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This review covers the two-year period from July 2018 to June 2020. For the people of Norfolk Island, the past two years have been a continuation of the difficulties associated [...]

The year 2011 in the provinces of Papua and West Papua was politically noisy. Papua occupied the headlines of a number of national electronic and print media sources more often [...]

Political tensions in early 2011 came close to unraveling the 'collegial' institutions put in place by the Noumea Accord of 1998, as the governing cabinet fell four times, until a [...]

In a 1958 constitutional referendum, Guinea was the only French territory to reject continued colonial subordination in favor of immediate independence. Why did Guinea alone reject the constitution that laid the foundations for France's Fifth Republic? What factors stimulated political parties in other territories to accept the prolongation of French tutelage, even as activists elsewhere on the continent were agitating for independence? Focusing on the eight territories of French West Africa, this article argues that the Guinean branch of the Rassemblement Democratique Africain, which led the campaign for the 'no' vote, differed from other dominant parties in French West Africa in several important ways. These differences, along with the relative power of the colonial chieftaincy, contributed to Guinea's unique stance in the 1958 referendum.

Many of the key issues of our turbulent age are presented in this issue of IJWP. It contains hints of the outline of how a post-Westphalian, post-bipolar world is shaping [...]

<< Je crois que ce peuple est une enigme dont personne ne peut etre sur de posseder la cle (1). >> << Quoi qu'il arrive, la page du debat interminable [...]

A unified Bosnia is not possible, even with the Dayton accords. Only the Croatians, Bosnians, and all concerned Europeans can prevent another outbreak of wildly destructive war in this region.

The Transdniester Moldovan Republic (TMR), a breakaway region of Moldova, represents a new kind of nation-state that could be a permanent geopolitical feature of the 21st century. The attempt of the TMR to construct a national identity has led to economic, political and military crisis which remains unresolved due to the unyielding positions of the protagonists. It is therefore expected that the TMR will continue to operate as a de facto state.

Community conflicts occurring in India are results of the developing multicultural democracy promoted by self-determination movements in the country. Shiv Sena's theme transition from ethnic to religious as an effort to resolve the issue is an effective means of extending its influence from a regional to a national level. However, India's character and actions significantly determine the proper understanding of the growth and decline these community conflicts.

Many liberal theorists misinterpret nationality and the demand for national self-determination. This paper asks what is the claim for national self-determination. Following this, it is asked which way of meeting the demand is the best one. While analysing the circumstances in which the demand is raised, it is argued that this claim is political rather than cultural, and that therefore some of the solutions which have been put forward in theory and in practice (especially autonomy) do not meet this claim. It is also argued that the failure of many Western politicians and political theorists to address the demand for national self-determination as a political demand derives from three reasons: methodological, moral and ideological.

This article examines the relationship between federation, transition and ethnoregionalism within Russia. It is divided into three parts. Part one examines the federalization of post-Soviet Russia, teasing out in particular the initial problems associated with constructing a federation based on compromising the ethno-republics and their conception of national self-determination. In part two, the tensions generated between the centre and the ethno-republics are considered by focusing on the relationship between federation and democracy, economic relations and fiscal federalism, and over cultural rights and autonomy. While it is noted that such tensions have fuelled ethnoregionalism, calls for full political sovereignty have been limited to only one ethno-republic, Chechnya. Part three therefore examines why the appeal of secessionism has been limited by drawing upon resource mobilization theory. The role, in particular, that local political elites, communal identities, and economic viability play in both enabling and constraining the appeal of secessionism are briefly considered. The article concludes by suggesting that while the ethno-republics are characterized by a weakly developed federal idea, the political resources available to mobilize constituents behind the secessionist cause are more limited than is often assumed. Keywords: Russia; federalism; transition; ethno-republics; national self-determination: resource mobilization.

A study shows the rise of sub-national aspirations to control the politics and economics in Russia. The rise of regionalism in Russia conflicts with the central government, and its structure and powers depend substantially on the outcome of this conflict. Post-Soviet Russia has granted more powers and responsibilities to the regional legislatures. This extension of power has positively influenced the regional aspirations of the individual. Russian regionalism demands more autonomy and it goes beyond the power aspirations of the regional leaders.

Secession and political self-determination have beneficial effects as they limit the state's monopoly on power and help promote mutual cooperation. A group could secede and merge with another more responsive state and need not suffer oppression. The threat of secession would ensure that minority groups are treated properly. Historical and contemporary case studies provide political legitimacy to secession and political self-determination. The right of self-determination presupposes a group's ability and willingness to perform the functions of a government.

1994 marks the 30th anniversary of the marriage of Tanganyika and the off-shore island of Zanzibar as the United Republic of Tanzania. The union was a strategic move, but also […]

There is need to fully understand the distinct difference between secession and self-determination, wherein the former being an end and the latter the means. Conflicts arising from European secessionist countries are discussed in full., The right of self-determination of peoples is associated with Woodrow Wilson, one of America's most illustrious presidents, who, in turn, is associated with peace, civility, and responsibility in international relations. [...]

Man and nature appear to conspire to inflict suffering on some people. The history of the Armenian people is beset by tragedy. They have been subjected to repeated massacres, including [...]

There is not a civil war or separatist conflict in the former Soviet Union without them. They fight alongside Armenians against Azeris in Nagorno-Karabakh and fly bombing missions for Abkhaz [...]

Self-determination movements, a major historical force for more than 200 years, have largely exhausted their legitimacy as a means to create more strongly democratic states. While they long served to [...]