In contemporary realities, cultural heritage has become a crucial and effective resource for the preservation of cultural diversity and the sustainable development of countries, regions, and communities. One of the key approaches to supporting the cultural sector is the creation of innovative cultural products based on digital and communication technologies. This article examines initiatives implemented by the European Union, Australia, and Ukraine that showcase innovative formats for cultural heritage preservation and engagement in response to modern challenges and societal needs.
In Indonesia, the intersection of sexuality, privacy, and human rights has become an increasingly contentious issue, particularly regarding consensual relationships. The new Indonesian Criminal Code, which expands provisions on adultery, creates legal ambiguity that can be misused by authorities, potentially infringing on the right to privacy and personal liberty. While the previous law did not criminalise consensual sex, the new code allows prosecution based on complaints from close family members, such as spouses or parents, leading to potential violations of individual autonomy. Sexuality, as a fundamental human right, should be respected as part of personal dignity and bodily integrity, rather than being subjected to state moral policing. The state's role should focus on protecting individuals’ rights, including sexual autonomy, within non-harmful boundaries. Decriminalising consensual sexual activities, provided they do not harm others, is essential to safeguarding personal freedom.
This editorial introduction presents the special issue of Cosmopolitan Civil Societies, ‘Ukraine’s Crossroads: Domestic Shifts and International Strategies in Times of War’, which brings together five interdisciplinary contributions examining the profound transformations Ukraine has undergone since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Migration and forced displacement are foregrounded as defining structural conditions of the conflict, shaping educational adaptation, cultural resilience, digital governance, and strategic public diplomacy in ways that are only beginning to be understood by scholars. Drawing on a broad and growing body of interdisciplinary scholarship, spanning forced migration studies, diaspora politics, national identity, wartime resilience, and democratic consolidation, the introduction situates the five contributions within a rich theoretical and empirical context. Collectively, the articles demonstrate how the experience of war has simultaneously disrupted and galvanised Ukrainian society, forging new forms of identity, solidarity, and institutional capacity under conditions of extreme adversity. This introduction contextualises the contributions within that literature and outlines the conceptual threads that unite them.
Digital transformation in Ukrainian local authorities aims to enhance public services, strengthen citizen engagement, and improve transparency and efficiency. The United Nations E-Government Survey (2022) classified Ukraine within the ‘very high’ category of the Local Online Service Index, highlighting strong digital governance performance. However, this study reveals challenges related to uneven implementation in newly established communities (hromadas) due to lack of financial resources, cybersecurity issues, lack of personnel, mindset, lack of internet quality, digital skills gap, which hinder digital transformation in Ukraine’s local authorities. At the same time, platforms such as Diia application, a state-developed platform in Ukraine illustrate how digital tools can transform state - citizen interactions, making governance more inclusive and responsive. This study identifies potential opportunities for advancing digital transformation, including national educational programs for digital leaders (CDTO Campus), inter-municipal and international collaboration, veteran engagement, and incentives, such as utility discounts, tax stimulus, to attract digital specialists.
This study examines the ethical and methodological complexities of conducting qualitative research with forcibly displaced Ukrainian youth during an ongoing war. Through two waves of semi-structured interviews (2023–2024) with 20 young refugees in Germany and Australia, it draws on Park's integrated meaning-making model to explore how trauma, displacement, and disrupted meaning systems shape both participant experience and the research encounter. A qualitative-dominant mixed-methods design combined standardized trauma assessment with narrative interviews. Findings reveal meaning-making as a non-linear, cyclical process in which vulnerability and resilience coexist. Notably, many participants described the interview itself as an opportunity for cognitive integration and narrative reclamation. The study also reflects on the researcher's own experience as a Ukrainian academic, documenting secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and the ethical tensions of insider positionality. It calls for relational, reflexive ethical frameworks that protect both participants and researchers in active conflict settings.
In today’s global politics and economy, a country’s image is just as important as its natural resources or scientific and technological capabilities. Building a strong, positive brand is closely tied to shaping an external image through public diplomacy. But is an appropriate public diplomacy possible during wartime? This paper covers the ways and strategies of Ukraine’s public diplomacy after the Russian full-scale invasion. Embedded in the participative warfare theoretical framework, it sheds light on how public diplomacy may serve as a tool for building Ukraine’s resilience and enable civic response in terms of the foreign armed aggression. Based on the document and content analysis, the authors assess how effective public diplomacy has been as a way to promote a positive image of Ukraine abroad. Implementation of public diplomacy tasks in several particular cases (cultural, science, sports, culinary and digital diplomacy) is also considered.
In the context of the ongoing Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, resilience has become a crucial attribute for educators striving to maintain quality education under adverse conditions. This paper examines teacher-led Communities of Practice (CoPs) as a practical tool for sustaining resilience and boosting collaboration and professional development. The paper explores how CoPs are supporting teachers by creating environments where they can collaborate, share resources, and support each other professionally and emotionally. The study investigates the role of CoPs in building a vital sense of community, reducing isolation and offering a space for collaborative problem-solving and sharing of best practices. The study draws on a convergent mixed-methods survey of 264 secondary-school English teachers from all 24 regions of Ukraine. The findings suggest that participation in CoPs not only helps to deal with the complexities of remote and disrupted teaching but also strengthens the emotional resilience needed to face the trauma of war.
Although relevant literature captured why pagtawad (haggling) is a cultural custom, previous studies downplay the sociopolitical and economic factors that explain the broader reasons why pagtawad becomes a buyer's escape from crisis. To make this argument, through a phenomenological study of the Bi & ntilde;an local market known for its historical significance and low poverty incidence, informants were asked about why they think pagtawad is a market's regular transaction. Several motivations for pagtawad emerged through the thematic analysis, including as a response to the high inflation rate, fixed pricing, consumer rights, cultural conformity, unemployment, underemployment, poverty, and budget maximization. Pagtawad in itself is a dyadic transaction between buyers and sellers; however, this microscale interaction points to a more nuanced link to decisions upheld by the local government and the nation-state. Ultimately, marketplaces are microcosms that reflect the nation-state's anti-poor policies, ill-judged allocation processes, awry economic choices, and unethical structural maintenance.
This research explores factors influencing residents'engagement in community policing in Addis Ababa City, employing a cross-sectional descriptive and interpretive approach. Data was collected from 328 respondents through a semi-structured survey, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. The analysis revealed that about two-thirds of community members were unaware of the benefits of community policing, although some engagement occurred, particularly through door-to-door outreach. Binary logistic regression identified key predictors of participation, including awareness of community policing, knowledge of police services, community integration, support, community leadership, and police contact. These factors significantly impacted community involvement in policing initiatives. The study offers valuable insights for criminology, public safety, urban studies, and sociology while providing actionable recommendations for policymakers, law enforcement, and community organizations. By emphasizing the importance of awareness and participation, the findings aim to enhance collaborative policing frameworks, promoting safer and more inclusive urban environments.
This paper examines how popular culture and digital media shaped youth-led mobilization during Nigeria's #EndSARS protests. While scholarship on Nigerian activism often focuses on state violence and democratic struggle, this study highlights the creative cultural practices that energized participation. Drawing on ethnographic observation, social media content analysis, and interviews with 25 activists, artists, and digital creators, the paper shows how music, memes, performances, and protest art transformed demonstration sites into vibrant spaces of resistance. Hip-hop, Afrobeats, satire, and visual art amplified public grievances about police brutality while fostering solidarity across Lagos, Abuja, and diasporic communities. The study also finds that platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok extended protest culture beyond physical spaces, enabling local demands to circulate globally. The paper argues that creativity in African urban contexts operates as both political expression and survival strategy, and that understanding these cultural dimensions is essential for interpreting contemporary youth activism and democratic change.
The paper delves into the concept of 'superdiversity' within urban districts, using as a case study an area in Lisbon (Arroios), Portugal, which has been dubbed the coolest neighbourhood in the world. Based on case study methodology, using a variety of sources of data, the study examines the complex reality of a fast-changing area characterized by cultural and ethnic diversity, as well as socioeconomic disparities and different mobility patterns. Driven by neoliberal policies and a surge in housing prices, it shows the challenges and dynamics that are not always reflected in the broader narratives of urban success. The study concludes that used as an analytical tool, superdiversity has much to offer, but that its use as a concept may lead to a narrowing of the understanding of the concept through an emphasis on only some factors.
This study presents the development of an innovative contemporary Thai musical drama designed to educate the public about preparing for an ageing society. Traditional Thai musical drama- featuring vocal performance with percussion accompaniment-has declined due to a shortage of skilled performers, prompting the need for revitalization. The project aimed to transform this art form into a modern learning medium that raises awareness about aging-related issues. The production process separated core elements- vocal training, band recording, drama filming, costume and technical preparation-and later integrated them through studio technology, producing a complete performance shared on social media. A sample group from the Champak Phaeo community in Kaeng Khoi District, Saraburi Province, evaluated its impact. While 14 participants completed the pre-test and 30 the post-test, results showed a clear increase in understanding after viewing. Findings confirm that contemporary Thai musical drama can effectively convey social knowledge, demonstrating its value as an accessible educational tool that connects cultural heritage with modern societal needs.
This study analyzes the collaborative practice of Satu Tungku Tiga Batu in stunting prevention in Fakfak Regency, Indonesia, as a local wisdom-based governance model. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and document analysis involving 17 key informants from government, traditional, and religious leaders. Data analysis employed the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and Salda & ntilde;a, supported by triangulation of methods, sources, and theories grounded in collaborative governance and Country Collaboration Theory. The findings indicate that Satu Tungku Tiga Batu strengthens social trust, role equality, and collaborative commitment through the Wewowo forum as a co-determination space. The collaboration achieved a 'small victory'by initiating revisions to Regent Regulation No. 62 of 2022 to formally involve traditional and religious leaders. This study concludes that integrating local cultural values fosters inclusive, participatory, and sustainable collaborative governance in stunting management.
Our paper analyzes alternatives to overcome the dynamics of epistemicide through processes of Free, Prior, and Informed Consultation of Indigenous Peoples when exogenous actors act in their territories. The objective is to demonstrate the possibilities of resistance of communities in processes that may affect their lives through legal regulations and the Consultation Protocol of the Xukuru Kariri community, located in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, where a reparation governance process is underway. The theoretical background is related to the Bio-Necropolitics and Decolonial approach. This is qualitative research, based on engaged study, since the authors develop projects in this territory to support the strengthening of Indigenous peoples'rights. The Consultation Protocol is problematized as an instrument to be observed when carrying out university-community projects and research activities in Indigenous territories.
This article explores the intersection of national law and Bugis customary tradition through Dui'Pappenre in marriage annulment cases. Using a normative legal approach, it identifies a legal vacuum: while Dui' Pappenre symbolizes respect and social standing in Bugis culture, it remains unrecognized in both the Marriage Law and the Compilation of Islamic Law, creating legal uncertainty and inconsistent rulings. Misinterpreted as a mandatory dowry, Dui' Pappenre often places disproportionate social and economic burdens, reinforcing gender and class inequalities. The lack of legal clarity not only marginalizes cultural values but also exemplifies broader challenges of legal pluralism in Indonesia's multicultural society. The study advocates for reform that explicitly distinguishes Dui' Pappenre from dowry, provides judges with cultural training, and promotes public education to counter misconceptions. These recommendations contribute to global debates on harmonizing customary practices with modern legal frameworks while ensuring cultural preservation and substantive justice.
In this article, we associate the use of te reo M & amacr;ori in vernacular New Zealand English with political alignments and transformations in Aotearoa New Zealand. The volume and direction of this lexical borrowing - from M & amacr;ori into vernacular New Zealand English - is as unique as it is counterintuitive: lexical borrowing most typically involves words from dominant, majority languages being loaned into and shared with subdominant, Indigenous languages. Our contribution explores the persistent use of te reo M & amacr;ori in New Zealand English. We start by offering a chronology of te reo M & amacr;ori as an endangered and official language, and then review the existing scholarship on how and when te reo M & amacr;ori elected in 2023.
This paper examines the role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in preserving endangered cultural practices among the Kambari communities of Kebbi and Niger States Nigeria. It explores the major socio-cultural and linguistic factors that simultaneously weakened and sustained Kambari heritage, resulting in complex patterns of transformation in local identity and practice. Drawing on an ethnographic research design, the findings demonstrate that Kambari CSOs employ a hybrid preservation strategy that combines performative revivalism, including festivals, dances, and dramatized rituals, with documentary preservation efforts, such as archival documentation and the dissemination of digital media. These dual strategies foster intergenerational cultural transmission and reposition Kambari traditions within broader discourses of heritage and identity. Despite these achievements, the research underscores that cultural sustainability remains fragile, constrained by modernization, interethnic integration, and limited institutional support. The study concludes that a more context-sensitive, participatory, and policy-supported framework is essential to ensure the long-term survival of Kambari cultural heritage.
Communal intellectual property on traditional knowledge, in the South Papua region, has not been adequately identified. This research focuses on the importance of digitized archives for the protection and preservation of traditional knowledge on the processing of Yei tribal sago snacks. This socio-legal study uses an ethnographic study approach. The results found that the Yei tribe's sago food processing practices fulfill the elements for protection as traditional knowledge including methods or processes, skills, and/or sago processing skills as traditional food even though they have not been recorded and registered in the communal intellectual property database on traditional knowledge. In this era of globalization, there is a need for documentation and publication based on digitized archives for the entire practice of processing sago snacks so as to produce digital copies available on the internet or other devices to ensure accessibility, sustainability and preservation of traditional knowledge that can later be passed on to the next generation.
International minimum standards for sharing and protecting Indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge have been adopted under United Nations conventions which promote fair and equitable benefit-sharing with Indigenous peoples. However, biodiscovery continues in Australia using Indigenous peoples'traditional knowledge without adequately recognising their rights and interests despite Australia having signed the Nagoya Protocol. In this paper, we use legal doctrinal research combined with qualitative analysis and a case study to demonstrate inconsistencies of Australian Commonwealth regulation with the Nagoya Protocol for accessing genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge from Commonwealth areas and benefit-sharing with Indigenous communities (Collings 2024). We use an example of biodiscovery at Uluru which is a sacred site where Australian native tobacco species were collected under permit to demonstrate the shortcomings of Australia's Commonwealth access and benefit-sharing regulation. We conclude that regulatory arrangements in Australia for collecting and using biological resources and associated traditional knowledge from Commonwealth areas are inconsistent with international standards and often unenforceable to protect traditional knowledge and provide fair and reasonable benefit-sharing with Australia's Indigenous peoples.
The degradation of marine ecosystems and the socioeconomic vulnerability of coastal populations are intensifying due to unsustainable fishing methods and inadequate regulatory frameworks. This study seeks to establish the Eco-Muamalat framework, a comprehensive model that integrates Islamic principles with sasi for marine conservation and community empowerment. Utilizing grounded theory, data were gathered via interview and participant observation of the seaside community of Iha. The results indicate that conservation activities are intricately integrated into religious rites, socioecological norms, and ethical economic allocation. The Eco-Muamalat framework offers a contextually relevant and ethically sound paradigm for marine governance that fosters ecological sustainability, justice, and public welfare. This work theoretically enhances Islamic environmental ethics by illustrating how religious values serve as both normative goals and practical governing instruments. The framework provides policymakers with a culturally integrated approach religion-informed, community-driven conservation that is scalable and adaptable to many socio-ecological environments.
