10 research outputs found
THE POLITICS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD SECURITY IN NIGERIA
No full textThe politics surrounding food security and climate change within the field of global environmental politics is a highly debated topic. Like many developing nations in the twenty-first century, Nigeria has had significant setbacks, most notably in relation to food insecurity. This study used primary and secondary data collection techniques within the framework of a historical research design to examine the politics of climate change and food security in Nigeria. While primary data was obtained through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) held in six states across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones—Rivers State (South-South), Lagos State (South-West), Enugu State (South-East), Benue State (North-Central), Borno State (North-East), and Kano State (North-West), secondary data was gathered from online sources, journals, and print media. A qualitative data analysis approach was used to comprehend the secondary data and address the research objectives. In its analysis, the study took into account the public interest theory. The study discovered that political instability, regional politics, and self-serving objectives prevented prior Nigerian governments' agricultural programs from reaching food security. The researcher recommended diversifying Nigeria's economy away from a reliance on fossil fuels and putting more of an emphasis on renewable energy to boost agricultural food production in light of these findings. Article visualizations
Assessing The Effects of Irregular Migration on The Well-Being Of The Migrant Households in Delta and Edo States, Nigeria
No full textThis study examined the effects of irregular migration on the well-being of the migrant households in Delta and Edo States, Nigeria. A cross-sectional research design and purposive sampling technique were adopted. Questionnaire was employed as the research instrument for this study with 716 respondents deemed usable. The theoretical and analytical framework that directs this study combines the New Economics of Labour Migration theory with the neo-classical theory, making evident their shared premise that irregular migration can be seen as a household-calculated strategy to maintain rural well-being. With the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 23, the acquired data were examined using percentages, means, standard deviations, Pearson's coefficient of correlation, and linear regression analysis. The well-being of migrant households in the Delta and Edo States is positively and considerably influenced by irregular movement, according to the study. The study also showed that irregular migration improves welfare and means of subsistence, increases financial remittances, lowers family poverty, and promotes the construction of infrastructure in the home areas of migrants in the Delta and Edo States. The study came to the conclusion that, for all people, including those in the Delta and Edo States, irregular migration is an unavoidable human phenomenon in the modern day. To ensure that migrants understand the ramifications of irregular migration and the value of regular migration to the state and communities, not simply their family members, the government should actively engage migrants and maintain contact with them, rather than actively discouraging migration. The study concluded that many of the properties constructed in the neighbourhoods are owned or occupied by the immigrants and their families; it is undeniable that irregular migration has had an impact on numerous communities in the Delta and Edo States. Based on the study's findings and conclusions, the study made several recommendations, including that the governments of Delta and Edo State should appoint honourable people, notable figures, and bright academics to develop and carry out policies aimed at promoting migrants' interest in the establishment of infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, educational institutions, transportation, renewable energy, solar power, and modular refineries. In the foreseeable future, this will significantly lessen irregular migration in the Delta and Edo States
The United Nations and the Russia –Ukraine Conflict
No full textThis study examined the United Nations and the Russia-Ukraine conflict with special focus on the mediation role of the United Nations in the face of the conflict. It painstakingly analyzed the root causes of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict from State, Regional and Global perspectives. The study adopted the historical research design which accounted for the qualitative nature of the data analysis. It also adopted the conflict theoretical framework in analyzing the variables of the study. The study found out that the realpolitik of the 5 permanent (P5) members of the Security Council has rendered the United Nations impotent in resolving conflicts. Amongst others, the study recommends that effort should be made by the United Nations to check the overbearing Cold War mentality between Russia and America. It further recommends that the UN should step down its mediation role and allow other critical actors with relatively neutral posture such as China, Turkey, India, South Africa etc to mediate with a view to achieving rapprochement between Russia and Ukrain
Sanctions as Tool for Strategic Deterrence: An Assessment of Targeted Sanctions in Russia
No full textStrategic deterrence through the use of sanctions in the international system is gaining support among major players. This is despite widespread scepticism over the instrument's efficacy, as seen by the widespread opposition to its use immediately following its implementation in Iraq in the immediate aftermath of the end of the Cold War. The takeover of Ukraine is the first opportunity since World War II to analyse the results of sanctions on a major power and permanent member of the UN Security Council. The issue raises the question of whether or not sanctions on Russia would be an effective strategy in stopping their aggressiveness in Ukraine. In this article, we analyse how targeted sanctions against Russia's economy can alter the course of the conflict in Ukraine. Given the energy linkages that most of these governments have with Russia, we see the sanctions' proponents the United States, the European Union, and the Baltic States suffering increasingly negative consequences. We also contextualise the acts of sanction busters empowered by the United States' inability to develop a consensus at the United Nations General Assembly and by Russia's veto to thwart the criminalization of their conduct in the United Nations Security Council. Despite this, it is becoming apparent that Russia's economy is feeling the effects of the sanctions, which is substantially diminishing their ability to properly prosecute the war. Methodologically, the study used a historical approach, meaning that it relied on information gathered from previously existing sources including encyclopaedias, encyclopaedia articles, and news stories. In conclusion, the data appears to bolster the view that the possible risk spawned in the harsh reality of targeted or comprehensive sanctions on Russia given the extent of the punishment regime is an acceptable price for the maintenance of the rule-based international order
Development and Climate Aid to Africa: Comparing Aid Allocation Models for Different Aid Flows
No full textThis article examines the role different aid allocation models play not only for conventional development aid but also for two new financial flows, adaptation and mitigation aid. We first test the three models proposed in the literature - recipient need, recipient merit, and donor interests - using the latest available aid data and compare our results with findings of older studies on Africa, and with studies on aid allocation on a global scale. We find that the recipient merit model in more recent years no longer plays a role for development aid allocation in Africa, in line with findings reported globally. In contrast to such global studies, the logic of the donor interest model does not seem to dominate over the recipient need model in the African context, as both are of equal importance for aid allocation decisions. Finally, additionality seems to play a lesser role in Africa than globally.Diese Arbeit untersucht die Rolle verschiedener Allokationsmodelle bei der Vergabe von finanziellen Mitteln für die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit sowie im Bereich der Klimahilfe (Mitigation und Adaptation). In einem ersten Schritt werden die drei in der Literatur vorgeschlagenen Modelle - Bedürftigkeit, Verdienst und Eigeninteresse - mithilfe der neuesten verfügbaren Daten getestet. Diese Ergebnisse werden dann mit den Resultaten älterer Studien mit einem Fokus auf Afrika verglichen, aber auch mit Allokationsstudien mit einer globalen Perspektive. Für die letzten in der Studie inkludierten Jahre spielt das Modell des Verdiensts der Empfänger für Afrika keine Rolle mehr, was die neuesten Erkenntnisse anderer Studien mit globaler Dimension widerspiegelt. Abweichend von den Ergebnissen solcher globalen Studien zeigt sich für Afrika jedoch, dass die Eigeninteressen der Geberländer bei der Vergabe der Gelder nicht im Vordergrund stehen, sondern die Bedürftigkeit der Nehmerländer dominiert. Spezifisch für die Klimahilfe zeigt sich schließlich noch, dass Additionalität in Afrika eine geringere Rolle spielt als auf globaler Ebene
United States-Iran Conflict and Its Security Implications for Middle East
No full textThis study examined at the United States -Iranian conflict and how it would affect Middle East security. This study used a historical research design, and the trend analysis technique was used to analyze the data. It was determined that the exploratory and qualitative trend analysis technique was appropriate for the type of study. This study was based on Zagare\u27s (1996) deterrence theory, which was seen as a re-evaluation of the traditional balance of power theory. Findings showed that the core reasons for the dispute between the United States and Iran were the U.S. foreign policy, the failed extreme pressure strategy of the Biden and Trump administrations, state behaviour in the global order, innovation, domestic politics, and control and deterrence. The conflict between the United States and Iran has undermined regional security and peace. The main causes of the sanctions\u27 futility against the Islamic Republic of Iran include Iran\u27s economic diversification, its technological advancements, its nuclear program, its geopolitical location, people\u27s support for the system as well as political engagement, the continued implementation of Iran\u27s regional policies, political countermeasures, and other countries\u27 lack of political support following Trump\u27s decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. The Middle East\u27s security was viewed as being threatened by Iran\u27s nuclear program by the United States, Israel, and other countries in the region. The study came to the conclusion that, despite the two states\u27 numerous problems and obstacles impeding their attempts to normalize, opportunities and hopes have always existed. The study concluded that despite their ongoing hostility and tense relationship, both nations occasionally communicate because it is in their specific national security goals. Therefore, the study suggested, among other things, that in order to prevent the United States from isolating itself from significant actors in the Middle East, the country should work to restore relations with Iran and discover productive means of resolving disagreements, starting with a return to full adherence to the JCPOA for both parties
Assessing The Effects of Irregular Migration on The Well-Being Of The Migrant Households in Delta and Edo States, Nigeria
No full textThis study examined the effects of irregular migration on the well-being of the migrant households in Delta and Edo States, Nigeria. A cross-sectional research design and purposive sampling technique were adopted. Questionnaire was employed as the research instrument for this study with 716 respondents deemed usable. The theoretical and analytical framework that directs this study combines the New Economics of Labour Migration theory with the neo-classical theory, making evident their shared premise that irregular migration can be seen as a household-calculated strategy to maintain rural well-being. With the use of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 23, the acquired data were examined using percentages, means, standard deviations, Pearson's coefficient of correlation, and linear regression analysis. The well-being of migrant households in the Delta and Edo States is positively and considerably influenced by irregular movement, according to the study. The study also showed that irregular migration improves welfare and means of subsistence, increases financial remittances, lowers family poverty, and promotes the construction of infrastructure in the home areas of migrants in the Delta and Edo States. The study came to the conclusion that, for all people, including those in the Delta and Edo States, irregular migration is an unavoidable human phenomenon in the modern day. To ensure that migrants understand the ramifications of irregular migration and the value of regular migration to the state and communities, not simply their family members, the government should actively engage migrants and maintain contact with them, rather than actively discouraging migration. The study concluded that many of the properties constructed in the neighbourhoods are owned or occupied by the immigrants and their families; it is undeniable that irregular migration has had an impact on numerous communities in the Delta and Edo States. Based on the study's findings and conclusions, the study made several recommendations, including that the governments of Delta and Edo State should appoint honourable people, notable figures, and bright academics to develop and carry out policies aimed at promoting migrants' interest in the establishment of infrastructure, including healthcare facilities, educational institutions, transportation, renewable energy, solar power, and modular refineries. In the foreseeable future, this will significantly lessen irregular migration in the Delta and Edo States
Resurgence of coups in West Africa and Sahel Alliance implications
No full textThe paper, titled "Resurgence of Military Coups in the West African Sub-region and the Implications of the Emergence of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)," focuses on the military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger between 2020 and 2023. These coups constitute disturbing political events that raise serious concerns about political stability in the junta States and the region as a whole. Most importantly, it threatens the future of democratic governance in the West African Sub-region. The aftermath of sanctions on Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger by Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and the threat of military intervention amongst other factors gave impetus to the formation of the contending bloc; Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in the region thus leading to fragmentation of the union of ECOWAS, divisive politics, regional economic sabotage by AES member States amongst other unfolding implications. The paper addresses this issue by setting two objectives for the study: to identify the factors underlying recent coups and to examine the impact of the AES on ECOWAS. The State fragility theory was adopted as a framework for the study. The research is qualitative; accordingly, a historical research design was adopted. Findings reveal that though the AES is founded on grounds of addressing rising insecurity amongst its members, the bloc also serves as a tool for legitimizing these junta governments. Also, existing regional cooperative security frameworks and trade liberalization are threatened. The paper recommends that the ruling elite prioritize a sincere and committed focus on enhancing democracy and, by extension, promoting good governance, and that ECOWAS adopt a systemic approach to curtail rising insecurity in the region to facilitate trade and investment. At the same time, continued diplomatic engagement should be used to win back estranged member
The Yankee Insolence of Ethan Allen
No full text A Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen's Captivity,* first published in 1779, is generally regarded as a stirring account of the bravery of the leader of the Green Mountain Boys and a defiant example of Yankee courage during two and a half years' imprisonment at the hands of his British enemies. But the modern reader, far removed from that struggle for independence, may well look upon Colonel Allen's actions in the presence of the enemy as nothing short of extraordinary, if not verging upon utter insolence in their disregard of both prudence and propriety. When, as the author prays, "The critic will be pleased to excuse any inaccuracies in the performance itself, as the author has unfortunately missed a liberal education" (p. 3), we are left concluding that the antics as well as the heroics of Ethan Allen abroad contributed to that impression of Americans in general that proved, in spite of the existence of Paines and Franklins, to be dominant in the minds of many Europeans, both then and for a good many years afterwards - and may be said to be of undiminished importance at the present time. </jats:p
Feeling singular: masculinity and desire in the early republic, 1786–1822
No full textWhat did it mean to feel masculine in the early United States? Although the norms of early national masculinity oriented men toward the genres of life writing—to build written monuments to themselves—that republican convention also set the stage for others to express troubling affects and orientations that positioned them on the outskirts of normative republican belonging. To trace that dynamic, this dissertation explores the life narratives of four early republic figures who aspired to become important citizens through print publication but failed to attain that status: John Fitch (1743–1798), a struggling working-class mechanic; Jonathan Plummer (1761–1819), an itinerant peddler and preacher; Jeffrey Brace (1742–1827), an emancipated slave and blind Revolutionary War veteran; and William “Amos” Wilson (1762–1821), a reclusive stonecutter known as “the Pennsylvania Hermit.” In distinct but related ways, each of these marginal figures represents a deviation from early American norms, being too prone to transgress public/private boundaries and too attached to social prohibitions. While each aspired to public legibility and social renown, all failed to secure for themselves the disinterested public influence that became a hallmark of republican masculinity, and they dwindled, instead, into cultural neglect. That neglect finds its roots in these writers’ avid expressions of private desires through public mediums. More successful early republican subjects maintained an entirely different relation between public life and interpersonal desire: Benjamin Rush, for example, wanted to have his personal life narrative limited to his family, and Alexander Graydon used his Memoirs to try to “smother that obtrusive thing called self.” But the eccentric and marginalized individuals here under consideration were, each in his own way, figures of excess rather than reluctance: they felt the need to share their written lives and textual bodies with completely uninterested, sometimes hostile reading publics. These republican ‘deviants’ not only have their own interesting stories to tell but, when placed next to their more stable and well-known early national brethren—the Washingtons and Franklins—they expose how personal life writing in the early republic transgressed public and private divisions and troubled individual and collective identifications.
Each chapter focuses on how a particular life narrative assembles a larger array of alternative social and intimate relations. Chapter One, “‘[T]his is my desire’: John Fitch and the Gender of Failure,” examines the manuscript of the contested first inventor of the steam boat, John Fitch, who complains of an interpersonal falling-out with his business partner and his partner’s lover in his multi-volume life narrative. Calling himself “one of the most singular men perhaps that has been born this age,” Fitch relies on a rhetoric of individualism that challenged normative conceptions of republican masculinity; in fact, this excessive attachment to declare publicly his own singularity led figures of actual renown to ignore him. Chapter Two, “Jonathan Plummer’s Perambulations in Print: Norms and Normativity in the Early Republic,” turns to the only remaining copy of Plummer’s life narrative (1796–98) to argue that his local notoriety as a “hermaphrodite”—a charge he helps to disseminate by choosing to deny it in print—articulates a masculinity in conflict with the norms he actively tried to achieve. Having spent the early years of his poetic career as the bard to the eccentric “Lord” Timothy Dexter, Plummer attempts later in life to distance himself from the very figures and tropes of non-normative belonging that had once attracted his notice. Chapter Three, “Jeffrey Brace and the Trouble with Belonging in the Early Republic,” focuses on the memoir of a former slave and black Revolutionary War veteran to argue that his desire to embody “the full authority of representative legitimacy,” in Michael Warner’s terms, brought him to identify with the very norms that marginalized him. Although that misidentification could be read as a failed assimilation, I instead show how this understudied anti-slavery narrative subverts masculine norms of republican belonging through insisting on black settlement in North America. The last chapter, “The Queer Hermit: William ‘Amos’ Wilson and the Antisocial Republic,” examines how the story of an eighteenth-century infanticide and execution transformed into a narrative about the executed woman’s brother. William Wilson became a hermit and left behind a life narrative, entitled “The Sweets of Solitude” (1822), that demonstrates changing notions regarding masculinity in the public sphere. Specifically, Wilson’s narrative suppresses the account of female sexual agency to focus on a man’s willful choice to live alone, away from the “unfeeling crowd.”Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2019-05-01The student, Benjamin Bascom, accepted the attached license on 2017-04-18 at 10:36.The student, Benjamin Bascom, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2017-04-18 at 11:06.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2017-04-18 at 16:50.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #10847 on 2017-08-10 at 14:31:12Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-10T19:52:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
BASCOM-DISSERTATION-2017.pdf: 218380772 bytes, checksum: 071f7a7cc7002546d3c1f2781a68f18e (MD5)
LICENSE.txt: 4212 bytes, checksum: ada52e3500747ffbd9548a4d023b3db3 (MD5)
Previous issue date: 2017-04-18Embargo set by: Colleen Fallaw for item 102646
Lift date: 2019-08-10T21:25:30Z
Reason: Author requested closed access (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemLimited Restriction Lifted for Item 102646 on 2019-08-11T09:15:35Z
