Ashok Swain | Uppsala University (original) (raw)
Books by Ashok Swain
Water is essential for human life and at the centre of political, economic, and socio-cultural de... more Water is essential for human life and at the centre of political, economic, and socio-cultural development. This Routledge Handbook of Water and Development offers a systematic, wideranging, and state-of-the-art guide to the diverse links between water and development across the globe. It is organized into four parts: • Part I explores the most significant theories and approaches to the relationship between water and development. • Part II consists of carefully selected in-depth case studies, revealing how water utilization and management are deeply intertwined with historical development paths and economic and socio-cultural structures. • Part III analyses the role of governance in the management of water and development. • Part IV covers the most urgent themes and issues pertaining to water and development in the contemporary world, ranging from climate change and water stress to agriculture and migration. The 32 chapters by leading experts are meant to stimulate researchers and students in a wide range of disciplines in the social and natural sciences, including Geography, Environmental Studies, Development Studies, and Political Science. The Handbook will also be of great value to policymakers and practitioners.
London: Routledge, 2019
Edited volume: Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security provides the first comprehensive look a... more Edited volume:
Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security provides the first comprehensive look at Middle East security issues that includes both traditional and emerging security threats. Taking a broad perspective on security, the volume off ers both analysis grounded in the ‘hard’ military and state security discourse but also delves into the ‘soft’ aspects of security employing a human security perspective. As such the volume addresses imminent challenges to security, such as the ones relating directly to the war in Syria, but also the long- term challenges. The traditional security problems, which are deep- seated, are at the risk of being exacerbated also by a lack of focus on emerging vulnerabilities in the region. While taking as a point of departure the prevalent security discourse, the volume also goes beyond the traditional focus on military or state security and considers non- traditional security challenges. This book provides a state- of- the- art review of research on the key challenges for security in the Middle East; it will be a key resource for students and scholars interested in Security Studies, International Relations, Political Science and Middle Eastern studies.
The past two decades have witnessed the emergence of a large body of research examining the linka... more The past two decades have witnessed the emergence of a large body of research examining the linkage between environmental scarcity, violent conflict, and cooperation. However, this environmental security polemic is still trying to deliver a well-defined approach to achieving peace. Studies are being undertaken to find the precise pathways by which cooperative actions are expected not only to pre-empt or moderate resource conflicts but also to help diffuse cooperative behaviour to other disputed issues. The recognition that environmental resources can contribute to violent conflict accentuates their potential significance as pathways for cooperation and the consolidation of peace in post-conflict societies.
Conceived as a single and reliable reference source which will be a vital resource for students, researchers, and policy makers alike, the Routledge Handbook of Environmental Conflict and Peacebuilding presents a wide range of chapters written by key thinkers in the field, organised into four key parts:
Part I: Review of the concept and theories;
Part II: Review of thematic approaches (resources, scarcity, intervention, adaptation, and peacebuilding);
Part III: Case studies (Middle East, Iraq, Jordan, Liberia, Nepal, Colombia, Philippines);
Part IV: Analytical challenges and future-oriented perspectives.
Enabling the reader to find a concise expert review on topics that are most likely to arise in the course of conducting research or policy making, this volume presents a truly global overview of the key issues and debates in environmental conflict and peacebuilding.
The Brahmaputra River is one of the largest rivers in South Asia, originating in the Tibetan area... more The Brahmaputra River is one of the largest rivers in South Asia, originating in the Tibetan area of China and flowing through four countries, including China, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh, before reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal. The river provides an important source of livelihoods for the riparian populations, many of whom use the river for agriculture and fisheries. It also encompasses a huge potential for hydropower electricity generation with some dams planned or already operating within China, Bhutan and India. In some parts of the river, the use of its water resources has become the source of contention between different users, some of which involve multiple jurisdictions and countries. Sharing of water resources over several jurisdictions can potentially create conflict among various
actors.
This study aims to identify regions in the Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa that are prone ... more This study aims to identify regions in the Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa that are prone to risk of violent conflicts (collective violence, popular unrest) induced by climatic changes/variability. The Zambezi River is 575 kilometres long and the basin covers eight countries: Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Botswana, Mo- zambique and Namibia.Besides the ecological impact, the study argues that socio-economic and political problems are disproportionately multiplied by climate change/variability. Climate change/variability amplifies stresses on the socio-political fabric because it affects the governance of resources, and hence, is linked to the weakened mitigation and adaptation capacity of societies, that are already facing economic challenges (rising food prices, etc.). Society becomes highly vulnerable to climate induced conflicts when it suffers from poor central leadership, weak institutions and polarized social identities. Taking all these factors into consideration, this study identifies Bulawayo/Matableleland-North in Zimbabwe and the Zambezia Province in Mozambique as the most likely regions to experience climate induced conflicts in the near future. The reasons for arriving at this conclusion are: a) Climatechange/variability will have a significant impact on these two regions; due to increasing water scarcity in Bulawayo/Matabeleland- North; and intensified flooding, sea-level rise, and costal erosion in the Zambezia Province. b) Due to climate change/variability, agricultural production in these two regions will become highly volatile, leading to severe food insecurity. c) Both regions are suffering from low quality political governance, having unscrupulous elites, weak institutions, and polarized social identities.
Climate change has an impact on the ability of transboundary water management institutions to del... more Climate change has an impact on the ability of transboundary water management institutions to deliver on their respective mandates. The starting point for this book is that actors within transboundary water management institutions develop responses to the climate change debate, as distinct from the physical phenomenon of climate change. Actors respond to this debate broadly in three distinct ways – adapt, resist (as in avoiding the issue) and subvert (as in using the debate to fulfil their own agenda).
The book charts approaches which have been taken over the past two decades to promote more effective water management institutions, covering issues of conflict, cooperation, power and law. A new framework for a better understanding of the interaction between transboundary water management institutional resilience and global change is developed through analysis of the way these institutions respond to the climate change debate. This framework is applied to six river case studies from Africa, Asia and the Middle East (Ganges-Brahmaputra, Jordan, Mekong, Niger, Nile, Orange-Senqu) from which learning conclusions and policy recommendations are developed.
During the past two decades, environmental security and more specifically the security of water a... more During the past two decades, environmental security and more specifically the security of water as a natural resource has come to the forefront of research and discussion. Many regions have experienced an increased water scarcity due to climatic variability and climate change, and the uncertain impacts of climate change to the supply has brought the issue to the centre of political debates. Indeed it has been raised by both the EU and the US national governments as a major issue of concern globally and has also been highlighted by the Security Council of the UN. The four volumes of this collection seek to broadly outline the debate as it has developed, both from a policy as well as an academic perspective, with the aim to bring conceptual clarity as well as provide an account of how the water security discourse has emerged and developed.
This book offers an overview of emerging security challenges in the global environment in the pos... more This book offers an overview of emerging security challenges in the global environment in the post-Cold War era.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent shifting of international political environment, a new broader concept of security began to gain acceptance. This concept encompassed socio-economic-environmental challenges, such as resource scarcity and climate change, water-sharing issues, deforestation and forest protection measures, food and health security, and large population migration.
The book examines the causes and consequences of these emerging security threats, and retains a critical focus on evolving approaches to address these issues. The author attempts to develop a framework for sustainable security in a rapidly changing global political landscape, which seeks to bring states and societies together in a way that addresses weaknesses of the evolving international system. Moreover, through a detailed analysis of the emerging security issues and their pathways, the book further argues that the evolving processes not only pose critical challenges but also provide remarkable opportunity for cooperation and collaboration among and within various stakeholders.
This book will be of much interest to students of global security, war and conflict studies, peace studies and IR in general.
Attention to the ‘security-development nexus’ has become commonplace in national and global polic... more Attention to the ‘security-development nexus’ has become commonplace in national and global policy-making, and yet the exact nature of the term remains undefined. This study approaches the subjects of development and security from a variety of different perspectives, offering an array of interpretations of the nexus along with an analysis of its potentially related issues. Particular attention is paid to studies of conflict and peace, with a focus upon the linkage between these subjects and the topic of the nexus itself.
Specific areas of investigation include the role of diasporas in peace building, the relationship between the nexus and challenges to liberal state-building, and the part played by external parties in the peace processes of the Aceh and Sri Lankan conflicts. The inclusion of case studies from Africa, Asia and Europe provides the text with a strong geographical focus, and constructs a panoramic view of the nexus that encompasses the globe. Further country-based chapters – focusing on China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa – underline this worldwide perspective.
The volume’s collected essays thus provide a detailed and comprehensive view of this fluid, contemporaneous topic, both theoretically and empirically. ‘The Security-Development Nexus’ is a vital appraisal of both the present issues and current thought concerning conflict, security and development.
Many developing countries pursue policies of rapid industrialization in order to achieve faster e... more Many developing countries pursue policies of rapid industrialization in order to achieve faster economic growth. Some policies cause displacement forcing many individuals to take up a fight against the state. Interestingly some of these dissenting individuals are more successful in organizing their protests than others.
In this book, Ashok Swain demonstrates how displaced people mobilize to protest with the help of their social networks. Studying protests against large industrial and development projects, Swain compares the mobilization process between a traditionally protest rich and a protest poor region in India to explain how social network structures are a key component to understand this variation. He reveals how improved mobilization capability coincides with their evolving social network structure thanks to recent exposure to external actors like religious missionaries and radical left activists.
The in-depth examination of the existing literature on social mobilization and extensive fieldwork conducted in India make this book a well-organized and useful resource to analyze protest mobilization in developing regions.
This study aims to identify regions in the Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa that are prone ... more This study aims to identify regions in the Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa that are prone to risk of violent conflicts (collective violence, popular unrest) induced by climatic changes/variability. The Zambezi River is 575 kilometres long and the basin covers eight coun- tries: Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Botswana, Mo- zambique and Namibia.Besides the ecological impact, the study argues that socio-econom- ic and political problems are disproportionately multiplied by climate change/variability. Climate change/variability amplifies stresses on the socio-political fabric because it affects the governance of resources, and hence, is linked to the weakened mitigation and adaptation capac- ity of societies, that are already facing economic challenges (rising food prices, etc.). Society becomes highly vulnerable to climate induced con- flicts when it suffers from poor central leadership, weak institutions and polarized social identities. Taking all these factors into consideration, this study identifies Bulawayo/Matableleland-North in Zimbabwe and the Zambezia Province in Mozambique as the most likely regions to experience climate induced conflicts in the near future. The reasons for arriving at this conclusion are: a) Climatechange/variability will have a significant impact on these two regions; due to increasing water scarcity in Bulawayo/Matabeleland- North; and intensified flooding, sea-level rise, and costal erosion in the Zambezia Province. b) Due to climate change/variability, agricultural production in these two regions will become highly volatile, leading to severe food insecurity. c) Both regions are suffering from low quality political governance, having unscrupulous elites, weak institutions, and polarized social identities.
State is unique among the other social institutions, which tries to ensure its rules to dominate ... more State is unique among the other social institutions, which tries to ensure its rules to dominate the other institutions such as the family, the clan, the race, the cast, the tribe, the community or the market. As Joel S. Migdal writes, Since the beginning of the contemporary state system in the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries change has moved towards accepting an axiom that the state organization should provide the predominant (if not exclusive) set of rules of the game in each society. 1 The capacity to exert control over other social forces has been a defining feature of state. The works of Karl Marx and Max Weber, which has been the foundation of two main traditions in modern social science, argue that the state as an institution monopolizes the legitimate use of violence and organized coercion in society. 2 However, rules that structure the interaction of state and other components of society are always being contested and often being restructured. The states as well as societies vary in their abilities to * This paper is one of the products of Agora research project, a collaboration between the
Democratization is a field where unexpected and sudden events have repeatedly challenged conventi... more Democratization is a field where unexpected and sudden events have repeatedly challenged conventional wisdom. For example, who in the mid-1970s would have foreseen the democratization of Cambodia, Albania, South Africa or East Timor? Our current wave of democratization is complex and diverse and understanding it requires a variety of theoretical approaches.
Most of the literature on democracy assumes that it is the best form of government. Theoretical works on democratic transition and democratization have also emphasized the internal conflict resolution capacity of democracy. It has been reasoned that democracy reduces the likelihood of discrimination, especially of ethno-political minorities, and thus the possibility of political repression. However, the democratic peace theory has not been explicitly tested with reference to third world post-colonial states, where most internal violent conflicts take place. Certainly, there is a dearth of practical advice for policy makers on how to design and implement democratic levers that can make internal peace and stability endure in the South.
This volume, drawing among others on the work of six scholars from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, contributes to identifying and understanding the challenges and opportunities of this democratization project to the peace and development of the world both at the domestic level in selected countries, trends in regions of the world, and in the global system of the post-Col War Era.
Description: Education plays a very important role in breaking the cycle of poverty and increasin... more Description: Education plays a very important role in breaking the cycle of poverty and increasing opportunity. Various forms of social movements play an important role in providing educational opportunities to communities and social groups that might otherwise be excluded, filling the gap left by the state. This book edited by Ashok Swain critically examines the origin and outcome of social action for education in different parts of the world.
Contents:
1. Knowledge, Identity and Power - Education Movements in the Global South, by A.Swain
2. Food for Starved Minds: The Mobilization of African Americans for Education, by D.C.Worgs
3. Education Movements, Power and Identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by R.Kostic
4. Universal Elementary Education in India: An Exploratory Study of Movements in Civil Society, by S.Pai
5. Muslim Madrasas in Contemporary South Asia, by Y.S.Sikand
6. Education among Indigenous Peoples from Colombia and Peru: Social Movement or Public Policy?, by C.Uribe
7. Education as an Agenda of Social Action in Malaysia: The Search for Unity in a Plural Society, by K.Askandar
8. Social Movements and the 'Education Revolution' in Post-apartheid South Africa, by L.A.Swatuk
9. Social Action for Education, the State and the Global Network, by A.Swain
Water is essential for human life and at the centre of political, economic, and socio-cultural de... more Water is essential for human life and at the centre of political, economic, and socio-cultural development. This Routledge Handbook of Water and Development offers a systematic, wideranging, and state-of-the-art guide to the diverse links between water and development across the globe. It is organized into four parts: • Part I explores the most significant theories and approaches to the relationship between water and development. • Part II consists of carefully selected in-depth case studies, revealing how water utilization and management are deeply intertwined with historical development paths and economic and socio-cultural structures. • Part III analyses the role of governance in the management of water and development. • Part IV covers the most urgent themes and issues pertaining to water and development in the contemporary world, ranging from climate change and water stress to agriculture and migration. The 32 chapters by leading experts are meant to stimulate researchers and students in a wide range of disciplines in the social and natural sciences, including Geography, Environmental Studies, Development Studies, and Political Science. The Handbook will also be of great value to policymakers and practitioners.
London: Routledge, 2019
Edited volume: Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security provides the first comprehensive look a... more Edited volume:
Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security provides the first comprehensive look at Middle East security issues that includes both traditional and emerging security threats. Taking a broad perspective on security, the volume off ers both analysis grounded in the ‘hard’ military and state security discourse but also delves into the ‘soft’ aspects of security employing a human security perspective. As such the volume addresses imminent challenges to security, such as the ones relating directly to the war in Syria, but also the long- term challenges. The traditional security problems, which are deep- seated, are at the risk of being exacerbated also by a lack of focus on emerging vulnerabilities in the region. While taking as a point of departure the prevalent security discourse, the volume also goes beyond the traditional focus on military or state security and considers non- traditional security challenges. This book provides a state- of- the- art review of research on the key challenges for security in the Middle East; it will be a key resource for students and scholars interested in Security Studies, International Relations, Political Science and Middle Eastern studies.
The past two decades have witnessed the emergence of a large body of research examining the linka... more The past two decades have witnessed the emergence of a large body of research examining the linkage between environmental scarcity, violent conflict, and cooperation. However, this environmental security polemic is still trying to deliver a well-defined approach to achieving peace. Studies are being undertaken to find the precise pathways by which cooperative actions are expected not only to pre-empt or moderate resource conflicts but also to help diffuse cooperative behaviour to other disputed issues. The recognition that environmental resources can contribute to violent conflict accentuates their potential significance as pathways for cooperation and the consolidation of peace in post-conflict societies.
Conceived as a single and reliable reference source which will be a vital resource for students, researchers, and policy makers alike, the Routledge Handbook of Environmental Conflict and Peacebuilding presents a wide range of chapters written by key thinkers in the field, organised into four key parts:
Part I: Review of the concept and theories;
Part II: Review of thematic approaches (resources, scarcity, intervention, adaptation, and peacebuilding);
Part III: Case studies (Middle East, Iraq, Jordan, Liberia, Nepal, Colombia, Philippines);
Part IV: Analytical challenges and future-oriented perspectives.
Enabling the reader to find a concise expert review on topics that are most likely to arise in the course of conducting research or policy making, this volume presents a truly global overview of the key issues and debates in environmental conflict and peacebuilding.
The Brahmaputra River is one of the largest rivers in South Asia, originating in the Tibetan area... more The Brahmaputra River is one of the largest rivers in South Asia, originating in the Tibetan area of China and flowing through four countries, including China, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh, before reaching the sea at the Bay of Bengal. The river provides an important source of livelihoods for the riparian populations, many of whom use the river for agriculture and fisheries. It also encompasses a huge potential for hydropower electricity generation with some dams planned or already operating within China, Bhutan and India. In some parts of the river, the use of its water resources has become the source of contention between different users, some of which involve multiple jurisdictions and countries. Sharing of water resources over several jurisdictions can potentially create conflict among various
actors.
This study aims to identify regions in the Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa that are prone ... more This study aims to identify regions in the Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa that are prone to risk of violent conflicts (collective violence, popular unrest) induced by climatic changes/variability. The Zambezi River is 575 kilometres long and the basin covers eight countries: Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Botswana, Mo- zambique and Namibia.Besides the ecological impact, the study argues that socio-economic and political problems are disproportionately multiplied by climate change/variability. Climate change/variability amplifies stresses on the socio-political fabric because it affects the governance of resources, and hence, is linked to the weakened mitigation and adaptation capacity of societies, that are already facing economic challenges (rising food prices, etc.). Society becomes highly vulnerable to climate induced conflicts when it suffers from poor central leadership, weak institutions and polarized social identities. Taking all these factors into consideration, this study identifies Bulawayo/Matableleland-North in Zimbabwe and the Zambezia Province in Mozambique as the most likely regions to experience climate induced conflicts in the near future. The reasons for arriving at this conclusion are: a) Climatechange/variability will have a significant impact on these two regions; due to increasing water scarcity in Bulawayo/Matabeleland- North; and intensified flooding, sea-level rise, and costal erosion in the Zambezia Province. b) Due to climate change/variability, agricultural production in these two regions will become highly volatile, leading to severe food insecurity. c) Both regions are suffering from low quality political governance, having unscrupulous elites, weak institutions, and polarized social identities.
Climate change has an impact on the ability of transboundary water management institutions to del... more Climate change has an impact on the ability of transboundary water management institutions to deliver on their respective mandates. The starting point for this book is that actors within transboundary water management institutions develop responses to the climate change debate, as distinct from the physical phenomenon of climate change. Actors respond to this debate broadly in three distinct ways – adapt, resist (as in avoiding the issue) and subvert (as in using the debate to fulfil their own agenda).
The book charts approaches which have been taken over the past two decades to promote more effective water management institutions, covering issues of conflict, cooperation, power and law. A new framework for a better understanding of the interaction between transboundary water management institutional resilience and global change is developed through analysis of the way these institutions respond to the climate change debate. This framework is applied to six river case studies from Africa, Asia and the Middle East (Ganges-Brahmaputra, Jordan, Mekong, Niger, Nile, Orange-Senqu) from which learning conclusions and policy recommendations are developed.
During the past two decades, environmental security and more specifically the security of water a... more During the past two decades, environmental security and more specifically the security of water as a natural resource has come to the forefront of research and discussion. Many regions have experienced an increased water scarcity due to climatic variability and climate change, and the uncertain impacts of climate change to the supply has brought the issue to the centre of political debates. Indeed it has been raised by both the EU and the US national governments as a major issue of concern globally and has also been highlighted by the Security Council of the UN. The four volumes of this collection seek to broadly outline the debate as it has developed, both from a policy as well as an academic perspective, with the aim to bring conceptual clarity as well as provide an account of how the water security discourse has emerged and developed.
This book offers an overview of emerging security challenges in the global environment in the pos... more This book offers an overview of emerging security challenges in the global environment in the post-Cold War era.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent shifting of international political environment, a new broader concept of security began to gain acceptance. This concept encompassed socio-economic-environmental challenges, such as resource scarcity and climate change, water-sharing issues, deforestation and forest protection measures, food and health security, and large population migration.
The book examines the causes and consequences of these emerging security threats, and retains a critical focus on evolving approaches to address these issues. The author attempts to develop a framework for sustainable security in a rapidly changing global political landscape, which seeks to bring states and societies together in a way that addresses weaknesses of the evolving international system. Moreover, through a detailed analysis of the emerging security issues and their pathways, the book further argues that the evolving processes not only pose critical challenges but also provide remarkable opportunity for cooperation and collaboration among and within various stakeholders.
This book will be of much interest to students of global security, war and conflict studies, peace studies and IR in general.
Attention to the ‘security-development nexus’ has become commonplace in national and global polic... more Attention to the ‘security-development nexus’ has become commonplace in national and global policy-making, and yet the exact nature of the term remains undefined. This study approaches the subjects of development and security from a variety of different perspectives, offering an array of interpretations of the nexus along with an analysis of its potentially related issues. Particular attention is paid to studies of conflict and peace, with a focus upon the linkage between these subjects and the topic of the nexus itself.
Specific areas of investigation include the role of diasporas in peace building, the relationship between the nexus and challenges to liberal state-building, and the part played by external parties in the peace processes of the Aceh and Sri Lankan conflicts. The inclusion of case studies from Africa, Asia and Europe provides the text with a strong geographical focus, and constructs a panoramic view of the nexus that encompasses the globe. Further country-based chapters – focusing on China, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa – underline this worldwide perspective.
The volume’s collected essays thus provide a detailed and comprehensive view of this fluid, contemporaneous topic, both theoretically and empirically. ‘The Security-Development Nexus’ is a vital appraisal of both the present issues and current thought concerning conflict, security and development.
Many developing countries pursue policies of rapid industrialization in order to achieve faster e... more Many developing countries pursue policies of rapid industrialization in order to achieve faster economic growth. Some policies cause displacement forcing many individuals to take up a fight against the state. Interestingly some of these dissenting individuals are more successful in organizing their protests than others.
In this book, Ashok Swain demonstrates how displaced people mobilize to protest with the help of their social networks. Studying protests against large industrial and development projects, Swain compares the mobilization process between a traditionally protest rich and a protest poor region in India to explain how social network structures are a key component to understand this variation. He reveals how improved mobilization capability coincides with their evolving social network structure thanks to recent exposure to external actors like religious missionaries and radical left activists.
The in-depth examination of the existing literature on social mobilization and extensive fieldwork conducted in India make this book a well-organized and useful resource to analyze protest mobilization in developing regions.
This study aims to identify regions in the Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa that are prone ... more This study aims to identify regions in the Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa that are prone to risk of violent conflicts (collective violence, popular unrest) induced by climatic changes/variability. The Zambezi River is 575 kilometres long and the basin covers eight coun- tries: Zambia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, Botswana, Mo- zambique and Namibia.Besides the ecological impact, the study argues that socio-econom- ic and political problems are disproportionately multiplied by climate change/variability. Climate change/variability amplifies stresses on the socio-political fabric because it affects the governance of resources, and hence, is linked to the weakened mitigation and adaptation capac- ity of societies, that are already facing economic challenges (rising food prices, etc.). Society becomes highly vulnerable to climate induced con- flicts when it suffers from poor central leadership, weak institutions and polarized social identities. Taking all these factors into consideration, this study identifies Bulawayo/Matableleland-North in Zimbabwe and the Zambezia Province in Mozambique as the most likely regions to experience climate induced conflicts in the near future. The reasons for arriving at this conclusion are: a) Climatechange/variability will have a significant impact on these two regions; due to increasing water scarcity in Bulawayo/Matabeleland- North; and intensified flooding, sea-level rise, and costal erosion in the Zambezia Province. b) Due to climate change/variability, agricultural production in these two regions will become highly volatile, leading to severe food insecurity. c) Both regions are suffering from low quality political governance, having unscrupulous elites, weak institutions, and polarized social identities.
State is unique among the other social institutions, which tries to ensure its rules to dominate ... more State is unique among the other social institutions, which tries to ensure its rules to dominate the other institutions such as the family, the clan, the race, the cast, the tribe, the community or the market. As Joel S. Migdal writes, Since the beginning of the contemporary state system in the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries change has moved towards accepting an axiom that the state organization should provide the predominant (if not exclusive) set of rules of the game in each society. 1 The capacity to exert control over other social forces has been a defining feature of state. The works of Karl Marx and Max Weber, which has been the foundation of two main traditions in modern social science, argue that the state as an institution monopolizes the legitimate use of violence and organized coercion in society. 2 However, rules that structure the interaction of state and other components of society are always being contested and often being restructured. The states as well as societies vary in their abilities to * This paper is one of the products of Agora research project, a collaboration between the
Democratization is a field where unexpected and sudden events have repeatedly challenged conventi... more Democratization is a field where unexpected and sudden events have repeatedly challenged conventional wisdom. For example, who in the mid-1970s would have foreseen the democratization of Cambodia, Albania, South Africa or East Timor? Our current wave of democratization is complex and diverse and understanding it requires a variety of theoretical approaches.
Most of the literature on democracy assumes that it is the best form of government. Theoretical works on democratic transition and democratization have also emphasized the internal conflict resolution capacity of democracy. It has been reasoned that democracy reduces the likelihood of discrimination, especially of ethno-political minorities, and thus the possibility of political repression. However, the democratic peace theory has not been explicitly tested with reference to third world post-colonial states, where most internal violent conflicts take place. Certainly, there is a dearth of practical advice for policy makers on how to design and implement democratic levers that can make internal peace and stability endure in the South.
This volume, drawing among others on the work of six scholars from the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, contributes to identifying and understanding the challenges and opportunities of this democratization project to the peace and development of the world both at the domestic level in selected countries, trends in regions of the world, and in the global system of the post-Col War Era.
Description: Education plays a very important role in breaking the cycle of poverty and increasin... more Description: Education plays a very important role in breaking the cycle of poverty and increasing opportunity. Various forms of social movements play an important role in providing educational opportunities to communities and social groups that might otherwise be excluded, filling the gap left by the state. This book edited by Ashok Swain critically examines the origin and outcome of social action for education in different parts of the world.
Contents:
1. Knowledge, Identity and Power - Education Movements in the Global South, by A.Swain
2. Food for Starved Minds: The Mobilization of African Americans for Education, by D.C.Worgs
3. Education Movements, Power and Identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, by R.Kostic
4. Universal Elementary Education in India: An Exploratory Study of Movements in Civil Society, by S.Pai
5. Muslim Madrasas in Contemporary South Asia, by Y.S.Sikand
6. Education among Indigenous Peoples from Colombia and Peru: Social Movement or Public Policy?, by C.Uribe
7. Education as an Agenda of Social Action in Malaysia: The Search for Unity in a Plural Society, by K.Askandar
8. Social Movements and the 'Education Revolution' in Post-apartheid South Africa, by L.A.Swatuk
9. Social Action for Education, the State and the Global Network, by A.Swain
Social development issues, May 17, 2024
Routledge eBooks, Oct 3, 2023
Water is essential for human life and at the centre of political, economic, and socio-cultural de... more Water is essential for human life and at the centre of political, economic, and socio-cultural development. This Routledge Handbook of Water and Development offers a systematic, wideranging, and state-of-the-art guide to the diverse links between water and development across the globe. It is organized into four parts: • Part I explores the most significant theories and approaches to the relationship between water and development. • Part II consists of carefully selected in-depth case studies, revealing how water utilization and management are deeply intertwined with historical development paths and economic and socio-cultural structures. • Part III analyses the role of governance in the management of water and development. • Part IV covers the most urgent themes and issues pertaining to water and development in the contemporary world, ranging from climate change and water stress to agriculture and migration. The 32 chapters by leading experts are meant to stimulate researchers and students in a wide range of disciplines in the social and natural sciences, including Geography, Environmental Studies, Development Studies, and Political Science. The Handbook will also be of great value to policymakers and practitioners.
For international and domestic actors, postconflict situations constitute one of the most difficu... more For international and domestic actors, postconflict situations constitute one of the most difficult policy arenas to understand and operate within. In this context, the sustainable management of natural resources to prevent conflict and build peace—before, during, or after conflict—has received increasing scholarly attention over the past three decades. Emphasizing the potential for environmental cooperation to support peace and stability, researchers have focused on the ecological foundations for a socially, economically, and politically resilient peace. This chapter takes stock of the current state of the art on environmental peacebuilding, providing a summary of the most common definitions before looking back at the development of environmental peacebuilding along the two most noticeable perspectives and the remaining challenges and pathways for future research.
Anthem Press eBooks, Dec 1, 2007
This fascinating collected volume explores the relationship between world conflict, political unr... more This fascinating collected volume explores the relationship between world conflict, political unrest and the driving forces of Capitalism and Globalization.
SAGE Publications Ltd eBooks, 2014
Routledge eBooks, Apr 17, 2018
Anthem Press eBooks, Mar 5, 2012
uu.se. Publications. ...
Anthem Press eBooks, Mar 5, 2012
Anthem Press An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company www. anthempress. com This edition first ... more Anthem Press An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company www. anthempress. com This edition first published in UK and USA 2009 by ANTHEM PRESS 7576 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA, UK or PO Box 9779, London SW19 7ZG, UK and 244 Madison Ave.# 116, New ...
Comprehensive Assessment of the Freshwater Resources of the World, International Fresh Water Reso... more Comprehensive Assessment of the Freshwater Resources of the World, International Fresh Water Resources: Conflict or Cooperation
Water security in a new world, 2017
Water security is a multifaceted concept that spreads over political, social, economic and biophy... more Water security is a multifaceted concept that spreads over political, social, economic and biophysical fields, becoming increasingly important in the age of looming global water crises. Previous research outcomes suggest that escalating global water crises are the results of governance failure not limited to physical shortages of freshwater resources. Water crime is defined in both procedural and moral terms as wrongdoings determined within the legal justice systems and social norms. This chapter explores water crimes in different dimensions with examples from the Global North and South and establishes typologies as follows: mismanagement of water resources causing significant social harms and environmental damage; corruption allowing allocation of water resources for a favoured party, using public office for private economic and political gains and adding payments for more effective service delivery; and, terrorism targeting water infrastructure and systems and affecting water security in water scarce regions. A broader framework to understand the multiple dimensions of water crime is an essential precondition for establishing a comprehensive strategy for achieving water security.
Global Environmental Politics
This Forum article reports on a meta-review of more than 19,000 published works on water security... more This Forum article reports on a meta-review of more than 19,000 published works on water security, of which less than 1 percent explicitly focus on race or ethnicity. This is deeply concerning, because it indicates that race and ethnicity—crucial factors that affect the provision of safe, reliable water—continue to be ignored in academic and policy literatures. In response to this finding the Forum calls for building intersectional water security frameworks that recognize how empirical drivers of social and environmental inequality vary both within and across groups. Intersectional frameworks of water security can retain policy focus on the key material concerns regarding access, safety, and the distribution of water-related risks. They can also explicitly incorporate issues of race and ethnicity alongside other vectors of inequality to address key, overlooked concerns of water security.
Global climatic change is an environmental problem of potentially devastating proportions. Eviden... more Global climatic change is an environmental problem of potentially devastating proportions. Evidence of global warming has the potential to bring huge insecurity over food and water availability and also being the cause of large-scale human displacement. Climate change can be a “threat multiplier” by bringing political and economic instability, particularly in many poor and developing countries. Undoubtedly, climate change is a major threat to humankind, which needs to be confronted by global cooperative efforts, not by confrontational behavior.
• 1) How does Africa's diverse geography shape life on the continent? • 2) What cultural patterns... more • 1) How does Africa's diverse geography shape life on the continent? • 2) What cultural patterns did Africa's early societies share? • 3) What major changes affected societies during Africa's Iron Age? • 4) Why did the Kingdoms of West Africa prosper during the Medieval period and then decline? • 5) How has Africa's cultural and ethnic diversity actually proven to be a dividing force? • 6) Why does Africa remain poor and can sustainable development help? • 7) what can be done to strop the spread of the AIDS epidemic? Main Idea Africa's earliest people adapted to a wide range of geographic conditions to establish societies based on family ties, religion, iron technology, and trade. Yet, Africa today largely remains divided, economically poor and devastated by epidemics such as AIDS. Geography, Culture and Early Civilizations in Africa 5/27/2011 Hydroelectric Power The Aswan High Dam was built on the Nile River in 1960-1970. Aswan High Dam (Benefits) A. The dam provides around 15% of Egypt's electricity. B. The dam has stopped the Nile River from flooding every year. C. The dam created Lake Nasser, which provides water for irrigation and local use.
Routledge Handbook on Middle East Security, 2019
Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development, 2021
Dysfunctional water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) systems are mainly determined by poor water go... more Dysfunctional water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) systems are mainly determined by poor water governance, exacerbating inequalities and poverty. Multi-stakeholder partnerships provide an approach to more flexible and adaptive governance to explore these problems. In this article, national commitments made to improve WaSH, made through the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership's Mutual Accountability Mechanism, are examined through qualitative content analysis and guided by the SMART framework to assess the current target-setting. The analysis reveals that there are differences in the participation of the different constituencies regarding the number of stakeholders participating and their performance for measurable and time-bound commitments. This applies especially to research and learning and the private sector. Countries have prioritized commitments related to policy and strategy, efficiency and enabling conditions; further research should understand the linkages of...
The fuel shortage caused by the Indian blockade has pushed Nepalis to deforest lands in search of... more The fuel shortage caused by the Indian blockade has pushed Nepalis to deforest lands in search of firewood for cooking. As much as Nepal, Bihar will pay the price.
Indian prime minister Modi's charisma doesn't stem from his policies, it comes from his credenti... more Indian prime minister Modi's charisma doesn't stem from his policies, it comes from his credentials as a Hindu nationalist.
Large-scale Population Migration and Insecurity in the Middle East, 2019
This chapter examines the international and domestic costs of noncooperation among and within the... more This chapter examines the international and domestic costs of noncooperation among and within the countries comprising the Indus basin. Its focus is on all four of the co-riparian basin states, but India and Pakistan receive special attention due to their prominent position in the basin’s water use and management. Besides the international costs, including intensification of traditional enmities, heightened distrust, persistence of territorial disputes, terrorism, and weakening of regional norms of cooperation, this chapter also examines the way in which noncooperation in regard to water resources plays an instrumental role in creating and aggravating the interprovincial and interethnic divisions within basin countries. The bilateral and internal mistrust and suspicions in the basin have restricted the ability of riparian countries to develop critical water development projects like Tulbul Navigation project/Wullar Barrage, Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal, and Kalabagh Dam to make best possible use of available water resources, and this in turn has impacted negatively on the social and economic development of these countries.