Neutrality Studies

Neutrality and Nonalignment in International Relations

We Support Switzerland’s Neutrality Initiative

Neutrality Studies is an international academic research project, for the study of neutrality as a concept in international relations, sociology, international law, diplomacy, political science, security, and history.

The research group organizes conferences, workshops, and publications for a scholarly understanding of neutrality.

Analysis

Eyeless on Gaza

Denial of civil liberties, accompanied by punishment for anybody who exposes those violations, has become commonplace in contemporary America. Yet,…

A New Functional Human Rights Paradigm

All rights derive from human dignity. Codification of human rights is never definitive and never exhaustive, but constitutes an evolutionary…

The West VS The Rest

Is the West launching an all-out war against the Global South, against BRICS—that is against “the other”? Are we in…

Russo-African Relations

On December 12, 2023, Turkmenistan celebrated the 28th anniversary of its neutrality. Since the UN General Assembly adopted a special…

The West’s Reckoning?

Western leaders are experiencing two stunning events: defeat in Ukraine, and genocide in Palestine. The first is humiliating, the other…
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Upcoming Seminars and Talks

Past Seminars

Oman as a Neutral State

June 12, 2023. A seminar by Pascal Lottaz at Waseda University, Building 3 Room 602.
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Books

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YouTube Channel

[Part 1 of 2] As the front lines of Ukraine are disintegrating and the political leadership in Kiev is in disarray, the west still refuses to seriously contemplate talking about a realistic peace (or at least cessation of hostilities) in Ukraine. Rather, the wizards in Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, and Warsaw contemplate NATO boots on the ground or—at least the germans—motivating Rumania and Poland to start using their air defence systems to shoot down Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine from the safety of their states. Crazy ideas and escalatory to say the least. This and the recent cabinet reshuffle are the topics of this first interview part with Nicolai N. Petro. Nicolai's Homepage: https://www.npetro.net Nicolai Petro is a Professor of Political science at the University of Rhode Island and the author of “The Tragedy of Ukraine: What Classical Greek Tragedy Can Teach Us About Conflict”. Nicolai has ties to both Russia and Ukraine and has been analysing their internal political developments for decades. Today we want to do an update on the political developments in both countries and talk about the Foreign Affairs article by Samuel Charap and Sergey Radchenko that a few weeks ago contributed another puzzle peace to the question about the failed Istanbul-peace process back in 2022. Part 2 (available from 5/16): https://youtu.be/K8eE2cmsB4s
The Proxy-War Is COLLAPSING! | Prof. Nicolai Petro
[Part 2 of 2]. In this second part Professor Alfred de Zayas talks about all the mistakes that were made in the 30 year lead-up to the war in Ukraine and how little the international community and the Europeans cared about the Russian Speaking minorities in the eastern regions as well as the failures to hold Ukraine responsible for implementing the Minsk-Agreements. The most striking failure is of course the double-standards that the Europeans are setting when it comes to Kosovo and the way they handled the wars in Yugoslavia. Rules for thee, but not for me. In conjunction with the decline of US hegemony and the utter depravity of the mass-murder in Gaza, the moral bankruptcy of the West is as glaringly obvious as it has never been before or after the Cold War. First part: https://youtu.be/b2Supi7tUD8 Dr. Dr. Alfred de Zayas is a Professor at the Geneva School of Diplomacy, who used to work as a senior lawyer in the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and later became the first UN Independent Expert on International Order, serving in that capacity from 2012 to 2018. Born in Cuba, Dr. de Zayas holds a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Harvard Law School and a PhD in modern history from the German University of Göttingen. Dr. de Zayas is also a member of the Geneva International Peace Research Institute where he and his team are currently working on a legal case against Ursula v.d.L., Charles Michel, and Josep Borrell.
Ukraine War EXPOSES 30 Years Of Western Double Standards | Prof. Dr. Alfred de Zayas
[Part 1 of 2] Today I got with me an extraordinary scholar, thinker, and activist with many years of experience in the UN system, especially in the field of Human Rights. I’m talking to Dr. Dr. Alfred de Zayas, a Professor at the Geneva School of Diplomacy, who used to work as a senior lawyer in the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and later became the first UN Independent Expert on International Order, serving in that capacity from 2012 to 2018. Part 2: https://youtu.be/mwwfF74gqeA Born in Cuba, Dr. de Zayas holds a Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Harvard Law School and a PhD in modern history from the German University of Göttingen. Dr. de Zayas is also a member of the Geneva International Peace Research Institute where he and his team are currently working on a legal case against Ursula v.d.L., Charles Michel, and Josep Borrell.
USA and EU Are DESTROYING Their Own Order! | Prof. Dr. Alfred De Zayas (Ex-UN Official)
FULL INTERVIEW: Balázs Orbán, the political director of Hungary's Prime Minister explains why Hungary, despite being a loyal NATO member, will not participate in Out of Area missions of the alliance and how Hungary plans to navigate the emerging multi-polar world order. Today I have the very special privilege of talking to a fellow European who doesn’t only think about foreign policy, but is actively involved in making it on the highest levels. I’ve got with me Dr. Balázs Orbán, the Political Director of Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban (and no, the two are not related, they just share the same last name). Dr. Balázs Orbán earned his doctorate in Jurisprudence from ELTE—aka the University of Budapest—and holds also a degree in political science. He has been working at the office of the Prime Minister since 2018, becoming his political director in 2021 and he also won a seat in the Hungarian Parliament in 2022. In addition, Dr. Orban also published a book called “Hussar Cut: The Hungarian Strategy for Connectivity”, in which he lays out what I would call a realism-based strategy for a prosperous Hungarian foreign policy that is not tethered to one or the other power block but to many nations at once, linking them all as a key-stone. Mr. Orbán's Book: https://danubeinstitute.hu/en/events/balazs-orban-hussar-cut-the-hungarian-strategy-for-connectivity
EU Is TOO WEAK For Peace. No NATO Troops In Ukraine | Hungary's Political Director Balázs Orbán
Honest question: How can we build a counter weight to the Military Industrial Complex? Is it somehow possible to build for-profit companies that leverage the logic of capitalism but don't chime into the BS of the MIC, and instead push on a policy level for deescalation and peaceful International relations? Companies, that when there is a new bill on funding foreign wars would start investing money into lobbying the rejection of such legislation? Yes, war is profitable, but peace is even better for business. There are way more companies who win from their countries having good relations with other states than those who win from selling implements of war. So there should be some way to get more lobbying for sane and business-friendly policies going rather than this insane drive toward military Keynesianism. There should be a way to use the logic of capitalism against warmongering, no? Can't we go beyong NGO's that are funding dependent into building structures that sell stuff that then allows them to lobby for more pro-trade relations? I know this might sound overly neo-liberal, but I'm more thinking of a Civil Industrial Complex for Peace (CIC4P).... how could something like that be created.... Elon, any ideas?
Is A For-Profit Peace Industry Possible?
[Part 2 of 2] Dr. Jack Buffington from the University of Denver is an Assistant Professor of supply chain management. In this second part of the interview, we discuss how decoupling as a strategy is failing due to the innate nature of supply chains finding a way around trade restrictions and the role of third-party traders who will continue to link trade-blocks.
Decoupling Is FAILING Big Time | Prof. Jack Buffington
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