Coltan is a rare mineral which is mined, both legally and illegally, at Congolese dig sites at the expense of the wellbeing of coltan miners. This dissertation provides an understanding on the living and working conditions of the Congolese coltan miners and the relation of coltan to armed conflict in …

The goal of this research was to investigate to what extent Christian thinking influenced the European integration after the Second World War. Christian thinking refers to values embedded within the Christian mindset. The reason for this research was the Nobel Peace Prize received by the European Union …

In an increasingly technology-driven world it is natural to ask what exactly are the expectations and limitations of novel technologies in a particular domain. Military technology has a high-tech imago that is not always justified by the facts. However there is no doubt that the military is a powerful …

This report examines the structural and decision-making processes of the United Nation's Security Council (hereafter referred to as UNSC) and their effects on peace-keeping and peace enforcement. The flaws of the Security Council are unraveled through analysis and description of some of the major conflicts …

In the Netherlands, there have been many discussions about whether or not to establish a European Defence Organisation. However, due to the political party D66 (Democrats '66), this discussion has been revived in 2006 to such an extent that it really had an impact on political agendas of the Dutch political …

Discussing the visibility and cultural factors that inf luence the position of women in the armed forces is the object of the study that is presented here. The Netherlands do not have a martial tradition and are believed to have a feminine ‘soft’ culture , but nevertheless women have always been underrepresented. Nowadays …

The Dutch Armed forces have seen an enormous change during the last fifteen years. Peace keeping and enforcing have become the major tasks. The amount of troops and equipment has dwindled, so did the yearly budget. The decline of military means is defended by the thesis that quality is more important …

This report examines Dutch military personnel’s attitudes toward international cooperation, while these attitudes were expressed under threatening (during the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) mission in Afghanistan) or nonthreatening circumstances (in Europe). Findings indicate that concerns …

By means of the economic analysis of strategic behavior it is attempted to elucidate the decision making on peace support operations of the armed forces. The analysis reveals that the choice between peace keeping based on the supposed agreement of the parties involved in the conflict - and peace enforcing …