Conflict Prevention and Peace Management: Volume 34

Today, financial rationale inevitably dominates our existence to the point that we have forgotten the essential: the purpose of the economy and the company is to contribute to the common good, to social peace, and to a happy life in the city. At the same time, this rationale is presented as being difficult to understand and, therefore, abandoned by the experts. Decisions are taken only at the national or supranational level, and democratic dialogue, therefore, suffers. Deep down, we all need to contribute to the economic debate, not academically and abstractly, but in the initial and pragmatic sense of oikos nomos: the rules of good domestic administration. Participating in the economy thus regains its central role for a rich collective life, guaranteeing fulfilment for businesses and people, unlike what is caused by neoliberalism through frenetic individualism, excessive consumption, and destructive competition.

We know how to structure violence. The military industrial complex and its auxiliary institutions, such as the private weapons and securities industries, are prime examples. When we use the Galtungian lens and add ecoviolence to Johan Galtung’s classic direct–structural–cultural violence triangle, we get a violence diamond, or perhaps more accurately, a web of violence (see Turpin & Kurtz, 1996). To what we often think of as violence (which is direct), we must add the institutions structured to harm individuals, groups, cultures, and the ecosphere itself. We could, however, build sustainable development with direct, structural, cultural, and ecological nonviolence. We already have institutions that structure nonviolence – or often both violence and nonviolence in contradictory simultaneous ways: families, faith and cultural institutions, and friendship networks. We also have numerous peaceful societies, economies, and cultures that provide models such as Bhutan’s Happiness and Well-being paradigm. Jennifer Turpin and I wrote about the Web of Violence in 1996, which we collectively weave from micro to macro levels of life, but we also need to attend to and weave a Web of Nonviolence. This chapter investigates how we can be more intentional and systematic in weaving a nonviolent web, following a three-step Gandhian process: research, analyse, and mobilise.

Many young people grow up in a climate of violence and oppression. As a result, they themselves often do not know how to develop in a peaceful society and are unaware of their opportunities and rights. This is where the Academie Bilimon comes in, offering young people between 14 and 27 years of age workshops and materials like handbooks and comics to live in peace and in solidarity with others. Peers are used as workshop leaders in the sense of peer teaching. These workshop concepts for global citizenship education (GCE) of the Academie Bilimon were made available in form of a handbook in seven different languages among them also African languages like Swahili, Haussa, Ewe and Kabiyè (Noglo & Stein, 2023; https://www.bilimonacademie.org/materiel-didactiques/bd).

This chapter introduces the concept of the Academie Bilimon and also the peer teaching book project, in which students from Togo and Germany, based on the workshops and Freire’s (2013) didactic-methodological approaches, developed a handbook for youth education in practical areas of life, such as identity development, responsible sexuality, vocational promotion, social engagement, interculturality, democracy building, peace education or education for sustainable development (ESD). The materials and teaching methods or skills gathered in the handbook were translated from the German language into French, English, Kiswahili, Haussa, Ewe and Kabiyè. The handbook for peer teaching is available online and free of charge and is used in schools, universities and workshops for youth leaders, teachers and headmasters all over Africa (Noglo & Stein, 2023; https://www.bilimonacademie.org/materiel-didactiques/bd).

Present study investigates the impact of five different worldwide governance indicators (WGIs)–Voice and Accountability (VA), Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law (RL), and Control of Corruption (CC) on Government Effectiveness for eleven South East Asian Countries during the period of 2002–2021. The study is conducted with the help of WGI consists of six composite indicators of broad dimensions of governance which is published by the World Bank. Panel regression technique was applied to estimate the impact of different variables on Government Effectiveness. The regression result shows evidence of impacts of different indicators on Government Effectiveness. The data analysis shows that compared to pooled OLS (POLS), Fixed Effects Model (FEM), Random Effect Model (REM), and Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) are the appropriate models. GMM results show that three predictors/independent variables as CC, RL, and VA are found to be statistically significant at a 1% level.

The purpose of this research is to understand how leaders are adapting to the changing situation after the pandemic and what are the big challenges they must overcome to increase team productivity and effectiveness in a hybrid working model. The study highlights the leadership strategies and abilities needed to succeed in the hybrid working style. It can be inferred from this thesis’ qualitative research of 10 Indian leaders that they have adapted successfully to the hybrid culture of working. They are evaluating various ideas and operating according to their organisational context and employee needs, even though they do not yet have a fixed framework for new working arrangements. Some organisations have 1–3 days of varied working styles, while some organisations are calling employees on a need basis. The major issues with the hybrid work model in terms of team effectiveness are: deteriorating team cohesion, work–life boundaries, challenges in communication, hindered innovation, and excessive or insufficient monitoring. The best leadership strategy for hybrid work combines servant and democratic leadership. Employees need to have excellent self-management abilities, effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and the capacity to create priorities and work–life boundaries to be productive and experience work satisfaction. The future scope of this research is to look at the overall picture of leadership tactics and their impacts from the viewpoint of the workforce.

Within the chapter, we report on the scientifically controlled implementation of a new non-violent and highly inclusive secondary school in Tanzania in the region of Mwanza. To give a detailed picture of the school the founder of the school, one teacher, one social worker and 18 students aged 13–16 years of age of five different classes were interviewed. The school was set up as a best practice example to fight the high amount of corporal punishment and school violence in Tanzania. The school focusses on vulnerable students like children and youths of rural areas, from broken families and poor households as well as female students, orphaned children, youths and students with handicaps. A special focus is placed on the schooling of children with albinism who have often been exposed to discrimination, exclusion, mutilation or murder. The concept of the school is based on a study by Tangi (2019) as well as Stein et al. (2019a, 2019b) on harsh discipline and violence by teachers and bullying by students in secondary schools in the region of Mwanza in Tanzania. The newly established school is also based on the concept of child rights-focussed schools, on the concept of coaching and mentoring as well as on the ideas and ideals of inclusion. In 2021, Felista Tangi, founder of the school, was granted the Shalom Award of the Working Group Shalom of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany, for her work against corporal punishment and for a more peaceful society.

Peace economics is a field of study that focusses on analysing the economic factors that contribute to peace and conflict resolution. It explores the connections between economics, politics, and psychosocial dynamics to understand how economic policies and conditions can influence the likelihood of violent conflicts and the prospects for peace. A behavioural approach in peace economics acknowledges that economic decisions and actions are not always rational or solely driven by self-interest. Instead, it recognises that human behaviour is shaped by a combination of cognitive, emotional, and social factors. By studying these behavioural aspects, peace economists aim to better understand the causes of conflict and identify strategies to promote peace. In this chapter, a few psychological theories like positive psychology, need theories, decision-making bias, social norm bias, and the role of trust are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted traditional work environments and forced organisations across various industries to adopt remote work and virtual collaboration practices. The information technology (IT) sector known for its digital skilfulness, witnessed a rapid shift towards remote work during the pandemic. This research chapter aims to estimate the long-term impact of remote work and virtual collaboration on the IT sector in the post-COVID-19 era. Through an extensive literature review, this study evaluates the effects of remote work and virtual collaboration on productivity, employee well-being, and the overall performance of IT companies. It also explores the challenges faced during the transition and identifies best practices for successful implementation. By examining the benefits and challenges associated with remote work, analysing the changes in work culture, and the impact of remote work on the IT sector’s office space requirements. The study explores the rise of remote work and virtual collaboration, highlighting the accelerated adoption caused by COVID-19. In conclusion, this research chapter provides a comprehensive evaluation of the long-term impact of remote work and virtual collaboration on the IT sector post-COVID-19.

The abrupt closure of educational institutions during the COVID-19 pandemic had a serious impact on students and their studies. Classes were shifted online, many exams were cancelled, many students had to discontinue things that they were working on, and some students lost good job offers that were promised to them. This turn of events resulted in widespread anxiety among the students. The purpose of this research is to analyse the social and psychological aspects of the impact of the lockdown on students. The study was based on an online survey of undergraduate and postgraduate management students from different parts of India. The key findings of the study were that the most important impact of the lockdown on students has been an improvement in their relationships with family, friends, and society, followed by an adverse effect on students’ physical and mental health, and finally an enhancement of students’ self-actualisation. This last aspect has given students new motivation and hope to face the future with.

This research is titled ‘Education, Citizenship, and Governance: Sharing Experiences on Leadership Practices and Peacebuilding Challenges in Inclusive and Decentralised Governance in Tete’. The main objective is to share the experience of success in peacebuilding efforts from Tete, Mozambique. The general concern in the study is that the constitution of the Republic of Mozambique has established that participation is a constitutional right. However, as it happens in most of Africa, the problem is not participation as such but how to balance the exercise of power and the quest for justice- The main problem raised by the study is the existence of a weak capacity of participation which drives inequalities and injustice. Experience shows that decentralisation established at the province level brings many opportunities for capacity building of local people so that all can be included in governance. The study methodology is qualitative in approach and exploratory in objective. Data collection techniques used are bibliographical reviews aided with interviews, questionnaires, and some forms of observation. Results of the survey have revealed that people from rural areas are not as educated, which makes them vulnerable to political, social, and economic exclusion. Conclusions show that education can be a tool for building better citizenship and creating endogenous development. Therefore, the concern in sharing Tete’s experience is to show how the provincial government used education for social change (vision, attitudes, and paradigms) and has helped people to organise themselves, and seek opportunities that matter to their life experiences.

Africa as a continent is facing many challenges. The alarming escalation of issues of bad governance in Africa has raised serious concerns. An examination of these issues paints a picture of protests and political apathy. Given the steady decline of voter turnout for most Nigerian Presidential elections, through qualitative descriptive analysis, this study examines the effect(s) of the sovereignty of the people on the political recruitment of leaders in Nigeria. Using social contract theory, as the basis for the formulation of the hypothesis and the research questions that guided this research, it was discovered that peace can be enhanced through political participation. The study recommends: (a) the protection and promotion of healthy democracy in Nigeria and a study and implementation of the research conducted by the University of Ibadan Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Statistical Analysis and INEC; (b) a rewriting of the Constitution towards engendering patriotism and a return of power to the people; and (c) the use of purposeful dialogue as the best antidote to the many protests and calls for separation.

This study explores the role of proverbs as a conflict management tool among the Tonga people of Southern Zambia. Using qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, the study examines how Tonga proverbs are employed to mediate and resolve conflicts within the community. The study was underpinned by the Ubuntu philosophy. The findings suggest that proverbs play a critical role in promoting peaceful coexistence, fostering understanding, and maintaining social harmony. Proverbs are seen as a powerful tool for resolving conflicts in a culturally appropriate way, and they are highly valued by the Tonga people for their ability to communicate complex ideas and emotions. The study also highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in conflict resolution and the need for a deeper understanding of local cultural practices and traditions in promoting sustainable peace-building. The findings of this study have implications for conflict management practices in other cultures and contexts, highlighting the potential value of traditional knowledge systems in promoting peace and reconciliation.

Universal human values, hereafter referred to as UHVs, have become a new Phenomenon. In Higher Education of India under the provision of National Education Policy 2020. Higher education has a set of new approaches in pedagogical techniques and the content delivery stem. All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) is now working in tandem with the University Grant Commission (UGC) to reach the college and university teachers so that the content can easily percolate to the students of higher education in India. Pedagogical dynamics are visible in the planning, procedure, and method of content design and the content delivery design as well as the follow-up process design. The present article is a critical analysis of all the related aspects using value-based pioneering research in conflict management and for sustaining economic development in modern times. The learned readers are requested to use the Endnotes for connotative and denotative meanings of a few technical terms (Gaur et al., 2009) used hackneyed words in phrasal meanings based on the parlance of UHV contents for a better understanding of this chapter.

Yoga has become increasingly visible globally. Most of the visibility occurs through the physical (annamaya¹) kosha aspects of yoga: physical health and well-being through asana² and pranayama³ practices, in addition to the Manomaya kosha, the mental sheath, of an individual through dhyana,⁴ or meditation, and chanting of mantras.⁵ All of this is geared towards the individual and one’s ability to balance oneself in any given situation. Such practices support a bottom-up conceptualisation of yoga, giving agency to the individual. This chapter looks at the opportunities for yoga to enter organisational management, through organisational structure (chakravyuha⁶ formation), employee engagement and assessment (gunas⁷ and chakras⁸), and ethical leadership (yamas and niyamas⁹), among other aspects. It looks at how top-down systems can adapt through the utilisation of yogic principles and philosophies in everyday practice in organisations (Panchakoshas, 2021).