ARTICLES
Collective (In)action: Conflict and Resource Scarcity Across the World
Resource scarcity has historically contributed to – and prolonged – various conflicts, both between states, as well as between communities or groups within states.
Resource scarcity has historically contributed to – and prolonged – various conflicts, both between states, as well as between communities or groups within states.
S-RM spoke to David Lawson, Deputy Head of Crisis Response, about some of the recent global trends in kidnapping and extortion, and to hear about some of the key considerations for S-RM’s Crisis Response team when they are working on a live case.
Wrongful detention, kidnapping and targeted attacks will likely remain the primary threats to NGO personnel in the coming year.
The unprecedented number of climate protests and strikes in 2019 coincided with an increase in disruptive activities by environmental organisations. Protest actions by these groups have in many instances caused property damage or interruptions to commercial activities, whether through the blocking of roads to disrupt traffic, storming of mines to prevent…
Piracy, terrorism and geopolitical tensions have presented persistent threats to commercial shipping in 2019. Despite states’ increased focus on securing shipping routes, the overall number of maritime incidents continues to fluctuate, and has declined only marginally over the past year.
Globally, indigenous populations have been severely affected by environmental degradation and pollution, often caused by companies which operate commercial extraction projects on land historically claimed by these communities.
In 2019, there were an average of more than 9,700 aircrafts in the air – transporting over 1.2 million people – at any given moment. As international travel often brings passengers to new destinations, they may face unfamiliar security dynamics. In fact, in 2019, 68 percent of tourists ranked security threats as their primary concern – above geopolitical…
Active assailant incidents, in which the attacker targets their victims in an arbitrary manner, understandably attract high levels of media attention when they occur at schools. While several such incidents have taken place in recent years including in 2019, they continue to be relatively rare occurrences.
The extractive industry – including mining, oil and gas exploration, dredging and quarrying – is one of the most vulnerable to kidnapping and extortion. Looking ahead to 2020, these industries’ often remote operating locations with limited rule of law, and the perception of industry actors as lucrative targets, are likely to persist as key factors contributing…
Incidents of mass mobilisation over environmental issues such as climate change gained significant global traction in 2019. Inspired by environmental activists such as Greta Thunberg and organisations such as Extinction Rebellion, millions of school learners, university students, activists and supporters have been organising protests and strikes across…
Over the last three weeks, an outbreak of coronavirus that was first reported in the area of Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China has escalated into a topic of international concern.
Over the last two weeks, an outbreak of coronavirus that was first reported in the area of Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China has escalated into a topic of international concern.