Norwich University News Edition: Voices on Peace and War
The authors of this forum, Voices on Peace and War (VPW), explore domestic and global issues broadly tied to the theme of peace and war. Sponsored by the John and Mary Frances Patton Peace & War Center of Norwich University, VPW features subject matter experts and students who present their opinions and arguments on critical issues related to peace and war in the international community. As the image with many candles symbolizes, we hope that a chorus of small voices in this forum will help illuminate a world filled with a variety of complex challenges.
Co-editor: Yangmo Ku, Associate Director, Peace & War Center | Co-editor: Daniel A. Morris, Assistant Professor of Philosophy | Assistant Director – Research Centers: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Disclaimer: These opinion pieces represent the authors’ personal views, and do not necessarily reflect the official policies or positions of Norwich University or PAWC.
Submission: Please send your opinion article to the two editors: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
W
henever one is tempted to compare the past and present and to utilize history in order to better understand current happenings, it is prudent to bear in mind Carl von Clausewitz’s warnings regarding the problems with “the superficial notice of historical events” and of the difficulty of presenting such events “before the eyes of a reader in such a way as is necessary, in order to be able to use them as proofs.”[1]
- By Daniel Haitas, Ph.D.
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
Read more: Finland and Ukraine: Comparisons from the past and present
C
reativity has always played a great role in the world by defending and promoting peace and upholding core values of life, such as love, goodness, and justice.
- By Khabibulin Kurmanbek
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
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e live in a world of pervasive and profound asymmetries – in size of countries, in economic power, in military might, and capacity to project and control information. We also live in a world that features rules against going to war, except for defense. When a country elects to go to war, it must thus construct a case for its decision – a casus belli, a “provocation” that justifies its “response”.
- By Dan Ciuriak
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
Read more: Every Casus Belli Is False: Deconstructing Russia’s Case for War on Ukraine
I
t is time for Canadians to take a serious look at our neighbourhood – Russia to the North and the US to the South.
Any country bordering Russia – even across a frozen sea – has cause for concern these days. New sea lanes and more exploitation of arctic gas and oil by state-owned companies starved of world-class technology make Canada’s military and environmental defence more urgent than ever. Our southern neighbor also needs a hard look.
- By David Last
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
Read more: Should Canada Worry about American Governability and Habitability?
The importance of leadership on military effectiveness cannot be overstated: “many factors decide the outcomes of battles,” and “leadership is often the most important” (MCoE, 2018). However, US military underestimations in recent conflict regions, such as Afghanistan, have been attributed to a failure of leadership to understand and communicate effectively with both host cultures and foreign coalition partners (Stavridis, 2021).
- By Dr. Kelly Lemmons
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
When contemplating a military undertaking, it pays the powerful to return to the classics. Had Vladimir Putin remembered his Thucydides, he’d have thought twice about invading Ukraine.
- By Paul Ryder
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
Over the past decade, a growing diversity of expert voices have claimed that substantial strategic advantages will accrue for whichever nations are first to effectively master artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
- By Christopher Whyte
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
Read more: Strategic subversion in Sino-American AI development
People have often used creative arts to illustrate emotions, wishes and suffering, and to help communicate sentiments to those who may not be aware of social and political situations besides their own.
- By Kaitlin E. Thomas
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
“The Balkans produce more history than they can consume.” This quote is often wrongly attributed to Winston Churchill. While the attribution is incorrect, there is a lot of truth to this quote.
- By Lirim Bllaca
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
Read more: Russia and the balkanization of the Western Balkans
In June 2021, Iran made its first voyage to the Atlantic Ocean; two Iranian warships participated. After a successful return of the naval fleet, the voyage was hailed as a “turning point” in Iran’s maritime strategy.[1]
- By Fraz Naqvi
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
Climate change is a threat multiplier. Why are there still debates about whether climate change or violent extremism is the globe’s most significant threat? As a matter of fact, climate change and violent extremism are connected. Separating them conceptually sets up a false dichotomy.
- By Eszter Szenes
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
Read more: Weaponizing the climate crisis: The nexus of climate change and violent extremism
Democracy around the world — including in the United States — is on the decline, as many indices and indicators reveal. For example, in 2016 the U.S. was reclassified by the Economist Intelligence Unit from a full democracy to a “flawed democracy” for the first time. Russia too — never a robust democracy — has been sliding deeper into authoritarianism for the last several years.
- By Lisa Chalidze
- Category: Voices on Peace and War
The 2021 Edition of the Journal of Peace and War Studies (JPWS)
The 2021 issue of the Journal of Peace and War Studies gives special focus to the theme, “Preparing Military Leaders to Effectively Resolve 21st Century Security Challenges.” Its publication and theme coincide with the 2021 International Symposium of Military Academies (ISOMA), which took place October 4-8, 2021, at Norwich University.
