Film, Politik & nationale Identität - die filmische Konstruktion Amerikas der Bush-Ära anhand ausgewählter Remakes

Kulturelle Produkte entstehen in einer Gesellschaft nicht kontextfrei aus dem Nichts heraus, sondern immer im Wechselspiel mit soziologischen Gegebenheiten und Veränderungen. Demnach greift auch der amerikanische Hollywoodfilm immer wieder Themen auf, die in den Vereinigten Staaten von Bedeutung sind und bearbeitet diese, mehr oder weniger reflektiert, um sie anschließend über eine breite Rezeption des Publikums wieder in die Gesellschaft einzuspeisen. Auf diese Art können Filme, wie alle massenmedial vermittelten Kommunikationsformen, dazu beitragen, was als typisch für eine bestimmte Gesellschaft gesehen wird und unterstützen somit die Konstruktion einer nationalen Identität. Gerade das US-amerikanische Kino war äußerst erfolgreich der Welt zu vermitteln, was man sich unter dem Land der unbegrenzten Möglichkeiten (auch dies ein nationaler Mythos) vorzustellen hat: Weite Länder des so genannten „Wilden Westens“, aufrichtige, einsame Streiter für Gerechtigkeit, dargestellt in den zahlreichen Actionfilmen wie Stirb Langsam oder Rambo, oder Menschen, die es von ganz unten nach ganz oben auf der sozialen Leiter geschafft haben wie Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane. Doch wie wirken sich Erschütterungen eines Gesellschaftssystems auf die Konstruktion von nationaler Identität aus? Ausgehend von der Präsidentschaft George W. Bushs mit allen dazugehörigen Traumata (9/11, der war on terror, die gesellschaftliche Polarisierung etc.), wird in dieser Arbeit dargestellt, wie sich die Selbstsicht der Vereinigten Staaten gewandelt hat, beziehungsweise ob und wie sich die Konzepte von nationaler Identität verändert haben. Hierfür werden einerseits Theorien und Perspektiven rund um das Konzept von nationaler Identität vorgestellt und andererseits auf die spezifischen realpolitischen Ereignisse der so genannten Bush-Ära eingegangen. Dieser theoretische Block wird dann in weiterer Folge als Fundament für die Analyse ausgewählter Filmremakes dienen, um interpretatorisch die Auswirkungen der Bush-Ära auf die US-amerikanische Gesellschaft zu untersuchen

Are energy transitions an opportunity or risk to climate security?

COP26 cemented commitments from countries to do more to mitigate the climate crisis. Increasingly galvanised climate protests and serious calls from scientists formed a pre-cursor to the conference, where countries gathered to negotiate plans to limit global warming to 1.5C. One of the most polluting sectors is energy, and so was the focus of many of the discussions. Besides its importance for the global economy, energy can play a role in driving global conflicts. However, the potential repercussions of energy transitions have remained relatively under explored, both at the conference, and in public and academic discourse more generally. The transition to lower carbon energies is likely to have multiple impacts, many of which are expected to be positive for human health and wellbeing. However, as we transition away from fossil fuels, there may be negative consequences for security. For instance, 90% of Iraq’s government revenue comes from oil, which means the move towards net zero will deprive this fragile state of key revenue, unless it’s able to diversify its economy away from oil. This will likely impact both Iraq’s and international security. Against this backdrop, this webinar aimed to offer a space for critical reflection on the potential impacts to security of the energy transition and ways to restrict any negative impacts and best take advantage of opportunities to build peace through this transition

The Climate Security and Energy (Transition) Nexus: Winds of Change

Global climate change will likely add pressure to international, national and sub-national security due to its nature as a threat multiplier. The energy system is at the heart of this challenge. On the one hand, two thirds of global emissions come from burning fossil fuels. On the other hand, energy – in particular fossil fuels – have been in the past highly geopolitically influential. But global energy systems are changing. Will this global transition away from fossil fuels to renewables present an opportunity to build peace, or will it instead work to further undermine peace and security worldwide? Energy transitions present a formidable opportunity not only to decarbonize our economies, but also to build a more equitable and decentralized energy system. However, if deployed improperly, and without consideration of the needs of communities, renewable energies might end up repeating past mistakes of the fossil fuel energy regime. Energy transitions harbor both risks and uncertainties when it comes to peace and stability, but with the proper policies in place and research, renewable energies can be made a global success, both in mitigating the worst impacts of the climate crisis and in contributing to peace and stability worldwide

Transnational innovation systems for bioeconomy: insights from cassava value chains in East Africa

In this study, we analyze the purpose, challenges, and opportunities of transnational innovation systems using cassava as the case study crop in the East Africa region. Cassava scientifically referred to as Manihot esculenta Crantz, is an important food security crop for the poor and vulnerable and a potential building block for advancing the bioeconomy in Africa and the global South. Semi-structured interviews with researchers, government official, and small and medium enterprise representatives from the region were done to determine their level of collaborations with other partners across the region and the opportunities and challenges for transnational innovation systems along the cassava value chain. The selection of interviewees followed a purposive sampling technique according to their knowledge on transnational innovation in the cassava value chain. This was corroborated by a focused literature review on innovation systems concepts gathered from scholarly literature. The findings show that transnational collaborations and innovations in the East African region offer opportunities for expansion of biomass production, bioprocessing, and value addition to the rich bioresources available. Collaboration across borders and transnational innovation systems were found to play an important role for advancing and/or upscaling cassava breeding, growing, value-adding products and novel processing methods and contributing to a growing East African bioeconomy. Other than the regional policy challenges, organizational and cultural barriers were more prominent in venturing, participation, and involvement of parties and users in transnational innovations. These findings draw attention to the often unnoticed, but vital, role that institutional and policy frameworks play in initiating as well as supporting transnational innovation systems that address issues of current and future global concern. Therefore, appropriate policy environment and partnerships that offer opportunities for synergy and complementarity are vital for building effective transnational innovation systems that enhance the sustainability of production, value addition and end-uses of biobased cassava products

Capacity gaps in land-based mitigation technologies and practices: A first stock take

Land-based mitigation technologies and practices (LMTs) reduce GHG emissions associated with land use and/or enhance terrestrial GHG sinks. This article investigates capacity gaps to successfully facilitate LMT adoption and/or scaling in the regions of Latin America, Europe, North America, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. We look at LMTs such as agricultural land management, agroforestry, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), biochar, forest management, and peat/wetland management. We used a triangulation method based on literature review, an online survey, and semi-structured interviews with experts from Academia, Industry, NGOs, Local Communities and Government, to capture and analyze the most prominent capacity gaps by LMT and according to regional contexts. This approach identified ‘understanding’, ‘awareness’ and ‘economic/finance’ as the most important capacity gaps when it comes to LMT adoption and scaling across the aforementioned regions. A recommended first step for increased LMT adoption would be to address the knowledge and understanding capacity gaps, which, in turn, could help make LMTs more attractive to stakeholders. Policymakers in cooper- ation with other stakeholders might reflect on dedicated support policies and regulatory frameworks that level the playing field for LMTs (as compared to mitigation technologies and practices in energy and other sectors). Other good practice examples include market building for LMTs, using emerging carbon markets, designing bottom-up implementation plans in cooperation with local and Indigenous Peoples, increased ecosystems ser- vices payments and taking into consideration local and traditional knowledge for successful LMT adoption and scaling

Fossil fuels feed climate change and war: Time to quit them

The production, distribution, and consumption of fossil fuels are linked directly to climate change by driving up emissions, and indirectly related to conflict and human insecurity by benefitting a small number of often authoritarian countries. By relying on fossil fuels for energy security, the EU finds it difficult to wean itself off Russian gas, thus perpetuating a tense relationship with Moscow. But our dependency on fossil fuels also has negative consequences for the Global South, where climate change impacts are likely to be felt the hardest. While not without challenges, now is the time to “walk the walk” by following through with low carbon transitions. Overcoming these challenges is possible, but we must do it now. Neither the climate nor global peace and stability can wait

Policy transfer processes and renewable energy penetration : a comparative analysis of Peru, Thailand, and Uganda

Background Low-carbon technologies must be widely adopted at a large scale to address climate change and enhance access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy. The uptake of those technologies is often supported by specific policies developed at a national or regional level and those policies, like the technologies themselves, can diffuse from one place to another. This paper sheds some light on this ‘policy transfer’ and investigates the dynamics, the actors and the processes involved. We illustrate what happens when renewable energy support policies in one country inspire renewable support policies in another country using three case studies in Peru, Thailand and Uganda as examples. Results Using an adapted version of the policy transfer framework first elaborated by Dolowitz and Marsh (Polit Stud 44:343–57, 1996; Governance 13:5–23, 2000), we describe the policy transfer process in the three case study countries according to several criteria. We find that policy transfer is not a straightforward process where a ‘borrower’ country simply adopts policies from a ‘lender’ country, but instead a complex process where many actors - national and international – interact to shape the outcome of the process. And while experiences particularly in the EU as well as international developments have influenced the policy transfer in case study countries significantly, domestic issues also play a key role in shaping the transferred policies and in adapting them to local contexts. Moreover, the policy transfer process is not an one-off event, but a continuous process where iterative learning helps the policies to evolve over time. Conclusions Policy transfer is a complex matter, involving many stakeholders during a continuous process over time. The Dolowitz and Marsh framework proved useful to analyse policy transfer and the actors involved although questions for further research remain. For instance, against what kind of criteria should the ‘success’ of a policy transfer be measured? Moreover, while comparing three illustrative case studies is a first, useful step, having a larger set of case studies and data might enhance our understanding of the details of the processes involved even further

Presentation_1_Transnational innovation systems for bioeconomy: insights from cassava value chains in East Africa.pdf

In this study, we analyze the purpose, challenges, and opportunities of transnational innovation systems using cassava as the case study crop in the East Africa region. Cassava scientifically referred to as Manihot esculenta Crantz, is an important food security crop for the poor and vulnerable and a potential building block for advancing the bioeconomy in Africa and the global South. Semi-structured interviews with researchers, government official, and small and medium enterprise representatives from the region were done to determine their level of collaborations with other partners across the region and the opportunities and challenges for transnational innovation systems along the cassava value chain. The selection of interviewees followed a purposive sampling technique according to their knowledge on transnational innovation in the cassava value chain. This was corroborated by a focused literature review on innovation systems concepts gathered from scholarly literature. The findings show that transnational collaborations and innovations in the East African region offer opportunities for expansion of biomass production, bioprocessing, and value addition to the rich bioresources available. Collaboration across borders and transnational innovation systems were found to play an important role for advancing and/or upscaling cassava breeding, growing, value-adding products and novel processing methods and contributing to a growing East African bioeconomy. Other than the regional policy challenges, organizational and cultural barriers were more prominent in venturing, participation, and involvement of parties and users in transnational innovations. These findings draw attention to the often unnoticed, but vital, role that institutional and policy frameworks play in initiating as well as supporting transnational innovation systems that address issues of current and future global concern. Therefore, appropriate policy environment and partnerships that offer opportunities for synergy and complementarity are vital for building effective transnational innovation systems that enhance the sustainability of production, value addition and end-uses of biobased cassava products.</p