Electronic Journal of Social and Strategic Studies - EJSSS (ISSN online: 2582-9645) and Praghna Centre for Research believe in promoting original research in social sciences and strategic studies. In order to encourage young researchers to contemplate new thoughts and incorporate new ideas for vigorous scientific analysis, we bring NEW HORIZONS.
This page contains occurrences, reports and event that are pregnant with potential ideas for research. For convenience, each post is numbered. We strongly encourage the student and emerging scholar community to mull them over for full length research papers.
EJSSS will consider publishing such new research subject to the author and submission guidelines at our journal website.
Best wishes - Managing Editor
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1. Democracy, Communism and Human Rights
Sardar Kushwant Singh was perhaps the greatest icon in the world of media. One of his catch-phrases is: With Malice Towards Everyone. History is witness that Kushwant's "MALICE" had a quintessential component - fearless quest for truth. In my opinion, this quest is what we call RESEARCH. No imitations, replication or repetition. The quest and the truth, simple.
This prelude is to paint the following context and raise questions:
Context
Male and female cricketers in New Zealand will now earn equal pay, thanks to a five-year agreement by New Zealand Cricket and the players' association (see https://lnkd.in/gPQp4jga).
Equal pay is implicit in the concept of democracy. No claims to democracy can be put forth unless Liberty and Equality are part of it. Yet, in an avowedly champion of democracy (NZ), it has taken eight decades to achieve equal pay for women cricketers (Women in NZ started playing Test Matches in 1935!).
UDHR 1948 that we uphold as the soul of human rights everywhere, in Art 23 (2) says Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. NZ ratified UDHR in 1978. Yet it took over four decades to make it happen for women.
And the point to note is, this has been the result of the negotiations between Labour Associations and Policy makers, a feature distinctively belonging to Communism. UDHR came only in 1948. By then, work and equal pay was already part of Marxian philosophy for three decades!
Questions
1. Can there be true Democracy without Communism? By themselves, each of these concepts have demonstrated their potential to exploit and deny, as can be seen around the world. However, when the concepts come together, voices for equality get responded to even in authoritative regimes.
2. Are we merely playing with words - defending democracy everywhere, oppressive Communism, etc? When in essence these concepts are the same and reflect the aspirations of humankind to live better.
3. The contest between democracies and communism (for that matter, any other 'ism'), is it pure politics for gains by vested interests using ideologies for convenience?
As EJSSS, we would appreciate substantial research papers evaluating such questions and more. We do hope to showcase quests for knowledge purely for the sake of KNOWLEDGE.
"Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake."
- Robindranath Tagore
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2. Culture and Gender
For centuries, English (therefore American) law treated married women as less than equal, in fact as no legal person at all. With the advent of concept of human rights, it is but natural that an increasing awareness has resulted in strong advocacy for gender equality.
As a Journal, we would invite well researched content in this dimension. Mail your Abstracts to submission.ejss@gmail.com in about 250 words (MS Word).
See https://lnkd.in/d-SWuDjH for the connected post.
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3. Russia Ukraine War
It appears that the UK and US are intent upon reliving the Great Game in modern times with modern terms. Quite understandable, what with UK Prime Minister's political appeal falling to new lows on home turf.
Cost to Ukraine are incidental. After all collateral damage is acceptable in war. In any case, Ukrainians do not seem concerned about the cost.
With USD $700 million more (See report below), the path to complete destruction appears to be firmly laid.
With this announcement, Ukraine's external debt will be more than its pre-conflict GDP.
It may still be not late enough to study the Hambantota example to understand what happens when a country is unable to service its debts.
Cost to Ukraine are incidental. After all collateral damage is acceptable in war. In any case, Ukrainians do not seem concerned about the cost.
With USD $700 million more (See report below), the path to complete destruction appears to be firmly laid.
With this announcement, Ukraine's external debt will be more than its pre-conflict GDP.
It may still be not late enough to study the Hambantota example to understand what happens when a country is unable to service its debts.
As a Journal, we would invite well researched content in this dimension. Mail your Abstracts to submission.ejss@gmail.com in about 250 words (MS Word).
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4. Research In Social Sciences
We pray for the day when Industry Giants in India will invest in research in our institutions, public as well as private. Yes, there are huge challenges, from bureaucracy to academic/institutional capacity. But then, if we are to be truly ATMA NIRBAR, it is time we start investing in ourselves.
CSR policy framework should be used by the government to temper and direct investment for scientific research in our institutions. Research must be an integral part, right from undergraduate levels.
This post was prompted by the link below:
https://lnkd.in/d2MQFNt6
CSR policy framework should be used by the government to temper and direct investment for scientific research in our institutions. Research must be an integral part, right from undergraduate levels.
This post was prompted by the link below:
https://lnkd.in/d2MQFNt6
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5. Strategic Autonomy
Following excerpt from Foreign Minister Jaishankar indicates that India has come a long way in terms of its foreign policy. Independent, committed to principles that are worthy of emulation, India has shed its traditional hesitation in stating its mind. This distinct feature should be of immense interest to IR scholars everywhere:
India does not need the approval of any other nation for the path that it chooses to take, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said today, reaffirming New Delhi's non-aligned foreign policy amid intense pressure from the West to take a strong stand on Russia's Ukraine invasion.
New Delhi, said Mr Jaishankar, cannot please other nations by being a "pale imitation" of what they are.
''We have to be confident about who we are. I think it's better to engage with the world on the basis of who we are rather than try and please the world by being a pale imitation of what they are," the Foreign Minister said at the Raisina Dialogue, an international gathering of leaders and policy makers in New Delhi.
See: https://lnkd.in/gZXFuUzE
India does not need the approval of any other nation for the path that it chooses to take, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said today, reaffirming New Delhi's non-aligned foreign policy amid intense pressure from the West to take a strong stand on Russia's Ukraine invasion.
New Delhi, said Mr Jaishankar, cannot please other nations by being a "pale imitation" of what they are.
''We have to be confident about who we are. I think it's better to engage with the world on the basis of who we are rather than try and please the world by being a pale imitation of what they are," the Foreign Minister said at the Raisina Dialogue, an international gathering of leaders and policy makers in New Delhi.
See: https://lnkd.in/gZXFuUzE
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