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Roudabeh Kishi, ACLED Project
The Effect of Inequality on Conflict in Africa
›September 16, 2015 // By Wilson Center StaffMany have noted inequality as fuel for conflict. It can serve to exacerbate grievances amongst those who have less within unequal contexts, which can in turn serve as a mobilizing factor in fueling violence. Alternatively, it can make the “prize” of conflict larger – within the most unequal societies, the poor have less to lose and more to gain.
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Top 10 Posts for August 2015
›The war in Darfur, which has in turns captivated the world’s attention and been ignored, is still on. In one of last month’s most-read articles, Brendan Bromwich writes that this is in part because of a flawed, simplified narrative about whether the conflict is primarily about politics or natural resources. It’s both, he writes, and without addressing this complexity, the peace process will not be successful.
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Tracking the Energy Titans: Hidden Trends in the United States, China, and Canada [Infographic]
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As Droughts, Floods, Die-Offs Proliferate, “Climate Trauma” a Growing Phenomenon
›September 9, 2015 // By Carley ChavaraAccording to recent polling, climate change is seen as the single most threatening international challenge around the world, and there’s evidence that all that worry is taking a psychological toll. Adding to droughts, floods, extreme weather, and die-offs, psychologists are observing higher levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder in certain areas and professions. Even people who do not actively stress about global warming or view it as a major threat may still suffer psychological trauma from its effects.
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Beginning With the End in Mind: Midterm Results From an Integrated Development Project in Lake Victoria Basin
›More than 80 percent of the estimated 42 million people living in Central Africa’s Lake Victoria Basin depend on fishing or farming for survival. Given this overwhelming reliance on natural resources, the lake’s deteriorating condition – driven by climate change, agriculture, pollution, deforestation, overfishing, and industrialization – has far-reaching implications.
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Jim Jarvie, SciDevNet
Urban Resilience to Climate Change in Asia Critical as Strong El Niño Looms
›September 7, 2015 // By Wilson Center StaffAn advisory released this August by the U.S. National Weather Service warned this year’s El Niño could be among the strongest ever recorded, lasting well into the first few months of 2016.
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Examining Women’s Inclusion in Peace and Conservation Efforts
›Some of the world’s most crucial ecosystems can also be found in the most conflicted areas. The most progressive peace agreements in these circumstances sometimes include conservation protections, but fewer still include women – and that’s a an article in Peace Review by Conservation International’s Brittany Ajroud, Kame Westerman, and Janet Edmond.
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Red Cross: Water Continues to Be Used as Weapon of War in Syria
›Water is being used as a weapon of war on one of Syria’s deadliest battlegrounds, says the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and its local affiliate, the Syrian Arab Crescent, in a new video.