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الدعائية، » داعش « حملات قبل انهيار التنظيم وبعده طرّف العنيف

Author(s): Charlie Winter / Language(s): Arabic

إن هذا التقرير يقارن بين ارشيفين من وسائل الإعلام الرسمية ل”داعش“ بفارق أربعسنوات. يبحث التقرير في تفاصيل نظرة التنظيم للعالم ويتابع تأثير العوامل الظرفيةالخارجية والداخلية عليه خلال سنوات تكوين الخلافة. وقد تب أن نشاط البنية التحتية يالإعلامية للتنظيم في أواسط 2019 قد انخفض الى حوالى عُشرٍ من نشاطها في أواسط2015 . تُظهر البيانات أيضاً أن التنظيم كان يخصص وقتاً أطول لمتابعة شبكته العالمية في2019 مقارنة ب 2015 . وأخيراً، تشير البيانات الى تغيير مواضيعي جسيم في رواية التنظيمالدعائية بشكل شامل، وقد تجسد ذلك في تحويل روايته من طوباوية مليارية الىإنكارية عسكرية. وخلاصة القول أن البيانات تدل على أنه بحلول عام 2019 ، انخفضنشاط القائمين بالدعاية لتنظيم “داعش” بشكل ملحوظ، وعملهم الإجمالي كان دولياًومركّزاً أقل على القضايا المدنية. إن هذا التغيير يشير الى بدء مرحلة جديدة في مسارالترويج السياسي للتنظيم، وقد أصبح مركّزاً أكثر على البقاء وليس على التوسّع.

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A Look Into WeChat – Enabling an Analyst to Search and Monitor Content

Author(s): Alvin Lim / Language(s): English

WeChat, or Weixin (微信) in Mandarin, is a multi-function mobile application (app), first launched by China’s Tencent Holdings in 2011. A distinction between WeChat and Weixin must be drawn because they are two separate products, with WeChat intended for the international market while Weixin is aimed at the domestic Chinese market (Tencent, 2020). For this report, the names WeChat and Weixin are used to describe the internationally and domestically oriented products, respectively.

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The Double-Edged Sword of AI: Enabler of Disinformation

Author(s): Alfonsas Juršėnas,Kasparas Karlauskas,Eimantas Ledinauskas,Gediminas Maskeliūnas,Julius Ruseckas / Language(s): English

The tendency to consume news on social media platforms has greatly increased over the last decade. Information can now be disseminated quickly, cheaply, and with easy access for consumers; this has rapidly boosted decentralized news production, often without editorial oversight. Adversarial agents are exploiting this situation to spread disinformation. Over the past ten years, the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) has experienced unprecedented growth in the development of applications for the automation of text, and the recognition and generation of visual and audio data. Do these burgeoning AI capabilities boost the abilities of malicious actors to manipulate crowds? AI now plays a vital role in generating synthetic content and enables the efficient micro-targeting used on social media platforms to spread disinformation messages, including hyper-realistic synthetic images, videos, audios, and text. This rather technical article has been written to inform practitioners, policymakers, and AI enthusiasts in NATO about how AI/ML technologies can be used to shape disinformation.

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Inoculation Theory and Misinformation

Author(s): Jon Roozenbeek,Sander van der Linden / Language(s): English

The spread of false and misleading information both online and offline poses a threat to the wellbeing of individuals, democratic institutions, and societies around the world (1, 2). The harmful consequences of the spread of false and/ or misleading information can be seen in the proliferation of anti-vax groups on Facebook (3, 4), lack of confidence in the science of climate change (5), acts of vandalism committed on the basis of false conspiracy theories about COVID-19 (6, 7), and its influence on the exacerbation of radicalisation and polarisation (8, 9). However, a lack of consensus with respect to what constitutes “misinformation” (for example: focusing exclusively on false information is problematic because truth value can be difficult to determine objectively, and misleading and/or hyperpartisan content may significantly outweigh “fake news”, see 10) and disagreement about the efficacy of various efforts to mitigate the spread of misinformation through algorithms, legislation, or content moderation means that no single intervention is likely to be sufficient (11, 12). In this report, we explore the role that psychology and behavioural science can play in the mitigation of online misinformation. To do so, we first discuss how to define “misinformation”, and how it relates to various other commonly used terms such as “disinformation” and “fake news”.

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IMPROVING WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EVOLUTION IN KENYA: THE CASE OF NAIROBI AND KAKAMEGA COUNTIES

Author(s): Sylvester Ngome Chisika,Chunho Yeom / Language(s): English Issue: 1/2023

This study aimed to investigate the progress of women's empowerment through employment opportunities in Nairobi and Kakamega Counties in Kenya between 2013 and 2017. Despite the increasing policies that aim to mainstream social equity and equality, there is still a significant gap between policy commitments and practices. The study evaluated whether the implementation of devolved governance in the two counties has improved women's empowerment. The study's framework included an in-depth review of policy documents, official records, and reports from official websites to understand women's economic empowerment status in Nairobi and Kakamega. The study analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from County Integrated Development Plans and other secondary sources. Specifically, it examined compliance with the 30% gender rule, requiring women to hold at least 30% of all elective and appointive positions. The study found that Nairobi commands the largest share of formal sector wage employment in Kenya, and women's access to employment opportunities remains slightly lower than men in both counties. Despite implementing the 30% gender rule, the study revealed the need for more comprehensive policies that promote gender equality and women's economic empowerment in both Nairobi and Kakamega.

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Сръбското епическо пеене в съпровод на гусла между научната тема и нематериалното културно наследство: етномузикологична перспектива

Author(s): Danka Lajić-Mihajlović / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2022

The paper presents the experience and the results of а long-term research of Serbian epics, primarily of singing to the accompaniment of gusle – the most common and preferred form of performing epic songs. Studying the tradition and the personalities proves to be important for the ethnomusicological and interdisciplinary understanding of this genre. The focus on this solo performative genre makes the relations with the guslars (epic singers who accompany their singing with gusle – a one-string bowed instrument), as primary collaborators in the research, especially intensive and complex. In relation to that, the implementation of 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Serbia is recognized as an opportunity as well as an ethical obligation of ethnomusicologists to achieve reciprocity in cooperation with guslars by supporting the safeguarding of epic singing to the accompaniment of gusle. This type of cooperation has brought new challenges and encouraged deeper reflections on social, i.e. socio-cultural responsibility and its impact on national ethnomusicology. Linking research results with cultural practice is one of the distinct challenges in contemporary humanities, so this paper in a broader sense is a contribution to the applied humanities.

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Прогноза за времето: от епичния „край на света“ до апокалипсиса днес

Author(s): Lidija D. Delić / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2022

The paper examines the folklore understanding of weather conditions, archaic conceptualization of cataclysms and contemporary newspaper/internet articles on similar topics in a comparative context. It turns out that modern civilization inherits part of the rhetorical repository and imaginary of traditional cultures when it comes to meteorological phenomena, employing them in a new context in the already recognized global “discourse of fear/intimidation” (F. Furedi, D. Altheide, P. Cap). At the same time, this rhetorical identification is seductive insofar as all its parameters (the planet has warmed since pre-industrial times, glaciers are melting, sea levels have risen, a large percentage of forests emitting oxygen have been cut down, the ozone layer and ecosystem-regulating animal species vanish, humanity has increased enormously) speak that on a global level something dramatic is happening and that we are not just witnessing another of the great resurrections of history and its (mis)use.

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Празникът „Кюстендилска пролет“ и социалистическата празничност: Идеология и политики (Част 2)

Author(s): Svetla I. Kazalarska / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2022

The article analyzes the local holiday “Kyustendil Spring Day”, invented in the late 1960s, in the context of the socialist festivity policies by examining the ideological content inscribed in its semantics, symbols and rituals. The overarching research questions refer to the instrumentalization of the holiday by the socialist authorities and its functions in the local festive calendar. The analysis rests upon archival material, articles in the local press, photographs, and discussions and comments in the social media networks, as well as upon a limited number of interviews conducted by the author.

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A Capability Definition and Assessment Framework for Countering Disinformation, Information Influence, and Foreign Interference

Author(s): James Pamment / Language(s): English

This report proposes a capability assessment framework for countering disinformation, information influence, and foreign interference. At present, much emphasis is placed on the capability to counter disinformation and other associated phenomena. However, few have attempted to systematically define what those countermeasures are, and how they could be placed within a single, coherent capability assessment framework. This lack is not least because countries do not, and should not, approach these challenges in the same way. Geography, history, political systems, areas of expertise, and relative power explain to some extent why countries use different terminologies, organisational structures, and policies for dealing with foreign interference. Furthermore, friendly actors at times share capabilities–such as tech platforms, researchers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and private-sector intelligence companies. There is no perfect template for assessing capabilities, but rather only organisations and systems designed to cope with different threats based on their mandates, interests, and available resources. Since there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this problem, this report provides a flexible approach to capability assessment based on simple principles that can be applied by different types of actors. In support of this, and drawing upon previous research in this subject area, four capability assessment tools are established as tools to solve different assessment problems: Objectives are a cluster of capability measures associated with the explicit or implied purpose of an activity. Assessment can be developed, for example, from policy announcements, norms and expectations, and archetypical examples.

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Интернет мемовете като част от политическата комуникация и участие (Наблюдения върху словашката онлайн платформа Zomri)

Author(s): Eva Šipöczová / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2023

Internet memes are a basic representative of online folklore, which naturally arises and lives as part of virtual communication. Similar to political jokes, some of them comment on, gloss over, criticize and satirize political and social events, making them part of political participation and communication „from bellow“. The purpose of this case study is to use the example of the Slovak online platform Zomri [Die] to show how an amateur entertainment project, which is part of participatory online culture, became part of a societal discussion thanks to social network and popularity. Attention is paid to various actors (site admins, the public, politicians, media), the activities of those actors and the spillovers outside the internet environment. The study combines folkloristic theoretical starting points with approaches from media and pop culture studies. It is based on long-term online research of the platforms, its content, secondary activities and spillovers into other areas of the online and offline environment. It also builds on the analysis of media interviews and discussion with platform admins.

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Фалшивите новини – функции и интерпретации в българското медийно пространство

Author(s): Angelina Ilieva / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2023

The article presents a study of the “fake news” problem from an emic perspective, focusing on media practices. The study aims to place people as conscious and active subjects of cultural production and consumption at the analysis’s centre and present the problem through their actions, reactions and interpretations. Different cases of questionable content circulating through Bulgarian media space are analysed, and their functions and uses are outlined. Two main functions of fake news are specified: 1) as an aspect of popular culture and 2) as a genre of disinformation. The features of users’ reception and interpretation, the subversive impact of fake news in the media ecosystem and its usage in the so-called ‘information wars’ are examined in detail. The conclusions emphasise the role of humour and laughter as mechanisms of counteraction.

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20 години от приемането на Конвенцията на ЮНЕСКО за опазване на нематериалното културно наследство от 2003 г.

Author(s): Tim Curtis / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Issue: 2/2023

Editorial

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Нематериално културно наследство, национална идентичност и основни права на човека. Ролята на Конвенцията на ЮНЕСКО от 2003 г. в сравнителна перспектива

Author(s): Pier Luigi Petrillo / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Issue: 2/2023

The paper analyses the evolution of the notion of cultural heritage from a comparative perspective and verifies the impact produced by the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 9 countries (Mexico, Brazil, Italy, Jordan, Cyprus, Spain, Burkina Faso, Korea, Japan).

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Националната система „Живи човешки съкровища – България“ между съхраняването на фолклора и опазването на нематериалното културно наследство

Author(s): Iva Stanoeva / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Issue: 2/2023

This article reviews two co-existing and mutually conflicting concepts in Bulgaria: the one of folklore and the policies of its conservation in the course of the 20th century, and the one of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) and the efforts for safeguarding it following the adoption, in 2003, of the relevant UNESCO Convention. A comparison is made between the folklore festivals, characteristic of the second half of the 20th century, and the Living Human Treasures Bulgaria National System, created in 2008 as one of the fundamental cultural policies of the Republic of Bulgaria in this sphere, which has resulted in the compiling of the National Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Based on observations made during several of its consecutive iterations conducted so far, the article seeks to outline important aspects and issues of the rationalization of ICH and its safeguarding at the present moment. The author draws on her experience as a member of the team of scholars at the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IEFSEM – BAS), which has been participating actively at expert level in the implementation of the 2003 Convention in Bulgaria.

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Европейска асоциация на фолклорните фестивали – ЕАФФ

Author(s): Kaloyan Nikolov / Language(s): English,Bulgarian Issue: 2/2023

The 2003 Convention and Its Implementation in Bulgaria

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Патриотизъм, национализъм и настроения към ромския етнос в България

Author(s): Plamena Stoyanova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2023

The political changes after 1989 in Bulgaria and the country’s difficult economic transition, temporarily led to a decline in patriotic feelings among the Bulgarian people. With few exceptions, such as Bulgaria's triumphant performance at the 1994 World Cup, which led to unprecedented national pride, the idea of belonging and unity began to dissolve in the harsh and uncertain conditions of the transition from socialism to a market economy. This led to a deterioration of relations in Bulgarian society, a sharp revision of values, a decrease in tolerance, and the entering into everyday life of the so-called language of hatred. Political parties were created which, under the guise of patriotism, openly promoted more radical sentiments toward various types of minorities. An increase in domestic crime at the time proved to be a fertile ground for such rhetoric. The fact that from the beginning of the new millennium until now, some Bulgarians have been invariably supporting nationalist parties, shows that these political formations are an expression of permanently present sentiments in the Bulgarian society. The current text will focus on nationalist manifestations towards the second-largest ethnic minority in the country – the Roma. For this purpose, specific events will be examined and analysed, and an attempt will be made to provide answers to several questions such as: What is the role of the Bulgarian minorities in these nationalist attitudes? Is it possible to build an identity based on the rejection of the other, and what are the manifestations of this rejection? How do such manifestations of intolerance and confrontation reflect on the identity of the minority itself? Who benefits from this rhetoric, and what are its consequences for the Bulgarian society?

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Блог адаптацията на рускоговорещите жени имигрантки в България: специфики на процеса, онлайн поведението и идентичността

Author(s): Mina Hristova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 3/2023

The article proposes to refine the periodisation of Russian and Russian-speaking immigration in Bulgaria. It examines the necessary context, describing changes in motivations and identity projects of these groups from (relatively) 2013 to 2023. The text outlines the specific tool - the blog, reinvented in a modern context – the text highlights the differences between it within the visual platform Instagram and its classical visual version. Thus, some of the main features of Russian-speaking users’ own online representations are brought to the fore through the implicit and (counterintuitively) explicit discourses of Russian-speaking users. They focus the analysis on their identifications and the specifics of adaptation and its dynamics, maintaining a sense of community but also accumulating social capital that directly reflects their plans and strategies for the present and future.

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„Третият път“ – Националната земеделска партия в Унгария и българските градинари в периода между двете световни войни

Author(s): Ferenc Bódi / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 1/2024

The article is dedicated to a hitherto unexplored element of the Bulgarian–Hungarian relationship from the period between the two world wars – the Hungarian popular movement (March Front), whose ideas found inspiration from the Bulgarian gardeners in Hungary. The movement that later the National Peasant Party put the “Garden Hungary” program on its banner in which the agrarian reforms and the wider civil participation of peasants in Hungarian society held a special place. Many of the elements in this program drew examples from the Bulgarian gardeners in Hungary with their specific organization of labour, collectivist spirit, and a sustainable economic model linking the land work and the new market relations at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. In his study “Towards Garden Hungary” Imre Somogyi described in detail the techniques that Bulgarian market gardeners used in vegetable growing. In the social philosophy of László Németh, “Garden Hungary” had the meanings of a socio-economic model that could eliminate rural poverty.

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Гурбетчийското градинарство като локално наследство: българо-унгарски паралели върху процесите на оценностяване. По примери от селата Поликраище и Драганово. Част 2

Author(s): Valentin Voskresenski / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2024

The article examines, from a historical and contemporary perspective, the processes of valorizing diaspora gardening as local heritage in two significant "gardener villages": Polikraishte and Draganovo (within the municipality of Gorna Oryahovitsa). Based on field research conducted in Bulgaria and Hungary, the publication investigates how diaspora gardening becomes part of the local festivities and commemorative practices. The article traces how transnational gardening, while practiced as a local livelihood, is connected to traditional festivities and examines the changes in the local dimensions of the festive calendar during socialism and more recently. A separate section is dedicated to the new festivity (its emergence, development, and messages) as a current means of transforming local livelihood into cultural memory and the local heritage of the two settlements.

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Активните граждани в Гърмен: социализиране на религиозното културно наследство с местно значение

Author(s): Magdalena Slavkova / Language(s): Bulgarian Issue: 2/2024

The article aims at presenting the activities of the people of the municipality of Garmen, Southwest Bulgaria, related to the socialization of tangible immovable religious heritage of local importance and their vision for changing it into a tourist product. There is no specialized local policy regarding cultural heritage, but voluntary initiatives to restore Orthodox sites and the spaces around them involve people of different faiths. As a result of their civic activism, a collective sense of attachment to heritage is strengthened, which in turn becomes an important element of their regional identity. The results of an ethnological study conducted in April–May 2022 in the villages of Garmen, Dabnitsa and Skrebatno are presented. The data were collected through open-ended interviews with representatives of the municipality of Garmen and people who live near the cultural values and are committed to the cause of their restoration and socialization.

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