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Keywords: peace; Orthodox Christianity; education; consulting; research; politics; religion; economics
The relationship between religion as a source of meaning and the violent or compassionate behavior of the human beings is one of the vital ingredients of a Society of Conscience. While organized religions are viewed with suspicion, and accused to be the main sources of aggression, intolerance and divisiveness, the conscience of religious faith, as a devotional behavior, offers the key to a renewed spirituality; the cornerstone to a Society of Conscience. Therefore, this white paper focuses on the contributions of the founder of the Institute for Peace Studies in Eastern Christianity, in exploring the resources of Orthodox Christianity in order to advance compassion, and peaceful coexistence.
More...Keywords: frozen conflicts; separatist republics; security; cooperation; NATO; Russia
The Caucasian region is not only a bridge between Europe and Asia, but also abattlefield between the two of them. Therefore, it is not surprising that the area has been, andcontinues to be, full of conflicts. After leaving the USSR, several nationalist voices have emergedamong the former communist states, some of them striking even in the territorial integrity of thenew states. After the Kosovo War, the Russian Federation had an ace up its sleeve at thenegotiating table regarding the secessionist republics status in the Caucasus, putting an end to aperiod of international relations characterized by collaboration. Russia's aggressive intervention in2008, in the war between Georgia and the two secessionist republics on its territory, started a newreality towards the security on the NATO’s eastern flank. After the loss of Romania and Bulgaria infavor of the Western structures, Russia strengthened its power using force. So it used frozen conflicts on the former territory of the USSR, whenever the states in its geographical proximity made one more step to Europe. The Ukrainian war was the most complex issue for both NATO and the European Union to deal with, after the Cold War. Frequent conflicts and Russia's attitude in recent years, pose a real threat to regional stability in the east. That is why Western organizations,together with local actors, must address the new situation in the East, with tact and responsibility,especially under the new circumstances of unpredictability that have characterized the Caspian region over time.
More...Keywords: Open source intelligence; ISIS; Dabiq; terrorism; mass-media;
Open Source Intelligence is by far one of the most useful forms of intelligence used by intelligence services in their fight against terrorism and media publications are the one of the main tools used in this activity. Terrorist organizations have learned to use mass media to spread fear among a target group to attract and mobilize supporters, or to undermine the ability of governments to secure the security of their citizens.Starting from this reasoning, large terrorist groups have over time managed the publishing aspect of their organizations. This is how Inspire, the magazine of the Al Qaeda, Azan magazine and the newest member of this list, the Dabiq magazine – ISISs publication were born.This paper aims to analyze the role that Dabiq terrorist publication has in the fight against the terrorist phenomenon. Based on the analysis of the images, the sections of the magazine, the authors, and the tune they use, we can determine the role of Open Source Intelligence in preventing and fighting against terrorism.
More...Keywords: migrant; illegal migration; crime; organized crime; Romanian Criminal Code
The study below is meant to focus on the migrant smuggling crime in Romania, especially the analysis of the migrant smuggling infraction provided in the Romanian Criminal Code. Being a component of the human trafficking activity, the illegal migration is a phenomenon that is continuously extending and harder to stop due to the involvement of the organized crime networks and also due the ingenuousness and maliciousness of the people and the criminals. Therewith, the migrant smuggling is highly connected with drug trafficking, terrorism etc., aspects that are connected with the organized crime. Legally, there are many differences between the source states, the transit states or the destination states, that is slowing the fight of the states for combating this scourge. During this fight of preventing and stopping the illegal migrant smuggling, the states that are involved aligned their own legal frame to the international one in the activity field, by elaborating and promoting the regulatory acts that have been putting the responsibility on the governmental and non-governmental institution in this activity field.
More...Keywords: constitution; political regime; doctrinal influences
Since its earliest manifestations, Romanian constitutionalism demonstrated over time, flexibility and adaptability to social and political changes that occurred. Constitution as an instrument of achieving the state of law, transposed in its rules, historical doctrinal developments, being connected to the needs of the political class. Although the communist period destabilized native constitutional institutions, with the reaffirmation of democracy, national fundamental values successfully abolished totalitarian tendencies. Thus, modern constitutionalism connected permanently to the requirements and realities of Romanian society.
More...Keywords: national security; fundamental rights and freedoms; restraining the exercise.
The enactment of national security must aim at the achievement of a legal framework for the immediate necessities of a state law, that is to own intelligence specialized institutions, to enable them with powers, sufficient to ensure learning, preventing and counteracting any action that might represent a threat to the national security, to preserve the state lawfulness, the balance and the social,economic and political stability, which are the perequisites for the existence and the development of the national Romanian state, as a sovereign, independent, unitary, indivisible entity, maintaining the constitutional order as well as carrying out the proper climate for free exercise of the rights, liberties and the fundamental duties, as stated by the Constitution.The law of the national security consists of stipulations meant to ensure the protection of the fundamental rights and liberties of the citizens in relation to the means used to obtain the intelligence as well as to the measures of preventing, learning, or counteracting, carried out by the national institutions empowered to act as such.These regulations aim to eliminate any possibility of ignorance, harm or infringement of the fundamental rights and liberties, as they consist of a plethora of juridical premises that convey the activity of the national institutions commissioned for this purpose, into a necessay and possible activity, within a climate of fully preserving the fundamental rights and liberties.The situations defined by art. 3 from Law nr 51/1991 are considered threats to the national security and represent the legal basis for the commissioned government institutions to take steps in order to obtain the national security warrant in view of carrying out actions, that aim at and justify the temporary limitation of the fundamental rights and liberties
More...Keywords: victim; trafficking in human beings; forensic tactical procedures; hearing.
The article presents and analyzes the main forensic tactical rules and procedures for hearing victims of trafficking in human beings. Hearing of victims of trafficking in human beings takes place during the following stages: preparing and planning the hearing of the victim of trafficking in human beings; familiarizing the trafficked person with the hearing process; the actual hearing of victims of trafficking in human beings; verification and appreciation of the victim's statement of trafficking. Victims of trafficking in human beings are both adults, men and especially women and children. The process of hearing victims of trafficking in human beings should be conducted at a pace appropriate to the needs of victims of trafficking in human beings. Investigators have the duty to ensure that the forensic tactical procedures and rules of hearing that will be used will not have a negative impact on respecting both the dignity of victims and other rights they have in the criminal process.
More...Keywords: stone; semantics; lexical families; polysemy
The terms from the sphere of lexeme piatra (stone) are developing metaphorical meanings. The images based on the term piatra (stone) are spreading their semantics on different dimensions, from the usual meaning to a plastic representation viewed vertically. To fulfill the proposed purpose, we will stop at a research minicorpus composed on the basis of some phraseology dictionaries, as well as of a series of verses which belong to the biblical text. At the same time, we will emphasize the produced pragmasemantic effect, to force the interlocutor to pay attention in the sight of decoding the messages which contain the lexeme piatra (stone).
More...Keywords: CBRN protection; biological weapons; biological agents; toxins; international laws; BWTC 1972; evaluation; medical intelligence;
From the weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) the most dangerous are the biological weapons (BWs) that use living organisms, which after their dissemination, can get out of control and their effects could thus be devastating. As such, BWs were the first WMD sto be prohibited by means of law by the United Nations (UN) thus in 1972, at Geneva, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) was signed.As a result, the necessity of a coherent strategy that could evaluate the application of the BTWC at a national and international level emerged and specific mechanisms of evaluating the convention’s application were created, including at UN level. Yet, because of the contradiction between, on the one hand the need for transparency and on the other hand the need for maintenance of the military secret, these evaluation methods were not efficient.As such, some states possess or could possess own BWs, creating a potential danger for the international community.In this article we aim at presenting some elements of the strategy for evaluation of the application of the BTWC.
More...Keywords: NSIP; definition; Legislation; Scrolling mechanism; Projects; Conclusions;
NATO Security Investment Program has existed at NATO level since 1951. As defined in art. 2 lit. a) of Law no. 294/2007, "NSIP - NATO Security Investment Program" is intended to finance the objectives and facilities needed to support the activities of the NATO Strategic Commands, recognised to overcome the national defence demands of each NATO member country, and according to the provisions of Art. f) "NSIP project in Romania - investment project by which NSIP goods in Romania are made from NSIP financial funds and co-financed by NSIP through procurement procedures authorised by NATO bodies". In Romania, NSIP projects are run through the Ministry of National Defence (MND), after the signing of the documents of their acceptance. Their implementation is carried out through the structures of MND with attributions in the management of investment projects, according to the legal, technical, financial and administrative framework of NATO, in cooperation with the NATO specialised structures.
More...Keywords: freedom of movement; military mobility; operational target; hybrid war; hybrid warfare;
The freedom of movement of forces and means became an operational target, as a result of the ever-widening hybrid warfare on the elimination of frontiers. In recent years, it has come to light that it is very difficult to transport military equipment and forces on national territory, but also on the European continent, as there are a multitude of restrictions. Therefore, ensuring effective military mobility raises wide-ranging debates at both national and EU / NATO levels, as it requires a systematic approach to several economic, military and political issues. The article presents a review of these concerns,which have the ultimate goal of ensuring that the freedom of movement of forces and mean scan be viewed as an investment process that involves, both military and economic, short-term costs and long-term benefits.
More...Keywords: Postmodernism; society; church; spirituality; culture;
The Christian Church is going through an extremely critical period, highlighted, on the one hand, by the church members’ lack of preoccupation for new spiritual ideals and, on the other hand, by the disinterest of those who do not belong to any religious spheres in any church proposal. The statistical situation of the Church must be analyzed responsibly and visionary. This approach can bring a last argument in favor of abandoning the project or, on the contrary, it can open the eyes of those in charge to new possibilities of introducing the Church among the options to be considered, in a society that lacks durable landmarks. The revival chances of the church will increase in direct proportion to its interest in an honest diagnosis and in an urgent return to normal functioning parameters by assuming its biblical mandate. This can be achieved by renewing its offers to the public, by increasing attractiveness from many points of view, and by changing the direction of its actions, from centripetal to centrifugal. Instead of continuing to promote an agenda against postmodernism, the church should be looking for ways and means to become relevant in the current cultural reality.
More...Keywords: disarmament; international cooperation; nuclear hazard;
After the end of the Cold War, it was attempted to create the appropriate framework for progress in armaments control and disarmament. Although there have been fundamental changes in international relations and the security environment, efforts and initiatives in the field have proved to be often free from obstacles and disagreements. One reason for this is due to the increase in the number of states involved in the negotiations and, implicitly, the multiplication of political, economic and security interests. The logic of the bipolar world and nuclear deterrence, characteristic of the Cold War, did not take into account the security aspirations of other state actors. Currently, nuclear weapons, although necessitating an internationally sustained dialogue, raise issues that make it difficult to cooperate in this area. Owners cannot be subjected to collective sanction. Theoretically, they have great freedom of action, which can ultimately be restrained only by other nuclear powers. In addition, the idea of an anti-missile shield is increasingly being discussed, but in the absence of bilateral or multilateral agreements limiting the number and location of ballistic interceptors that can be placed by different states.
More...Keywords: hybrid conflict; grey area; confrontation; response;
The rhetoric in the last decade of specialists in the field warns against hybrid threats, and by extension, against hybrid, grey areas conflicts – more precisely conflicts consisting of unclear actions in terms of their military character. The narrative on this issue states that this would be the new winning formula in the design and conduct of conflicts by various entities interested in doing so. At present, in the sphere of global security, actors are starting to rethink the strategies in place and develop optimal response measures to what many think is the new way in which at least some of the following conflicts at the regional level and beyond will develop. This study aims to bring into discussion the possibility that hybridity will take over the maritime domain, as well as to discuss the potential effects on maritime security and the need for response from the Naval Forces
More...Keywords: mediation; felony of battery; violences; procedure; agreement;
In most cases, the interest in starting the mediation procedure is given precisely by the existing harm, in cases where the perpetrator provides the injured party with the necessary money to cover the damage or to cover the moral damage suffered by the victim. The lack of interest in mediating the conflict can come from the absence of injury, which is already recovered either during the investigation or at a different time before the mediation. In this situation, where there is no harm to be recovered, mediation is harder to accomplish, but not impossible and material damage can be claimed and offered for the purpose of causing moral damage, thus reaching a settlement. At the same time, the interest in mediation comes mostly from the defendant, from his desire not to go to court, or from the desire to stop the criminal proceedings. According to Art. 23 of the New Criminal Procedure Code of Romania, mediation may intervene “in the criminal proceedings on civil claims, the defendant, the injured party and the civilly liable party, are able to enter into a transaction or mediation agreement, under the conditions laid down by law.”
More...Keywords: cyber security; legislation; jurisdiction; sovereignty, awareness; security culture; cooperation; human rights.
The cyber space amplitude and the cyber threats variety pose a great challenge in protecting the internet users, given the attackers’ capability of acting from anywhere in the world, the impact that an attack might have on real life, and also the difficulty of reducing vulnerabilities and a cyber-attack consequences management. States need to address this area by legislation, as part of international organizations’ or national security strategy, given the fact that at least three out of five types of cyber threats aim to directly affect critical infrastructures – cyber war, cyber espionage and cyber terrorism. The risk and potential consequences of such acts generated a new mission in terms of security.International organizations, as well as some states, already adopted strategic legislation on cyber security, but less importance was given to implementing national laws. These norms need to consider issues like jurisdiction, sovereignty or responsibility in a global space. But there are not few those who consider that cyber security legislation could affect human rights.So it raises the question if these laws are really necessary, given the cyber threats’ evolution,or it’s enough to establish certain guidelines in approaching them.
More...Keywords: parliamentary party; parliamentary group; independent Member of Parliament (MP); unaffiliated MP; decisions of the Constitutional Court;
The political configuration of the Parliament Chambers is determined by the citizens’ vote and expresses the representative nature of the legislative chamber. The senators and the deputies are organized in parliamentary groups, according to regulations of each Chamber. Creating parliamentary groups represents a constitutional right andnot an obligation; all and any imperative term is null. The activity of the political parties and other the political groups engaged in the election campaign continues within th eParliament, by forming “parliamentary groups” or “political groups”, usually made of members of the Parliament under the same political group or who subscribe to the same program or are followers of the same idea. In the parliamentary practice, establishing parliamentary groups by the deputies and senators who become unaffiliated as a resultof leaving the party under which they were elected is still a controversial aspect. The Constitutional Court of Romania has repeatedly ruled on the possibility to constitute such groups, of which establishment was blocked by the parliamentary majority existing at a given time.
More...At first glance, reading only the provisions of art. 1836-1850 Civil Code regarding agricultural lease contract, it can be concluded that, apart from a few special provisions about the derived object, the conclusion of an agricultural lease agreement would not involve specific issues in relation to the conditions of validity. But at a more careful assessment, including a corroboration of specific legal provisions of the agricultural lease contract with those set out in the matter of the lease, it appears that, at least on the capacity, scope, and form, there are specific legal requirements that circumstantiates the conditions of the analyzed contract in terms of validity. In the material presented, I shall try, after a brief overview of the concept and legal features of agricultural lease agreements, to identify key elements, specific and exceptional provisions of this contract in terms of its conditions of validity by exposing problems of interpretation that may arise about the issues mentioned. We will also analyze the conditions under which the rentable lease agreement concluded against the new owner works in the case of the alienation of the leased property.
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