Four INTS / SUA alumni and INTS faculty member Shane Barter have published a new book chapter, “State Religious Violence”, as part of Religious Violence Today: Faith and Conflict in the Modern World, a two-volume set edited by Michael Jerryson. The 80 page chapter features entries on dozens of religious conflicts, with entries authored with Jaroslav Zapletal (2018), Amanda Boralessa (2018), Vasko Yorgov (2019), and Mahesh Kushwaha (2019).
On February 7th – 9th 2020, Moses Addai (Class of 2022), Mary Amde (2020), Bikash Gupta (2020), and Thuy Le (2022) participated in a student-led policy competition to write and present a one-page policy brief on “Natural Disasters Response and Management in the Caribbean”. The competition encouraged students to be in the position of policymakers who had limited resources and time to create solutions for complex issues.
After the topic was announced, students had 12 hours to develop an innovative and feasible policy memo to present to a group of policy experts. “Even though the topic was not what we expected, it allowed us an opportunity to learn about the Caribbean and the challenge the region faces” (Moses Addai). “We decided to take an interdisciplinary approach and incorporate each of our unique ideas. Although this decision would later become the main criticism we received from judges, I believe it was what made our policy memo stand out.” (Mary Amde). “I learned that strong leadership was essential for the success of teamwork. A great leader should have the ability to coordinate different ideas and maintain a calm disposition even in the most stressful situations.” (Thuy Le). “By participating in the competition, I was able to learn more about myself, my strengths and my weaknesses, and envision actionable ways by which I could evolve into a better researcher and policymaker.” (Bikash Gupta).
To read the full report, please read Yale International Policy Report.
On February 10th, Dr. Andrea Bartoli lectured on “The Community of Sant’Egidio and the Insight of Approach: The Challenge of Understanding Peace-Work”. Dr. Bartoli introduced the main pillars of the Sant’Edigio Foundation; prayer, service to the poor, and peace. Based on the Christian community values, the Foundation is committed to protect and serve whoever is in the moment of need and to establish peace and reconciliation to tackle the roots of suffering caused by war and conflicts.
Dr. Bartoli argues that war and conflict are powerful through their normalization. “War is using people. It’s only peace that has the capacity to release peace”. Dr. Bartoli stated that “peace as yearning”, advocating that when “people stop listening to the voice of those living in poverty, peace is silenced”. Based on the principle that “seek what unites not what divides”, the Foundation has strengthened its commitment to promote interreligious dialogues for peace. Three SUA’s students Leonardo Salvatore (Class of 2022), Rebecca Bennett (Class of 2021), and Ashley Bustamante (Class of 2022), conducted the Q&A session on the practices of the Community approach in peacebuilding in conflict resolutions. Dr. Bartoli concluded by stating the importance of dialogue not as a reactive form, but as a form of listening to the sufferings of others as the first step to conflict resolution.
Ha Chau Ngo, undergraduate at Soka University of America, and Andrew Nguy, undergraduate at Pomona College were the two winners of the International Studies sponsored undergraduate poster competition at the 56th Western Conference of the Association for Asian Studies (19-20 October 2018). Ha Chau won “First Place” and an award for her research and poster “Vietnamese women in propaganda production”. Andrew Nguy won “Second Place” and an award for “Turning a New Leaf: Obaku’s Introduction of Loose-leaf Tea and Syncretic Buddhist Practice from China to Tokugawa Japan.” Congratulations to both!
On August 9, Ian Read introduced the Concentration to the new class of 2022. INTS faculty look forward to welcoming these students into their classroom and eventually working with them in advanced projects and Capstones.
The INTS faculty would like to congratulate our Capstone students among the graduating class of 2018! Our students explored a wide range of topics and conducted some impressive research- well done (and take a breath!).
INTS Professor Michael Weiner has been promoted from Assistant Dean of Faculty to Associate Dean of Faculty. He will be taking on new administrative roles and will play an integral part in shaping the policies of the Dean’s office going forward.
Congratulations Michael!
Beginning in the 2017-18 Academic year, Dr. Ian Read will serve as the Director of INTS. He is taking the reins from Dr. Lisa MacLeod, whose long tenure is deeply appreciated by INTS faculty and students.
Thank you Lisa, and congratulations Ian!
INTS Professor Shane Barter and alumnus Ian Zatkin-Osburn have published a new article in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. The article, “Measuring Religion in War: A Response“, is part of a conversation with noted scholar Isak Svensson about how we study religion in war.
International Studies Professor Shane Barter and alumna Gabby Garfunkel have published a review of Religious Diversity in Muslim-Majority States in Southeast Asia by Bernhard Platzdasch and Johan Saravanamuttu, in the Asian Journal of Social Science!