Peace and Conflict – Page 5

Factum Perspective: Escalating Tensions from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsFebruary 3, 2024917Views 1Like 0Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd) When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, the world’s sympathy was with the Israeli people. It was clearly an act of terrorism, and was duly condemned as such. By November, the world began reacting differently, as Israel’s counterattack became visibly indiscriminate. Despite Palestinian politicians failing to make…

Factum Perspective: Unveiling the Unseen – Gaza’s Brave Journalists

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 21, 2024637Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Zeenath Ayub During the proceedings of the case against Israel before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) about their war on Gaza, Irish Lawyer Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh, representing South Africa, described the situation as “The first genocide in history where its victims are broadcasting their own destruction in real time, in desperate — and…

Factum Special Perspective: The Iran-Pakistan Conflict and Consequences for South Asia

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 17, 2024449Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Adnan Rehmat An unexpected drone and missile attack by Iran on targets inside Pakistan on January 16, 2024, and Islamabad’s angry diplomatic reaction have added a potentially new destabilizing dimension in the already deadly situation in the Middle East. If not handled properly it may have potentially damaging geopolitical and geostrategic consequences for South…

Factum Special Perspective: South Africa’s “moment” in International Law

International Development, Peace and ConflictJanuary 16, 2024698Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Ramindu Perera Last week, South Africa referred Israel’s actions in the occupied Gaza Strip to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) arguing that the military operations amount to the crime of genocide. The oral hearings of the case were held on 11 and 12 January at the Hague, and the case has already attracted…

Factum Perspective: South Asian countries at a crossroads

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 14, 2024587Views 0Likes 0Comments

By P. K. Balachandran 2024 is turning out to be a year of elections in South Asia. The year dawned with parliamentary elections in Bangladesh and Bhutan. Later in the year, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka will vote to elect either a President or a parliament. Elections bring out the cleavages in a society, and…

Factum Special Perspective: Houthis, the Red Sea, and Sri Lankan Politics

Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 9, 20242KViews 2Likes 0Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd) Naval assets are tools through which a country’s geopolitical standing is constantly being tested – especially in contested waters. After Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, the US promptly dispatched two carrier battle groups to the Gulf and the Mediterranean. The purpose was to…

Factum Perspective: Women’s Rights, Sexual Offenses, and Violence against Women in Sri Lanka and South Asia

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedJanuary 7, 2024964Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Britney Martil The spotlight on women's rights and the pervasive issue of violence against women has grown exponentially since the mid-1990s. Recognized as a formidable obstacle to equality, development, and peace, violence against women is deeply entrenched in historical inequalities between men and women. At both international and national levels, unprecedented attention has been…

Factum Perspective: Narratives of Genocide in Gaza

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsDecember 30, 2023511Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Nithu Ardithya In delving into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it is essential to scrutinize accusations of genocide through the lens of international instruments and established criteria. This comprehensive exploration aims to unravel the complexities, particularly examining how these criteria manifest in the ongoing conflict. International Humanitarian Law (IHL), rooted in the Geneva Conventions of 1949…

Factum Special Perspective: US Foreign Policy and the Creation of Israel

History and Culture, Peace and ConflictDecember 28, 2023848Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Vinod Moonesinghe On November 2, 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour wrote a letter to Lord Rothschild, promising support for the creation of a Jewish National Home in Palestine. A week later, the government made public this Balfour Declaration, making it the first public expression of support for the Zionist cause. This caused concern,…

Factum Perspective: The Aragalaya, a Year Later – Part II

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedDecember 16, 2023805Views 0Likes 0Comments

By N. Sathiya Moorthy Not many evening speakers at Gotagogama spoke about anything other than the immediate privations, requiring the exit of the Gota leadership and government. The knowledgeable among them were already discussing among them on the edges of the protest site, as to the available alternative after Gota’s exit, which they too had…

Factum Special Perspective: Kissinger’s Legacy – Realpolitik and Its Global Consequences

History and Culture, Peace and ConflictDecember 15, 2023399Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Aavin Abeydeera Having passed away at the age of 100, Kissinger’s death was mourned by many, and celebrated by an equally loud number in the international community. Hailed as a hero, and feared as a Machiavellian villain, Kissinger’s legacy is a result of his checkered actions and past, mirroring the State he served so…

Factum Perspective: The “Aragalaya”, a Year Later – Part I

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedDecember 9, 2023700Views 0Likes 0Comments

By N. Sathiya Moorthy Over a year later, a public debate has begun to brew over whether last year’s Aragalaya was a budding social revolution or a botched-up security lapse, with the armed forces in particular (wantonly?) failing to discharge their duty. In a way, it is only an academic exercise or a post…