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The document analyzes the historical shift in Turkey's relationship with Cyprus, moving from a period of 'national excitement' and securitization to a more paternalistic and neoliberal approach under the AKP government. It details how Turkish Cypriots, once seen as 'blood brothers', are increasingly perceived by some in Turkey as 'ungrateful' or 'degenerate' due to secularism and a perceived lack of religious identity. The authors also examine the role of Turkish settlers in north Cyprus, who have become targets of AKP diaspora politics, creating new political polarizations on the island.

The author argues that African administrations, specifically in Cameroon, should move beyond a 'tax for service' paradigm to understand the sociological drivers of tax resistance and the concept of the 'just tax' to increase tax morale.

The report examines the role of civil society in the Cyprus peace process, focusing on three distinct initiatives: the Home for Cooperation (H4C), the Cyprus Dialogue Forum (CDF), and Unite Cyprus Now (UCN). While these organizations have fostered inter-communal contact and created platforms for dialogue, they face significant challenges, including limited outreach to the general public, ideological barriers, and a lack of meaningful integration with official Track I negotiations. The author argues that sustainable peace requires both a more inclusive grassroots movement and a commitment from political leaders to empower civil society and institutionalize inter-communal cooperation.

The report argues that limiting free expression and expanding surveillance to combat terrorism is counterproductive, as it erodes democratic values and may exacerbate radicalisation. While traditional media can spread fear through sensationalism, it rarely confers legitimacy on extremist ideologies. Similarly, while the internet facilitates the reinforcement of extremist views, it is not the primary source of radicalisation. The author recommends international norms for internet governance, stricter oversight of surveillance tools, and a shift toward addressing the underlying drivers of extremism.

The document examines the multifaceted nature of security in Europe, contrasting the 'politics of fear' used by national populists with a progressive vision of security. It analyzes threats ranging from terrorism and digital vulnerabilities to energy insecurity and climate change, while emphasizing that social investment and the protection of civil liberties are more effective tools for stability than mass surveillance or militarisation. The text specifically critiques the 'securitisation' of migration and the role of the state in managing perceived risks.

The document examines the conceptual and political drivers of corruption in post-apartheid South Africa. It contends that the African National Congress (ANC) deliberately rejected the liberal model of a neutral, meritocratic bureaucracy in favour of 'cadre deployment' and a partisan state to achieve social and economic transformation. This shift, combined with the adoption of 'public management' reforms that reduced rule-based discipline and the decentralisation of procurement to foster a black capitalist class, created a system where political loyalty superseded administrative competence. The author suggests that current 'state capture'—including the influence of the Gupta family—is a consequence of this eroded administrative autonomy and internal ANC factionalism.

The document analyzes protection racketeering in Cape Town, contrasting the sophisticated, networked rackets in the CBD with the more diverse and often opportunistic extortion on the Cape Flats. It argues that these rackets persist not only due to state capacity failures but also through the blurring of lines between legal private security and criminal enterprises, as well as systemic police corruption.

The briefing examines Senegal's vulnerability to religious radicalism following the crisis in Mali. It challenges the common perception that Sufi brotherhoods provide total immunity against extremism, highlighting risks such as youth unemployment, a dual education system, and the influence of Wahhabite and jihadist Salafism. The authors argue that the Senegalese government has not fully integrated the religious dimension into its security policy and recommends reforms to the educational system and increased regional intelligence cooperation.

The author argues that corruption in South Africa is driven by a conflict between a liberal view of the state (emphasising neutrality) and the ANC's National Democratic Revolution (NDR) view, which seeks to transform the state to serve the black majority. This tension creates a 'situational logic' where deviation from formal public service rules is justified to achieve political goals like Black Economic Empowerment. The author further contends that rising corruption is not merely a moral failure but evidence of 'weak institutions'—organisations lacking the cohesion, processes, and stability to produce a 'universal' public good. The paper concludes that the remedy for corruption in South Africa lies in state-building rather than simple policing.

The study examines the relationship between social cohesion, trust, and violence in Haiti, focusing on the Southern region. It argues that intense urbanization and rural migration have led to the formation of slums where traditional social bonds are dissolved and trust in institutions is low, creating an environment where social conflicts are more likely to escalate into violence. While low trust is a general trait across rural and urban communities, the specific lack of 'vertical' social bonds in slums increases the risk of violent mobilization. The author recommends strengthening social cohesion through production-based cooperatives and reforming the relationship between political elites and urban masses.

The report examines the relationship between social cohesion, trust, and violence in southern Haiti, focusing on the impact of rural migration and the formation of urban slums. It argues that the breakdown of traditional social bonds and a lack of trust in both interpersonal relations and institutions like the state, NGOs, and MINUSTAH create an environment where social unrest is more likely to turn violent. The study highlights that 'vertical' social bonds—those linking different social backgrounds—are particularly weak in slums, making these areas breeding grounds for political mobilization through violence. It recommends fostering social cohesion through productive cooperatives and renewing the relationship between political leadership and the urban masses.

The paper argues that since 2000, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has shifted from a border struggle back to an ethnic conflict, characterized by a 'status quo' regime of Israeli control. This regime utilizes settlement expansion, the Separation Barrier, and the strategic division of Palestinians to maintain Jewish ethnic superiority. The author contends that the two-state solution is currently unachievable due to deep-seated religious radicalization within the settler movement and the IDF, as well as a US policy focused on process over structural change. The document concludes that Israel will only move toward a two-state accommodation when the international costs of maintaining the current regime outweigh the domestic costs of dismantling it.

The document analyzes the shift in Chinese migration to Africa from ideologically driven state projects to profit-centered entrepreneurial and labor flows. It identifies four main types of migrants: temporary labor migrants, small-time entrepreneurs, agricultural workers, and transit migrants. The paper highlights the diversity of these groups, their settlement patterns as 'sojourners' or 'transnational citizens', and the mixed reactions from host communities, ranging from admiration for their work ethic to anti-Chinese sentiment driven by economic competition and political mobilization. A detailed section on South Africa distinguishes between indigenous Chinese South Africans, Taiwanese, and new immigrants from the PRC.

The paper argues that small arms demand among African youth is driven by a combination of social, economic, and political exclusion. It contends that current international policies focus too heavily on the supply side of arms proliferation, neglecting the 'demand triggers' such as poverty, state failure, and the destruction of social infrastructures. By analyzing contexts ranging from child soldiering in Sierra Leone and Uganda to urban gang violence in South Africa and militia recruitment in Somalia, the authors demonstrate how the absence of basic rights and services transforms weapons into tools for survival, identity, and empowerment.

The paper examines the intersection of HIV/AIDS and the South African prison system, highlighting how overcrowding, gang violence, and poor health care accelerate the spread of the virus. It emphasizes that because a large portion of the prison population is released annually, prison health is a matter of public health. The author contends that HIV prevention cannot succeed without broader reforms to reduce the prison population and curb the power of gangs.

The document details the history of displacement in Cyprus, starting from the 1950s and culminating in the 1974 division of the island, which left over 220,000 people dispossessed. It examines the divergent property policies of the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the role of the European Court of Human Rights in adjudicating property claims, and the emotional and psychological impact on displaced Greek and Turkish Cypriots. Findings from focus groups indicate a growing sense of realism and pessimism regarding the possibility of return, with many displaced persons now favoring compensation or exchange over restitution due to the passage of time and the establishment of new lives in their current locations.

The report details a conference in Brussels where representatives of Greek Cypriots (GCs) and Turkish Cypriots (TCs) discussed the legal, normative, and economic challenges of property restitution and compensation. Key tensions include the GCs' emphasis on the right of the legal owner to choose the remedy and the TCs' focus on the rights of current users and the principle of bizonality. The proceedings explore the role of the Immovable Property Commission (IPC), the impact of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings, and the financial impossibility of full market-value compensation, suggesting alternative market-based exchange mechanisms and the need for social reconciliation.

The author challenges the view that Sikh martial identity was solely a product of British recruitment or a reaction to Mughal persecution, arguing instead that it emerged from a combination of internal social shifts—such as the entry of Jat peasants—and external political pressures. The text traces the transition from Guru Nanak's peaceful teachings to the militarized Khalsa under Guru Gobind Singh and the subsequent insurgencies led by Banda Bahadur and the Misl confederacies. It further examines how the British 'Martial Race' theory reinforced this identity for strategic imperial goals, a legacy that continues to influence the military composition and political dynamics of modern India and Pakistan.

The report examines the intersection of the Cyprus conflict and migration, highlighting how the island's territorial division and communal citizenship regime create systemic barriers for refugees and migrants. It analyzes the securitization of the Green Line, the lack of a formal asylum system in northern Cyprus, and the discriminatory nature of the Republic of Cyprus's citizenship laws, which assign individuals to ethnic communities. The author argues that these conflict-driven structures exacerbate the vulnerability of migrants and recommends revising the citizenship regime as part of peace negotiations.

The document analyzes how Norway responded to the July 22 terror attacks through a lens of 'negotiating values.' It explores the tension between a temporary 'consensus sphere' of national unity and the underlying complexities of a diverse, pluralistic society. Key analyses include the role of media in shaping narratives, the psychological mechanisms of resilience, the philosophical foundations of human dignity and free speech, and the impact of digital algorithms on crisis discourse.