Search results

Over the last two decades, the post-Soviet space has undergone remarkable changes: new conflicts have emerged, transnational infrastructures have been constructed, new institutions have been created and new security concerns have appeared. However, until relatively recently, scant attention has been paid to the significance of alternative approaches to geopolitics as an explanatory paradigm to assist in understanding the new changes in the post-Soviet space. The five articles in this Special Issue seek to fill this gap in the existing debate on foreign policy in the post-Soviet space, using a number of conceptual and methodological tools to shed light on the multiple forms of intertwined dynamics that are currently shaping relations across the region. They seek to facilitate a better understanding of previously observed, but unexplained and neglected, phenomena associated with the complexities of international relations in the post-Soviet space. This article serves as an introduction to the Special Issue "The (re)-politicisation of international relations in the post-Soviet space" and outlines the key research questions to which answers have been sought by experts.

This book studies inter-organisational relations from a new angle: power. Drawing on examples that highlight how the EU relates to NATO and to the UN, it shows how consequential inter-organisational relations are for the functioning and nature of the organisations, and how important it is to detect the forms of power exerted in these relations. Power, for international organisations, is above all about relevance. In an era when the legitimacy and role of international organisations is increasingly questioned, the organisations have a growing concern for ensuring their continued relevance. Subsequently, the management of relevance is a central part of inter-organisational relations and becomes visible in the way organisations handle questions about their tasks, hierarchies and image. Clear and accessible, the book will appeal both to the growing scholarly community working on inter-organisational relations and to a variety of audiences including practitioners and scholars outside the field of international relations.

Résumé Pour l'Estonie, garantir l'indépendance nationale est toujours resté au centre de sa conception de la politique étrangère. Ainsi, la participation à la guerre en Irak s'inscrit actuellement de manière importante au sein de sa politique étrangère, dans la mesure où les États-Unis représentent l'élément central de la sécurité du pays. Par ailleurs, suite à l'adhésion de l'Estonie à l'Union européenne (UE), ses relations avec la Russie, si elles demeurent tendues, changent de nature. De plus, la Politique européenne de voisinage est un moyen pour l'Estonie de réaliser ses visées nationales en matière de politique étrangère et de participer à la politique de puissance régionale. En effet, elle devient dans ce cadre un exemple de réformes, de transition, d'occidentalisation et d'intégration pour l'Ukraine, la Moldavie et la Géorgie.

This is the first book ever to be published on arts use in social work. Bringing together theoretical connections between arts and social work, and with practice examples of arts in micro and macro social work practice from around the world, the book aims to inspire the reader with new ideas. It provides specific skills, defines what is social rather than fine or projective art use, and explains the theoretical connection between art and social work. It has chapters from all over the world, showing how arts are adjusted to different cultural contexts. Section I explores the theoretical connections between art and social work, including theories of resilience, empowerment, inclusion and creativity as they relate to art use in social work. Section II describes specific interventions with different populations. Each chapter also summarizes the skills and hands-on knowledge needed for social workers to use the practical elements of using arts for social workers not trained in these fields. The third section does the same for arts use in community work and as social change and policy. Using Art in Social Work Practice provides theoretical but also hands-on knowledge about using arts in social work. It extends the fields of both social work and arts therapy and serves as a key resource for students, academics and practitioners interested in gaining the theoretical understanding and specific skills for using social arts in social work, and for arts therapists interested in using social theories.