Romanian Journal of History and International Studies

Neofunctionalism: A Success Story?

2020-08-13T21:03:18+00:00

Integration is one of the political catchphrases of the late 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. This paper will focus on the theoretical and practical role of neofunctionalism as an integrative theory in the process of European integration. Neofunctionalism will be critically analyzed regarding the margin and possibilities of its practical implementation in the integration process; furthermore, it shall be established how recent economic developments have been affecting the debate on integration at European level. It should be stressed that, due to its practical implementation at EU level, neofunctionalism is not merely a theoretical approach, but a phenomenon whose short term outcomes in real politics can be analyzed evaluating the actual situation of integrative processes. The main objective of this short analysis will be to determine the reciprocate influences of neofunctionalist theory and affiliated institutions within the integration process towards each other.

Kosovo's Independence and the Serbian Coalitions against the Kosovar Self-determination

2019-07-02T13:13:59+00:00

The study addresses the influence that the Kosovo-Serbia binomial has on the regional security architecture in the Western Balkans, comparatively analyzing the two stages of the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, namely the autonomy and the independence. The first section deals with the post-conflict reconstruction of the ex-Yugoslav space, focusing on Kosovo`s status, but above all on the redefinition of the power relations between the central authority and the regional administration.

The paper also covers the previous before Kosovo's Declaration of Independence was adopted, presenting Montenegrin separatism as a precedent for the irredentism from southern Serbia and for the formation of the Republic of Kosovo. On this occasion, the international debate on the self-determination of the province, focusing on the nuances between the Euro-Atlantic community and the traditional allies of Serbia, is being pursued, the legality of the argument being deduced from the strategies of the interests of the that exerciceses influence in the Southeastern European space. As such, the friction points during the confrontation transposed into the post-conflict phase, the act of independence being the catalyst for an East-West rupture in terms of the perspective on the principle of self-determination.

At the macro-structural level, the study exposes the post-Cold War transformations of the former the Yugoslav space suffered. Conceptually, the Kosovo war as the first conflictto be fought in the logic of the doctrine of humanitarian intervention, which as a fact is not legally codified. Alongside this, the violation of the sovereignty of a UN state by an intervention unauthorized under a resolution issued by the Security Council would provide support for the hypothesis that Kosovo status is illegal as a result of a violation of the Serbian sovereignty and international law.

Cura aquarum and curator aquarum – the Head of Rome’s Water Supply Administration

2019-07-02T13:09:31+00:00

It is obvious the importance of water supply to any human community. At the end of the 1^st century A.D. Rome developed an impressive water infrastructure consisting of nine aqueducts. This huge network of pipes that distributed water on almost the whole surface of the ancient city could not function without rigorous maintenance. This work fell under the responsibility of the aquarii, a team that formed the familia aquaria, a component part of cura aquarum, an office led by the curator aquarum. The description of the structure of the cura aquarum and of the tasks of the team that represented it, as well as the activity of curator aquarum, are the subjects of this paper.

The Ibibio Peace Praxis

2019-07-02T13:22:48+00:00

This study is a discourse on the indigenous system of peace building, peacemaking, peace enforcement and peacekeeping among the Ibibio people of Southern Nigeria, before the permeation of western peace praxes into the study area. Data obtained for the study were collated from both primary and secondary sources; including interviews, focused group discussions, and analysis of extant literatures on the Ibibio peace practices. The findings from the study reveal that the Ibibio had instituted several sources, symbolisms, instruments, agents and institutions of sustainable peacebuilding and conflict resolution prior to western permeation of traditional Ibibio society. In addition, they had also understood and appreciated, though in different vernacular, the various peace conceptions that we recognize today-negative and positive peace, structural peace, active peace, inner peace, etc. For the most part, this indigenous pax Ibibio helped in the sustenance of peace and order in the society, and steady but effective resolution whenever conflict arose. The paper therefore derived from the Ibibio case study that indigenous peace practices in Africa have historically proven effective and they still posses the efficacy of balancing the deficit of mainstream western approaches in Africa today. Hence, the paper advocates a paradigm shift from the western-technique centered approaches of peacebuilding in Africa, to more indigenous approaches. This does not necessitate a total neglect of the western methods, but a kind of hybrid formula where indigenous approach to peacebuilding in Africa are balanced with the western approaches and tailored according to changing circumstances for effective peacebuilding in the continent.

Politics of Language and Linguistic Reorganisation before and after Independence in India

2019-07-02T13:26:05+00:00

This article examines Politics of Language and Linguistic Reorganisation before and after the Indian Independence. Before 1947, the Indian Nationalist started to gather momentum for liberation from the British . The nationalist struggle against colonial rule precluded any narrow sentiments for linguistic agitation prior to independence. Moreover, the partition of Pakistan from the Indian Union, and subsequent independence of India, the desire for linguistic reorganization of Indian States grew across the country. The eight schedule of 1951 constitution recognised on 14 national language, the Constituent Assembly were silent on linguistic re-organisation of States. Hence, immediately after independence such sentiments began to gather momentum among sections of the electorates that compelled a review of the 1951 constitution to accommodate the linguistic reorganisation. The paper concluded that with the creation of Andhra, immediately after the First general Elections of 1951-52, the basis for the linguistic re-organisation of Indian States was eventually laid.