The author declares no conflicts of interest. The author has nothing to report.

ABSTRACT Ethnic conflicts have emerged as a central concern in contemporary global politics and represent a major challenge to international peace. As part of the conflict‐prone African continent, Ethiopia continues to face this pressing issue. The ethnic conflict in Ataye Town and its surrounding areas, though previously unstudied through rigorous academic inquiry, constitutes a significant case. Since identifying the actors in a conflict and their underlying interests is essential for resolution, this study aims to identify the major actors involved in the April 2021 inter‐ethnic conflict in Ataye Town and the surrounding areas of the Oromo Special Zone in the Amhara Region. It also examines how and why these actors became involved. To achieve these objectives, the study adopted a qualitative approach, drawing on primary and secondary data analyzed thematically. Following a thorough analysis, the study finds that the April 2021 inter‐ethnic conflict involved several actors, including the TPLF, OLA/Shene, the Amhara Special Force, arms and human traffickers, local and zonal administrators, and regional governments. This study demonstrates that while primordial and constructivist factors provide context, the conflict is most convincingly explained through an instrumentalist lens, wherein ethnicity is manipulated for political and economic gain. To prevent future conflicts, the study recommends addressing the root causes and engaging in genuine reconciliation regarding past conflict incidents.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the transformative potential of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in addressing environmental conflicts arising from large‐scale and transboundary infrastructure projects. It argues that traditional litigation, constrained by cost, rigidity, and adversarial dynamics, fails to ensure environmental justice or sustainable outcomes, particularly for marginalized communities. Employing a mixed‐methods approach, integrating doctrinal analysis of global legal frameworks with comparative case studies, the study reveals systemic power imbalances that render ADR processes vulnerable to manipulation by powerful states and corporations. Through in‐depth analyses of cases such as the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, Belo Monte Dam, and Dakota Access Pipeline, the paper exposes the phenomenon of “unattended voices” in environmental governance. It advances a novel framework for “Integrated Environmental Justice ADR”, proposing the establishment of a Global Environmental ADR Tribunal, mandatory Environmental Justice Impact Assessments, and cultural competency mandates to reimagine ADR as a genuinely equitable and sustainable instrument of environmental harmony.

ABSTRACT The primary aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the October 2023 Israel‐Hamas war and the volatility in the energy sector of frontier countries. The study uses a micro‐dataset covering the firms operating in the energy sector within the border regions of Israel and Palestine. The empirical methodology initially employs a Panel GARCH model to analyze the energy sector's response to conflict. This analysis is followed by a Copula analysis, mainly Empirical and Gumbel Copulas, relevant to modeling extreme events. The study reveals two main findings. (1) Geopolitical shocks in the Middle East have immediate and persistent spillovers across frontier markets. In particular, the Israel‐Hamas conflict has amplified the volatility of firms' market values in frontier countries. Unlike previous shocks (e.g., pandemic, Russia‐Ukraine war), this conflict shows limited alternative energy supply routes and market‐making mechanisms in these frontier countries. (2) The copula results reveal robust tail dependence ( > 1) in the market value of the energy sector. It captures an asymmetric response of the market to conflict escalation versus de‐escalation. This finding indicates that the belligerence of the conflict exerts a substantial impact on the market value of companies operating in frontier countries and the energy sector as a whole.

ABSTRACTThe implicit theory of relationships states that implicit relationships depend on individuals' perceptions and attitudes and offers two beliefs, growth and destiny. The purpose of this study is to discover the leadership's implicit theory of relationships in the organization and to investigate the effect of this theory on the conflict management style of organizational leaders. In study 1, the researchers used phenomenological research methods and semistructured interview tools. 26 leaders were interviewed, and their attitudes and implicit thoughts about their relationship with followers were discovered and structured into four types: developmental, selective, functional, and structured theories. In study 2, a quantitative method was used to examine the leadership's implicit theory of relationships of 231 leaders and the impact of their implicit theory on their conflict management style. The results showed that the leaders who had a developmental and structured implicit theory had an agreement conflict management style. Leaders with selective implicit theory had an agreement and attack conflict management style, and leaders with functional implicit theory had an agreement and avoidance conflict management style. This study could expand the multidimensional nature of LITR beyond the growth–destiny framework. Conflict management, as a critical component of the leader's role, helps to explore how implicit theories influence leaders' preferred approach to conflict resolution. Providing a new model that links implicit theories to organizational outcomes and addresses gaps contributes to the growing field of study of relational leadership.

ABSTRACT McClelland's human motivation theory has been used to predict wars and conflicts since its inception. This article offers two novelties. First, the study contextualizes assessments of the imperial motivational pattern by comparing it across countries. Second, it uses an effect size metric, Cohen's d , instead of observed frequencies of power and affiliation words. The resulting assessment can indicate the prospects of negotiation or escalation in a conflict situation depending on the parties' motives. The analysis focuses on the Russo‐Ukrainian War and covers five countries: Russia, Ukraine, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. The scope of comparisons includes war‐related speeches of those countries' leaders, war coverage by selected mass media outlets, and speeches and news items produced during WWII. Text corpora containing more than 93 million words in four languages (English, Russian, Ukrainian, and French) were processed using a version of the motive lexicon (dictionary). Although the Russo‐Ukrainian War did not reach WWII‐level animosity, the study indicates that the prospects for finding a negotiated solution remain dim. A high “power‐minus‐affiliation” gap characterized the speeches of the belligerent countries' leaders and war coverage by the national media.

ABSTRACT This study examined the impact of childhood traumas on communication abilities, conflict resolution strategies, and stress‐coping mechanisms in organizational life. It employed a combination of descriptive, correlational, and causal‐comparative models within the quantitative paradigm. The sample consisted of 225 adults. The Childhood Traumas Scale and CCCSM scale were used to collect data. Both descriptive and inferential techniques were utilized for statistical analysis. Results showed that most of the participants' traumas were related to emotional neglect, whereas the least of the traumas were associated with sexual abuse. The mean levels of CCCSM were higher for those without trauma when compared with those with low, medium, and high trauma. Traumas were positively correlated with stress management ( r = 0.174, p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with conflict ( r = −0.258, p < 0.01), as well as communication management ( r = −0.369, p < 0.01). Emotional neglect emerged as a significant predictor of deficits in communication and conflict management, explaining 14.3% and 7.9% of the variance, respectively. This underscores its detrimental impact on essential interpersonal skills. Conversely, the positive association between emotional abuse and stress management (3.8% variance) suggests a complex interplay in which certain traumas may inadvertently enhance coping mechanisms. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing effective interventions and support systems for trauma survivors.

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the complexities of drafting effective multi‐tiered dispute resolution clauses (MTDRCs) in international contracts, emphasizing that a structured sequence of dispute resolution methods is a central mechanism for enhancing efficiency and predictability. Key elements like legal compliance, objective criteria, and consistency with contract terms are crucial in ensuring that each stage—from negotiation to arbitration—functions seamlessly. The analysis highlights the risks of poorly drafted, pathological clauses, which can undermine arbitration's effectiveness, leading to delays and increased costs. Through legal precedents and case studies, the paper distinguishes between admissibility and jurisdictional challenges, offering practical strategies for drafting robust MTDRCs. It explores the role of emerging technologies, such as blockchain, in enhancing transparency. This guidance is particularly valuable for legal practitioners seeking to improve dispute resolution outcomes in international commercial transactions. Ultimately, the study contributes to broader goals like SDG 16 and SDG 9, promoting effective and equitable dispute resolution.

ABSTRACTMany scholars often refer to the instrumentality of cosmopolitan values and ideals in fostering inclusivity across societies of the world. Yet relatively little academic attention has been given to exploring how cosmopolitan ideals could be leveraged as a tool for sustainable peacebuilding in multicultural and multi‐ethnic communities. This study aimed to address this gap by connecting cosmopolitanism, ethnic pluralism, ethnic conflict and sustainable peace. The study explored the perceptions of ethnicity and their dynamics in conflict escalation and sophistication in Northern Ghana with focus on the Kusaasi‐Mamprusi conflict in Bawku Traditional Area. The purpose is to propose a pathway towards the gradual removal of ethnic boundaries for the emergence of a cosmopolitan ethnic identity—a liberalized identity that integrates values, norms and traditions of all cultural groups in a community. The research adopted a qualitative approach using interviews and focus group discussions to gather data from 50 purposively sampled participants belonging to the Kusaasi, Mamprusi, Mossi, Busanga, and Hausa ethnic societies. The study found that ethnic divisions worsened the conflict dynamics in Bawku. While participants recognized the need for a peaceful coexistence, dual claims to ancestral lands created an indigene‐settler dichotomy making peacebuilding efforts much more difficult. The study argues that the development of a cosmopolitan ethnic society that integrates all the core values of the discerned ethnic societies in Bawku holds the potential to de‐escalate conflicts and promote peaceful coexistence. Public sensitization, education, and awareness programmes are recommended to promote tolerance, respect, and appreciation for unity in diversity.