Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal

The Use and Abuse of Internet Spaces: Fitna, desacralization, and conflict in Indonesia’s virtual reality

Irwan Abdullah — 2024-12-16

This article critically examines the utilization and misuse of internet spaces during Indonesia's political contestations over the past five years, focusing on the emergence of fitna (sedition, strife) in virtual environments. It analyzes how internet users exploit religious symbols to solidify their positions and contest opposing views, leading to the desacralization of religion. The study elucidates the construction of religious values through communal online communication, the effects of digital interactions on religious practices, and the behavioral codes and value frameworks emerging within these virtual religious spaces. By mapping the multifaceted manifestations of fitna—hoaxes, fake news, insulting memes, videos, and hate speech—the article sheds light on the mechanisms of digital manipulation and their broader implications. This research significantly contributes to the discourse by illuminating the intersections of digital media, religion, and conflict, while proposing strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of internet misuse on religious and social harmony.

A Wounded Democracy: Analysis of the Determinant Factors of Democratic Backsliding in Brazil

Davi Mendes Málaga — 2024-12-16

Despite its prominence in the international political landscape and its widespread adoption throughout the world, democracy is seldom a stable regimen, and often repeatedly stressed and tested by attempts to wield autocratic power. Anti-democratic attacks assume particular forms and may lead to varied outcomes, from the strengthening of enduring democracies, to democratic backsliding or its complete rupture. Among several similar cases, Brazil recently underwent an attempt against its democracy, which climaxed in an attempted coup d’état on January 8th, 2023. This paper aims to examine democratic backsliding as a phenomenon, through an analysis of the coup attempted in Brazil in 2023 as a case study. It was perceived that the presence of a would-be autocrat with a populist strategy in command of the executive branch of government played an important role in promoting democratic backsliding. While the Brazilian democracy sustained some lasting damage to its institutions, it has resisted this attack by autocracy.

Mapping Social Cohesion in Australia: A Decade of Research on National Attitudes and Values

Alanna Kamp — 2024-12-16

EExisting evidence regarding Australian attitudes and values relating to social cohesion has yet to be comprehensively reviewed. Therefore, there is little understanding of how various programs of research relate to one another, how the information is used, where the data gaps are, and which questions remain unanswered. Drawing upon a scoping review of published research between 2012 and 2022, this paper is a first step towards mapping the extent, range, and nature of the body of national-level research on contemporary Australian social values and cohesion. The review found that there is a dearth of peer-reviewed academic research and what is available focuses on six themes: 1) multiculturalism, cultural diversity, immigration, and racism; 2) Reconciliation; 3) national identity; 4) trust; 5) democracy; and 6) young people. Filling the research gaps will allow better understanding of how macro-level processes may affect intergroup relations and Australians’ attitudes towards issues relating to social cohesion.

Designing a Training Program for the Civil Justice Network: Lower Northern Thailand

Kammales Photikanit — 2024-12-16

Since 2022, the Thai government has been establishing community justice centers nationwide. The Civil Justice Network (CJN) has played a crucial role in facilitating justice in every sub-district throughout the country. However, practical challenges have revealed limitations in the knowledge and skills of CJNs. This article aimed to develop training program guidelines for CJNs in Thailand's Lower Northern Region. The research applied the Action Research (AR) model through a participatory appraisal approach to assess CJNs' actual needs across five provinces. Initially, 400 CJNs were selected via simple random sampling, with 200 chosen for subsequent training. The resulting program, shaped by research, experimentation, and evaluation, recommends national implementations for all CJNs. Specifically, integrating knowledge and skills related to the principles of Restorative Justice, Human Rights, and Conflict Resolution through Peaceful Means will further enhance the effectiveness of the CJN's work.

Enabling the Epistemic Authority of Domestic Violence Survivors in a Work Setting

Denisse Schweinsberg — 2024-12-16

Domestic violence is a social issue, which can cause immense pain and suffering to people in our community. However, it also presents a challenge to business. How can businesses offer support to domestic violence survivors to navigate an immediate crisis situation or, if they wish, to empower survivors with the epistemic authority to apply their own personal experiences and knowledge to affect change in an organisation? In this paper we argue that managers have an important role to play in enabling the epistemic authority of members of the workforce which have been affected by domestic violence. We argue that the ability of a manager to enable a domestic violence survivor is grounded in that manager’s willingness to critically examine their own sense of self. Will they be guided by the prevailing cultural understanding around domestic violence in their organisation? Or will they be guided by their own values and understanding? We examine these questions with reference to West’s (2008) model of existential ethical decision making.

Female Garment Workers in Bangladesh Facing Human Rights Violation; A Search to Find the Root Causes

Md. Basirulla — 2024-12-16

Among the most important productive sectors of Bangladesh is the garment industry. The total contribution of the garment industries to the national foreign exchange earnings is 83%. Though the garment sector has created substantial employment for female workers, female workers face numerous human rights violations at the workplace including sexual harassment, forced labor, maltreatment of supervisors, maternity leave problems, safety problem, and health problem etc. This qualitative study gathered data from male and female garment workers, as well as from senior managers and owners, and experts from NGOs and from universities. This study revealed social-cultural, economic, structural and organizational causes behind human rights violations of female garment workers. Some of the causes are deficiency of education, fear of losing employment through complaining, lack of awareness and government oversight, weakness of the National Human Rights Commission and human rights organizations, unwillingness of owners to face the issue, poverty, and entrenched patriarchy.

‘Never again’? Resonances of the past in contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child removal

Anne Maree Payne — 2024-12-16

Kevin Rudd’s 2007 Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples acknowledged the devastating impact of child removal on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities and included a commitment that ‘the injustices of the past must never, never happen again’ (Parliament of Australia 2008). Today however, while First Nations children comprise 6% of the total child population in Australia, they make up 41% of children in out-of-home care (SNAICC 2024b). This article explores the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child removal during the Stolen Generations era, considering the ongoing impacts of this history on First Nations families today. While there have been changes, I identify significant continuities between past and contemporary child removal. These disturbing resonances of the past highlight the failed promise of Australian governments to deliver meaningful change in contemporary First Nations child removal policies and practices and to ensure that the mistakes of the past are not being repeated.