the Meeting the Promise of the 2010 Constitution: Devolution, Gender and Equality in Kenya By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 May 2020 14:35:01 +0000 Research Event 12 May 2020 - 1:00pm to 2:00pmAdd to CalendariCalendar Outlook Google Yahoo Natasha Kimani, Academy Associate, Chatham House; Head of Partnerships and Programmes, Shujaaz Inc.Chair: Tighisti Amare, Assistant Director, Africa Programme, Chatham House While gender equality was enshrined in Kenyan law under the 2010 constitution, gender-based marginalization remains a significant issue across all levels of society. The advent of devolution in 2013 raised hopes of enhanced gender awareness in policymaking and budgeting, with the 47 newly instituted county governments expected to tackle the dynamics of inequality close to home, but implementation has so far failed to match this initial promise. As Kenya approaches the tenth anniversary of the constitution, and with the COVID-19 pandemic throwing the challenges of gender inequality into sharper relief, it is critical to ensure that constitutional pathways are followed with the requisite level of urgency, commitment and investment to address entrenched gender issues. This event, which will launch the report, Meeting the Promise of the 2010 Constitution: Devolution, Gender and Equality in Kenya, will assess the current status of efforts to devolve and adopt gender-responsive budgeting and decision-making in Kenya, and the priorities and potential future avenues to tackle the implementation gap. This event will be held on the record.To express your interest in attending, please follow this link. You will receive a Zoom confirmation email should your registration be successful. Hanna Desta Programme Assistant, Africa Programme Email Department/project Africa Programme, Central and East Africa, Inclusive Economic Growth, Governance and Technology Full Article
the Politics, policy-making and the presence of images of suffering children By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 08:45:52 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 Helen Berents Read Online In 2017 Trump expressed pity for the ‘beautiful babies’ killed in a gas attack on Khan Shaykhun in Syria before launching airstrikes against President Assad's regime. Images of suffering children in world politics are often used as a synecdoche for a broader conflict or disaster. Injured, suffering, or dead; the ways in which images of children circulate in global public discourse must be critically examined to uncover the assumptions that operate in these environments. This article explores reactions to images of children by representatives and leaders of states to trace the interconnected affective and political dimensions of these images. In contrast to attending to the expected empathetic responses prompted by images of children, this article particularly focuses on when such images prompt bellicose foreign policy decision-making. In doing this, the article forwards a way of thinking about images as contentious affective objects in international relations. The ways in which images of children's bodies and suffering are strategically deployed by politicians deserves closer scrutiny to uncover the visual politics of childhood inherent in these moments of international politics and policy-making. Full Article
the Social media and the visibility of horrific violence By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 08:53:25 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 Constance Duncombe Read Online Images are central to social media communication. Billions of images are shared across different social media platforms every day: photos, cartoons, GIFs and short video clips are exchanged by users, facilitating or framing discourse on participatory sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Many of these images depict events of extreme violence, which circulate uninhibited by the conventional constraints associated with traditional news media censorship. A question arises here as to how such images mobilize public and policy-making responses to atrocities. This article examines the political dynamics of violent social media images. I argue that the particular qualities of social media can play an important role in how the digital visibility of horrific violence influences policy-making as a response to such atrocities. There is an important connection between the properties of social media platforms that allow user images to reach a global audience in real time and the emotional responses that this level of circulation generates. In turn, the pressure created by events made globally visible through the circulation of violent images and the audience responses to those images puts governments in a position where they are forced to act, which has significant implications for policy-making. Full Article
the Soundscapes of war: the audio-visual performance of war by Shi'a militias in Iraq and Syria By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:16:54 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 Helle Malmvig Read online This article sets out to bring sound and music to the field of visual studies in International Relations. It argues that IR largely has approached the visual field as if it was without sound; neglecting how audial landscapes frame and direct our interpretation of moving imagery. Sound and music contribute to making imagery intelligible to us, we ‘hear the pictures’ often without noticing. The audial can for instance articulate a visual absence, or blast visual signs, bring out certain emotional stages or subjects’ inner life. Audial frames steer us in distinct directions, they can mute the cries of the wounded in war, or amplify the sounds of joy of soldiers shooting in the air. To bring the audial and the visual analytically and empirically together, the article therefore proposes four key analytical themes: 1) the audial–visual frame, 2) point of view/point of audition, 3) modes of audio-visual synchronization and 4) aesthetics moods. These are applied to a study of ‘war music videos’ in Iraq and Syria made and circulated by Shi'a militias currently fighting there. Such war music videos, it is suggested, are not just artefacts of popular culture, but have become integral parts of how warfare is practiced today, and one that is shared by soldiers in the US and Europe. War music videos are performing war, just as they shape how war is known by spectators and participants alike. Full Article
the Accountability, denial and the future-proofing of British torture By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:24:20 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 Read online Ruth Blakeley and Sam Raphael When powerful liberal democratic states are found to be complicit in extreme violations of human rights, how do they respond and why do they respond as they do? Drawing on the example of the United Kingdom's complicity in torture since 9/11, this article demonstrates how reluctant the UK has been to permit a full reckoning with its torturous past. We demonstrate that successive UK governments engaged in various forms of denial, obfuscation and attempts to obstruct investigation and avoid accountability. The net effect of their responses has been to deny the victims redress, through adequate judicial processes, and to deny the public adequate state accountability. These responses are not simply aimed at shielding from prosecution the perpetrators and those who have oversight of them, nor preventing political embarrassment. The various forms of denial and obstruction are also designed to ensure that collusion can continue uninterrupted. A core concern of intelligence officials and ministers has been to prevent any process that would lead to a comprehensive prohibition on involvement in operations where torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are a real possibility. The door remains wide open, and deliberately so, for British involvement in torture. Full Article
the Rethinking youth bulge theory in policy and scholarship: incorporating critical gender analysis By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:26:03 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 Lesley Pruitt Read online For decades ‘youth bulge’ theory has dominated understandings of youth in mainstream International Relations. Youth bulge theory has also become part of some public media analyses, mainstream political rhetoric, and even officially enshrined in the foreign policy of some states. Through the ‘youth bulge’ lens, youth—especially males—have been presented as current or future perpetrators of violence. However, this article argues that the youth bulge thesis postulated in mainstream IR is based on flawed theoretical assumptions. In particular, supporters of youth bulge theory fail to engage with existing research by feminist IR scholars and thus take on a biological essentialist approach. This has led to theoretical and practical misunderstandings of the roles youth play in relation to conflict, peace and security. These partial and biased understandings have also resulted in less effective policy-making. In critically reflecting on the ‘youth bulge’ thesis, this article argues that applying gender analysis is crucial to understanding the involvement of young people in general—and young men in particular—in conflict. Doing so will contribute to advancing more accurate analysis in scholarship and policy-making. Full Article
the The multilevel identity politics of the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:28:22 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 Galia Press-Barnathan and Naama Lutz Read online This article uses the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) that took place in Tel Aviv to explore how cultural mega-events serve both as political arenas and as tools for identity construction, negotiation and contestation. These processes of identity politics are all conducted across national–subnational–international–transnational levels. The hosting of mega-events fleshes out these multiple processes in a very strong manner. We first discuss the politics of hosting mega-events in general. We then examine the identity politics associated more specifically with the Eurovision Song Contest, before examining in depth the complex forms of identity politics emerging around the competition following the 2018 Israeli victory. We suggest that it is important to study together the multiple processes—domestic, international and transnational—of identity politics that take place around the competition, as they interact with each other. Consequently, we follow the various stakeholders involved at these different levels and their interactions. We examine the internal identity negotiation process in Israel surrounding the event, the critical actors debating how to use the stage to challenge the liberal, western, ‘normal’ identity Israel hoped to project in the contest and how other stakeholders (participating states, national broadcasting agencies, participating artists) reacted to them, and finally we examine the behaviour of the institution in charge, the European Broadcasting Union, and national governments. We contribute to the study of mega-events as fields of contestation, to the understanding of the complex, multilevel nature of national identity construction, negotiation and contestation in the current era, and more broadly to the role that popular culture plays in this context. Full Article
the Power and diplomacy in the post-liberal cyberspace By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:31:03 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 André Barrinha and Thomas Renard Read online It is becoming widely accepted that we have transitioned, or are now transitioning, from an international liberal order to a different reality. Whether that reality is different solely in terms of power dynamics, or also in terms of values and institutions, is up for discussion. The growing body of literature on ‘post-liberalism’ is used as an entry-point for this article, which aims to explore how the post-liberal transition applies to cyberspace. We explore how power dynamics are evolving in cyberspace, as well as how established norms, values and institutions are contested. The article then looks at the emergence of cyber diplomacy as a consequence and response to the post-liberal transition. As it will be argued, if cyberspace was a creation of the liberal order, cyber-diplomacy is a post-liberal world practice. What role it plays in shaping a new order or building bridges between different political visions, and what it means for the future of cyberspace, will constitute key points of discussion. Full Article
the Let's talk about the interregnum: Gramsci and the crisis of the liberal world order By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:34:15 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 Read online Milan Babic The liberal international order (LIO) is in crisis. Numerous publications, debates and events have time and again made it clear that we are in the midst of a grand transformation of world order. While most contributions focus on either what is slowly dying (the LIO) or what might come next (China, multipolarity, chaos?), there is less analytical engagement with what lies in between those two phases of world order. Under the assumption that this period could last years or even decades, a set of analytical tools to understand this interregnum is urgently needed. This article proposes an analytical framework that builds on Gramscian concepts of crisis that will help us understand the current crisis of the LIO in a more systematic way. It addresses a gap in the literature on changing world order by elaborating three Gramsci-inspired crisis characteristics—processuality, organicity and morbidity—that sketch the current crisis landscape in a systematic way. Building on this framework, the article suggests different empirical entry points to the study of the crisis of the LIO and calls for a research agenda that takes this crisis seriously as a distinct period of changing world orders. Full Article
the China and Russia in R2P debates at the UN Security Council By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 09:36:16 +0000 7 May 2020 , Volume 96, Number 3 Zheng Chen and Hang Yin Read online While China and Russia's general policies towards the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) are similar, the two reveal nuanced differences in addressing specific emergencies. Both express support for the first two pillars of R2P while resisting coercive intervention under its aegis, as they share anxieties of domestic political security and concerns about their international image. Nonetheless, addressing cases like the Syrian crisis, Russian statements are more assertive and even aggressive while Chinese ones are usually vague and reactive. This article highlights the two states’ different tones through computer-assisted text analyses. It argues that diplomatic styles reflect Russian and Chinese perceptions of their own place in the evolving international order. Experiences in past decades create divergent reference points and status prospects for them, which leads to their different strategies in signalling Great Power status. As Beijing is optimistic about its status-rising prospects, it exercises more self-restraint in order to avoid external containments and is reluctant to act as an independent ‘spoiler’. Meanwhile, Moscow interprets its Great Power status more from a frame of ‘loss’ and therefore is inclined to adopt a sterner approach to signal its status. Although their policies complement each other on many occasions, there is nothing akin to a Sino–Russian ‘bloc’. Full Article
the The Centenary London Conference By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 18 Jun 2020 10:45:46 +0000 Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November 2020, St. Pancras Renaissance HotelOne hundred years since its founding in 1920, Chatham House continues to foster mutual understanding between nations through rigorous debate, trusted dialogue, independent analysis and influential ideas. Since its launch in 2014, the London Conference, the institute’s annual flagship event, has established itself as a principal international forum where global connectivity can be explored and better understood drawing an internationally diverse and multigenerational gathering of participants and offering positive solutions to global challenges.This year, drawing on the theme of Imagining Alternatives: Solutions for the World Beyond 2020, the London Conference 2020 will form the central pillar in the institute’s programme to mark its centenary throughout 2020. This year’s agenda focuses on the changing nature of geopolitics and the global economy through the lens of our core research themes – sustainable and equitable growth, preventing conflict and improving the rules-based order. Each theme seeks opportunities for positive policy change, with emphasis on the impact of technological change, and a keen focus on empowering the next generation. The Centenary London Conference Agenda 23 January 2020 One hundred years since its founding in 1920, Chatham House continues to foster mutual understanding between nations through rigorous debate, trusted dialogue, independent analysis and influential ideas. About The London Conference 20 January 2016 The Chatham House London Conference is the institute’s annual flagship event and is established as a principal international forum where global connectivities can be explored and better understood. Sponsors 17 March 2015 The London Conference is supported by a small group of major multinational companies with extensive international interests and experience. Speakers 23 January 2019 Speakers for 2020 will be announced shortly. Past Conferences 12 March 2018 Browse content from past London Conferences since its beginnings in 2014. Full Article
the Undercurrents: Episode 2 – The Calabrian Mafia and Transatlantic Relations By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
the Power and Story: What is the Future for Journalism? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 26 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
the The Rise of the Far Right Across Europe By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
the Restructuring the European State By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 07 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
the Identity, Outreach and Community: Arabic Music in the Diaspora By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 20 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
the Screening Room: White Right - Meeting The Enemy By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 21 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Full Article
the Keeping the Peace: The New Landscape for European Security and Defence By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 28 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Growth in a Multilateral World: The Role of Inclusive Trade and Quality Investment By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Undercurrents: Episode 5 - Chokepoints in Global Food Trade, and How the Internet is Changing Language By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Should the Super-Rich Pay for a Universal Basic Income? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Chatham House Forum: Is the West Losing its Power on the Global Stage? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 11 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Undercurrents: Episode 6 - Tribes of Europe, and the International Women's Rights Agenda at the UN By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 19 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Genes, Germs and Geography: The Future of Medicine By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 24 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the The New Political Landscape in Germany and Austria By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 25 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Undercurrents: Episode 7 - Libya's War Economy, and Is the United Nations Still Relevant? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 04 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Computer Hacking: How Big is the Security Threat? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 10 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Reforming the EU: A View From Poland By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 11 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Empire in Retreat? The Future of the United States By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 15 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Equality by 2030: The Press for Progress By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 16 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Inside the Battle for the New Libya By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 18 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the The Politics of Personality in the Middle East By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 21 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Stopping the Use of Chemical Weapons in Modern Conflicts By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Fri, 25 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Iraq’s Future: Elections, Corruption and the Struggle for a State By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 30 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Should Debt in the Developing World be Cancelled? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 31 May 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Unfulfilled Ambitions: the State of Democracy in Africa By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Argentina: Political Change and the G20 Presidency By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Drugs and Organized Crime: The Challenges Facing Southeast Asia By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 06 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Religion and the State in India By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the The Western Balkans Before the Berlin Process Summit By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Jordan: Regime Survival and Politics Beyond the State By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 26 Jun 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Undercurrents: Episode 11 - New Approaches to Peacebuilding, and Gender-Inclusive Growth at the G20 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Wed, 04 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the The United States in Afghanistan and Pakistan By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the The Reconstruction of Iraq: Lessons from Mosul By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 09 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Global Trade Landscape Series: Is the WTO Still Fit for Purpose? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 12 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Undercurrents: Episode 12 - Trump's Visit to the UK, and Japanese Foreign Policy in Asia By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 12 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Inside the White House By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Undercurrents: Episode 13 - India's Billionaires, and Sexual Exploitation in the UN By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the Undercurrents: Episode 15 - Brexit Update, and Corruption in the World of the Global Super-Rich By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Thu, 23 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
the The UK-Saudi Arabia Relationship: A Closer Look By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Tue, 04 Sep 2018 00:00:00 +0100 Full Article
