Suchergebnisse

"Grenseløst Agder. Det som skilte og det som bandt highlights different aspects of the history of Norwegian region, Agder, as well as seeking to understand the regions present and future. The occation is the merging of the the two sub-regions Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder into Agder which took place January 1st of 2020.
" - Grenseløst Agder. Det som skilte og det som bandt retter søkelyset mot ulike sider av Agders historie, samtidig som landsdelen analyseres i et nåtids- og framtidsperspektiv. Anledningen er at Aust-Agder og Vest-Agder fra 1. januar 2020 ble slått sammen til ett fylke, Agder.

Provides an introduction to the history of modern Somalia followed by an analysis of the piracy epidemic that started in 2003. Political scientists consider Somalia the archetype of a failed state. The country is essentially divided in Somaliland, Puntland, Southern Somalia, and a number of smaller chiefdoms lacking a central regime and functioning government institutions. While pirate activity started already in 1991, it took twelve years before the activity became professional and well organized. After capturing several larger ships, such as Sirius Star and MV Faina, the pirates have been able to purchase better weaponry and communication devices making them even larger threats to passing ships. L. Pitkaniemi

An overall discussion on the history and definition of piracy, how it affects world trade, what actions have been taken against it and how its existence is explained. According to the statistics of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which has kept statistics since 1990, six ships out of 1000 have been attacked by pirates primarily in Southeast Asia and Costal Africa. On average 350 attacks are conducted, costing 16 billion dollars and several lives each year. Since the September 11 attacks, the interest of research around piracy has increased. These studies have linked piracy with failed states and a depressed fishing industry. L. Pitkaniemi

The article briefly discusses the history of Portugal's conquering and maintenance of its empire. This article examines enabling factors for the establishment of the Portuguese Empire in light of the relative lack of resources present at the time of the imperial conquest. The impact of ideology and religion in the Portuguese empire is examined. The article introduces the idea that charitable organizations known as Misericordias were pillars of the Portuguese Empire. The functions and political organization of Misericrdias are described. The author briefly discusses the fall of the Portuguese empire. This article is one in a series of articles on the topic of empires. References. E. Sundby

Discusses the history and development of democracy and freedom in China from Mao Zedong to Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. During Mao's regime the Chinese people lacked every freedom from travel to the freedom of speech in their own homes, and as late as 1989 the Tiananmen Square protests were brutally ended by the regime. Since then China has freed its economy and by the early 21st century Chinese people enjoy the right to select their local leaders, to live in any community they like, and to communicate freely with each other. However the highest party officials are still above criticism and the media is censored. L. Pitkaniemi

Throughout history, dictatorship has been the most common form of governance. However, the bifurcation between dictatorships and democracies is relatively new. Prior to the third democratic wave, it was common to divide undemocratic states into dictatorships, tyrannies, monarchies and republics - depending upon the transfer of political power and the size of the ruling class. Pre-modern dictatorships with limited resources often based their legitimacy on religion and tradition, whereas modern dictatorships stayed in power by controlling the arms and communication technologies. Dictatorships in the early 21st century have become less interested in world domination and more focused on keeping their power by avoiding revolutions and civil wars. L. Pitkaniemi

It can be argued that foreign ministers can create their own history, but not under conditions they have chosen. According to international politics research, foreign ministers are usually seen as an extension of the party or state, and their operational room is determined by both political and psychological factors. In Norway the foreign minister's leeway has been determined by parliamentary support, constitutional support, the relation to the foreign affairs committee, and their informal contacts. However, Norway suffers from a given limited foreign policy leeway due to its smallness, with a few notable exceptions that took place during the cold war and the land mine ban. Adapted from the source document.

An interview with Geir Lundestad, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Professor of History, and Author. Lundestad answers questions about his academic career and his position as Director of the Nobel Institute. The role of the individual as a catalyst for peace is addressed. There is a discussion about the candidate selection process of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, for which Lundestad compiles a list of candidates, and about the Committee's definition of peace. Lundestad discusses the inception of the concept "empire by invitation," for which he is internationally recognized. Lundestad will be releasing a new book, "Just Another Major Crisis? The United States and Europe since 2000," which focus on the war in Iraq and its impact on transatlantic relations. E. Sundby

Investigations carried out over the course of the last decade have revealed that during much of the Cold War, Sweden espoused a Janus-like policy in which there stood an open non-alignment & neutrality doctrine alongside a secret arrangement to cooperate with Western powers in the event of a Soviet invasion or a European war. This article focuses on what is here suggested to be a series of attempts to rewrite or edit this particular phase of Swedish political history, given the incompatibility of the two stances that Sweden assumed during this period. The author treats some of the highly controversial Swedish policies concerning alignment with the West, in particular with the United States & NATO. References. C. Brunski

Piracy has a long history and often arises from legitimization problems, which may cause problems in distinguishing pirates from non-pirates. Piracy can essentially be divided into three epochs: classical piracy, colonial piracy and modern piracy. Classical piracy lasted from 1492 to 1730 and was filling a proto-legal space when Protestants pirates defined the pope's authority, colonial piracy took place in the 18th and 19th century Mediterranean Sea, also backed by religious motives, and modern piracy is a phenomenon of the 21st century where the pirates utilize instable regions for their benefit. Legal, normative and conceptual definitions can be used to differentiate between pirates and non-pirates. L. Pitkaniemi

In a critical review of the work of E. H. Carr on international politics, Carr's stature as an early critic of Western-Soviet relations is discussed. Carr, best known for his works What Is History? (1962) & The Twenty Years' Crisis (1939), had good timing: eg, his analysis of the failure of policy toward the Central Powers & the USSR appeared on the eve of WWII. Carr was a pioneering figure in that he served both as influential historian & influential policymaker in the British Foreign Office during this period, & his assessment of realism & utopianism, while critiqued in the intervening years, is part of a body of work that still holds value today, particularly for students of international politics. 9 References. A. Siegel

In western China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, development is characterized by a difficult political & social situation. Huge state investments, as well as the development of large oil & cotton industries, have led to economic growth & a standard of living that ranks among the highest of China's western provinces & regions. Despite this, groups among the region's inhabitants show great discontent with the Chinese administration. Separatism, terrorism, human rights violation & ruthless exploitation of the region's resources are equally important parts of Xinjiang's recent history as economic development & the improved standard of living. In the midst of this situation Xinjiang's Bingtuan, a group of state-run, formerly military, farming units, plays an important role as a regional development agent & as a Chinese controlling body. Figures, References. Adapted from the source document.