Georgia's Emerging Far Right
Ethnonationalism has been as common in Georgia as in other post-Soviet countries, but the far-right social movement has especially been gaining traction for the past five years, gradually becoming larger, more diverse, and more violent. The parliamentary elections approaching in 2020 create a window of opportunity for far-right actors to gain access to mainstream politics.
The “Right” Side of Facebook: Online Mobilization of the Georgian Extreme Right
In recent years, extreme-right groups have become increasingly visible in the republic of Georgia. In several cases they have managed to bring exclusion-oriented issues to the agenda, occupying public space and restricting opportunities for liberal groups and human rights activists. Although this has led to growing concern in political circles and civil society, there has been little in-depth research. Drawing on social movement theory, I investigate the role of digital media, specifically, Facebook, in mobilization. The analysis rests on 8,069 Facebook posts of four publicly active extreme-right groups, as well as 18 in-depth interviews with activists and experts. Frame analysis shows that extreme right groups try to align their narratives with public opinion, especially, homo- and transphobic and anti-immigration attitudes, as well as public distrust in political institutions, NGOs, and the media. Social network analysis, in turn, shows that the online network of the Georgian extreme right is decentralized, marked with a battle for influences in the emerging movement. In this loose network, actors with less radical and more populist ideology seem more central, whereas those with more extreme ideologies are more peripheral. Overall, the paper suggests that, given the lack of access to political institutions and mainstream media channels, extreme right groups in Georgia largely rely on Facebook to spread their narrative, garner support and mobilize for action.
Teoriseminar: Frå deler til heilskap: Representasjon og internasjonal orden
Alena Drieschova skal diskutere den nye artikkelen sin om internasjonal orden som fokuserer på representasjon.
Gender, Parenthood and Feelings of Safety in Greek Refugee Centres
Forced migration and displacement are often associated with increased exposure to various risks that negatively affect personal safety. While experiences of displaced populations are heterogeneous, women have been shown to be exposed to intersecting factors, such as vulnerability to gender-based violence, restricting cultural norms and discrimination. Being a mother—or at least responsible for the care of a child—while en route stands as another marginalizing factor. This article’s point of departure is the so-called European ‘refugee crisis’ that peaked in 2015 and examines the effects of gender and family on the experience of safety among refugees in six refugee centres in Greece. We explore how intersecting issues such as gender roles and being responsible for children impact individuals’ feelings of safety. Using descriptive statistics and regression analyses of survey data on 367 migrants in six Greek refugee centres, we find that female migrants are more likely to feel unsafe compared to males. However, our results indicate that gender differences in feelings of safety are minimal for those without children. While having children affects both genders’ feeling of safety, the effect is much greater for women than for men. Our conclusion is that dissimilar experiences of safety along gender dimension are conditioned by norms and obligations inscribed in social roles of parents and care-givers.
Fighting Violence Against Women: Laws, Norms & Challenges Ahead
Stadig flere land får lover som er ment å forhindre og straffe vold mot kvinner. Men fremdeles er det store utfordringer knyttet til implementering og etterlevelse av slike lover. I denne artikkelen ser vi på utviklingen av slik lovgivning rundt om i verden, med fokus på vold i nære relasjoner og seksuell trakassering. Vi avslutter med en diskusjon av noen av de utfordringene vi nå står overfor med hensyn til hvor langt man kan komme med lovgivning i kampen mot vold mot kvinner.
Forskere: Altfor lite midler til avgjørende klimaforskning
Forskere fra NUPI og University of Sussex har analysert over 11400 milliarder kroner i forskningsmidler. De mener en forsvinnende liten andel har blitt brukt til å finne svar på en av vår tids største utfordringer.
Hva venter oss i 2020?
Sverre Lodgaard tar tempen på de viktigste utviklingstrekkene i internasjonal politikk.
NUPI skal lede EU-finansiert forskningsprosjekt om voldelig ekstremisme
PREVEX skal kaste lys over hva som ligger bak voldelig ekstremisme.
Omfattande rapport om Norden-Kina samarbeid
Felles-nordisk aktivitet knytta til Kina er i utvikling, men har også klare avgrensingar.