Journal of Social Political Sciences

THE THE PROBLEMS OF JUST ENERGY TRANSITION IN WEST SUMATRA: ENERGY DEMOCRACY, ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE, COMMUNITY OWNERSHIP

Virtuous Setyaka, Sucy Delyarahmi, Apriwan — Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The transition toward renewable energy is increasingly promoted as a pathway to decarbonization, energy security, and sustainable development. Yet renewable-energy expansion does not automatically constitute a just energy transition. This article examines the challenges of just energy transition in West Sumatra, Indonesia, through the lenses of energy justice, energy democracy, ecological justice, and community ownership. It employs a qualitative comparative case-study approach based on documentary research and recent field research at three renewable-energy sites: the floating solar photovoltaic project at Danau Singkarak, the Gunung Talang geothermal project, and the Muara Laboh geothermal project. The findings reveal a persistent governance gap between centralized energy-transition policies and local territorial realities. Participation remains largely administrative rather than deliberative; customary land rights are insufficiently incorporated into project governance; community-level economic benefits remain weakly institutionalized; and local communities are positioned primarily as beneficiaries or affected populations rather than co-owners and decision-makers. These conditions generate distrust and resistance, even where communities do not reject renewable energy itself. The article argues that such resistance can represent claims for procedural, recognition, distributional, and ecological justice. It further contends that energy democracy provides a crucial political dimension of just transition by addressing ownership and control. The article proposes a nagari-based energy-democracy framework combining deliberative participation, recognition of customary rights, ecological safeguards, binding benefit-sharing, and community or cooperative ownership. A genuinely just energy transition therefore requires redistributing not only energy benefits, but also political authority, economic value, ecological responsibility, and ownership

RESOURCE BASED CONFLICTS AND REGIONAL STABILITY IN WEST AFRICA: AN ASSESSMENT OF HERDER FARMER CONFLICT IN NIGERIA’S MIDDLE BELT REGION

Sunday Omojowo, Sunday Toyin, ADEBAJO, Aderayo Adeola — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Resources are vital to a nation’s economic development, growth and sustainability. However, resources are also sources of conflict as a result of intense competition over their control and exploitation. The situation is terrifying in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria, where herders and farmers continue to clash over arable lands and water supply. The paper examined resource-based conflicts and their impact on regional stability, focusing on herder-farmer conflict in the Middle Belt region of Nigeria. It adopted the desk review research method and the theory of environmental resource scarcity as its theoretical underpinning. The paper argued that the herder-farmer conflict was triggered by pressure on depleting land and water in the region as a result of climate change and heightened by factors such as weak governance, illicit arms, and ethnic conflicts, among others. The conflict has led to the loss of lives and properties, humanitarian crises, food insecurity and instability in the region. The region has continued to experience a cycle of bloodbath, particularly in Benue and Plateau states, which are the hotbeds of the conflict. The paper concluded that if the conflict continues unabated, the region could degenerate into a state of anarchy. The paper therefore recommended that a regional security agency should be created by state governments in the Middle Belt to strengthen formal security architecture. Also, alternative dispute resolution methods should be highly encouraged, as they have been effective, to a large extent, in managing the conflict in the region

GOVERNANCE FAILURE IN THE CITY OF JOHANNESBURG AMID THE FORTHCOMING 2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS: WHAT WENT WRONG?

John Mamokhere — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The City of Johannesburg faces a deepening governance crisis marked by political instability, administrative inefficiency, financial mismanagement, and deteriorating service delivery, with critical implications for the 2026 local government elections. Institutions such as City Power and Johannesburg Water have failed to fulfil their mandates due to corruption, mismanagement, and political interference. The Auditor-General of South Africa's 2023/24 report identifies major governance and financial management issues in the City of Johannesburg, including unauthorised expenditures of R2.67 billion due to weak internal controls and accountability mechanisms, worsened by ongoing irregular expenditures linked to non-compliance with supply chain management regulations enshrined in the MFMA. Coalition politics, cadre deployment, and frequent leadership changes have disrupted policy continuity and undermined municipal administration. These failures have manifested in collapsing infrastructure, persistent water and electricity shortages, deteriorating roads, inadequate waste management, and widespread citizen dissatisfaction, reflected in service delivery protests. Drawing on the dead horse theory and qualitative desktop research, including Auditor-General reports, policy analyses, and scholarly literature, this study critically examines the causes, manifestations, and implications of governance failure in Johannesburg. The findings highlight the interrelated nature of political instability, administrative incompetence, and financial mismanagement, which collectively reinforce a cycle of decline in the city. The study concludes by recommending programmatic political coalitions, professionalisation of municipal administration, strengthened financial oversight, infrastructure rehabilitation, and enhanced accountability and public participation to restore governance stability, improve service delivery, and rebuild public trust

ISLAMIC EDUCATION POLICIES AND COUNTER-RADICALISATION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF INDONESIA AND THE UK

Muh Barid Nizarudin Wajdi, Charlotte E. Reeves, Thomas W. Ellery, Moh Ali Fauzi — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0700

This comparative study evaluates how state authorities deploy Islamic education to counter radicalisation in Indonesia and the United Kingdom. Rooted in public policy analysis, the research examines how a Muslim-majority nation and a Muslim-minority state integrate religious instruction into security and educational frameworks. Through qualitative content analysis of legislative documents, policy guidelines, and empirical literature, the paper compares Indonesia’s strategy of mainstreaming religious moderation (wasathiyah) with the British statutory Prevent duty across educational institutions. Findings indicate that Indonesia relies on soft-power curriculum reform, dialogic pedagogy, and institutional collaboration to build civic character. Meanwhile, the British model depends on statutory surveillance and safeguarding duties, which often stigmatises Muslim students as suspect populations. Both approaches face operational limits concerning teacher preparation, pedagogical autonomy, and the tension between national security imperatives and educational freedom. Effective counter-radicalisation requires moving away from securitised monitoring toward values-based pedagogical frameworks that support educators and build civic cohesion without alienating minority groups. The analysis also traces the historical evolution of both policy regimes, from Indonesia’s post-Reformasi religious governance reforms to the United Kingdom’s post-2001 counter-terrorism legislation. Particular attention is paid to the role of teacher training institutions, curriculum development agencies, and community liaison structures in mediating policy outcomes at the classroom level. The paper further situates both cases within wider global debates on the securitisation of education and the governance of religious diversity in plural societies

CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING: A STUDY OF A NATIVE PAPUAN PLANT NURSERY PROGRAMME IN THE MALASIGI VILLAGE FOREST, SOUTHWEST PAPUA

Muhammad Ishlah Ramadhan, Menase Fami, Amarullah, Nonon Saribanon — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0700

Community‑based nursery programmes are increasingly promoted as a bridge between plant conservation and Indigenous livelihoods, yet their evaluation rarely moves beyond counting seedlings. This study examines the nursery programme run by the Belempe Village Forest Management Institution (LPHD Belempe) in the Malasigi customary village, Sorong Regency, Southwest Papua, through three analytical lenses: ecological composition, the legitimacy of conservation claims, and institutional capacity. Using a descriptive‑evaluative case study design, data were collected through a nursery inventory, structured observation, semi‑structured interviews with 15 key informants, and document review, and were analysed through proportional analysis, a taxonomic and conservation‑status audit, and SWOT–TOWS analysis. The programme produced 5,000 seedlings of 11 taxa: agroforestry (53.5%), multipurpose (30.0%), and Rare, Threatened and Endemic (RTE) species (16.5%). The audit, however, shows that one third of the seedlings are introduced fruit species, and that the RTE label is only partly consistent with formal status, as Intsia bijuga is assessed as Near Threatened by the IUCN while Aquilaria spp. are listed in CITES Appendix II. The central finding is a persistent gap between outputs (seedlings produced) and outcomes (seedlings surviving, planted and used), sustained by the absence of monitoring rules within the institution and by a high dependence on a single corporate partner. The study proposes species verification, seedling quality standards, a tiered monitoring framework, functional zoning of seedling distribution, a phased partnership exit strategy, and protocols for free, prior and informed consent over noken‑related traditional knowledge

THE RESURGENCE OF RITUAL KILLINGS AND BODY PARTS TRADE IN NIGERIA: DRIVERS AND PATTERNS

Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0700

The rise of ritual killings and the illegal trade in human body parts in Nigeria has emerged as a major socio-criminal issue, fueled by economic desperation, cultural beliefs, and governmental failings. This study investigates the underlying causes, trends, and potential interventions to combat this concerning trend. Using a qualitative research technique, the study examines secondary data from academic publications, media stories, and organizational records to uncover recurring themes and sociocultural elements that support these behaviors. The theoretical foundation is based on Merton's Strain Theory, which explains how societal pressures and restricted access to legitimate possibilities lead individuals to participate in deviant actions, such as ritual killings, in order to attain financial success. The findings show a troubling surge in ritualistic crimes, with over 150 occurrences documented between mid-2024 and early 2025, primarily targeting vulnerable populations such as women, children, and the homeless. Poverty, unemployment, superstitious ideas promoted by the media and traditional healers, and ineffective law enforcement are all major contributors. The study also emphasizes the importance of organized syndicates and seasonal increases in crime around elections or economic downturns. Recommendations include increasing law enforcement training and money, promoting countrywide job efforts, conducting public awareness campaigns to dispel stereotypes, and involving traditional and religious leaders to promote cultural change. Addressing these challenges demands a diverse strategy in order to break the cycle of violence and restore public trust.