The Diplomatic Envoy October 2016

Volume X Issue II

New Law Bans Burqas and Veils in Bulgaria

October 2016

United Nations Selects Guterres as Its Next Leader

By Gabrielle Hunt Staff Writer

By Lyndsey Cole Web Editor Amid growing hostility toward Muslims throughout Europe, the Bulgarian Parliament passed legislation on September 30 banning face veils from most public locations, including schools and administrative offices. According to Al Jazeera, people who do not comply with the ban may have to pay fines of up to 1,500 levs, or 858 USD. Approximately 13 percent of the Bulgarian population is Muslim. The MDL Turkish minority party has opposed the ban and accused supporters of “sowing religious intolerance.”

Supporters of the ban, including the ruling party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, hold that the law is not a means of religious intolerance but rather is a way of increasing national security, as many Syrian refugees also pass through the country on their way to other areas of Europe.

Bulgaria is not the first European country to impose a ban on face coverings or burqas, and it is unlikely to be the last.

In Switzerland, new draft legislation proposed by the Swiss People’s Party has passed, attempting to ban face-concealing garments from public areas. According to Independent, similar legislation failed to pass in January. Regions of Switzerland such as the canton of Ticino, however, have already imposed bans.

France and Belgium have imposed nationwide bans of face veils in the hopes of increasing national security. As Russia Today reported, several regions of Italy have imposed bans since the beginning of 2016, including Venice and the northern area of Lombardy.

This sentiment continues to echo throughout Europe, with Newsweek reporting that a majority of Germans support a prohibition of face-concealing garments. Infratest Dimap, a German political research firm, recently conducted a poll which found that 81 percent of GerContinued on Page 2...

Inside Focus on Art and Global Issues Pages 6&7

Airstrikes Resume in Syria as Ceasefire Crumbles

Photo courtesy of UNHCR

Antonio Guterres, second from left, meeting Syrian refugees in Jordan in 2014, when he led the U.N. refugee agency.

The United Nations General Assembly approved on October 13 the appointment of Antonio Guterres as the organization’s ninth secretary-general. After three months and six straw polls, the Security Council recommended Guterres on October 6 for the General Assembly’s final confirmation.

Guterres received 13 votes in favor, 2 “no opinion,” and no red “discourage” ballots from the Security Council in the final straw poll, cementing a lead he had held since the first round.

Among a dozen candidates, Guterres stood out for including in his vision statement not only sustainable development, climate change, and international cooperation, but also a plan he called the “centrality of prevention.” Drawing from a decade-long tenure as the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees, Guterres, 67, insisted that prevention be the priority of the United Nations system. “The international community spends more time and resources managing crises than preventing them,” he said during his informal dialogue with the General Assembly in April.

Guterres, who served as prime minister of Portugal prior to leading the U.N. refugee agency, has had “the highest level of diplomatic exposure, and an inside understanding

of how the U.N. works, which is an enviable combination few other candidates had,” said Gabriela Taveras, a senior Diplomacy major and president of the Seton Hall chapter of the United Nations Association (UNA-SHU). Guterres will be the first secretary-general who has served as his country’s head of government.

During an informal dialogue with the General Assembly in April, Mr. Guterres raised eyebrows by saying, “I don’t like bureaucracy,” an unexpected statement from a candidate for the leadership of a bureaucratic international organization.

At the same meeting, Guterres argued for clearer language instead of the United Nations’ propensity to communicate in esoteric acronyms, such as SDGs for the sustainable development goals.

At the General Assembly opening in October 2015, when he was still the High Commissioner for Refugees, Guterres warned that implementing the SDGs risks overlooking refugee populations. Although the SDGs are an important step forward, they “do not sufficiently take into account the reality that vast parts of the world today are mired in conflict,” betraying the Global Goals’ pledge of universality, he said.

Despite the desires and expectations of many, neither a female nor an Eastern European candidate was ultimately selected by the Security Council, an outcome that displeased

Ambassador Maria Emma Mejia Velez of Colombia, who had led a coalition of 60 countries in pushing for a woman secretary-general. According to The New York Times, if the United Nations is intent on promoting gender equality, it has “the responsibility to lead by example,” Ambassador Mejia said.

Eastern Europe is the only region that has not held the position; unsurprisingly, Russia strongly advocated for an Eastern European to succeed Ban Ki-moon, a factor that may have turned the tide against the director-general of UNESCO, Irina Bokova. Since her nomination by her home country, Bulgaria, in February, Bokova was touted as a frontrunner with the advantages of being a U.N. insider, an Eastern European, and a woman. Bokova, who was elected to lead UNESCO twice and has held the position since 2009, emphasized in her candidacy intercultural dialogue and education as a driver of sustainable development.

But Bokova lost the Bulgarian government’s support after disappointing results in five Security Council straw polls. Although it was late in the process, Bulgaria nominated in September Kristalina Georgieva, a vice president of the European Commission who was seen as close to the West, according to The New York Times.

Int’l News

OPINION

U.S. Counterterrorism Efforts Increase with New Drone Base in Niger

Alumni Spotlight

THAT’S DEBATABLE Three Opinions on the MH17 Investigation

On page 2.

On page 8.

By Francesca Regalado Managing Editor

Continued on Page 2...

Syria’s most recent ceasefire continues to flounder as heavy airstrikes continue. The ceasefire, brokered jointly by the United States and Russia on September 12, lasted a week before an aid convoy was struck west of Aleppo.

By September 25, the Assad regime had launched an “allout” air and ground offensive against Aleppo, and reportedly fired over 150 airstrikes in 72 hours that killed 139 people.

In the offensive, the regime reportedly hit four bases used by White Helmet volunteers, the first responders who arrive at bombed areas.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power released a statement pointedly calling out Russia in light of the air campaign, calling eastern Aleppo “apocalyptic,” and calling upon the U.N. Security Council to unanimously condemn Russia for its uncontested involvement.

The U.S. considers Russia responsible for the convoy attack because of the Syrian rebels’ lack of air force. Regardless of whether Russia was actually behind attack, the U.S. believes it is accountable because of its obligation to limit Syrian airstrikes under the ceasefire.

Other members of the international community have since publicly condemned the conflict and Russia’s involvement. A joint statement on Syria by the Foreign Ministers of France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, the U.S., and the High Representative of the European Union indicated growing impatience with Russia’s “continued unwillingness” to honor commitments for peace in Syria.

French President Francois Hollande suggested that Russian officials could face “war crime charges” over involvement with the bombardment of Aleppo. U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson claimed that Russia risks becoming an international “pariah” through its Continued on Page 3...

Fulbright Scholar Megan Ferguson; De Mello Fellow Joel Martinez On page 5.

Diplo News White House Cybersecurity Czar Visits Seton Hall On page 11.

October 2016 Page 2

International News

U.N.Appoints Antonio Guterres of Portugal as Next Secretary-General Continued from Page 1...

In the final straw poll, both Bokova and Georgieva received two “discourage” ballots from the Permanent Five members of the Security Council.

Given the recent diplomatic disputes with Russia, the Security Council would be wary of electing an Eastern European secretary-general who “could be easily swayed”

by Russia, said Taveras, the president of UNA-SHU. Father Brian Muzas, a

professor at the School of Diplomacy and the secretary of the U.N. Non-Governmental Organization/Department of Public Information executive committee, thought the unprecedented openness of the selection process also caused the elimination of promising candidates. “Some of the candidates, because of the public visibility inherent in the more open process, hurt their own chances in ways that they would not have done had the process been more closed,” Father Muzas said.

This year’s selection pro-

cess was promoted by the United Nations as the most open and transparent in its 71-year history, featuring the first globally televised and webcast debate in July, where candidates took questions in a town hall-style forum. Individual informal dialogues between the candidates and the General Assembly were also televised, and the results of the Security Council’s straw polls were made public.

The negotiations among the Security Council members, however, continued behind closed doors. “It is hard

New U.S. Drone Base in Niger Is the Latest Sign of Increased Counterterrorism Efforts

By Leah Cerilli Associate Editor The United States is investing at least $50 million to create a military base in Agadez, Niger with the capability of deploying drones, as reported by the BBC. The U.S. already shares a base with France in Niger’s capital Niamey, where MQ-9 Reaper drones are stationed. The positioning of the central city Agedez will give the U.S. a greater ability to use drones to strike Islamist extremists in Libya, Mali, and Nigeria.

Michelle Baldanza, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, confirmed the U.S. had agreed to pay for a new runway, pavements, facilities, and related infrastructure for the base. The Pentagon said it expects costs to hover around $50 million, although The Intercept calculated that it will cost twice that based on formerly secret files obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. There is a notable precedent of U.S. drone bases abroad. Niger is a key regional hub for U.S. military operations, as the only country in the region that allows a U.S. base for MQ-9 Reapers. Agadez in particular is also a busy location for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions against terrorist or-

ganizations. The Intercept suggested the new drone base is the latest evidence that the U.S. is beginning to increase focus on terrorist organizations in North and West Africa.

The U.S. ended drone operations in southern Ethiopia in January 2016, according to Foreign Policy. The drone base, located in Arba Minch, was established in 2011 and primarily focused on targeting al-Shabab after a string of deadly attacks across East Africa. Shutting down the base was widely thought to be because of demand to move drones where they were needed more, such as Libya, Nigeria, Chad, Mali, and Cameroon, where the Islamic State and extremist militants ae present.

Baldanza also commented on this on behalf of the Pentagon, saying that the U.S. and Ethiopia have agreed that a drone base in Ethiopia is no longer necessary. The Pentagon’s Africa Command agreed that al-Shabab is as not as significant of a terrorist threat as it used to be, and that the Africa Command is better off focusing its limited resources elsewhere.

An example of American drone efforts being moved elsewhere can be seen in the United States’ recent construction of a low-profile drone base in Cameroon. As

Satellite images of a United States drone base outside Agadez, Niger.

reported by The Intercept, the base was built around October 2015 at a site proclaimed to be Garoua International Airport, near the border of Nigeria. U.S. troops at this base are forbidden to mingle with locals or go to nearby bars or nightclubs. There is fear amongst leaders stationed at the base that Cameroonians working there may harbor sympathy towards Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist group most active in northeast Nigeria. The base became fully active in February 2016, allowing U.S. forces to gain intelligence on Boko Haram’s movements, bomb-making factories, and military camps.

A team of U.S. operators from the Joint Special Operations Command are rumored to fly drones and carry out counterterrorist activities in the Somalian city of Kismayo, roughly 300 miles south of the capital Mogadishu. The U.S. claims it has no drone operations on Somali soil, and that these drones originate from Dijibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Multiple Somali and African Union officials have confirmed the existence of the base, however, according to Foreign Policy, and have stated that the increase U.S. covert military action is to stabilize the volatile horn of Africa.

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

Photo courtesy of The Intercept

to judge whether or not there is an ideal degree of openness, for the selection outcome is essentially a negotiated outcome,” Father Muzas said.

The unexpected elevation of Guterres as the consistent frontrunner was “more an issue of geographical bias than one against women,” Taveras said. Interestingly, while he received no “discourage” votes, only four Permanent Five members encouraged Guterres’s nomination – one submitted a “no opinion” ballot. As the Security Council straw polls were taken anon-

ymously, the process could be made more transparent if Security Council members were “required to comment if they vote against a given candidate,” Taveras said.

Mr. Guterres will begin his term on January 1. Guterres, who said “gender parity” within the United Nations is crucial, is expected to appoint a woman as deputy secretary-general, according to the BBC. Contact Francesca at regalafr@shu.edu.

New Bulgarian Law Bans Wearing Burqas and Face Veils Continued from Page 1... mans backed a partial ban on the burqa. While the government does not support a full ban, the poll also found that 51 percent of Germans would like to ban the burqa entirely as national security becomes a growing concern.

In the Netherlands, proposed legislation to ban face coverings goes as far as to ban motorcycle helmets, but Politico reports that the ban is not strictly for security purposes.

Supporters of the ban have cited oppression of women has a primary reason, stating that they are “forced to wear what some call ‘a walking coffin’ that ‘demeans their dignity’ and leaves them in no position to refuse.”

Others, such as activist Naema Tahir, believe that “in a liberal society, you can only

forbid something if it causes violence or forms a threat.

You can’t associate every woman wearing a burqa with danger, threats, (or) oppression.”

Other European countries have refused to ban burqas or face coverings for similar reasons. Norway, despite the leading party’s support for a ban, has been unable to pass legislation. According to The Local, integration minister Sylvi Listhaug said that the country will not pursue a national ban because the Progress Party that she led into office is unable to receive support from other parties in parliament. There have been some regional bans in Norway, however, with Oslo banning even partial face-coverings in schools throughout the municipality.

Contact Lyndsey at lyndsey.cole@student.shu.edu.

International News

October 2016 Page 3

Airstrikes Resume in Syria as Ceasefire Crumbles

Continued from Page 1... continued support of the Assad regime.

However, Russia continues to deny involvement with the attacks.

Russia and the U.S. have since failed to agree on how to mend the ceasefire. Recent reports indicate that on October 11, 25 people died in were killed in what activists consider to be the most severe bom-

bardment in days. The Syrian Civil Defense has since put the death toll at 41.

As of October 12, Russia has ratified a permanent deployment of its air group in Syria. Under the agreement, Russian military personnel will not undergo border checks when entering Syria. This deployment could further implicate Russia’s involvement in the airstrikes.

Russia Withdraws From Bilateral Security Treaty With the United States

Matthew Schaller Staff Writer

On October 3, Russian President Vladimir Putin suspended a bilateral treaty with the United States on the disposal of weapons-grade plutonium. The latest move by the Russian strongman showcases his newfound leverage over Washington with regard to the ongoing row over Ukraine and Syria.

According to CNBC, the Kremlin’s action was in response to Washington’s announcement that it was suspending talks with Russia on trying to end the Syrian bloodshed. The agreement does not represent a cornerstone in U.S.-Russia relations, but its connection to a range of other issues that the two superpowers share carries newfound weight and significance.

“Putin’s decree could signal that other nuclear disarmament cooperation deals between the United States and Russia are at risk of being undermined,” Stratfor, a U.S.-based intelligence consultancy, suggested. Russia may be attempting “to convey to Washington the price of cutting off dialogue on Syria and other issues.”

As reported by Reuters, Putin submitted a draft law to parliament laying out a list of grievances towards the United States and stating the conditions for which the plutonium accord can be resumed. They included the lifting of EU and U.S. sanctions, and a reduction of U.S. forces in North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states.

“The Obama administration has done everything in its power to destroy the atmosphere of trust which could have encouraged cooperation,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The treaty on the disposal of plutonium was adopted in 2000 as one of the framework

decommissioning agreements in the decade after the Cold War. According to the New York Times, the deal concerned 34 tons of plutonium in storage in each country and acted as an insurance policy against the materials falling into the wrong hands.

Russia and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to the agreement in 2009, when Obama signaled his pursuit of a “reset” policy with then Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.

During the reaffirmation talks, the Russians interpreted the agreement as requiring the plutonium to be sent to civilian nuclear power plants in order to be transformed into non-explosive materials.

Issues with a plant in South Carolina have led to numerous delays on the American side of the deal and President Obama proposed shutting down the program in the 2017 budget. His alternative plan was for long-term storage at a nuclear containment facility in New Mexico.

This has become a point of contention with the Russians as Putin has made known in his draft law recently submitted to parliament.

As U.S.-Russia relations have become increasingly strained under Putin, numerous analysts in Moscow and elsewhere have floated with the idea of Russia falling back on its side of various agreements dating back to friendlier times between the two countries.

In the chaos and fragility that occurred in the postCold War landscape, the United States faced considerable pushback from the ‘Russian Bear’ with regard to the securement of their nuclear arsenal. It seems very unlikely that getting the Russians back to the table under the current Russian administration would bear anything different.

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

Weaponized surveillance drones are allegedly coming into use by militant groups like Hezbollah and the Islamic State, which potentially complicates the Syrian civil war.

Though drone strikes would be drastically different—and likely not as catastrophic as the airstrikes that have plagued Russia for years—they will “still scare people,” according to the Seattle Times. Weaponized drones, though clumsy, are what people have been afraid of for “years.”

Peter Singer, senior fellow at the New America Foundation, commented that though the new drone capacity of militant groups will not change the balance of power in the region, it is still important to note the terrorist groups’

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

Children playing amid destruction in Douma, Syria.

drone capabilities would be unprecedented.

Militant-operated weaponized drones also may complicate the international community’s ability to hold a specific group or actor accountable for violence in Syria, potentially aggravating the issue of

Russia’s continued denial of involvement in attacks.

As of now, there have been no advancements in the cease-fire or other plans in place to halt the bombings on Syrian civilians.

Contact Gabrielle at gabrielle.hunt@student.shu.edu.

South Korean President Promises Open Road to Northern Defectors

By Abby Shamray Editor-in-Chief

In October, North Korean vice foreign minister Kung Sok-Ung was stripped of his title and ordered to go to a rural farming area with his family, according to the Straits Times. A South Korean government official reported that it may have been the result of a reshuffle of the European Affairs cabinet following the defection of a high-level diplomat, Deputy Ambassador Thae Yong Ho, but other analysts speculate Kung may have been connected to the incident. An anonymous source told JoongAng Ilbo that “Kung Sok-Ung was held accountable for the embassies in Europe and purged as a result.”

The BBC reports that Thae is the highest-ranking diplomat to have defected.

The spokesman for the Unification Ministry in Seoul, Jeong Joon-Hee, told a news conference, “We know that Deputy Ambassador Thae is saying that his distaste for the Kim Jong-un regime and yearning for the Republic of Korea’s free democratic system and the future of his child are motives for the defection.”

In late September, Thae’s defection, along with several other incidences of North Koreans defecting, led to South Korean President Park Geun-hye to call on North Koreans to defect and welcomed them into South Korea. Park told potential defectors, “We will keep the road open for you to find hope and live a new life. Please come to the bosom of freedom in the

South whenever you want.”

Park addressed the “gruesome realities” that North Koreans face and emphasized that “freedom, democracy, human rights, and welfare” were universal values that North Koreans should be able to enjoy, according to Al-Jazeera. She mentioned that the number of North Korean defectors was at an all-time high, even by “North Korean elites who have been supporting the regime.” Park appeared to have been alluding to the de-

A dozen North Koreans are still under investigation after defecting to the South earlier this year. fection of the North Korean ambassador a month prior to her speech.

Earlier this year, 12 waitresses and their manager from a North Korean restaurant in China defected to the South.

An official at the Unification Ministry said that they were permitted to enter into normal society following a prolonged period of investigation. The diplomat who defected also had to go through a complicated process in order to defect, Reuters reported. An unnamed source told South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo newspaper that the diplomat had a “scrupulous plan” to defect and was going to “land in a third country as an asylum seeker.”

Shortly before Park’s announcement, a North Korean soldier snuck across the heavily protected Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that divides the two Koreas in order to defect.

He was the second member of the North Korean military to defect in three years, following a soldier who defected in June, according to the New York Times. The soldier who defected in June told officials that he fled because of widespread beating and other abuse within the military. Officials are still debriefing the soldier who defected in September to discover his motives. His defection is notable because it is rare for North Koreans to cross the land or sea border; usually defections are made by going through China.

For the first half of 2016, the number of detections totaled 814, an annual increase of 15 percent. The plethora of defections has followed an increase in tension between North and South Korea following the North’s nuclear testing. The number of defectors used to reach over 2,000 a year, but after Kim Jong-un reached power, the number of defectors was cut in half.

It appears to have been due to more difficulty in escaping and increased punishment, rather than better conditions.

Park said in her speech that the increase in 2016 has been due to an increase in oppression and widespread hunger.

Since the armistice that halted the Korea War in 1953, almost 30,000 North Koreans have defected. Relations on the Korean peninsula are at an all-time low since the Cold War in the 1970s. This year alone, Pyongyang has testfired more than 20 missiles and carried out two nuclear tests, according to Al-Jazeera.

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

October 2016 Page 4

International News

Hurricane Matthew Wreaks Havoc on Caribbean and American Southeast

Photo courtesy of Reuters

Civilians in Haiti assess the damage to their town after Hurricane Matthew.

By Mohammed Syed Staff Writer Water surged to the roof lines of houses in Princeville, North Carolina last Thursday as Hurricane Matthew continued its campaign of widespread destruction and collateral damage. The United States was the last stop on the trail of the three-week long Category-Four hurricane.

The hurricane had swept through the Lesser Antilles, South America, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas be-

fore finally entering the United States.

Haiti was hit the hardest.

According to a United Nations report released on October 15, 546 people are dead, 438 were injured, and 128 are still missing. 2.1 million people are reported effected by the hurricane, with 1.4 million in need of life saving assistance. Education has been disrupted for over 116,000 children. 175,000 people are now homeless.

But these circumstances are not new to the region.

The increased water levels

from the hurricane have triggered severe flooding, with which has come a wave of cholera infections. Cholera was introduced to Haiti by U.N. peacekeepers after the 2010 earthquake.

The devastating 2010 earthquake left much of the country still unbuilt, and thousands, still living in tents, were not prepared for the harsh weather. Energy, communication, and transportation has been severely disrupted. Relief has been largely difficult to transport, and many towns have experienced criminals’ blockades that have looted aid.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon landed in Haiti for a one-day visit on October 15. He was able to witness the corruption and slow-aid response first hand.

“I firmly condemn all attacks against humanitarian convoys. Today I personally witnessed a WFP (World Food Program) truck being attacked,” Ban stated. “We are going to mobilize as many resources and as much medical support as we can to first of all stop the cholera epidemic and second support the families of the victims.”

The United Nations put out an appeal for 120 million dollars of aid, but only 6.1 million has been raised as of mid-October. Private aid groups have held the backbone of the relief. Oxfam had raised around 300,000 dollars in donations, and Catholic Relief Services raised over 1.5 million online.

The 145 mph winds resulted in utter devastation.

In the Grand-Anse region, the World Food Program has reported nearly 100 percent of crops and 50 percent of livestock destroyed. There are drastic food shortages, and the main economies based on farming and gardening, fishery and charcoal production are severely impacted with no estimated date of recovery.

The situation in the United States, a ninety-minute flight away, is not looking too good either.

North Carolina officials have estimated that 1.5 billion dollars’ worth of damage has been caused to more than 100,000 homes, businesses, and government buildings.

The State Department of Public Safety issued a statement on Saturday detailing that more than 33,000 appli-

cations have been filed for individual assistance to FEMA, and 12.4 million dollars’ worth has been approved.

The death toll in the US has been calculated at 46.

Over 250,000 customers in Georgia were left without power during the Hurricane.

One million people had power affected in Florida. South Carolina was also impacted by immense flooding. Virginia was also hit with less intense floods. Although a Category two storm by the time it reached the US, the damage will take time and effort to reverse.

Many have been reluctant to donate in Haiti due to the corruption in charitable organizations, and the civil disobedience incurring in reaction to the slow aid response. Haiti has yet to raise millions of dollars needed.

The international community will need to respond in a manner that allows Haiti to build itself up from the basic building blocks of development and sustainabilityso that it can survive the big storm with minimal impact.

Contact Mohammed at mohammed.syed@student.shu.edu.

European Union and Afghanistan Agree to Return Migrants

By Samantha Stevenson Staff Writer The European Union and Afghanistan came to an agreement in a conference on October 5 that would send an unlimited number of Afghan migrants back to the country they fled from if their request for asylum failed.

Al Jazeera reports that the agreement will allow for the repatriation of failed asylum seekers from EU member states. Failed asylum seekers that the EU wants returned must be accepted and repatriated by Afghanistan.

According to The New York Times, 176,000 of the 213,000 Afghan people who arrived in Europe requested asylum. Yet 50 to 60 percent of requests have been denied, meaning the deal could potentially send tens of thousands of people back.

The EU is legally required to allow people fleeing war and persecution in their home countries a safe haven. However, they are allowed to refuse people classified as “economic migrants,” which are migrants who travel from one country to another to continually improve their standard of living.

However, the conditions in Afghanistan are becoming increasingly more hazardous.

The New York Times reports that despite speakers at the conference praising improvements in Afghanistan, even the most important cities are under attack. On the same day the deal was announced, Taliban fighters attacked Afghan security forces in Kunduz, a crucial provincial capital that briefly fell to insurgents last year. The forces fought to maintain control of government buildings in the city.

Afghanistan Analysts Network reports that pressure to come to an agreement on the organizers’ side came from a fear that failure to negotiate the repatriation could hijack important discussions on aid and leave EU member countries reluctant to publicly commit to future funding.

Afghanistan representatives also worried that failure to negotiate would cause Europe to withhold aid. Naeve Baker of Al Jazeera reports that the deal had been seen “in some circles as something of a condition”, and “perhaps Afghanistan’s hand has been forced – largely because of the insecurity on the ground there – to agree to a situation

An Afghan family returned home after failing to secure asylum in Europe.

that would see potentially tens of thousands of people returned.”

Amnesty International’s Horia Mosadiq said international and Afghan rights groups “were quite appalled at the secret deal,” and many viewed it as “some sort of blackmail.” Mosadiq also pointed out that of the three million refugees displaced from Iraq, many in Pakistan are also in danger of being deported back to Afghanistan.

This danger was confirmed on October 7 when top Afghan and Pakistani officials discussed the repatriation of about three million Afghan refugees, according the The India Express. The Washington Post reports that registered refugees in Pakistan have been given six months to deport back to Afghanistan.

Rising tensions in the refugee crisis, from hostage situations to the 2014 terrorist invasion of a Pakistani military school

Photo courtesy of UNHCR

that left 141 students and teachers dead, led authorities to vow a start in sending refugees back.

Departure deadlines were postponed several times, but the conflict came to a head after Pakistan built a large gate at Torkham, the major border crossing near Peshawar, and announced no Afghans could re-enter without a passport and visa.

Contcat Samantha at samantha.stevenson@student.shu.edu.

Alumni Spotlight

October 2016 Page 5

Fulbright Scholar Megan Ferguson Finds Her Niche in Kinmen,Taiwan

By Tela Wittig Staff Writer The Seton Hall Class of 2016 proudly produced three Fulbright scholars, all alumnae of the School of Diplomacy.

One Diplo, Megan Ferguson, chose to spend her yearlong scholarship teaching English in Taiwan. Although Megan was only four weeks into her tenure, she took the time to share her experiences with the Envoy.

Megan has already found her place on the small island of Kinmen, where she is integrating herself in the community through her work as an English teaching assistant and tutor. In the Pirate spirit of servant leadership, Megan is volunteering at a local school, teaching English on the middle school and high school levels. She said this was the scariest part to her when she was planning her trip: “Real students would mean real expectations, and real children who would depend on me.

It was scary, but also very exciting.” She quickly found, however, that the process of watching her students grow in confidence and understanding was truly rewarding.

When asked how she felt she was fitting into her new home, she said that her students really made the difference in her adjustment. It was

Photo courtesy of Megan Ferguson

Megan Ferguson, second from right, receives her school placement along with a fellow Fulbright scholar, Cristabella Trimble-Quiz.

clear that she has found her passion when she said, “Being able to talk to so many of them outside of class and to see their excitement to talk to me makes me feel like I am starting to belong here.”

Megan said that her volunteer work in the Don Bosco English as a Second Language program through the Seton Hall Division of Volunteer Efforts (DOVE) inspired her interest in demolishing the language barrier.

Megan’s seamless immer-

sion in Taiwan is a reflection on how well the Chinese language department prepares students for the real world.

Unsurprisingly, conversational Chinese in Taiwan is not exactly aligned with the Standard Mandarin that is taught here at Seton Hall; however, Megan insists that the instruction left her well-prepared.

She reflected on her years at Seton Hall in a positive light. “Studying with Seton Hall’s Chinese program encouraged me to see making

mistakes as part of learning a language. Now, I’m not embarrassed to talk with people here, even when the conversation goes over my head, because I know I can get there if I keep studying,” she said.

The island of Kinmen offers Megan an intimate environment in which she definitely stands out, but she says this is also a positive part of her being there. Although she is an outsider, she uses that as an opportunity to bridge the culture gap, welcome ques-

tions, and forge lasting personal connections.

At the end of her yearlong scholarship, Megan plans to attend Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, Missouri, where she has been awarded a full scholarship.

There she will study constitutional and humanitarian law with the goal of working to protect civil liberties as they pertain to American national security policies.

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

Grad Student Completes Inaugural SergioVieira de Mello Fellowship

By Ajiya Doka Staff Writer When Joel Martinez left Seton Hall University after receiving his bachelor’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations, like many with so many possibilities opened, it was hard to find the exact path for him. Returning as a graduate student, his experience as the inaugural Sergio Vieira De Mello fellow at Seton Hall University has shown him the right way.

Joel spent the summer in the cosmopolitan city of Geneva as a research assistant at the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. This organization’s mission is to contribute to “enhancing security sector governance (SSG) through security sector reform (SSR).

The Center’s work to support effective, efficient security sectors which are accountable to the state and its citizens is underpinned by the acknowledgement that security, development and the rule of law are essential preconditions for sustainable peace.” The organization creates “toolkits” to

Photo courtesy of the School of Diplomacy.

Robert H. Serry, left, and Dr. Philipp H. Fluri.

Photo courtesy of Joel Martinez

Joel Martinez in Genea, Switzerland, where he spent the summer as a researcher at the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

establish and assist security institutions. Publication topics include anti-corruption and policy integrity in post-conflict regions. Regional areas are vast and include the Middle East, North Africa, the Balkans, and South America.

Specifically, Joel worked with the deputy director, Dr. Philipp H. Fluri, on his re-

search on the Ukraine. Dr. Fluri was appointed as the School of Diplomacy’s Sergio Vieira de Mello Endowed Visiting Chair in January.

Their research culminated in a NATO-sponsored security summit in Kiev, which Joel was able to attend.

When asked about his experience, Joel said it was a

perfect combination of his graduate specializations in policy analysis and international security. By far, his favorite experience was the security summit in Kiev. He said the experience of talking to young people who were a part of the Euromaidan revolution tied his summer of research together. “It was hearing the personal stories and the real world application that made the experience worthwhile,” he said.

His time away from the classroom and his return to complete his master’s degree, made him see that “when doors are closing, what’s for you is more clear.” As a bonus, the experience reminded him why he chose to be a Di-

plomacy undergraduate not that long ago – for the love of travel and politics that bonds us all.

Following this experience, Joel recommends interested students to look into the opportunities that this fellowship provides. Robert H. Serry, the School’s Fall 2016 Sergio Vieira de Mello Visiting Endowed Chair in the Practice of Post-Conflict Diplomacy, will be on campus from November 1 until the end of the semester.

For more on the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces.

(DCAF), visit their website at http://www.dcaf.ch/.

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

Focus on Art

October 2016 Page 6

United States Election

By Mariah McCloskey Staff Writer The political rhetoric coming from the current presidential race has caused many voters to become frustrated, even to the point of reconsidering their affiliation. In particular, artists around the world have used a variety of mediums to convey their perspectives on Republican candidate Donald Trump and his policies.

A former Trump campaign bus went up for sale on Craigslist, and artists Mary Mihelic and David Gleeson transformed it into a traveling anti-Trump piece. Mihelic and Gleeson redesigned the bus to read T.RUMP instead of TRUMP. His campaign slogan was then crossed out and replaced with a taunting “#women trump trump” on one side and “#make fruit punch great again” on the other.

Historian Enrique Krauze has also been an outspoken critic of the Republican nominee for repeatedly scapegoating Mexico and Mexicans in his campaign and demanding that the nation pay for a massive border wall to keep

By Nicholas Elden Staff Writer The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) reports that the number of displaced people is at its highest, surpassing even post-World War II numbers. At the end of 2015, more than 65.3 million people, one out of every 113 people on Earth, sought asylum. Conflicts in Syria, Burundi, Afghanistan, and Somalia have uprooted families and left them without access to education, food, or shelter as they fight to find safety and tell their stories. The initiative to find a platform of expressing the refugee’s struggles is now told through artistic outlets around the world.

The Refugee Art Project is one of many platforms that reaches out to the rest of the world and highlights the struggle of displaced individuals. This program was conceived by a collection of academics and artists united by a concern for the plight of asylum-seekers and refugees who travel to Australia and subsequently locked in detention centers.

Art exhibitions and zine publications are formed by a diverse mixture of men,

out immigrants. The cover of the October issue of Krauze’s Mexican literary magazine, Letras Libres, is a critique of Trump. It shows a magnified image of his face with the words “Fascista Americano” (American Fascist) lined over his top lip to create the shape of a Hitler-style mustache.

Mindaugas Bonanu, a Lithuanian artist, continued the trend and painted a mural highlighting the similarities between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Drawing on a famous 1979 photo of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev and East German President Erich Honecker, Bonanu painted Trump and Vladimir Putin kissing.

The piece appears on the walls of Keulė Rūkė, a Lithuanian restaurant, and offers a critique on the sort of “unsavory” alliances that might emerge if Trump were to be elected into office. It presents their similarities boldly; they both have huge egos, and it’s amusing to see they are getting along well. Trump has been quoted saying that Putin is “going to say great things,” and that Mr. Putin is “really very much of a leader.”

women, and children who are escaping conflict from around the globe. Paintings of lost homes and destruction along with written pieces describing the experiences these refugees endure stand out as some of the most powerful pieces. The art showcases a diverse range of styles and mediums that highlight the major themes of trauma, exile, hope, and endurance. The Refugee Art Project is intended to, “enable asylum seekers and refugees to communicate to the public in their own voice, through art, which creates a bridge between hem and the community.”

In Birmingham, England, memorial gardens resembling hidden funeral grounds in Syria stand to open a dialogue about the lost lives of refugees. Tania El Khoury, a feminist Arab performance artist, installed a sound installation called Gardens Speak, an interactive garden containing the oral histories of ten men and women and presenting Syrians affected by the war buried in their backyards instead of gardens. The audio of these individuals gives evidence of their final moments and stands as a global testament to the injustice that individuals face around the

Critics believe that Trump’s comments only contribute to the idea that women are worth less than men, and that he, as a man, holds all the power. There has been an attempt to combat this overblown focus on manliness.

Upon listening to the March 3 Republican Primary Debate, American artist Sarah Levy became offended by a controversial comment trump made about FOX debate moderator Megyn Kelly. Following the Republican presidential debate on Fox News, Trump

said of moderator Kelly, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.”

To respond, Levy painted a portrait of Donald J. Trump entirely out of her own menstrual blood. Levy stated, “Women are totally capable when they are on their period and that shouldn’t even be an issue,” and if Trump thinks he can bring up a woman’s period to insult their intelligence, he should think again.

Many people got behind her artwork and Levy quickly saw

people tweeting their own anger at the politician with the #BloodyTrump similar to the women who wrote about their own periods using the hashtag #PeriodsAreNotAnInsult.

In order to process Trump’s controversial comments and the impact they have on society, the public has turned to art. These artists not only captured the Trump controversy, but spun him into something humorous.

Contact Mariah at mariah.mccloskey@student.shu.edu.

Photo courtesy of Business Insider

New Yorkers flocked to Union Square to see a naked statue of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Refugees

Photo courtesy of the Refugee Art Project

A refugee, Alwy Fadhel, created this painting with coffee titled “Over the Fence.”

world from cruel and warring governments. El Khoury says, “Their stories remind us that what’s happening in Syria began as an uprising against a repressive regime by ordinary people dreaming of a different future.”

The Za’atari Project highlights the plight of civilians escaping the Syrian War seeking safety. This project in northern Jordan has quickly become the world’s second largest refugee camp with nearly 100,000 residents. While these individuals are away from their

home, they create beautiful art in Za’atari’s harsh land of dust storms and bright sunlight. Mural-making and educational activities give voice to refugee children. For many of these children, the art initiative is the only organized educational program they have.

The Project’s beautiful murals span across town buildings and feature both professional portraits of refugees and colorful murals sprawled out across the hot sand.

As more outlets open to express the growing interna-

tional struggle of refugees, the world will gain a larger platform to talk about the issue and strategize how to return these individuals to their homes. Art has given a voice to these individuals and shown the world that while circumstances are bad, hope is not lost. With refugee numbers growing every single day, art and literature help to capture the awe-inspiring plight of these individuals displaced from their homes.

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

and Global Issues

By Daniel D’Amico Staff Writer The right to represent religion in art is protected today by freedom of expression.

The importance of protecting this right continues to be relevant today as statements about religious freedom are implemented in different forms of art. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world, this human right has been violated.

Iranian artist Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian was exiled from Iran in 1979 because of her art. The Is-

October 2016 Page 7

Religion in Art

lamic Revolution led to the confiscation of many of Farmanfarmaian’s works. She was exiled for a total of twenty-six years before she returned to Iran. Her work received recognition through an exhibit in the Guggenheim called Infinite Possibilities: Mirror Works and Drawings, 19742014, on display last year. Farmanfarmian used the words “infinite possibility” to describe her art, showing that everything can be found in geometry. She utilized a visual and spatial experience based on the traditions of architecture and decoration of old

mosques.

A more traditional example of religion in art that has endured are the Azerbaijani carpets. They have been around since about the tenth to twelfth centuries. These carpets are famous for their ornaments along with the graceful patterns. They are also found all around the world. They were mass-exported, and the patterns are reflected in various European works in the fifth century. More recently, they were seen in exhibitions in Vienna, Austria, in 1872, Turin, Itlay,

Photo courtesy of Art Blart

Erika Diettes’s Sudarios, featuring photographs of women who lost loved ones in the Colombian conflict.

in 1911, and London and Berlin in 1915.

In a holy mass in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Baku, Azerbaijan, Pope Francis praised these carpets. According to Trend News Agency, he spoke of how just like the carpets have to be woven with “wefts of faith and warps of service.” The pope’s recognition and the process used show they are relevant to Christians in a broader sense to this day.

Carmen-Helena Téllez, a Venezuelan-American director, is directing a show titled Journeying La Divina Comedia: Desert, Discover, and Song, in the form of a play. It is on display at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at the University of Notre Dame.

The wide recognition it received led to a global following beyond the reach of the university. The crowd interacts as a way to reveal the “Divine Comedy” in modern day-to-day life. The audience moves from scene to scene in the “Inferno” and through art installations in “Purgatorio.”

The hellish electronic landscapes add to the atmosphere.

Colombian artist/anthropologist Erika Diettes took a

less direct approach to religion in art. She printed “Sudarios,” or shrouds, with photographs of those who lost loved ones throughout the fifty years of civil conflict in Colombia. She photographs them at the moment where they remember their loss.

The “Sudarios” are a traveling exhibit that have been in the Museum of Contemporary Religious Art but are intended to be shown in churches. Diettes told the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch, “That’s a decision I took from the beginning of the project because I want the spectator to feel that these images need a different state of emotion and attention” that can be found in a place of faith. The shrouds serve to show just how much war and violence truly cost.

The role of religion in art can be direct or reflected in other ways. In the works of Diettes, she designed her message for churches and other sacred places. In Farmanfarmaian’s case, her freedom of expression was taken away in Iran when she was forced into exile.

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

Jetnil-Kijiner recited her poem inside the Green Zone of COP21 where all negotiations took place as well as at other civil society events, such as ArtCop21, a global climate festival about culture.

Her poem “Tell Them” raises awareness for the imminent threat small islands face due to climate change.

Music also has a leading role in spread of climate change awareness. Hip-hop artists and brothers Xiuhtezcatl and Itzcuauhtli Martinez, of Aztec heritage, write and produce music to educate and inspire the new generation on the climate crisis. As part of the youth organization Earth Guardians, the two musicians made an album called Generation RYSE with various songs related to environmental activism. Xiuhtezcatl’s song, “Speak for the Trees,” was chosen as a theme song for COP21, according to Rolling Stone.

Xiuhtezcatl told BBC about the power of music as a campaign for climate action: “We decided that it would be a really great medium to engage a lot of different people that normally wouldn’t listen to our message but are listening to hip-hop.”

The impact of young people rapping about the environmental crisis has been enormous. Earth Guardian’s representatives were invited to speak at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Event on Climate Change in 2015. One of their songs also made the group one of the winners of the 2015 Global Challenges Youth Music Contest.

John Croley, of UNESCO’s Management of Social Transformation Programme (one of the organizers of the contest) stated that “the creativity and musical communications skills of so many young people are a testament to just how seriously youth from all corners of the Earth today take climate change,” as stated by the news section of the UNESCO website.

Art is the newest yet perhaps the most effective form of raising awareness of the global problem of climate change. As Xiuhtezcatl Martinez told BBC, “Be a poet, be an activist, be a writer, be a photographer, whatever it is you love. Use your passions to change the world.”

Climate Change

Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, a teenage hip-hop artist, performing with his brother, Itzcuauhtli.

By Renata Koch Alvarenga Staff Writer With increasing global awareness for climate change, the actors in the dialogue on environmental action have also changed. The field, previously dominated by politicians, environmental experts, and select non-governmental organizations, now includes artists.

Poetry is one of the ar-

tistic forms in which climate change is portrayed. Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, a poet from the Marshall Islands, decided to use her words as a tool to advocate for climate action.

In 2015, after learning that the global climate agreement — which has just entered into force with the ratification of 76 nations — initially pledged for a limit to global warming of 2 degrees Celsius, Jetnil-Kijiner understood the urgency of the situation.

Any rise in the global tem-

perature above 1.5 degrees will leave her hometown and many other islands under water due to rising sea levels. “I’m going [to COP21] because I’m fighting for our home. I’m going because I have foreseen the loss and the sorrow that awaits our children and grandchildren, because I have fallen into that abyss,” said Jetnil-Kijiner about her performance at the United Nations Climate Conference in Paris, according to Climate Change News.

Contact Renata at renata.alvarenga@student.shu.edu.

October 2016 Page 8

Opinion

That’s Debatable

This month, in a new Opinion feature, three Envoy writers each take their own spins on a controversial topic: Will anything come of the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) findings on the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17?

Report Gives More Fodder To Russia’s Spin Doctors

Yet AnotherTruth For Russia to Deny

Repercussions Only Risk Escalating Conflict

By Alexander Grey Staff Writer On September 28, MH17, only creating one of the more in- more work for the interesting events in the vestigators with false Russia-Ukraine hostil- reports. ities came to light as The modus operanthe Dutch Joint Inves- di, or common methtigation Team (JIT) re- odology, for the Putin leased their findings on administration has been the MH17 plane crash. to push the limits of inThe report claimed that ternational affairs and a Russian Buk missile see what happens. When was indeed used to take they invaded and forcedown the plane, fired fully seized the Crimefrom a field controlled an Peninsula, there was by pro-Russian rebels. some outrage, but no Moreover, the missile substantive action taksystem used during the en. Additionally, Russia attack was brought back stalled all Security Couninto Russia the follow- cil actions. ing day, and thus started The same will hapthe Russian disinforma- pen with MH17 – Russia tion campaign. has already gotten away The report created with it. When the JIT a perfect storm of dip- finishes its investigation lomatic grandstanding: and finds those responUkraine began conduct- sible for the murder of ing a separate inquiry 298 people, Russia will to pursue international call its finding into quescriminal charges, the tion, using RT and all Netherlands’ Prime other state-run media Minister Rutte has em- to brew a disinformaphasized the necessity tion campaign as they that the JIT finish its did when the plane was investigation “with fo- originally shot down. cus and determination Or perhaps they will and without any polit- conduct their own reical interference,” Rus- port, with their own “evsian state-media claims idence,” which declares Ukraine and the JIT Ukraine to be the guilty collaborated to fabricate party. It would not be of evidence in the investi- any surprise if that was gation, and the Krem- the course of action. lin’s spokesperson, Dmi- The only surprise would try Peskov, declared the be if Russia actually investigation unreliable faced any meaningful due to “bias and political consequences in what is motivation” on the part now near-irrefutable evof the Dutch. idence of foul play.

There is one vitally This report is simply important question that further proof of what still stands: what does lies within the Russian this mean for the Pu- foreign policy playbook. tin administration? The Because they are a great answer is simple: Noth- power, they can effecing. This report will, in tively do as they please, essence, do nothing to and no one will retalihurt Russia, a nation ate due to the fact that that alleged both that it would spark a war. In the CIA filled MH17 another month, this rewith corpses and shot port will fade away into it down and that the pi- obscurity and the Putin lots of the plane simply administration will sleep crashed themselves to well knowing they got cause an international away with yet another incident. While voting flagrant crime. in favor of Resolution Contact Alex at 2166, they have done nothing to actually aid alexander.stringer@student.shu.edu the investigation of

By Abby Shamray Editor-in-Chief “We want to see the a change in status of perpetrators caught and the Crimea region, and put on trial,” Evert van blocked a publication of Zijtveld, whose two the Iran Sanctions Panel children died in the in- of Experts, not to menfamous MH17 Malay- tion the recent controsia plane crash, told the versy regarding Syria.

AFP news agency. That When Russia is fresentiment has fueled the quently conflicting factwo-year investigation tual reports by panels of the source of the of experts because it missile that shot down does not align with their the plane. politics and goals, it is The U.S. State De- hard to take Russia’s partment stated that the complaints at face valJIT’s findings matched ue.

Yes, those conthose of American of- ducting the investigation ficials. The bulk of the are groups that tradievidence came from tionally have reason to telephone intercep- oppose Russia. But the tions between sepa- “evidence” presented ratist fighters in East by Russia and the story Ukraine, open-source it has told have shifted photographs, eyewitness and changed, turning to accounts, and satellite a web of lies. data.

According to the Russia and separatist Economist, Russia rebels have adamantly wants to blame the crash denied any connection. on Ukraine, but even if Moscow claims that it Russia did not supply a does not support the missile (unlikely, considseparatists and would ering the overwhelmnot supply them with an ing evidence), Moscow advanced weapon sys- is still implicated in the tem that requires a spe- separatists’ actions becialized, trained crew. cause Putin has spurred Both Russia’s For- on the war and supplied eign and Defense De- the separatists with partments have stat- tanks, personal carriers, ed that evidence was and artilleries. sourced from the InterRussia has become net and Ukrainian secu- an easy target when rity services, according something goes wrong to the Washington Post. internationally, but its “Thus the objectivity reputation is not undeof the information, and served. The country’s the subsequent conclu- insistence on stubbornsions made on it, must ly opposing panels of summon doubt,” said experts for political reaRussian military spokes- sons, its shifting story man Major General Igor that does not align with Konashenkov. current evidence, and So, is bias against its history of supportRussia the main moti- ing separatist groups vator in the outcome all imply that Russia is of the investigation? Is involved in the MH17 there a worldwide con- crash at some level. spiracy to paint Russia The JIT investigaas the bad guy, the ulti- tion seeks justice for the mate villain? Signs point victims of the tragedy. to no.

Regardless of whether Russia has a reputa- Russia supplied the bultion of decrying panels lets or pulled the trigger, of experts because they it is undeniable that the don’t agree with their country had a role and opinion. For example should be held accountopposed a United Na- able one way or another. tions General Assembly resolution calling upon Contact Abby at states to not recognize abby.shamray@student.shu.edu.

By Aidan Dion Staff Writer The war in Ukraine vided weapons or solhas the potential to turn diers to the DPR, and into a proxy war between that the investigation is the West and Russia, so a conspiracy against his NATO forces have trod country. However, he lightly. Though their ma- has lied in the past, parterials and training aide ticularly about sending remain public, covert weapons after convoys Russian military action from Russia were found is covered up by Putin to contain arms. He lied and the Kremlin. As the about Russian soldiers official report by the JIT in Ukraine after graves indicates that a Russian of soldiers turned up in anti-aircraft (AA) missile secret cemeteries in Russhot down MH17, the sia. Soldiers in Russian world creeps closer to uniform have also been an explosion of greater spotted alongside DPR conflict. soldiers. Facebook upIn the weeks be- dates from Russian solfore the downing of diers show them laughMH17, rebel media ing and bragging about outlets bragged about easy fighting in Ukraine, their ability to shoot according to Vice News. down Ukrainian mili- It is almost laughable tary planes. The day of to hear Mr. Putin say the tragedy, the rebel he has no involvement Twitter account posted in Ukraine, as the Wall pictures of planes they Street Journal reports. had shot down in the Shooting down an past, then deleted them aircraft would be a nightshortly after the missile mare for the Ukrainian fired. Just three hours military. Because the prior to the downing, ci- DPR has no aircraft, vilians in the area claim Ukraine has no need they saw a BUK system for AA weapon systems. in the area. Civilians also If Ukraine accidentally claim they had not seen shot down a passenger any Ukrainian fighter plane, Putin would drop planes in the sky all day, the whole of his military contrary to claims by the might on the country, Russian government, and NATO could do according to BBC. The nothing. If Russia were JIT also said simulations truly innocent of this point to a specific region crime, then Putin could of the de facto rebel have capitalized on the state, Donetsk People’s tragedy. He could have Republic (DPR), where used it as an excuse to the missile fired. When invade as retribution asked if he knew who for the lives of the infired the missile, the nocent, and he would commanding officer have the support of the in the village declined grieving Dutch. Because to comment. Once the Russia has decided to plane was shot down, lay low militarily, it can DPR soldiers were seen be seen as evidence they scouring the crash site. were involved.

Weeks after the downNobody wants this ing, the JIT and the war to go any further DPR agreed on a cor- than it has already. Unridor where no fighting fortunately, escalation would take place in or- seems all too likely, der to allow an investiga- even without factoring tion team access. Before in MH17. It is beyond the rebels backed out, doubt that the DPR shot they bombed the roads down the plane with a leading to the crash site, weapon from Russia. It according to Vice News. is also unlikely Russia To no one’s surprise, will ever admit it, pay Putin has denied all ac- for it, or apologize. In cusations. He still blames order to prevent further Ukraine, while Russian war, I do not foresee media outlets take shots the Dutch taking drasat the United States, as tic steps to seek justice reported by Russia To- where it belongs.

Contact Aidan at day. Putin claims that aidan.dion@student.shu.edu.

Russia has never pro-

Opinion

October 2016 Page 9

Obama’s Legacy Lies in His Unprecedented Foreign PolicyAchievements

By Isla Lamont Staff Writer President Barack Obama has less than 100 days left in office, and an entire generation is speculating what his legacy will be. Although he is known as the first African-American president, his impact on the nation goes much further than his habit of “dropping the mic,” both literally and metaphorically, on a nation wrought with change.

The Oval Office has seen a lot in the past eight years: the Great Recession, the death of Osama bin Laden, the implementation of Obamacare, the Boston Marathon bombing, the emergence of ISIS, the normalization of U.S.-Cuban relations, the global migrant crisis, various racial protests, and a nuclear deal with Iran, all of which are just a few highlights.

In January 2015, New York magazine ran a story where 53 historians were invited to weigh in on Barack Obama’s legacy as the 44th Commander in Chief. The results were mostly positive although, to be fair, that may be as much due to the left-leaning nature of academia as to Obama’s actual career. I suspect many of the comments discussing his contributions argued for expansion of presidential authority and use of government intervention, which has been voiced as a concern for many conservatives and Democrats of late.

To the center and right,

“Obama’s primary legacy is his destruction of political idealism for the foreseeable future,” according to Samuel Moyn, a professor of history at Harvard University. “American politics could and must fundamentally change. The energies he conjured will not reappear soon.” Stephen Walt, a Harvard professor of international affairs, simplifies it as “restorative, not transformative.” Jeffrey Tulis, a professor of government studies at the University of Texas, believes

best remembered as the president who oversaw one of the greatest technology shifts in all of human history. In 2009, he established the U.S. Cyber Command, which shifted the U.S. and the world’s source of power from tanks and missiles to data and cyberspace.

According to Theda Skocpol, sociologist and political scientist, history is likely to uphold the reversal of the 2008 recession into a growing and sustained economic recovery.

Obama said in an interview

ican people for his domestic policies, but I believe that his foreign policy legacy will be equally impactful. For the first time in decades, the United States was led by a commander in chief whom nations trust, if only marginally.

Obama is also one of only four U.S. presidents to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the last of whom was Jimmy Carter.

Time will tell that the cornerstone in Obama’s international (and economic) legacy is not fighting off Russia or

Photo courtesy of The Los Angeles Times

U.S. President Barack Obama boarding Air Force One as he departed from Vientiane, Laos in September.

that Obama’s “successes are all pragmatic supplements to prior transformations,” rather than his own dynamic constitutional vision. If you agree with these experts, the true “Make America Great Again” candidate was here all along.

Imagine that.

Alfred McCoy of the University of Madison-Wisconsin predicts that Obama will be

with the New York Times regarding his tax-cutting and deficit-deteriorating strategy, “Progressives don’t fully appreciate the degree to which the 2011 budget deal not only averted a potential default but actually limited the potential damage of a newly emboldened Congress.”

Obama will be remembered foremost by the Amer-

China, but rather, empowering Southeast Asia. He led a hallmark tour of East and Southeast Asia late this summer, seen as a move to promote goodwill and economic stability after it was announced that he “made engagement with Southeast Asia a top priority for his foreign policy.” Most notably, he pledged $90 million in aid to Laos in an effort to clean up active bombs left

from the Vietnam War, as reported by CNN. According to the New York Times, Obama still seeks to promote economic partnership with developing Southeast Asian countries even after Congress’ failure to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which purposely did not include China. He says that the trade agreement is important because it would “level the playing field and prevent countries from turning inward.” A few months later, this prophecy is coming true as volatility seen in the Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte worries the world.

Duterte has been accused of human rights violations resulting in over 3,000 citizens dead, Al Jazeera reports. But perhaps more troublesome is Duterte’s “rebalancing of foreign policy” away from United States and into the waiting arms of Russia and China, each promising millions of dollars to the small nation.

Duterte’s recent rejection of U.S. military aid in the South China Sea and southern waters will likely lead to increasing terrorist and communist contact.

Whether his domestic or foreign policies are looked upon favorably can only be seen with time. But what is sure is that for future generations, Obama will be remembered kindly, and it will be because of the strong and compassionate leadership he gave our nation.

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

Opinion

October 2016 Page 10

African Nepotism Persists Nationalism Has Become a Hindrance With Post-Colonial Aid to Compassion and Negotiation

By Theodore Ezike Layout Editor In 1884, the fate of an entire continent thousands of miles away was determined in smoke-filled parlor room and Berlin mansions. From then on, European colonialism was forced upon the African continent, territories with an amalgamation of hundreds ethnic groups, cultures, and languages. Through a mix of divide and conquer, co-opting of the elite class, terror, and superior technology, Europeans kept control of their colonies for the next several decades. The 1960s saw the creation of a number of fledgling African States, many of which lacked the tools needed for a state to succeed. Thus the continent was thrown into chaos for years to come.

Many of these countries have only begun to see any semblance of political stability, and even then, many are still caught up in military engagements or duplicitous government actions of long-standing dictators. Almost half of all African presidents have held office for more than 5 years.

On average, their time in office is 10.30 years, which is longest of any region in the world using a democratic system. Africa also has the oldest presidents with an average age of 65. Some presidents and ministers in these countries are the last vestiges of European colonial rule and with them hold the corruptive and exploitive influences of their former European oppressors.

The vast majority of African countries are struggling.

They rank among the lowest in terms of GDP and HDI, according to the World Bank and UNDP respectively, despite their rich supply of raw materials. Because of its material wealth, the continent receives massive amounts of foreign aid. However, this aid is often squandered and sucked up by corrupt governments, such as the new government of South Sudan.

According to the New York Times, many Sudanese government officials are unfairly benefiting from the humanitarian aid offered directly to the country due to the ongoing war.

The obvious solution is for more developed countries to stop assistance altogether. However, developed countries cannot simply halt foreign aid. Doing so would mean punishing the people in most need of assistance because of corruption and nepotism shown by their governments. Countries like Angola, named the deadliest place to be a child according to UNICEF, are in critical need of aid even though its government consistently ranks as one of the most corrupt in the world by the watchdog group, Transparency International. It is unfair to poor Africans that their leaders hide behind suffering populations to line their own pockets.

Effective foreign aid in Africa will be possible only if the countries fostered an environment conducive to proactive policies. African countries need to curb their over-reliance on foreign money. The governments of these countries also need to insure that their institutions are strong. Many African countries are either too fragile, too undemocratic, or both, for there to be any long-term stability. Africa also needs to address the pillaging of its natural resources.

The continent exchanged its old colonial oppressors for new ones that exploit the continent just as fervently.

Old leadership needs to be replaced. Instead of cronyism, there needs to be a sense of nationalism that comes from leaders wanting to do right by their citizens. Until then, foreign assistance will be a waste and the continent will never grow as it should.

Contact Theodore at theodore.ezike@student.shu.edu.

Photo courtesy of Cartoon Movement

Photo courtesy of Tim Eagan

By Madison McHugh Opinion Editor In 2016, it seems the work of globalization, peace, and communication are taking a back seat to the rhetoric of superiority and fear of the “other.”

In a series of what appear as historic low-points for compassion and negotiation, we have witnessed the United Kingdom’s decision to exit the European Union as well as the rise of the xenophobic United States’ Republican candidate Donald Trump.

What is the common thread in these occurrences? Each are encountering a short-sighted population of civilians whose focus on nationalism and projection of intrastate problems at the interstate level are obstructing diplomatic and humane processes.

The United Kingdom’s “Brexit” came as a surprise to the world. The vote resulted in 52% in favor to 48% against, with many in favor citing their frustrations with EU immigration and the fear of Turkey’s imminent membership resulting in an influx of migrants, according to the Washington Post.

Throughout the campaign leading up to the referendum, the Labour Party had first attempted to focus on convincing its people of the benefits of independence and sovereignty, but it did not stick. “Nobody

is going to rush to the polls to vote on sovereignty,” said pro-Brexiter Frank Field, “But they do understand what it means in a day-today sense, control over borders… It has to be on an issue which everybody can understand, and that issue had to be immigration.”

Not only is immigration an issue that everyone understands – it is a prominent fear. The campaign of fear, that every refugee could be a terrorist, has the world shutting its borders to innocent peoples whose war-torn countries cannot protect them. The European Union has been an international organization to promote peace, unity, and joint prosperity among its member countries. Yet fear of outside forces and lack of control drove the UK into much larger problems, like its rapidly depreciating currency, according to CNN. The United States is approaching a similar decision based on the positions of its two prominent candidates.

On the one hand, Hillary Clinton’s 30-year career in politics reflects the most common positions in the Democratic party and international relations abroad – openness and involvement are common themes at both the domestic and foreign levels. But the most surprising and frustrating aspect of the campaign is the Republican candidate to rise against her: a brand-name businessman whose lack of political

experience baffles and awes its voters.

Donald Trump’s rise to candidacy without a political background has been one based in the rhetoric of fear, especially fear of nonwhites abroad and at home. Mexican immigrants, American Muslims, and Chinese businessmen are the reason our country is failing. As discussed by Huffington Post writer Richard Patterson, “It seems fair to conclude that Trump harbors a deep antagonism toward certain minority groups. One thing is certain: he is running for president by attacking our most precious, and sometimes most fragile, societal commitment: to treat all people with equity and dignity.”

Will the United States follow the Republican nominee into an age of isolation and intimidation? Will Britain’s severance from the European Union make them stronger by going alone?

With the deep complications of the international terrain, it is understandable that populations are attempting to cope with its fear of war and plight at home. But by putting foreigners or minorities in the frame of the “other,” people sever their compassion for those who are already suffering from the very plights they are attempting to prevent.

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

Diplomacy News

October 2016 Page 11

White House Cybersecurity Czar Visits Seton Hall

By Mariah McCloskey Staff Writer Robert Knake, the Whitney Shepardson senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, spoke to students at the School of Diplomacy on October 13 about his work on Internet governance, public-private partnerships, and cyber conflict. Knake served from 2011 to 2015 as director for cybersecurity policy at the National Security Council.

He was dubbed the “White House Cyber Wizard” for his work on establishing presidential policy that created the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center and Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations.

He did not have a background in cybersecurity prior to working in the Obama administration. He was involved in border security before the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, when it was mainly involved only in illegal immigration and drug trade, and terrorism was not a main focus.

After receiving his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Knake worked for a consulting firm that was a contractor for the Department of Homeland Security.

Cybersecurity was one area of his firm’s work, so he started building his technical knowledge on the issue. About his entry into the field of cybersecurity, Knake said, “The intellectual perspective of cyber is much more interesting to work on than Homeland Security.”

Photo courtesy of the School of Diplomacy

Robert Knake, a former director for cybersecurity policy at the National Security Council.

The field completely changed after 9/11. One of the first projects Knake worked on after the attacks was a project that looked at what the terrorists might do next. Knake stated, “They were fairly ingenious in the way they attacked the United States on 9/11 so we had to think outside the box.”

After the invention of the Internet, analysts feared that terrorists could carry out cyber attacks. They could cause collateral damage to the United States without deploying physical weapons.

The United States’ embrace of cyber operations has created a space for theoretical discussion; for example,

instead of dropping bombs on a foreign power plant, the government could simply turn it off. It would be much safer to use a cyber attack to shut the plant down then turn it back on without having to rebuild anything.

But the ability to shut down power plants with a cyber attack could also be used

against the United States. An external—or internal—party could attack air traffic control, power sources, and communications, because the modern era makes understanding and utilizing such technology easily accessible and open to manipulation, Knake said.

Unfortunately, the concern is if these attacks keep happening and at a greater magnitude, the fear becomes real. People will start choosing not to do things via the Internet and fail to put new data online, making information-sharing virtually impossible.

Cyber crime may start to make people wary of carrying out normal activities on the Internet. Knake used the example of what happens when a bank loses their customers’ credit card information. For a while after Target lost most of their customer’s information, their sales dropped. But sales rebounded fairly quickly, and customers moved forward.

The focus for a long time has been that cybersecurity is a public-private partnership, but in reality, the Internet is owned by the private sector, operated by the private sector, and the targets are all in the private sector, Knake said. According to scholars who argue for public-private partnerships, the government has to find a way to help the private sector protect itself through what Knake calls the Home Depot method: You can do it, we can help.

Contact Mariah at mariah.mccloskey@student.shu.edu.

USA Debate Highlights New Generation of Civic-Minded Students

By Abby Shamray Editor-in-Chief “The American Dream is dead.”

“What I mean by job creation is literally to create jobs.”

“Are we going to place climate change ahead of poverty?”

Tensions were high in the University Center as the College Democrats and College Republicans debated on policy differences, but underlying the event was a sense of mutual respect and a common goal for a better future for America.

The debate, hosted by the Unified Students’ Assembly (USA) and co-sponsored by the Student Government Association, is the first of its kind on the Seton Hall cam-

pus. Almost a hundred students showed up on October 19 to watch their fellow students defend their respective parties’ positions. The event started with each side giving two-minute opening statements, followed by a dozen questions and many more rebuttals.

Ajiya Doka, a junior Diplomacy major and the president of College Democrats, told the Envoy that in order to prepare for the debate, she and her team focused on what it means to be a Democrat and studied the official party platform. Similarly, Edward Colombo, a senior political science major and President of the College Republicans, said that his team prepared by analyzing the Republican Party platform and public policy stances.

Doka was joined on stage by two juniors, Parker White and Anthony Antonini, and Siddharth Bector, a freshman.

Colombo was accompanied

by Brian Mulligan, a junior, and Victor Vieira and John Soper, both sophomores. The moderators were Zachariah Boyer, a senior political science major and the president of USA, Maggie Bach, assistant dean of Student Life, and Brianna Bernath, assistant news editor of The Setonian.

The purpose of the debate was not to focus on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump and whether or not either of them were the right candidate, but rather what each party believes should be America’s future. “Our party isn’t represented by one man or one woman,” Colombo said about his party’s standard-bearer,

Donald Trump. The topics ranged from student debt, taxes, energy policy, race relations, to transgender rights.

The debaters also accepted questions from the audience on refugees and whether individual votes count.

The most heated part of the debate was the discussion on poverty and a social safety net. Both sides questioned whether or not each other’s platform best served the needs of those who live at or below the poverty line.

The debaters all approached the issue from different perspectives on how to help the poor achieve a better standard of living. Two questions were asked regarding this issue and both sides used all their opportunities for rebuttal. The Republicans emphasized giving people an opportunity to

climb the “ladder of economic success” instead of relying on the safety net, while the Democrats rallied for a higher minimum wage.

In their concluding remarks, the College Democrats and College Republicans made a point to mention that the debate had been “substantive and civilized.” A huge emphasis was placed on the importance of voting to the students in the audience. The debaters said it was vital for students to show that they represent the future of each party, rather than the two presidential candidates who would appear in the debate later that night.

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

October 2016 Page 12

Diplomacy News

Venezuelan Delegation: We Have “A Responsibility toWarn theWorld”

By Francesca Regalado and Lyndsey Cole A group of civil and political leaders from Venezuela visited the School of Diplomacy on October 3 to discuss grassroots democracy and civic participation.

Sponsored by the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program and the Graduate Diplomacy Council, the four delegates were welcomed by Dr. Benjamin Goldfrank, the chairman of the School of Diplomacy faculty. Here are the highlights: “The country is no longer paralyzed by partisanship, but united against the crisis and the oligarchy.”

DANIEL FERMIN Center for Political Studies, Universidad Católica Andrés Bello “Most people think the way out of the crisis is voting,” said Mr. Fermin, whose research is on electoral integrity, transparency, corruption, and accountability. The problem, he says, is that the electoral council has given a lot of excuses not to hold regular elections, even though gubernatorial terms will end in December – for example, they have no budget because they are dedicating their resources to the recall referendum.

More so than in government institutions, there is “high public trust in university students,” Mr. Fermin said, citing local surveys. “The one time Chavez was defeated, students led the movement,” he said, referring to a 2007 referendum on constitutional amendments proposed by Hugo Chavez, the former president of Venezuela.

Because the government controls most of Venezuelan media, social media is not only a way for the youth to organize, but also virtually the only source of news. “Don’t disregard social media as something young people waste their time on,” Mr. Fermin said.

“No economic change is possible until there’s political change.”

ALESSANDRA SOLER Civilis Derechos Humanos Ms. Soler’s non-profit organization, Civilis Derechos Humanos, defends the right of civilians to participate in reviews conducted by international organizations and to report human rights violations in Venezuela. Civilis also holds the government accountable to the international human rights conventions to which Venezuela is party. “International public shaming is a powerful thing,” Ms. Soler said.

Still, “institutions are not responding to the humanitarian crisis” in Venezuela,” Ms. Soler said, leaving Venezuelans to rely on aid from their relatives and countrymen who live overseas. One prominent expatriate who has been sending aid to Venezuela is Carlos Gonzalez, who plays professional baseball for the Colorado Rockies.

Learning that they can no longer depend on oil alone, Venezuelans are looking for ways to diversify their economy. Mr. Fermin said that tourism and mining were possibilities, but that public opinion has been pushing for the former because the latter would result in “ecocide and ethnocide.”

Although privatization is out of the question for the oil industry, through which the government is the primary employer, there is hope for agriculture and food production. Up to 70 percent of Venezuela’s farmland had been nationalized by the government, and privatization would only be a matter of returning the land to its original owners, Mr. Fermin said.

“Democracy does not consist simply of casting a ballot.”

RAUL CASTILLO Vicariate of Human Rights, Archdiocese of Caracas A citizen’s responsibility does not end at the polling booth; rather, “civil society must also ensure that institutions have the independence to function,” said Mr. Castillo, a human rights lawyer who volunteers for the human rights arm of the Archdiocese of Caracas.

Civil responsibility does not end with one’s own country, either. Asked about the purpose of the delegation’s visit, Ms. Soler said, “We Venezuelans feel that we have a responsibility to warn the world,” about the actors and policies that plunged Venezuela into a political and economic crisis. Venezuelan expatriates in Spain have similarly spoken out against Podemos, a rising leftist political party that won an unexpected number of seats in the Spanish Parliament this year.

According to Ms. Soler, Hugo Chavez used oil revenues to finance leftist movements not only in Latin America, but also throughout the world, a practice carried on by President Nicolas Maduro, Chavez’s successor. Pablo Iglesis and Inigo Errejon, the leaders of Podemos, were once advisers to Mr. Maduro’s government.

“Less than 0.1 percent of human rights cases go up to a judge.”

RONNIE BOQUIER Committee of the Family Members of the Victims (COFAVIC) Mr. Boquier is a lawyer for COFAVIC, a human rights organization founded by relatives and victims of “El Caracazo,” a series of protests in 1989 against the government’s economic measures that resulted in hundreds of deaths at the hands of security forces. Since 1992, his organization has worked on about 500 cases of human rights violations in Venezuela, but a paltry portion of human rights cases are ever heard in court.

The Venezuelan military was authorized by the Defense Ministry in 2015 to use force against demonstrators, according to Human Rights Watch. Additionally, in response to security concerns over the scarcity of products, President Maduro also deployed 80,000 security forces in “Operation People’s Liberation,” which has resulted in 245 deaths and even more detentions in 2016 alone, Mr. Boquier said.

Even immigrants have suffered human rights violations during the crisis. The government, according to Ms. Soler, has blamed the economic crisis on Colombian immigrants, and have since enforced a mass deportation of Colombians who