Ideologies and conflict in the post-Cold War: Afghanistan, D.R. Congo, Colombia

Ideology played an extensive role in the post-Cold War insurgencies examined here (the Taliban Movement, in Afghanistan; the Parti pour la Révolution des Peuples, in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, in Colombia) beyond the discursive level. Ideology served the rhetorical purpose of legitimizing armed struggles, but it also proved crucial to determine the insurgent organizations’ internal structures and their apparatus of power in territories under their control, to shape their governmental policies, and to provide strategic and tactical gains in the battlefield

What is negotiated in the peace process? agendas and success factors 1989-2012

This article argues that negotiation agendas in peace processes are good indicators for the presence of factors that lead to success in the attempt to put an end to armed conflicts. While the literature suggests a series of psychological and contextual elements that may help to explain the outcome of a peace process, this article demonstrates the utility of incorporating the agendas as part of a systematic study. Hence, it presents results of the analysis of 83 peace processes occurred between 1989 and 2012, describes the technical and political topics discussed between the parties, and identifies trends in terms of duration, geography, nature of conflict, and outcomes. Finally, it shows that discussion of topics such as transformation of rebel organizations into political parties, or their integration into the national armed forces, are related to a higher probability of success in the process.Este artículo sostiene que las agendas de negociación de los procesos de paz son un indicador útil de la presencia o no de factores que inducen al éxito en el intento de poner fin a un conflicto armado interno. Mientras la literatura propone algunos elementos psicológicos individuales y de contexto que pueden ayudar a explicar el resultado de un proceso de paz, este artículo muestra la utilidad de incorporar las agendas como elemento de estudio de forma sistemática. Para ello, presenta el resultado del análisis de 83 procesos de paz desarrollados entre 1989 y 2012, en el que se describen los temas técnicos y políticos discutidos entre las partes, y sus tendencias según el tiempo de negociación, la geografía, la naturaleza del conflicto y su resultado. Al final, el artículo muestra que la discusión en la mesa de negociación de temas como conversión de fuerzas ilegales en partidos políticos, o su integración a las fuerzas armadas, está relacionada con una mayor probabilidad de éxito del proceso

Atypical modulations of N170 component during emotional processing and their links to social behaviors in ex-combatants

ABSTRACT: Emotional processing (EP) is crucial for the elaboration and implementation of adaptive social strategies. EP is also necessary for the expression of social cognition and behavior (SCB) patterns. It is well-known that war contexts induce socio-emotional atypical functioning, in particular for those who participate in combats. Thus, ex-combatants represent an ideal non-clinical population to explore EP modulation and to evaluate its relation with SCB. The aim of this study was to explore EP and its relation with SCB dimensions such as empathy, theory of mind and social skills in a sample of 50 subjects, of which 30 were ex-combatants from illegally armed groups in Colombia, and 20 controls without combat experience. We adapted an Emotional Recognition Task for faces and words and synchronized it with electroencephalographic recording. Ex-combatants presented with higher assertion skills and showed more pronounced brain responses to faces than Controls. They did not show the bias toward anger observed in control participants whereby the latter group was more likely to misclassify neutral faces as angry. However, ex-combatants showed an atypical word valence processing. That is, words with different emotions yielded no differences in N170 modulations. SCB variables were successfully predicted by neurocognitive variables. Our results suggest that in ex-combatants the links between EP and SCB functions are reorganized. This may reflect neurocognitive modulations associated to chronic exposure to war experiences

Physical Activity Patterns of the Spanish Population Are Mostly Determined by Sex and Age: Findings in the ANIBES Study

Background Representative data for the Spanish population regarding physical activity (PA) behaviors are scarce and seldom comparable due to methodological inconsistencies. Aim Our objectives were to describe the PA behavior by means of the standardized self-reported International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and to know the proportion of the Spanish population meeting and not meeting international PA recommendations. Material and Methods PA was assessed using the IPAQ in a representative sample of 2285 individuals (males, 50.4%) aged 9–75 years and living in municipalities of at least 2,000 inhabitants. Data were analyzed according to: age groups 9–12, 13–17, 18–64, and 65–75 years; sex; geographical distribution; locality size and educational levels. Results Mean total PA was 868.8±660.9 min/wk, mean vigorous PA 146.4±254.1 min/wk, and mean moderate PA 398.1±408.0 min/wk, showing significant differences between sexes (p<0.05). Children performed higher moderate-vigorous PA than adolescents and seniors (p<0.05), and adults than adolescents and seniors (p<0.05). Compared to recommendations, 36.2%of adults performed <150 min/week of moderate PA, 65.4% <75 min/week of vigorous PA and 27.0%did not perform any PA at all, presenting significant differences between sexes (p<0.05). A total of 55.4%of children and adolescents performed less than 420 min/week of MVPA, being higher in the later (62.6%) than in the former (48.4%). Highest non-compliance was observed in adolescent females (86.5%). Conclusion Sex and age are the main influencing factors on PA in the Spanish population. Males engage in more vigorous and light PA overall, whereas females perform more moderate PA. PA behavior differs between age groups and no clear lineal increase with age could be observed. Twenty-seven percent of adults and 55.4% of children and adolescents do not meet international PA recommendations. Identified target groups should be addressed to increase PA in the Spanish populationCoca-Cola Iberia through Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN)Coca-Cola Iberi

Sedentary behavior among Spanish children and adolescents: findings from the ANIBES study

Background: An increase of sedentary behaviors far from the Mediterranean lifestyle is happening in spite of the impact on health. The aims of this study were to describe sedentary behaviors in children and adolescents. Methods: A representative sample of 424 Spanish children and adolescents (38% females) involved in the ANIBES study was analyzed regarding their sedentary behaviors, together with the availability of televisions, computers, and consoles by means of the HELENA sedentary behavior questionnaire. Results: For the total sample of children, 49.3% during weekdays and 84% during weekends did not meet the recommendation of less than 2 hours of screen viewing per day. The use of TV was higher during weekdays (p < 0.05) and there were significant differences between adolescents and children (16.9 vs. 25.1%, p < 0.05). The use of computer, console games and of internet for non-study reasons was higher during weekends (p < 0.001). Adolescents played more computer games and used more internet for non-study reasons than children during both weekdays and weekends (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). The use of internet for academic reasons was lower in children (p < 0.001) than adolescents during weekends; however, no significant differences were found between sexes. In addition, more than 30% of the children and adolescents had at least one electronic device in their bedrooms. Conclusions: Spanish children and adolescents are not meeting the recommendations regarding the maximum of screen viewing (<2 h/day), especially during the weekend, for all of sedentary behaviors. Urgent strategies and intervention studies are needed to reduce sedentary behavior in young people.The ANIBES study was financially supported by a grant from Coca-Cola Iberia through an agreement with the Spanish Nutrition Foundation (FEN). The funding sponsors had no role in the design of the study, in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of the data; in the writing of the manuscript, and in the decision to publish the results

Total and Subtypes of Dietary Fat Intake and Its Association with Components of the Metabolic Syndrome in a Mediterranean Population at High Cardiovascular Risk

Background: The effect of dietary fat intake on the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and in turn on cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unclear in individuals at high CVD risk. Objective: To assess the association between fat intake and MetS components in an adult Mediterranean population at high CVD risk. Design: Baseline assessment of nutritional adequacy in participants (n = 6560, men and women, 55-75 years old, with overweight/obesity and MetS) in the PREvención con DIeta MEDiterránea (PREDIMED)-Plus randomized trial. Methods: Assessment of fat intake (total fat, monounsatured fatty acids: MUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids: PUFA, saturated fatty acids: SFA, trans-fatty acids: trans-FA, linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, and ω-3 FA) using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and diet quality using 17-item Mediterranean dietary questionnaire and fat quality index (FQI). Results: Participants in the highest quintile of total dietary fat intake showed lower intake of energy, carbohydrates, protein and fiber, but higher intake of PUFA, MUFA, SFA, TFA, LA, ALA and ω-3 FA. Differences in MetS components were found according to fat intake. Odds (5th vs. 1st quintile): hyperglycemia: 1.3-1.6 times higher for total fat, MUFA, SFA and ω-3 FA intake; low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c): 1.2 higher for LA; hypertriglyceridemia: 0.7 lower for SFA and ω-3 FA intake. Conclusions: Dietary fats played different role on MetS components of high CVD risk patients. Dietary fat intake was associated with higher risk of hyperglycemia

Ideologías y conflicto en la posguerra fría

Purpose The aim of this article is to apply a re?worked definition of ideology in order to account for cultural and political dimensions of contemporary armed conflicts. Design/methodology/approach The paper analyzes communiqués, press releases, magazines, pamphlets, speeches, interviews and other communicational media produced by insurgent organizations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia, particularly in the post?Cold War, in order to assess the characteristics of their ideological platforms. The extensive use of these primary sources aims at revealing the way the organizations see themselves, and how important ideological warfare is in their overall strategy. Findings In the post?Cold War, and even in the early twenty?first century, armed guerrillas persisted in linking their armed struggle to ideological platforms, though in more flexible versions. Nationalism, fundamentalism and socialism are functional to their tactics and strategies, and have tangible effects at strategic and tactical levels. Research limitations/implications Three sample cases have been revised exhaustively, but that methodology impedes the examination of a wider spectrum of post?Cold War insurgent organizations, which may balance the results here presented. However, the high relevance of the ideological component in contemporary armed conflicts, as shown in the Afghan, Congolese and Colombian cases, demonstrates the need for further academic works on this topic. Practical implications Re?defining ideology, as the paper proposes, turns it into a powerful conceptual tool to be used in academic research, given that precisely the absence of comprehensive categories of analysis has prevented scholars from providing a full picture of the political and cultural dimensions of contemporary armed conflicts. Originality/value As economic?focused researches on armed conflicts have dominated the field since the 1990s, the paper underlines the need for scholars to approach a broader scope in peace studies

The political dimension of post-conflict: Conceptual debates and empirical advances

Este artículo describe los retos políticos de las sociedades en etapa de postconflicto desde una perspectiva tanto normativa como empírica. Luego de una discusión teórica sobre los desafíos en los niveles sistémico, grupal e individual, en cuanto a reforma institucional, reintegración, reconciliación y participación, se adentra en la definición y operación del concepto de reintegración política. Posteriormente, presenta un análisis descriptivo de los primeros resultados de un ejercicio de deliberación política entre excombatientes de grupos de guerrillas y paramilitares en Colombia. Los resultados de estos ejercicios no sólo brindan conocimiento sobre el comportamiento político de quienes en el pasado han acudido a la violencia. También permiten evaluar las posibilidades en el mundo real de promover la creación de mesas de deliberación política como estrategia de profundización de la democracia en el postconflicto.This article describes the political challenges faced by post-conflict societies, using both normative and empirical perspectives. After a conceptual discussion on the system-, group-, and individuallevel challenges, referred to institutional reform, reintegration of excombatants, reconciliation, and participation, it focuses on developing an operative definition of political reintegration. Afterwards, it presents a descriptive analysis of the first results of a political deliberation excercise among ex-combatants from guerrilla and paramilitary groups. Not only do results offer insights on the politiclal behavior of those who had resorted in the past to the use of violence, but they also present an assessment of how feasible would be promoting deliberative politics as a strategy for democracy-deepening in post-conflict settings

When War Adversaries Talk: The Experimental Effect of Engagement Rules on Postconflict Deliberation

A set of discussion groups including leftist ex-guerrillas and rightist ex-paramilitaries in Colombia shows the limits for democratic deliberation in postconflict societies, but also points to ways that outcomes closer to the deliberative ideal might be obtained. A total of 342 ex-combatants agreed to sit down and talk politics under a number of experimental conditions, using three different protocols of engagement. Results show that consensus rule fosters simultaneously a more reasoned and common-good–oriented, and less self-interested type of discussion when compared to majority rule and unstructured “free talk.” Nevertheless, while it might be desirable to promote a better quality of deliberation in divided societies, it does not necessarily prevent antagonists’ tendency to polarize. © 2016 University of Miam

Replication Data for: When War Adversaries Talk: The Experimental Effect of Engagement Rules on Post-Conflict Deliberationhis text with your study name as it appears in your journal article

A set of discussion groups including leftist ex-guerrillas and rightist ex-paramilitaries in Colombia shows the limits for democratic deliberation in post-conflict societies, but also points to ways in which outcomes closer to the deliberative ideal might be obtained. A total of 342 ex-combatants agreed to sit down and talk politics under a number of experimental conditions, using three different protocols of engagement. Results show that consensus rule fosters simultaneously a more reasoned, common-good oriented and less self-interested type of discussion when compared to majority rule and unstructured “free talk.” Nevertheless, while it might be desirable to promote a better quality of deliberation in divided societies, it does not necessarily prevent antagonists’ tendency to polarize