Refugee “In-betweenness”: A Proactive Existence

This paper challenges the focus on marginalization that is commonly associated with refugee claimants. By proposing a closer look at the critical period during which refugee claimants residing in Montréal wait for their status to be determined, this paper suggests that “in-betweenness” can be a moment and site that engenders social inclusion. I argue that during the re-settlement process, certain circumstances can foster pathways of agency and engagement as opposed to reproducing cycles of exclusion, commonly associated with refugee claimants that other authors have documented. Drawing on participant narratives, this paper demonstrates how refugee claimants awaiting determination can become active social and political subjects. The paper underscores that in-betweenness, in both temporal and spatial dimensions, can foster a proactive stance despite refugee claimants’ lack of status, limited access to resources, and possibly reduced mobility.Cet article conteste l’accent sur la marginalisation qui est couramment associée aux demandeurs d’asile. En proposant d’étudier de plus près la période critique pendant laquelle les demandeurs d’asile résidant à Montréal attendent que leur statut soit déterminé, cette étude suggère que l’« intermédiarité » peut former un cadre spatio-temporel qui engendre l’inclusion sociale. L’auteur soutient que pendant le processus de réinstallation certaines circonstances peuvent favoriser des filières d’agence et d’engagement plutôt que de reproduire des cycles d’exclusion, souvent associés aux demandeurs d’asile que d’autres auteurs ont constatés. S’appuyant sur les témoignages de participants, cette étude montre comment les demandeurs d’asile en attente de détermination de leur statut peuvent devenir des sujets sociaux et politiques actifs. L’ étude souligne que l’« intermédiarité », dans sa dimension tant temporelle que spatiale, peut favoriser une attitude proactive en dépit de l’absence de statut des demandeurs d’asile, de l’accès limité aux ressources et éventuellement d’une mobilité réduite

Confidence Building in Cyberspace: A Comparison of Territorial and Weapons-Based Regimes

View the Executive SummaryAn analysis of weapons-based confidence-building measures shows how academics can work together to self-police their research for national security implications, socialize new members of the academic community into the importance of considering security issues, and develop and disseminate norms regarding what is and is not a moral and ethical use of these technologies. It may be possible for academics and policymakers to come together to work for a ban or build-down on cyber weapons patterned on international efforts to ban chemical and biological weapons and implement export regimes to control the export of code which may form the components of cyber weapons. If we conceptualize cyberspace as territory, we can also learn from the example of territorially-based confidence-building measures such as those implemented along the Indo-Pakistan border. This approach stresses the importance of developing notification procedures to prevent misperceptions and the escalation spiral, as well as communicating regularly to establish trust between all parties. The case studies presented here illustrate the promises and pitfalls of each approach and offer valuable warnings to policymakers seeking to implement such measures in cyberspace. They show what happens when not everyone in a regime is equally committed to a specific outcome by illustrating the difficulties of monitoring compliance in confidence-building regimes, and show the ways in which doctrines and confidence-building measures may not be perfectly aligned.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1455/thumbnail.jp

Do Fewer Resources Mean Less Influence? A Comparative Historical Case Study of Military Influence in a Time of Austerity

View the Executive SummaryAs military conflicts come to an end, it is not uncommon for societies to expect a “peace dividend” and to engage in elite and popular conversations about how much defense spending is still needed. The issues are similar across countries and time periods: How can defense planners preserve capabilities, avoid the reversibility problem, and plan for the long term? How can they guide the development of technologies and doctrines in a climate of austerity? This manuscript draws lessons from previous historic situations and applies them to today.https://press.armywarcollege.edu/monographs/1471/thumbnail.jp

Islamic law in Canada : marriage and divorce

Islamic Law in Canada: Marriage and Divorce provides an analysis of how Canadian society and the Canadian judicial system have responded to the use of the Shari'a to resolve issues relating to Islamic marriage and divorce in Canada. This dissertation explores two instances where Canadian society has been forced to address the role of the Shari'a in Canada and its interaction with Canadian laws and values. The first involves the debate that took place in Ontario over the last decade concerning the use of Islamic arbitration in family matters. This public debate ultimately led to the rejection of faith-based arbitration in that province, a decision apparently consistent with traditional Canadian attitudes towards multiculturalism. The second area of interaction between Canadian and Islamic law is within the Canadian court system itself. In particular, Canadian judges are occasionally required to grapple with Islamic family law issues when rendering judgments on certain cases that appear before them. This dissertation will examine a number of such cases in order to illustrate how the Shari'a has been addressed by Canadian judges. The overall aim of this work is to situate Islamic law within Canada's liberal framework. It is argued that although Canadians are amenable to certain levels of diversity, values that fall outside mainstream liberalism are not granted recognition. This dissertation will also demonstrate that the failure to legitimize Islamic arbitration represents a lost opportunity that would have broadened the scope of Canadian justice to include minority voices. The decision to reject faith-based arbitration will motivate some Muslims to seek justice from ad-hoc bodies of authority. Devoid of government oversight, these forms of underground Islamic justice may negatively affect certain members of Canada's Muslim community

Visibilities and the Politics of Space: Refugee Activism in Berlin

This article examines the ways in which refugee activists attained visibility within the public sphere while they contested, resisted, and helped transform multiple spaitials as part of their movement in Berlin, Germany. Scholarship on refugee and immigrant protests has focused on demonstrations and every day acts of resistance in refugee camps or accommodation. However, there has been less focus on the ways in which refugees engage in spatial politics. This article focuses on urban resistance in Berlin where refugee activists in alliance with supporters occupied several spaces and transformed them to political sites

Dalit identity in urban Pokhara, Nepal

Urban migration by Nepalese Dalits has not only provided them with social, economic and educational opportunities, but also the possibility of escaping traditional caste-based discrimination. However, despite making the most of opportunities provided by the city, Dalits have not been able to pursue their political agenda to the extent of other ethnic communities. This study in the city of Pokhara, Nepal, explored Dalit identity using two rounds of focus group discussions involving a total of 23 individuals drawn from a range of Dalit caste groups with a variety of livelihoods. The results describe the caste-based discrimination experienced by the participants and the different strategies they employ to either reinvent themselves by changing names; or embracing their caste-heritage and taking advantage of affirmative action programmes. Whilst urban migration can provide some relief from discrimination, the study reveals that caste still remains prominent in the lives of Dalits in Pokhara. The paper argues that Dalit unity and elimination of intra-Dalit caste-based discrimination are needed in order to institutionalise their citizenship rights in post conflict Nepal