Bariscope

Welcome to the final episode for this semester with Dr. Sandra Penic, senior researcher at the Departement of Political Science and International Relations as well as the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences at the University of Geneva. In this conversation we’re diving into all things emotions: anger, hope, fear, empathy, hate and solidarity – and how and why we can experience them collectively. Emotions have been underlying many of our conversations here on the podcast, especially when talking about populism and the us vs. them discourse in our western democracies, so we’re really thrilled to have an expert to give us context on the role that emotions play in our societies and international relations more broadly speaking. Sandra Penic reminds us that hate is neither inevitable nor natural and that we’re all responsible to foster solidarity as a norm and she calls upon politicians to acknowledge the collective resilience in our societies, that need though to be accompanied by policies that support people to be in fact respectful of covid-measures (not everyone has the means). This conversation provides insights from a heap of research, amongst others on the War in the Former Yugoslavia, which our guest experienced as a child. Dr. Sandra Penic completed her diploma in (social) psychology at the university of Zagreb and got her PhD in 2014 on “collective victimization and collective guilt in the former Yugoslavia” at the University of Lausanne. Before joining UNIGE, she worked on a large interdisciplinary multi-method research project on collective memories in conflict-torn societies called the Pluralistic Memories Project. She has published extensively on collective violence and its impact on people's attitudes and emotions as well as the role of conflict memories in the processes of conflict transformation most notably, in the former Yugoslavia, Palestine, Burundi and Sri Lanka. Amongst other things, Dr Sandra Penic teaches the BARI-course on emotions and international relations. We hope you learn as much from the conversation as we did and feel inspired to collectively fight for a better world! Thank you to all of you listening for your time and interest throughout this whole season and do send us any feedback you have over on Instagram @bariscope_ccc. Stay critically curious, Lea & Lukas ----- (02:49) - what are emotions and are there such things as « universal emotions »? (10:13) - What are the predictors for experiencing collective emotions? (13:17) - How do groups and social identities form? (18:48) - We’ve seen violent episodes throughout human history, where hate is so strong between groups that it leads to mass violence. Is hate an inevitable or even natural emotion for humans to feel? (24:20) - What are the conditions for hate to become the prevalent emotion within a group? How hate is mobilised and violence is legitimised. (31:37) - How did interethnic hatred in the Former Yugoslavia go from myth to reality? (36:59) - On Sandra Penic’s childhood experience during the Croatian War (as a refugee), how her city is divided by ethnicity today and why she got interested in social psychology. (41:09) - Sandra Penic’s evaluation of the emotional landscape in our society right now and why humans are not antisocial during crisis. An introduction into collective resilience. (45:39) - Can societies be collectively resilient for two or three years (as in throughout the whole pandemic)? What determines if a society is collectively resilient over a long period of time? (48:23) - The psychological burden during our current crisis and what for policies should be adopted to allow people to respect the covid-measures (spoiler: comprehensive support packages). (53:15) - Dr. Sandra Penic’s three tips to her 20 year old self

In the second part of our conversation with Oliver Braunschweig we will apply the more general input on Plural Economics from the first episode to concepts of International Relations. We will have a critical discussion on economic growth, trade, climate change and social justice to see how plural economics can offer new input on these concepts that are often used but rarely put into perspective in IR. Economic ideas and considerations are crucial in International relations, however they are often used without a thorough and critical examination. To present new perspectives we invited Oliver Braunschweig, a representative of Rethinking Economics Switzerland, to hear his opinion and take on current research and new promising thoughts on economics. For Oliver's general explanations on Plural Economics, its history, fundamental concepts and their critique of neoclassical economics listen to the first part of our conversation. Tune in for new food for thoughts, and let us know on Instagram @bariscope_ccc whether you are convinced by our discussion or if you would like to see other changes to IR. We are excited to offer you such insightful and critical new approaches to International Relations! Have a great week and stay critically curious, Lea & Lukas --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Timestamps: (2:27) Alternatives to Economic Growth (7:10) How does Plural Economics take into account the needs of the environment? (11:18) Can neoclassical market mechanisms be sufficient to save the environment or do we need more fundamental change? (14:09) Which ideas exist to render trade more sustainable and inclusive? Where does trade have its limits? (19:30) Development on the link between trade and inequality (21:00) Does Plural Economics offer new "tools" to address inequality both within and between societies? How come that neoclassical theory has not addressed the rampant inequality in developed economies? (27:00) Has populism been caused by economic factors such as inequality and does the economic design of our societies need to be changed in this regard? (34:27) Feminist economics in general and the perspectives  feminist economics offers on the fact that a big share economic research is produced by white men in western countries. (43:00) Oliver presents Rethinking Economics Switzerland and the goals they pursue (45:52) Suggestions for further readings and resources on Plural Economics (48:10) Oliver's three tips to his 20-year old self --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More of Oliver's recommendations, specifically on trade: Chang, Ha-Joon (2002). Kicking Away the Ladder: Development Strategy in Historical Perspective: Policies and Institutions for Economic Development in Historical Perspective (Anthem Studies in Development and Globalization). Anthem Press Klein, Matthew C., and Michael Pettis. 2020. Trade Wars Are Class Wars: How Rising Inequality Distorts the Global Economy and Threatens International Peace. New Haven: Yale University Press. Milberg, W. and Winkler, Deborah (2013). Outsourcing Economics: Global Value Chains in Capitalist Development. Cambridge University Press. Evans, P. (1995). Embedded Autonomy: States and Industrial Transformation. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Wade, Robert (1990). Governing the Market. Princeton University Press.

Economics is a crucial component of International Relations. Concepts such as trade, growth and GDP are popular and largely applied without discussions regarding potential shortcomings and how they emerged. In fact, universities almost exclusively teach what is called "neoclassical" economics, a mathematics and market-based theory of economics. This rigid and uniform approach to how economics thaught, defined and looked at is disputed, predominantly by students that want to make room for discussions and publications on alternative takes on economics by redefining the discipline and the concepts it teaches. These new approaches are what is called Plural Economics. To discuss Plural Economics and its impact on International Relations we invited Oliver Braunschweig to Bariscope, one of the most prominent representatives of "Rethinking Economics Switzerland", a national student network aimed at promoting plural economics. In the first episode, Oliver presents the fundamentals of Plural Economics by describing different theories, their historic evolution and new inputs. We then discuss why they have not been integrated into curriculas and how academia could make room for new approaches to finish the first episode with Oliver with his take on a potential disconnect between scholars and the wider public. In the second episode with Oliver we will make a bridge between the more theoretical questions of the first episode and International Relations by applying the theoretical findings to challenges in IR such as growth, trade, the environment and social justice. We are thrilled to present to you this new subject on Bariscope and hope that it serves for good food of thought! And do send us any feedback you have on Instagram @bariscope_ccc! We will also be sharing Oliver Braunschweig's top book recommendations over there ;) Have a great week and stay critically curious, Lea & Lukas ------------------------------------------- More resources and all the books mentioned by Oliver in the Episode: On plural Economics in general: * Proctor, J.Christopher. 2018. ‘Diversifying the Economic Toolkit: An Oikos Introduction to Pluralist Economics (Updated)’. St. Gallen, Switzerland: oikos international. https://oikos-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Pluralism-Booklet-Updated-Final-for-Web.pdf [https://oikos-international.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Pluralism-Booklet-Updated-Final-for-Web.pdf]. * Exploring Economics. An open access, e-learning platform on pluralist economics. https://www.exploring-economics.org/en/ [https://www.exploring-economics.org/en/] * Foley, Duncan K. 2008. Adam’s Fallacy: A Guide to Economic Theology. Cambridge, MA; London, England: Harvard University Press.http://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.4159/9780674027077/html [http://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.4159/9780674027077/html]. * Heilbroner, Robert L. 1999. The Worldly Philosophers. The Lives, Times, and Ideas of the Great Economic Thinkers. 7th ed. New York: Touchstone. Organizations promoting Plural Economics: * Rethinking Economics Internationalhttps://www.rethinkeconomics.org/ [https://www.rethinkeconomics.org/] and the Swiss network:https://www.swissrethinkeconomics.org/ [https://www.swissrethinkeconomics.org/] * Netzwerk Plurale Ökonomik (German-speaking).https://www.plurale-oekonomik.de/ [https://www.plurale-oekonomik.de/] * oikos International. https://oikos-international.org/ [https://oikos-international.org/] * YSI (Young Scholars Initiative, INET).https://www.ineteconomics.org/education/young-scholars-initiative [https://www.ineteconomics.org/education/young-scholars-initiative]

Today we are welcoming the brilliant Coline Rapneau on Bariscope - our first guest from outside academia with extensive experience as a humanitarian worker at the International Committee of the Red Cross. Before joining the ICRC Coline Rapneau completed her Master's Degree in international relations with a major in International Law at the Graduate institute here in Geneva, then worked as a humanitarian officer at the French permanent mission to the UN and spent three years as a legal assistant for the international criminal tribunal for Rwanda and ex-Yugoslavia. At the ICRC she spent 6 years as a protection delegate for victims of sexual violence in different countries, followed by several years as a sexual violence advisor and then as crowdfunding project manager at the Red Cross. After 13 years at the ICRC she is now manager at CHS Alliance (CHS standing for Core Humanitarian Standards) and is specialized in the protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. Coline Rapneau is also a certified professional and personal development coach, and she is here to give us very valuable tips on how to identify what future career path we should embark on and remind us of the importance of listening - to others and to ourselves, without judgement. Do check out her powerful Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP3d4DOoqLo [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP3d4DOoqLo] CHS Alliance - aid workers mental health: https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/aid-leaders-and-organisational-culture/ [https://www.chsalliance.org/get-support/article/aid-leaders-and-organisational-culture/] The Ebola WHO sexual abuse scandal: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2021/9/29/WHO-rocked-by-Ebola-sex-abuse-scandal-in-Congo [https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2021/9/29/WHO-rocked-by-Ebola-sex-abuse-scandal-in-Congo] The Oxfam sexual exploitation scandal: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/15/timeline-oxfam-sexual-exploitation-scandal-in-haiti It’s a hard conversation and thus all the more important that we have it - thank you for your interest! And do send us any feedback you have on Instagram @bariscope_ccc! We will also be sharing Coline Rapneau's top book recommendations over there ;) Have a great week and stay critically curious, Lea & Lukas — Timestamps (03:13) - How do you get prepared (mentally) for a ICRC mission, how old were you when you went on your first mission and how many people were you working with? (06:04) - Brief insights into Coline’s different missions (08:10) - is there a difference between sexual violence in conflict and peacetime? (12:30) - the role of aid workers and aid organisations in sexual abuse and violence (16:25) - complaints mechanisms for survivors of sexual violence (19:00) - how prevalent is sexual violence? (20:18) - what are effective sexual violence prevention mechanisms? (21:50) - why women are more vulnerable to be victims of sexual violence in armed conflicts without forgetting that men and boys can be victims too (23:35) - the role of academia in centering sexual violence in research and potential collaboration with aid organisations (26:07) - Coline’s advice to young people going into the humanitarian sector (29:50) - the obstacle you may face when starting in the humanitarian sector (30:40) - the importance of staff mental health and Coline’s experience dealing with isolation and difficult leaders (35:45) - Coline’s motivation to be a personal development coach (38:30) - Questions to ask yourself to find your purpose, values and boundaries (40:30) - wrap-up: the most urgent changes in the aid sector and good practices to reinforce (44:10) - Coline’s three tips to her 20-year-old self

*(Timestamps below)* We are welcoming Dr. Elena Cima on Bariscope to finally discuss a climate-related subject on our podcast. Having studied International Law at Yale Law school and Tsinghua University before completing her Ph.D. at the Graduate institute in Geneva and joining the University of Geneva as a research and teaching fellow, Dr. Cima presents an impressive academic record focusing principally on international energy governance as well as on the role international trade, investment and dispute settlement can play in addressing climate change. Tune in to find out how actors and institutions that are not overly associated with green policies such as the WTO increasingly incorporate sustainability and environmental considerations into their actions and how the balance of power between corporations, governments and the civil society is changing. Dr. Cima first explains the legal framework of international energy governance and illustrates how international environmental law boasts a challenging complexity and fragmentation. Next, we discuss how the introduction of sustainable development, on paper, allowed for the conciliation of the diverging interests of corporations, host countries in the global south and the environment and where this concept presents  shortcomings. We further examine how state autonomy can be preserved vis-à-vis foreign investors and how environmental considerations are increasingly incorporated in international agreements between actors and institutions that were not founded based on environmental imperatives. On a more abstract level, Dr. Cima explains how law can be embraced as a tool to foster progressive and sustainable policies, for example in leading to governments being sued before national courts. We further discuss the concept of environmental democracy and overall changes in power relations between corporations, governments and the civil society. Lastly, Dr. Cima shares her experience at Yale Law School and illustrates how both academic life and the general approach to academia of this institution differ from continental European universities. To find out more about Dr. Elena Cima check out her profile [https://www.unige.ch/gedt/membres/cima-elena/] on the website of the university of Geneva. We hope this conversation gives you some food for thought! Do send us any feedback you have, positive and negative, on Instagram @bariscope_ccc [https://www.instagram.com/bariscope_ccc/] As always, thank you for your time and interest! Lea & Lukas _____________________________ (2:50) The role of the energy sector in addressing climate change and how this issue sparked Dr. Cima's interest (6:00) The characteristics and actors that define the legal framework of energy governance (11:29) The role of the WTO in addressing climate change (16:58) How the concept of sustainable development allows to conciliate the different objectives of trade and environmental prospective (21:11) How foreign investment can be conciliated with sustainability and respect the rights of the host states (27:37) How disputes regarding trade and investment can be settled without resulting in power politics and the loss of state sovereignty (31:00) Is law a static force or can it be embraced as a tool to promote more sustainable policies? (36:14) As governments are being sued for their climate inaction, Dr. Cima explains the role of national courts and international law in enforcing sustainable policies. (41:19) Dr. Cima’s experience at Yale Law school: how does the approach to academia of this institution compare to continental Europe? (46:18) Three tips from Dr. Cima to her 20-year-old self