War Song in a Service of Ideology. Comparative Essay on the Example of Yugoslav and Ukrainian-Russian Conflicts

Both the official army music and combatants’ informal folk songs have always played a noteworthy role in their respective societies regardless whether this music was created as means of actual propaganda or subsequently as part of reinvented commemorative culture. This article focuses on comparison of the two most recent European armed conflicts, namely 1) the ethnically motivated conflicts in former Yugoslavia between 1992 and 1995/1999, and 2) the interethnic violence followed by Russian military intervention in Ukraine in 2014; the Russo-Ukrainian conflict has not yet been settled and still threatens to escalate. Building on wide range of primary and secondary sources (mainly of Western, Central and South-Eastern European provenience) that has been ignored by a regional scholarship, the paper seeks to provide a contextual background behind the war songs and to compare their prevalent patterns and typology of their inner dynamics and transformations. This paper will not inquire into international, economical or military implications of the aforementioned armed conflicts; it will focus specifically on textual and contextual analysis of those songs. Study brings completely new insights on phenomenon of war songs in East European and former Yugoslav environment and brings much-needed light on the intertwined social, cultural and identity relations that can be established between the former Yugoslav and post-Soviet countries. This topic is very important since state doctrine, national narratives, historical memory affect current and also future development of both regions what is clearly visible on elaborated material.

The Attitude of the Authorities of The Independent State of Croatia Towards the Refugees in Sarajevo During 1941 and 1942 / Odnos organa vlasti Nezavisne Države Hrvatske prema izbjeglicama u Sarajevu tokom 1941. i 1942. godine

The establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) produced a period of extreme interethnic violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina, resulting in forced population migrations, both temporary and permanent. In eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, primarily from insurgent and later predominantly Chetnik attacks, thousands of Muslim refugees fleeing from death sought refuge in ‘safer’ parts of the NDH. Sarajevo, as the closest and, in a wider circle, the biggest city quickly became refugees’ central gathering and rescue point. This paper aims to track the main course of attitude primarily of the local NDH authorities towards the Muslim refugees from autumn 1941 until mid-1942, and the establishment of the Alipašin Most refugee camp.

Mali

Mali is a low-income fragile country facing significant development challenges that have intensified due to insurgency, terrorism, and social tensions. Implementation of the 2015 peace agreement is challenging, and the authorities have limited control over the North and Center regions. Mali’s social development could be further undermined by the recent instability and interethnic violence that complicates the government’s ability to implement basic social and poverty-reducing programs. The economic outlook for Mali remains positive but subject to important downside risks. The potential real growth rate is estimated at about 5 percent per year and inflation is expected to continue to be contained by the CFAF’s peg to the euro. Downside risks relate to the possible further deterioration of the security situation, potential shocks to the terms of trade (the price of gold, cotton, and fuels), and adverse weather conditions. In addition, a continued shortfall in domestically-financed public investment, if revenue mobilization does not improve as expected, could adversely affect growth potential and performance.

There Is No Jew or Greek

This chapter reveals the central importance of Jewish–Greek relations to the Apostle Paul. Building on the theory that Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith was not an answer to the universal problem of human sin, but an answer to how Gentiles could be included in the new Christ communities without following the Jewish Law (the “New Paul”), this chapter explores the history of interethnic violence that plagued Jews and Greeks in Paul’s day, especially in the cities of the Roman East, where Paul was active. Paul saw in the Jesus movement a way to bridge the divide between Jews and Greeks when others in the movement generally did not. Later, Paul’s words and ideas would be repurposed as the foundation for Gentile Christian anti-Judaism. Paul’s dictum “no longer Jew or Greek” became simply “no longer Jew.”

Croat war criminal’s death will shake Balkans

Significance ICTY’s final verdict on six Bosnian Croat war criminals was a major blow to Zagreb, as it confirmed the Croatian wartime leadership’s responsibility for atrocities in Bosnia-Hercegovina (BiH) during the 1992-95 war. Croatian and Bosnian Croat politicians have mostly adopted partisan positions, bluntly rejecting the ruling. Impacts ICTY’s catastrophic security failure has overshadowed its already controversial record in the Balkans. Bosnian Croat and Croatian challenges to the court’s work will further weaken US, EU and other international positions in the Balkans. Balkan tensions could boil over into interethnic violence.

Intimate Others

This chapter explores the dynamics of kinship and marriage in Toñampari and what it means for Waorani people to live in a community that incorporates kowori people into household and village life. For many Waorani, the Quichuas are highly desired marriage partners and the primary source of shamanic curing. At the same time, they describe Quichua people as morally different from themselves, as “enemies” who invade Waorani lands and practice powerful assault sorcery. This seemingly paradoxical relationship illustrates the symbolic importance of affinity in transforming interethnic relations in Amazonia. The chapter shows that despite ongoing conflicts that sometimes erupt into interethnic violence, relations with Quichuas and other kowori have an important value for Waorani men and women.

Islamist terrorism may now take new forms in Balkans

Subject The evolving threat of Islamist terrorism. Significance Seven unnamed individuals were convicted in Kosovo on January 19 on charges of terrorism. Six were found guilty of joining a terrorist organisation after travelling to Syria to fight alongside Islamic State (IS); the seventh was convicted of recruiting fighters inside Kosovo. Not only does the case shine a light on the growing terrorist threat in the Balkans, which has gained new life with the rise of IS, it also provides an ominous backdrop to a potential rise in interethnic violence linked to frustrated nationalism in the region. Impacts Governments may implement more onerous security measures, especially at airports and international borders. A major terrorist incident could potentially cause damage to an economic sector such as tourism. An intensified terrorist threat could inflame nationalism and contribute to the fragmentation of states along ethnic lines.

Segregated Together

This chapter focuses on the complex and troubled history of interethnic violence between blacks and Latinos. It compares prevailing conditions in areas such as New York's Staten Island, where the chief violence is perpetrated by African Americans on Latinos, and California, where the opposite pattern prevails, and examines the asserted justifications made by the authors of such violence. The chapter concludes that the constant force in reproducing such violent behavior, irrespective of the group responsible, is the surrounding conditions of race-based poverty and residential segregation. The chapter shows that in the end, only a renewed societal focus on combating the institutional forces of poverty and racism, along with segregation, can address interethnic relations nationwide.

On the Effects of International Support to Peace and Democracy in Kenya and Kyrgyzstan in the Aftermath of Interethnic Violence

This article shows that the international community can have a decisive impact on peace and democracy in a country, based on a paired comparison of Kenya and Kyrgyzstan. Both countries have experienced similar political trajectories, amongst them a struggle to consolidate peace and democracy after outbreaks of major interethnic violence, but show varying degrees of international influence on these processes. Analyzing several critical junctures in the two countries’ peace and democratization process through over 80 interviews reveals that although crucial international impact is rare, it is possible if donors jointly pursue a political agenda that connects to a home-grown process.