Journal of Security and Sustainability Issues

This study addresses key issues related to the technical protection and restoration of critical railway infrastructure in the Czech Republic when dealing with military and non-military crisis situations. These issues can be divided into problems of organizational nature and technical problems. The study demonstrates how these key issues can be resolved and what steps are required. Ensuring the operational readiness of railway infrastructure is an integral part of successfully managing crisis situations and securing military transport, as well as transport for the national economy and the population.

Crises are often viewed negatively as disruptions that hinder individuals and social groups. However, crises can also present opportunities for growth and development. This article explores psychological concepts that perceive crises as catalysts for change, motivating individuals to seek help and find constructive solutions in difficult situations. The article examines various psychological theories on crises. It discusses the different ways individuals respond to crises, ranging from effectively managing them to experiencing mental breakdowns. Crises have complex symptoms and causes, influenced by personal and environmental factors such as family, workplace, material status, and social groups. Anxiety is a common characteristic of crises, often reaching a high level before individuals acknowledge the need for concrete actions. Quick fixes like medication provide temporary relief but do not resolve the underlying crisis. Crises often involve conflicts and decision-making, where passivity becomes a negative and destructive choice. The article also explores crises in developmental terms, drawing upon Erik Erikson’s psychosocial development theory and Kazimierz Dąbrowski’s theory of positive disintegration. Erikson identifies specific crises in each stage of development, while Dąbrowski emphasizes the role of tension and disruption in achieving higher levels of personal growth. Not all crises lead to development, and not all changes constitute developmental changes. Developmental changes are irreversible, sequential, autonomous, unidirectional, and goal-oriented. The article categorizes development into continuous, leap, and crisis development, highlighting the transformative nature of crisis-induced changes. The article argues that crises, despite their hardships, should be viewed as opportunities for personal and collective development. By confronting crises and actively seeking constructive solutions, individuals and communities can achieve higher levels of growth and improve their quality of life.

Crises can originate from many factors, including intrapsychic, relational, and environmental elements, pervasively affecting individuals throughout their lives. The paper focuses on the intricate nature of crises, their diverse origins, and the subjective reactions they elicit. It emphasizes developing adaptive coping strategies, cultivating self-efficacy, and fostering social support networks to navigate and transcend crises effectively. Understanding the multidimensional aspects of emergencies and employing resilient responses is crucial for individuals to thrive in adversity.

The central topic of this paper is the complex issue of providing crisis intervention, post-traumatic care, posttraumatic intervention care, psychosocial intervention services in the basic components of the integrated rescue system in the Czech Republic. We draw on theoretical knowledge and also on practical experience that members and officers of the integrated rescue system in their daily practice are involved in a number of highly traumatic emergencies and crisis situations. The negative impact of dealing with emergencies and crisis situations has primary or secondary impact on their psychological state. Almost in their daily practice they encounter emotionally stressful situations such as traffic accidents accompanied by severe injuries or death of the participants, mass disabilities of persons, encounters with death (in various forms: natural death, death as a result of a criminal act, etc. ), notification of deaths to survivors, dealing with psychologically and physically demanding conflicts with persons showing elements of aggression and aggressive (verbal and physical) behaviour, interventions against armed offenders, implementation of crisis communication (personal or telephone) with persons demonstrating suicidal intent, implementation of crisis communication with affected persons or their family members, implementation of communication with persons with specific needs (e.g. etc.), implementation of multicultural communication, etc. Thus, traumatic events affecting their psychological state occur in their daily practice. That is why a psychological examination (analysing their mental health as well as their level of resilience to stress, etc.) is part of their recruitment into the basic components of the integrated rescue system. Subsequently, their lifelong learning process includes post-traumatic care, strengthening resilience and the ability to cope with traumatic and stressful events, prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder, prevention of psychological distress or burnout syndrome, etc. Taking into account the above-mentioned facts, the basic components of the integrated rescue system have a system of providing post-traumatic care, and the characteristics of each system and the issue of providing this care is the subject of this paper .

The aim of the article is to present and examine a unique role of social media in correlation with contemporary secure and sustainable development path by observing social and political processes, which in several instances led to a violent conflicts and crisis. Fundamental task of the article as well as its research goal is to give an answer to two questions – does the social media can be used to trigger revolutions and how military powerful entities as NATO and US are prepared to utilize the social media as a part of military efforts. First part of the article is focused on scientific approaches towards secure and sustainable development, followed by NATO’s and US military doctrinal approach to the use of the social media. After review of interrelationships between security and sustainable development, that part of the article covers such documents as NATO Military Concept for NATO Strategic Communication (2010), NATO Strasbourg-Khel Summit Declaration (2009), NATO Strategic Communication Policy (2009), US Capstone Concept for Joint Operations (2009), US Commander’s Handbook for Strategic Communication and Communication Strategy (2010) and revised US Capstone Concept for Joint (2012). The second part of the article is focused mainly on presentation of the usage of the social media in selected conflicts which took place in Lebanon, Kuwait, Kenya, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia, Nigeria and another accord in long-lasting war between Israel and Hamas (so called operation Pillars of Defense). The article is concluded with final remarks addressing role of social media in processes of secure sustainable development of considered countries.