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Once More unto the Heights: Race, Class and Conflict in AmericaAccording to the myth, in the late summer of 1862, President Lincoln faced a dire challenge. His valiant effort to preserve the union was stymied by the forces of white Southern resistance in Northern Virginia. His strategic position was deteriorating as the European powers began to lose faith in the viability of the Northern cause, and it was broadly whispered that the British were on the verge of recognizing the Confederate States of America, thereby emboldening the separatists and validating in law and custom the divisions that had taken hold on the field of battle. Lincoln needed a demonstration of power written in blood and iron that would help him to close the action of the first act—of the larger drama of American... |
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Reflections: A Dual Degree Program in MaltaWhile it seems like just yesterday, it has been nine months since the eleven students from the inaugural cohort of the dual Master's degree program run jointly by S-CAR and the Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies (MEDAC) have stepped foot in a Maltese classroom and seven months since we submitted our theses. When we first set foot into our classroom in Valletta, Malta, it was apparent that the diversity of our small class was high. We all had different backgrounds, but over the next nine months we became a close-knit family. We came from America, Canada, Japan, and Malta. We studied government, international relations, sociology, psychology, and a plethora of languages. We worked in the private sector, with NGOs, at the Maltese Prime... |
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S-CAR Students Tackle Independent Research
When you say "research" to most undergraduate students studying the social sciences, they usually react in one of two ways: 1) They assume research is limited to hard science, with experiments being conducted in laboratories with elaborate machinery and/or white mice and therefore doesn't concern them, or 2) they understand the concept of research in these fields but grimace with fear. However, S-CAR's undergraduate program boasts three women who shatter these stereotypes. Catherine Dines, Krystal Thomas, and Gabriella Porcaro have all voluntarily developed research projects related to their coursework in the Conflict Analysis and Resolution major and have each received funding to support their research through the... |
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Global Problematique SymposiumWith an elective titled Global Governance and Complex Problem-Solving in the Post-9/11 World, one would be crazy not to sign up for it as a Master's student at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Of course, after receiving the syllabus from Dr. Dennis Sandole, the course instructor, and seeing a 15-20 book reading list, one might need to be slightly unhinged (like myself) to actually take it. That said, Dr. Dennis Sandole makes a compelling case as to why he created this S-CAR course. It was a course born out of events that took place in the last decade, and an article from the July 9, 2008 issue of The Economist. Sandole made the case that the current infrastructure for "global management" is incapable of handling the problems of the 21st century. These new century problems - dubbed the Global Problematique - include global warming, pandemics, deforestation,... |
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Violence and Guns in AmericaOn April 2, 2012, former President Bill Clinton stated that the "'tragedy' of the killing of Trayvon Martin should cause a re-thinking of the 'Stand Your Ground' law."1 On the other side, the NRA, whose 2005 lobbying campaign got the law passed, initially supports the law in its current state, stating that it is "still a good law".2 Proponents of the stand your ground law suggest that its repeal would begin a slippery slope to the end of gun rights.3 Clearly, the killing of Trayvon Martin has exposed a perennial American conflict around the second amendment: A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms... |
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Alex Cromwell, S-CAR M.S. Student
Alex Cromwell is a graduating Master's student at S-CAR, as well as Director of Operations at the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution (CRDC). Alex grew up in a church focused on bringing peace to the world, a background that sparked his interest in conflict resolution. As an undergrad, he studied psychology, with plans of becoming a counselor. It was while applying to graduate programs in this area that he discovered a degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution was possible. He immediately shifted gears, and with a strong interest in international conflict, especially in the Middle East region, he began his studies at S-CAR. Alex has particularly enjoyed his work with CRDC, where he has had the... |
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Edi Jurkovic, S-CAR M.S. Student
Edi Jurkovic, an S-CAR Master's student and John Burton Librarian, brings a new perspective to his classes after spending his career serving in the military in former Yugoslavia, the Army of the Republic of Srpska, and finally in the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina - when the armies merged after the war. Edi grew up in Bosnia, but has lived and traveled all over the Balkans and much of Europe during his military tenure. Due to his previous experience and background in conflict situations, Edi is interested in understanding conflict and how to prevent it. Edi is particularly interested in improving civilian-military cooperation. He has trained civilians, senior military staff, as well as young officers who will be... |