June is celebrated as pride month worldwide. It highlights the achievements that have been made regarding the rights of people with diverse sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, or sex characteristics. It also raises awareness about ongoing structural discrimination, inequality and violence. In peacebuilding contexts, individuals with diverse SOGIESC encounter severe backlash from anti-feminist actors aiming at the reversal of achievements as well as resistance from those trying to maintain the status quo.
Kategorie: Serien/Reihen
Shattered Lives: The Global Crisis of Sexual Violence in Conflict
June 19th is the international day for the elimination of sexual violence in conflict. It is a day of silent remembrance, as the crime of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) is not a priority on political agendas. Survivors are often too traumatized to report, or experience further criminalization and stigmatization. The recent annual report of the UN Secretary General stresses the continuous prevalence and the global scale of this horrific crime. This blog summarizes its core findings.
Politisierung in Zeiten schwacher politischer Normen: Zum Klima-Gutachten des Internationalen Seegerichtshofs
Ende Mai legte der Internationale Seegerichtshof ein mit Spannung erwartetes Gutachten vor. Eine Gruppe kleiner Inselstaaten hatte den Seegerichtshof im Dezember 2022 angerufen, um die Frage zu klären, was die Pflichten der Vertragsstaaten des Seerechtübereinkommens für den Klimaschutz umfassen. Der Seegerichtshof kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Staaten verpflichtet sind, die Meeresverschmutzung zu verhindern. Auch wenn das Gutachten rechtlich nicht bindend ist, dürfte es Auswirkungen auf die weitere Entwicklung der Rechtsprechung zum Klimaschutz haben. Zugleich ist fraglich, wie groß die normative Wirkung des Gutachtens sein kann, da die über den Kern des Völkerrechts hinausgehende regelbasierten Ordnung zurzeit an Bedeutung verliert.
The 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference: An opportunity to push gender responsive action
In preparation of the UN Climate Change Conference, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November of 2024, subsidiary bodies will meet 3-13 June at the Bonn Climate Change Conference to discuss which urgent issues shall be decided in Baku. Compared to the early years of the UN Climate Change Conferences that were established in the 1990s, it is no longer contested to see gender among the focal points. Gender has become an established topic to be addressed, and the necessity is recognized of implementing climate policies in gender-responsive ways. Nevertheless, related political practice still leave a lot to be desired.
Jugend in der Krise – Überforderung, Bewältigung und Radikalisierungspotenziale
Jugendliche stehen in dem Ruf, besonders radikal zu sein. Medial erregt derzeit die Studie „Jugend in Deutschland“ Aufmerksamkeit, in der sich ein Rechtsruck junger Menschen ablesen lässt. Auch die Debatten um „Krawallnächte“, in denen Jugendliche sich zu Hochzeiten der COVID-19 Pandemie eskalative Auseinandersetzungen mit der Polizei lieferten oder Diskurse über Jugendliche, die ins Ausland reisen, um sich der Terrormiliz „Islamischer Staat“ anzuschließen, prägen das Bild einer „radikalen“ Adoleszenz. In diesem Beitrag zeichnen wir eine doppelte Belastung aus den allgemeinen Herausforderungen des Heranwachsens und den spezifischen gesellschaftlichen Spannungen für Jugendliche nach. Wir erläutern, inwieweit sich aus dieser Doppelbelastung Radikalisierungspotenziale ergeben.
Resisting Energy Transition? Understanding Roadblocks in Northern Colombia
La Guajira in northern Colombia has seen a disproportionate number of roadblocks recently, especially connected to wind park construction sites, staged by people demanding that the state implement economic, social, and physical security improvements. This conflict is an example of local impacts of the global energy transition on historically marginalized people. In this Spotlight we argue that La Guajira is a prime case showing how the energy transition is leveraged to indirectly address the state through private companies.
Time for True Stories: Stereotypes Absolve Gendered Violence against Indigenous in Canada
Across North America, May 5 is a day to commemorate the thousands of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, two-spirit, and gender diverse people. Beyond giving space for remembrance and mourning, May 5 is connected to the aims of building knowledge, raising public awareness, stimulating solidarity and underlining the need for action to end the disproportionate deadly violence. While politics and the judicial system are reminded on this day to deliver rights and justice, another important factor for change should also gain attention: the collective imagery of the Indigenous needs to be decolonized to transform the systemic structures of violence.
Segmentierung des Cyberspace? Chinas und Russlands Decoupling-Bestrebungen und ihre Konsequenzen
Seit einigen Jahren zeichnet sich ein besorgniserregender Trend ab: Autoritär geprägte Staaten entkoppeln sich zunehmend von den globalen Internet-Infrastrukturen durch den Aufbau eigener IT-Systeme und -Infrastrukturen. Mittelfristig könnte diese Entwicklung zu einer Aufteilung des Cyberspace in unabhängig voneinander funktionierende Teile führen. Eine solche Segmentierung kann Bestandteil strategisch-außenpolitischer Interessensdurchsetzung sein. Damit wird die ohnehin brüchige Stabilität des Cyberraums nachhaltig untergraben und das Risiko schwerwiegender Cyberattacken erhöht.
A Green Recovery for Ukraine: How to Avoid the Trap of Green Colonialism?
The environment is not a silent victim in Russia’s war against Ukraine; the long-term threats for the people of Ukraine are already visible. The environmental dimension of the war has been documented from early on. In this respect, the war is a model for future military conflicts. President Zelenskyy emphasized in his peace plan that green reconstruction is an essential element for a just and sustainable future. Green reconstruction, as every reconstruction, needs international support and local engagement. In this blog post, we identify the conditions that must be met to ensure that local groups are empowered and new international dependencies are avoided.
A Gap between Social and Ecological Rights: A Commentary after One Year of the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act
Frequent violations of human, labor, and environmental rights continue to impact supply chains globally, with notable prevalence in the Global South, but also in the Global North. The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (SCDDA, in German: Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz [LkSG]), enacted in 2023, represents significant progress in upholding rights within the context of socio-ecological transformation across value chains. However, the law faces challenges, particularly in terms of its prospective enforcement and the absence of a cohesive link between social and ecological rights. This article provides a commentary and argues that addressing these issues should be a priority.
