International Institute for Peace - IIP

👉 PEACE MATTERS EP. #45 OUT NOW! Albania’s Flamingo Revolution – When Luxury Resorts Challenge Democracy

🎧 In this episode of Peace Matters, Gresa Hasa unpacks the so-called “Flamingo Protests” in Albania, where environmental resistance in Zvërnec and Sazan Island has evolved into a broader critique of executive power and state-led “strategic investments.” What began as a localized ecological struggle now raises fundamental questions about democratic accountability and the limits of development-driven governance.

🎧 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/vtkBOo3hnkQ

👉 PEACE MATTERS EP. #44 OUT NOW! First Chapter – Ukraine and the EU 🇺🇦🇪🇺

🎧 In this episode of Peace Matters, Stepan Rusyn and Anastasiia Hraur examine the opening of the first EU accession negotiation cluster with Ukraine in 2026 and what it reveals about the future of European enlargement. Can a country at war join the European Union? From reforms under martial law to the politics of EU vetoes and phased membership, this conversation explores the key challenges shaping Ukraine's path to the EU.

🎙 Watch and listen here:

PEACE MATTERS #44: First Chapter – Ukraine and the EU. Stepan Rusyn and Anastasiia Hraur Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-matters...

👉 NEUER PEACE BLOG:

"Der Aufstieg der USA: Eine Demokratie im Schatten militärischer Gewalt"

💭 Der Beitrag beleuchtet die Vereinigten Staaten als ambivalentes Projekt zwischen demokratischem Fortschritt und militärischer Expansion. Anlässlich des 250-jährigen Bestehens zeigt Heinz Gärtner, wie Kriege, Interventionen und geopolitische Interessen den Aufstieg zur Weltmacht begleitet haben. Im Fokus stehen die strukturellen Schwächen des politischen Systems, die historische Kontinuität außenpolitischer Gewalt sowie die strategische Konkurrenz mit China. Dabei wird argumentiert, dass Donald Trumps Politik weniger einen Bruch darstellt, als vielmehr an bestehende Traditionen von Interventionismus und Isolationismus anknüpft.

Autor: Heinz Gärtner

🔗 Link zum Artikel:

Der Aufstieg der USA: Eine Demokratie im Schatten militärischer Gewalt — IIP Die USA gelten als Symbol für Freiheit und Demokratie. Doch ihre Geschichte ist auch von Kriegen, Eroberungen und Eingriffen in andere Länder geprägt. Der Politikwissenschaftler Heinz Gärtner zeigt zum 250-jährigen Bestehen der Vereinigten Staaten, wie demokratische Fortschritte und militärisc...

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📊 Tell us what you think about IIP: https://forms.office.com/r/8J4sdd4GuM

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👉 NEW PEACE BLOG:

Beyond Great Powers: The Role of Small States in the Security Council

💭 The analysis explores how small and medium sized states shape decision making within the United Nations Security Council despite structural constraints. It examines the diplomatic strategies, coalition building efforts, and normative contributions that allow these states to exert influence beyond their material capabilities. By highlighting their role in agenda setting and mediation, the piece challenges great power centric perspectives and assesses the implications for multilateral governance and the effectiveness of the Council.

Author: Angela Kane

📰

Beyond Great Powers: The Role of Small States in the Security Council — IIP Voting for the five non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council took place on 3 June, with the successful candidates set to begin their two-year terms on 1 January 2027. While the African and Latin American-Caribbean seats were uncontested, Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines after se

👉 PEACE MATTERS EP. #43 OUT NOW! Opening Chapters – The Western Balkans and the EU

🎧 In this episode of Peace Matters, we explore the Western Balkans’ renewed bid for European Union membership following the Tivat Summit in June 2026. After more than two decades in Europe’s waiting room, the region is once again gaining political momentum as shifting geopolitical dynamics reshape its European trajectory.

With Adnan Ćerimagić, we examine whether the current push for enlargement reflects a substantive shift in EU policy or another phase of raised expectations. The discussion looks at the EU’s Growth Plan, new economic incentives, and the role of Franco German initiatives aimed at institutional reform.

We also assess where each Western Balkan country stands in the accession process, how integration measures are affecting citizens on the ground, and whether this moment represents a credible opening toward full membership. The episode places these developments in a broader strategic context and asks whether this is the beginning of a more decisive phase in the EU’s enlargement policy.

🎙️ Moderation by Gjergj Loka

🎧 LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW:

PEACE MATTERS #43: Opening Chapters – The Western Balkans and the EU. Adnan Cerimagic Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peace-matters...

🎥 NOW ONLINE: “Resistance is NOT Futile: Civil Resistance in Eastern Europe Between War and Autocratization”

In cooperation with Dialogbüro Vienna and the Herbert C. Kelman Institute

💬 Bringing together perspectives from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, the discussion drew on the work and experiences of Daniel Petz, Viktoryia Andrukovich, Emine Suleimanova, and Stepan Rusyn to examine how civil resistance persists under conditions of war, occupation, and authoritarian repression. It explored how movements adapt when dissent is criminalized, how civilian-based defense functions in practice, and how individuals continue to withdraw support from oppressive systems despite extreme constraints.

📘 Framed by Daniel Petz’s research on civil resistance, the discussion connected theoretical insights with current realities across the region.

🎤 Moderation: Johannes Swoboda

👋 Welcome: Augustin Nicolescou

🔗 Watch now on YouTube:

Resistance is NOT Futile: Civil Resistance in Eastern Europe Between War and Autocratization In an era defined by full-scale military invasion and the aggressiv...

👉 YESTERDAY AT IIP – Panel Discussion & Summer Celebration

“Resistance is NOT Futile: Civil Resistance in Eastern Europe Between War and Autocratization”

In cooperation with Dialogbüro Vienna & the Herbert C. Kelman Institute:

💭 The discussion examined how civil resistance persists under conditions of war and increasing autocratization across Eastern Europe. Drawing on perspectives from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, Daniel Petz, Viktoryia Andrukovich, Emine Suleimanova, and Stepan Rusyn reflected on the constraints and possibilities of civilian based resistance in contexts where repression, occupation, and political control shape everyday realities.

🇪🇺 The panel also connected these empirical insights to broader theoretical debates, building on Daniel Petz’s work “Resistance is NOT Futile” to explore how nonviolent tactics are being redefined in response to contemporary challenges.

🎤 Moderation: Johannes Swoboda(IIP)

Following the panel, we hosted our Summer Celebration at the IIP, bringing together friends, partners, and participants to continue the exchange in a more informal setting. With refreshments, a signature cocktail, and space for conversation beyond the panel, the evening provided an opportunity to reconnect ahead of the summer break.

🙏 Thank you to our panelists and audience for a highly substantive and engaging discussion.

👉 NEUER PEACE BLOG:

"Standing Together"

💭 Der Beitrag beleuchtet die jüdisch-palästinensische Initiative „Standing Together“ und diskutiert ihr Potenzial für ein gemeinsames, gerechtes Zusammenleben jenseits klassischer Konfliktlogiken. Im Fokus stehen die Entwicklung hin zu einer politischen Bewegung in Israel, die Debatte über Sanktionen und Boykotte sowie die Frage, welchen Beitrag Europa leisten kann. Argumentiert wird, dass nachhaltige Veränderungen weniger durch Druck als durch gezielte Förderung gemeinsamer Räume, Austauschformate und Kooperation entstehen können.

Autor: Johannes Swoboda

📰 LINK ZUM ARTIKEL:

STANDING TOGETHER — IIP ‚Standing Together‘ ist eine vor über zehn Jahren gegründete jüdisch-palästinensische Initiative mit dem Ziel das friedliche Zusammenleben von Jüd:innen und Palästinenser:innen zu propagieren und zu unterstützen. Ursprünglich in Israel gegründet finden sich in vielen europäischen Staat...