Routines, Securitization and the European Union Impact on Ethnic Conflicts: The Case of Cyprus

ABSTRACT: With the turn of the 21 st century there was an increase in the introduction of frameworks regarding the EU impact on protracted ethnic conflicts. While most of them acknowledge, directly or indirectly, the existence and importance of a high degree of securitization, the impact of the latter is not necessarily examined to the full potential. Indeed, securitization and its role in conflict environments is under-explored as a theory. What is argued in this paper is that there exists a possibility that certain institutionalized routines could potentially institutionalize (perhaps even inadvertently) securitizing acts. If this hypothesis holds, then there could be significant effect on the timing of securitizing acts, the actor and the audience and, more importantly, on the processes that render securitizing acts successful. The institutionalization of securitizing acts is an issue that the Copenhagen School has not touched upon, despite the potential effect it could have on the theory, especially the Speech Act and the development/emergence and perpetuation of the acts. I conclude that the abovementioned theoretical 'amendments' on securitization should be incorporate in the EU-conflict resolution frameworks (e.g

Small European states in the hybrid warfare era : the cases of Cyprus, Malta, and Estonia

The increasing number and complexity of hybrid threat activities forces small states, especially those with limited access to material resources, to reassess their foreign and defence policies. While the variable of ‘smallness’ may be sufficient to justify their overall engagement in dealing with conventional security threats, in the hybrid arena this is not the case. Pressure is amplified in establishing or maintaining a status of a reliable mediator, partner, and strategic communicator vis-à-vis their multilateral relations with other states or organisations to which they belong. This paper focuses on how small European states, with specific reference to Cyprus, Malta, and Estonia, need to develop adjustable yet resilient policies in accommodating security needs vis-à-vis hybrid threats, that are not only pertinent to their security, but also to that of the EU bloc. As the line between war and peace becomes more blurred due to hybrid threats, the small states’ security shortcomings may also become a security problem for the EU bloc. We argue that the nature of hybrid threats is such that hybrid activities can be utilised to hurt bigger states in a bloc by exploiting the small states’ vulnerabilities. Both the defensive and foreign policy collaborations of small states with bigger states have been, and are constantly being, re-evaluated to tackle and prevent such problems. As such, two objectives are identified in this approach. The first is the small states’ quest to appear as reliable partners within the bloc. The second is to avoid being the weakest security link in the bloc’s defence against hybrid threats. This unfamiliar environment for small states prompts us to rethink security from their perspective against complex and hybrid threats, and in relation to their security role as members of large organisations such as the EU.peer-reviewe

Institutionalized, horizontal and bottom-up securitization in ethnic conflict environments: the case of Cyprus

This thesis examines the manner in which some environments, such as ‘ethnic’ conflict situations, provide fertile ground for securitization process to develop into a more institutionalized form. Once institutionalized, securitization is no longer limited to the typical unidirectional top-down (i.e. elite-driven) path, but rather it becomes subject to bottom-up and horizontal forces, creating what is termed in this thesis ‘horizontal’ and ‘bottom-up’ securitization. These horizontal and bottom-up forces lead to ‘involuntary’ acts at the actor and audience levels, which in turn contribute to the perpetuation and further institutionalization of an already securitized environment. Within this framework the audiences have a much more active role in the development and perpetuation of security narratives and threats than they do in the ‘mainstream’ reading of the theory. The Cyprus conflict, as an intractable ‘ethnic’ conflict, is used to test the abovementioned arguments. Empirical evidence from the case study demonstrates that the social context dominating such environments contributes significantly to the development of institutionalized, horizontal and bottom-up securitization, obstructing desecuritization and subsequently also the prospects for conflict resolution

Factors Affecting PC and Internet Usage by the Rural Population of Cyprus

It is widely accepted that the usage of the personal computer and the Internet can improve efficiency in the agricultural sector. Despite the fact that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have evolved rapidly, the farmers are lagging behind in the use of ICTs. This study examines the factors that affect the usage of personal computers and the Internet by Cypriot farmers, by analyzing data from 526 farmers, selected by using the stratified random sampling method. Logit models are used to examine the socioeconomic characteristics of Cypriot farmers that may affect the usage or not, of the personal computer and the Internet. The results showed that 60.6% of them use the personal computer and 54.2% use the Internet. From the analysis of the logit models it was found that the age, the educational level, the income, the type of agricultural activities and the location of the farm, are significant determinants for the personal computer and the Internet usage. Future research is needed to examine the personal computer and Internet applications, their usefulness and the possible benefits for the Cypriot farmers from their usage

Factors Affecting PC and Internet Usage by the Rural Population of Cyprus

It is widely accepted that the usage of the personal computer and the Internet can improve efficiency in the agricultural sector. Despite the fact that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have evolved rapidly, the farmers are lagging behind in the use of ICTs. This study examines the factors that affect the usage of personal computers and the Internet by Cypriot farmers, by analyzing data from 526 farmers, selected by using the stratified random sampling method. Logit models are used to examine the socioeconomic characteristics of Cypriot farmers that may affect the usage or not, of the personal computer and the Internet. The results showed that 60.6% of them use the personal computer and 54.2% use the Internet. From the analysis of the logit models it was found that the age, the educational level, the income, the type of agricultural activities and the location of the farm, are significant determinants for the personal computer and the Internet usage. Future research is needed to examine the personal computer and Internet applications, their usefulness and the possible benefits for the Cypriot farmers from their usage

Factors Affecting PC and Internet Usage by the Rural Population of Cyprus

It is widely accepted that the usage of the personal computer and the Internet can improve efficiency in the agricultural sector. Despite the fact that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have evolved rapidly, the farmers are lagging behind in the use of ICTs. This study examines the factors that affect the usage of personal computers and the Internet by Cypriot farmers, by analyzing data from 526 farmers, selected by using the stratified random sampling method. Logit models are used to examine the socioeconomic characteristics of Cypriot farmers that may affect the usage or not, of the personal computer and the Internet. The results showed that 60.6% of them use the personal computer and 54.2% use the Internet. From the analysis of the logit models it was found that the age, the educational level, the income, the type of agricultural activities and the location of the farm, are significant determinants for the personal computer and the Internet usage. Future research is needed to examine the personal computer and Internet applications, their usefulness and the possible benefits for the Cypriot farmers from their usage