Untangling Alliances
Dissonance between Grassroots Peacebuilding Efforts and National Conflicts
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Sylvia Kaye
Participatory action research can be effective in resolving community-based conflicts and in fostering new and constructive ways of creating harmony in a community. Such communities, however, often reside in states that have created external and internal conflicts. Such conflict creates a dissonance between local and national goals and practices. This paper describes several African case studies in which participatory action was used to solve problems. It further examines the broader context in which the community resides. The paper argues that such local efforts are not only necessary but that they have the potential of spreading to other local communities, of transforming attitudes of helplessness or anger into those more beneficial to the society.
NGOs' Alternative Diplomacies: Rethinking Global Social Movements
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Antonio Alejo
This paper reflects on alternative approaches to re-think diplomacy and global politics. My point of departure is to analyse the transformations and democratization of diplomacy in a globalized world. The arguments develop in this paper focuses on the literature known as "global studies perspectives," especially oriented to the study of global formations with a sociological approach. The objective is to contribute to theoretical and analytical developments to re-think diplomacy beyond structural perspectives by exploring its possibilities to recognize alternative diplomacies beyond diplomacy´s traditional thinking. I argue the relevance of rethinking alternative diplomacies to observe certain NGOs' transnational activism on contemporary global politics as part of the social appropriation of contemporary diplomacy. Two questions orient this paper: Why is it relevant to re-think the diplomacy beyond state-centric perspectives? What analytical approach on the sociology of collective action could be developed and deepened to characterize NGO alternative diplomacies? I introduce a theoretical debate and analytical tool to identify and analyse both, the socio-political emergence and the practices of non-governmental actors as NGOs' alternative diplomacies. Methodologically, I look to identify socio-political global phenomena beyond methodological nationalism views. Empirically, I use some experience to evidence that NGOs Alternative Diplomacies are part of contemporary global politics.
Globalization's Mutiny: Nationalism and Euroscepticism in European Electoral Politics
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Joshua Weissman LaFrance, Yash Patel
This research investigates the role of state interests in multilateralism. It poses the question: under what conditions are states more likely to remain committed to their supranational obligations and multilateral engagements? We hypothesize that such member-states are more likely to remain engaged with their multilateral agreements when the benefits received from participation outweigh the social, political, and economic costs demanded of their commitments. It is further our contention that, as demonstrated presently by the European Union, the influence of global institutions directly reflects the caliber of relationship they hold with their member-states. Strong mission valence among member-states promotes unity and cooperation, but a fracture in this common purpose may threaten the very integrity and extent of multilateral order. As the EU now confronts a host of new and complex challenges, attentiveness to these factors is critical. Ultimately, we find that the key to sustained cohesion lies in perception. A perceived social benefit by citizens, political benefit by state-level politicians, and unified direction among supranational leaders are conducive to the continued engagement of member-states with their multilateral partners. Antagonistic forces such as the global financial crash, migrant crisis, abating American security, and Russia-sponsored information warfare are measured for impact in the states that have remained steadfast in their international responsibilities and in those that have transitioned toward nationalistic or Eurosceptical agendas. In all, we develop a set of dimensions by which the European Union may strengthen the commitment of member-states to its multilateral framework.
