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Maps are effective tools for communicating information to the general public and help people to make decisions in, for example, navigation, spatial planning and politics. The mapmaker chooses the details to put on a map and the symbols to represent them. Not all details need to be geographic: thematic maps, which depict a single theme or attribute, such as population, income, crime rate, or migration, can very effectively communicate the spatial distribution of the visualized attribute. The vast amount of data currently available makes it infeasible to design all maps manually, and calls for automated cartography. In this thesis we presented efficient algorithms for the automated construction of various types of thematic maps. In Chapter 2 we studied the problem of drawing schematic maps. Schematic maps are a well-known cartographic tool; they visualize a set of nodes and edges (for example, highway or metro networks) in simplified form to communicate connectivity information as effectively as possible. Many schematic maps deviate substantially from the underlying geography since edges and vertices of the original network are moved in the simplification process. This can be a problem if we want to integrate the schematized network with a geographic map. In this scenario the schematized network has to be drawn with few orientations and links, while critical features (cities, lakes, etc.) of the base map are not obscured and retain their correct topological position with respect to the network. We developed an efficient algorithm to compute a collection of non-crossing paths with fixed orientations using as few links as possible. This algorithm approximates the optimal solution to within a factor that depends only on the number of allowed orientations. We can also draw the roads with different thicknesses, allowing us to visualize additional data related to the roads such as trafic volume. In Chapter 3 we studied methods to visualize quantitative data related to geographic regions. We first considered rectangular cartograms. Rectangular cartograms represent regions by rectangles; the positioning and adjacencies of these rectangles are chosen to suggest their geographic locations to the viewer, while their areas are chosen to represent the numeric values being communicated by the cartogram. One drawback of rectangular cartograms is that not every rectangular layout can be used to visualize all possible area assignments. Rectangular layouts that do have this property are called area-universal. We show that area-universal layouts are always one-sided, and we present algorithms to find one-sided layouts given a set of adjacencies. Rectangular cartograms often provide a nice visualization of quantitative data, but cartograms deform the underlying regions according to the data, which can make the map virtually unrecognizable if the data value differs greatly from the original area of a region or if data is not available at all for a particular region. A more direct method to visualize the data is to place circular symbols on the corresponding region, where the areas of the symbols correspond to the data. However, these maps, so-called symbol maps, can appear very cluttered with many overlapping symbols if large data values are associated with small regions. In Chapter 4 we proposed a novel type of quantitative thematic map, called necklace map, which overcomes these limitations. Instead of placing the symbols directly on a region, we place the symbols on a closed curve, the necklace, which surrounds the map. The location of a symbol on the necklace should be chosen in such a way that the relation between symbol and region is as clear as possible. Necklace maps appear clear and uncluttered and allow for comparatively large symbol sizes. We developed algorithms to compute necklace maps and demonstrated our method with experiments using various data sets and maps. In Chapter 5 and 6 we studied the automated creation of ow maps. Flow maps are thematic maps that visualize the movement of objects, such as people or goods, between geographic regions. One or more sources are connected to several targets by lines whose thickness corresponds to the amount of ow between a source and a target. Good ow maps reduce visual clutter by merging (bundling) lines smoothly and by avoiding self-intersections. We developed a new algorithm for drawing ow trees, ow maps with a single source. Unlike existing methods, our method merges lines smoothly and avoids self-intersections. Our method is based on spiral trees, a new type of Steiner trees that we introduced. Spiral trees have an angle restriction which makes them appear smooth and hence suitable for drawing ow maps. We study the properties of spiral trees and give an approximation algorithm to compute them. We also show how to compute ow trees from spiral trees and we demonstrate our approach with extensive experiments.

Sub-Saharan Africa is faced with crises and conflicts that also pose a threat to the security of Europe, the United States and the world at large.Africa seeks to ensure its own security and calls on the aid of foreign partners including Europe. But questions arise concerning the strengths and realities of that partnership and the prospects for peace it offers.The European Union is indeed a partner whose effectiveness - guaranteed by the comprehensive approach embodied in its multifaceted ACP/EEC-EU and ESDP/CSDP instruments - was demonstrated in Togo from 1993 to 2005, in the DRC with "Artemis" and EUFOR RD CONGO, in Darfur with EUFOR Chad-CAR and off the coast of Somalia with EUNAVFOR. Yet the need to highlight its strengths and play down its weaknesses leads it to promote the concepts of complementarity and ownership in the construction of the African Peace and Security Architecture through operations and civilian missions, in particular EUSEC and EUPOL in the DRC, EUTM "Somalia", EUAVSEC in Southern Sudan and Niger Sahel EUCAP and EUCAP Nestor for the training of national forces in the fight against Islamist terrorism and maritime piracy.What adjustments and improvements to European, pan-African and international law are required, with a view, in particular, to more innovative forms of funding and better coordination, as well as a pooling of African resources and the various forms of assistance from foreign contributors attracted by the resources and the economic opportunities of sub-Saharan Africa in the 21st century? This opens up a whole new and wide-ranging debate. ; L'Afrique subsaharienne connait des crises et conflits qui menacent aussi la sécurité de l'Europe, des Etats-Unis et du reste du monde.Elle cherche à se sécuriser par elle-même et sollicite l'aide extérieure notamment celle européenne dont on s'interroge quant aux atouts, réalités et perspectives de paix avec l'UE. L'Union Européenne est un partenaire dont l'efficacité garantie par son approche globale et permise par ses instruments ...

Third country resettlement and refugee repatriation are two of three durable solutions to the problematic of refugees. Third country resettlement requires refugees to undergo a process of social integration, which aims at providing them the same opportunities, services and rights as the host population. This thesis gives two aspects of refugee"s social integration process, outlining the differences between psychological integration and economic integration. Findings indicate that Congolese in Norway manage well economically, but social psychological integration is a struggle. Refugee repatriation have been characterised as the preferred solution in part because of it is believed to put an end to the refugee cycle, but also it is essential for post-conflict peace building of the country/ society refuge originated. The thesis (1) examines the process and problematic around refugee"s social integration of Congolese resettled in Norway; but it also (2) assesses the possibilities for a voluntary repatriation, exploring their reasons and aspirations for an eventual return to the Democratic Republic of Congo, or if staying in Norway is the ultimate option. This research has relied on qualitative interview as methods, basing on the theories around refugees" social integration and the concept of voluntary repatriation.

During negotiations for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), military activities in another state's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) were a point of contention. Currently, the issue remains controversial in state practice. UNCLOS attempts to balance the differing interests of coastal and maritime states, but is silent or ambiguous on the legality of military operations in foreign EEZs. Coastal states seek to assert increasing control over their maritime zones while maritime states prioritize the freedom of navigation. This article examines the competing views on these issues in the context of the 2009 Impeccable incident between China and the United States that occurred in the South China Sea. The issue of military activities in the EEZ will continue to be a complex subject, without clear definitions in the nature and scope of permissible activity. As state practice evolves, the potential for hostilities is high, particularly in semi-enclosed sea areas such as the South China Sea. This article concludes that states should create dialogues and form agreements to help clarify the contours of military activity in the EEZ, focusing on mutual interests, interdependence, and coexistence rather than perceiving the ocean as a zero-sum resource.

Hindu nationalism has seen a dramatic growth in India and abroad from the nineteen eighties. This growth has coincided with – and relates in complex ways to – several other highly significant developments, including (in no particular order) the instituting of liberalization in the economy; the legislation on reservations for 'Other Backward Castes' and its implementation; the intensification of the integration of the middle classes into the global economy; and the intensifying pauperization of the rural poor. These developments as well as Hindu nationalism's links with them have been the subject of scholarly attention from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. Apart from these however, one may also note the unfolding of less obvious, but equally significant and related developments in this period: the growth and intensification of female feticide and infanticide; the increase in dowry related violence and deaths; the targeting of women as objects of sexual violence, especially during communal riots, but also routinely; the increasing presence of women in rightwing organizations and mobilizations; an intensification in the policing of sexual discourses and sexuality; conversely and paradoxically, there has also been an increase in the visibility of women in the public sphere (through for instance, the widening of options for employment for women). Feminist scholarship has addressed several of these issues, independently and in their intersections; it has also addressed the rise of Hindu nationalism. However, there is little work on the relations that obtain between these issues and the more obvious ones set out above. Specifically, there was and remains a serious deficiency of attention to the relations between masculinity and Hindu nationalism. This study hopes to contribute towards addressing this deficiency in several ways. Firstly, it seeks to locate itself in the theoretical and analytical spaces between gender studies and political economy. It attempts to do so by reviewing and then parting from, the ...

Durkheim's idea that war reduces suicide through greater social and political integration has been used to explain suicide trends during the Northern Ireland conflict and in the period of peace. The applicability of Durkheim is critically evaluated through a case study of suicide trends by age, gender and cause of death over a forty year period. The key finding is that the cohort of children and young people who grew up in the worst years of violence during the 1970s, have the highest and most rapidly increasing suicide rates, and account for the steep upward trend in suicide following the 1998 Agreement. Contrary to Durkheim, the recent rise in suicide involves a complex of social and psychological factors. These include the growth in social isolation, poor mental health arising from the experience of conflict, and the greater political stability of the past decade. The transition to peace means that externalised aggression is no longer socially approved. It becomes internalised instead.

International audience ; This article reviews post-war rehabilitation of demobilised Lebanese militia, describing how this has been piecemeal, selective and politicised. Many former fighters remain unemployed and have been left to deal with the psychosocial scars of wartime violence. The fact that a new post-war generation of youth is being recruited through a heroic imagining of the war highlights the dangers of neglecting rehabilitation of ex-fighters. ; Cet article examine la réhabilitation dans l'après-guerre des milices libanaises démobilisées, décrivant comment le processus a été fragmentaire, sélectif et politisé. De nombreux anciens combattants sont toujours au chômage et ont été laissés pour gérer seuls les cicatrices psychologiques et sociales de la violence du temps de guerre. Le fait qu'une nouvelle génération de jeunes soit séduite par un imaginaire héroïque de la guerre en temps de paix met en évidence les dangers de négliger la réhabilitation des anciens combattants.

На основі порівняння підходів в організації підготовки фахівців цивільно-військового співробітництва з тими, що прийняті у збройних силах країн-членів НАТО, надаються рекомендації щодо шляхів підвищення ефективності підготовки військовослужбовців цивільно-військового співробітництва у системі бойової підготовки Збройних Сил України в цілому. ; На основе сравнения подходов в организации подготовки специалистов гражданско-военного сотрудничества с теми, что приняты в вооруженных силах стран-членов НАТО, даются рекомендации о путях повышения эффективности подготовки военнослужащих гражданско-военного сотрудничества в системе боевой подготовки Вооруженных Сил Украины в целом. ; On the basis of comparison of approaches in organization of preparation of specialists of civilly military collaboration with those which are accepted in military powers of countries-members of NATO, get recommendation in relation to the ways of increase of efficiency of preparation of servicemen of civilly military collaboration in the system of the combat training of Military Powers of Ukraine on the whole.

Is peace more likely to prevail when the peace accord includes civil society actors such as religious groups, women's organizations, and human rights groups? This is the first statistical study that explores this issue. The article develops key claims in previous research regarding the role of civil society actors and durable peace, and proposes a set of hypotheses that focus on legitimacy in this process. The hypotheses are examined by employing unique data on the inclusion of civil society actors in all peace agreements in the post-Cold War period. The statistical analysis shows that inclusion of civil society actors in the peace settlement increases the durability of peace. The results further demonstrate that peace accords with involvement from civil society actors and political parties in combination are more likely to see peace prevail. The findings also suggest that inclusion of civil society has a particularly profound effect on the prospects for overall peace in nondemocratic societies. (International Interactions/FUB)

The invasion of Iraq and the subsequent attempt to engineer a democratic state highlights the strengths and limitations of democratization studies to explain why, where, and how democracy occurs. This article argues that the way power is played out globally and locally determines the nature of democratic success or failure. Traditionally, democratization studies has focused on internal structures and agents of change. However, Iraq indicates that democratization is more complex than traditional comparative politics approaches have ascribed it. In this article, there are two key propositions. Firstly, global power-holders do not hold the exclusive ability to bring about democratization, but the drive for democratization is shaped by the display of power and disputes over global authority at least as much, if not more, than national-level politics. Secondly, the display of power internally determines two key dimensions of democratization: state capacity and societal security. This article relies on the example of Iraq to illustrate the shortcomings of the traditional approach to democratization and calls on a reinvigorated interdisciplinary approach to why democratization succeeds or fails.

Taking as its starting point the programme and campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy in the presidential election of 2007 around the 'value of work', this article reviews and assesses the main reforms undertaken during the period of his presidency. It focuses on the reform of working time regulationsg through tax exoneration for overtime hours, minimum income benefit (the introduction of the Revenu de solidarité active), moves to reform labour contracts, measures to help combat youth unemployment and pension reform. The article highlights inconsistencies between the political discourse of structural reform and a practice of incrementalism caused by ideological ambiguities, mismatch between policy design and economic conditions, and the reality of policymaking in a complex and fragmented polity.