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At the Intersection of History, Diplomacy, and Domestic Affairs: Vietnam’s Difficult Position in the South China Sea Dispute
Get PDFConnecting the entirety of Southeast Asia to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the South China Sea is among the world’s most vital commercial and strategic arenas. Robust shipping lanes funnel several trillion dollars in trade through the South China Sea annually; and lucrative fisheries and potentially vast hydrocarbon resources fill its waters. The South China Sea also hosts a tremendously complex geopolitical puzzle which hinges on overlapping maritime sovereignty claims made by Vietnam, China, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei. The ensuing multilateral dispute has escalated tensions in the region, leading to intense militarization, diplomatic gridlock, and trivialization of international law. The entire coastline of Vietnam is enveloped by the South China Sea; access to the South China Sea’s resources and shipping routes is paramount to Vietnam’s economic development. Thus, If Vietnam loses access to the South China Sea, the economic consequences would be potentially cataclysmic. However, to characterize Vietnam’s position on the South China Sea dispute as simply competition for resources and territory would be myopic. In a regional dispute where museums and universities are just as, if not more important than, naval bases and warships, “history is itself a part of the conflict.” (Tonnesson 2001) Through conversations with Vietnamese historians, professors of international relations, government officials, villagers, and fishermen -- as well as review of primary and secondary sources -- this paper seeks to investigate what the South China Sea dispute means for Vietnam in historical, diplomatic, and domestic terms. It is argued that Vietnam’s sovereignty claims in the South China Sea go far beyond securing fish, oil, gas, and shipping; arguably, Vietnam is seeking to balance the burdens of historical, diplomatic, and domestic pressures.
Accordingly, this paper is split up into four main parts: 1) an introduction to the geography, resources, and economic and strategic importance of the South China Sea, 2) an in-depth investigation of the role of history in the South China Sea dispute, 3) a description of the contemporary diplomatic aspects of the South China Sea dispute, with a focus on Vietnam’s diplomatic intentions and strategies, and 4) a review of the ways in which the South China Sea has impacted domestic affairs in Vietnam. Parts 2, 3, and 4 feature findings gathered from interviews as well as literature provided by the Vietnamese National Boundary Commission. This paper concludes with a discussion of the ways in which historical, diplomatic, and domestic factors are closely interrelated
The Impact of Program Structure on Language Acquisition and Intercultural Competence: A Comparative Study of Study Abroad Programs in Kunming, China
Get PDFAccording to the Project Atlas study conducted by the Institute of International Education, China is the world’s third most popular study abroad location. With over 390,000 international students currently studying in China, there are more opportunities for cultural exchange and mutual understanding than ever before. However, there is still relatively little existing research on how different study abroad program structures impact students’ Chinese language skills and cultural literacy.
This study examined the impacts of experiential learning and intensive language study abroad program structures on students’ language acquisition and intercultural competence development. Two study abroad programs based in Kunming, SIT China: Language, Cultures, and Ethnic Minorities (SIT) and Middlebury School in China: Kunming (Middlebury), were selected to represent, respectively, experiential learning and intensive language program structures. Semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with eight students, four Chinese language teachers, three program staff members, six homestay parents, and one local roommate. The final product of this study is a description of the most effective components of experiential learning and intensive language program structures and an analysis of how different program structures contribute to the students\u27 linguistic and cross-cultural development. Aside from examining students’ academic experiences, this paper explores the impact of program structure on students’ interactions with locals, from both student and local perspectives
Music, Healing, and Conflict: Balancing Science and Intuition
Get PDFMusic move us personally and with more meaning than any other medium in the world. In the past few decades, modern advances in neuroscience have proved via neuroimaging that musical processing involves almost every region of the brain, a task that no other stimulus can achieve. Science can show what is happening in our brain, but humans have intuitively known and utilized music for healing purposes since the beginning of humanity. This research examines the dynamics of continued scientific advancement in light of Non-Western ways of knowing. The study is an attempt to shorten the distance between music, healing and conflict. Through a qualitative research methodology, the correlation of music and healing was explored by interviewing musicians and healing practitioners in New England. Musicians and healers shared stories that help explain the role of music and healing in Western society and how they might transform conflict. This paper offers space for the peacebuilder interested in music and healing to pause and consider the weight of their work.
Key Words: music, healing, conflict, peacebuilding, neuroscience, mirror neurons, musicking, indigenous knowledge, trauma, consciousnes
Illegal Wildlife Hunting and Trade in Southern Belize: An Assessment of Impacts and Drivers
Get PDFThe use of wildlife as a resource is a common practice in all countries around the world, however, illegal activities are contributing to various environmental and social altercations amongst the involved communities and individuals, both directly and indirectly. This has led to the generalized global narrative on illegal wildlife hunting and trade as a “good vs. bad” convention. Although legal frameworks are in place to manage hunting and trade sustainably, governments and organizations often find themselves struggling to protect wildlife from illegal hunters, often facing dangerous situations thus the establishment of militarized conservation units. To date, most of the focus is on the African continent and Southeast Asia, with less attention on other biodiverse locations, such as Central and South America. Information about illegal wildlife hunting and trade is increasing in Central and South America but the data is still lacking in both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Frameworks such as Conflict Sensitive Conservation and Conservation Conflict Transformation have been developed to address the complex factors impacting wildlife conservation. In Belize, previous studies have examined the legal and social aspect of wildlife hunting and trade, but there remains a void of information regarding the activities. Herein, this study explored some of the causation and subsequent results of illegal hunting and trade in Southern Belize through semi-structured interviews with conservation practitioners and hunters; ten stakeholders from Stann Creek and Toledo districts in Southern Belize were interviewed. The findings reveal that all participants think hunting in Belize is unsustainable, while five participants cited enforcement as the biggest thing needed to reduce this activity, three cited more farming support and two cited education; additionally, three participants mentioned that starting a gibnut ranching program could help reduce the pressure on wild populations. Eight participants addressed livelihood or the need for additional income as the main motivation for hunting and trading illegally, while hunting for identity was second and protein sources was third. Interestingly, all participants discussed the hunting of Paca (Cuniculus paca), known as gibnut in Belize, as the main hunted species, suggesting that animals that have a legal hunting season are hunted illegally more than other species that are considered non-huntable. This finding is different from other illegal hunting studies that focus on animals that are completely off-limits for hunting. Eight participants mentioned crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus or Crocodylus moreletii) as the species that is hunted the most that does not have a hunting season; participants did not specify a species. Parrots, namely the endangered Yellow Head Parrot (Amazona oratrix), were the species mentioned the most when asked about animals captured for the pet trade. Lastly, recommendations are provided for short, medium and long term initiatives to address this issue from both a technical and behavioral standpoint.
Keywords: wildlife, conservation, conflict, Belize, hunting, trade, community, sustainabl
Strengthening the M&E system of Peace Corps Colombia
Get PDFIn 1961, when the Peace Corps was established, Colombia was the first country chosen to receive volunteers. The program ran for 20 years, with volunteers working all over the country in various sectors. Then in 1981, due to the increasing violence from the guerilla civil war, the US government decided to withdraw the volunteers and suspend the Colombia program. After a 29-year hiatus, at the request of the Colombian government, the Peace Corps was invited back to Colombia in 2010.
The Peace Corps Colombia post currently has two programs, Practical English for Success (PES), established first; and, Community Economic Development (CED), started as a pilot project in 2016. Both of these programs are subject to monitoring and evaluations (M&E) scrutiny, which has increased substantially since the earlier Peace Corps programs in the country. For M&E purposes, project framework and indicators for the PES program are already established. Indicators for the CED program are still under review. Both programs are impacted by the need for increasingly precise data on volunteer programs and expectations of more intensive M&E reporting. This has proved to be difficult for the post due to, among other things, limited staffing.
Interest in this situation spawned my research question for this paper: how might the M&E system of Peace Corps Colombia be strengthened? I have used reviews of M&E best practices and potential pitfalls for similar organizations, comparison of these standards to the process at Peace Corps Colombia, and candid staff interviews to assess challenges to the current M&E activities and suggest strategies for improvement
Applying Universal Design for Learning to Study Abroad Programs: A Best Practices Model for Education Abroad Professionals
Get PDFIn 2015–2016, 8.8 percent of students with disabilities studied abroad, a significant increase from the academic year of 2014–2015 where 5.3 percent of students with disabilities studied abroad. Despite the small percentage, several organizations are working to increase access within international education. The initiative Generation Study Abroad aims to double the number of students who study abroad by 2020. Students and professionals are creating resources, offering scholarships, and more to increase student participation in study abroad. As a person with a disability, and a professional who works closely with universities and students around access, I designed a program on behalf of Abroad With Disabilities (AWD) introducing Universal Design for Learning (UDL). International Studies Abroad (ISA, third-party provider) will provide support with the design and implementation. The program is four weeks total—two weeks online and two weeks in person in Costa Rica. The purpose of the program is to develop Education Abroad professionals’ awareness of UDL for purposes of increasing access within study abroad. UDL is meant to be used in conjunction with a curriculum to increase access for multiple individuals.
The proposed program Applying Universal Design for Learning to Study Abroad Programs: A Best Practices Model for Education Abroad Professionals will invite 8-18 individuals to participate online and abroad. During the program participants will observe how UDL can be modeled and develop tools, skills, and knowledge, to increase access at their workplaces. After completing all program requirements, participants will receive a certificate of completion emphasizing their knowledge, skills, awareness, and work with UDL within Education Abroad. This capstone paper demonstrates how this program will be designed, and introduces methods on how to increase access during the program design phase for professionals to reference in their work
Water Injustice in Jendouba Governorate
Get PDFWater is a precious resource even in a tropical rainforest, and in a dry country like Tunisia it is essential. Located in the south central region of the Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia, like nearly every other Mediterranean country, faces a stark challenge in providing clean drinking water to its growing population. Compared to its neighbors, Tunisia, with a few minor exceptions, does a good job in meeting this goal. In the rural northwestern governorate of Jendouba, where most of the country’s surface water comes from, there is ironically a dire need for clean drinking water in the rural areas outside the city of Jendouba.
This paper will focus on the challenges facing the rural population, the existing framework for delivering the water, and the perceptions of the people who face this problem and those who deal with it. The situation in the Jendouba is one that could be compared to a painter too poor to hang any of his own paintings on his wall. Instead of paintings, however, we are talking about water here, and instead of wealthy patron of the arts taking the paintings away, we allude to the large cities of Tunis, Sousse, Sfax, and Cape Bon who drain most of the water away.
This paper seeks to discover whether an injustice is being committed in this unfair water distribution. In this puzzle many different players are involved, and hopefully, through a series of interviews and other research methods, it will be elucidated
From the Margins to the Frame: Social Identities and a “pan-Pacific” Moana
Get PDFThis paper investigates the implications of Pacific representation and regional identity in Disney’s film, Moana. It evaluates if the film successfully represented a broad range of Pacific cultures and peoples. It weaves together 20 secondary sources, 8 interviews and 56 surveys. The sample population involved college-aged students from universities throughout the Pacific along with academic professionals and involved members of the Oceanic Story Trust. Overall, the study found that Moana successfully captured a pan-Pacific identity on several indicators, while it also found dissenting reactions toward the film by some respondents on measures of cultural representation. To Pacific students, Moana appears to be most popular for its potential influence and awareness-raising on a global stage. As such, the results suggest a need for future studies assessing the importance of Pacific regional studies as well as the power dynamics shaping who has control over whose stories are told and shared
Cultivating Peace through Teaching History in Rwandan Secondary Schools: Opportunities and Challenges
Get PDFEducation has the ability to cultivate a Culture of Peace or Violence. In Rwanda, pre-1994 formal education became a tool for inciting violence by presenting a discriminatory and identity-based view of history. In the 23 years since the genocide, the Rwandan government has propagated education that promotes national unity and decreases division amongst students. The 2015 national competence-based curriculum (CBC), which incorporates the holistic idea of Education for a Culture of Peace (ECOP), is one pertinent example. This study addresses: (1) the historical narrative portrayed in the secondary-level national curriculum and how it is taught, and (2) the opportunities and challenges to cultivating a Culture of Peace in secondary-level Rwandan history students. Data collection in this study occurred first through the creation of a unique framework for ECOP based on existing literature and assessment of the curriculum against its indicators. Second was a case study of one public and one private secondary school in Kigali, which included: interviews with NGO and government stakeholders in CBC development, teachers, and school administrators; focus groups with students and educators; and class observation. It was found that ECOP content and pedagogy are widely prevalent in the CBC, however their implementation is severely hindered. In large part that is due to insufficient resources and teacher training. This study provides recommendations based on these findings
Hummingbird Foraging Preference: The Hierarchical Impacts of Color, Position, and Concentration on Visitation Frequency
Get PDFHummingbirds are well adapted to efficiently locate high quality nectar sources, but relatively few studies have examined the mechanisms of that process under natural conditions in the field. This study investigates the visual signals that allow hummingbirds to do just that, as well as the external factors that limit their choices in foraging. More specifically, feeder color and nectar concentration were manipulated to determine the effect of those independent variables on visitation frequency. An initial experiment was conducted in order to explore color preference among the visiting species. Red, orange, and blue feeders were filled with nectar of equal concentrations and the feeders were rotated three times to ensure each color was observed in each position. Once preference was established, a second experiment was conducted in which the feeder of least preferred color, blue, was placed in the least preferred position and filled with a higher nectar concentration, while two red feeders remained at the initial concentration. Eight hours of observation were completed each day, with the following data collected for each foraging bout: feeder color and position, species and sex of visiting individual, time of arrival, number of visits, and behavioral notes. Territoriality played a major role in determining visitation to each feeder, with first a male violet-tailed sylph and then a brown Inca asserting their role as dominant territorialists that chased indiscriminately. It was discovered that, when nectar reward was equal for each feeder, position was the primary factor in determining visitation frequency. However, visitation to each position was influenced by feeder color, each position receiving the most visits when the red feeder was in place. During the second experiment, no clear preference for the higher concentration was shown by the end of the four days, but visitation to that feeder exhibited an upward trajectory and increased consistently each day, which suggests that preference would eventually be indicated. The findings of this investigation indicate the presence of a hierarchy of factors impacting feeder choice, pointing to nectar concentration with the strongest influence, followed by position and then color.
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Los colibríes están bien adaptados para poder encontrar fuentes de azúcar en una manera muy eficiente, pero pocos estudios han investigado los mecanismos por los que funciona ese proceso bajo condiciones naturales fuera de un laboratorio. Esta investigación examina las señales visuales que permiten que los colibríes hagan exactamente eso, además los factores externos que limitan sus opciones en el forrajeo. El color de bebedero y la concentración del néctar fueron manipulados para averiguar cómo afectan esos variables independientes a la frecuencia visitación. Un experimento inicial se realizó con el propósito de explorar la preferencia del color entre los colibríes visitantes. Tres bebederos de rojo, naranjo, y azul se llenaron de néctar de concentraciones iguales y lo