PANEL DISCUSSIONS & OTHER FORMATS
talk about his interactions with activists who have used social media in the Egyptian uprising, and Rebecca Young will present on her work in the French archives researching French colonial educational policies toward women in Morocco.
Understanding Darfur
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Presenter(s): Grace F Blumberg, Hillary A Cook, Theodore J Masthay, Daniel S Rajaiah, Concetta M Reda, Allison M Varricchio Advisor(s): Alexandra Budabin Political Science 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Course Project, 12_SP_POL_300_07 LTC - Forum In 2004, conflict engulfed the region of Darfur in western Sudan and drew worldwide attention. The Government of Sudan was using excessive force to suppress a rebellion. The international community debated over the nature of the conflict with some observers describing the situation as genocide. In the US, an unprecedented social movement arose to address the conflict by mobilizing public action. Eight years later, how can we explain the Darfur conflict and the impact of the international community’s response? This panel explores various angles of the Darfur conflict.
Minority Rights and the Movement of Peoples
Presenter(s): Margaret L Gurney, Emily E Kaylor, Andy J Kurzhals, Alia E Sisson Advisor(s): David J Watkins Political Science Course Project, 12_SP_POL_300_H1
1:00 PM-2:00 PM St. Joseph’s Hall - 23
Migration--the movement of peoples across state borders to live and work on a temporary or permanent basis--is a challenging feature of life in contemporary political societies. These panel participants will share their research findings into the moral and ethical dimensions of how states cope with migration, and the challenges multicultural societies migration often produces. The research topics will include recent crackdowns on undocumented immigrants in some US states, a new education policy in Arizona that restricts multicultural education, efforts to craft a “guest worker” policy arrangement that serves to treat foreign workers fairly while acknowledging their temporary status, and finally a look at the politics and policy of Israeli settlements built in Palestinian territory in recent years.
Examining religious exemptions to general laws
Presenter(s): Christopher B Brough, Mariah L Douglas, Allison N Meena, Nick Saethre Advisor(s): David J Watkins Political Science Course Project, 12_SP_POL_300_H1
2:00 PM-3:00 PM St. Joseph’s Hall - 23
A hallmark of liberal democratic societies is the rule of law: the law, we tell ourselves, is meant to apply to all, equally and fairly. Another hallmark of liberal societies is the protection of the freedom of religion. All three presenters in this panel discussion are examining particular cases in which these two imperatives of liberal society clash. When a religious exemption to a general law is requested in a liberal society, how should such a conflict be adjudicated? Drawing on the work of prominent political philosophers, these presentations will consider how this question could be best answered in concrete cases. Cases discussed will include Catholic-affiliated institutions requesting an exemption from insurance regulations requiring contraception coverage and request by Amish groups for an exemption from mandatory schooling laws.
155