Year: 2024

Pixel, Politik, Polemik – Digitale Gaming-Welten als politische und gesellschaftliche Diskursräume

Written on 15. August 2024. Posted in Deutsch, RadiGaMe: Radicalization in Gaming-Worlds.

Videospiele sind ein wachsender Wirtschaftszweig und eine beliebte Freizeitbeschäftigung. Gaming- und gaming-nahe digitale Plattformen werden zudem immer mehr zu politischen Diskursräumen, in denen sich Millionen von Menschen zu aktuellen Ereignissen austauschen Sie sind Bestandteil moderner Wahlkämpfe und werden für politische Bildungsarbeit genutzt. Wichtige gesellschaftliche Debatten werden hier abgebildet, und beeinflusst. Deshalb ist es unabdingbar, digitale Gaming-Welten als neue gesellschaftliche Diskursräume zu begreifen, ihren Einfluss ernst zu nehmen und sie in politische Kommunikationsstrategien einzubeziehen. Dies gilt insbesondere deshalb, weil anti-demokratische Akteure momentan Teile dieser Gaming-Räume zu beeinflussen versuchen und demokratische Gegenrede unzureichend praktiziert wird.

a large crowd holding up two posters showing the head of two men.

Early Warning for New Trouble? Increasing Social Polarization in Guinea-Bissau

Written on 13. August 2024. Posted in English.

Gen Z protests have kept governments in, among others, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda, in suspense for weeks. Off the international radar, Guinea-Bissau has witnessed cross-generational protests lately, following an alleged coup attempt in late 2023. Protestors accuse the President of orchestrating the coup to dissolve parliament by decree. Many in Guinea-Bissau now challenge the presidency and demand adherence to the election schedule, with elections set for November 2024. This blog post takes the protests as a moment to widen the view, offering both narrative and counter-narrative readings of the coup attempt to contextualize the current political situation.

Photo of women with matching t-shirts, one is holding up a sign that says "Hear the voices of FGM/C survivors"

Keeping up the Ban against FGM/C: A Strong Signal for Reproductive Health and Rights from The Gambia to the World

Written on 8. August 2024. Posted in English, Feminist Peace Research.

Despite a 2015 ban, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) remains practiced in The Gambia. A recent bill to repeal the ban now endangered legislative progress so many Gambian women have been holding onto as well as longstanding efforts of civil society organizations. On 15 July 2024, following extensive community engagement and advocacy, the bill was successfully rejected. In the face of a global backlash against sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), what can activists worldwide learn from this success? This blog features an interview with Fatou Baldeh, founder of Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL) and a leading activist in maintaining the FGM/C ban.

Five people and a dog are seen outlined in orange, against an orange background. Two of the people talk to each other, one stands along with a stick, one walks a dog, and the other is in a wheelchair. All of them look at their mobile phones intently, and all cast shadows on the ground. The shadows are made up of network diagrams, being representative, rather than literal shadows.

Going to the Polls (Dis)Informed? The Role of Disinformation in the Upcoming US Elections

Written on 7. August 2024. Posted in English, The US Presidential Election 2024.

On July 21, 2024, Joe Biden announced that he would be dropping out of the race, only a week after the assassination attempt on now official Republican candidate, Donald Trump. The electoral campaign which has so far been characterized by immense uncertainty, provides a perfect breeding ground for the spread of disinformation about the candidates and election process itself. As the stakes of the upcoming US elections remain incredibly high for both domestic and international politics, disinformation is becoming one of the most pressing challenges of our time.

Ein ungewöhnlicher Gefangenenaustausch: Win-Win oder ein gefährlicher Präzedenzfall?

Written on 6. August 2024. Posted in Deutsch.

Der am 1. August 2024 in Istanbul durchgeführte Austausch von insgesamt 26 Personen zwischen Russland und mehreren westlichen Ländern ist einer der größten und ungewöhnlichsten Austausche von Gefangenen seit dem Ende des Kalten Krieges. Die Entscheidung, zehn russische Agenten im Gegenzug für die Freilassung von 16 in Russland und Belarus inhaftierten russischen und westlichen Politikern und Journalisten aus der Haft zu entlassen, stößt jedoch vor allem in Deutschland auf heftige Kritik.

Big red brick building and pedestrian paths with groups of young people walking

Bangladesh Quota Protest – Tip of the Iceberg?

Written on 5. August 2024. Posted in English.

Violent clashes between students and police in Bangladesh have officially claimed more than 300 lives (unofficial figures are much higher). The students are protesting against a controversial quota system that reserves 56% of governmental jobs, leaving only 44% for general merit-based selection. Although the initial mobilisation of the students was about quota reform, the continuation of the protests indicates deep-rooted anger against the Sheikh Hasina government. Even if the protests are called off, which is not the case at the moment, justice for those who lost their lives in the protests will remain elusive.

French president Macron giving a speech at the European parliament.

The French Paradox: Risks to European Defence Harmonisation and Arms Export Control

Written on 5. August 2024. Posted in English.

In his speech on Europe on 25 April 2024, President E. Macron reiterated France's commitment to building a credible European strategic autonomy. Indeed, the country has one of the most important technological and industrial defence bases in the European Union. However, its often very nationalistic view of the European Union seems to hinder the harmonisation of a common defence strategy and the establishment of a rigorous arms export control system that guarantees the application of international humanitarian law (IHL).

Zehn Jahre nach dem Genozid: Die fortdauernde Krise der Jesiden

Written on 2. August 2024. Posted in Deutsch.

Am 3. August jährt sich der zehnte Jahrestag des Völkermords, den die radikal-religiöse Terrororganisation Islamischer Staat (IS) vor einem Jahrzehnt an den Jesiden im Irak verübte. Keine andere Gruppe erlebte die Gräueltaten des IS so direkt wie die Jesiden. Trotz der militärischen Niederlage des IS und der Rückeroberung der jesidischen Gebiete dauert ihr Leiden an. Angesichts anderer globaler Konflikte wie dem Ukraine-Krieg und dem Israel-Gaza-Konflikt geraten die anhaltenden Leiden der Jesiden zunehmend aus dem Blick. Dieser Blogartikel erläutert den Kontext und die Gründe, warum die Bedrohung der Jesiden nach wie vor anhält.

Eine Frankreichfahne mit Aufschrift „Ensemble pour la République“ der vereinigten Linken

Von Frankreich lernen und mehr Demokratie wagen

Written on 31. July 2024. Posted in Deutsch.

Frankreich steckt in einer beispiellosen Regierungskrise, aus der wir lernen können. Die Abstrafung der Regierungsführung Macrons bei der Parlamentswahl zeigt: Wer den Anliegen der eigenen Wählerschaft zu wenig Respekt zollt und sich bei seiner Wiederwahl zu sehr auf die Dämonisierung des Gegners stützt, kann nicht damit rechnen, als Sieger hervorzugehen. Eine lebendige demokratische Kultur fürchtet die Wähler nicht, sondern nimmt ihr Votum als Ausgangspunkt für politisches Handeln und Verhandeln.

Sunny garden with cacti, surrounded by trees, with a sign that says "Sunnylands 37977"

With or Without you: Climate Policy After the US Elections

Written on 30. July 2024. Posted in English, The US Presidential Election 2024.

The potential re-election of Donald Trump would be a setback for the US climate policy of recent years. Although emissions reductions remain insufficient, climate policy has been a priority under President Joe Biden. The attempts to find a cooperative format with China despite geopolitical tensions deserve special attention, as I argue in this blog post. This approach could also set an example for European and German foreign policy if Trump is re-elected. In any case, Germany and Europe must assume even greater responsibility and leadership in this policy area. This means meeting their own commitments and helping others to do the same.

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