Journal of Peace and Diplomacy

African Youth Activism and the Disruption of French Foreign Policy in the Sahel Region

Deborah Melom Ndjerareou — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Republic of France has maintained close political and diplomatic ties with the countries in the African continent, especially sub-Saharan Africa. The relationship between France and its former colonies has been debated in international relations regarding its dominant and influential characteristics. In the last decade, French foreign policy in the Sahel region has been more pronounced with military and diplomatic interventions. Since assuming the French presidential seat in 2017, President Emmanuel Macron has proposed a new political discourse stating the need to move away from the traditional colonial dichotomy. This narrative, however, remains to be fully realized. Between 2017 and 2021, France has been increasingly involved in the internal affairs of countries in the Sahel. Concurrently, a proliferation of youth movements denouncing French foreign policy and its impact on political and social settings has been taking place. This article offers a discourse analysis of the intersection between the notion of reform in France-Africa relations and the youth uprising, which critiques these policies and advocates for change, employing regime and post-colonial theories. The analysis will investigate how youth activism movements respond to these policies. The study is significant as its findings could guide policy reforms aimed at transforming France-Africa relations, with a particular focus on the Sahel region. Additionally, the article seeks to illustrate, through discourse examples of ongoing youth activism protests, that these responses represent a potentially influential form of resistance.

The Role of International Institutions in Enforcing International Economic Law: Analysis of Strength and Weaknesses

Khawaja Muhammad Ali Butt, Shahzad Munir Malik — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper aims to highlight the role of international institutions in the enforcement of International Economic Law (IEL) and to critically assess their strengths and limitations. IEL serves as a crucial framework for facilitating global trade and investment, providing a regulatory foundation for cross-border commercial interactions. However, the mere existence of IEL’s principles and provisions does not guarantee compliance; their enforcement typically requires robust mechanisms. This article focuses on the enforcement of IEL through key international institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). It highlights the deficiencies of the conventional state-centric mechanism and inspects different enforcement strategies used by these institutions. It also addresses methodological challenges faced by these mechanisms, including their reliance on substantial resources and the redistributive impacts of IMF and World Bank policies. The article concludes by proposing a range of actions that could be adopted to improve the effectiveness of enforcement, from opening up decision-making processes so they are more inclusive and fairer to maintaining international economic norms which have developed in an incompletely globalized but still highly integrated world.

Study on Building a China-South Asia Community of Shared Future under the Context of Mutual Learning among Civilizations

Sun Xiqin — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

At present, the world is experiencing profound changes unprecedented in a century. Regional and global issues continue to emerge, posing significant challenges to national governance and regional relations. In response, China has introduced the Belt and Road Initiative and aims to build a human community with a shared future, proposing Chinese solutions to global governance issues. South Asia, being an important region surrounding China, becomes a key partner in this endeavor. As highlighted by President Xi Jinping, mutual learning among civilizations is essential for constructing a China-South Asia community with a common future. Historically, China and South Asian civilizations share a deep-rooted connection, both belonging to the Himalayan civilization circle and having frequent religious and cultural exchanges, particularly through Buddhism. To establish a China-South Asia community with a common future through civilizational exchange and mutual learning, we should further strengthen the shared will of Chinese and South Asian civilizations, implement existing cultural agreements, and use current cooperation mechanisms as a starting point. This involves steadily advancing projects that benefit people’s livelihoods and well-being. Additionally, it is essential to continue cultural exchanges and collaboration in diverse fields such as biochemistry, establish a solid foundation of popular support, and achieve sustainable development.

Union or Unity: The State of Europe Put to the Test by the Pandemic

Nicola Neri — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Europe’s response to the dramatic tests of the pandemic has unfolded amidst a climate of uncertainty. From Britain’s exit from the European Union to the cyclic waves of nationalist sentiment, the central question emerges: did Europe act united in the face of catastrophic events, or maintain its unity? What actions and reactions were implemented to confront the Coronavirus on a unified front? Ironically, after an exhaustive struggle against the health, and socio-economic crisis caused by COVID-19, marked by an unprecedented mobilization of human and economic resources in the Union’s history, Europe abruptly confronted a new reality: the outbreak of war in Ukraine. These disruptive events prompt reflection on the future European Union’s potential evolution.

Research on the Construction of Chinese Teaching Mode for Vietnamese Students Studying in China from the Perspective of New Quality Productivity

Wang Jiayang — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

As China’s economy and international standing have burgeoned, nations worldwide have increasingly focused on fostering amicable and cooperative relations with China. Consequently, the significance of the Chinese language in global exchanges has intensified. In response, higher education institutions in China have diligently endeavored to establish platforms that accelerate the dissemination of the Chinese language globally, catering specifically to international students. This paper draws on a longitudinal study of Vietnamese students at Honghe University, encapsulating their experiences in learning Chinese. It proposes an initial teaching model tailored for international learners of Chinese and conducts a thorough analysis of the enhanced productivity in language acquisition. Utilizing the strengths derived from this new educational productivity, the study further refines and enhances the initial model. The culmination of this research is the development of a comprehensive teaching framework for Vietnamese learners of Chinese at Honghe University in China, viewed through the lens of innovative educational productivity.