Building the other, constructing ourselves: spatial dimensions of international humanitarian response

Humanitarian reconstruction after a large-scale natural disaster has become a key site of international politics; a site where global assumptions, relationships, and responsibilities are negotiated, solidified and questioned. While post-crisis response strategies and institutional practices have strong spatial and material characteristics, these are rarely considered as significant, either to the reconstruction effort, or to international politics more generally. This article identifies and examines the 'auxiliary space' created by the everyday practices of international aid workers and asks whether its effects may lead to unanticipated and potentially transformative outcomes not only for the reconstruction effort, but also for global North-South relations at large. The article concludes that post-crisis reconstruction sites may offer both cautionary and emancipatory potential for the evolution of international relations

The Role of Social Media Companies in the Regulation of Online Hate Speech

This article is about online hate speech propagated via platforms operated by social media companies (SMCs). It examines the options open to states in forcing SMCs to take responsibility for the hateful content that appears on their sites.  It examines the technological and legal context for imposing legal obligations on SMCs, and analyses initiatives in Germany, the UK, the EU and elsewhere.  It argues that whilst SMCs can play a role in controlling online hate speech, there are limitations to what they can achieve

R2P–Principle and Practice? The UNSC on Libya

This article explores the international politics regarding Muammar Muhammad Gaddafi's regime and the civil war in Libya in a context of liberalization and democratization of the Arab Spring. The study presents the varying positions taken by the five permanent member states of the UN Security Council, and their levels of adherence to the spirit of Responsible to Protect (R2P). The analysis explores the content of Resolutions 1970 and 1973, and statements made by external parties before, during, and after those resolutions were enacted. It is argued that although R2P has been proclaimed to be a core principle for human security, the Libyan crisis shows much discrepancy and confusion by the international community regarding how that principle should be applied to enduring dictatorial regimes.</p