Abstract: In recent years, Central Mali has witnessed increasing violence perpetrated by radical armed groups and communal militias. This article analyses the role of traditional authorities in the Central Malian conflict situation. It discusses how traditional authorities have become the object of killings, co-optation attempts and marginalisation by radical armed groups, and how they have promoted community cohesion and mediation in reaction to increasing insecurity and communal conflict. The article subsequently describes how traditional authorities in the region have been caught between the warring state and radical groups, both of which constitute serious physical threats, causing the institutional decay of traditional governance. Published on 2020-12-14 00:00:00
Abstract: The Centre for the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence at the University of St Andrews (CSTPV) was founded in August 1994 and with it an enduring scholarly tradition that continues to evolve. Indeed, it was to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the CSTPV’s foundation that leading academics gathered in St Andrews on 7-8th November 2019 to debate the past, present and future study of terrorism. This special edition of CVIR seeks to capture the general effervescence of that symposium. Its format has been deliberately cast as an academic conversation in print. Short versions of original papers given at the symposium are reproduced: but each paper is, in turn, commented upon by another esteemed contributor. Thus the whole special issue tries to retain a little of the quality of lively debate and interchange of opinion that marked the original gathering. Published on 2020-10-07 00:00:00
Abstract: International relations are complex, intricate and messy. Often, however, the disciplinary (and disciplining) boundaries of International Relations (IR) as a field curtail our ability to account for these complexities and to depict, narrate and imagine international relations differently. We are therefore pleased to introduce a new creative section within Contemporary Voices: The St Andrews Journal of International Relations (CVIR). Building on CVIR’s aim to transform what and how ‘voices’ are heard in IR , the Openings section provides a site to experiment with different forms of academic practice and to rethink how we ‘do’ IR. Published on 2020-01-17 00:00:00
Abstract: Although infographics form only a small proportion of IS propaganda output, they provide an intimate insight into the functioning and agenda of the IS. This research paper analyses more than 400 infographics published by official IS media units against the thematic framework set out by Winter (2018). The three principal IS propaganda themes identified by Winter of Victimhood, Utopia and War feature to varying extents of prominence in IS infographics, with multiple subthemes respectively. This paper’s analysis shows that Religious Life and Summaries make up the majority of infographic subthemes, while the primary theme Victimhood is almost non-existent. Published on 2019-12-09 18:06:41
Abstract: This review provides a succinct summary and critical examination of Stig Jarle Hansen's work on Al-Shabaab. It points out the book's strengths and weaknesses, and demonstrates that Hansen not only offers useful insights into Al-Shabaab but also helps readers understand the security landscape in Somalia. Published on 2019-12-09 10:22:55
Abstract: Borderscapes are spaces of exception: On one side, the state’s unrestrained, violent exercise of sovereignty in attempting to secure the border, on the other citizens and non-citizens who subvert the state’s authority by refusing to acknowledge its existence. Thus, borders are socially constructed liminal spaces extending beyond the borderline. To understand these complex bordering processes and practices, both monolithic and ideographic academic analyses are required. By visualising the borderscape we uncover the multi-faceted realities at borders, the performative acts constituting them, why and how exceptional violence and refusal are performed and give agency to non-state actors otherwise hidden from history. Published on 2019-11-15 14:54:50
Abstract: Abstract This article provides a review of John Lewis Gaddis’ recent work On Grand Strategy and A. Wess Mitchell’s, The Grand Strategy Of The Habsburg Empire. Both works taken together fill a major gap in the literature of grand strategy, which frequently devolves to conceptual analysis of strategy itself, discussions of current international political problems exclusive of historical lessons, or limitation to a military, vice high political context. Gaddis discusses the practices of great political leaders, while Mitchell offers practical guidance for statesmen via an exhaustive analysis of how the embattled Habsburg Empire survived for centuries in a highly competitive environment. Published on 2019-08-30 00:00:00
Abstract: 'Mobilising the Diaspora' by Alexander Betts and Will Jones is a fascinating and significant book for scholars and political analysts who desire to understand why certain diasporas are politically mobilised, whether (and how) their activities influence politics at home, why they choose specific tactics to reach their goals, and which factors define the 'birth, life, death and afterlife' of a diaspora. One of the central concepts of the book is the concept of 'animation', where 'animators' are seen as actors causing mobilisation and providing various resources for a diaspora. The hypothesis of Betts and Jones is that when animation comes primarily from within the community and when its work is institutionalised, political activities of the diaspora have better sustainability chances than when animation is primarily external and network-based. The authors use as case studies the transnational mobilisation of the Zimbabwean and Rwandan diasporas to test their theory. Published on 2019-07-29 14:30:15
Abstract: This article analyses the function music has played in the construction of identities in Mali, arguing that these constructions have directly impacted the process of national cohesion since independence in 1960. The link between this idea and the implications of the 2012 crisis - involving the prohibition of music under Shari'a law - will then be explored. The absence of music, a crucial mechanism for social cohesion, contributed to the complete breakdown of social relations and brought into question the concept of a "Malian" identity. Therefore, amidst ongoing Islamist activity, music’s ability to reconstruct national cohesion has been impaired. Published on 2019-06-20 11:47:32
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