Publications

Following Russia's annexation of Crimea, NATO announced a range of measures to support its member states and allies in Eastern Europe, including the deployment of round-the-clock military forces. The Kremlin's official response to these measures included the accusation that the Alliance was violating the NATO-Russia Founding Act of 1997 (NRFA), and in particular the pledge relating to Substantial Combat Forces (SCF). This paper takes a closer look at the NRFA agreement and concludes that NATO's planned troop deployments to Eastern Europe will not broach the thresholds described in the SCF pledge.chevron_right

This text argues that if Sweden really wants to secure a seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) for 2017-18, it needs to 1) mobilize the African diaspora living within its borders and use it as a lobbying group, and...chevron_right

This brief argues that NATO has taken an important first step towards establishing a credible deterrence capability, but it needs to do more. As the text’s authors see it, credible deterrence requires...chevron_right

This brief looks at NATO’s responses to the threats it’s facing on its eastern and southern borders and wonders if it will announce more robust measures at the upcoming Warsaw Summit. An additionally important topic will be the Alliance’s nuclear deterrence strategy, which is back on the table after years of conceptual neglect.chevron_right

This report discusses how most disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programs are limited in addressing the issues specific to female combatants and contends that gender-sensitive DDR pr...chevron_right

This report reviews the steps that have led up to the widely predicted peace agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The text’s author contends that in their attempts to resolve this decades-long conflict, the two parties...chevron_right

This report argues that it’s reasonable to believe that both the Mexican government’s forces and the Zetas drug cartel have committed crimes against humanity over the past decade. The report’s authors also accuse...chevron_right

This paper analyzes China’s New Silk Road initiative and the geostrategic challenges/opportunities it poses for the US-Japan alliance. After examining and contextualizing Beijing’s policy from a classic geopolitical standpoint, the text’s author argues that China’s tilt westward will require a global, alliance-based geostrategy that preserves Eurasia’s balance of power.chevron_right

This edition of Connections journal focuses on the study of organized crime (OC). The lead article looks at the political and governance dimensions of organized crime groups in Karachi, Pakistan. The six follow-on pieces zero in on…chevron_right

Peace and justice have been twined in theoretical writings, but what do we empirically know about their relationship? Further, is there a potential payoff in deepening the research into this putative bond? This paper contends...chevron_right

This issue focuses on the organizational structure, beliefs, and practices of the so-called Islamic State (IS). In order to trace the social circumstances behind the IS phenomenon, the first article analyzes why the group uses violence and compares the other tools it uses to those employed by...chevron_right

This CTTA issue includes three articles on the effects of terrorist activities in East/West Africa. More specifically, the articles examine 1) how Boko Haram’s alignment with the Islamic State has led to...chevron_right

This report explores the role that gender plays in community security programs and looks at what has and hasn’t worked in Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, South Sudan and Yemen. While exploring this overarching theme, the text’s authors also...chevron_right

This toolkit is designed to help peacebuilding practitioners integrate gender perspectives into their conflict analyses. It is made up of 6 sections which provide highly practical advice on how to include gendered approaches in conflict research, both in general and in the case of struggles that specifically deal with controlling land or natural resources.chevron_right

This Note focuses on the illicit proliferation of small arms and ammunition, the security threats the activity poses, and how Target 16.4 of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal hopes to tackle this scourge by aligning global development and disarmament agendas together...chevron_right