title: Coping with Vulnerability: State Resilience to Armed Conflict in Guinea

authors: Bah, Mamadou Diouma

subjects: Guinea

abstract: The aim of this study is to explain why peace has prevailed in Guinea despite the presence of unfavourable conditions. Guinea exhibits many of the major risk factors commonly associated with the onset of civil war and/or armed conflicts, including deep ethnic divisions; a politicised military; an abundance of natural resources alongside extreme poverty; and being located in a conflict ridden neighbourhood. Yet, the country did not descend into civil war and/or armed conflicts. During the 1990s, the outbreak of civil wars in Guinea’s neighbouring countries was added to the availability of a large amount of abundant natural resources, and the extreme poverty among its population which was deeply divided along ethno-regional affiliations. From the standpoint of existing models of civil war onset and/or armed conflict, this makes for a dangerous combination against sustaining a country's peace and stability. Likewise, the threat to Guinea’s stability was exacerbated in the 2010s by the reintroduction of multiparty politics which produced a system whereby political parties were mainly based on ethnic and/or regional affiliations. 
The literature on theories of recent civil wars identifies the presence of one or more of the above variables as significant triggers of civil war onset and or/armed conflicts, particularly in West African nations since the early 1990s. In Guinea, however, the constant presence of these violence risk variables has failed to ignite a broader violent conflict or to destabilize the central power structure of the state, therefore sparing the nation from the types of armed conflicts often associated with similar contexts in many West African nations. This raises the question as to why armed conflict has not been a feature in Guinea since independence despite the presence of unfavourable conditions for peace. 
Using qualitative data, the study identifies mitigating factors against the onset of armed conflict in such contexts and explains why Guinea has been spared from armed conflict and/or civil war despite these unfavourable conditions. The thesis  reveals that the presence of these conflict risk variables have failed to be associated with the onset of large-scale violence in Guinea largely due to measures taken by the Guinean state and its international partners. This outcome contrasts with much literature on the incidence of armed conflicts in such contexts. The research results are presented in four papers for publication in refereed international journals. The papers refer to different academic debates, yet there are connecting links between them: they all point to an aspect associated with state resilience to armed conflicts, thereby connecting the Guinean case to a set of African states which managed to maintain peace despite the odds. As such, the study contributes to the research on what make peace resilient in an African state as opposed to the ‘failed state’ literature.

text: Coping with Vulnerability: State Resilience to Armed Conflict in Guinea The aim of this study is to explain why peace has prevailed in Guinea despite the presence of unfavourable conditions. Guinea exhibits many of the major risk factors commonly associated with the onset of civil war and/or armed conflicts, including deep ethnic divisions; a politicised military; an abundance of natural resources alongside extreme poverty; and being located in a conflict ridden neighbourhood. Yet, the country did not descend into civil war and/or armed conflicts. During the 1990s, the outbreak of civil wars in Guinea’s neighbouring countries was added to the availability of a large amount of abundant natural resources, and the extreme poverty among its population which was deeply divided along ethno-regional affiliations. From the standpoint of existing models of civil war onset and/or armed conflict, this makes for a dangerous combination against sustaining a country's peace and stability. Likewise, the threat to Guinea’s stability was exacerbated in the 2010s by the reintroduction of multiparty politics which produced a system whereby political parties were mainly based on ethnic and/or regional affiliations. 
The literature on theories of recent civil wars identifies the presence of one or more of the above variables as significant triggers of civil war onset and or/armed conflicts, particularly in West African nations since the early 1990s. In Guinea, however, the constant presence of these violence risk variables has failed to ignite a broader violent conflict or to destabilize the central power structure of the state, therefore sparing the nation from the types of armed conflicts often associated with similar contexts in many West African nations. This raises the question as to why armed conflict has not been a feature in Guinea since independence despite the presence of unfavourable conditions for peace. 
Using qualitative data, the study identifies mitigating factors against the onset of armed conflict in such contexts and explains why Guinea has been spared from armed conflict and/or civil war despite these unfavourable conditions. The thesis  reveals that the presence of these conflict risk variables have failed to be associated with the onset of large-scale violence in Guinea largely due to measures taken by the Guinean state and its international partners. This outcome contrasts with much literature on the incidence of armed conflicts in such contexts. The research results are presented in four papers for publication in refereed international journals. The papers refer to different academic debates, yet there are connecting links between them: they all point to an aspect associated with state resilience to armed conflicts, thereby connecting the Guinean case to a set of African states which managed to maintain peace despite the odds. As such, the study contributes to the research on what make peace resilient in an African state as opposed to the ‘failed state’ literature.

year: 2014

title: Density and habitat dependent effects of crab burrows on sediment erodibility

authors: Needham, Hazel Rosemary

subjects: Annular flume

abstract: Despite biological interactions being highlighted as a key process in determining particle fluxes, relatively few studies have attempted to establish the links between burrow building bioturbators and sediment stability. The mud crab Austrohelice crassa, is a key burrowing species in New Zealand estuaries that has shown context-specific interactions with its environment. Here we use annular flumes to test if sediment stability and erodibility were altered as a function of A. crassa burrow density in two contrasting sediment types: a cohesive sandy-mud and a non-cohesive sand. Three burrow density treatments (n=3) reflecting the natural density range in each sediment type (sand; 0-100m-2, sandy-mud; 0-400m-2), were collected from the field and subjected to sequential increases in water flow velocity. Flow profiles were measured and bed shear stresses were calculated for each treatment. Increasing burrow density reduced the mass of sediment eroded at 0.35ms-1(ME-35, gm-2) in cohesive sandy-mud, while in non-cohesive sand a unimodal pattern was observed, whereby erosion rates were greatest at the lowest burrow density (19m-2). In the cohesive sediment, the linear decrease in erodibility with increasing burrow density was likely affected by the sluicing of fine particulates (silt-clay) from burrows when the tide was out creating both a smoothing and consolidating effect on the sediment surface. A reduction in flow velocity due to the increased presence of surficial pellets and greater trapping of bedload transported material was attributed to the reduction in the mass of sediment eroded in sand at high burrow densities. This study demonstrates that burrow builders influence sediment transport by more than just vertical particle mixing and highlights some of the complexities of small-scale sediment processes. Knowledge of different organism-sediment interactions among sediment types and spatial scales will enhance the accuracy of sediment transport models

text: Density and habitat dependent effects of crab burrows on sediment erodibility Despite biological interactions being highlighted as a key process in determining particle fluxes, relatively few studies have attempted to establish the links between burrow building bioturbators and sediment stability. The mud crab Austrohelice crassa, is a key burrowing species in New Zealand estuaries that has shown context-specific interactions with its environment. Here we use annular flumes to test if sediment stability and erodibility were altered as a function of A. crassa burrow density in two contrasting sediment types: a cohesive sandy-mud and a non-cohesive sand. Three burrow density treatments (n=3) reflecting the natural density range in each sediment type (sand; 0-100m-2, sandy-mud; 0-400m-2), were collected from the field and subjected to sequential increases in water flow velocity. Flow profiles were measured and bed shear stresses were calculated for each treatment. Increasing burrow density reduced the mass of sediment eroded at 0.35ms-1(ME-35, gm-2) in cohesive sandy-mud, while in non-cohesive sand a unimodal pattern was observed, whereby erosion rates were greatest at the lowest burrow density (19m-2). In the cohesive sediment, the linear decrease in erodibility with increasing burrow density was likely affected by the sluicing of fine particulates (silt-clay) from burrows when the tide was out creating both a smoothing and consolidating effect on the sediment surface. A reduction in flow velocity due to the increased presence of surficial pellets and greater trapping of bedload transported material was attributed to the reduction in the mass of sediment eroded in sand at high burrow densities. This study demonstrates that burrow builders influence sediment transport by more than just vertical particle mixing and highlights some of the complexities of small-scale sediment processes. Knowledge of different organism-sediment interactions among sediment types and spatial scales will enhance the accuracy of sediment transport models

year: 2013

title: Are You Listening? The Voice of Waitaha, A Forgotten People.

authors: Reese, Alistair William

subjects: maori

abstract: This thesis is a study of Waitaha, a Bay of Plenty iwi that has been marginalized through
the loss of most of its land, much of its language, tikanga, and mana. The purpose of the
work is to communicate, through the 'voice' and the history of the people, a chronicle, of
their alienation to a Pākehā audience that remains in large part ignorant and distant from
their plight.
The thesis is motivated by an academic responsibility to the Treaty of Waitangi and the
lack of understanding to the present needs of Māori as evidenced for example, by the
support for the January 2004 Orewa speech, by the leader of the National Party, Don
Brash. It is predicated upon the understanding that this response, which minimalises the
impact of colonization upon Māori, is constructed by many, through a convenience of
distance. It is motivated also on the understanding that most Pākehā who now inhabit the rohe of Waitaha, are completely ignorant of the identity of tangata whenua. It is hoped
that the presentation of the Waitaha story, will provoke a greater empathy from Pākehā,
and thereby facilitate an environment, whereby grievances can be addressed in an
environment of greater understanding.
The thesis is a qualitative based research exercise, carried out in consultation with
kaumātua and other Waitaha members, and attempts to acknowledge and integrate current kaupapa Māori epistemologies with traditional Western academic methodology.
The study uses interviews, Waitangi Tribunal evidence, and other historical references to
construct a narrative that conveys something of the 'voice' of Waitaha. Specifically, it
outlines a chronology of Waitaha settlement, followed by a description of their encounter
with Pākehā, the consequent alienation of the majority of their lands by the Crown, and
concludes, with a glimpse into the current circumstance of Manoeka, the papakainga of
Waitaha.

text: Are You Listening? The Voice of Waitaha, A Forgotten People. This thesis is a study of Waitaha, a Bay of Plenty iwi that has been marginalized through
the loss of most of its land, much of its language, tikanga, and mana. The purpose of the
work is to communicate, through the 'voice' and the history of the people, a chronicle, of
their alienation to a Pākehā audience that remains in large part ignorant and distant from
their plight.
The thesis is motivated by an academic responsibility to the Treaty of Waitangi and the
lack of understanding to the present needs of Māori as evidenced for example, by the
support for the January 2004 Orewa speech, by the leader of the National Party, Don
Brash. It is predicated upon the understanding that this response, which minimalises the
impact of colonization upon Māori, is constructed by many, through a convenience of
distance. It is motivated also on the understanding that most Pākehā who now inhabit the rohe of Waitaha, are completely ignorant of the identity of tangata whenua. It is hoped
that the presentation of the Waitaha story, will provoke a greater empathy from Pākehā,
and thereby facilitate an environment, whereby grievances can be addressed in an
environment of greater understanding.
The thesis is a qualitative based research exercise, carried out in consultation with
kaumātua and other Waitaha members, and attempts to acknowledge and integrate current kaupapa Māori epistemologies with traditional Western academic methodology.
The study uses interviews, Waitangi Tribunal evidence, and other historical references to
construct a narrative that conveys something of the 'voice' of Waitaha. Specifically, it
outlines a chronology of Waitaha settlement, followed by a description of their encounter
with Pākehā, the consequent alienation of the majority of their lands by the Crown, and
concludes, with a glimpse into the current circumstance of Manoeka, the papakainga of
Waitaha.

year: 2006