Global Campus Europe (EMA) Awarded Theses

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https://reponew.gchumanrights.org/handle/20.500.11825/739
Each year the EMA Council of Directors selects five theses, which stand out not only for their formal academic qualities but also for the originality of topic, innovative character of methodology and approach, potential usefulness in raising awareness about neglected issues, and capacity for contributing to the promotion of the values underlying human rights and democracy.

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Browsing Global Campus Europe (EMA) Awarded Theses by Subject "armed conflict"
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    At Risk of Falling through the Cracks? The Protection of Children in State Care in Conflict Situations in International Law and Practice
    (Global Campus of Human Rights, 2022) Gscheidlen, Anne Sophie ; Luhamaa, Katre
    A day before the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Council of Europe vowed to create standards and mechanisms on child protection in armed conflict by 2027. It further promised to address the discrimination of children in state care. The need for a comprehensive child protection scheme during and post-armed conflict as well as efforts to combat the marginalisation of children in state care have, thus, been acknowledged. Yet, as far as Europe is concerned, states have only begun to fuse child protection during armed conflict with the awareness of the heightened vulnerability and marginalisation of children in state care in reaction to the war against Ukraine, a country which has one of the highest child institutionalisation rates in the region. With thousands of children in state care continuing to be evacuated abroad in a humanitarian effort to protect their lives and rights, this thesis seeks to firstly discuss the (in)sufficiency of the existing international legal rights and protective framework for these children. Secondly, this thesis documents how some European countries view their obligations towards these children, and what has already been undertaken by them vis-à-vis these children in light of the war against Ukraine as of early July 2022. Keywords: child protection, rights of the child, children in state care, armed conflict, Ukraine
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    Pragmatic peace : the UNTAES peacekeeping mission as example for peaceful reintegration of occupied multiethnic territories
    (Global Campus of Human Rights, 2018) Kasunić, Sandra ; Gardašević, Đorđe
    Twenty years after the armed conflict in Croatia ended with the completion of the Peaceful Reintegration of the Danube region on 15 January 1998, the war still echoes in the Croatian society. In contrast, the United Nations Transitional Administration (UNTAES), one of the most successful UN peacekeeping missions, is rarely subject to societal debate. What contributed to the mission’s success was that besides the reintegration of the formerly occupied territory, the region’s predominantly Serb population was reintegrated too. Against the background of official commemorations of military operations and lack of emphasis of the Peaceful Reintegration as Croatia’s successful peace initiative, the author wants to bring out the significance of the UNTAES by shedding light on the circumstances that eventually created stable peace in Croatia. Moreover, given the rise of interethnic tensions that particularly affect the Serb minority, the evaluation and research of the Peaceful Reintegration gives answers as to whether the Croatian state genuinely intended to reintegrate the region’s population. The case study on the divided organisation of schooling investigates whether there are implications of the Peaceful Reintegration on today’s population in the Danube Region with the example of Vukovar’s pupils of Croatian and of Serb ethnicity. Keywords: UNTAES; UN Peacekeeping; Peaceful Settlement of Armed Conflicts; Peaceful Reintegration; Eastern Slavonia; Croatia; Conflict Settlement; Yugoslavia; Reconciliation; Divided Schooling.
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    Voices Unheard, Stories Untold. A Qualitative Content Analysis of Gender Bias in War Reporting and Human Rights Journalism as a Viable Alternative
    (Global Campus of Human Rights, 2023) Dierynck, Jozefien ; Gardikiotis, Antonis
    In a world marked by numerous conflicts and violence, war reporting plays a significant role in shaping public understanding and perceptions of, as well as reactions to, war. However, concerns have been raised about the presence of gender bias and the perpetuation of patriarchal norms within war reporting, as it perpetuates gender bias in society as a whole and has negative consequences on peacebuilding processes and approaches to human rights violations. This master’s thesis aims to uncover the presence of gender bias and the patriarchal paradigm in war reporting. By utilising a qualitative content analysis to examine war reporting characteristics in three prominent news outlets – The Guardian, De Standaard and Al Jazeera – this research explores the representation of women’s voices, experiences, and contributions, as well as the reinforcement or challenge of traditional gender roles and power dynamics. Additionally, the study acknowledges the significance of alternative approaches such as peace journalism and human rights journalism to get to more balanced, inclusive, ethically responsible and humane journalism that prioritises the protection of human rights in conflict situations. The analysis reveals recurring themes in war reporting. Conclusions indicate that gender bias and the patriarchal paradigm persist in war reporting, with the portrayal of women reinforcing traditional gender roles. Female agency, experiences and contributions are often overlooked and marginalised or serve to bolster patriarchal, patriotic, strategic or elitist discourse. However, some positive developments towards peace journalism and, to a lesser extent, human rights journalism, are noted, highlighting a more people-oriented and solution-oriented approach with a focus on exposing human rights violations. Keywords: journalism, war reporting, gender bias, patriarchy, human rights, peace journalism, human rights journalism