alarms raised about Vladimir Putin’s imperial ambitions were willfully refused until the Kremlin’s tanks crossed Ukraine’s border.

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Land Without Law: The Effects Of Amazon Deforestation On Brazil’s National Security

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Land Without Law: The Effects Of Amazon Deforestation On Brazil’s National Security

Discourse constructed by the Brazilian military dictatorship framed deforestation as a tool to secure the nation and develop the Amazon region. This strategy has been revived by the current government of Jair Bolsonaro, despite its discordance with both the Brazilian population’s own perception of security and with Brazilian law, which defines unauthorised deforestation as a crime. The non-compliance of environmental norms produce manifold negative consequences not only for Brazilian society but also for the state, as it weakens the authority of legal institutions and may compromise positive diplomatic relations with other nations. Furthermore, in contrast to the governmental narratives, the destruction of the forest for cattle breeding and agricultural fields, in reality, does not generate profitable economic consequences for the Brazilian state and does not accelerate development in the Amazon region.

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The Situation in Afghanistan and the Prospects of Peace and Stability in the Region

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The Situation in Afghanistan and the Prospects of Peace and Stability in the Region

The article attempts to analyse the situation in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and its possible implications for the neighbouring countries and global powers. It builds arguments based on the ongoing developments in Afghanistan, challenges faced by the Taliban regime, apprehensions of neighbouring countries and risks for competing global powers. It also highlights that the present scenario has the potential of returning Afghanistan back to the status of a hub of transnational terrorist outfits and becoming a field of competition between rival global powers.


Why we need more climate security and less climate securitization: the case of Kyrgyzstan

Why we need more climate security and less climate securitization: the case of Kyrgyzstan

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, signed in 1992, marked a milestone when climate change concerns were raised globally, and the UN became a powerful speech actor securitizing climate change. In 2007, the UNSC debate on the international security implications of climate change focused on the threat of climate-related conflicts [1][2]. However, military and political institutions constantly frame climate change as a threat to national security and a priority for foreign policy [3] as well as a catalyst for future conflicts [4]. These narratives of danger are caused by the securitization of the environment had shaped policies, favouring technocratic solutions and development interventions in so-called climate hotspots.


Extreme Wives - A gender analysis of online extremism - The case of Jihadi Brides and TradWives

Extreme Wives - A gender analysis of online extremism - The case of Jihadi Brides and TradWives

Following the tumult of the Capitol Riot on January 6th, 2021 and the consequent social media ban of former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, debates around Internet governance have regained momentum. This has led to fervent contention on freedom of speech and social medias’ regulatory frameworks of content moderation. A key target of this moderation is extremist groups with a presence on social media, including the alt-right and jihadists. In particular, women of both groups have been playing an important role in the propagation of extremist ideologies online, frequently instrumentalising hyper-femininity to attract new followers. Because normative gender roles are exploited by violent groups, a gender analysis of how women propagate extremist ideologies is essential to effectively respond to online extremism. This article investigates similarities and differences of alt-right and jihadist women’s online presence and the role gender plays in shaping their respective propagandistic and recruitment methods on mainstream social media platforms.

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The Environmental Cost of the Future

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The Environmental Cost of the Future

Technology stands at the centre of human development. With it comes numerous problems, including how humanity has changed and continues to change its environment. This article explores some of the problems surrounding energy security, specifically those associated with Industry 4.0 (the fourth industrial revolution) as well as the field of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML). While there are few definitive solutions to the problems created by improving old technologies and implementing new ones, change is dependent on sparking conversations about sustainability and ultimately the type of future humanity chooses to create for itself.

The Securitization of Climate Induced Migration: Environmental Conflict Discourses and The Imaginative Geographies of Fear

The Securitization of Climate Induced Migration: Environmental Conflict Discourses and The Imaginative Geographies of Fear

The nexus between Climate Change and security has obtained much relevance in the 21st century. Climate Change is perceived to be a source of insecurity that has the potential to exacerbate existing security threats. Climate Change is thus viewed as a ‘threat multiplier’ and a source that can induce violent conflicts when viewed through the lens of Environmental Conflict Discourses. Environmental Conflict Discourses (ECD) link traditional security concerns to the environment. ECD prioritizes the security of the state over the human populations engaging in conflict and also identifies migration as a trend that can aggravate environmentally induced conflict. ECD asserts that groups within society will likely engage in conflict once natural resources deplete due to environmental degradation. Resource scarcity and the conflict that ensues because of climate induced environmental degradation may force people to move across borders and become potential ‘Climate Refugees’. ECDs however, lack widespread empirical evidence to support the claim of a direct causal link between Climate Change, conflict and migration. It can be argued that ECDs have played a more substantial role in the imaginative geographies of fear about climate refugees which have informed policies to securitize Climate Induced Migration (CIM).

Emirati Rain Enhancement Projects: A Legal Analysis

Emirati Rain Enhancement Projects: A Legal Analysis

The United Arab Emirates leads the Arabian Peninsula in the implementation of rain-enhancement techniques in a region increasingly challenged by water scarcity. Although cloud seeding is an ancient field of study, it is still poorly understood and controlled, leaving numerous questions unanswered. What are the benefits and limits of these techniques, especially regarding their militarization? To what extent does the state have a right to water contained in the clouds? This article explores the new electrical shock method of cloud seeding of the United Arab Emirates, which compensates for the limitations of older methods, and questions the international regulation of environmental modifications techniques.