Defining Civil War by Examining Post-Soviet Conflicts

Great many violent events happened during 1991–2005 in the 12 states that emerged after the collapse of the USSR but only a few civil wars are registered in the major datasets. That brings up a number of questions about the operational definitions of civil war that generally point in the direction of shifting the research attention from refining the quantitative parameters to grasping the essense of the phenomena in question. It is proposed that civil war partially overlaps with several other type of violent crisis: inter-state wars, civil unrest and revolutions, internal repression, military coups and mutinies, banditry and organized crime, and terrorism. These overlaps create six ‘gray zones’ where only very nuanced examination rather than application of rigid criteria could help in distinguishing civil wars from other crises. Therefore, data collection based on a single “robust” definition, which incorporates several verifiable parameters, is not necessarily the only path to scientific knowledge about civil wars.     

Foreign Policy Activism in Saudi Arabia and Oman. Diverging Narratives and Stances towards the Syrian and Yemeni Conflicts

Abstract

Amid growing animosity and security concerns in the Middle East, the Gulf region appears to be on the way to becoming the new centre of gravity of regional equilibria. The increasingly active foreign policy postures of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is a key aspect of the new regional order in the making. Saudi Arabia and Oman are two examples of this trend. Their involvement in the Syrian and Yemeni conflicts reveals important differences regarding the aims, narratives, political and military postures, strategies and alliances pursued by Riyadh and Muscat and casts a shadow over the future of GCC cooperation and integration.     

俄罗斯国际私法冲突规范简述

俄罗斯国际私法冲突规范立法采取分散立法式,即将冲突规范分散地规定在1996年3月1日生效的《俄罗斯联邦家庭法典》、2002年3月1日生效的《俄罗斯联邦民法典Ⅲ》等法律文件中.本文从俄罗斯国际私法冲突规范形式上的新发展出发,就"居住地是俄罗斯国际私法冲突规范的连接点"、"法人国籍国法是法人属人法的内核"、"法律行为构成涉外之债冲突规范立法的'纬线'"、"涉外性三标志理论被赋予鲜明的实践价值"以及"反思俄罗斯国际私法冲突规范立法"五个层面,着重评述了俄罗斯国际私法冲突规范实质上的新发展,以期为中国国际私法立法提供一些借鉴.     

Dead-Letter Regimes in the Post-Soviet Space: Strategies and Communication

ABSTRACT

This article explores why dead-letter regimes, sets of norms and institutions with low efficiency and few expectations of tangible output, have become an enduring feature of international politics in the post-Soviet space. It focuses on the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union, the two regional regimes promoted by Russia. The article analyzes their emergence and evolution, normative frameworks, performance and member states’ expectations. It argues that, while mostly failing as instruments of strategic action, these regimes have become conduits of communicative action and arenas enabling member states to enact specific international roles.     

The image of Genghis Khan and ethnic identities in Post-Soviet Russia

The recent rise of Asia as a global geopolitical center has led to renewed interest in Asian history, not just by Asians but by Europeans as well. Genghis Khan is one of those figures who attracts attention, and several movies on him have recently been created. One of them was made in Russia and has led to broad public response. These responses have made it possible to gauge the views of the Russian public on the role of Russia in the global community and the relationship between Russians and ethnic minorities of the Russian Federation.     

当代俄罗斯远东地区的俄汉洋泾浜简

洋泾浜俄语作为一种语言形式,广泛存在于中俄边境地区民间贸易活动中.目前,在远东,俄汉洋泾浜作为一种接触语言,有其自身发展的历史以及社会语言特征.     

Post-Soviet universities as development in practice: local experience and global lessons

The university holds a privileged place as the site of knowledge production in social development. Simultaneously, traditions of pedagogy drawing from the liberal arts have evolved within Northern/Western post-secondary educational systems which claim to create citizens through developing the skills of freedom; this claim was central to interventions in post-Soviet university reform projects. The author's university development and reform experiences in the former Soviet Union show that a depoliticised liberal arts pedagogy in fact reinforced authoritarian practices, and the promise of a liberal arts pedagogy as an emancipatory project remains an ongoing global task of critical knowledge practices.

Universités post-soviétiques en tant que développement dans la pratique : expériences locales et leçons mondiales

L' université occupe une place privilégiée comme site de production de connaissances dans le développement social. Dans le même temps, des traditions pédagogiques s'inspirant des arts libéraux ont évolué dans le cadre des systèmes d'éducation post-secondaires du Nord et de l'Occident qui affirment créer des citoyens en développant les compétences de la liberté ; cette affirmation a été centrale dans les interventions dans les projets de réforme universitaire post-soviétiques. Les expériences de l'auteur du développement et de la réforme des universités dans l'ancienne Union soviétique montrent qu'une pédagogie dépolitisée des arts libéraux a en fait renforcé les pratiques autoritaires, et la promesse d'une pédagogie d'arts libéraux comme projet émancipatoire reste une tâche mondiale en cours constituée de pratiques critiques d'acquisition de connaissances.

Universidades na era pós-soviética enquanto desenvolvimento na prática: experiência local e lições globais

A universidade ocupa um lugar privilegiado como lugar de produção de conhecimento na área de desenvolvimento social. Simultaneamente, tradições de pedagogia extraídas das artes liberais têm evoluído dentro dos sistemas educacionais pós-ensino médio no hemisfério norte / ocidental, que afirmam criar cidadãos através do desenvolvimento de qualificações para liberdade; esta afirmação foi central para as intervenções nos projetos de reforma da universidade na era pós-soviética. As experiências da autora sobre desenvolvimento e reforma da universidade na antiga União Soviética mostram que uma pedagogia de artes liberais despolitizada, na verdade, reforçaram práticas autoritárias, e a promessa de uma pedagogia de artes liberais enquanto projeto emancipatório permanece uma tarefa global contínua de práticas importantes de conhecimento.

Las universidades postsoviéticas para el desarrollo en la práctica: experiencias locales y mundiales

La universidad desempeña un importante papel en la producción de conocimientos para el desarrollo social. Simultáneamente, se afirma que la pedagogía utilizada en las humanidades de los sistemas escolares universitarios del Norte o de Occidente fomenta la ciudadanía porque desarrolla herramientas dirigidas a la libertad; los proyectos de reforma de la universidad postsoviética se basaron en esta idea. Las experiencias de la autora en el desarrollo y la reforma universitaria de la antigua Unión Soviética muestran que la pedagogía despolitizada en las humanidades más bien fortaleció prácticas autoritarias; la esperanza de contar con una pedagogía emancipadora en las humanidades continúa construyéndose a nivel mundial mediante el ejercicio de prácticas de conocimiento crítico.     

俄罗斯金融工业集团在中俄经贸合作中的地位和作用

俄罗斯经济转轨催生了金融工业集团,它在引发负面效应的同时也支撑着转型经济的发展,对其整治与引导的结果强化了其常规民族资本的特征。鉴于金融工业集团在俄国民经济构架中的作用及其所代表现代经济发展趋向的现实,选取其良性进化的一面,联系国际贸易合作载体的主流趋势,着眼于中俄商贸的可持续发展,俄金融工业集团将在未来中俄经贸合作中发挥主体和不可替代的作用,在加深对其进行研究的同时,应强化与其多领域的合作。     

原苏联地区"颜色革命"浪潮的成因分析

原苏联地区"颜色革命"浪潮的出现有着复杂的成因.在全球化背景下原苏联各国民主化过程的发展是"颜色革命"形成的政治条件,各国国内严重的贫困、两极分化、贪污腐败、社会不公等问题是"颜色革命"形成的社会条件,这些国家内部由于历史文化等原因形成的地区和族群对立是"颜色革命"形成的历史文化条件,美国在原苏联地区大力推动对当地国家政权的"民主化"改造,这是"颜色革命"形成的外部条件.在所有这些因素的共同作用下,"颜色革命"的浪潮逐波兴起.     

马其顿的民族冲突

今年2月末,前南斯拉夫联邦成员之一的马其顿的阿尔巴尼亚族与科索沃阿族内外勾结发动武装叛乱,马政府出兵镇压,战火从科马边境地区的塔努舍夫奇村蔓延至首都斯科普里附近,马一度濒临内战边缘。在西方国家干预下,马、阿两族政党代表虽几度谈判,但终因双方分歧严重而无法达成妥协,冲突仍然不断。8月13日,双方谈判取得突破性进展,马、阿两族政党代表签署和平协议,声明愿意结束已持续近6个月的马其顿冲突。但分析家指出,马其顿能否真正实现和平令人怀疑,国家统一前景也并不乐观。     

后锡安主义与巴以冲突问题综述

后锡安主义是在全球化时代背景下受到美国和欧洲后现代主义思想的影响 ,在以色列兴起的一种思潮。它是从锡安主义 ①(Zionism)发展而来的。后锡安主义概念出现于 2 0世纪 90年代早期 ,其成员是一些左翼的具有反思精神的知识分子 ,他们经常被称为“批判社会学家”、“新历史学家”、“后现代主义者”和“修正主义者等” ,主要属于“后‘六·五’战争的一代”。② 按照后锡安主义者自己的说法 ,后锡安主义的实质就是反锡安主义。其思想根源可以追溯到 19世纪末锡安主义兴起时的其左派的思想和实践 ,以及一些犹太学者对巴以问题的认识和后现代…     

后苏联空间地区化视角下的俄白联盟

后苏联空间地区化进程具有长期性、复杂性、不稳定性的特点。俄罗斯力图使俄白联盟成为后苏联空间一体化的核心。俄白联盟非对称性的相互依赖，成为两国一体化进程深入发展的障碍。     

Ethnic and Religious Roots of Regional Conflicts in the Caucasus

The main causes of ethnic conflict are territorial issues and territorial disputes. In the Caucasus, all armed ethnic confrontations were initially interstate conflicts and at times were related to religious differences.     

China-EU Cooperation in the Settlement of Regional Conflicts

As a big developing country, China unswervingly follows the road of peaceful development. At the same time, she plays an active role in resolving regional conflicts through diplomatic efforts.     

Disadvantaged Groups and Asymmetric Conflicts

The article metaphorizes the relationship of extra-system actors with the world＇s dominant international system as a ＂jostle-to-board- the-train Game Model,＂ and transplants the disadvantaged group theory of domestic sociology to international relations. On the basis of this the author proposes a loss-driven model to explain the self-destructive asymmetric conflicts in the world today. As the result of two climaxes in the jostle to board the train games, the author argues that three structural changes have occurred： centralization of power, institutionalization, and legitimization in the international system. These changes have created a ＂spindle-shaped＂ system structure with international disadvantaged groups taking a passive role. Although this structure is highly stable, channels for international disadvantaged groups to express their interests are blocked. As the net losers in the established system and order, international disadvantaged groups have no alternative but to follow the loss-driven model to confront the strong. Their action of ＂beating stone with eggs＂ is surely not capable of overthrowing the whole system, but creates a significant potential threat to world stability and harmony.     

中苏冲突中的信息沟通

上个世纪60年代是中苏关系危机四伏、各方面摩擦和冲突不断的时期，双边关系从1960年7月苏联单方面决定召回全部在华工作的专家开始恶化，到1969年珍宝岛危机爆发，最终走向破裂。中苏双方在沟通方面存在信息不畅、缺乏沟通机制、信息的错误认知和彼此的消极沟通方式等问题，导致信息沟通失灵，这是两国关系恶化的一个重要因素。