The Horn of Africa as Venue for Regional Competition: Motivations, Instruments and Relationship Patterns

2021 ◽  
pp. 097508782110341
Author(s):  
Ismail Numan Telci
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Horn Of Africa ◽  
Regional Politics ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Relationship Patterns ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
External Powers ◽  
External Actors ◽  
The Relationship

The Horn of Africa has visibly started to play a more distinctive role in international relations in the past years. Comprising Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti, the region is home to competition between countries of the region and influence of external actors. The region is increasingly a part of Middle East regional politics and is home to competition among regional powers such as Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran. It is critical to articulate how each country formulates an agenda for the region. Therefore, the article seeks to explain how each regional power came to establish policies with each of the Horn of Africa country to set the stage for a strategy that depends on the region. While the study focuses on the motivations and instruments of involvement of these actors in the Horn of Africa politics, it also focuses on the relationship patterns between these external powers and Horn of African countries. The study aims to generate a policy-oriented analysis as well as a framework with regard to the role of external actors in the Horn of Africa politics.

EXTERNAL TRIGGERS OF INTEGRATION PROCESSES IN CENTRAL ASIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-70
Author(s):  
VALERY MIKHAYLENKO ◽  
◽  
RUSTAMI SUHROB
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
One Belt One Road ◽  
External Actors ◽  
Available Resources

The article examines the influence of external actors on the processes of integration and regionalization in Central Asia. The authors view Central Asia as a region undergoing reformatting. In their previously published articles, they analyzed intraregional processes that affect integration. In this article, I analyze the role of external actors, namely, global and major regional powers in the formation of the region. The authors note the increased competition from integration projects in the region, especially transport and logistics infrastructure projects. In this regard, the article raises the topic of pairing integration projects proposed by external actors. Using the example of the analysis of attempts to pair the Russian EAEU project and the Chinese one “Belt, One Road”, the authors point to the difficulties of achieving interaction between competing partners. The article notes that in spite of the available resources for using “soft power” in the region, Russia must take into account the growing rivalry on the part of external actors for influence in the region and respond flexibly to emerging challenges.

Ambivalent reflections on violence and peacebuilding: Activist research in Croatia and the wider post-Yugoslav space1

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Stubbs
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
The Real ◽  
Nationalist Movements ◽  
Post Colonial ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
External Actors ◽  
The Relationship

The chapter explores theoretical, political and ethical challenges inherent in activist research in conflict and post-conflict environments, focusing on Croatia and the wider post-Yugoslav space. Framed in terms of ‘ambivalence’, ‘positionality’ and ‘reflexivity’, the chapter revisits themes which were especially important in the wars of the Yugoslav succession: the ‘projectisation’ of NGOs; the relationship between ‘the real’ and ‘the virtual’; the role of external actors within a ‘new humanitarianism’; the over-emphasis on medicalised understanding of ‘trauma’; and the limits and possibilities of anti-nationalist movements in times of nationalist mobilisation. The chapter emphasises the importance of multi-voiced ethnography, a conscious post-colonial positioning and a stance of deep humility as preconditions for activist research to open up new arenas of possibility, struggle and change.

The Horn of Africa: Regional Politics and Dynamics

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Clapham
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Guerrilla Warfare ◽  
Horn Of Africa ◽  
Regional Politics ◽  
World War ◽  
Separate Identity ◽  
Role Of Religion ◽  
The Impact ◽  
External Intervention

The peculiar politics of the Horn of Africa derives from the region’s exceptional pattern of state formation. At its center, Ethiopia was Africa’s sole indigenous state to remain independent through the period of colonial conquest, and also imposed its rule on areas not historically subject to it. The Somalis, most numerous of the pastoralist peoples, were unique in rejecting the colonial partition, which divided them between British and Italian Somalilands, French Djibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia, while formerly Italian Eritrea, incorporated into Ethiopia in the post-World War II settlement, retained a sense of separate identity that fueled a long struggle for independence. These differences, coupled with the 1974 revolution in Ethiopia, led to wars that culminated in 1991 in the independence of Eritrea, the collapse of the Somali state, and the creation in Ethiopia of a federal system based on ethnicity. Developments since that time provide a distinctive slant on the legacies of colonial rule, the impact of guerrilla warfare, the role of religion in a region divided between Christianity and Islam, the management of ethnicity, and external intervention geared to largely futile attempts at state reconstruction. The Horn continues to follow trajectories of its own, at variance from the rest of Africa.

The mediation role of public governance in the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-333
Author(s):  
Allam Mohammed Hamdan ◽  
Reem Khamis ◽  
Ammar Abdulla Al Hawaj ◽  
Elisabetta Barone
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Public Governance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Economic ◽  
Oil Revenues ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediation role of public governance in the relationship between entrepreneurship and economic growth in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach To achieve this aim, the study uses a 20-year time series analysis (1996–2015) and tests the effect of entrepreneurship on economic growth, through public governance, via a mediator model. Findings The study has determined that public governance buoys the positive effect that entrepreneurship activities exert on economic growth in the UAE. Based on this determination, the study posits a set of recommendations that focus on supporting entrepreneurship activities that play a significant role in economic growth. Originality/value The study adds to the literature on the impact of entrepreneurship on economies dependent on oil revenues vis-à-vis a public policy perspective. The study provides insights into the type of entrepreneurship that most efficaciously suits the Emirati social and cultural milieu in terms of fostering national economic growth. In addition, the study limns a vision of the role of public governance in creating an enabling environment that stimulates entrepreneurial activity and, in turn, increases economic growth in the Emirates.

The Relationship Between Organizational Culture and Business Excellence

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rassel Kassem ◽  
Mian Ajmal ◽  
Mehmood Khan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Positive Relationship ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Business Excellence ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Moderating Role ◽  
Role Of Information

The relationship between organizational culture (OC) and corporate performance was commonly studied and reflected in the literature in the last few years. However, the relationship between OC and business excellence is rarely tackled. In this context, this research examined the relationship between four OC types and organizational excellence and the role of information communication technology (ICT) as a moderator. A quantitative study was conducted, and the data were collected using a survey questionnaire distributed to middle managers in one of the gold winners of a United Arab Emirates-based business excellence award. The results showed that there is a positive relationship between organizational culture components and business excellence in general. A mission culture has the most significant relationship, in contrast, the adaptability culture had no positive relationship. Also, the moderating role of ICT was proven. The results of this research can be utilized by managers to build the OC type that boost excellence within their organizations.

ALCOHOL, DRUG AND SEXUAL BACKPACKERS’ LICENTIOUSNESS IN THE LIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL COMPARATIVE RESEARCH

2017 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 153-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jolanta Barbara Jabłonkowska
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Cultural Conditions ◽  
International Comparative Research ◽  
International Comparative ◽  
Drug Overuse ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Sexual Promiscuity

Purpose. Among the variety of backpaker’s behaviour, the excessive use of alcohol, drugs and sexual promiscuity are considered to be potentially dangerous for their physical and mental health. According to many researchers, this behavior is the result of backpakers’ loss of control in new social and cultural situations while travelling abroad. The aim of this study was to determine the role of drugs and sexual promiscuity in the backpackers’ travels and to find the reason for their behavior becoming less controlled. Method. In this paper, the results of field research on a group of 290 backpackers from Poland and other countries, conducted within the years 2014-2016 in 5 countries (Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Poland) are described. Findings. The obtained results enable us to indicate a new function of drugs in backpakers daily life and the relationship between drug overuse and backpackers’ experience in novel cultural conditions as well as their financial stance. Research and conclusion limitations. The article does not present a comprehensive study on the behaviour of backpackers, which is too complex, but primarily focuses on their uncontrolled drug consumption and sexual promiscuity. Practical implications. The data presented in this paper can be particularly important for individuals and institutions responsible for the development of local tourism. It is important to understand the attitudes and behaviour of backpackers, the emancipatory functions of sexual stimulants and sexual promiscuity. It is also necessary to continue this kind of research and to supplement the existing knowledge with the new contexts of the changes in the backpackers’ behaviour, also in case of the experience of Polish backpackers. Originality. This is the first paper prepared in Poland to describe and analyze the uncontrolled consumption of alcohol, drugs and sexual promiscuity among backpackers. Type of paper. The article presents the results of empirical research.

scholarly journals Relationship between Public Debt Burden and Health Expenditure in Sub-Saharan African Countries: The Role of Institutional Quality

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rusmawati Said ◽  
Abdullahi Sani Morai
Keyword(s):  
Public Debt ◽  
Health Expenditure ◽  
Institutional Quality ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
African Countries ◽  
The Public ◽  
Debt Burden ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Relationship

The historically lower level of public health expenditure of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries could be partly explained by the mounting debt burden of this region. This consumes a sizable proportion of their domestic resources to debt servicing and potentially decreases their overall budgetary allocations to various sectors in the economy and health expenditure in particular. Using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) approach on a sample of 43 sub-Saharan African countries, we examined the relationship between the public debt burden and health expenditure highlighting the role of institutional quality for the period 2000 – 2014. The empirical result confirms that the relationship between public debt burden and health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa is negative. Interestingly, however, the marginal effect of the relationship between the public debt burden and health expenditure has shown that such a negative relationship turns out to be positive when the quality of the institutions is at maximum. This suggests that the relationship between the public debt burden and health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa is a function of institutional quality.  Therefore, to minimize the negative impact of public debt on health expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa, governments should take determine stand to minimize its debt accumulation and intensify efforts toward the improvement of institutional quality in the region comprehensively.

scholarly journals A Theory of Hegemonic Stability in South American Regionalism? Evidence from the Case of Brazil in UNASUR and Venezuela in ALBA

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-76
Author(s):  
María Victoria Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Regional Governance ◽  
South American ◽  
Regional Powers ◽  
Early 21St Century ◽  
Political Cycle ◽  
Policy Agendas ◽  
Theory Of Hegemonic Stability ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Hegemonic Stability

Abstract Both Brazil and Venezuela structured their foreign policy agendas in the early 21st century on the projection of their respective leadership in regional schemes such as UNASUR and ALBA, respectively, following an intermediate hegemonic strategy. The loss of dynamism of these post-hegemonic initiatives problematizes the relationship between regional governance and the role of regional powers. ALBA is a scheme contingent on the political cycle and political voluntarism intrinsic in Venezuela’s leadership. The bloc has lost members and relevance in recent years. As for UNASUR, most of its member states have withdrawn from the bloc and it is currently not operating. In short, post-hegemonic proposals lose dynamism and support once the leadership that promoted them weakens. A certain ‘hegemonic stability theory’ contextualized to South America with regard to the leadership of Brazil and Venezuela in recent years seems to be fulfilled: the decline in power of these countries helps to account for political reversals and changes in regional governance.

scholarly journals Drivers of Clan Conflicts: A Perspective of the Role of Al-Shabaab in Garissa County, Kenya

SIASAT ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 16-22
Author(s):  
Stephen, K. Rotich ◽  
Warfa, O. Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Identity Politics ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Violent Extremism ◽  
Clan Identity ◽  
External Actors ◽  
The Relationship

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between the drivers of intra-clan-based conflicts and the involvement of external actors that has remained indefinable in Garissa County. The three sub-counties: Garissa Township, Ijara and Fafi were purposively selected for the study because of prolonged and unresolved intra-clan conflicts coupled with militia group of Al-Shabaab attacks over the past years. Qualitative approach was used to seek understanding of drivers of intra-clan conflicts and involvement of violent extremism. The study involves primarily 35 Key Informants drawn from security agencies, Clan elders, Religious leaders and Civil societies across the three sub-counties. The study established that competition over natural resources: water; pasture and land are the main causes of intra-clan conflicts. The respondents attest that intra-clan conflicts have been accelerated by clan identity politics, poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and Al-Shabaab infiltration. The devolution has elevated competition for political leadership due to sharing of county resources and employment along the sub-clans. The study found some respondents attributing Kenya’s military operation in Somalia to reciprocal attacks by Al-Shabaab in the county. The research established that over the years, Somali clan conflicts and hostility have spilled over into North Eastern Kenya, creating security threat and undermining community peace and cohesion. The porous border of Kenya-Somali has made it easy for some sub-clans to communicate with their kinsmen’s counterparts and obtain guns that are readily available in Somalia. The perception of injustices and sense of marginalization amongst the Muslims have provided fertile ground for Al-Shabaab which has diverted attention of security agencies to violent extremism rather than clan conflicts. The study recommends enhancement of inclusive peace committee and collaboration of community with administration and security agencies to tie together peace. There is also a need for openness of politicians to advocate for impartiality, clan conflicts resolution and countering violent extremism through policy framework in the county assembly.

Exploring the Mediating Role of Feedback Environment in the Relationship Between Supervisors' Emotional Intelligence and Employees' Performance

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 91-104
Author(s):  
Saif Khan ◽  
Mahwish Anjam ◽  
Mohammad Abu Faiz ◽  
Faisal Khan
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Feedback Environment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This empirical study examines the relationship between the measured perception of the supervisor's emotional intelligence and the employee workplace performance, as it is impacted by the mediating effect of the supervisor's feedback environment. Data were collected from selected faculties of higher education institutions within Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) by means of a cross-sectional quantitative survey using a random probability sampling technique. Statistical techniques used for the purpose of data analysis include, descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The data analysis confirmed all of the research hypotheses excluding the impact of a supervisor's use of emotions on the feedback environment. However, the data from the feedback environment indicates a significant mediating impact upon the relationship between supervisor's emotional intelligence and the subordinate's work performance. This study establishes the role of the supervisor's emotional intelligence in defining the feedback environment as they deal with faculty members' quality of work.

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