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Abbink, G.J. 2021

The politics of conflict in Northern Ethiopia, 2020-2021: a study of war-making, media bias and policy struggle

Research paper

open access

This paper offers a political analysis of the development of the TPLF-induced armed conflict in northern Ethiopia and considers the international responses in media and international policy circles... Show moreThis paper offers a political analysis of the development of the TPLF-induced armed conflict in northern Ethiopia and considers the international responses in media and international policy circles. The extension of the conflict by the TPLF after the unilateral ceasefire proclaimed by the federal government on 28 June 2021 (followed by its retreat from Tigray) did not lead to an easing of the fighting. On the contrary, the TPLF used scorched-earth tactics, perpetrated substantial abuse of civilians (mass killings, burning down villages, destroying and looting hospitals, health centres and other economic infrastructure), and created food scarcity, hundreds of thousands of IDPs and hugely aggravated humanitarian problems in the Amhara and Afar regions. In spite of this unilateral TPLF extension of the armed conflict, the responses of international policy circles, notably from the Western ‘donor countries’ and the UN, have been negative towards the federal government and mild on the TPLF.This paper explores aspects of this paradoxical and problematic approach and argues that it will not lead to a political or other solution of the conflict, especially not in view of the undiminished belligerent strategy of the TPLF. The Ethiopian federal government and its leader PM Abiy Ahmed, having been confirmed in power after a relatively successful and credible parliamentary election on 21 June 2021, are pressurized by much of the global media and Western policy makers for the problems in Tigray – including the ‘famine’ declared by TPLF - and urged to negotiate. The TPLF, incorrectly identified with the people of Tigray as a whole, is not held to account. But an overbearing Western approach based on the threat of sanctions (by the US government) and on what often seem ‘neo-imperialist’ demands, as evident from serious interference in the conflict - even by a number of UN individuals (expelled from the country on 30 September 2021) - will not contribute to political negotiations or dialogue, restoration of peace, or rehabilitation of the war-torn regions, neither to stability in Ethiopia. Not only improved media reporting, based on solid local (Ethiopian) information and checking sources, but also a fundamental reset of certain UN and Western donor country policies on Ethiopia, are needed.RésuméCette étude propose une analyse politique du développement du conflit armé induit par les TPLF dans le nord de l'Éthiopie et examine les réponses internationales dans les médias et les cercles politiques internationaux. L'extension du conflit par le TPLF après le cessez-le-feu unilatéral proclamé par le gouvernement fédéral le 28 juin 2021 (suivi de son retrait du Tigré) n'a pas conduit à un apaisement des combats ; au contraire. Les tactiques de la terre brûlée, les abus sérieux contre les civils (meurtres en masse, incendies de villages, pillage et destruction des hôpitaux et autres infrastructures économiques), la pénurie alimentaire, des centaines de milliers de déplacés internes et des problèmes humanitaires extrêmement aggravés dans les régions d'Amhara et d'Afar en ont été le résultat. Malgré cette extension unilatérale du conflit par le TPLF, les réponses des cercles politiques internationaux, notamment des pays « bailleurs-de-fonds » occidentaux et de l'ONU, ont été négatives envers le gouvernement fédéral mais modérées envers le TPLF. Show less

Dietz, A.J.; Ehrhardt, D.W.L.; Veldkamp, F. 2021

Sierra Leone at 60

Research paper

open access

Walraven, K. van 2021

European memoirs and colonialism in Equatorial Africa: reflections on the reminiscences of Alfons Vermeulen (1877-1965)

Research paper

open access

Boccaletti, A.; Chauvin, G.; Mouillet, D.; Absil, O.; Allard, F.; Antoniucci, S.; ... ; Zurlo, A. 2021

SPHERE+: imaging young Jupiters down to the snowline

Research paper

open access

Peijnenburg, W.J.G.M. 2020

The importance of categorization of nanomaterials for environmental risk assessment

Research paper

open access

Pentney, K.; McGonagle, T.E. 2020

The Opportunities and Challenges of Addressing Hate Speech with Artificial Intelligence [Submission to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media #SAIFE Public Consultation]

Research paper

open access

This paper is a submission to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media’s #SAIFE Public Consultation (2020). It examines the complex relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and hate speech: how AI can be used to create and disseminate – but also to detect and curb – hate speech. This complex relationship is one of the main areas of concern in the #SAIFE project. This submission explores a range of opportunities and challenges concerning the interplay between free speech, hate speech and AI. In particular, it explores three challenges and opportunities which require further study and reflection:

the differentiated roles and responsibilities of State and private actors in a broader, human rights-driven and multi-stakeholder approach;
the need for non-discriminatory policies and practices in the design and implementation of measures to block/remove hate speech; and
the broader effects on public debate where AI is used to moderate and censor expression.

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Haas, H. de; Fransen, S.; Natter, K.; Schewel, K.; Vezzoli, S. 2020

Social transformation

Research paper

open access

Over centuries past, human societies have been through fundamental changes often defined as ‘modernisation’. Despite huge advances in knowledge, social science has struggled to conceptualise the... Show moreOver centuries past, human societies have been through fundamental changes often defined as ‘modernisation’. Despite huge advances in knowledge, social science has struggled to conceptualise the nature of these changes and to integrate insights from across different disciplines into a single framework. Disciplinary fragmentation and methodological parochialism as well as a postmodern aversion to ‘grand theory’ have impeded theoretical synthesis. To overcome this impasse, we introduce social transformation as a meta-theoretical conceptual framework for studying ‘big change’. Defining social transformation as a fundamental change in the way that societies are organised and resources are distributed, we distinguish five interconnected dimensions – the political, the economic, the technological, the demographic and the cultural – which together constitute the ‘social realm’. Studied simultaneously, these dimensions are able to capture ‘big change’ in its universal aspects while keeping sight of the diversity of its concrete manifestations. We apply this framework to explore how the ‘modern transformation’ has reshaped societies and to show how the interplay of the various political, economic, technological, demographic and cultural transitions have transformed social life around the globe in strikingly similar ways – notwithstanding the varied, unique ways in which this ‘modern transformation’ has concretely manifested itself across societies and over different periods. Show less

Kusumawardhani, H.; Hosseini, R.; Winde, J.H. de 2020

Comparative analysis reveals the modular functional build-up of megaplasmid pTTS12 of Pseudomonas putida S12: a paradigm for transferable traits, plasmid stability and inheritance?

Research paper

open access

Broeders D.W.J., Busser E. de, Pawlak P. 2020

Three tales of attribution in cyberspace: criminal law, international law and policy debates

Research paper

open access

Kononova, A.V.; Caraffini, F.; Wang, H.; Bäck, T.H.W. 2020

Can Single Solution Optimisation Methods Be Structurally Biased?

Research paper

open access

This paper investigates whether optimisation methods with the population made up of one solution can suffer from structural bias just like their multisolution variants. Following recent results... Show moreThis paper investigates whether optimisation methods with the population made up of one solution can suffer from structural bias just like their multisolution variants. Following recent results highlighting the importance of choice of strategy for handling solutions generated outside the domain, a selection of single solution methods are considered in conjunction with several such strategies. Obtained results are tested for the presence of structural bias by means of a traditional approach from literature and a newly proposed here statistical approach. These two tests are demonstrated to be not fully consistent. All tested methods are found to be structurally biased with at least one of the tested strategies. Confirming results for multisolution methods, it is such strategy that is shown to control the emergence of structural bias in single solution methods. Some of the tested methods exhibit a kind of structural bias that has not been observed before. Show less

Natter, K. 2020

Maghreb – Migration Patterns and Policies between the Sahara and the Mediterranean

Research paper

open access

Akkermans, J.; Bakker, A.; Gevers, J.M.P.; Hessels, D.; Kwint, J.; Nauta, A.; ... ; Wawoe, K. 2020

Balanceren in coronatijd: handvatten voor effectief leiderschap tijdens COVID-19 en daarna

Research paper

open access

Als er iets is dat organisaties uit balans heeft gebracht, dan is het wel de coronacrisis. Sommige veranderingen hopen we na de crisis zo snel mogelijk te beëindigen, andere blijken een verbetering... Show moreAls er iets is dat organisaties uit balans heeft gebracht, dan is het wel de coronacrisis. Sommige veranderingen hopen we na de crisis zo snel mogelijk te beëindigen, andere blijken een verbetering. De verschillen voor organisaties, leidinggevenden en werknemers zijn bovendien enorm. De ene organisatie moest tijdens COVID-19 geheel sluiten, de andere kon nog openblijven in aangepaste vorm of zag zelfs de omzet toenemen. We zullen ons moeten blijven aanpassen. Coronamaatregelen veranderen nog steeds en het voor velen verplichte en voortdurende thuiswerken bevalt niet iedereen. Tegelijkertijd is de kans dat we helemaal teruggaan naar de situatie voor de coronacrisis klein. Vaker thuiswerken, digitaal samenwerken en meer je eigen tijd indelen blijven vermoedelijk ook in de toekomst een belangrijke rol spelen. Dit biedt kansen. Vrijwel niemand wil terug naar de 9-tot-5-kantoorbaan en ‘s ochtend en ’s avonds in de file staan. Juist in een crisissituatie is het makkelijker om verouderde en niet-werkende aanpakken los te laten en nieuwe, positieve ontwikkelingen versneld door te voeren. Grijp daarom juist deze periode aan voor positieve verandering. In deze paper vind je handvatten voor leidinggevenden gebaseerd op wetenschappelijke kennis en ervaringen uit de praktijk. We stippen vijf belangrijke thema’s aan waar leidinggevenden mee te maken hebben: Contact houden, Waarderen, Mensgericht leidinggeven, Gezond werken en Investeren in ontwikkeling. Binnen elk thema spelen tegengestelde belangen. Het is aan de leidinggevende om hierin een balans te vinden. Show less

Dietz, A.J. 2020

St Helena

Research paper

open access

Both J.C., Mouguia M.C., Bruijn M.E. de 2020

Slaves, virgin concubines, eunuchs, gun-boys, community defenders, child soldiers: the historical enlistment and use of children by armed groups in the Central African Republic

Research paper

open access

Leeuwen, C. van; Podareanu, D.; Codreanu, V.; Cai, M.X.; Berg, A.; Portegies Zwart, S.F.; ... ; Bonvin, A.M.J.J. 2020

Deep-learning enhancement of large scale numerical simulations

Research paper

open access

Dietz, A.J. 2020

Tristan da Cunha

Research paper

open access

Dietz A.J., Ehrhardt D.W.L., Veldkamp F. 2020

D.R. Congo at 60

Research paper

open access

Dietz, A.J. 2020

Ascension

Research paper

open access

Vermetten, D.L.; Wang, H.; Doerr, C.; Bäck, T.H.W. 2020

Sequential vs. Integrated Algorithm Selection and Configuration: A Case Study for the Modular CMA-ES

Research paper

open access

When faced with a specific optimization problem, choosing which algorithm to use is always a tough task. Not only is there a vast variety of algorithms to select from, but these algorithms often... Show moreWhen faced with a specific optimization problem, choosing which algorithm to use is always a tough task. Not only is there a vast variety of algorithms to select from, but these algorithms often are controlled by many hyperparameters, which need to be tuned in order to achieve the best performance possible. Usually, this problem is separated into two parts: algorithm selection and algorithm configuration. With the significant advances made in Machine Learning, however, these problems can be integrated into a combined algorithm selection and hyperparameter optimization task, commonly known as the CASH problem. In this work we compare sequential and integrated algorithm selection and configuration approaches for the case of selecting and tuning the best out of 4608 variants of the Covariance Matrix Adaptation Evolution Strategy (CMA-ES) tested on the Black Box Optimization Benchmark (BBOB) suite. We first show that the ranking of the modular CMA-ES variants depends to a large extent on the quality of the hyperparameters. This implies that even a sequential approach based on complete enumeration of the algorithm space will likely result in sub-optimal solutions. In fact, we show that the integrated approach manages to provide competitive results at a much smaller computational cost. We also compare two different mixed-integer algorithm configuration techniques, called irace and Mixed-Integer Parallel Efficient Global Optimization (MIP-EGO). While we show that the two methods differ significantly in their treatment of the exploration-exploitation balance, their overall performances are very similar. Show less

Both J.C., Mouquia C., Bruijn M.E. de 2020

''Ceux qui combattent beaucoup sans peur, qui tuent sans pitié": effets du recrutement d'enfants de moins de 15 ans par les Anti-Balaka (2013-2014)

Research paper

open access

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