Peace and Conflict

Factum Perspective: The Political Costs of Austerity Measures and Relevance of Ethno-electoral Blocs

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedSeptember 20, 2024221Views 0Likes 0Comments

Harindra B Dassanayake On Saturday, that is tomorrow, Sri Lanka will vote to elect a president amid its first ever sovereign debt default as an independent nation. This election ends the four-year absence of any form of national or subnational election since 2020. During this period, the country experienced many extreme events such as the…

Factum Perspective: The Protests in Kenya – Rising Anger Over Economic Policies and Drivers’ Strikes

Peace and ConflictSeptember 15, 2024162Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Nithu Ardithya Kenya is currently experiencing a significant surge in protests, fueled by widespread discontent with the government's economic policies, pervasive corruption, and deteriorating living conditions. On July 15, 2024, a major protest took place in Central Nairobi, organized by the Online Drivers Association. This protest brought together drivers from various e-hailing services like…

Factum Perspective: Sri Lanka to the Polls

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedSeptember 8, 2024386Views 2Likes 0Comments

By Aavin Abeydeera Asia’s oldest democracy will enter the polls just a few days from the time of the publication of this article. Millions of Sri Lankans will line up at the election booths on the 21st of September this year, to choose Sri Lanka’s tenth executive president. Like a great many election cycles, this…

Factum Perspective: From “People-Friendly” to “Friends-Friendly” – Democratic Governance in South Asia

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsSeptember 1, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd) The people’s uprising in Bangladesh against the Sheikh Hasina government has become an eye-opener for South Asia. It may mark not the end, but the beginning, of a cascading flow of events destined to unfold in our neighbourhood. This analysis is based on the trends and patterns on…

Factum Perspective: Indonesia’s #EmergencyWarning Protests

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsAugust 24, 2024324Views 1Like 0Comments

By Nithu Ardithya Indonesia is facing widespread protests opposing proposed amendments to its election laws. These protests underscore both domestic and international concerns. They not only throw Indonesia's devotion to the principles of democracy to the test, but it also has serious repercussions for the country's political stability and foreign relations. The controversy erupted on…

Factum Special Perspective: The Political Economy of the Northern Province

Health and Economic Cooperation, Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedAugust 21, 2024410Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Abishek Ranjan The economic condition of the Northern Province does not receive as much attention as the political situation in the region. The Northern Province, which comprises five districts, has a poor economic record compared to other provinces of Sri Lanka. Elections have only served to undermine these issues, since both mainstream and minority…

Factum Perspective: The Controversies of the 2024 Paris Olympics

Peace and Conflict, Sports DiplomacyAugust 18, 2024302Views 1Like 0Comments

By Zeenath Ayub The Paris Olympics, which concluded on August 12, could be argued to have been one of the most controversial sporting events in recent history. The event, which began amid a series of contentious issues, spanned 19 days and concluded under the critical gaze of the entire world, putting its success into question.…

Factum Perspective: Fueling the Flames – Riots in the UK

Peace and ConflictAugust 11, 2024203Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Amantha Gunarathna The recent UK riots have highlighted the destructive power of social media disinformation and its ability to incite real-world violence. Platforms like X and Telegram played crucial roles in disseminating this misinformation, with far-right groups using them to organize and incite violence. The riots draw disturbing parallels to the race riots of…

Factum Special Perspective: Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsAugust 6, 2024657Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya There are decades when years happen, years when months happen, and days when decades happen. Then there is Bangladesh. The images coming out of Dhaka over the last few weeks should astonish anybody who thought that Sheikh Hasina, who won a fifth consecutive term as Prime Minister in January this year, would…

Factum Perspective: Ukraine – Strategic and Technological Hothouse

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedAugust 4, 2024274Views 1Like 0Comments

By Vinod Moonesinghe Russia launched its “Special Military Operation” (Spetsialnaya Voennaya Operatsiya – SVO), aimed at “demilitarizing” Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The Russian forces launched their campaign in much the same way as they did in the Crimea in 2014, when the Ukrainian forces did not resist. There is evidence to suggest that the…

Factum Perspective: Trump Survives

Peace and ConflictJuly 28, 2024366Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Rathindra Kuruwita Over the past few decades, especially following the revelations by Wikileaks, the world learnt quite a lot about US intelligence involvement in political assassinations, both within the country and in other nations. Simultaneously, thanks to the work of investigative journalists, who have used the Freedom of Information Act or worked with whistleblowers,…

Factum Perspective: Bangladesh in Turmoil

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJuly 21, 2024306Views 1Like 0Comments

By Britney Martil In a dramatic escalation of unrest, Bangladeshi students have targeted the state broadcaster, Bangladesh Television (BTV), setting fire to its reception building and numerous vehicles parked outside. This violence signifies a significant intensification of the ongoing protests against the country’s civil service hiring rules, with the death toll now reaching at least…