title: Chief Amongst The Angels?  International Prosecutors And The Modernist Project

authors: Rogers, Damien Robert

subjects: International Criminal Law

abstract: This thesis argues that three successive generations of prosecutors—each of whom at some moment in time belong to a major institution designed specifically to enforce international criminal law—are best understood as agents of the law, politics and war.  By examining the relevant institutional arrangements, including formal prosecutorial mandates, the thesis recognises that these prosecutors play vital roles in the enforcement of international criminal law.  By critically examining prosecutorial performance during the pre-trial and trial phases this thesis contends, firstly, that these prosecutors are also political actors serving, unwittingly or otherwise, in the interests of economic liberalisation, expressed as neo-capitalism during the middle of the twentieth century or as neoliberalism in the late twentieth century.  By foregrounding the material and ideational conditions giving rise to those major enforcement institutions this thesis contends, secondly, that international prosecutors also help wage a mostly silent and largely unacknowledged war fought by proponents of various utopian movements.  In order to support these two main contentions the thesis situates the development of international criminal law and its major institutions as a significant temporality of a discourse against politico-cruelty, a term used here to refer to cruel acts committed as a means of achieving some substantive end.  It also contextualises the collective prosecutorial efforts within the project of modernity and, more specifically, what is described here as a politico-cultural civil war fought for control over that project.  Using international criminal law as a means of confronting humanity’s worst excesses and curbing modernity’s most violent pathologies, international prosecutors of war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide and crimes of aggression might represent the vanguard in the quest for international criminal justice and be regarded by many as featuring among humanity’s better angels.  Indeed, they might well be characterised in world affairs as chief amongst the angels.  But, at the same time, these politico-legal actors, whose mandates are derived from, and re-inscribe, particular configurations of power emerging in the aftermath of global conflict, need to be recognised as the auxiliary combatants of those seeking to maintain their control over the modernist project.

text: Chief Amongst The Angels?  International Prosecutors And The Modernist Project This thesis argues that three successive generations of prosecutors—each of whom at some moment in time belong to a major institution designed specifically to enforce international criminal law—are best understood as agents of the law, politics and war.  By examining the relevant institutional arrangements, including formal prosecutorial mandates, the thesis recognises that these prosecutors play vital roles in the enforcement of international criminal law.  By critically examining prosecutorial performance during the pre-trial and trial phases this thesis contends, firstly, that these prosecutors are also political actors serving, unwittingly or otherwise, in the interests of economic liberalisation, expressed as neo-capitalism during the middle of the twentieth century or as neoliberalism in the late twentieth century.  By foregrounding the material and ideational conditions giving rise to those major enforcement institutions this thesis contends, secondly, that international prosecutors also help wage a mostly silent and largely unacknowledged war fought by proponents of various utopian movements.  In order to support these two main contentions the thesis situates the development of international criminal law and its major institutions as a significant temporality of a discourse against politico-cruelty, a term used here to refer to cruel acts committed as a means of achieving some substantive end.  It also contextualises the collective prosecutorial efforts within the project of modernity and, more specifically, what is described here as a politico-cultural civil war fought for control over that project.  Using international criminal law as a means of confronting humanity’s worst excesses and curbing modernity’s most violent pathologies, international prosecutors of war crimes, crimes against humanity, crimes of genocide and crimes of aggression might represent the vanguard in the quest for international criminal justice and be regarded by many as featuring among humanity’s better angels.  Indeed, they might well be characterised in world affairs as chief amongst the angels.  But, at the same time, these politico-legal actors, whose mandates are derived from, and re-inscribe, particular configurations of power emerging in the aftermath of global conflict, need to be recognised as the auxiliary combatants of those seeking to maintain their control over the modernist project.

year: 2016

title: The influence of group size on learning and problem-solving in New Zealand spotted wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus)

authors: Georgeson, Sean Alexander

abstract: Foraging dynamics are a fundamental ecological process influencing a variety of other important processes including population dynamics and reproduction. This study investigated the influence of group size on the foraging success of 40 New Zealand spotted wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus) using a problem-solving apparatus. A pilot study using four fish was initially carried out to test equipment and gain an understanding of the individual learning capacity of these fish. Following this pilot study, the full study was separated into four stages. Stage 1 involved observing individual fish attempting a problem-solving foraging task on their own. Stages 2 and 3 increased the group size of fish attempting this foraging task to two fish and four fish, respectively. Stage 4 involved individual fish attempting the task on their own, however, mirrors were fitted to the experimental tank to simulate an increase in group size. Results of this research showed that the presence/perceived presence of conspecifics resulted in increased success rates and reduced latency to solve the problem over time. These results suggest that group size is an important contributor to foraging efficiency in the New Zealand spotted wrasse, as larger groups outperformed smaller groups in most cases, and individual fish with simulated increases to group size outperformed individual fish without this effect. There are three potential explanations for these results. (1) The presence of conspecifics provides passive predator vigilance, enabling individual fish to put more time into solving the foraging task instead of scanning for predators. (2) As a function of increased competition for a limited resource, fish put more effort into solving the foraging task. (3) Social learning resulted in fish learning foraging strategies from conspecifics. It is likely that the effects of reduced predator vigilance and increased competition in larger group sizes influenced foraging success rates of the fish in this study concurrently. Additionally, the pair and group treatments displayed a reduced latency for fish to leave the starting arena and to orient toward the food reward than the other treatments. It is unlikely that these results can be attributed to increased chance due to increased fish density, as fish from the pair and group treatments performed similarly in weeks one and three, despite the group treatment having twice as many fish per trial. This indicates the potential effect of a social learning mechanism, such as local enhancement, in the spotted wrasse in this study. Future studies could further assess the influence of social learning through use of reliable demonstrator fish in an observer-demonstrator experiment. Further study is required to conclusively suggest whether the effect of reduced predator vigilance, increased competition, or social learning has a greater influence on increased foraging success with increased group size in New Zealand spotted wrasse.

text: The influence of group size on learning and problem-solving in New Zealand spotted wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus) Foraging dynamics are a fundamental ecological process influencing a variety of other important processes including population dynamics and reproduction. This study investigated the influence of group size on the foraging success of 40 New Zealand spotted wrasse (Notolabrus celidotus) using a problem-solving apparatus. A pilot study using four fish was initially carried out to test equipment and gain an understanding of the individual learning capacity of these fish. Following this pilot study, the full study was separated into four stages. Stage 1 involved observing individual fish attempting a problem-solving foraging task on their own. Stages 2 and 3 increased the group size of fish attempting this foraging task to two fish and four fish, respectively. Stage 4 involved individual fish attempting the task on their own, however, mirrors were fitted to the experimental tank to simulate an increase in group size. Results of this research showed that the presence/perceived presence of conspecifics resulted in increased success rates and reduced latency to solve the problem over time. These results suggest that group size is an important contributor to foraging efficiency in the New Zealand spotted wrasse, as larger groups outperformed smaller groups in most cases, and individual fish with simulated increases to group size outperformed individual fish without this effect. There are three potential explanations for these results. (1) The presence of conspecifics provides passive predator vigilance, enabling individual fish to put more time into solving the foraging task instead of scanning for predators. (2) As a function of increased competition for a limited resource, fish put more effort into solving the foraging task. (3) Social learning resulted in fish learning foraging strategies from conspecifics. It is likely that the effects of reduced predator vigilance and increased competition in larger group sizes influenced foraging success rates of the fish in this study concurrently. Additionally, the pair and group treatments displayed a reduced latency for fish to leave the starting arena and to orient toward the food reward than the other treatments. It is unlikely that these results can be attributed to increased chance due to increased fish density, as fish from the pair and group treatments performed similarly in weeks one and three, despite the group treatment having twice as many fish per trial. This indicates the potential effect of a social learning mechanism, such as local enhancement, in the spotted wrasse in this study. Future studies could further assess the influence of social learning through use of reliable demonstrator fish in an observer-demonstrator experiment. Further study is required to conclusively suggest whether the effect of reduced predator vigilance, increased competition, or social learning has a greater influence on increased foraging success with increased group size in New Zealand spotted wrasse.

year: 2020

title: Te Kōtiritiri, Te Kōtaratara

authors: Maxwell, Te Kahautu

abstract: Haka. Lyrics composed by Te Kahautu Maxwell. Performed by Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti (Kapa Haka group) (3mins)

Waiata ā Tira: Aroha
Whakaeke: Pinepine Te Kura, Hau Te Kura
Mōteatea: Te Ao o Te Pārerā
Waiata ā Ringa: E pā to reo, Te Matatini, Herewini Parata
Poi: E ia e ia
Haka: Te Kōtiritiri, Te Kōtaratara
Whakawātea: Ōranga Tōiti, tōnui kōrero

text: Te Kōtiritiri, Te Kōtaratara Haka. Lyrics composed by Te Kahautu Maxwell. Performed by Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti (Kapa Haka group) (3mins)

Waiata ā Tira: Aroha
Whakaeke: Pinepine Te Kura, Hau Te Kura
Mōteatea: Te Ao o Te Pārerā
Waiata ā Ringa: E pā to reo, Te Matatini, Herewini Parata
Poi: E ia e ia
Haka: Te Kōtiritiri, Te Kōtaratara
Whakawātea: Ōranga Tōiti, tōnui kōrero

year: 2023-02-22