This is a M.A. thesis on the forces contributing to the acknowledgement of genocides by the perpertrating states. It is comparing the Australian genocide of the Aborigines, the German genocide of...Show moreThis is a M.A. thesis on the forces contributing to the acknowledgement of genocides by the perpertrating states. It is comparing the Australian genocide of the Aborigines, the German genocide of Nama and (Ova-)Herero in Namibia, the Canaduan genocide of Native Canadians and the U.S. American genocide of Native Americans with eachother. The composure of the government as well as a lack of threat to the social identity of a state are identified as the key factors in the perpetrator state acknowledgment.Show less
“The post-war world has witnessed the commence of several nuclear states. During the Cold War, the United States faced the Soviet Union in a battle of becoming the worlds’ superpower through...Show more“The post-war world has witnessed the commence of several nuclear states. During the Cold War, the United States faced the Soviet Union in a battle of becoming the worlds’ superpower through nuclear means. Today, the United States has new potential nuclear opponents, of which Iran and North Korea pose the most danger to the U.S. To comprehend these threats and the U.S.’s response to those, this thesis examines the difference between the United States’ past nuclear opponent, The Soviet Union, and its current nuclear adversaries, Iran and North Korea. Through an in-depth case study of the former Soviet Union, Iran and North Korea as nuclear adversaries of the United States, this comparative study provides an analysis of the United States’ nuclear opponents and the U.S. response to them. It analyzes the past and current nuclear adversaries based on their regime type, incentives to become a nuclear power and their nuclear relationship to the United States. It concludes that Both Iran and North Korea share different resemblances with the former Soviet Union.Show less
For decades, Mozambique was a showcase of a beneficial Western aid recipient on the African continent. However, following a national debt crisis and the global financial crisis in 2008, the country...Show moreFor decades, Mozambique was a showcase of a beneficial Western aid recipient on the African continent. However, following a national debt crisis and the global financial crisis in 2008, the country started looking eastwards, increasingly seeking and accepting investment and aid from China. Mozambique witnessed increasing engagement from China, especially in the exploitation of raw materials and infrastructure development. In academic literature and public discourse, the South-South cooperation between the two developing countries is often portrayed as benefitting only China, ascribing the Mozambican state a merely passive and receiving role. This thesis scrutinizes this assumption and explores the different ways in which the Mozambican government asserts its agency vis-à-vis China, specifically in the mining sector. Indeed, the analysis shows that, despite structural constraints, the government does exercise agency on various levels.Show less
The Chinese art and antiques market is to a large extent influenced by nationalism. In contrast to other governments, the Chinese government is not very successful in the repatriation of Chinese...Show moreThe Chinese art and antiques market is to a large extent influenced by nationalism. In contrast to other governments, the Chinese government is not very successful in the repatriation of Chinese cultural heritage. Therefore, it supports individuals to do so by rewarding those who step in. Nationalism nowadays is a very important value in Chinese society encouraged by the government. Part of that is also to encourage people to show their nationalism by means of buying art. Donors are also encouraged by the rewards they get for their donations. When an object that has been stolen from China comes up for sale it always attracts a lot of attention in China. This is especially the case when it originates from the Yuanmingyuan, a place connected to the humiliation of China. Many think the sale of stolen objects should be forbidden and if the government does not succeed in stopping the sale, people will try to buy it in order to repatriate it to China. Which can result in a bidding war in which the price reaches unrealistic heights. Individuals outside of mainland have used antiques to construct their Chinese identity and to strengthen their ties with China by among others donating stolen art. This is a way for them to show they support Chinese nationalism. Something that has had an influence on the buying behaviour of the overseas on the Chinese art and antique market. Since the beginning of the 2000s buyers from mainland China with the same purpose have entered the market. This has had an enormous influence on the Chinese art and antiques market. Thus, the Chinese art and antique market is to a large extent influenced by nationalism.Show less
The failure of post-conflict state-building in Kosovo portrays itself in its physical reconstruction. The lack of efficient spatial planning is therefore an example of public policy ‘gone wrong’...Show moreThe failure of post-conflict state-building in Kosovo portrays itself in its physical reconstruction. The lack of efficient spatial planning is therefore an example of public policy ‘gone wrong’ due to Kosovo’s substantial governance issues such as rooted corruption, political instability and a weak economy. The causes do not only originate from the 1998-1999 war, such as its disputed status, but can also be attributed to balancing of interests by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). By focusing on the influence of international and local politics on the functioning of institutions the research provides new insights into the processes which influenced spatial planning in Kosovo from 1999 to 2017. Based on interviews conducted in September 2017 the research shows that spatial planning policy was and still is used for conflict mitigation and construction rather than strategic governance of territory. It furthermore illustrates the damaging effect of the decentralization policy on national and local governance and sheds light on Kosovo’s internal struggle to enhance an ineffective system put in place by the international community. The research therefore provides a critical reflection on the potential damaging effects of international state-building in a post-conflict setting.Show less
