PRIF Spotlight

Cover PRIF Spotlight 9/2023Die ständige Reihe PRIF Spotlight stellt eine der Hauspublikationen nun auch im Blog bereit: aktuelle politische und gesellschaftliche Themen, die für die Friedens- und Konflikt­forschung relevant sind, werden hier für ein breites Publikum aufbereitet. PRIF SPOTLIGHTs stehen kostenfrei als PDF-Download und gedruckte Version zur Verfügung – und nun auch als Blogbeitrag!

 

 

Beyond the Code: Unveiling Gender Dynamics in AI and Cybersecurity for International Security

Image shows a screen with footage from two surveillance cameras and the caption "Camera 08" underneath. The footage shows an open room with several people, in the front you can see two women wearing medical masks
Emerging technologies are transforming foreign and security policy as they challenge traditional understandings of power, influence and security. Developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and the increasing importance of cyberspace are some of the most prominent in this ...

Localization of Fatal Police Violence: Evidence from the Philippines

President Rodrigo Duterte with his son, mayoral aspi- rant Sebastian “Baste” Duterte in Davao City on May 6, 2022.
When discussing the use of deadly force in crime control, various factors are commonly considered, ranging from crime levels to organizational culture. Often overlooked is the influence of politics, especially local politics, on police use of deadly force, even though this may ...

Back in Business or Never Out? Military Coups and Political Militarization in Sub-Sahara Africa

Men in military uniforms on stage, raising their hands in the air.
This Spotlight discusses the resurgence of military coups in Sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that an analytical and political focus on coup events misses out on the bigger picture of military influence in politics. Introducing the new Multidimensional Measures of Militarization ...

Verbesserte Glaubwürdigkeit: Zur Bedeutung der F-35A für die nukleare Teilhabe

Flugzeug vor blauem Himmel
Deutschland beschafft mit der F-35A Lightning II ein neues Trägerflugzeug für die nukleare Teilhabe der NATO. Diese Anschaffung ist umstritten. Bislang wurde in der Debatte allerdings nur unzureichend berücksichtigt, dass die F-35A ein wichtiges Glaubwürdigkeitsproblem der ...

Scheitern in Afghanistan: Wenn es sich Ursachenforschung zu einfach macht

Mann mit Esel läuft an Soldat vorbei
Ein Untersuchungsausschuss des Bundestages befasst sich mit den letzten anderthalb Jahren des Einsatzes in Afghanistan und vor allem mit dem desaströs verlaufenen Abzug. Zudem beleuchtet eine Enquete-Kommission des deutschen Parlaments das gesamte internationale Engagement von ...

Reintegration durch lokale Interaktion: Der kolumbianische Friedensprozess aus Sicht ländlicher Gemeinschaften

Hauswand mit Bild von zwei Händen, die Nadeln halten, und der Aufschrift "Tejiendo la paz"
Ein zentrales Element des kolumbianischen Friedensprozesses mit der FARC-Guerilla bildet die kollektive Wiedereingliederung der ehemaligen Kombattant:innen in eigens dafür eingerichteten „territorialen Reinkorporationsräumen“. Eine Umfrage in sieben ländlichen Gemeinden ...

Failing in Control. Legislative weakness in the face of a strongman president in the Philippines

People standing in a large room with the Philippine flag hanging on the wall
When Rodrigo Duterte assumed the presidency of the Philippines in 2016, he pushed a campaign against illegal drugs that resulted in thousands of suspects being killed by law enforcers. Parliament appeared entirely ineffective in opposing the extensive human rights abuses during ...

The Pursuit of Consensus. The Fifth Chemical Weapons Convention Review Conference

Podium during the Fifth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention.The Conference was held at the World Forum, The Hague, the Netherlands from 15 May to 19 May 2023.
In May 2023, 193 state parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) convened for a five-day Fifth Review Conference in The Hague – a special session held once every five years that is crucial for advancing the Convention’s objectives. Despite the urgency of addressing ...

Mutiger Einsatz für die Menschlichkeit: Die Verleihung des Hessischen Friedenspreises 2022 an Ilwad Elman

Die 27. Trägerin des Hessischen Friedenspreises Ilwad Elman am Rednerpult bei der Preisverleihung.
Am 08. März 2023 wurde Ilwad Elman mit dem Hessischen Friedenspreis 2022 der Albert-Osswald-Stiftung ausgezeichnet. Über ihre Projekte setzt Elman sich gemeinsam mit ihrer Mutter unermüdlich für die Rechte und den Schutz von Minderheiten, Frauen und Kindern in Somalia ein, ...

Outlook on German-Israeli Relations: German Staatsraison and Netanyahu‘s Coalition Contentious ‚Judicial Reform‘

Benjamin Netanjahu and Olaf Scholz attend a memorial event commemorating deportation of Jews
The current Spotlight explores different interpretations of Germany’s Staatsraison – or raison d’état – which emphasize Germany’s commitment to defending Israel’s national security. This component has played a crucial role in German-Israeli relations to date. The ...

Is Antarctica Still Exceptional? The Case for “Co-opetition” at the South Pole

Two penguins at the shore with a ship in the background and a boat that has people with orange jackets on it.
Antarctic diplomacy has famously shielded the continent of peace, science, and environmental protection from outside conflict and war. This “exceptionalism” is now being tested by Russia’s war against Ukraine and the belief that international strategic competition between ...

The Externalization of EU Borders: The Case of Agadez

City hall of Agadez: On the building there are signs reading “Mairie Agadez” as well as a flag of Niger. Motorcycles are parked outside.
While the externalization of border enforcement to African states may have contributed to a decline in arrivals to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea, Nigerien and European Union (EU) authorities have neglected the immense negative impacts of these migration policies on local ...

Muddying the Waters: Official Russian Disinformation on Chemical and Biologial Weapons

Russian Ambassador sits at the Security Council, holding a printed page with images up in the air.
In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, chemical and biological weapons have once again attracted international attention due to disinformation efforts on the part of Russian officials. International forums which oversee the ban on these weapons are being used to accuse ...

China’s new Global Security Initiative: a rising power spreads its wings

Man standing on a stage in front of an audience. The Wall behind him reads “The Global Security Initiative: Chinas proposal for So...”
On 21st February 2023, the Chinese Foreign Ministry released its concept for a “Global Security Initiative”, a white paper outlining the country’s proposed solution to challenges across traditional and non-traditional security issues. While the content mostly amounts to a ...

Ungehorsamer Klimaprotest: Proteste werden intensiver – eine Radikalisierung in die Gewalt ist nicht in Sicht

Wie mit dem Klimawandel umgehen, das wird aktuell intensiv diskutiert. Die Klimabewegung betont die Notwendigkeit einer globalen, sozialen und ökologischen Transformation, dafür intensiviert sie den Protest auch in Deutschland. Zunehmend stehen Aktionen des zivilen Ungehorsams ...

Prospects for Peace in Tigray. An assessment of the peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF

Redwan Hussien Rameto, Representative of the Ethiopian government, and Getachew Reda, Representative of the TPLF, sign the peace agreement “Cessation of Hostilities Agreement” in Pretoria on November 2, 2022.
On November 2, 2022, the Ethiopian federal government and representatives of the Tigrayan rebels concluded an agreement intended to end the devastating civil war in the region. What some consider to be the world’s deadliest active conflict has caused tens of thousands ...

Have the Tables Turned? What to Expect from Kenya’s New “Hustler” President William Ruto

Kenya's new president William Ruto shakes hands with outgoing President Kenyatta, as he is sworn into office. In the other hand, Ruto holds a box. Fireworks can be seen.
Kenya had awaited the presidential elections held on August 9, 2022 with bated breath. The elections were won by William Ruto, who defeated opponent Raila Odinga by just a few percentage points. Ruto succeeds Uhuru Kenyatta, who leaves office having served his two permitted ...

The 2023 Elections in Turkey. Can the Opposition Challenge Erdoğan and the AKP?

Public square in Istanbul with election banners signifiyng different political parties.
Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections on June 18, 2023, will be a notable juncture point. These elections will determine the country’s future and direction, and are therefore not only significant for domestic politics, but also at the international level as ...

Democracy on the Razor’s Edge: The 2022 Presidential Elections in Brazil

Presidential election campaign flags hang for sale, featuring the faces of both current President Jair Bolsonaro, left, and former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, outside the Supreme Electoral Court in Brasilia, Brazil
Brazil’s presidential elections are scheduled to take place on October 2, 2022. The confrontation between the extreme-right incumbent president Bolsonaro and the center-left former president Lula Da Silva provides a rare setting. The election places Brazil at a crossroads and ...

Eine polarisierte Stadt. Die Corona-Proteste, Demokratieverdruss und die Rolle der Lokalpolitik in Freiberg

Vor einem großen Plakat über das Erzgebirge stehen Polizisten.
Seit 2021 fanden im mittelsächsischen Freiberg über 60 „Spaziergänge“ gegen die Coronapolitik statt. Wie im ganzen Freistaat wurden die Proteste von den extrem rechten „Freien Sachsen“ dominiert. Auch Mandatsträger:innen von Parteien unterstützten sie. Die ...

Lehren aus Afghanistan – Der Untersuchungsausschuss und die Enquete-Kommission des Bundestages

Ralf Stegner (SPD) spricht als neuer Ausschussvorsitzender nach der Konstituierenden Sitzung des Bundestags-Untersuchungsausschusses zum Bundeswehr-Abzug aus Afghanistan.
In den Nachtstunden des 8. Juli beschloss der Bundestag einen parlamentarischen Untersuchungsausschuss zu den letzten anderthalb Jahren des Afghanistan-Einsatzes. Noch am gleichen Tag setzte er darüber hinaus eine Enquete-Kommission ein, die Lehren aus dem gesamten ...

Impunity and Police Vigilantism – Is the highly excessive use of deadly force by the police in the Philippines now over?

Two hands lighting three white candles. Attached to the candles are small notes; one claiming "Hold Duterte Accountable for Killing the Poor!".
Since June 30, Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency has been a thing of the past. This Spotlight asks why police forces in the Philippines were so willing to carry out the killing of drug personalities at Duterte’s behest in 2016 and what that may mean for the future. I argue that ...

“Enlist Now!” – Or Don’t? Why we should be concerned about foreign fighting in Ukraine

Foreign Fighters cross the border to fight for Ukraine as Russia‘s attacks on Ukraine continue, in Przemysl, Poland
With the recent escalation of Russia’s war on Ukraine, tens of thousands of foreign fighters have flocked to the region. While the widespread praise for individuals supporting the Ukrainian defense effort is understandable, governments should take measures to prevent their ...

Deutsche Demokratieförderpolitik. Ampelkoalition auf Kurswechsel?

Nimmt man die programmatische Rhetorik des Koalitionsvertrags ernst, deutet sich unter der neuen Bundesregierung eine Umorientierung der internationalen Demokratieförderpolitik Deutschlands an: vom traditionellen deutschen Ansatz, der durch Entwicklungsorientierung und das ...

Bürgerkriege beenden. Militärische Siege und Friedensabkommen im Vergleich

„Es gibt keine militärische Lösung des Konflikts“, heißt es gerne in der internationalen Diplomatie. Anders sehen das nicht nur die Taliban in Afghanistan oder die Regierung Aserbaidschans, die im Herbst 2020 im Konflikt um Berg-Karabach triumphierte. In Studien zum ...

A new Sino-Russian Entente? The limits of cooperation on Ukraine and beyond

Wladimir Putin besucht Xi Jinping im Vorfeld der Olympischen Winterspiele 2022
As the military standoff over Ukraine continues, both sides have attempted to mobilize international support for their respective positions. While Kiev has received increasingly robust NATO backing, Russia has turned to its “strategic partner” China. A recently published ...

The AU as Peacebuilder in The Gambia: Why pragmatic Peacebuilding is good, but not enough

The African Union’s (AU) peacebuilding efforts in The Gambia reflect the organization’s growing responsibility in this field. From 2018 to 2020, the AU deployed the African Union Technical Support Team to The Gambia (AUTSTG). Drawing on interviews and document and media ...

Eine militärisch autonome EU? Europäische Sicherheit und transatlantische Partnerschaft nach Afghanistan

Militärmarsch
Die Idee europäischer „Souveränität“ in der Sicherheitspolitik erlebt zur Zeit eine Renaissance. Besonders seit dem desaströs verlaufenen Rückzug westlicher Truppen aus Afghanistan sind die Rufe nach größerer militärischer Unabhängigkeit der EU von den USA wieder ...

AI for Arms Control: How Artificial Intelligence Can Foster Verification and Support Arms Control

Symbolic role of cybersecurity specialists
Time and again, modern technology has enhanced arms control - with satellites, surveillance planes or more potent sensory equipment – to detect traces of forbidden substances. More recently, uncrewed vehicles found their way into the arsenals of arms control inspectors, ...

Civil War in Ethiopia. The Instrumentalization and Politicization of Identity

For more than a year, the civil war between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has been causing severe human suffering and fatalities in the thousands. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, both ...