Volume VIV Issue II November 2015

Nicaragua Canal Faces New Setbacks

Angelo PiroStaff Writer

Peaceful Elections in Guinea, Ivory Coast Exceed Expectations

Oumarou KouraogoStaff Writer

INSIDE

FOCUS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

ACTIVISM page 6&7

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

US Firearms; Cuban EmbargoPage 2

Canada’s Elections; Quantitative Easing in EuropePage 3

Page 11

diplomacy news

GirlUP Event; SHUNA at BARMUN

SJP Event; SDG Teach-InPage 12

Economic Benefits of Refugees in Europe; U.S. Labor Conditions

Opinion

Page 8

Russia in Syria;U.S. Hypocrisy on WhistelblowersPage 9

Japanese Militarization; Egypt’s ElectionsPage 4

Continued on Page 2...

Photos courtesy of NPR The proposed Nicaragua Canal will not only shorten crossing for ships from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, but also cut through Lake Nicaragua, the country’s largest source of freshwater.

Page 10TTP in Congress

Continued on Page 2...

Report: “Nicaragua May Be Worse Off Than Doing Nothing”

The proposed $50 billion, 172-mile Nicaragua Canal hit a new series of setbacks in October, adding to the prob-lems already facing the project as the 2020 completion date nears.

The first roadblock emerged after the Nicaraguan government released a new study on the expected social and environmental impact of the canal.

The report commissioned by Hong Kong-based HK Nicaragua Canal Development Investment Group (HKND), the Chinese firm behind the project, painted a grim pic-ture. In documents analyzed by Reuters, the study stated that the construction of the canal is “fraught with risks and uncertainties.”

According to Reuters,

though the report stated that the canal will have an overall positive impact on Nicaragua, the Nicaraguan government must raise the standards ap-plied in building the canal and protect against risks, such as loss of biological reserves and the risk of earthquakes.

Reuters found that the re-

In October, contentious elections in the African nations of Guinea and the Ivory Coast captured the world’s attention.

On October 11, Guinea held their second democrat-ic presidential election since declaring independence from France in 1958.

The elections were marked by deadly clashes as opposition leader Dalein Diallo warned, ahead of the vote, that he would contest the results.

After Guinea’s elector-al commission declared that incumbent President Alpha Conde had won around 58

percent of the vote, Diallo said he did not recognize the result and would call on his support-ers to protest against fraud and vote-rigging, as reported by Al Jazeera.

Diallo suspected the elec-toral commission and the gov-ernment of manipulative acts, including “ballot stuffing, al-lowing minors to vote, chang-ing the electoral map and in-timidation.”

Though Diallo called for the protest to be peaceful and organized, fear of escalation and violence was felt both na-tionally and around the world.

Corine Dufka, West Afri-ca director at Human Right Watch, stressed the need for “political parties to ensure re-

straint by their members, and Guinean security forces [to] apply discipline, minimum force, and neutrality at all times when responding to post-elec-tion violence.”

Additionally, the Interna-tional Criminal Court Prosecu-tor Fatou Bensouda stated that her “office has been closely following development in the situation in Guinea,” and “re-iterated that anyone who com-mits, orders incites, encourag-es or contributes in any way to the commission of atrocity crimes falling the jurisdiction of the ICC is liable to prosecu-tion either in Guinea or at the court in the Hague.”

There is no data to assess the extent to which warnings

from these international or-ganizations have had an im-pact on the progress of the post-electoral situation. How-ever, there have been no major incidents reported as of early November.

In the Ivory Coast, the presidential elections held on October 25 resulted in the re-election of Alassane Dra-mane Ouattara, the incumbent since 2011. Ouattara won his second five-year term with ap-proximately 84 percent of the vote.

Ouattara’s first term came after a controversial two-round election held in October through November 2010.

port was also critical of the project’s five-year timeline, which the consulting firm be-hind the report said would cre-ate “logistical, procurement, and workforce challenges,” as well as issues regarding the estimated 30,000 people who would be displaced by the project, many of whom are

indigenous or impoverished farmers.

As a result of the push-back, HKND delayed the start of construction and excava-tion of the canal, originally slated to begin in October, to early 2016.

Page 5Alumna: Teale Howard

SpotlightsFaculty: Borislava Manojlavic

international newsNovember 2015Page 2

UN Resolution Further Isolates US on Cuban Embargo

Nicholas EldenStaff Writer

Isla LamontStaff Writer

Despite “Routine” Shootings, US Still Outranked On Firearm Murder Rate

African Elections:Continued from Page 1...

These elections resulted in a deadly civil war, which saw the death of nearly 3,000 peo-ple and the displacement of around 500,000.

The October 25 election was judged transparent by several observers. Al Jazeera reports that many political ob-servers predicted Ouattara’s victory due to his success in rebuilding the economy after the civil war.

A recent report from BBC News indicates that the Ivo-rian economy has boomed in recent years due largely to the export of cocoa and cashew nuts.

While President Ouattara

has been praised for trans-forming the economy and returning Ivory Coast to eco-nomic stability unseen since the 1970s, he has also been criticized for not doing enough for reconciliation and justice, according to BBC News.

Judging from past elec-tions, the elections in Guinea and Ivory Coast were expect-ed to result in conflict. In this case, the fear outweighed the hurt. As BBC News reports, “After two civil wars, most of the country will simply be hap-py these elections passed by peacefully.”

Contact Oumar at oumarou.kouroogo@student.shu.edu.

Photo courtesy of Getty ImagesIn Guinea, incumbent President Alpha Conde won 58% of the vote, a contested result that led to deadly clashes..

On October 2, ten peo-ple at Umpqua Community College were killed in a mass shooting, adding to the 31 school shootings that have tak-en place in the United States since 2000.

ABC News reports, “The rate of people killed by guns in the U.S. is 19. 5 times high-er than similar high-income countries in the world.”

The Council on Foreign Relations reports that 88.8 out of 100 people in the U.S. own a firearm.

The U.S. espouses a gun control policy unique from the rest of the world, where each state has individual laws about the sale and possession of weapons.

According to the U.S. Con-

stitution, each citizen has the right to bear arms, but in Cali-fornia there is no provision in state law that guarantees the right to bear arms. However, Utah does not require a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Julia Wyman, executive director of the States Unit-ed to Prevent Gun Violence, writes, “President Obama’s use of the word ‘routine’ during his briefing on the mass shooting in Roseburg, Oregon has haunted me.”

Obama had told press after the Umpqua shooting, “The way our society reacts to mass shootings has become far too routine.”

While the U.S. does have the highest gun ownership rate in the world, the U.S. is not the worst country statistically in terms of homicide by firearm.

The Guardian reports that,

according to a United Nations Office of Drug and Crime sur-vey, “The U.S. does not have the worst firearm murder rate - that prize belongs to Hondu-ras, El Salvador, and Jamaica. In fact, the U.S. is number 28, with a rate of 2.97 per 100,000 people.”

The line between freedom and safety is always blurred when it comes to internation-al peacekeeping. Conflict is bound to happen among in-dividuals and states, but the statistics and ease of purchas-ing firearms in the United States is clearly flawed.

A 2007 report by the Swit-zerland-based Small Arms Survey indicates that about 35 to 50 percent of the world’s ci-vilian-owned guns belongs to the United States.

Contact Nicholas at nicholas.elden@student.shu.edu.

Nicaragua:Continued from Page 1...

Both the Nicaraguan gov-ernment and the canal’s Chi-nese backers are still intent on completing the canal, accord-ing to reports by the Los An-geles Times and Bloomberg.

However, the canal still poses major risks to the sec-ond poorest country in Latin America. As the report states at one point, “Nicaragua may be worse off than doing noth-ing.” In another blow to the project, its lead investor found himself victim to the Chinese stock crash in late September.

Bloomberg reports that telecommunications billion-aire Wang Jing, one of the 200 richest people in the world, suffered a massive loss follow-ing the Chinese stock crash.

Mr. Wang lost almost 85 percent of his personal wealth in the crash, falling from a peak of $10.2 billion in June to

$1.1 billion once the dust set-tled in early October.

This massive drop is the worst of 2015 so far, according to Bloomberg. To date, Wang has invested $500 million of his own money into the proj-ect, according to Xinhua News Agency.

HKND is still optimistic on the future of the project. Bill Wild, HKND’s chief ad-viser for the canal, said, “I have no doubt that appropriate financial arrangements will be in place before construction commences.”

The report dealt anoth-er blow to a project already steeped in public protests and scrutiny over the role of Chi-na in Latin America, an area historically within the United States’ sphere of influence.

Contact Angelo at angelo.piro@student.shu.edu.

The United Nations Gen-eral Assembly has, for the 23rd consecutive year, condemned the U.S. embargo against Cuba.

On October 27, a vote of 191 to 2 gave Cuba its wid-est margin of favorable votes since the resolution was under-taken by the U.N. in 1992. The second abstaining vote, aside from the United States, was Is-rael, who continued to vote in line with its Western ally.

The United States has im-posed economic sanctions on Cuba since the 1960 revolu-tion, after tensions rose during the Cold War. In July 2015, U.S. President Barack Obama made a historic move to rees-tablish diplomatic ties with the island nation, celebrating with the reopening of embassies in each country.

However, in a Republi-can-run Congress, presiden-tial action alone cannot lift the economic, commercial, and fi-nancial embargo placed on the island nation. The Republican

Party continues to stalemate the process, even as President Obama pushes for change.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) points to Cuba’s histo-ry of dictatorships, which has been the epicenter of grievous human rights violations.

“Once again, the United Nations General Assembly falls in line to support the bru-tal Castro dictatorship while ig-noring the plight of the people of Cuba,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “This institution is not inter-ested in the democratic rights or freedoms of those living under repressive regimes.”

As part of the reinstate-ment of diplomatic ties, Cuba has been removed from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, an ef-fort applauded by the U.N. and other international organiza-tions, such as Amnesty Inter-national.

The United States said be-fore the UNGA vote that it may abstain from voting if Cuba proposed a resolution that “differed significantly” from previous versions, which it did not. The United States

released a statement saying that it couldn’t support the res-olution because “the text falls short of reflecting the signifi-cant steps that have been taken and the spirit of engagement President Obama has champi-oned.”

The necessity of opening Cuba to trade is one that its citizens have felt for decades. Medical supplies, technology, and other necessities to mod-ern life are all hindered by the embargo. The nearly 55-year sentence left the country with-out many opportunities for growth.

According to the Miami Herald, Jamaican Permanent Representative Courtenay Rattray stated, “Cuba is the most popular state of the Ca-ribbean. [The embargo] is an impediment to our shared re-gional development.”

Cuba has lost potential earnings from doing business with other countries who are wary of repercussions from the United States.

Continued on Page 10...

international news November 2015Page 3

Seven Years After Recession, Eurozone Has Positive Outlook

John CareyStaff Writer

Canada’s New Liberal Government Promises “Real Change”

Keith BarnesStaff Writer

In April, after releasing a long-awaited and robustly scrutinized quantitative easing plan, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi was described as only “too hap-py” to take credit for the “turn around” in Europe’s econo-mies, according to the Wall Street Journal.

According to the Bank of England, quantitative eas-ing (QE) is an unconvention-al form of monetary policy where a country’s central bank creates new money electron-ically in order to purchase fi-nancial assets.

QE aims to generate private sector demand for performing the duties of a last resort buy-er, when no other country can buy the national debt.

This process lowers the cost of borrowing money be-cause a central bank typically purchases only high-quality as-

sets, which gives the market confidence in the quality of the purchased asset.

With their borrowing costs lowered, firms have additional incentive to spend, spurring the economy.

The most criticized por-tion of QE is, according to the Economist, that the rapid cre-ation of money depreciates the value of the currency. This can be a problem as it erodes the value of savers’ wealth over time, when inflation creeps up to the 2 percent goal most central banks have set.

Yet as the return to manage-able inflation is the objective of central banks, the problem of currency depreciation is put aside. A revitalized economy results in a resurgence of the currency, thus an increase in the nominal value of savings.

So has Europe’s economy been revitalized? The short an-swer would be, yes.

Since January, more Euro-zone economies have had to

revise their growth statistics higher and higher.

Spain and Ireland, two countries in the infamous PI-IGS group of low-perform-ing crisis states (Portugal, Ire-land, Italy, Greece, and Spain), expect 3 and 4 percent growth this year, respectively. Nations have improved their budget balances as debt-servicing costs are falling, an aforemen-tioned effect of QE.

This newfound fiscal re-sponsibility has given confi-dence to investors, resulting in capital inflows and an uptick in business and consumer confi-dence, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Despite all this, nominal inflation is still only around 0.2 percent, far from the U.S. Federal Reserve’s own 2 per-cent target.

However, the Telegraph re-ports that core inflation (infla-tion without the volatile prices of food and energy) is 1 per-cent.

There are some worry-ing statistics: low oil prices keep downward pressure on nominal inflation, which does include the price of volatile assets.

This is not worrying inves-tors though, as the eurozone’s blue-chip Euro STOXX 50 index and the pan-European FTSEurofirst 300 index post-

ed their biggest monthly gains in six years, according to Reu-ters, and now stand at 3418.23 and 1484.46 respectively.

It would seem that the cur-rent state of the European economy is on an upturn. The question now is whether it will last.

Contact Keith at keith.barnes@student.shu.edu.

The centrist Canadian Lib-eral Party won the majority of seats in the Canadian Par-liament. Party leader Justin Trudeau vowed to help unite Canada and provide a change in policy.

Trudeau’s party defeated the Stephen Harper-led Con-servative Party, which had been in power since 2006. The cam-paign was one of the longest in Canadian history, lasting 78 days. There were about 17.6 million ballots cast in the Oc-tober 19 election, which drew a 68.5-percent voter turnout.

“We beat fear with hope. We beat cynicism with hard work. We beat negative, di-visive politics with a positive vision that brings Canadians together,” Trudeau said to the cheering crowd at the end of his victory speech.

The campaign was marked by a dip in the Canadian econ-omy. According to the Wall Street Journal, the decline in

the economy has made the race much more competitive. From January to May, Cana-da’s economy contracted, due in part to the decline in oil prices, one of Canada’s larg-est exports. Unemployment is currently around 7 percent and Canada is facing a shrinking manufacturing sector.

Another issue that has come up in the campaign is the niqab, the cloth that cov-ers the head and face worn by some Muslim women. A law enacted in 2011 required citi-zens to reveal their faces. The Supreme Court overturned the rule, but the Conservative government appealed. About 80 percent of Canadians agreed with the law according to a March poll conducted by Léger Marketing that was or-dered by then-Prime Minister Harper, garnering support for the Conservatives.

The New Democratic Party (NDP) held an early lead when the campaign period began in early August. However, the niqab issue put them in be-

hind in the polls, when they came out against the measure. The NDP’s headquarters is in Quebec, where locals are very supportive of the bill. Further-more, the province of Quebec was looking to expand the ban on niqabs to include govern-ment buildings as well. In the end, the NDP was able to win only 44 seats in Parliament.

The Liberal Party rode a surge after the first debate, which it was able to sustain until the election. The par-ty won 184 seats out of the 338, gaining a remarkable 148 additional seats since the last election. Their campaign was marked with optimism and youth, thanks to Trudeau, who refused to run attack ads.

“This is what positive pol-itics can do,” Trudeau said at the beginning of his victory speech.

“Real change” was the slogan of the Liberals, and Trudeau has already started to reform some of the policies of the previous administration. A few hours after winning the

election, Trudeau called Unit-ed States President Barack Obama to inform him that Canada would be withdrawing their fighter jets from the con-flict in Syria, reports the BBC. Trudeau has also vowed to take in another 25,000 Syrian refugees.

Domestically, Trudeau’s plan is to boost spending and reform taxes to help boost the economy. The Liberals cam-paigned for an increase on taxes for the wealthy while de-creasing taxes for middle-class Canadians. The other part of the Liberal agenda is to in-crease spending and run a defi-cit to invest in the country’s in-frastructure. The hope is that these policies will be enough to spark the economy. Trudeau

also promised to legalize mar-ijuana.

Meanwhile, the Conserva-tive Party is in shambles. The party lost 60 seats, now down to 99 in Parliament. Stephen Harper has stepped down as the Conservative leader and it is uncertain who will take over. Their campaign was dis-tinguished by a slew of attack ads. “Just Not Ready” was the tagline used on campaign ads aimed on Trudeau and his in-experience. However accord-ing to CBC analysts, those ads may have backfired as they drove down people’s expec-tations and allowed him to be the youthful, charismatic can-didate.

Contact John at john.carey@student.shu.edu.

Photo courtesy of Reuters Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau gives his victory speech.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

international newsNovember 2015Page 4

Abe Pushes Security Bill DespitePublic Opinion, Regional Response

Photo courtesy of Reuters Opposition leaders in the Japanese Diet engage in a scuffle with members of the Liberal Democratic Party, including the chairman of the security committee, over Prime Minister Abe’s pet defense bill.

Francesca Regalado Managing Editor

Egypt’s Elections See Low

Turnout Among Eligible Voters

Halimah ElmariahStaff Writer

“Even a fine of 500 Egyptian pounds,

roughly $60, issued by the High Elections Commit-

tee did not gal-vanize Egyptians to head to voting stationstravelers.”

In mid-October, Egypt held parliamentary elections to fill the 596 open seats in Egypt’s House of Represen-tatives, which has been empty since the dissolution of the Egyptian Parliament in June 2012.

Of the 596 lawmakers be-ing elected, 448 will be voted in as independents, 120 on party lists, and 28 will be ap-pointed by the president.

The elections are designed to occur in two phases: one already took place in mid-Oc-tober and another is scheduled for late November.

According to Al Jazeera English, an overwhelming ma-jority of the candidates run-ning for a position in Parlia-ment support President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who crushed all political oppo-sition, including most notably the Muslim Brother-hood, which he dubbed a terrorist organization.

The Guard-ian reports that the main political coalition seeking positions in the Parliament is the pro-Sisi “For the Love of Egypt,” which in-cludes leading businessmen and former members of for-mer president Mubarak’s Na-tional Democratic Party.

This illustrates an unplural-istic governing body similar to that of ousted Muslim Broth-erhood President Mohammed Morsi, whose Parliament was predominately Islamist.

Reuters correspondents visited voting polls in its ear-ly stages and reported a low turnout of roughly 10 percent, a sharp decline from the pre-vious parliamentary elections

held in 2012 under President Morsi.

A final count by the Inter-national Business Times indi-cated that turnout for the final first round was only 26.6 per-cent of the 27 million eligible voters.

Egyptians living abroad were also able to vote at their local Egyptian Embassy. Ac-cording to the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, only 4.5 percent of Egyptians living abroad participated.

The exceedingly low turn-out demonstrates an increas-ingly disengaged and less en-ergized Egyptian population that once actively and willingly participated in government af-fairs since the first revolution in January 2011 that overthrew tyrant Hosni Mubarak.

Even a fine of 500 Egyptian pounds, roughly $60, imposed by the High Elections Com-

mittee on those who would fail to vote did not gal-vanize Egyptians to head to voting stations, according to the Tahrir In-stitute for Middle East Policy.

The Guardian writes that the low turnout also sug-gests that perhaps President Sisi,

who promised a robust econ-omy and stability, is losing his popularity among Egyptians, as their increasing demands are not met and their ability to voice any sign of indignation or dissent is firmly restricted.

Hazem Hosny, a Cairo Uni-versity political science profes-sor told the Guardian, “This Parliament will be a Parliament of the president. It’s really a Parliament to keep things as they are, to give an image of democracy.”

Contact Halimah at halimah.elmariah@student.shu.edu.

In September, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan managed to secure the passage of a bill that will allow the Self-Defense Force to fight abroad in defense of Japan’s allies.

The new legislation re-laxes the pacifist restrictions imposed by Japan’s post-war constitution to allow “collec-tive self-defense,” a move that has been on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s agenda since his return to power in 2012.

Earlier in June, Abe’s cabi-net adopted a similar resolution on the grounds of protecting itself and its allies from the re-gional threats posed by North Korea and China, according to the Guardian. Japan’s allies in-clude the United States, about whom Abe said in May, “I want to make clear that Japan will never become entangled in a war being fought by the United States,” according to the Washington Post.

While the United States ex-pressed support, China, with whom Japan shares a histori-cal rivalry aggravated by World War II, warned that Japan’s policy shift would “complicate

regional security,” Reuters re-ports.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi expressed China’s displeasure with Abe’s security policy in October. The Korea Times reports that ahead of a trilateral meeting between Abe, South Korean President Park Geun-hye, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Wang said, “We hope that the Japa-nese side can sincerely reflect upon all its past mistakes, di-rectly make a clean break with its unbeautiful past, and take an entirely new approach to join hands with the people of China and South Korea.”

The Abe government’s moves were not well-received domestically. The passing of the security bill not only in-cited protests outside parlia-ment, but also caused a phys-ical scuffle involving the LDP and opposition leaders within the Diet. According to Reu-ters, Abe’s grandfather, for-mer Prime Minister Nobusuke Kinshi, had been forced to re-sign by similar protests against the U.S.-Japan bilateral defense treaty. Japan’s pacifist constitu-tion was imposed by the U.S.-led occupation after World War II.

According to the Wash-

ington Post, Emperor Hiro-hito, despite his diminished constitutional role, has subtly expressed his disapproval of constitutional revision by re-minding the public of a “pro-found sense of remorse” over Japan’s wartime aggressions.

Abe echoed the Emperor’s sentiments on the 70th anni-versary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August, saying, “We have to continue our effort to achieve a world without nuclear weap-ons.”

Internationally, Japan has received pressure from its al-lies to reconsider the national consensus on pacifism. In a 2002 Foreign Affairs article, Eric Heginbotham and Rich-ard J. Samuels criticized Japan for “double hedging” – relying on the United States almost entirely for military support, while providing none in return aside from financial contribu-tions in the wake of the Sep-tember 11 attacks. Like other commentators, Heginbotham and Samuels doubt that Japan, despite its growing military, would “use its armed forces in ways that harm its perceived economic security interests.”Contact Francesca at francescarose.

regalado@student.shu.edu.

spotlights November 2015Page 5

Photo courtesy of the School of Diplomacy Dr. Borislava Manojlovic is the Director of Research Projects at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations.

Alumni Spotlight: Teale HowardEmily Green

News Editor

Faculty Spotlight: Borislava ManojlovicFelipe Bueno

Staff Writer

In the dawn of the 1990s, the federation of states once known as Yugoslavia were rav-aged by a conflict that claimed upwards of 140,000 lives and displaced over 4 million. Among the many lives shaped by the wars was conflict res-olution expert Dr. Borislava Manojlovic, who at the time had dreams of becoming an artist.

“When I was a teenager I wanted to go on to attend the art academy,” recounts Manojlovic. “But then the war came.”

The effects of the wars in the Balkans sparked an inter-est in Manojlovic that pushed her toward a career in peace-making and conflict resolu-tion. Her interest led her first to an interpreter position with the United Nations. After the war erupted in Kosovo, Mano-jlovic continued her work with the U.N. as a project manager with the Minorities Informa-tion Sector, where she was an editor of a newsletter dedi-cated to the Serbian speaking population.

However, she became frus-trated with the work that was being done. “We had a lot of initiatives, but I didn’t see our impact,” noted Manojlovic. Although she “felt that these projects were good and had good intentions,” she “didn’t see that what we were doing was actually changing the situ-ation,” as “the implementation faced a lot of obstacles.”

Manojlovic eventually came to the realization that she could make a bigger impact by influ-encing policy through schol-arly work within academia. While working on her doctoral dissertation at George Mason University, Manojlovic began to focus her attention towards projects on the Basque Coun-try, working alongside the School of Diplomacy’s Dean Andrea Bartoli.

Dr. Bartoli spoke of his “wonderful experience” work-ing with Dr. Manojlovic, whom he finds to be “very rigorous and dedicated.”

“She has continued the tradition of deep engagement both in South Orange and in the Basque Country,” Bartoli said.

Dr. Manojlovic now focus-

es on studying how the Basque people have dealt with their past. She was both “impressed and surprised” to discover that the Basque Country possessed “very good programs and very good approaches towards the past,” which she feels has “made their case much more successful than the Balkans.” Her work continues to moti-vate her, as she “became more passionate about the topic by seeing the importance of post conflict-reconstruction and peace building.”

Her passion has led her to develop a study abroad course that will take place in January 2016, where she will teach stu-dents about constructive ways of dealing with the conten-tious past. Manojlovic’s time in the Basque Country has re-affirmed her belief: “You can only be successful if you are collaborative and respectful of others.”

Her dedication to collab-oration is most evident in the respect and admiration that her colleagues express. Thom-as Hill (MA ’15), a found-ing member of Manojlovic’s Basque Research Team, de-scribes working with her as

“an invaluable experience.” “Dr. Manojlovic is unique

in that she seeks students out to help her,” Hill shared. “She knows the importance of mentorship and involving stu-dents in School of Diplomacy projects.”

Dr. Borislava Manojlovic is

an extremely talented and mo-tivated researcher whose life and experiences have shaped her trajectory. “Sometimes you don’t choose your profession,” she said. “Your profession chooses you.”

Contact Felipe at felipe.bueno@student.shu.edu.

Sitting amongst the sea-soned diplomats in the U.N. Security Council chamber is one of the School of Diplo-macy’s very own: alumna Teale Howard (MA ’13). Like many others in the field, Teale always knew her passion for interna-tional relations would lead her to the U.N.

Less than a year after grad-uation, Teale was welcomed with a full-time offer from the Permanent Mission of Japan.

As an adviser for the Po-litical Section of the Japanese Mission to the U.N., Teale spends each day covering the proceedings of the Security Council.

If she’s not typing away at notes in an open debate, Teale can be found waiting patiently

in the Council “Quiet Room” to be debriefed on progress made in closed consultations. All the information she gath-ers is used to keep her mis-sion’s staff updated as Japan nears its 2016-2017 term on the Council.

As the only staff member tasked with covering the entire Council agenda, Teale’s notes and reports end up on the desk of nearly every department in the large Japanese mission. Her reports are first sent to the head of the appropriate re-gion-specific department, then translated into Japanese for government officials in Tokyo.

Teale’s time at Seton Hall left her well-prepared for her position at the U.N. Surround-ed by classmates from all over the globe, her courses intro-duced her a diverse and mul-ticultural environment akin

to that of the U.N. Within her career, Teale builds upon the skills she learned in class-es such as Peacekeeping and Peace-building to research credible information to pres-ent to the Japanese capital.

While it can challenging to decide what to do after gradu-ation, Teale encourages main-taining momentum and creat-ing a plan for the future. For those from outside the tristate area, the Ohio-native recom-mends determining first where you’d like to work.

After deciding to stay in the area after graduation, Teale supported herself through a temporary administrative po-sition while searching for her job. Ultimately, there are many ways to use your international relations degree- “the chal-lenge,” she shares, is to “figure out what you’re interested in

doing with it!”Teale hopes to continue us-

ing her degree to work with or within the U.N. system. She’s open to transitioning from a position with a Member-State to a U.N. agency itself. She’d also be interested in explor-ing NGO work that deals with conflict or the Security Coun-cil.

The important thing, Teale says, is to “maintain momen-tum. You should keep looking for ways to move forward and learn.” Teale shared that she learns a lot from people at oth-er permanent missions, as you often have to be outgoing and talk to people to get informa-tion for your reports.

For those looking to start careers at the U.N., Teale rec-ommends networking. It can be very helpful to know peo-ple who work within the U.N.

system, as they can give you advice and insight on the pro-cess. Teale found out about her own position through a fellow alumna who worked at another mission.

Teale also offered some advice of her own. On a light-er note, she quipped that you should probably drink coffee as the U.N. work schedule is pretty erratic.

In addition to getting am-ple caffeine, Teale advocates coming into the environment with a touch of optimism. Al-though it’s easy to be cynical when surrounded by such se-rious issues, you should always have a bit of faith in humanity. Teale’s optimistic attitude and passion for the U.N. make it clear that she has quite a suc-cessful career ahead of her.

Contact Emily at emily.green@student.shu.edu.

focus on social November 2015Page 6

Misconceptions About the Syrian Crisis and Refugees Luis Sosa Staff Writer

Slacktivism in Gender IssuesLeah CerilliStaff Writer

One of the most widely scrutinized instances of so-cial media activism in recent events is the #BringBackOur-Girls movement.

The basic idea behind the hashtag—advocating for the freedom of 276 Nigerian schoolgirls from militant Is-lamist kidnappers who have promised to sell girls into sex slavery—seems like it would be a well-respected cause met with little resistance. Yet it is not the cause that bothers crit-ics; it is the way the cause is promoted.

People retweeting the hashtag and posting pictures of themselves holding signs with the hashtag are accused of bandwagoning and making themselves appear noble by supporting a “trendy” cause.

As outlined by The Wash-ington Post, Nigerian-Amer-ican writer Teju Cole argued that the sudden interest in the

#BringBackOurGirls move-ment is hypocritical as people are only interested in support-ing well-known causes for the sake of others seeing them support it.

He raises a valid point in an NPR interview with Mausi Segun, the Nigeria research-er for Human Rights Watch: Boko Haram has repeatedly used kidnapped girls between ages 11 to 15 as suicide bomb-ers, yet there are no trendy hashtags or photo movements for this so it is a fact that re-mains largely unknown.

Nigerians such as Cole ar-gue that nothing is being done because it has fallen out of fashion to care about young girls being kidnapped, gang raped, and killed in order to commit mass murder and spread terror across Nigeria.

According to an article re-leased by Time Magazine, Ni-gerian forces rescued 200 girls from Boko-Haram about a year after the #BringBackOur-Girls campaign was created.

However, the girls rescued were not the Chibok girls so many had been tweeting about, and the event prompted a vari-ety of questions regarding the purpose and execution of the movement.

Many supporters of the movement were disappointed to hear that the girls whose safety they campaigned for were not rescued.

This calls the purpose of the movement into question: did supporters care about res-cuing young girls from Boko Haram’s captivity, or did they merely want to see a singu-lar goal of their own accom-plished?

In an article for Naij.com, Peregrino Brimah summariz-es the outrage at his country’s own ability to bring the girls back alive. He brings attention to a viable reason of why the girls haven’t been rescued: the corrupt and untrained Nigeri-an military.

He calls on international organizations to “initiate and

enforce strict sanctions against Nigeria’s government and military personnel who have demonstrated indignant dere-liction of duty to protect life and defend the nation.” At the very least, some of the blame lies within Nigeria’s govern-ment and military.

However, there are no trendy hashtags or catchphras-es about this fact.

Fighting corruption, build-ing a democracy, and proper-ly training soldiers is difficult, messy, and unappealing, likely entailing years of effort, time, and money.

Critics say clicktivist femi-nist movements would be more effective and well-received if they featured native citizens of the countries in question rath-er than public figures with lit-tle firsthand knowledge of the culture and politics.

During World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, law stu-dents from multiple Caribbean countries contributed to #ig-ivehope, a hashtag dedicated

to showing solidarity to vic-tims of sex crimes.

According to Global Voic-es, students from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trin-idad and Tobago distributed learning materials and deliv-ered presentations about hu-man trafficking to schools, created a public service an-nouncement broadcast on local television, and advised victims of rape and domestic violence.

The campaign featured na-tive citizens attempting to raise awareness in other native citi-zens and focused on concrete, direct action rather than just generating interest and likes.

Flaws aside, clicktivism is a useful tool to spread awareness for different movements.

The problem within click-tivism is that it oversimplifies issues that are complicated and will not be solved as easily as reaching a given amount of retweets.

Contact Leah at leah.cerilli@student.shu.edu.

The crisis in Syria has been covered extensively by interna-tional news outlets since the summer as well as talked about extensively on social media. As public opinion about Syria grows, one of the questions gaining relevance is how ac-curately the news depicted the situation and how people are reacting to the refugee crisis online.

On October 29, Seton Hall’s Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted a panel discussion aimed at dissecting the happenings in Syria. Part of the concern that motivated the creation of the event was precisely the lack of (or poor) awareness by mainstream so-ciety. Panelists Edina Skalijc, who was a refugee from the Bosnian genocide and one of the leaders of the I Am Also a Refugee campaign, and Qutai-ba Bakeer Agha, who was in

Damascus when Arab Spring broke out, sat with The Diplo-matic Envoy and shared their views on the issue of aware-ness and issues they saw with how the refugee crisis is being presented by the media and on social media.

According to Skalijc, there are several reasons why most Americans may be misin-formed about what is actually happening in Syria. The main reason is that American news consumers just began paying attention to Syria despite the fact that the events that led to the current situation started nearly five years ago.

“People just started tuning in. They’re coming late into the game and not doing the re-search in terms of how all this started. Major media outlets basically presenting informa-tion as if this conflict started just when the refugees started coming to Europe, which is completely false.”

Co-panelist Bakeer Agha

further explained that the amount of coverage the news has received is equally import-ant. He pointed to the fact that the coverage that has been given to the situation has not covered “more than 9 or 10 percent of what is really hap-pening on the ground.”

Another important rea-son that adds to why so many Americans are confused about the Syrian crisis is the way ISIS is factored into it. Attacks made by ISIS are taking the spotlight that the deaths of the Syrian people and American soldiers in Syria should be occupying, and obscuring some people’s perception of the crisis and its sources. Bakeer Agha pointed that “there is less coverage on Assad’s crimes.” He explained that, as a Syrian, he does not see what is happening fully represented in the media, and that the coverage that has been given to the crisis is the equiv-alent of treating cancer with aspirin.

If a state acknowledges people as refugees, it has a responsibility to treat them as such, for the term implies an imminent threat to life gener-ally caused by war. Therefore, the media has been inconsis-tent in how it discusses the ref-ugees only serving to confuse the public further.

Despite the misrepresen-tation and lack of accurate information, both panelists stressed that things can get better. They urged the attend-ees to become involved with local organizations that sup-port the Syrian cause. Refer-encing her own experience as a refugee, Skalijc highlighted the importance of staying actively engaged and helping so people in need know that someone cares. Referring to a picture, she noted that as a child in a refugee camp she received a red sweater that made her in-credibly happy because it was the only new thing she had gotten since she and her family

had escaped from Bosnia. The sweater came from charity and, though she didn’t know where it came from, it meant a lot to her as it meant that someone, somewhere understood she was there.

Also reminiscing on his own experience as an Assad prisoner, Bakeer Agha high-lighted the importance of be-ing a voice for those that can-not speak up. He mentioned how often times freedom of speech is taken for granted in the U.S. For him, it was grow-ing up in a society where such right is not necessarily respect-ed which made him become an advocate for the cause. Despite their ups and downs, both Skalijc and Bakeer Agha agree that we can all do some-thing to help the Syrian situa-tion get better, even if it is just speaking about it and raising awareness for what is going on using social media.Contact Luis at luis.sosasantiago

@student.shu.edu.

media activism November 2015Page 7

The New “Social” Environment

Daniel D’AmicoStaff Writer

Clicktivism in China

Colin KimberlinStaff Writer

When it comes to interna-tional issues of the environ-ment, social media does not come to mind as the first po-licing force.

Yet in the past few months, social media sites such as In-stagram, Twitter, and Tremr.com, as well as their users, have taken it upon themselves to bring the Volkswagen scan-dal to the forefront of interna-tional social media.

Volkswagen, the second largest car manufacturer in the world, has tumbled down the rungs of environmental social media in the past month. Re-cently, it has come to the inter-national community’s attention that this European-based cor-poration has been rigging U.S. emissions by creating “cheat” software, known as defeat de-vices, to comply with Envi-ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations.

After Volkswagen official-ly announced the scandal was in fact true, the corporation experienced a plunge in stock prices and reputation. Howev-er, that was not all that was in store for the company. Within five hours of the announce-ment, the Volkswagen hashtag on Twitter accumulated over 3,000 mentions and the brand’s social media following actually grew as a result.

Yet according to recent claims on social media, Volk-swagen programmed their model 2009 to 2015 diesel ve-hicles to meet United States standards of nitrogen oxide emission levels during the ini-tial testing for each vehicle. Eventually, when the vehicles were road tested, the EPA no-ticed the discrepancies; driving released 35 times higher emis-sions than the initial test’s re-sults.

This illegal programming was classified as a defeat de-vice by the EPA, which is an

infraction on the U.S. Clean Air Act. Over 11 million cars internationally and 500,000 in the United States alone had been affected by such defeat devices.

The original discovery of these test discrepancies stemmed from regional emis-sion studies around the coun-try in 2014, which was con-ducted by the International Council on Clean Transpor-tation. Again, once the infor-mation became public, social media took off.

Following the information’s debut, it took to Instagram un-der the hashtag “dieselgate.” By October 2, the hashtag was used more than 1,000 times. This increase of social me-dia presence lead to over $7.3 billion in costs due to loss in stock value and the price of promising to refit all recalled vehicles with corrected soft-ware.

Although this issue seems to be breaking news, it was dis-

covered over a year ago. Back in May of 2014, multiple class action lawsuits and numerous regulatory investigations in multiple countries had been placed against Volkswagen. So why did the issue just become relevant? The answer is social media.

Not only did the users of Instagram and Twitter play a particularly large role in “#die-selgate,” but they initiated a precedent under which social media has the ability to ac-tively campaign and advocate through an internet-based me-dium.

Certain users took to their pages to mock Volkswagen, specifically @fmarciuliano, who wrote, “All I know is Her-bie would never have lied about this emissions test results. You let him down, #Volkswagen.”

Social media is beginning to play a larger role in what con-stitutes actual “news.” A user speaks, and the media listens. Rick Miller, Vice President of

Customer Insights at a social media management company called Network Insights, un-derstands this clearly when he states, “Social media’s candid nature allows users to be hon-est, and as a result, express their opinions of brands. Knee-jerk or not, consumers are talking on social media, and while immediate responses to scan-dals such as the Volkswagen emissions allegations aren’t the only factors to pay attention to when determining the health of the brand, these conversa-tions are real and should be taken into account.”

So the next time you gloss over Instagram or read a few tweets, remember that al-though social media may be creating a distorted realm where emotions begin to blend with fact about precise topics, it does not downplay the value infused within a medium that is internationally arching.

Contact Colin at colin.kimberlin@student.shu.edu.

Online activism has played an important role in Chinese society in recent years. It has influenced lawmaking and has put pressure on the govern-ment to change past decisions. Some believe that this kind of activism has a profound effect on Chinese society, while oth-ers think it makes little change.

Whether online activism is positive or not, it has been around for a while; and despite attempts by the government to stifle it, it continues to be seen.

There have been multiple cases in which clicktivism has led to change in one way or an-other. An independent investi-gative agency known in China as the “Human Flesh Search” led to the imprisonment of certain people who would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

The agency was responsible for the imprisonment of Yang Dacai and Li Qiming, one a corrupt official and the other

the son of the deputy director of the Baoding City Public Se-curity Bureau.

Similarly, Weibo, a Chinese blogging website similar to Twitter, led to the arrest of Li Tianyi. He was a suspect ac-cused of leading the rape of a woman and was going to es-cape imprisonment due to his status.

Conversely, public senti-ment led to the pleading for some individuals to be released from custody. Yang Zhong, one of the first arrested for publishing rumors online, sparked a large amount of on-line protest, leading to his re-lease.

Also, Tang Hui was sen-tenced to the “re-education through labor” system after constant petitioning of offi-cials who had not been per-secuted. Not only did public outcry lead to her release, but it also led to the abolishment of the “re-education through labor” system in China.

Despite these instances,

clicktivism is not always ef-fective or beneficial in making change. Sometimes, it simply does not produce any signif-icant results and at others, it produces negative results. Ac-cording to The Diplomat, the “Human Flesh Search” has led to violent acts. One of these instances includes a girl com-mitting suicide when she saw her personal details online. This is one illustration of the degree to which online activ-ism can be harmful to those whom it talks about.

At other times, online ac-tivism yields little to no results. For example, when the high speed rail accident occurred in 2011 in Wenzhou, news of it was spread by online activism, but rumors were also spread. There was a rumor proven to be false concerning an Italian man dying in the accident. Very little action was taken by peo-ple in response to the crash, as well. Han Han, a popular so-cial and political critic, states, “I was reading all the accounts

on microblogs. Subsequently, I kept checking downstairs, expecting hundreds of thou-sands of people to march in protest.” This further shows how not only negative rumors arose from the situation, but also a lack of other forms of activism.

Some critics admit that clicktivism can be effec-tive when coupled with oth-er forms of activism. Garth Moore, U.S. deputy director of ONE, an international cam-paigning and advocacy pro-gram, describes clicktivism as, “a means to an end, just like phone calls, handwritten let-ters, and in-district meetings.”

For many years, the Chi-nese government has tried to have more control over vari-ous online groups and protest-ers. It seeks to limit the “Hu-man Flesh Search” due to its harmful potential and cyber vigilante-like actions. The gov-ernment also took certain pre-cautions to avoid future public outcries. The posting of “ru-

mors” has become more high-ly censored. Those that post-ed “rumors” that have been viewed more than 5,000 times or shared more than 500 times can be arrested. These changes make it harder for clicktivists to spread information about events or people that expose or spread awareness about important topics since what is considered a “rumor” is up to the government’s interpre-tation.

The President of China himself, Xi Jinping, also ad-dressed the situation. In a comment made in August, he stated that he wishes to stress principles which are “for the upholding of the people’s democratic dictatorship, the socialist path, the party lead-ership and Marxism-Leninism and ‘Mao Zedong thought.’” This further emphasizes the increasing efforts of the gov-ernment to stifle online activ-ism.

Contact Danny at daniel.damico@student.shu.edu.

opinionNovember 2015Page 8

Isla LamontStaff Writer

Why Does the US Continue to Ignore Hazards of Long Work Hours?Anna BondiStaff Writer

Photo courtesy of the Toronto Sun Syrian refugees arrive from Turkey on the island of Lesbos, Greece. The ruling Liberal Party in Canada vowed November 11 to resettle tens of thousands of Syrian refugees in Europe.

Europe, US Should See Economic Benefits of Refugee Influx

The migrant crisis in Eu-rope is a hot button issue for global citizens. Millions of refugees have fled from Syria and a number of other Mid-dle Eastern and African coun-tries as they endure unstable governments and wars waged against terrorist organizations.

Yet, more often than not, the topic of discussion is not how to stem the flow of people displaced from their homes, but rather how to house the many who are flooding nation-al borders.

Over the past three years, there have been over 12 mil-lion displaced refugees from Syria alone. All are risking their lives in this process, and 2,800 lives have been called upon this year to pay the price.

However, there are also prices to be paid in pounds, euros, and dollars. A program called Mare Nostrum (Our Sea), now defunct in favor of a cheaper program, cost the Ital-ian government approximate-ly $11 million every month to rescue migrants from the

Mediterranean Sea. The Unit-ed States, a large source of humanitarian aid to Syria, has only taken in 1,500 refugees thus far, but has contributed $4 billion to the country.

Turkey, who has taken in roughly two million displaced persons, reportedly spends over $7.5 billion annually on incoming refugees.

According to a report by CNBC, the President of the European Commission recent-ly announced plans to propor-tionately distribute 120,000 refugees across the EU, as well as establishing an emergency fund for the crisis, with a start-ing price tag of $2.1 billion.

Despite the high costs of accepting new individuals, I believe there are advantages to immigration that countries in the EU of which the globe should be aware.

According to an article in the Economist, most coun-tries have higher person intake abilities than estimated based on their current population size, land availability, and eco-nomic strength. Particularly in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel has voiced the need

for an intelligent and fair dis-persion of migrants, making it possible to accommodate a larger percentage of the esti-mated 800,000 migrants ex-pected to arrive this year.

Germany and Italy, in par-ticular, could benefit from having a younger work force brought into the country, as both cultures are usually com-posed of single-child house-holds.

As the German and Italian populations age, a deficit in the work force is looming. The jobs that incoming migrants could generate will lead to an increase in economic demand, a key aspect necessary for Ger-man and Italian markets.

I do not advocate for every migrant entering Europe to be given a place of residence. As much as that solution would make my humanitarian heart happy, I am also a practical person who can read the num-bers. The sheer amount of ref-ugees, if the trend continues as we have seen it in 2015, is simply too much.

There are 28 open coun-tries in Europe, but they are not large, and at some point

the influx of people will cross the reasonable threshold of what an economy can handle.

However, I do think it is the United States’ moral obli-gation as a civilized nation to do as much as we can. There are economic benefits for countries that accept new im-migrants as well as new possi-bilities for what a multicultural society can achieve.

If the United States and Canada open their borders a

little wider to accommodate more refugees, it will help al-leviate the global problem. As for those who cannot be pro-vided homes on new soil, solu-tions need to be found.

The task of finding home for millions of homeless and desperate people is an ethically sound cause, and with a little time, it could be an economi-cally beneficial one, too.

Contact Isla at rachel.lamont@student.shu.edu.

One of modern America’s struggles is finding the balance between work life and family life. Society is indoctrinated that anyone who works hard enough can achieve the Amer-ican dream. We have heard from parents and teachers growing up that there is always more work to do.

To say we need less would go against everything taught about virtue and discipline by the American rhetoric.

The truth of the matter is that working long hours is harmful to both our mental and physical health.

In a study by Osaka Uni-versity, researchers found that high-ranking employees who work more than ten hours a day have less healthy lifestyles. Their lives consist of fewer hours of sleep and a poorer diet compared to their col-leagues. These employees also

perceive themselves as having higher stress levels and a lower quality of life than those who have shorter work hours.

Some countries appear to be embracing these findings by implementing fewer hours and better benefits for workers.

The United States does not appear to be one of them. Many studies find that the United States lags behind European countries when it comes to paid vacation, sick days, work-life balance, and la-bor conditions.

In France, full-time workers are guaranteed five weeks of paid vacation each year. There is also an agreement in certain industries that allows workers 11 hours of rest each day with no work-related interruptions such as emails or phone calls.

Some German companies force employees to turn off all work-related technology at the end of the work day unless it is an absolute emergency. Germany has an average of

27.8 hours of work per laborer each week, one of the lowest rates in the developed world.

The Guardian quotes Ger-man Labor Minister Ursu-la von der Leyen: “It’s in the interests of employers that workers can reliably switch off from their jobs, otherwise, in the long run, they burn out.”

Countries like Sweden and Finland also provide excellent family-oriented benefits that far surpass those of the Unit-ed States.

In Sweden, families are en-titled to 480 days of parental leave, and the state subsidizes

80 percent of their salary, a topic that remains controver-sial in the United States.

Additionally, in Finland, children of working parents are legally guaranteed access to subsidized childcare.

Aside from increasing the standard of living and im-proving quality of life, fewer hours per laborer means that work can be spread more eas-ily among people—those who work too much will find re-spite, and those who are un-employed will find jobs.

Some economists argue that hiring more people will lead to increased expenditure and potential job loss, but this is debatable.

Long work hours are not necessarily productive.

With shorter hours, work-ers have increased morale and higher motivation to produce quality goods and services. Shorter work hours have re-ceived support from intellec-tual thinkers T.S. Eliot, Karl

Marx, J.S. Mill, and Bertrand Russell. Their ideas point to a future that does away with the romantic veil of work and shows the real benefits of hav-ing time for creative and lei-surely activity.

Ultimately, less work is crucial to better work. Many European countries have em-braced this concept. Now, it is time for the United States to do the same.

The United States needs to reassess its labor policies for its citizens to have well-round-ed lives. Maybe it is time for the American dream to take on a new definition that tru-ly represents what Ameri-cans need and want in life—a healthy balance between hard work and freedom to pursue one’s desires to the fullest ex-tent possible. The quality of one’s life should not be based on the quantity of production, but the quantity of happiness.

Contact Anna at anna.bondi@student.shu.edu.

“Ultimately, less work is crucial to

better work. Many European countries have embraced this concept. Now, it is

time for the United States to do the

same.”

opinion November 2015Page 9

Kremlin Spin Doctors Need New Material

Madison McHughAssociate Editor

Matthew SchallerStaff Writer

Photo courtesy of International Business TimesPutin has been using the press to justify military actions abroad by painting its opponents as barbarians and fascists.

US Justice System Serves Hypocrisy to Whistleblowers

Four weeks into the Russian bombing campaign, Kremlin spin doctors are struggling to create a narrative portraying this intervention into Arab land as warranted and legiti-mate, similar to how they por-trayed the conflict in Eastern Ukraine as a defense of “indig-enously Russian lands” against the threat of “neo-Nazis and anti-Semites,” according to Time Magazine.

The conflict in Syria is an entirely different ball game for Russian President Vladimir Putin—he must convince the Russian population to support military intervention in the Middle East.

According to Forbes, the Russian population is general-ly biased against Muslims and the specter of another disas-trous Afghan War looms on the horizon.

Add to that the dismal eco-nomic situation in the home-land, and Putin faces an uphill battle unlike that which he en-

countered in Ukraine. As Time Magazine reports,

in a foreign policy manifesto published in 2012, the Russian President clearly articulated his disdain for what he is now try-ing to gain support for.

Regarding the United States and its allies, Putin wrote, “I just can’t understand where this militaristic itch comes from.” He then asks, “Why can’t they find the patience to work out a balanced and col-lective approach?”

This hypocritical assertion from the Russian strongman, at times shaky and inconsis-tent, was only recently brought full circle by his September speech at the United Nations.

This speech has been con-sidered by many publications, including Time and Forbes, to be the origin of the Kremlin spin narrative on Syria.

In his U.N. speech, Putin utilized several key points that further illustrate the deep di-vide between East and West.

The brash and no-nonsense leader criticized the moral dec-adence of the West and its

inability to handle the Islamic State group, the ferocity of the Russian military, Europe’s mi-grant crisis, and numerous oth-er issues. However, ever since strike operations began in Syr-ia a month ago, the Russian leader and the Kremlin ma-chine have increasingly shown desperation.

One of the ways Moscow justified the Ukraine conflict to the world was the threat of fascism against ethnic Russians in the country.

In recent weeks, Putin has utilized the same rhetoric re-garding Syria and ordered his puppets in Moscow to drive the issue home.

Time Magazine notes that Dmitry Kiselyov, a pro-Putin pundit, said in a weekly tele-cast, “Russia is saving Europe from enslavement and barba-rism for the fourth time. The Mongols, Napoleon Bonapar-te, Hitler, and now ISIS.”

Yet, Time reporter Simon Shuster points out that, un-like the other opponents cit-ed by Kiselyov, ISIS has not launched any attacks on Rus-

sian soil. A war against fascism

isn’t the only justification of the Ukraine conflict that the Kremlin has applied to Syria.

An integral part of Mos-cow’s battle for hearts and minds has been a growing ef-fort to cover up troop fatali-ties.

According to StopFake.org, the Russian government masked the identities of Rus-sian casualties in Ukraine, even going so far as to issue a decree last May that declared these deaths state secrets.

The same phenomenon is occurring in the Syrian con-flict, where reports of troop fatalities in recent weeks have been denied by Moscow.

Every conflict that the Kremlin has a stake in seems to follow a very distinct pro-cess: the intervention becomes a shock to the world, they re-taliate, and then they save face by ramping up the propaganda machine.

However, Syria marks the Russians operating out of their battlespace for the first time since the Afghan War, which puts President Putin in a unique position.

With a growing economic bubble and approval numbers lower than they used to be, the future of Putin’s policy to constantly one-up the West re-mains to be seen.

Contact Matthew at matthew.schaller@student.shu.edu.

As the United Nations and many of its member states call for transparency abroad, the United States continues to abuse the definition of security to justify the incarceration of whistleblowers, so called for the act of alerting the public to corruption within government agencies.

The result? A duplicitous first-world state whose hypoc-risy undermines its attempts at reform in the third world.

In the U.S., the hypocrisy is most prevalent in the abuse of the Espionage Act. Consider-ing that it was created when the U.S. formally entered World War I, it is widely thought to be an outdated document.

However, President Barack Obama has charged eight whistleblowers for violating

the Espionage Act over the course of his presidency, ac-cording to Mic, an online news publication.

While speaking to the Unit-ed Nations General Assembly in 2010, Obama made remarks about other countries’ viola-tions of human rights during times of economic unease.

“And when we gather back here next year, we should bring specific commitments to pro-mote transparency; to fight corruption; to energize civic engagement; to leverage new technologies,” he said.

Yet his words ring hol-low—a call for anti-corrup-tion tactics does not justify the United States government, whose obvious violations against human rights continue to plague the country.

Much controversy sur-rounds the charges against Edward Snowden, the former

National Security Agency con-tractor who revealed the gov-ernment’s invasive spying on citizens, and their violations of the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments.

The three charges against him under the Espionage Act would put him in jail for up to ten years, but is he guilty of theft and espionage despite the exposure of a crime against public privacy?

The NSA’s phone spying was ruled illegal under the Pa-triot Act by the Supreme Court on May 7, 2015, two years after Snowden released the infor-mation to the media.

However, there was no specification of whether the program is constitutional. It was sent back to a lower court for further proceedings.

Yet John Kiriakou of the Guardian argues, “This is the same Justice Department that

harassed, surveilled, wire-tapped, and threatened Martin Luther King, Jr., and that re-cently allowed weapons to be sold to Mexican drug gangs in the Fast and Furious scandal. Just because they’re in power doesn’t mean they’re right.”

The relationship between power and morality is the ba-sis of international law and the reason for new discussions about sovereignty, and we must remain cognizant of the fact that corruption affects just as many developed states as it does the third-world.

Glenn Greenwald dis-cussed on CNN’s The Lead that if Snowden returns from his one-year asylum in Russia, he will most certainly be con-victed.

Greenwald said, “Under the Espionage Act, you’re not allowed to come into court and say, ‘I was justified in disclos-

ing this information.’ There is no whistleblower exception in the Espionage Act.”

In fact, due to this lack of justification, there is no telling what Snowden could admit to in a court of law except guilt.

Unfortunately, the odds are stacked against Snowden due to the Supreme Court’s lack of definite ruling towards the NSA, and the Espionage Act’s limitations to evidence and ex-planation in a court of law.

Yet, it is these very “legal-ities” which are the most cor-rupt means and the reason the U.S. will never lead the interna-tional charge for transparency.

Until we can fix the justice system at home, there should be no expectation for change abroad influenced by a hypo-critical government such as the United States.

Contact Madison at madison.mchugh@student.shu.edu.

international newsNovember 2015Page 10

The Cuban government purports that current effects of the embargo include bil-lions of dollars in fines against third-country banks and finan-cial institutions for using the U.S. dollar in transactions with Cuba.

“In the U.N. Secretary General’s report on the em-bargo, Cuba puts a price tag of $833.75 billion for accumu-lated damages caused by more than a half-century of the U.S. policy of economically isolat-ing Cuba. Taking into account the declining value of gold against the dollar, the econom-ic toll would still be $121.2 bil-lion, according to the Cubans,” the Miami Herald reports.

During his visit to Seton Hall last spring, Brazilian Per-manent Representative An-tonio Patriota expressed sup-port for the reinstatement of

normalized Cuban-American relations. Ambassador Patriota also made the observation that the U.S. continues relations with other countries that have governments similar to Cuba’s.

According to Amnesty In-ternational, the embargo on Cuba is not only illegal under international law because it violates the economic rights of Cuban natives and has re-percussions on their social and political rights, but is also “the most comprehensive set of U.S. sanctions on any country, including the other countries designated by the U.S. govern-ment to be state sponsors of terrorism.”

Before the UNGA vote, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said, “The human damage it has caused is inesti-mable.”

Contact Isla at rachel.lamont@student.shu.edu.

Embargo:Continued from Page 2...

On October 5, twelve Pa-cific Rim nations, including the United States, Canada, Ja-pan, and Australia, finalized the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) after five years of nego-tiations held in Atlanta, Geor-gia.

The deal as it stands now will liberalize 40 percent of the world economy, according to Reuters. It addresses indus-tries ranging from automobiles to cheese, and issues from the environment to currency ex-change.

At its heart, the deal focus-es on two major issues. First, it sets common minimum standards on all party states for regulations ranging from environmental standards to la-

TPP Finalized But Faces Congressional HurdlesAngelo PiroStaff Writer

bor rights. Second, the deal in-cludes an elimination or reduc-tion of tariffs and other trade barriers on almost 18,000 cat-egories of goods.

The deal also addresses certain industry and issue-spe-cific points. For example, one of the more contentious issues for the U.S. was the intellectual property of pharmaceuticals.

Under the agreement, drug companies are granted almost an eight-year monopoly on data used to develop drugs be-fore other companies can de-velop generics, far from what the U.S. was hoping for.

Two of the major winners of the agreement are Japan and New Zealand. The latter will enjoy a 93-percent overall re-duction in import restrictions and tariffs on dairy products. As one of the world’s largest

dairy exporters, New Zealand is likely to see a major windfall.

Japan, on the other hand, not only negotiated for great-er access to purchase parts for Japanese cars from cheaper Asian markets, but also se-cured a phase-out in 25 years of all U.S. tariffs on Japanese automobiles.

Additionally, Japan side-stepped the issue of currency manipulation despite accusa-tions of artificially suppressing the price of the yen in order to aid its exports, according to Reuters. The deal had no spe-cific provisions on currency policy, only requiring a forum on the issue among finance ministries.

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman described the deal to the New York Times as only “an important first

step,” as the TPP must still be ratified by the government of each state party. While the TPP seems poised to pass in many of the signatory states, its chances in the United States seem rather grim.

Having already been denied fast-track authority on the deal by the House of Represen-tatives earlier in the summer, President Obama still faces bipartisan opposition to the TPP.

Many Democrats and Re-publicans in both the House and Senate oppose passage of the deal as it stands now, albeit for different reasons.

Democrats fear the deal’s effects on U.S. manufacturing and global climate change ef-forts. Republicans oppose the deal due to the lack of strong intellectual property protec-

tions and currency control, as well as restrictions on the litigation powers of certain industries, such as tobacco, against other states.

The Obama administration faces no less of a challenge in the presidential field on one of the president’s pet policies. In the recent Fox Republican debate, all GOP candidates ex-pressed opposition to the deal. Former Secretary of State Hil-lary Clinton, after calling the deal the gold standard during her tenure, says she is opposed to the final version, which is very different from the deal she saw as secretary. Senator Bernard Sanders said on Twit-ter, “In the Senate, I will do all that I can to defeat the TPP agreement.”

Contact Angelo at angelo.piro@student.shu.edu.

school of diplomacy news November 2015Page 11

UN Foundation’s GirlUP Hosts Gender Rights Event on CampusAbby Shamray

Editor-in-Chief

On November 3, a two-part event about girl’s rights worldwide took place on Se-ton Hall’s campus.

Brought to us by Grass-roots organizer Julie Wilig of Girl UP of the United Na-tions Foundation, “A Day in The Life of a Girl” provid-ed attendees with a chance to explore gender inequality globally from a variety of per-spectives. The event featured tables managed by an assort-ment of student organizations, followed by a panel with Alex Sheuffer of Girl UP and three SHU professors.

The event organizers were Cynthia Sularz, a senior Diplo-macy and International Rela-tions and Modern Languages major, and Cheyenne Craw-ford, a junior Political Science major and Diplomacy minor. “A Day in The Life of a Girl” has been in the works since spring of this year. Sularz met Julie Wilig initially while in Australia and thought that Girl UP provided the perfect medi-um for discussing girl’s rights

in a way that appealed to col-lege students.

Since both Sularz and Crawford have a passion for girl’s rights, they decided to host an event with Girl UP to raise awareness. “We felt like people on campus were passionate about [girl’s rights] but there wasn’t a conversa-tion happening so we wanted to have the ability to create a conversation and open up dis-cussion on different areas of what the girl on a global scale is dealing with,” Crawford told the Envoy.

The tabling event included the SHU organizations SAVE, Seton Hall’s United Nations Association, the Black Student Union, Amnesty Internation-al, One Campaign, Gender Equality Now, UNA-USA, and MSU. Each table featured a different perspective in order to show how their club’s par-ticular focus also overlaps with girl’s rights issues.

Joli Doñé, a senior Diplo-macy major staffing the Black Student Union and MSU ta-bles, said, “A lot of people seem engaged in the different facts we have been presenting

and in our interactive TV por-tion in which people put their faces in a cut-out of a televi-sion and say that they would like to see people like them-selves represented on the TV.”

John Carey, a senior Diplo-macy major and President of the ONE Campaign, told the Envoy, “The ONE Campaign gives foreign aid to sub-Sa-haran Africa to help alleviate poverty, and it’s really an issue that affects women and girls, so working with Girl UP was the perfect opportunity because it allowed us to both showcase gender inequality but also ad-dress extreme poverty.”

At the table, attendees could write letters for an act that would make electricity more accessible in Africa, and learn about the #PovertyIs-Sexist campaign for over the summer.

The interactive panel was hosted by SAVE and, in addi-tion to Alex Sheuffer, included Dr. Nabeela Alam, Dr. King Mott, and Professor Melissa May. Alam discussed gender in relation to education and pov-erty globally, and how educat-ing women in addition to men

creates stronger households. May talked about the portrayal of women in the media world-wide and about reproductive rights. Mott talked about the importance questioning gen-der roles and the socialization of gender for each individual in addition to trying to make changes outside one’s self.

“From the beginning, we wanted to make sure that this would not be dominated by one sector of thought. So by reaching out to professors in the sociology department, the political science department, the diplomacy department, as

well as the PR department, it shows that in order to tackle any issues, you need a variety of experts,” Sularz told the Envoy.

The Girl UP event was well attended and, following its conculsion, both hosts and Alex Sheuffer indicated that in the spring semester, Girl UP would be having another event on campus. Additionally, Girl UP had a table with an interest sheet for students to sign up to create a Girl UP chapter on campus.

Contact Abby at abby.shamray@student.shu.edu.

Abby Shamray/Editor-in-Chief Anna Bondi staffing the Gender Equality Now table at “A Day in the Life of a Girl” on Nov. 3.

Tela WittigStaff Writer

SHUNA Makes Successful Debut At BARMUN

Photo courtesy of BARMUN VIIICynthia Sularz (right) and Angelo Piro received honorable mention while Chris McNeil and Cheyenne Crawford won verbal commendations.

The Seton Hall United Na-tions Association (SHUNA) spent fall break in Boston, competing in the Boston Area Regional Model United Na-tions (BARMUN).

The conference has been held for the last eight years, but this was the first year in which Seton Hall was represented. Competing against prestigious universities such as George-town, Princeton, and Harvard, SHUNA brought back four team awards to South Orange.

Some delegates were tasked with solving current world is-sues such as the violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and building a government in Burkina Faso.

Others were given the chance to rewrite history by representing key figures during the Velvet Revolution that separated Czechoslovakia, the 1983 Sri Lankan crisis, and the Congolese crisis in 1964, ac-

cording to the BARMUN VIII website.

During the four day con-ference, delegates were judged based on their participation in live debates, while writing and voting on directives for group action.

Their ability to work with Crisis behind the scenes to contribute solutions multilat-erally was also part of the cri-teria. Crisis is a separate com-mittee that makes decisions on what each delegate can do with their given portfolio powers as the conference unfolds.

Chris McNeil, a freshman who has previously competed in Crisis Committees at the high school level, said that BARMUN was not very differ-ent, aside from the higher cal-iber of competition. McNeil adapted well to the challenge of collegiate MUN, making many connections with other delegates and earning an hon-orable mention. Head delegate Cynthia Sularz, a senior at the School of Diplomacy, also

earned an honorable mention. When asked whether she

would consider this confer-ence in the future for SHUNA, Sularz responded, “Yes, I really do think it challenged the new delegates as well as the veter-ans and that’s essential. We don’t go to conference to win a lot of awards. We go to im-prove ourselves, think critically and be better.”

Following the competition, SHUNA attended a boat par-ty hosted by the conference, which allowed them to experi-ence Boston Harbor at night.

The conference schedule gave the delegates time to ex-plore the city of Boston, and interact with other delegates outside of their committees in hopes of fostering friendships.

Upon returning from con-ference, SHUNA has con-tinued to hold weekly train-ing sessions and meetings in preparation for their next competition in March 2016—this time at Pennsylvania State University’s United Nations Conference (PUNC).

The members of SHUNA will also play a big role in host-

Photo courtesy of FacebookCynthia Sularz was head delegate for SHUNA..

ing the annual Seton Hall Uni-versity Model United Nations (SHUMUN) conference for high school students.

Contact Tela at tela.wittig@student.shu.edu.

diplomacy news November 2015Page 12

SDG Teach-in Inspires Action on CampusAjiya DokaStaff Writer

Photo courtesy of GlobalGoals.org

SJP Event Sheds Light on SyriaAlexander Stringer

Staff Writer

It has been almost five years since the peaceful pro-tests of Syria, inspired by the Arab Spring, turned into a full-out civil war.

Since its beginning, the Syrian conflict has been a con-fusing one, made worse by the long list of states and non-gov-ernment organizations backing either the rebels or the Assad regime.

On October 29, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) hosted a panel called “Under-standing Syria” in an attempt to demystify what some call one of the most complicated wars in recent history.

The panel brought togeth-er three individuals involved in trying to bring awareness to the many facets of the crisis. Edina Skaljic, one of the lead-ers of the I Am Also A Refu-gee campaign and a refugee of the Bosnian genocide, brought the perspective of those flee-ing the conflict.

Qutaiba Bakeer Agha was in Damascus when the Arab

Spring broke out, and dis-cussed the issues facing the rebel forces in fighting Assad and the Islamic State.

Sarab Al-Jijakli, a prom-inent member of the Syri-an-American community, has been working to bring more refugees into the United States and addressed the internation-al response and foreign in-volvement in Syria since 2011.

The panel, moderated by senior Belal Bahader, discussed the state of the Syrian nation after more than four years of conflict.

Arguably the most import-ant question asked was what distinguishes refugees from migrants. Skaljic gave a firm answer that sets apart the reali-ty of Syria from how the media is portraying it: “A refugee is someone who is coming from a war zone. A migrant chooses to come, not under duress.”

Moreover, she pointed out that, though major European and American news agencies are labelling the phenomenon as a “Syrian migration,” the ti-tle cannot be further from the point, since everyone fleeing

the nation is doing so out of fear for their lives.

The protests started on March 15, 2011. Agha says the protesters were crying “for freedom, for their dignity,” but did not expect their movement to turn into a civil war quickly.

The explanation presented was extremely simple: the As-sad regime did not know any other way to respond to the revolt.

Jijakli explained, “When the society is run by a mafia fam-ily, when it comes to power through violence, the only way to deal with threats is through other brutality.” Thus, the de-ployment of security forces was naturally going to escalate.

Once Jijakli pointed to the brutality of Assad, the panel flowed into Agha discussing what he saw happening on the ground, including his own torture and imprisonment for “delivering aid to a besieged area” of Damascus.

The haunting story of his five-hour beating by seven officers for nearly five hours, which he called the “welcome party,” before being interro-

gated was accompanied by pictures of his battered body taken upon release.

At this point, the panel drew to a close with two vid-eos, one showing a family and rebels being gunned down by Assad soldiers, and another of an ecstatic Damascus man re-ceiving food while explaining the price inflation in areas still under heavy siege.

The panel broke from a strict presentation of facts to a heavier tone. “The U.S. is pro-viding the illusion of support,” Jijakli said. “No one wants this revolution to end.”

The panel concluded that the war in Syria has turned from a democratic protest to a means for world powers (i.e. the Gulf States and U.S. back-ing the rebels, and Russia and Iran with Assad) to have a tiff without any consequences for themselves.

The Islamic State group, which has dominated media coverage, was rarely men-tioned by the panel—they are, in the bigger picture, only a mi-nor group being used to justify outside involvement in what

should have remained an issue to be dealt with by Syrians.

The panel agreed that, to resolve the stalemate, the U.N. should pass another resolu-tion through the U.N. Securi-ty Council’s Permanent Five members to reinstate peace-keeping programs.

Otherwise, the Syrian Civ-il War stands to last for years to come, and in the event that the Assad regime is eventual-ly toppled, “the worst is yet to come” as the nation attempts to recover from such a dev-astating collapse of the state, Skaljic warned.

For readers wishing to know more, the panel suggest-ed ANNA News (predomi-nantly in Russian but translat-able to English) and articles by Charles Lister of the Brook-ings Institution.

Those wishing to aid those effected by this crisis were en-couraged to direct payments to NuDay Syria, or to contact their state representatives and federal officials to voice their concern.

Contact Alex at alexander.stringer@student.shu.edu.

As the United Nations cel-ebrates 70 years of service, the organization looks to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as an ambitious guide to where the global communi-ty can and should be.

With a mission to inform and promote advocacy, the School of Diplomacy’s teach-in provided a platform for stu-dents to learn about the goals and promote them in their hometowns through op-ed writing.

This initiative led by Dr. Martin Edwards pushed stu-dents not only to become more educated about the U.N., but also to use their voices as a means of applying pressure to public policymakers and hold them accountable to the glob-al agenda to which they have agreed.

“The SDGs aim to stimu-late national and global con-

versations on how we can come together to solve global challenges. Conversation is an essential precursor to action and change,” Edwards said.

The conversation contin-ued in groups lead by vari-ous specialists that focused on specific goals, including Dr. Joseph O’Mahoney and Dr. Catherine Tinker of the

School of Diplomacy, Dr. Nalin Johri of the School of Health and Medical Sciences, Dr. James Daly of the Educa-tion Department, and Alyson Neel of the United Nations Foundation.

For twenty minutes, each expert explained their special-ty goal, along with the targets and indicators that accompany

them. The involvement of in-dividuals discussing issues with personal concern likened the event to a large family dinner. Behind jargon and politics, the United Nations encourages real people to talk about real issues that matter not only in the United States, but around the world.

The event, like the SDGs

themselves, is a grand coali-tion. It is a gathering of pol-iticians, business owners, and private citizens, all on a mis-sion to become global par-ticipants and create a better world. At the School of Diplo-macy, students, faculty, alumni, and friends all sought ways to become better informed and engaged in the most ambitious U.N. agenda yet.

According to Dr. Edwards, the goal of the op-ed tutorial was to inspire attendees of the event to write about the SDGs in their hometown newspa-pers.

Such personal and inti-mate discussion concerning the global goals will inspire students to pass on what they learned and advocate for the SDGs in their future careers.

The School of Diplomacy will continue to be a leader in that discussion.

Contact Ajiya at ajiya.doka@student.shu.edu.