Private Militär- und Sicherheitsfirmen und moderne Massendemokratien

Ausgangspunkte der vorliegenden Arbeit sind zwei Prämissen: Erstens, dass sich die internationalen Konfliktkonstellationen seit dem Ende des Kalten Krieges insofern verändert haben, als dass in einer multipolaren Welt zunehmend innerstaatliche bewaffnete Konflikte die beherrschenden Konfliktszenarien darstellen und zweitens, dass die postheroisch geprägten westlichen Massendemokratien ihre Kriegsführungsfähigkeit zunehmend in Frage stellen und eine Freikaufmentalität entwickeln, die das Vermeiden von Opfern auf der eigenen Seite zur Maxime erhoben hat. Deshalb werden robuste internationale Operationen im Rahmen der Friedenssicherung für die Regierungen solcher Staaten immer schwieriger. Vor diesem Hintergrund und mit Fokus auf globalen Privatisierungstendenzen in den Bereichen der polizeilichen und militärischen Sicherheit untersucht die vorliegende Arbeit die Bedeutung privater Militär- und Sicherheitsfirmen (PMSF) für postheroisch geprägte Gesellschaften. Dabei stehen drei Forschungsfragen im Vordergrund: Warum handelt es sich bei den PMSF um eine qualitativ neue Form privater Gewaltakteure, deren Anzahl sich in den Neuen Kriegen vervielfacht hat? Welche der zahlreichen Dienstleistungen, die die PMSF-Branche mittlerweile anbietet, spielen bereits eine wichtige Rolle bzw. können in Zukunft auch stärker im Rahmen der internationalen Friedenssicherung zur Anwendung kommen, um die Schwächen dieser in bestimmten Bereichen zu kompensieren? Welche Auswirkungen haben die einseitige mediale Berichterstattung über Verfehlungen von PMSF und die dadurch entfachte verkürzte öffentliche Auseinandersetzung mit diesem noch relativ neuen Phänomen auf das Privatisierungs- und Kommerzialisierungsverhalten westlicher und postheroisch geprägter Staaten? Diese drei Forschungsfragen werden im Rahmen einer ausgedehnten Literaturstudie und mittels einer Inhaltsanalyse repräsentativ ausgewählter Medienberichte. Zusätzlich finden auch Erkenntnisse aus einem Experteninterview mit Herrn Mag. Dr. Walter Feichtinger Eingang in die Arbeit. Im Laufe der Arbeit sollen Beweise für einen qualitativen Unterschied zwischen Militärdienstleistern und Söldnern gefunden werden. Weiters soll gezeigt, dass bei ausreichender internationaler Kontrolle genügend Einsatzmöglichkeiten für PMSF im Bereich der Friedenssicherung bestehen und dass das negative und verzerrte PMSF-Bild in der Öffentlichkeit zu keinen fundamentalen Veränderungen der Privatisierung der Sicherheit in Großritannien und den Vereinigten Staaten geführt haben.The following final thesis is based on two premises: Firstly, the international conflict scenarios have changed since the end of the Cold War. The predominant form of armed conflicts are intra-state conflicts, which some scholars like Münkler and Kaldor call New Wars. Secondly, western democracies are very strongly affected by post-heroic patterns of warfare, which is characterised by the fact that international military operations are almost impossible to legitimise among the population at home if there is only a minimal chance to suffer losses of military personnel. This problem is especially palpable within the United Nations peace support operations, where there is still a lack of well-equipped forces from most western states. Against this background and an additional focus on the global privatisation of security, this paper analyses the relevancy of private security and military providers for post-heroic societies. For this purpose three main questions are going to be answered: Why are PMSCs a new type of private providers of force whose numbers are increasing in New Wars all around the world? Which ones from the spectrum of services that the private sector already offers are important and, in the future, will be even more important for international peace support operations carried out by the UN to remedy some of its current weaknesses? What impacts do biased and negative news about PMSCs in mass media have on the overall privatisation policies of security and military services in post-heroic States like the United States and Great Britain? The elaborated answers to these three main questions should be found through an extensive analysis of the recent scientific and quasi-scientific literature and through a content analysis of a representative amount of articles in magazines, newspapers and audio-visual coverage of the PMSC-phenomenon. In addition to that, findings from an expert interview with Mag. Dr. Walter Feichtinger will find their way into this paper. The analysis has to prove that there are significant differences between mercenaries and the employees of private security and military companies, which should be acknowledged to provide an objective insight into the PMSC-phenomenon. Since more and more actors at the international level (NGOs, states, international organisations…) acknowledge the importance of PMSCs this paper also shows a wide range of possibilities for those companies to engage in peace support operations. And finally, the future prospects for the private security market seem to remain positive since not even scandals (Abu Grhaib, Nisour massacre etc.) can fundamentally change the privatisation policies of the biggest contracting states

Gouvernement d'entreprise : réseaux d'administrateurs et investisseurs institutionnels

Les réseaux d’administrateurs et les investisseurs institutionnels sont acteurs de l’évolution du gouvernement d’entreprises en France. Les conseils d’administration sont au coeur des réflexions et leur cadre légal a fait l’objet de modifications. Il nous a paru donc intéressant de mesurer le poids des administrateurs cumulards,la taille des conseils d’administration, et d’étudier l’évolution de la densité des réseaux d’administrateurs des entreprises du CAC 40 entre 1998 et 2006, suite à ces modifications de législation. Notre étude montre que les réseaux de sociétés formés par le cumul de mandats d’administrateurs restent vivaces au sein des plus grandes sociétés françaises (Chapitre 1). La crise des subprimes a révélé la montée en puissance des fonds souverains, et dont les avoirs ont été multipliés par 9 depuis fin 2002. Nous étudions le poids de leurs participations, ainsi que leur logique d’investissement dans le capital des entreprises des pays les plus développés (Chapitre 2). Nous montrons que ces investisseurs ont un comportement proche de celui des investisseurs actifs et s’éloignent des investisseurs stables (les banques et les compagnies d’assurance). Un troisième chapitre est consacré à l’étude de l’émergence d’un nouveau modèle actionnarial français, né sous l’impulsion de l’actionnariat institutionnel. Nous nous intéressons au poids des investisseurs institutionnels étrangers présents dans le capital des groupes de l’indice SBF250. Nous proposons de démontrer que, malgré la forte internationalisation de l’actionnariat, il subsiste une différence notable entre le taux d’ouverture aux capitaux étrangers du capital des entreprises à forte capitalisation boursière (notamment celles du CAC 40),et celui des autres entreprises composant l’indice SBF250. Nous caractérisons un modèle actionnarial« hybride » où se côtoient des investisseurs institutionnels non résidents et des actionnaires résidents familiaux, publics et industriels. L’étude conclut que ces derniers préservent une position forte au sein de l’indice SBF250.Interlocking directorates and institutional investors are involved in the evolution of corporate governance inFrance. The boards are at the heart of reflexion and changes in their legal framework have happened. Itseems interesting to measure the weight of the “interlocking directorates”, the size of boards, and study theevolution of the density of the network of directors among CAC 40 companies between 1998 and 2006. Ourstudy shows that networks of companies formed by the accumulation of directorships remain vivid in thelargest French companies (Chapter 1). The subprime crisis has revealed the rise of sovereign wealth funds,assets of which have been multiplied by nine since late 2002. We study the weight of their participation andtheir politic of investment in the capital of the most developed countries’ companies (Chapter 2). We showthat the behaviour of these funds is very similarly to the one of active investors and quite different of the oneof stable investors such as banks or insurance companies. A third chapter is devoted to the study of theemergence of a new French shareholder model, born under the influence of institutional shareholders. Weconsider the weight of foreign institutional investors into the SBF 250 groups’ capital. We propose to showthat, despite the strong internationalisation of shareholders, a significant difference between the rate ofopenness to foreign capital of capital-intensive companies (especially CAC 40 companies), and the one of theother companies of SBF 250 index remains. We characterize a "hybrid" shareholder model which combinesnon-resident institutional investors and shareholders resident families, public and industrial investors. Thestudy concludes that they keep a strong position in the SBF250

A sustainable ocean for all

Welcome to the opening editorial of npj Ocean Sustainability. This new interdisciplinary journal aims to provide a unique forum for sharing research, critically debating issues, and advancing practical solutions to achieve ocean sustainability. The ocean and people are deeply interconnected. Thus, decision-makers require integrative, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary knowledge to design solutions and approaches based on the multitude of visions for what a sustainable ocean entails. For that reason, the journal recognizes the benefits of knowledge pluralism and equally welcomes research from natural and social sciences; from marine ecology to Indigenous Studies; from the legal, policy, and management sciences to medical sciences, to arts and humanities. We acknowledge the fundamental need to understand and integrate the environmental and human dimensions into ocean research and management to effectively ensure long-term sustainable ocean use and conservation. We also acknowledge that while the ocean is “one” from a biophysical standpoint, there is a “plurality” of values and relationships between humans and the ocean, emerging from multiple geographical and historical specificities that need to be accounted for

Ecosystem Resilience and Threshold Response in the Galápagos Coastal Zone

Background: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) provides a conservative estimate on rates of sea-level rise of 3.8 mm yr⁻¹ at the end of the 21st century, which may have a detrimental effect on ecologically important mangrove ecosystems. Understanding factors influencing the long-term resilience of these communities is critical but poorly understood. We investigate ecological resilience in a coastal mangrove community from the Galápagos Islands over the last 2700 years using three research questions: What are the 'fast and slow' processes operating in the coastal zone? Is there evidence for a threshold response? How can the past inform us about the resilience of the modern system?Methodology/Principal Findings: Palaeoecological methods (AMS radiocarbon dating, stable carbon isotopes (δ13C)) were used to reconstruct sedimentation rates and ecological change over the past 2,700 years at Diablas lagoon, Isabela, Galápagos. Bulk geochemical analysis was also used to determine local environmental changes, and salinity was reconstructed using a diatom transfer function. Changes in relative sea level (RSL) were estimated using a glacio-isostatic adjustment model. Non-linear behaviour was observed in the Diablas mangrove ecosystem as it responded to increased salinities following exposure to tidal inundations. A negative feedback was observed which enabled the mangrove canopy to accrete vertically, but disturbances may have opened up the canopy and contributed to an erosion of resilience over time. A combination of drier climatic conditions and a slight fall in RSL then resulted in a threshold response, from a mangrove community to a microbial mat.Conclusions/Significance: Palaeoecological records can provide important information on the nature of non-linear behaviour by identifying thresholds within ecological systems, and in outlining responses to 'fast and slow' environmental change between alternative stable states. This study highlights the need to incorporate a long-term ecological perspective when designing strategies for maximizing coastal resilience.</p

On the Verge of History : Rupture and Continuity in Women’s Life Narratives from Hungary, Romania and Serbia

After 1989, with the end of communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe, narratives about rupture and change during a turbulent twentieth century have been told in many different forms, genres, and media alongside narratives of basic social and political continuities. Rupture and continuity emerged as two different narrative strategies that have sought to create coherence in these larger histories. Published histories and private narratives about the twentieth century in Central Europe share this characteristic: they both create cohesion between a multiplicity of processes and events by combining the two narrative strategies of emplotment. That is what this dissertation is about. Based on an extensive source material of narrative life interviews from the border regions of Romania (Northern Transylvania), Northern Serbia (Vojvodina), and Southern Hungary, I investigate how ordinary women in Central Europe, see the turbulent century which they have lived through. I analyze the different ways that they speak of historical transformation and how they place themselves into a sequence of change while maintaining their sense of integrity: how they talk at the end of their life about childhood in the Interwar era, their maturing during the Second World War, starting married life and work in socialism, and their retirement years after 1989. Throughout the analysis I address the forms that tropes of rupture and continuity take through the words of women who lived through several regime changes in the course of the twentieth century. The dissertation examines the relationship of personal life narratives to public narratives of history: how interviewees incorporate and appropriate public narratives and where they diverge from them in order to create their versions of historical narrative

On the Verge of History : Rupture and Continuity in Women’s Life Narratives from Hungary, Romania and Serbia

After 1989, with the end of communist rule in Central and Eastern Europe, narratives about rupture and change during a turbulent twentieth century have been told in many different forms, genres, and media alongside narratives of basic social and political continuities. Rupture and continuity emerged as two different narrative strategies that have sought to create coherence in these larger histories. Published histories and private narratives about the twentieth century in Central Europe share this characteristic: they both create cohesion between a multiplicity of processes and events by combining the two narrative strategies of emplotment. That is what this dissertation is about. Based on an extensive source material of narrative life interviews from the border regions of Romania (Northern Transylvania), Northern Serbia (Vojvodina), and Southern Hungary, I investigate how ordinary women in Central Europe, see the turbulent century which they have lived through. I analyze the different ways that they speak of historical transformation and how they place themselves into a sequence of change while maintaining their sense of integrity: how they talk at the end of their life about childhood in the Interwar era, their maturing during the Second World War, starting married life and work in socialism, and their retirement years after 1989. Throughout the analysis I address the forms that tropes of rupture and continuity take through the words of women who lived through several regime changes in the course of the twentieth century. The dissertation examines the relationship of personal life narratives to public narratives of history: how interviewees incorporate and appropriate public narratives and where they diverge from them in order to create their versions of historical narrative

Corporate governance : network directorates and institutional investors

Les réseaux d’administrateurs et les investisseurs institutionnels sont acteurs de l’évolution du gouvernement d’entreprises en France. Les conseils d’administration sont au coeur des réflexions et leur cadre légal a fait l’objet de modifications. Il nous a paru donc intéressant de mesurer le poids des administrateurs cumulards,la taille des conseils d’administration, et d’étudier l’évolution de la densité des réseaux d’administrateurs des entreprises du CAC 40 entre 1998 et 2006, suite à ces modifications de législation. Notre étude montre que les réseaux de sociétés formés par le cumul de mandats d’administrateurs restent vivaces au sein des plus grandes sociétés françaises (Chapitre 1). La crise des subprimes a révélé la montée en puissance des fonds souverains, et dont les avoirs ont été multipliés par 9 depuis fin 2002. Nous étudions le poids de leurs participations, ainsi que leur logique d’investissement dans le capital des entreprises des pays les plus développés (Chapitre 2). Nous montrons que ces investisseurs ont un comportement proche de celui des investisseurs actifs et s’éloignent des investisseurs stables (les banques et les compagnies d’assurance). Un troisième chapitre est consacré à l’étude de l’émergence d’un nouveau modèle actionnarial français, né sous l’impulsion de l’actionnariat institutionnel. Nous nous intéressons au poids des investisseurs institutionnels étrangers présents dans le capital des groupes de l’indice SBF250. Nous proposons de démontrer que, malgré la forte internationalisation de l’actionnariat, il subsiste une différence notable entre le taux d’ouverture aux capitaux étrangers du capital des entreprises à forte capitalisation boursière (notamment celles du CAC 40),et celui des autres entreprises composant l’indice SBF250. Nous caractérisons un modèle actionnarial« hybride » où se côtoient des investisseurs institutionnels non résidents et des actionnaires résidents familiaux, publics et industriels. L’étude conclut que ces derniers préservent une position forte au sein de l’indice SBF250.Interlocking directorates and institutional investors are involved in the evolution of corporate governance inFrance. The boards are at the heart of reflexion and changes in their legal framework have happened. Itseems interesting to measure the weight of the “interlocking directorates”, the size of boards, and study theevolution of the density of the network of directors among CAC 40 companies between 1998 and 2006. Ourstudy shows that networks of companies formed by the accumulation of directorships remain vivid in thelargest French companies (Chapter 1). The subprime crisis has revealed the rise of sovereign wealth funds,assets of which have been multiplied by nine since late 2002. We study the weight of their participation andtheir politic of investment in the capital of the most developed countries’ companies (Chapter 2). We showthat the behaviour of these funds is very similarly to the one of active investors and quite different of the oneof stable investors such as banks or insurance companies. A third chapter is devoted to the study of theemergence of a new French shareholder model, born under the influence of institutional shareholders. Weconsider the weight of foreign institutional investors into the SBF 250 groups’ capital. We propose to showthat, despite the strong internationalisation of shareholders, a significant difference between the rate ofopenness to foreign capital of capital-intensive companies (especially CAC 40 companies), and the one of theother companies of SBF 250 index remains. We characterize a "hybrid" shareholder model which combinesnon-resident institutional investors and shareholders resident families, public and industrial investors. Thestudy concludes that they keep a strong position in the SBF250