Thirty-six years after the so-called Peaceful Revolution of 1989, the foundation stone for the Monument to Freedom and Unity was laid in Leipzig—a milestone in German commemorative culture. But as memories of the events fade, the once unifying narrative of the Peaceful Revolution as a success story is slowly beginning to crumble. Using survey data, this article examines knowledge and…

The Dayton Peace Agreement ended the Bosnian War, establishing the constitutional framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It achieved its immediate aim of ending direct violence, yet ended up creating a state apparatus that obstructs social equality and economic sovereignty. This Spotlight argues that the evaluation of its success must take two problems into account: the cementation of ethnic…

At the closing plenary of COP30 in Belém, United Nations (UN) Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell affirmed that “climate cooperation is alive and kicking, keeping humanity in the fight for a liveable planet”. 195 Parties approved the Belém Packages, intended to strengthen global climate policy. The adopted text set ambitious financial targets and launched two new initiatives: the…

From ancient caravan routes to modern highways, life in Mali has long depended on the free movement of people and goods. Recently, however, attacks on oil trucks by al-Qaeda affiliate, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), have brought life in many cities to a standstill. The southern and western regions of the country have not previously experienced militant Islamist activity at the scale…

36 Jahre nach der sogenannten Friedlichen Revolution von 1989 wurde in Leipzig der Grundstein für das Denkmal für Freiheit und Einheit gelegt – ein Meilenstein in der deutschen Erinnerungskultur. Gleichzeitig beginnt die Erzählung von der Friedlichen Revolution als Erfolgsgeschichte langsam zu bröckeln. Anhand von Umfragedaten untersucht dieses Spotlight das Wissen über und die Interpretation der…

What does it mean to resist when there are no slogans, no marches, no chants, only grief? This piece argues that the Women, Peace and Security agenda—despite its historic contributions—has often reduced women’s political agency to visibility, voice, and institutional participation. A feminist lens invites us to look beyond this framing and recognise the everyday, intimate, and affective forms of…

Discussions at the Berlin Security Conference 2025, one of Europe’s largest annual events on security and defense, shared similar conclusions: Plan A, credible deterrence, must be pursued vigorously so that Plan B, defense, never comes into effect. Related discussions concerned European resilience, the Swedish model of “Total Defense,” NATO’s European pillar, the endurance of the “Transatlantic…

Vorab bestanden hohe Erwartungen an die COP30: Belém sollte Raum für stärkere zivilgesellschaftliche Teilhabe schaffen und den Druck auf die Entscheidungsträgerinnen zugunsten einer ambitionierteren Klimapolitik erhöhen. In der Tat waren Indigene, Afrodeszendente und weitere Bewegungen so sichtbar wie selten zuvor. Konkrete politische Fortschritte blieben jedoch aus: Stagnation bei fossilen…