http://hdl.handle.net/10037/140 2012-02-12T06:31:52Z http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3687 Forsther, Michael Pah<br /> Conflicts undermine state security, cause massive loss of lives, destroy livelihoods and undermine the general well-being of civilian populations. DDR has thus become the foremost policy tool for securing state security and establishing the framework for reconstructing conflict-affected societies. Using Liberia as a case, the present study has explored the livelihoods of ex-combatants within the framework of the UN-led DDR Program. Re-integrating ex-combatants into civil, productive and institutional life is the expected end result of the DDR Program. This led to the use of three main concepts; human security, human development and reconciliation. These three concepts provided the basis for assessing the success of the DDR Program in Liberia, with empirical focus on the ex-combatants' livelihoods in Monrovia. The study then found that most of the ex-combatants were unemployed; they had no stable sources of income and place to live. They were using illegal means such as armed robbery and criminal gang banditry to support themselves. The DDR failed to help prepare and reintegrate the ex-combatants into civilian life. The program also failed in making the ex-fighters responsible members of their communities despite the time and resources used for the program. Improving the human security of those directly involved in the conflict was an important way to bring development to the local communities, and to also reconcile perpetrators with their victims. The DDR Program in Liberia appeared to have had its own administrative problems, including funding. These problems strongly may have affected its operations, especially in providing alternative and legitimate sources of income for the ex-combatants. This is because a mass of unemployed and disgruntled ex-fighters can seriously undermine post-conflict security, reconstruction and reconciliation.<br /> 2011-10-18T22:00:00Z Forsther, Michael Pah http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3630 Dupeleva, Irina<br /> The present thesis is an exploratory research where I identify areas where challenges may arise in Russian-Norwegian business cooperation when Norwegians carrying out business in Russia. Based on interviews, three main issues emerged: boss-subordinate relations, networking and time orientation. The focus of the thesis is how to deal with these differences and how to deal with the challenges that can be caused by them. Therefore, in this thesis I will discuss these three major issues in Russian and Norwegian business cultures and discover how the differences in boss-subordinate relations, networking (personal connections) and time orientation can be overcome. This thesis includes a practical investigation and theoretical description of the three main issues and ways of overcoming these through the adaptation process. This study can be useful for anyone interested in managerial practices in Norwegian companies established in Russia because my research provides insight into the differences between Russian and Norwegian managerial practices and how to deal with the connected challenges that arise between the two.<br /> 2011-06-20T22:00:00Z Dupeleva, Irina http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3628 Khoronzhevych, Mariya<br /> ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to investigate the process of restorative justice implementation in Ukraine. The research provides an analysis of the current situation and evaluates the necessity of support of restorative justice practice by the State (i.e. by legislation, law enforcement and conventional justice systems). To achieve objectives of the study methods of qualitative research were applied and consisted of analysis of specialized literature and a number of semi-structured and unstructured interviews. The interviewees included employees of the Ukrainian Centre for Common Ground (the UCCG) and practicing mediators from Simferopol branch of the UCCG. In addition there were conversations with random people aiming to learn their points of view on restorative justice and its possibilities. The findings revealed that though much work had been done after restorative justice was introduced in Ukraine in 2003, it had not advanced much. Moreover, due to the problems experienced, there can be observed a tendency towards a decrease of the restorative justice practice. The failure of the post-Soviet law enforcement and the systems of justice to earn the people’s trust caused a strong disbelief in innovations in this sector. The major challenges include absence of sufficient financing of the mediation centers and lack of cooperation of the law enforcing structures and the system of justice with mediators. The conclusion is that the State’s active cooperation in implementation of restorative justice, including legislative and financial support, is crucial in achieving positive results in this sphere. Key-words: Ukraine, restorative justice, mediation, implementation, criminal justice, law enforcement.<br /> 2011-03-31T22:00:00Z Khoronzhevych, Mariya http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3554 Hassan, Md. Zahid<br /> The Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord 1997 signed between the Government of Bangladesh and the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS), recognises the reestablishment of the rights of the indigenous people with the formation of locals & regional councils as controlling and supervisory bodies over land & land management, law & order, civil administration, police (local), development, primary & secondary education, forest & environment, and many more. After more than a decade of signing, the Accord has not been implemented fully and the violations of human rights continue. This study examines the challenges which Bangladesh as a post-war state face, in establishing democratic institutions and particularly indigenous institutions in order to bring justice and peace in the disputed CHT region. This study describes how the Land Dispute Resolution Commission which has been formed in 1999 to settle the land disputes between the indigenous people and Bengali settlers, can make its activities responsive to both a diverse constituency of indigenous people without ignoring the Bengali migrants and all the same gains trust and ownership among the Hillpeople. The study describes ‘the state of nature and politics’, ‘civil military relations’, ‘nation and identity building’ and ‘the geopolitical’ issues and how these issues played a key role in the policy formation process for CHT. In other words, I am keen to examine whether or not these issues influenced and made an impact on trust and ownership gaining process.<br /> 2011-04-30T22:00:00Z Hassan, Md. Zahid http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3497 Ainebyona, Gerald<br /> ABSTRACT This thesis focuses on the reintegration of the female ex-abductees of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). The aim of Reintegration is to transform and empower these women and girls so that they can help themselves and have a successful future. For more than two decades, the war between the LRA and the government of Uganda, included violations of human rights, abductions of children into child soldiering, sexual abuse and forced marriage of young girls and claimed thousands of lives in northern Uganda. The thesis explores female ex-abductees’ post-conflict challenges in Gulu, an Acholi area, and how these complicate their reintegration into social life. Through empirical data presentation, I provide a lens through which to understand the gendered challenges to the reintegration of female ex-abductees of LRA. It is widely known that women and girls across the world experience discrimination of some kind at the expense of men and boys. But the situation of female ex-abductees of LRA in Northern Uganda is worse. I argue that these females face specific challenges to the extent that one can use the apartheid of gender to understand their situation. The social stigma, rejection and maltreatment they face results in their re-traumatisation in the post-conflict setting. Using a gender analysis, the thesis outlines public policy action or suggestions that could be useful in designing and implementing an appropriate intervention programme for reintegrating female ex-abductees of LRA.<br /> 2011-06-27T22:00:00Z Ainebyona, Gerald http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3496 Monazzami, Ali<br /> This thesis is based on Ghassemlou's ideas about democracy and democratization of Iran as a multi-national and multi-religious country. Because of the lack of democracy, there are many conflicts and injustices in society. Therefore, the democratization of Iran is the best way to transform the various politically, economic and social oppression. Such a solution can be found through Abdol Rahman Ghassemlou's ideas and plans for Iran. Until today, the relationship between the Persians and other nations in Iran has been very unbalanced, Independent of which governance form the country has had. The Kurds in Iran have fought for self-governance right many years. Now they believe they can realize this goal by democratizing Iran, while they believe that all Kurds are one nation. The problem statement for this task have been: What did democracy mean for Ghassemlou in theory and practice, and how Ghassemlou’s ideas about democracy can help us to democratize Iran? The main finding in this thesis is that Iran is a multi-national and multi-religious country ruled by an Islamic theocratic system, that Persians have great influence over it, and that consequently – in order to democratize Iran, the country first needs to remove this theocratic system, then can create a system that will help people to practice democracy. Such a system should bring up democratic personalities, by training in practising democracy, in which people will form organizations, have freedom of speech, tolerate differences, and grants people a great degree of self-governance trough a decentralized political system. Some key word in this thesis: autonomy, democracy, democratic personality, decentralization, democratic socialism.<br /> 2011-06-02T22:00:00Z Monazzami, Ali http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3495 Chapkanski, Tsvetan<br /> The thesis looks at the education problems of the Roma communities in Northwestern Bulgaria and investigates the prerequisites for their successful inclusion in schools and their integration.<br /> 2011-05-31T22:00:00Z Chapkanski, Tsvetan http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3491 Cielen, Przemyslaw Lukasz<br /> The research tries to answer how LUs could contribute to the integration of Poles into the Norwegian labour market. It tries to specify the special needs of those workers and ways in which labour Unions tried to meet them. The study analyzes impact of actions taken by the labour union and tries to determine what kind of influence, on the relations between Poles and labour unions, can have the fact that large number of Polish workers is employed by temporary work agencies. The study was conducted in Oslo county among members of Oslo Construction Workers Union. This organization is known as the one that noticed large successes in recruiting immigrants. Findings show that there are problems with communication channels. Those used by the union differ from those that are demanded by Poles. The difference between those types of communication is constituted by division on activities and 'presence' of the labour union. The study also analyzes special need voiced by the respondents: postulate of information, lack of accreditation of professional skills and vocational education, the case of 'fixing contracts' by the labour union in temporary work agencies and disparity between formal and informal positions performed at workplace. All those needs aren't however answered yet. Result of this state is disappointment of Poles. The study forms the core category - the formality hypothesis, which describes the way that labour union can influence integration of Poles into the labour market.<br /> 2011-05-31T22:00:00Z Cielen, Przemyslaw Lukasz http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3467 Rhea, Randolph Wallace<br /> This Master's Thesis uses Collier, Hoeffler, and Rohner's (2009) Feasibility Thesis as a field for a thorough inquiry into the question of how we can best study the causes of civil war. We advocate a pluralist research strategy, with set-theoretic (especially fuzzy-set) methods as a key component, as the most promising strategy for the study of the causes of civil war.<br /> 2011-05-15T22:00:00Z Rhea, Randolph Wallace http://hdl.handle.net/10037/3330 Mossakowski, Tomek<br /> This thesis examines the political activities of the LGBT movement in Poland as it seeks to increase its position on the socio-political landscape and ultimately rid itself of stigma. Using ethnographic data collection at a non-governmental organisation in Warsaw, it discusses the use of symbols and the accumulation of what Bourdieu called symbolic capital. It draws heavily on the theory of Harrison's symbolic conflict and Schwimmer's notions of symbolic and direct competition, while bringing in Goffman's model of stigma to explain some of the behaviour of the activists themselves.<br /> 2011-04-13T22:00:00Z Mossakowski, Tomek