Forests are fundamental environmental resources, crucial for biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration and landscape resilience, and for the survival of all species on the planet. Thus, the...Show moreForests are fundamental environmental resources, crucial for biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration and landscape resilience, and for the survival of all species on the planet. Thus, the phenomenon of deforestation has interested a number of researches, which have identified development dynamics, namely extractivist commodity crop agriculture and indigenous displacement, as its major drivers. Sustainable development (SD) is the most widely accepted approach to curb this phenomenon. However, SD projects have produced mixed results, while opportunities offered by more radical approaches, such as post-development, have been overlooked in the literature. This research takes the example of degrowth as a post-development critique and analyses the case study of the Zapatista Autonomous Communities (ZACs) in the Mexican state of Chiapas. It investigates to what extent Zapatista agricultural strategies mitigate deforestation caused by extractive commodity crop agriculture and indigenous displacement. On the basis of a triangulation of literature review, qualitative content analysis and unstructured interviews, this thesis argues that Zapatista agricultural practices represent a crucial opportunity to mitigate deforestation in Chiapas. Indeed, Zapatista price settlement mechanisms and farming practices offer an effective alternative to extractive commodity crop agriculture and, by fostering the resurgence of indigenous communities, oppose the cultural consequences of indigenous displacement.Show less
In the last decade, the participation of women in political violence has received an increasing amount of academic attention. However, scholars often neglected to find empirical evidence on the...Show moreIn the last decade, the participation of women in political violence has received an increasing amount of academic attention. However, scholars often neglected to find empirical evidence on the implications of women for armed groups perceived legitimacy. To fill this gap, this thesis explores the Women’s Protection Unit, which received worldwide media attention in their battle against the Islamic State, as a single case study. This thesis examines the Western perspective towards these women combatants by employing a qualitative content analysis of 43 Dutch newspaper articles. The results reveal that the media uses stereotypes about gender by framing these women combatants as non-aggressive, weaker, and less threatening than the male combatants of the Islamic State. As a result, the media legitimizes the use of violence of the female combatants as they need to protect themselves. Besides, the media glorifies the women of the YPJ by pointing out their fight for Western values, namely equality. Consequently, this thesis posits that the way the media frame the women combatants and their opponent, the Islamic State, favours the legitimacy of the armed group, the Women’s Protection Unit.Show less
