<p>The concept of security is a contested one. The United Nations definition in UNDPs Development report of 1994 is the most authoritive and commonly cited. The civil war in Sudan has led to 2 million deaths and over 5.5 million refugees. In a resolution from 2005, the UN decided that the war in Sudan was a threat to international security and peace. The 10th of January UN decided that a peace commission ought to be send with 10 000 military and civil men including 700 policemen.</p><p>The main purpose of this thesis is to improve our knowledge of those factors which can cause an increased risk of conflict within a state, and how that can affect the social conditions for individuals. First, I analyse which kind of threats to human security that are to be identified in Sudan. Secondly, I discuss and analyse the role of UN in Sudan, focusing on the human security issues. Different information from sources is analyzed through qualitative content analysis, with quantative components. The theoretical perspective is based on Johan Galtungs theory concerning positive and negative peace, but also on the concept of human security. </p><p>Based on the collected data and the theoretical framework the conclusions are that it is a clear connection between the direct violence and the structural and cultural violence in south Sudan. It depends on the historical legacy but also because of the deep rooted structures of the institutions in Sudan. The conflict is about the oil and the ethnic and cultural identification. All this is a threat to the human security in Sudan, due to the condition about social equitable and the right to have a decent life. The UN has resolved the immediate military threat in the south of Sudan. There are a lot of things to be done before the security situation reach the UN definition of human security. The Sudan government must be responsible for implementing policies to assure this security.</p>

The concept of security is a contested one. The United Nations definition in UNDPs Development report of 1994 is the most authoritive and commonly cited. The civil war in Sudan has led to 2 million deaths and over 5.5 million refugees. In a resolution from 2005, the UN decided that the war in Sudan was a threat to international security and peace. The 10th of January UN decided that a peace commission ought to be send with 10 000 military and civil men including 700 policemen. The main purpose of this thesis is to improve our knowledge of those factors which can cause an increased risk of conflict within a state, and how that can affect the social conditions for individuals. First, I analyse which kind of threats to human security that are to be identified in Sudan. Secondly, I discuss and analyse the role of UN in Sudan, focusing on the human security issues. Different information from sources is analyzed through qualitative content analysis, with quantative components. The theoretical perspective is based on Johan Galtungs theory concerning positive and negative peace, but also on the concept of human security. Based on the collected data and the theoretical framework the conclusions are that it is a clear connection between the direct violence and the structural and cultural violence in south Sudan. It depends on the historical legacy but also because of the deep rooted structures of the institutions in Sudan. The conflict is about the oil and the ethnic and cultural identification. All this is a threat to the human security in Sudan, due to the condition about social equitable and the right to have a decent life. The UN has resolved the immediate military threat in the south of Sudan. There are a lot of things to be done before the security situation reach the UN definition of human security. The Sudan government must be responsible for implementing policies to assure this security.

During the latest years, the phenomenon of violence against teachers has been a growing concern for contemporary schools all over the world (Bounds & Jenkins, 2018). Existing studies propose increasing prevalence estimates (McMahon et al., 2017) and various harmful consequences for victims and schools (Wilson et al., 2011; Huang et al., 2017). Yet, this phenomenon is still severely understudied. Therefore, this study attempts to address some of the existing literature gaps by providing in-depth qualitative information on educators’ thoughts and experiences on the subject. More specifically, this study aims to investigate the different forms and consequences of violence against teachers as well as the teachers’ perceptions about the factors that motivate students to engage in violent behaviours against them. Information relevant to the purpose of this study was comprehended through semi-structured interviews and analysed by using the method of conventional context analysis. Findings from the interviews suggested that violence against teachers is commonly experienced in both indirect (e.g. rumour spreading, property crime) and direct forms (e.g. verbal and physical violence), whereas consequences were found to impact teachers’ psychological wellbeing, their personal lives, the students and consequently several aspects of the school climate itself (e.g. teaching and learning experience). Additional findings suggested that students’ violent behaviour can be motivated by several factors who are either of personal nature to a student (e.g. receiving an unexpected grade) or a result of the preestablished student culture (e.g. normalisation of violence among peers and generalisation of behaviour). Directions for future research, policy implications and targeted interventions are considered in the context of these findings.

Due to the ongoing conflict between the Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government supported by a Saudi-led coalition of nine countries, the civilians in the country have already been exposed to violence for four years. According to the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), the current situation in Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. A large number of humanitarian organizations are present intending to alleviate the suffering. However, their response has been criticized as ineffective. Therefore, this thesis seeks to investigate the humanitarian response in Yemen in order to identify potential weaknesses. This was done out from a theoretical framework that drew on Johan Galtung’s conceptualizations on violence. The applied qualitative research approach was based on a case study research design. With the help of a literature review, the relevant data relating to the case was gathered and an analysis of the violence in Yemen was conducted using the concepts of direct and structural violence by Galtung. The 2019 Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan (YHRP), published by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), coordinates and guides the response of more than 240 aid organizations in Yemen. This plan was used to analyze the humanitarian response in order to find weaknesses in diminishing the identified direct and structural violence.The main findings are as follows: besides small exceptions, the identified aspects of structural violence are being addressed in the YHRP, which are related to the poor access to health care, food insecurity, poor WASH conditions, spread of infectious diseases and displacement. On the contrary, actions against the manifested direct violence, such as civilian casualties of the fighting, are hardly included in the plan. However, it should be noted that due to the humanitarian principle of neutrality, the aid organizations are obligated to remain neutral and are not permitted to get involved in the conflict. Thus, their inactivity regarding direct violence can be traced back to the humanitarian principle of neutrality.

The war in Afghanistan has been a core component of the so called ‘War on Terror’ for over twenty years. These decades of hostilities have caused many people to flee and seek refuge in other countries. This study aims to explore and thereby gain a better understanding of the various forms of violence experienced by Afghan refugees living in Germany. The overarching research question to achieve that aim, was: ‘What role did, and do, different forms of violence play in the experiences of the participants?’The study used the framework introduced by Johan Galtung of direct, structural and cultural violence to analyze the data of qualitative in-depth interviews that were conducted. The interviews showed that participants to varying degrees were subjected to a complex combination of all three types of violence in Afghanistan, on their journey to Europe and in Germany. Most direct violence occurred in Afghanistan, on the hands of the Taliban as well as on the journey. Structural violence was omnipresent, and varied from context to context. Whilst in Afghanistan, it was mainly in the realms of poverty, education and water and electricity infrastructure, in Germany it shifted to adequate housing, language courses, prolonged bureaucratic procedures and access to health care. The study found clear signs of cultural violence which normalized other forms of violence.This study indicated that whilst the types of violence are complex and transform continuously; direct, structural and cultural violence are always to a certain degree present in the lives of the Afghan refugees.

There is an ongoing theme within the field of peace conceptualisation to create and to add to the meaning of peace. This has caused a fragmented field with over 130 conceptualisations. As we move forward, it isthus necessary to review whether the methods utilised to measure peace are suitable in the ever changing contexts of today. Studies investigating levels of peace or types of peace are as important now as theywere before and as they will be in the future. As the world becomes more interconnected and complex in its actions, and as more conflicts emerge, it is important that those involved, both directly and indirectly, understand what to strive for and how far away from that goal they are. Thus, it is extremely important to examine to what extent the measuring systems of peace and adjacent topics today reflect peace. This study examines current methods of measuring peace and adjacent topics through the lens of Johan Galtung’s violence triangle and his positive and negative peace dichotomy. Through a qualitative approach, this study aims to review whether how peace is measured today applies to a broader framework of peace and, if not, what changes could be made to enhance the portrayal of peace in today’s society. In this research, five measuring systems were examined, evaluated and discussed (the Global Peace Index, the Positive Peace Index, the Freedom in the World Index, the Human Rights Index and the Human Freedom Index). They were all found to be lacking depth and width. This was especially apparent within the peace-focused indices, which, when looked at together with the rest of the systems, does not hinder a larger understanding of peace, but separately it does. All in all, the two indices focused on freedom seem to be the most peace-related based on the framework employed. These findings showcase the need to re-evaluate how peace is measured to ensure that what is perceived as peace and peacefulness accurately portray both.

Syftet med studien var att via en kvantitativ webbenkät i ett bekvämlighetsurval av svenska lärare, undersöka förekomst av elevrelaterat direkt våld och indirekt våld mot lärare samt i vilken utsträckning olika aspekter av skolklimatet som kan förklara lärarens upplevelser av direkt våld och indirekt våld. Urvalet bestod utav 143 svenska grundskolelärare (25 män och 117 kvinnor samt en som ej angav kön) i åldrarna 20-65 (M = 40,44, SD = 11,17). Resultatet visade att åtta av tio lärare hade blivit utsatta för någon typ av elevrelaterat direkt våld vid minst ett tillfälle under det senaste året. Den vanligaste typen av elevrelaterat direkt våld var verbala kränkningar följt av lättare fysiskt våld och hot om våld. Det visade sig också att en stor del av lärarna blivit utsatta för flera typer av elevrelaterat direkt våld under de senaste 12 månaderna, vilket indikerar på en multipel utsatthet. Indirekt våld hade i stort sett samtliga lärare upplevt vid ett flertal tillfällen under det senaste året. Vidare fann studien att kvinnliga lärare uppgav sig vara mer utsatta för både direkt och indirekt våld jämfört med männen. Studien fann även att struktur och engagemang tycks vara de viktigaste dimensionerna av skolklimatet för att förebygga elevrelaterat direkt våld och indirekt våld mot lärare. / The aim of the study was to investigate, through a quantitative web survey in a convenience sample of Swedish teachers, the presence of student-related direct violence and indirect violence against teachers and to what extent different aspects of the school climate that can explain the teacher's experiences of direct violence and indirect violence. The sample consisted of 143 Swedish primary school teachers (25 men and 117 women and one who did not specify the gender) at the ages 20-65 (M = 40.44, SD = 11.17). The result showed that eight out of ten teachers had been exposed to any type of student-related direct violence on at least one occasion in the past year. The most common type of student-related direct violence was verbal abuse followed by easier physical violence and threats of violence. It also turned out that a large number of teachers were exposed to several types of student-related direct violence in the last 12 months, which indicates a multiple victimization. Indirect violence had virtually all teachers experienced on several occasions over the past year. Furthermore, the study found that female teachers stated that they were more victimized by both direct and indirect violence compared to men. The study also found that structure and engagement seem to be the most important dimensions of the school climate to prevent student-related direct violence and indirect violence against teachers.

This applied social sciences case study examines the efficiency of the ‘Yumbe Local Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security’ in addressing the perceived and experienced adversities of women refugees in the Bidibidi refugee settlement, Uganda. This is done by collecting data from the Bidibidi settlement through interviews and discussions with the refugee and host population, as well as with relevant organizations and governmental actors. The findings have been contrasted with a document analysis of the Yumbe Local Action Plan and identifies significant deviances between the challenges faced by women refugees and the objectives outlined in the action plan. These deviances include particular exposure to direct, sexual, and structural violence as a result of limited access to resources in the settlement, such as food and water, coupled with interventions resembling the criticized ‘Women in Development’-paradigm, and a constrained political will for action. This study recommends policymakers of the action plan to enhance collaboration among stakeholders, address the structural factors contributing to women’s inequality, and strengthen evaluation and legal mechanisms in place to bridge the identified gap between policy and practice.