Journal of Security and Sustainability Issues

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.

Drawing on policy variation across European countries this study analyses the differences, similarities and the best practices in officers and serviceman reintegration into labour market after their early retirement. The success of reintegration depends on national labour market policy towards employability and specific measures in employment assistance for officers and serviceman. The search for sustainable approach toward employability of retired officers and serviceman fostered to conduct institutional survey. The survey was conducted using set of connections of military attaché and the network of CEPOL1. Analyzing retirement practice of the police and the military in EU countries, it is noted that the police officers retirement is organized 5-10 earlier than full retirement; their pension is worth a substantial part of previous salary. For that reason, reintegration programs are not needed and in majority of countries do not exist. The situation in military is different. Military rejuvenation forces to cut middle-age people into early retirement. It means that they will have to reintegrate into the labour market in order to maintain a similar level of well-being for themselves and their families. Results reveals four different types of reintegration programmes for serviceman in EU member states.

The level of citizens’ financial knowledge has a great impact on financial well-being of individuals and society. In this regard public authorities in many countries initiated a process of development and implementation of National strategies to enhance financial literacy level. The initial step of developing a national strategy is evaluation of current situation. Thus, financial literacy measuring issues are frequently debated in the academic and public environment. The goal of the current research is to develop a measurement instrument to evaluate the level of financial knowledge of Latvian citizens. The present paper reflects the results of the authors’ conducted survey based on the sample of 169 respondents. A set of 12 questions on financial matters was developed to detect perceived importance and complexity of financial literacy components, as well as to get financial literacy self-assessment scores. Data was processed by means of SPSS, applying such methods, as analysis of means, analysis of frequencies and independent samples t-test. Received results assist to precise the content and wording of questions to be included into the questionnaire for evaluation financial literacy level of Latvian citizens.

The paper presents a conceptual framework and a complex understanding of the quality of life. On the basis of the system of indicators of the quality of life as offered by the author, a long term changes in the quality of life of the Lithuanian population during the period of functioning of the market over 1990-2012 is analysed. There is presented analysis of the changes of Lithuanian population’s on the areas of material well-being, health and demographics according to the trends of shift of cultural, moral-ethical and spiritual values1. The article presents how the quality of life of Lithuanian population has changed after the implementation of the market economy, membership in the European Union and through the time of the crisis. The main positive and negative factors influencing the population’s quality of life are identified as well as achievements, major issues and the possible ways of their solutions and future prospects.

In the White Paper on Transport 2011 the European Commission stressed the concept of green transport corridors, i.e. transshipment routes with concentration of freight traffic between major hubs and by relatively long distances of transport marked by reduced environmental and climate impact while increasing safety and efficiency with application of sustainable logistics solutions. Green transport is based on inter-modality, powerful logistics hubs and advanced ICT-systems improving traffic management, increase efficiency and better integrate the logistics components of a corridor. Sustainable hub development along the transshipment routes of green corridors is one of the major tasks of green corridors in order to safeguard and meet the necessary corridor performance for the current and future transport demand. The main corridor hubs represent logistics clusters in the sense of Yossi Sheffi, comprising ports, logistics centers and other transshipment nodes. The paper will present results about the development of core logistics clusters representing hubs in green transport corridors and it will indicate actions for hub development with a future-oriented compilation of sustainable development measures of infrastructural, legal or organizational nature. Since the author took part in some important green transport corridor initiatives around the Baltic Sea, including “East-West Transport Corridor (EWTC II)” initiative, representing the first European project which delivered a green corridor manual formulating recommendations and requirements of green transport corridors to European level, some case studies from EWTC project will be discussed.

The goal of this research is to formulate the notion of sustainable dispute resolution and distinguish main characteristics of those dispute resolution procedures that can be considered to be sustainable having an idea of bringing together sustainability, law and dispute resolution. Thus the object of the research – dispute resolution procedures, their main features and capability to be qualified as sustainable. The research is composed of introduction, two parts and conclusions. Introduction provides a brief overview of the object of that research and its goal, part one describes main criteria for distinguishing the sustainable dispute resolution, in part two analysis of sustainability in main dispute resolution processes (negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and litigation) is presented. Conclusion gives main ideas of the assignment of that work in brief.

Tax incentive is optional but highly important element of taxation, used in order to achieve different goals. On the one hand, tax incentives form tax expenditures and thus reduce budget revenue; on the other hand, they influence behavior of persons and businesses and may have positive or negative social and economic effect. This article analyzes the incentives of personal taxation in Lithuania and their social, economic and fiscal impact. The study was conducted using the method of descriptive and factor analysis. The results revealed economic impact of tax incentives applicable in Lithuania.