The Millennium Development Goals were a global endeavour to achieve pro-poor human development between 2000 and 2015. Although adopted by 189 heads of state, few governments of developing countries...Show moreThe Millennium Development Goals were a global endeavour to achieve pro-poor human development between 2000 and 2015. Although adopted by 189 heads of state, few governments of developing countries took ownership of the Goals by adjusting their national policies to UNDP guidelines for accomplishment. This research finds a correlation between ownership and MDG achievement by studying the policies and progress of Burkina Faso, Uganda and Kenya. The findings are used to argue for strategic cooperation between the UNDP, World Bank and IMF for successful pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals.Show less
This study aims to describe and analyse the Europeanisation of defence policy in smaller member states. By using comparative analysis it will assess the impact of their EU membership on the...Show moreThis study aims to describe and analyse the Europeanisation of defence policy in smaller member states. By using comparative analysis it will assess the impact of their EU membership on the national policies and institutions of three countries: the Netherlands, Belgium and SwedenShow less
In 2011, the new Obama administration made the official decision to rebalance America’s foreign policy. This policy has come to be known as the pivot or rebalance and signaled that the center of...Show moreIn 2011, the new Obama administration made the official decision to rebalance America’s foreign policy. This policy has come to be known as the pivot or rebalance and signaled that the center of the political and economic history of the 21st century is moving eastwards, with a re-newed focus towards the Asia-Pacific. With this shift Washington not only wants to benefit from the global geopolitical dynamics and economic growth, but it is also a result of China’s rising economic and military power. The South China Sea (SCS) is a place which is on the way to becoming the most contested body of water in the world with ongoing territorial disputes.Show less
In the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) numerous minerals are mined everyday by local workers. These local workers face severe abuses of human rights as (mass) rape, murder and...Show moreIn the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) numerous minerals are mined everyday by local workers. These local workers face severe abuses of human rights as (mass) rape, murder and the looting of villages. These violations are mainly funded by the sale of the minerals, which are used for the production of telephones, laptops and other electronic devices. Several initiatives exist with the purpose to improve the circumstances these civilians are facing. In the Netherlands a few interesting projects were initiated regarding this topic. This thesis will focus on the Dutch initiatives attempting to challenge practices of conflict minerals in the current world order on two levels: the Conflict Free Tin Initiative (CFTI) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the social enterprise Fairphone. The thesis will aim to give an overview of different initiatives, narratives and perspectives on the conflict mineral case in Congo and will place this in the broader context of the theoretical debate on world order. The thesis will answer the following research question: To what extent are the structures of world order (debated by IR theories) being challenged by Dutch initiatives – specifically, governmental initiatives and the social enterprise Fairphone - regarding the conflict mineral case in Congo, and what implications do these cases have for the theoretical debate on world order?Show less
The phrase "War on Terror" has become one of the most used by politicians in the last two decades and international terrorism nowadays classifies as one of the top security priorities in the...Show moreThe phrase "War on Terror" has become one of the most used by politicians in the last two decades and international terrorism nowadays classifies as one of the top security priorities in the political agendas. With the growth of the phenomenon of the “home-grown” terrorists, the pressure is on the rise for countries worldwide to find and adopt measures suitable for preventing rather than mitigating and treating post-terrorist attacks' conditions and situations. Next to repression early prevention could prove to be an extremely valuable tool maybe not for the immediate future but for the generations to come to live terror-free. For this reason, violent extremism and violent extreme radicalization need to be approached and tackled at their roots before reaching the point of searching for potential homegrown terrorists or even later post-attack attempting to find the culprits and their groups or networks or even later trying through programmes to de-radicalize and reinstate them in the society. According to many scientists and academics, education plays a key role in the shaping of young minds and this is a preventive sector that the EU should be investing in even more. It could be argued that legal constrictions to the matter are applicable, which has been a significant impediment. However, the Member States should be discussing for education reforms to be applied as such, since this not anymore purely a matter of education and of national interest of each Member State, but relates directly to EU-wide security situations. The EU until very recently has not had specific steps or points within its policies at union level as far as education is concerned to prevent violent extremist radicalisation of young individuals. The situation has changed in the last 5 years, but measures still lack specificity, guidance and instruction in application. Member states themselves have adopted different approaches - related to counterterrorism and not necessarily focusing on education since such EU reforms were non-binding - either pre or post-incidents of terrorism depending on the degree to which each has suffered from cases and attacks of violent radicalisation. Many discussions and decisions have been made to adopt a common EU level approach on education against terrorism, or at least to follow the same direction and to move towards a common goal. However, all of these until now - other more and other less - have been non-specific and/or non-binding, meaning they also have not been implemented evenly around the EU or - if not at all. This dissertation is an effort to more specific and targeted steps in education in an effort to prevent violent radicalisation and the creation of more homegrown terrorists.Show less
Since 2009, smart power has been the leading foreign policy concept of the Obama Administration. While the concept of smart power has been extensively researched, questions about the conversion of...Show moreSince 2009, smart power has been the leading foreign policy concept of the Obama Administration. While the concept of smart power has been extensively researched, questions about the conversion of smart power theory into practice remain. This thesis examines the way in which smart power is implemented in American foreign policy regarding the Ukraine Crisis and the South China Sea conflict, taking into account the context of the changing nature of power in the twenty-first century.Show less
This Master thesis approaches a central theme for modern societies and democracies: media freedom. The following analysis chooses to scrutinise one specific country’s conceptualisation of this...Show moreThis Master thesis approaches a central theme for modern societies and democracies: media freedom. The following analysis chooses to scrutinise one specific country’s conceptualisation of this principle: France. As this study finds and further demonstrates, the French understanding of media freedom relates to a European conceptualisation; categorised in the consequentialist academic trend. Although grouped with the consequentialists, this thesis however decides to further analyse this arguably utopic view on the French case. Precisely, it is interesting to question France’s almost sacrosanct international image of pays des droits de l’homme. However, by questioning this stance, the thesis does not aim to be outrightly sceptic: instead it questions France’s categorisation in the consequentialist group to either conclude by confirming it, or revoking it. Since this analysis can only be succinctly conducted, researches have justified the choice to focus on the Institutional Act n°2009-257, enacted during Nicolas Sarkozy’s term. Thus, the topic is narrowed down to the French perspective of media freedom as to public broadcasting services (PBS). Although later amended with Law n°2013-1028 of November 15th 2013, the relevance of the 2009 Institutional Act thought to deserve a distinct analysis – due to its ‘uniqueness’ in the French PBS legal landscape. To conduct this analysis, Jan Oster’s theorisation is chosen. Indeed, the legal framework proposed by the academic is believed to allow a thorough scrutiny of this 2009 piece of legislation – and the other provisions attached to it. Specifically, a combined politico-legal analysis of this legal text is to be conducted. It is believed that a political sciences insight could help determine what the legal discipline cannot. Attention should be put on the fact that this study accounts as the first to employ J. Oster’s theoretical and methodological framework, so that no previous model is available. Therefore, this thesis’ attempt to use it is a form of experimentation.Show less
The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the importance of the role of media platforms encountered in cultural diplomacy of the European Union. By looking closely into the case of Helan Online...Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to analyze the importance of the role of media platforms encountered in cultural diplomacy of the European Union. By looking closely into the case of Helan Online Platform at the Radio Nederland Wereldomroep, hereafter known as the RNW Media in the Netherlands, what this thesis aims to explore are the potential positive impacts brought by media in terms of European Union cultural policies and the necessity of the EU to apply media platforms to its cultural relations with other countries. The analyses touch upon the following questions: (1) What is the definition of cultural diplomacy and why is it an significant part in foreign policies? (2) How far have China and major European countries developed in cultural diplomacy during the past decade and how is the cultural relation between them? (3) In the context of information age, why and how does the EU need to incorporate social media into its strategy to improve its cultural diplomacy towards China? These and other sub-questions will be investigated on the basis of existing academic literatures and the archived information from RNW Media.Show less
Abstract This thesis investigates whether South-South Cooperation can lead to agricultural growth in Africa, based on the transfer of knowledge and best-practice techniques developed in Brazil....Show moreAbstract This thesis investigates whether South-South Cooperation can lead to agricultural growth in Africa, based on the transfer of knowledge and best-practice techniques developed in Brazil. Using a case study analysis of ProSAVANA, a triangular cooperation project between Japan, Brazil and Mozambique, this thesis analyses the effectiveness of the project in combining financial aid with technical knowledge transfer to cultivate the Nacala Corridor of Northern Mozambique. Based on the findings of the case study, this thesis argues ProSAVANA has been largely unsuccessful in achieving agricultural development in Mozambique. This is primarily due to its focus on private investment and commercial gains, which has been heavily criticised by civil society groups and local farmers in Mozambique. This paper concludes by arguing that ProSAVANA is damaging the long-term reputation of SSC, following claims of land grabbing and exploitation of resources, which is in stark contrast to its principles of shared development goals and mutual respect. This harms SSC’s chances of changing the development landscape in the long run.Show less
This thesis treats the concept of Neo-Sufism within a religio-political context, showing how Islamic mysticism could develop into a conservative and in some cases militant movement. The concept is...Show moreThis thesis treats the concept of Neo-Sufism within a religio-political context, showing how Islamic mysticism could develop into a conservative and in some cases militant movement. The concept is contextualised in current debates on the rise and devastating effects of Islamism. This study shows how both Islamism and Neo-Sufism base themselves on the same Islamic principles to justify their responses to modernism and Western Colonialism .Show less
In the recent years there has been a discussion on the mechanisms of democratization and the European Union’s contribution to this process. Furthermore it has been studied how military-regimes,...Show moreIn the recent years there has been a discussion on the mechanisms of democratization and the European Union’s contribution to this process. Furthermore it has been studied how military-regimes, have had an impact on the stability of a new young democracy. However, it has not explained, to what extent the European Union can contribute to prevent an authoritarian reversal and tackle the challenges that young democracies with a military legacy have to face. This thesis seeks to analyze whether the European Union has prevented the risk of an authoritarian reversal in post-military regimes. This project aims to bridge theories on democratization of military regimes with theories on how organizations such as the European Union, contribute to the prevention of an authoritarian reversal. In order to answer the research question, the case of Myanmar from 2011 until 2015 has been analyzed. The analysis of the democratization in Myanmar showed that all the policies of the EU have not specifically tackled the challenges which have been caused by Myanmar’s military legacy. In order to effectively contribute to a more successful consolidation of a democracy, the external agent should focus more on the context, in which the country is democratizing.Show less
Because of globalization, it is possible for diaspora to keep in touch with the homeland and to stay connected. They have often resources, such as money, to influence the homeland and homeland...Show moreBecause of globalization, it is possible for diaspora to keep in touch with the homeland and to stay connected. They have often resources, such as money, to influence the homeland and homeland politics. If there is a conflict in the homeland, diasporas can therefore influence this, in a negative or positive way. The question is what the role of community activism is in reconciliation and this can contribute to broader international solutions. The Armenian diaspora is very large and has been very active in getting the Armenian genocide from 1915 recognized by Turkey, and other states. The reconciliation process between Turkey and Armenia has not been very successful, apart from some local initiatives. 13 respondents of the Armenian diaspora in the Netherlands have been asked about the role the diaspora should play in the reconciliation process. The conclusion is that the diaspora is and should be involved, however there are minimal conditions before reconciliation can truly begin: Turkey must recognize the genocide, apologize and provide financial and material compensation. Besides this, there are some initiatives that work in bridging the gap between two similar cultures, such as the documentary ‘Bloedbroeders’.Show less
