"Providing a refreshing take on transitional justice, this thoroughly revised second edition brings together an expanse of scholarly expertise to reconsider how societies deal with gross human rights violations, structural injustices and mass violence. Contextualised by historical developments, it c
...
overs a diverse range of concepts, actors and mechanisms of transitional justice, while shedding light on the new and emerging areas in the field. Wholly engaging with the field's upward trajectory, this Handbook explores important new ground on existing issues of transitional justice, including masculinities, witnesses and the role of archives. This updated edition also engages with newly evolving areas of study, such as counter-terrorism, climate change, colonialism and non-paradigmatic transitions." (Publisher description)
more
"Local media that cater to their local communities are still rare in Arab countries due to government control and centralization of media production. In some transitional states, however, we observe a mushrooming of new local small media initiatives after regulation modes have changed. Yet, these me
...
dia operate in often fragile states in which a sustainable development of autonomous media is difficult to achieve. In this study, we investigate how local media in Iraq and Libya unfolded and developed over the past decade(s) after regime change. We map the status quo and compare the proliferation of small local media in both countries against the backdrop of media capture and flawed media regulation – patterns that are typical for transitional states." (Abstract)
more
"This research report explores the strengths and weaknesses of four different frameworks tech companies, governments, and civil society can use to assess harms and benefits of new technologies. The four frameworks include human rights, conflict sensitivity, ethics, and human security. The research m
...
ethodology involved interviews among diverse stakeholders in technology and civil society sectors. This research contributes policy recommendations for developing practical, operationalizable guidance that could have an immediate impact on tech companies’ work in countries or regions at risk of human rights abuses and violent conflict." (Abstract)
more
"Die vorliegende Studie untersucht, welche Rolle Massenmedien in der politischen Transformation im Irak nach 2003 gespielt haben. Dabei diskutiert Anja Wollenberg zunächst, ob und in welcher Weise politischer Wettbewerb, Partizipation, Kritik und Kontrolle von irakischen Rundfunkmedien ermöglicht
...
und mobilisiert wurden. Die Untersuchung von klassisch-demokratischen Kernfunktionen wird erweitert um die Frage nach den spezifischen Merkmalen von Öffentlichkeit im Kontext von fragiler Staatlichkeit. Das Spannungsverhältnis zwischen Stabilisierung und Demokratisierung sowie die Überlagerung alter und neuer Verhaltensmuster in der journalistischen Praxis rücken damit in den Fokus der Untersuchung." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more
"This paper explores the role professional independent media and journalists can play in circumstances where people’s very survival may rely upon trustworthy information about conflicting factions, violence, or rescue efforts. It also looks at the approaches that have been tried and tested in ligh
...
t of the major challenges faced by the international media development community at local and regional levels. These efforts in fostering quality journalism as a public good in itself can support the realization of other human rights. A professional and pluralistic media environment does not only provide the necessary information to survive from one day to the next, it can also maximize the chances for dialogue and help reconciliation and political transformation processes. It can be argued that media development cooperation in areas of conflict and in countries with authoritarian regimes is needed the most. However, it also faces the highest obstacles in being able to reach the right stakeholders, being effective, and keeping all those involved secure." (Page 3)
more
"Der Zerfall von Staaten ist eine wesentliche Bedrohung für die Bürger der betroffenen Länder und für die internationale Sicherheit. Wenn ein Staat seine essenziellen Aufgaben nicht mehr erfüllen kann, versuchen andere Akteure diese Lücken zu schließen. Aber wie kommt es dazu, dass Nationalst
...
aaten zunehmend fragil werden oder in letzter Konsequenz buchstäblich zerfallen? Kai Hirschmann zeigt die Dynamik solcher Prozesse und identifiziert zentrale Ursachen: konstruierte Staatsgebilde infolge kolonialer Grenzziehungen, schwache oder delegitimierte Institutionen sowie Eingriffe von außen. Wie die Dekonstruktion von Staaten in der Praxis verläuft, beschreibt er anhand etlicher Beispiele: etwa in den Nachfolgestaaten der Sowjetunion, in den im Umbruch befindlichen Ländern der arabischen Welt, in ressourcenreichen aber künstlichen Staaten in Afrika, in stark von Organisierter Kriminalität geprägten Staaten in Lateinamerika sowie in Mitgliedstaaten der Europäischen Union, die mit separatistischen Bestrebungen konfrontiert sind. Einen besonderen Fokus legt Hirschmann dabei auch auf den Zusammenhang zwischen Staatszerfall und Dschihadismus, wie er sich in Irak, Syrien, Jemen, Libyen, Nigeria und Somalia besonders eklatant zeigt. So unterschiedlich die Beispiele scheinen mögen, so sehr hilft seine präzise Analyse dabei, das Phänomen fragiler Staaten theoretisch fassbar zu machen." (Verlagsbeschreibung)
more
"This policy briefing examines the prospects for media being able to play that role, especially in fragile states. It concludes that the evidence supporting the effectiveness of media as an accountability actor continues to mount even when the performance of other anti-corruption measures are called
...
into question. It looks at the increasing pressures facing independent media in fragile states, especially those of political co-option and a reduction in media freedom. It suggests that these pressures are intensifying precisely because media is so effective at holding power to account and exposing corruption. It argues that independent media need more attention from international development actors not only financially but also through their strategic focus and influence they can bring to bear to supporting media freedom. Without it, such media are likely to struggle to survive and corruption can be expected to increase." (BBC Media Action website)
more
"Media development organisations regard polarisation and a lack of ethical standards as the main problems in conflict societies. Our interviews with both Europe-based and local media development actors show that their support programmes address journalists as enablers of an inclusive public discours
...
e and as proponents of the human right to freedom of expression. Assistance for journalists increasingly considers the bigger newsroom structure, taking the form of long term counselling or mentoring and often focusing on professional standards and ethics. In addition, media development actors emphasise a need for increased coordination and cooperation within the sector, higher prioritisation of media development in foreign policy and a more thorough understanding of local conditions before commencing engagement on the ground." (Executive summary)
more
"Why has the US so dramatically failed in Afghanistan since 2001? Dominant explanations have ignored the bureaucratic divisions and personality conflicts inside the US state. This book rectifies this weakness in commentary on Afghanistan by exploring the significant role of these divisions in the US
...
’s difficulties in the country that meant the battle was virtually lost before it even began. The main objective of the book is to deepen readers’ understanding of the impact of bureaucratic politics on nation-building in Afghanistan, focusing primarily on the Bush administration. It rejects the ‘rational actor’ model, according to which the US functions as a coherent, monolithic agent. Instead, internal divisions within the foreign policy bureaucracy are explored, to build up a picture of the internal tensions and contradictions that bedevilled US nation-building efforts. The book also contributes to the vexed issue of whether or not the US should engage in nation-building at all, and if so under what conditions." (Publisher description)
more
"In the field of media development, the public sector is often viewed as a monolithic barrier to the development of independent and sustainable media. Although governments do frequently pervert and capture media sectors in countries around the globe, the enabling conditions under which media can ach
...
ieve and maintain independence are nevertheless reliant on institutions of government. Therefore the media development community must rethink its approaches to public sector engagement in more holistic efforts to improve the environment for media systems in emerging and fragile democracies." (Introduction)
more
"El manual que aquí se presenta tiene como propósito arrojar luces y facilitar herramientas, a partir de la experiencia práctica de periodistas y comunicadores, sobre los desafíos de los medios de comunicación en el posconflicto, basándose en una encuesta realizada a nivel nacional con distint
...
os profesionales de la comunicación. En particular, el manual se centra en el reportaje y el periodismo de datos como modos de reconstruir y narrar historias de paz. Además de ser una guía didáctica para la labor periodística, consideramos que este manual constituye un hito en el camino de promover la (re)construcción plural y responsable de la memoria histórica, y de un ejercicio clave para el posconflicto: el reconocimiento y la confrontación con el pasado, como punto de partida para la reconciliación del país." (Presentación, página 6)
more
"Contributors to the volume explore various questions concerning the opportunities and constraints for governance associated with the startling growth in digital technologies in the Global South. In areas of limited statehood, places where the reach of the state is limited and weak, can mobile phone
...
s, geographical information systems, and other digital technologies help fill the governance vacuum? In general, Livingston and Walter-Drop conclude with the contributors that where missing governance is information-based (bits), digital technology has a tremendous impact. Yet a major constraint is found in its ability to fill the governance vacuum concerning the provision of material collective goods (atoms)." (Abstract)
more
"This briefing examines how current media trends are affecting state and societal fragility, both positively and negatively, and argues that the role of a free and plural media should be prioritised rather than marginalised in fragile states policy. The paper provides case studies on the role and im
...
pact of the media in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kenya and Somalia, examines some of the main academic and policy debates that have characterised discussion around media and fragile states, and also considers the role of public service broadcasting in fragile states. According to the executive summary "support to the media in fragile states designed to minimise the risk of division and maximise the opportunities for dialogue should feature more prominently in assistance to such states." (CAMECO Update November 2013)
more
"This review identifies that while different initiatives can be pursued in different conflict situations, their direction and content needs to be driven by a close understanding of context, which in turn is driven by a range of influencing factors (contextual and programmatic), which in turn reflect
...
and build upon existing C4D practice principles. While identifying influencing factors that affect C4D implementation is critical to effective practice, this systematic review also highlights a need for early, more thorough and longer-term C4D interventions within fragile states (especially those that can be characterised by latent conflict and chronic instability). Early communication intervention can help reduce tension and promote reconciliation, but also enable development and humanitarian agencies to be better placed to address situations that may escalate into open conflict." (Conclusions, page 3)
more
"There is much literature and examples on how ICTs can be used by peace practitioners. However the bulk of this literature focuses on the use of ICTs before and during conflict, for example in conflict prevention and early warning. What about the use of ICTs in post-Conflict situations; after the ne
...
gotiation of peace agreements? How can ICTs be used in post-Conflict interventions; more specifically in post-Conflict peacebuilding and post-Conflict reconstruction and recovery? What role of can be played here by social media and user-generated content?" (Introduction)
more
"Media interventions by international organizations and NGOs in conflict and post-conflict situations seek to develop and shape a media system to contribute to specific political and social ends. The analyses and assessments that inform these interventions are often based on an overview of the forma
...
l media and governance structures, such as mass media and state institutions, and overlook informal structures that may be instrumental for political and development goals. This article proposes a framework that can incorporate both the formal and informal modes of communication and participation that characterize a society. This framework encourages a ‘diagnostic’ approach centred around three areas: power, flows, and participation, and enables researchers to take into consideration features that are often overlooked such as customary law; a range of public authorities from politicians to Imams and local elders; information flows that may vary from poetry to mobile phones; and the culture of communication. Examples from the Somali territories, which are characterized by a weak central government, are employed to highlight how informal structures and actors intervene in shaping information flows and the importance of accounting for them." (Abstract)
more
"[...] This series thus proposes to unpack the concepts of transparency and volatility across three major arenas of international affairs: security, diplomacy, and development. Each issue-area features two essays, each focusing on different aspects of transparency and/or volatility. Two additional e
...
ssays (by Gerald Hyman and Joseph Siegle) examine the ramifications of the growing interplay between issue-areas in the information age. Some authors situate their research within the context of academic literature, while others are more focused on policy and/or operational contexts. Taken together, the papers in this series seek to usefully organize the issue under inquiry in order to render it manageable and understandable to a wider scholarly, policy, and practitioner audience.
While this paper series uses transparency and volatility as a framework for examining international relations in the information age, it does not necessarily place information and communication technologies at the forefront of the analysis. While some papers do focus on ICT, the purpose is not to minutely examine new forms of technology and their impact. Rather, the premise for this series is that ubiquitous global communication flows have, over time, created an encompassing information environment that nurtures transparency and volatility as pervasive conditions and/or guiding norms." (Introduction, page 4)
more
"This review identifies that while different initiatives can be pursued in different conflict situations, their direction and content needs to be driven by a close understanding of context, which in turn is driven by a range of influencing factors (contextual and programmatic), which in turn reflect
...
and build upon existing C4D practice principles. While identifying influencing factors that affect C4D implementation is critical to effective practice, this systematic review also highlights a need for early, more thorough and longer-term C4D interventions within fragile states (especially those that can be characterised by latent conflict and chronic instability). Early communication intervention can help reduce tension and promote reconciliation, but also enable development and humanitarian agencies to be better placed to address situations that may escalate into open conflict." (Conclusions, page 6)
more
"This research report considers the application of ToC to governance programmes in post-conflict and fragile states. It should be noted that, because of what information is available, the examples reviewed in this report are from post-conflict and least developed (though not necessarily fragile) sta
...
tes. They are mainly (but not all explicitly) governance-focused, and while some have elements of accountability, public sector management and public service delivery, none are about public financial management. The case studies discussed show that articulating and reviewing Theories of Change in peacebuilding programmes adds rigour and transparency, clarifies project logic, highlights assumptions that need to be tested and helps identify appropriate participants and partners. Yet, for ToC application to be effective, particularly in governance settings, a number of factors need to be taken into consideration, including: conflict analysis is critical for determining the relevance of activities in post-conflict contexts but is rarely done; gathering evidence to validate a Theory of Change is challenging, particularly in conditions of conflict and fragility; theories of Change can encourage an overly linear approach, when the reality of change in conflict contexts is complex and more organic; people involved, both staff and programme participants, may require a lot of support to understand the dynamics and effective use of ToC." (Overview, page 1-2)
more