Vol. 7 No. 3 (2025)

I am proud to announce that the annual, special edition of the Journal of Intelligence, Conflict, and Warfare (JICW) comprising conference proceedings from the preceding West Coast Security Conference has been released. The 7th annual West Coast Security Conference, titled Friction: Insecurity, Information-Driven Conflict, and Public Safety comprised a focus on the evolving threat environment, exploring the latest advancements in digital democracy, international cooperation, hybrid conflict, and other topics surrounding contemporary conflict and warfare. 

Across three days of online panels and one in-person day featuring an interactive workshop, both expert practitioners and participants interacted, building on backgrounds ranging from intelligence, law enforcement, academia, and other professionals. Furthermore, we built on the success of last year's conference and hosted a capacity-building exercise on identifying misinformation and disinformation, allowing presenters and attendees alike to collaborate.  

Volume 7, Issue 3 of the Journal of Intelligence, Conflict, and Warfare provides an extensive range of academic forethought centered across both domestic and global themes. Our special edition conference issue is introduced by recurring author Dr. Frederich Appiah Afriyie of the Research Center for Analysis and Security Studies (RECASS) in Ghana, who employs Protracted Social Conflict and Structural Violence Theories to assess civil conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region. On page 110, our successive author and new addition to the JICW, Tin Maung Htwe of Chiang Mai University, shifts our focus across the globe and provides an in-depth analysis of the critical role of Myanmar's intelligence agencies in the systematic repression under the military junta during the 2021 revolution. Through the application of Political Violence Theory, the article puts forth an underexplored  perspective on Myanmar politics and the overlap between intelligence operations and state-sponsored violence. Lastly, briefing notes were prepared following each conference presentation to provide a concise and effective knowledge transfer from speakers to the journal’s audience. These insights effectively summarize the conference’s explorations on public safety approaches to contemporary threats, information-driven conflict, challenges in defending sovereignty, and countermeasures in identifying misinformation and disinformation. 

CASIS Vancouver continually seeks valuable insights dedicated to protecting national security and public safety in today’s dynamic environment. Through these articles and briefings, I hope to inspire deeper exploration and dialogue on the evolving security challenges we witness across the global arena. By fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing, we can better understand and address the complexities of emerging threats.

Sincerely yours, 

Candyce Kelshall

JICW Editor-in-Chief