The Caravel | Volume VII, Issue III

VOL UM E 7 | ISSU E 3

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W A SH I N G TON , D.C. DECEM BER 2018

Taiwan Votes Against Ruling Party Jackson Gillette

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In the Taiwanese municipal elections on November 24, President Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) suffered numerous losses to its rival, the China-friendly Kuomintang (KMT) party. According to South China Morning Post, following the electoral setback, Tsai announced she would step down as chair of the DPP, and Premier Lai Ching-te offered his resignation.

Since 2014, Taiwan has been broken down into 22 administrative divisions: 13 counties, 6 special municipalities, and 3 cities. Prior to the 2018 elections, the DPP held an overwhelming majority of Taiwan’s administrative divisions with magisterial control of 13 cities and counties, and 4 special

municipalities. In the November municipal elections, however, the KMT flipped seven DPP-controlled administrative divisions: Taichung, Kaohsiung, Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi City, Yilan, and Penghu. The KMT also flipped two divisions held by incumbent independents: Hualien and Kinmen. The number of DPPcontrolled administrative divisions has fallen to just six as a result of the recent elections.

In 2016, the pro-independence DPP became the first party other than the KMT to gain control of the Legislative Yuan. Tsai also won the presidency for the DPP, becoming the second DPP member to ever hold the office after Chen Shui-bian (20002008).

See PARTY LOSES on p. 10

The Yellow Vests riot in the streets of Paris.

Yellow Jacket Movement Shakes France Tear Gas Use Escalates William Greer & Felipe Lobo Koerich French protests against a tax hike on fuel proposed by the French government turned violent as riots broke out in Paris on December 1, according to Reuters.

The protests, which have morphed into a wider movement of popular discontent against Emmanuel Macron’s presidency, are known by the French name gilets jaunes (“yellow vests”) in reference to the protective outwear required for all motorists by French law, the Economist reports.

The proposed tax hike would raise diesel prices by 6.5 cents and gasoline by 2.9 cents starting in January of 2019. Gasoline prices have already

sharply risen in France over the course of the last year due to action in global markets. According to the Guardian, in the last year diesel prices have risen 23 percent and gas prices 15 percent.

Critics of this proposal view it as a punishment of the French working class and commuters, accusing Macron of being out of touch with the public, which overwhelmingly opposes the proposal. A poll conducted on November 14 showed that 73 percent of the public supported the protests and 70 percent supported scrapping the proposed tax, according to the Guardian. Benjamin Griveaux, a government spokesperson, acknowledged to the Guardian that

“behind this anger there is obviously something deeper and which we must answer, because this anger, these anxieties have existed for a long time.”

On the first day of protests on November 17, over 280,000 people took to the streets across France, the Economist reports. The protests remained peaceful demonstrations seeking the attention of the government by blocking roadways. The second weekend of the protests, however, started turning violent in Paris, the Guardian reports. Protesters lit fires, erected barricades, and threw paving stones at police. The police dispersed protesters by the evening with tear gas and water cannons, according to BBC. See MOVEMENT SHAKES on p. 6

THE ANCHOR, 2-3

W. EUROPE & CANADA, 6-7

LATAM & THE CARIBBEAN, 8-9 G20 Summit Kicks Off in Buenos Aires, p. 8

Anonymous Op-Ed Sparks Student Movement, p. 3

Irish Senate Considers Birthright Citizenship, p. 6

E. EUROPE & RUSSIA, 4-5 Convicted Former Macedonian PM Flees to Hungary, p. 4

Germany Brings Charges Against Former SS Guard, p. 7

INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC, 10-11 North Korea Tests Unspecified New Weapon, p. 10

Standoff With Migrants Leticia Chacon United States Border Patrol agents fired tear gas into a crowd of Central American migrants in Tijuana at the U.S.-Mexico border on November 25.

The crowds of migrants gathered to peacefully protest the slow processing times of asylum claims when border agents began to launch tear gas across the fence.

According to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, migrants attempted to climb the border fence, and some began to throw objects at the border agents. There have been claims,

however, that the American Border Patrol initiated the standoff by firing tear gas into the crowd, leading the migrants to throw objects. According to BBC, a Honduran migrant near the border said, “the alarm went off, and they began throwing tear gas at us. A person got hit, and lots of kids fainted.

So some people got rocks and threw them because many kids were fainting.”

The use of tear gas by border agents upset many in both the national and international community, particularly because children were directly involved in the situation.

See GAS ESCALATES on p. 8

MIDDLE EAST & C.ASIA, 12-13

N. & SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, 14-15

Bahrain Accused of Skewing Elections, p. 12

France Promises Return of Looted Artwork to Benin, p. 14

Iraq Begins Dismantling Green Zone Fortifications, p. 13

African Union Proposes Removal Of Visa Requirements, p. 15

WWW.THECARAVELGU.COM

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THE ANCHOR

Georgetown Discusses Malnutrition in Latin America Ga Ram Lee The Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University hosted a roundtable discussion titled “Hunger and Malnutrition Lessons from Latin America” on November 27. The event brought four speakers to the campus to discusses their research on what problems are present in Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries caused by discrepancies on how and what types of food are distributed throughout the region.

Dr. Eugenio Diaz-Bonilla, Professor Patricia Caporaso, Florenzia Paz Cazzaniga, and Professor BiermayrJenzano spoke at the event. Dr. DiazBonilla is a visiting Senior Research Fellow of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Ms. Cazzaniga is a Research Analyst at the Markets, Trade and Institutions Divisions of the IFPRI. Professor Caporaso works as a specialist in animal nutrition and agriculture with expertise ranging from food insecurity to sustainable farming. Professor Biermayr-Jenzano is a Georgetown professor, social scientist, and

gender specialist who has conducted ethnographic research, gender analyses, and program evaluations in relation to the feminization of agriculture in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

First, they discussed the relationship between diets and obesity in LAC countries, with an emphasis on low-income, vulnerable social groups.

According to Diaz-Bonilla, there are three levels of burdens the food system can impose on society: the first burden is the hunger due to poverty, the second is the lack of nutrition like vitamins, and the third is obesity.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) states that overweight affects 360 million people in LAC countries and that obesity affects 140 million people with higher rates found in the Caribbean countries.

There is a sense of urgency to address the patterns of overweight and obesity; it is crucial to understand at which step of the food system among production, processing, distribution, marketing, and consumption contributes the most to the rendition of health issues in order to implement targeted policies.

Diaz-Bonilla explained that the traditional narrative of diet problems states that “in developed countries, the population with higher socioeconomic status experience better diets and do more physical exercise, which lead to better health outcomes.” For developing countries, however, the chances of obesity are higher for people with higher socioeconomic status. To avoid generalized trends, more research on various socioeconomic statuses from the region in both rural and urban settings had been conducted.

Results showed that for the rural and urban populations in the lowerincome countries, obesity correlated positively with socio-economic status. For the urban population in the middle- and upper-income countries, the relationship between socioeconomic status and obesity differed between gender and whether the economic status was measured by income or education level.

However, Diaz-Bonilla considered even the data presented very limited in that ethnic groups and dietary

habits vary greatly, making certain people more prone to obesity. He indicated that better information and disaggregated data are necessary. So far, there has not been a standardized typology and research method that optimizes the results on the relationship between consumers, their health, and their food system.

Researchers feel urgency to identify the cause of and to address these patterns.

Biermayr-Jenzano focused on the gender implications of overweight and obesity and discussed how women are disproportionately affected. The rate of female obesity is known to be 10 percent higher than that of men, which points to the need for gender-sensitive policy interventions. In a traditional household, women are expected to be the caregiver and cook. Yet, the women have limited market options, which leads to access to mostly cheap

and easy-to-cook foods of lower nutritional value and lack in education about nutrition-sensitive agriculture options.

The four areas that FAO and IFPRI are conducting research on are the gender divide in both rural and urban settings, the effect of taking on the economic activity of street food vendors, how to manage time for both economic activities and cooking, and how to collect accurate data. In preliminary findings, scientists noticed that rural women have more access to a variety of food than urban women who dedicate more time to other economic activities. Time constraint leads to the adoption of an easy-tocook option, which is high in sugar and fat. Additionally, street vendors are 80 percent women across Latin America, which limits food outlets that offer fresh fruit and vegetables.

Biermayr-Jenzano ended her research presentation by emphasizing the need for gender-disaggregated data collection and analysis, because of the amount of time women spend preparing food is closely related to nutritional value in the diet.

Climate Assessment Demands Change Mike Kim, Opinion Bryce Couch Joshua Haney Christopher Stein Suzie Kim Devanshi Patnaik Andrew Choi Kristina Yarovinsky Chris Rim Janny Zhang Hannah Casey Jia Sheng Christopher Stein Sarah Bothner Ga Ram Lee Tamara Evdokimova Eric Schichlein Emma Oechsner Felipe Lobo Koerich Isabelle Lahaussois Louisa Christen James Gordy Jia Sheng Jackson Gillette Preetham Chippada Michael Abi-Habib Bethania Michael Sarah Mathys

ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM President Editor-in-Chief Director of Digital Operations Executive Director EXECUTIVE TEAM Marketing Analytics and Research Finance Business Development IT and Design Social Events EDITORIAL TEAM Copy Chief Copy Chief The Anchor Editor The Anchor Editor Eastern Europe and Russia Editor Eastern Europe and Russia Editor Western Europe and Canada Editor Western Europe and Canada Editor Latin America and the Caribbean Editor Latin America and the Caribbean Editor Indo-Asia-Pacific Editor Indo-Asia-Pacific Editor Middle East and Central Asia Editor Middle East and Central Asia Editor North and Sub-Saharan Africa Editor North and Sub-Saharan Africa Editor

Thanksgiving is usually a time for family; one would not have thought it to be the day United States government releases one of the most important reports that could alter the framework for future American politics. The White House released the fourth National Climate Assessment report that provides a detailed account of the current situation of climate change and ways to combat it on November 23. The Global Change Research Act of 1990 mandates that the president “establishes an interagency United States Global Change Research Program to improve understanding of global change.” The 2018 National Climate Assessment comes at a pivotal time in American interaction with the question of climate change as the administration backs out of the Paris Agreement.

The National Climate Assessment is a joint project by 13 U.S. federal agencies, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration. It provides more than a summary of the different facts about climate change; it also discusses the consequences. The highlights of the report can be summarized in three sentences. Climate change is a significant part of our life as of now; anthropogenic forces are the main contributors to climate change; and there is no other way of explaining the current rate of climate change. If we do not tackle the problem of climate change in the near future, humanity may face dire consequences. The report gives us a gloomy glimpse of the future with rising sea level and temperature, decrease in crop production, and the possibility of more wildfires in arid regions such as California.

President Donald Trump is not known to be a proponent of climate change, and according to Marshall Shepherd of Forbes, this has led some to speculate that the report was released with the intentions of it being buried in the festivities of Black Friday.

However, the unexpected timing only increased the attention that the National Climate Assessment received,

and one thing has become clear: the current administration must change.

There is a stark contrast between what the National Climate Assessment reports and the policies that the Trump administration has been pursuing.

The National Climate Assessment asserts that addressing climate change in the future will be more costly than it is now. Another grim revelation is that the U.S. is currently not prepared for such change. The four strategies outlined in the report to combat climate change are, identifying the risks involved in climate change, mitigating current emissions, adapting to possible new conditions, and improving research into climate change. None of these strategies align with Trump’s policies of bolstering the coal market or giving businesses free reign over their environmental decisions. It is imperative that the United States recognize the direness of the situation and make a change to the current U.S policies.

D E C. 2018 | 3

Go Forth and Responsibly Set the World on Fire?

The views expressed herein represent the views of a majority of members of the Caravel’s Editorial Board and are not reflective of the position of the newsroom staff or Georgetown University.

ProPublica released a report on October 11 accusing celebrated NGO More Than Me of covering up dozens of rapes committed by its co-founder while operating a school for girls in Liberia. While these crimes are the responsibility of the perpetrator, the Editorial Board of the Caravel argues that the unconscionable behavior of the NGO reflects a broader culture that celebrates young—mostly white— Americans for, with arrogance and cultural insensitivity, attempting to solve problems far outside of the scope of their knowledge.

In 2008, Katie Meyler, a 26-yearold woman from New Jersey, founded the charity More Than Me to pay poor Liberian girls’ school fees. While Meyler fundraised by posting videos of slum children to Facebook, the day-

to-day operations of the NGO were left in control of Macintosh Johnson, a local guide for aid workers who helped to identify girls—mostly former sex workers—who would benefit from More Than Me’s charity.

Johnson was popular in West Point, a slum area near Monrovia, and was praised for bringing Meyler and her money into the community.

But over the next six years, dozens of girls accused Johnson of forcing them to watch pornography, raping them, and threatening to kill them if they exposed him. Parents and More Than Me administrators did not inform the police of these accusations.

By 2013, More Than Me was receiving several million dollars in donations annually and had opened its own boarding school for vulnerable girls in West Point. Meyler had no experience in education or organizational administration.

In January 2014, a student told the school’s nurse that Johnson had raped her. The nurse reported the allegation to the police and Johnson was arrested.

During Johnson’s first hearing, a

student identified 30 other victims—a quarter of the school’s population.

When confronted by Liberian officials, Meyler emphasized that More Than Me bravely “blew the whistle” in choosing to uncover the abuse.

Johnson’s trial resulted in a hung jury. While waiting for another trial, he died of AIDS. Despite this scandal and subsequent cover-up, More Than Me continues to receive over a million dollars a year in funding and plans to run 500 schools by 2021.

This story epitomizes an alltoo-common chain of events. A young American, lacking experience but armed with enthusiasm and sympathetic pictures of African babies, enters a cultural context she knows little about in order to solve a very complicated problem. Rather than surrounding herself with culturally embedded or technically competent advisers, she turns to other white, wealthy, enthusiastic donors eager to make a difference. Together, they ignore the proper channels of their host country, cutting corners and taking liberties afforded to them by their

money and the color of their passport (and skin). When the structures they create inevitably falter, they shift the blame to the host country’s culture, saying, “that’s just how they do things here.” While Johnson was the perpetrator and deserved to be brought to justice through the courts, his actions were made possible by a system that prioritizes white do-gooders over mechanisms of accountability.

This editorial board does not seek to critique all international aid efforts.

We strongly support the work of culturally-embedded aid organizations whose priorities align with the

communities they seek to serve.

Individuals can choose to support local NGOs through donations, capacity building, and technical assistance, thus efficiently using resources and making a difference in a responsible and respectful manner.

We, the Editorial Board of the Caravel, urge Georgetown students to learn from the international community’s past mistakes, to prioritize local expertise, and to exercise humility when choosing internships or careers in developing countries.

A full version of this editorial is available on our website.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

The Editorial Board

Katie Myler, founder of More Than Me, poses outside a school in Liberia.

Anonymous Op-Ed by Sexual Assault Survivor Sparks Student Movement Nearly a month ago, an anonymous op-ed accused Georgetown University of failing to adequately support survivors of sexual assault on its campus. Now, the university is hosting open, public sessions to allow the community to voice their concerns with the new Title IX rules proposed

by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on November 16.

On November 8, the Hoya published an anonymous op-ed, titled “‘I Couldn’t Take Disappointment’: How Georgetown Fails Survivors,” which described a female student’s experience attempting to report her sexual assault to Georgetown University’s Title IX office. Emma Oechsner (COL ’21), who assisted in writing the piece, spoke with the Caravel about her involvement.

“As a survivor myself—who never took the steps to pursue a case or even report—I was enraged,” Oechsner described her disappointment with the university’s handling of her anonymous friend’s Title IX case. “So I took a lead in crafting the piece for the Hoya and worked with my two friends, and we produced a piece that conveyed their pain and highlighted that the issue is historical, pervasive, and institutionally encoded.”

In conjunction with the article’s publication, GU Survivors—a newly formed student group—chalked Red Square on the night of November 8 with messages like “#MeToo” and “We Have the Right to be Heard.” According to the GU Survivors’ Facebook page, the university used golf carts and other vehicles “to discourage [the chalked messages] from being seen or recorded” and subsequently washed all chalk from the walls.

“It is hard for the authors of the story not to take these actions personally,” Oechsner, who responded to the Caravel’s questions via email in consultation with the op-ed’s anonymous author, said. “This is their home. Right now the response, or lack thereof, from the university doesn't make it feel like home.”

Asked to comment on the op-ed’s criticism of the university’s reporting process, Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Equity Rosemary Kilkenny reaffirmed the university’s “longstanding commitment to preventing and addressing sexual assault and misconduct through comprehensive trainings, programs, and engagement with the campus community.” Kilkenny emphasized the university’s plan to launch a second sexual misconduct climate survey in early 2019 and its continuing search for

a well-qualified Title IX coordinator.

Although she did not provide a timeline for appointing the new coordinator, she said that Georgetown invited “a number of candidates to campus in recent weeks who have met with key campus partners and student leaders.”

The publication of the op-ed prompted a number of responses on campus. GU Survivors received many anonymous accounts from both current and former students sharing their own experiences, as well as messages of support from parents and individuals unaffiliated with the university. Students Taking Action against Interpersonal Violence (STAIV), a student group, was also formed (it is independent of GU Survivors). According to their mission statement, the group’s aim is to “hold the university accountable to its legal and ethical obligations of protection and care for all students.”

STAIV on November 16 delivered a letter to the office of President John DiGioia concerning the changes to Title IX proposed by DeVos. DeVos’ new rules have received significant pushback from activists, media outlets, and student organizations that believe these new provisions would make it easier for perpetrators on college campuses to get away with their

actions. In their letter, STAIV pointed specifically to DeVos’ redefinition of sexual harassment, which limits the scope of what universities must investigate; her proposal to allow cross-examination of survivors by their perpetrators, which they said could retraumatize victims; and her removal of university responsibility to investigate off-campus assault.

In addition, the letter demanded that the university publicly explain to the student body how the proposed Title IX changes would affect Georgetown and whether they would be supported and adopted by the university as they are. On November 28, the Office of the President sent an email to the student body announcing that Title IX “listening sessions” would take place the week of December 3 to allow the community to express their concerns with DeVos’ new rules.

Whether the listening sessions were scheduled in response to STAIV’s demands is unclear; the email does GEORGETOWN SURVIVORS

Tamara Evdokimova

state, however, that the university “recognize[s] that members of our community may have a wide range of views on the proposed regulations.”

Oechsner and the anonymous op-ed author hope that STAIV and other individuals and organizations will continue to fight for improving the campus climate and culture and holding the university administration accountable for its practices. To sustain the momentum, GU Survivors— which Oechsner and the anonymous op-ed author helped to found—built an active social media presence on Facebook and Instagram, where it shares the stories of other survivors.

“We hope to give voices of survivors a platform and create a general community of survivors and supporters on campus,” Oechsner said.

“There has been a culture of silence, but we hope to create a community where people feel safe and empowered to share their stories.”

Georgetown Survivors chalked Red Square on November 8.

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EASTERN EUROPE & RUSSIA EDITOR’S COLUMN: Eric Schichlein

In an era of forever wars in the Middle East and growing tension with China, it can be difficult for Americans to turn their attention to Europe. This was the continent, which, after the end of Soviet communism, was supposed to peacefully flourish under the aegis of the European Union. No longer. Setting aside the difficulties of Western Europe, the East is now threatened by a resurgent Russia led by a leader eager to distract the people from their country’s economic malaise through global adventurism.

The most recent such provocation, the seizing of Ukrainian coast guard vessels in international waters by the Russian navy, came unexpected by many Americans who assumed the war in eastern Ukraine had quieted down. In response, there were calls for negotiations and denunciations of the bold action.

This response echoes that issued regularly whenever the conflict flares up: sanctions on Russians connected to the regime, limited economic support of the democratically elected, proWestern regime in Ukraine, and calls for negotiations to resolve the war Russia started. While some have argued that the conflict in Ukraine bears no significance for the national security of America or many of its European allies because Ukraine lies in Russia’s near abroad, they ignore the fact that America’s weak response to the conflict in Ukraine only worsens the fear of Ukraine’s neighbors like Poland or the Baltic States. These countries are new members of NATO and the EU and remain vulnerable to Russian meddling, such as the 2007 cyberattack on Estonia.

In order to reassure the eastern vanguard of NATO and the EU, America must set aside its trade disputes with the EU and use NATO to rally the Europeans to make a stronger response to the ongoing war in eastern Ukraine.

Convicted Former Macedonian PM Flees to Hungary Madison Stern

Fleeing right before the beginning of his jail sentence, former Prime Minister of Macedonia Nikola Gruevski was granted political asylum by the Hungarian Immigration and Asylum Office on November 20, says the EUobserver.

Gruevski, who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2016, fled to Hungary through Albania after his appeal request was denied by the courts on November 9, and his 2-year jail sentence was about to begin, according to Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Questions remain about his means of escape, though Hungarian diplomats have been suspected of assisting him.

Gruevski was convicted of unlawfully influencing Interior Ministry officials with a luxury vehicle costing €600,000. He also faces three other trials, including a major wiretapping scandal. He is also suspected, along with several close associates, of listening to the phone calls of more than 20,000 people, including political opponents, reported Reuters.

In early 2016, Gruevski was ousted after accusations of illegal wiretapping reached the public.

According to the European Commission, the political crisis that followed was resolved with the help of mediators from the European Union, resulting in the Przino Agreement. Gruevski’s party, the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization – Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity, a right-wing political party, lost their majority to the Socialist Democrats in the ensuing elections in the spring of 2016.

Orban said that these events are “an interesting story, exciting, like all crime stories.”

During his tenure as prime minister, Gruevski formed a strong bond with the current Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban. Balkan Insight reports Orban even backed Gruevski throughout his party’s

campaign for municipal elections in 2017, which his party lost.

RFE/RL writes that Orban’s cabinet chief, Gergely Gulyas, said, “The Hungarian state had nothing to do with [Gruevski] leaving Macedonia.” Despite this denial, Gruevski reportedly escaped with significant aid from Hungarian officials, including using a Hungarian car to drive past the border and through Albania.

Gruevski was last seen by his bodyguards in Macedonia on November 8, the night before his prison sentence was set to begin. He withdrew €100,000 from his bank account before leaving, travelling by car through several countries before finally reaching the Hungarian border and applying for political asylum. Orban said that these events are “an interesting story, exciting, like all crime stories,” according to Deutche Welle.

RFE/RL reports that the Macedonian government filed an extradition request to Hungary, applying through the European Convention on Extradition for the Council of Europe. Gruevski,

however, has already been accepted as a political refugee on the grounds of political persecution in Macedonia.

Hungary has been criticized by the European Union for being unwilling to accept immigrants in Europe’s ongoing refugee crisis.

“I have not fled from justice, but I have used internationally regulated methods to continue my quest for justice,” wrote Gruevski in a Facebook post announcing his whereabouts, according to the New York Times. “I have decided not to grant their wish to see me in prison, where, from what I have learned, I was to be eliminated, while they are taking the country apart.”

This comes as Macedonia approaches a survey by the European Parliament. Macedonia has been a candidate for the European Union since 2005, and the current trials have been advertised as evidence of Macedonia’s fight against corruption. Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva said that Gruevski “will surely be tried in absentia…

This [action of applying for asylum] will not obstruct ongoing trials,” RFE/RL said.

Zurabishvili Wins Georgian Presidential Election Brandon Duran The people of Georgia went to the polls to vote in a presidential runoff election on November 28, reports the New York Times. Ruling party-backed Salome Zurabishvili won nearly 60 percent of the vote, defeating opposition candidate Grigol Vashadze. The runoff was the country’s last popular vote presidential election, as they will be transitioning to an electoral college system by 2024.

President-elect Zurabishvili ran a campaign focused on balancing relations between the West and Russia, according to Reuters. Vashadze, who served as Georgia’s prime minister from 2008-2012, was decidedly more pro-Western and was expected to promote an agenda of NATO integration if elected.

Zurabishvili received an endorsement from Georgian Dream, the country’s ruling party. The party is the creation of Georgia’s richest man,

billionaire banker Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Opposition leaders claim that he runs the country behind the scenes.

The election results have since been rejected by Vashadze, who called for a peaceful demonstration to be held in the nation’s capital, Tbilisi, reported Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL).

International observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights stated that one side enjoyed “undue advantage” and that both campaigns “undermined [the electoral] process.”

Although Georgia’s transition to a parliamentary republic means a reduced role for the president, Georgian Dream’s alleged tactics pose a danger to opposition voters and minorities. Outgoing President Giorgi Margvelashvili expressed concern about the “sharp drop” in democratic standards during the election.

D E C. 2018 | 5

Czech Government Survives No-Confidence Vote Ukrainian President Prime Minister Andrej Babis’s government survived a vote of noconfidence in Czechia’s Chamber of Deputies over a financial fraud scandal on November 23.

The Czech opposition coalition— consisting of ODS, the Pirates, SPD, KDU-CSL, TOP09 and STAN—only comprises 92 of the 200 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, short of the 101 needed to pass the motion, according to the Associated Press (AP).

According to the New York Times, the alleged financial fraud occurred in 2007, when Capi Hnizdo, a farm owned by Babis’s company Agrofert, gained access to €2 million worth of EU funds.

Among its shareholders were two children from Babis’s previous marriage, his current wife, and her brother. According to the BBC, he failed to disclose this when the company was formed, which the investigation claims was to qualify for small business subsidies.

Calls for the recent vote against Babis started in early November, after news site Seznam Zpravy released a documentary starring Babis’s son, Andrej Babis Jr, who held shares in Capi Hnizdo, reports the Guardian.

Quartz writes that Babis Jr. alleges that, while being sought for questioning about the fraud investigation, he was offered a choice by his father between taking an extended holiday to Crimea or checking into a mental hospital.

However, he says that in Crimea he was detained by two Russians, including one who had treated him earlier at a Prague mental institution.

BBC reports that Babis Sr. dismissed his son’s claims, responding that he requires medication and constant supervision, and that Czech police had investigated and rejected the kidnapping allegations.

However, these denials have not satisfied the Czech opposition.

Six opposition parties issued a joint statement calling for Babis’s resignation on November 13 ahead of the planned motion.

The key roadblock the opposition faced had been getting the support of Babis’s junior coalition partner, the Social Democrats (CSSD), writes Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFERL). Although the leader of the CSSD Jan Hamacek says the party wants Babis to resign, they abstained from the vote and, according to Czech Public Radio, the opposition failed to garner majority support. Hamacek explained that the party’s priority is

to continue the current government’s policy agenda despite leadership problems.

The Communist Party also declined to support the motion and voted in favor of Babis, writes the Financial Times.

Most frustrated with the ordeal has been the Czech population. RFERL writes that thousands of protesters rallied in Prague to demand a change of leadership the night of the failed vote.

Marches calling for Babis’s resignation had also been held regularly leading up to the ballot, according to the Straits Times.

The Czech Prime Minister is on shaky ground—this marks the second such vote since last year’s election, writes the New York Times.

Furthermore, Czech Public Radio reports that a Median poll found that 57 percent of Czechs think Babis tried to stop his son from being questioned, and support could fall further as more information is revealed. Analysts write that Czechia is caught in a stalemate between furthering democracy and democratic backsliding.

Nonetheless, a leadership change in the near future seems unlikely as Czech President Milos Zeman said that he would reinstate Babis even if voted out

by Parliament, writes the Straits Times.

Poland Reverses Judicial Reform Due to EU Nick Okerlund Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) passed a constitutional amendment on November 21 that rolled back a judicial reform from July which forced the premature retirement of nearly two dozen of the Supreme Court’s 72 justices and sparked nationwide protests. The amendment was passed in accordance with a recent ruling by the European Court of Justices (ECJ).

The reform lowered the retirement age of Supreme Court justices from 70 to 65 and forced those above the limit to quit their six-year term early. The PiS justified this change by claiming the necessity of revamping and phasing out communist-era judicial structures and mentalities.

Reuters reported that Chief Judge Malgorzata Gersdorf opposed this reform, claiming that her “situation [was] defined by the constitution ... and that cannot be changed.” Many others, including EU officials, called into question the constitutionality of such a reform, criticizing it for further weakening the rule of law in the country. Freedom House, a freedom

watchdog organization, published a report in 2018 alleging that PiS had not-so-subtly secured indirect control over the Polish judiciary since assuming power in 2015.

The ECJ’s injunction stated that “Poland has infringed EU law” by forcing the early retirement of Supreme Court Justices, even those appointed until April, and by “granting the President of the Republic of Poland the discretion to extend the active judicial service of Supreme Court judges.”

The Polish Parliament quickly proposed and passed the amendment reversing the controversial reforms within several hours of the injunction from the ECJ. TVN reported that Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro suggested this in a statement to the Parliament: “We are fulfilling our obligations,” he said. “At the same time, we are pushing forward with our changes in the justice system.”

As it is, the amendment doesn’t necessitate the total reinstatement of the judges who were forced into retirement. Even if all judges were reinstated, their eventual vacancies would be filled at the discretion of

the National Council of the Judiciary, which, as of July, is guided by the PiS’s parliamentary majority.

However, the controversial reforms

by PiS aren’t merely directed towards the justice system, but also towards the broader system of checks and balances.

In 2016, the party seized direct control of Polish public media, and since has stifled independent news media and journalism in the country, according to Freedom House. The 2018 World Press Freedom Index ranked Poland at an all-time low after years of steady decrease, labeling the public media as “transformed into government propaganda mouthpieces,” reported the Krakow Post.

Protestors have provided some rather stark opinions over the change in power. A Polish mother admonished the shift, reported Euronews: “Decisions are being taken above us and we have no influence on this. We are scared.”

“I do not have time to wait anymore. I do not have time to go back to captivity. I do not have time to waste my time anymore,” said another protestor, Anna Misia Zielińska.

Declares Martial Law Amid Conflict Filippo Manzini

The Russian Coast Guard, supported by Air Force patrols, opened fire on three Ukrainian ships in the Kerch Strait, injuring six sailors on November 25. They then boarded and captured the 24 military personnel.

Euromaidan Press reported on a video recorded by Russian sailors that shows their ship ramming the Yany Kapu tug boat earlier that day. President Petro Poroshenko claimed in an interview on November 27 that this incident puts Ukraine at risk of a “full-scale war with Russia” on the basis of his military intelligence, according to ND TV. As a result, the Ukrainian Parliament moved to declare martial law in the 10 provinces most vulnerable to a Russian attack, writes the Irish Times. Poroshenko claims that Russian tank units near the border have since tripled, according to the CBC. Russia confirmed that it has deployed surface-to-air missile systems to Crimea.

Ukrinform writes that the seized vessels were travelling to the port of Mariupol and received no response from marine traffic control at Kerch when radioing in their approach.

Under a 2003 agreement, the strait is open to both countries. After finding the strait closed off by a tanker, they attempted to flee but were intercepted after leaving Crimean waters, according to Unian.

Russia’s Federal Security Service reported that the ships had illegally crossed into Russian waters, writes CNN. One of the captured sailors confirmed this in a video released by the Russian navy, but a Ukrainian commander says the statement was made under duress. Whose waters

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Maximilian Dunat

belong to whom has been ambiguous since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, reports NBC. Since the annexation, Ukraine has been fighting separatist forces in its Eastern provinces–widely reported to be armed and funded by Russia–in a conflict that has thus far claimed over 10,000 lives, notes the Guardian.

Western states and NATO have expressed support for the Ukraine and called for restraint on both sides.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov refused calls by his German counterpart for mediators to intervene in the developing situation. Although President Trump refused to denounce Russia until a report is made, he cancelled a meeting with President Putin at the G-20 summit, according to Reuters.

Some critics argue that Ukrainian President Poroshenko is exploiting the situation for political gain as the campaigning season for the presidential election in March draws near. The Kyiv Post reports that one pollster found at the start of November Poroshenko would win less than half the vote. “He is playing the card of Commander-in-Chief, flying around in military uniform trying to project that he is the one in control,” said a member of the Atlantic Council, according to the Washington Post.

However, Leonid Bershidsky, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, argues that martial law will do little to improve his chances, and that he should instead have focused on securing the release of the captured sailors, who are being tried as trespassers in Russian territorial waters, according to NBC. President Putin agrees that the situation is being exploited by the Poroshenko for political reasons, reports RT.

President Poroshenko shakes hand with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

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WESTERN EUROPE & CANADA Felipe Lobo Koerich

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cientists tell us that we must keep global temperature growth below two degrees Celsius to prevent the worst of climate change, according to Bloomberg.

As it stands, scientists expect temperatures to rise by three to five degrees Celsius by 2100, Reuters reports. Even the most generous estimates predict a minimum well above two degrees of warming.

The world needs definitive action. The EU has offered to rise to the challenge. On November 28, it announced a new environmental policy aimed at achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, Bloomberg reports. If successful, the EU will cut ten percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and secure its position as a global leader in environmental policy.

Yet, the benefits of such policy extend to economics and geopolitics as well. By increasing renewable energies, the EU can become a massive greentechnology producer and grow its economy by two percent of GDP by 2050, according to Politico.

Cutting imports of natural gas and oil also frees the EU from geopolitical constraints with the U.S. and Russia, while saving the EU from $2.262 to 3.393 trillion, the National reports.

This initiative might be exactly what the world needs: bold action and strong leadership to mitigate disastrous climate change. By setting this course, the EU can provide a clear example to nations around the world highlighting that not only must we pursue environmentally friendly policies for the sake of our children but that such policies are politically and economically beneficial.

Riots in France over gas tax hikes demonstrate the political risk to politicians that plan to pursue more stringent environmental policies. As EU Commissioner for Energy and Climate Action Miguel Arias Canete put it to Bloomberg, “If we do not lead, nobody else will/ And if nobody else acts, unrestrained climate change will severely impact Europe, as well as everybody else.”

Irish Senate Considers Birthright Citizenship Ryan Nowaczyk The Seanad, the senate of the Republic of Ireland, voted on November 21 to advance a bill that restores birthright citizenship in Ireland. The Irish Nationality and Citizenship Bill of 2018 would consider children born in Ireland as independent applicants for citizenship, regardless of their parents’ residency status, granting citizenship to any child born in Ireland who resides in the country for three years.

According to Citizens Information, current Irish law requires an Irishborn child to have at least one Irish parent, a British parent, a parent with refugee status, a parent with no residency restrictions in Ireland, or a parent that has legally resided in Ireland for three years to qualify for citizenship. The requirements have existed since a 2004 referendum removed the constitutional provision granting citizenship to anyone born in Ireland. Since the referendum, public opinion has shifted back in favor of birthright citizenship. The New York Times reports that three days prior to the Seanad vote, a poll demonstrated

that 71 percent of respondents supported reinstatement, 19 percent were opposed, and 10 percent were undecided.

Support increased after stories about Irish-born children facing deportation received national media coverage. The Irish Times reports that Irish Labour Party members Ivana Bacik and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin sponsored the legislation. Bacik cited the need to help children who “are effectively stateless if we do not give them permission to remain here.”

Bacik echoed criticisms from proimmigrant groups and told the New York Times that immigration system inefficiencies put Irish-born children in danger of deportation “because their parents’ immigration cases have dragged on for years and years.”

The Irish government, however, opposes birthright citizenship, due to fears that people entering Ireland will exploit the system. Problems also arise from the links between Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the U.K., and the EU, as northern Ireland belongs to the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland is an independent EU member, but citizens of Northern Ireland have

dual Irish and British citizenship, and Ireland and the U.K. give each other’s citizens residency and travel rights.

As the Irish Times reports, Irish Minister of State for Justice David Stanton predicted the bill would “encourage persons, whether legally or illegally residing in the U.K., to travel to Northern Ireland to have a child and then remain there for three years to gain Irish citizenship for that child and consequently EU citizenship and attendant rights without having entered the Republic of Ireland.” After Brexit takes effect,

the desire of U.K. residents to retain EU citizenship benefits could boost the incentive to abuse Irish birthright citizenship. Stanton claimed that birthright citizenship in the Republic would affect “how Irish citizens born in Northern Ireland access benefits as EU citizens.”

The Seanad voted 23-16 to advance the bill, but it still needs to move through the Seanad and then pass in the Dail, the lower chamber. The three main opposition parties in the senate support the bill, but its fate in the Dail remains uncertain.

DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE OF IRELAND

EDITOR’S COLUMN:

The Irish Seanad is considering a bill to reinstate birthright citizenship in Ireland.

Yellow Vest Movement Shakes France

From p. 1 On December 1, riots broke out in the streets of central Paris as groups of young men wearing face masks and carrying metal bars and axes set vehicles and building on fire, reports Reuters. Violent protesters torched police vans, destroyed holiday decorations, smashed the windows of stores along the Champs Elysees, and vandalized and looted banks and boutiques in central Paris. Most of the graffiti has been aimed at the government and specifically Macron, calling on him to resign or blaming him for the unrest and discontent.

Later in the night, protesters scaled the Arc de Triomphe and fought against police officers firing tear gas, stun grenades, and water cannons.

The riots have since died down and government estimates say 110 people were injured and 270 were arrested, according to BBC. Firefighters put out nearly 190 fires around the city.

Reuters reports that police are currently blaming several hundred

far-right, far-left, and anarchist extremists for the riots, claiming that they infiltrated demonstrations of nonviolent protesters to cause the worst unrest Paris has seen since protests in 2005 over the death of two young residents of the poor Parisian suburbs.

110 people were injured, and 270 were arrested. Firefighters put out nearly 190 fires.

Interior Minister Christopher Castaner told BFMTV, a French news channel, that “there are people who came from the ultra-right, the ultraleft, but there are also many people who just came to Paris to wreak havoc,” in reference to the protesters, according to the Financial Times.

“We are in a state of insurrection; I’ve never seen anything like it,” Jeanne d’Hauteserre, the mayor of the city’s

8th arrondissement, near the Arc de Triomphe, told BFMTV, Reuters reports.

Macron met with firefighters and police officers early on December 2 at the Arc de Triomphe after the riots had dissipated. Street cleaners worked furiously to clear away the burnt-out cars, broken glass, and remains of barricades that resulted from the worst day of rioting France has seen in a decade, according to the Telegraph.

“What happened in Paris has nothing to do with the pacifist expression of legitimate anger. No cause justifies the police being attacked, businesses being looted, passers-by or journalists being threatened, the Arc de Triomphe being defiled,” Macron told journalists after the G20 summit, reports the Financial Times.

Macron met the French prime minister, the interior minister, and top security service officials midday on December 2 to discuss the riots and unrest in Paris and across France. The French government is

currently considering imposing a state of emergency to prevent another gathering of violent protesters, Griveaux confirmed to the Telegraph.

The Guardian reports that Prime Minister Édouard Philippe will initiate talks with the protesters and opposition politicians next week to calm tensions and prevent future rioting by what Macron termed “professional” rioters.

Plans for the fourth weekend of protests were already beginning to take shape on social media.

The future of the Yellow Vest movement remains unclear. The movement currently lacks any clear structure, leader, or party affiliation and has been expanding mainly through social media, according to reports by the Economist. Without clear leadership, it will prove difficult for the French government to negotiate with the movement; however, it seems that Macron is unwilling to relent on the issue, despite public opposition and the negative press it has brought to the country.

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Amber Broder German prosecutors charged a 95-year-old man with more than 36,000 counts of accessory to murder from his alleged time as a Nazi concentration camp guard during World War II, reported the Local on November 23. Martin Steltner of the Berlin prosecutor’s office announced that the allegations against the individual, identified only as Hans H., concern “atrocities committed at the Mauthausen camp in Austria.”

According to the Local, Hans H. belonged to the SSTotenkopfsturmbann, which translates to “death’s head battalion,” and was positioned at one of the concentration camps used by Nazi Germany. The prosecutors argue that during that time, the accused “contributed to tens of thousands of prisoner deaths.”

Hans H. served as an SS guard at the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in upper Austria and southern Germany from mid-1944 to early 1945.

In a Jewish Chronicle report, the newspaper explains that the accused is alleged to have “known about the various methods of killing [and] the

disastrous living conditions” of the prisoners. He was also “aware that a large number of people were killed with these methods and that the victims could have only been killed with such regularity if they were guarded by people such as himself.”

BBC further explained that Hans H. supported or “at least made easier the many thousands of deaths carried out by the main perpetrator.” While he may not have personally killed those who passed through the Mauthausen camp, he was complicit in their murders because he knew what was happening and allowed it to continue through his role as a guard.

While he may not have personally killed them, he was complicit in their murders.

For many years, it was difficult to bring justice to people like Hans H. who weren’t in command positions but participated in the atrocities of the Holocaust. The Local describes how, in 2011, the “legal basis for prosecuting former Nazis changed” when former

guard John Demjanjuk was convicted.

According to BBC, his successful trial “opened up the possibility of prosecuting former guards because they had been part of a death-camp operation” and removed the need to charge them with directly taking part in the murders.

With this significant change, Germany began racing to put surviving SS personnel on trial. The Local mentioned other notable trials of participants in the Nazi regime, including Auschwitz accountant Oskar Grönig and former Auschwitz guard Reinhold Hanning, who were convicted of complicity in mass murder.

Now that the Berlin prosecutor’s office has determined that Hans H. is able to stand trial, a court will review the charges and independently determine whether the accused is fit to be tried. This is likely to be one of the last cases of its kind to go to trial as there are very few former Nazi guards still alive. This gives each case that does go to trial a great deal of significance to Germans wishing to bring justice for Holocaust survivors and continue efforts to atone for the atrocities of the Holocaust and World War II.

Switzerland Rejects Two Referenda Alejandra Rocha Swiss voters said no to the Swiss Law First and Cow Horn initiatives, two referendums voted upon on November 25 under the Swiss system of direct democracy.

According to the Swiss broadcaster SRF, nearly 48 percent of the population showed up to the polls to vote against the Swiss Law First proposal. Figures show that 66.2 percent voted against, and 33.8 percent in favor.

The Swiss Law First proposal, also known as the “Swiss law, not foreign judges” initiative and as the “initiative for self-determination,’ sought to assert precedence of Swiss domestic law over international law.

According to the Local, critics argued that passing the proposal would have gravely deteriorated Switzerland’s global standing as an international ally, especially in light of the large number of UN agencies based in Geneva.

The Civil Society Alliance, the proposal’s most outspoken critic, used a large Trojan horse as a symbol of the concealed negative international implications of passing the proposal.

“With a yes to the initiative, a Trojan

horse would be released into our constitution, opening gates and doors for arbitrariness and discrimination,” said Alliance leader Andrea Huber.

According to BBC, supporters of the proposal, backed by the right-wing People’s Party, argued that the passing of the referendum was imperative to protecting and strengthening Switzerland’s sovereign autonomy.

Ultimately, opposition groups won, and the Swiss rejected the proposal.

“A Trojan horse would be released into our constitution.”

– Andrea Huber “This weekend, the Swiss people showed that they had not fallen for deceptive promises but instead used the ballot box to send out a clear signal that they want to live in a society where human rights apply to everyone,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General Kumi Naidoo in response to the rejection of the proposal.

He said, “Politicians in Switzerland ... should take note that a clear majority

of the Swiss people have opted for human rights and rejected attempts to attack and scapegoat the weakest and most vulnerable groups in society. At a time when many leaders around the world are trying to roll back human rights protections, the Swiss people have today sent an important message.”

In a separate vote for the Cow Horn initiative, voter turnout was nearly 47 percent. According to the SRF, the proposal was rejected by the narrow margin of 55 percent against and 45 percent in favor.

Politico reported that Armin Capaul, the farmer behind the second referendum, argued that dehorning livestock was needless and cruel. After six years of advocacy, he proposed subsidizing farmers who chose not to remove their cows’ horns. Animal rights advocates backed him in his proposal, asserting that horn removal was painful to cows and that horns were essential for their communication.

Switzerland has held 10 national referendums in 2018. Working as key instruments of Swiss democracy, they allow the population to have a direct say on specific controversial parliamentary decisions.

Former Immigration Minister of Italy Accuses the Northern League of Racism Carl Tulevech Political leaders from the U.K., Germany, Hungary, Sweden, France, and Belgium issued statements of support for Italy’s former immigration minister, Cecile Kyenge, who accused far-right political leader Matteo Salvini and the Italian League Party of racism.

According to a letter published by the Guardian on October 12, a Piacenza court agreed to bring the case to trial.

Forty officials from across Europe are supporting Kyenge, who accused the far-right leader of the Northern League Party (LN), Matteo Salvini, of racism in 2014, according to EURACTIV. An Italian court agreed to allow the LN to open a case of defamation against Kyenge, who is now a member of the European Parliament in the Socialist and Democrat Group.

Kyenge was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo but has lived in Italy since 1993. As the first minister of African descent to serve in the government, she has faced a significant amount of racial discrimination. In particular, she has suffered abuse from the LN and its officials.

Kyenge accused the LN of being racist after Pablo Rainieri, the party secretary in the Emilia-Romagna region, posted a picture of Kyenge depicting her as an orangutan. Roberto Calderoli, a senator for the League, made a similar offense when he said, “I cannot but think of the features of an orangutan” at a party rally, referring to the photograph. She will now face trial for defamation in the northern city

EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE

Germany Brings Charges Against Former SS Guard

of Piacenza following her accusation.

Because Kyenge is a member of the European Parliament, she is entitled to immunity. However, she waived this right in order to bring cases against a series of League officials.

Recently, the rise of immigration in Italy has initiated more public discussion of racism in Italian political discourse. During a meeting of European Union ministers concerning migration and security in September 2018, Salvini described African immigrants in Italy as “slaves.”

Salvini recently pushed the Decree Law on Immigration and Security to abolish humanitarian protection status for migrants, the Independent reports. The law will also make it much easier for Italian migrants to lose their citizenship, according to the Local.

The decree has already been used to force asylum seekers out of reception centers. The Local reports that on November 13, police evicted 150 people from a center for migrants without shelter. 120 people were taken to Rome’s police stations and immigration offices. The others were released after showing documentation.

Following the implementation of the Decree, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte separated Italy from the UN’s pact facilitating the process of migration, reports the Local. Conte clarified that Italy is undergoing changes that will cause hardships for migrants trying to integrate into society. Kyenge will face trial in this atmosphere of exclusion and racism.

Former-Immigration Minister Cecile Kyenge gives a speech at the European University Institute in 2013.

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LATIN AMERICA & THE CARIBBEAN EDITOR’S COLUMN: James Gordy

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lobal political and economic leaders met in Buenos Aires for this year’s Group of 20 (G20) summit, which began on November 29. According to Reuters, the competition for economic influence in Latin America will provide the backdrop to the highly anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

China recently became Latin America’s second-largest trading partner after the United States, according to Xinhua News Agency, and Chinese businesses invested $387 billion in Latin America in 2017. Chinese trade with Latin America is primarily in natural resource commodities, while investment has focused on energy and infrastructure. Emblematic of this growing investment, Argentina and China are set to sign a deal during the G20 meeting to construct a nuclear power plant in Argentina.

The United States views increasing Chinese involvement in Latin America with a mix of suspicion and worry. According to Foreign Policy, then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused China of “using economic statecraft to pull the region into its orbit.”

According to the Guardian, Chinese Ambassador to Panama Wei Qiang dismissed American worries as “apprehensive, fearful, and jealous speculations” in response to a dispute over the construction of the Chinese embassy near the entrance to the Panama Canal.

Protecting business interests in Latin America formed a major part of American foreign policy during the Cold War, when the United States helped to install pro-capitalist dictators to prevent nationalization under socialist governments.

According to Forbes, the United States has become less influential in the region following a shift in attention toward the Middle East and China.

Latin American countries, long thought to inhabit the backyard of the United States, have found a development partner in China, limiting the dominance of American business and finance in the region. It remains to be seen whether Chinese investment in the region will support Latin America as a coequal partner or replicate the imperialist dynamics of earlier American investment.

G20 Summit Kicks Off in Buenos Aires Louisa Christen

Argentine President Mauricio Macri kicked off the three-day G20 Summit in Buenos Aires on November 30. All eyes are on a series of important meetings: President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and leaders of all of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) countries, who recently signed a renegotiated trade deal. Macri took center stage as the summit’s facilitator and central diplomat.

The G20 was established in 1999 as an international forum for the world’s biggest economies. This weekend, 19 countries and the European Union met to discuss development, infrastructure, food security, and gender equality, according to theSkimm. While these remain the primary talking points, attention was focused on the signing of the USMCA, the new iteration of NAFTA. The Canadian, Mexican, and American heads of government signed the new trade deal on November 30, signalling a victory for President Trump. Congress has yet to ratify the

agreement.

Following the signing of the USMCA, the Mexican government presented Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, with the Order of the Aztec Eagle, the highest honor in Mexico.

According to El Universal, Kushner is receiving the prize for his “significant contributions” to the negotiations for the new free trade deal. El Pais reports that the decision has been controversial, especially in light of Trump’s comments about Mexico and Mexicans.

Macri is under enormous pressure to defuse tensions among world leaders.

In the week before summit, Argentina’s government responded to several security threats. According to Latin News, a historic match between Argentine soccer clubs Atlético River Plate and Atlético was rescheduled following a violent incident involving

riot police, soccer fans, and the resignation of a municipal security minister, Martín Ocampo, for the security failure. Moreover, Latin News reported that the day before the summit started, security concerns remained a central issue, especially after local anarchist groups called “for the staging of disruptive demonstrations during the summit.”

The New York Times reports that, on the afternoon of November 5, thousands of demonstrators filled a street in downtown Buenos Aires in protest of the summit. The demonstrators included activists from France, Germany, Italy, and several Latin American countries and held banners with messages like “Go Away Trump.” Earlier in the day, Argentina’s security minister confirmed the discovery of eight gasoline bombs in the protest area six miles away from where the summit is taking place.

Argentine security officials have continued to assert their commitment to a violence-free weekend, and 22,000 police officers and other security forces have been assigned to guard the world leaders.

Beyond security concerns, Macri is under enormous pressure to defuse tensions among world leaders and deliver a joint statement, or formal leaders’ declaration, which remained elusive at the recent AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation summit. According to Latin News, Macri reiterated his commitment to “dialogue, integration, world trade, multilateralism, and the green agenda.”

The December 1 dinner between President Trump and President Xi was a crucial moment in the summit.

According to the New York Times, it was the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders in over a year.

CNN reports that Trump also had six other bilateral meetings scheduled in the 48 hours.

Other potential flashpoints include interactions between Trump and Putin, potential meetings between Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May, and the presence of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman, who has received international condemnation over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Tear Gas Use Escalates Standoff With Migrants

From p. 1 The use of tear gas was heavily criticized, as it caused a number of babies and young children who were standing near the border to faint. “I felt that my face was burning, and my baby fainted. I ran for my life and that of my children,” says Cindy Milla, a Honduran migrant with two children.

Tear gas is an aerosol compound and is considered to be a chemical weapon. As such, its use in a majority of countries, including the United States, is restricted outside its betterknown existence as a riot-control tool by police and federal authorities, according to the Washington Post.

According to the BBC, when President Donald Trump spoke on the subject in Mississippi on Monday, November 26, he defended the use of tear gas against those attempting to enter the United States, saying, “Here’s the bottom line: Nobody’s coming

into our country unless they come in legally.”

On Twitter, President Trump has accused the group of Central American migrants as containing many “stone cold criminals,” though there have not been any official reports to substantiate these claims. In a statement to PBS NewsHour, policy analyst for the Migration Policy Institute Sarah Pierce said, “The administration has really disregarded the fact that there might be legitimate asylum-seekers in this group and kind of painted them overall as a group of individuals that are seeking to take advantage of U.S. immigration laws.”

CNN writes that the Mexican government reported that 7,417 of the 8,247 Central American migrants who came to the U.S.-Mexico border through Mexico are from the municipalities of Mexicali and Tijuana in the state of Baja California.

D E C. 2018 | 9

Casey Gilfillan

On November 23, the Ecuadorian government publicly announced that they will need $550 million dollars to support the influx of Venezuelan immigrants. This figure is part of a collaborative plan of a dozen Latin American nations to address the Venezuelan crisis, which was discussed in Quito last week, according to El Tiempo.

Ecuador is just one of several Latin American nations to feel the impact of the Venezuelan exodus. According to Reuters, some three million Venezuelans have fled the country since 2015. Along with Ecuador, Colombia and Peru have been primary recipients of immigrants, but the entire continent has been impacted by the Venezuelan crisis.

The Venezuelan economy has been struggling for over a decade, but it reached its breaking point in 2015.

A decrease in oil production led to a collapse in the nation’s economy, as the oil industry “provides 96 percent of the country’s income” according to the Gulf Times. The Gulf Times also notes that the industry is now producing its

lowest levels in 30 years, which has left the Venezuelan economy in shambles and caused shortages in food, water, electricity, and basic medical services.

The nations geographically closest to Venezuela have received the largest influxes of refugees. Instead of turning the refugees away, these countries have been working to create cumulative plans to properly address and diffuse the situation.

Ecuador is in the process of developing its strategy in response to this crisis. However, it cannot support such a tremendously large influx of refugees without receiving some support itself. In reference to the requested $550 million dollars, the Vice Minister of Human Mobility Santiago Chavez stated that this figure has been calculated to encompass “health, education, housing, and employment needs,” according to América Economía.

While Ecuador is in need of financial contributions, it is not the only nation that is facing towering expenses as a result of the exodus. The World Bank has “recently estimated [that] it will cost Colombia upward of $1 billion over the next year to tend

the surge of migrants,” according to the New York Times.

Ecuador hopes to obtain these funds through “donations from multilateral agencies and nearby countries,” according to Reuters.

Reuters also reports that the Ecuadorian government invited the United States, Canada, Japan, Qatar, and the European Union to a meeting held on November 30 on the possible sources of these funds.

Reuters reports that in 2018 alone, around 600,000 Venezuelans have entered Ecuador through the Colombian border. Despite the strain this influx of refugees is putting on the surrounding Latin American nations, these countries have recognized that the only way to address and eventually resolve this crisis is to accept it.

The goal of Ecuador and other Latin American countries is to support the Venezuelan people until they devise a way to re-establish Venezuela’s self-sufficiency. According to the New York Times, Vice Minister Chavez remarked that Ecuador seeks “to guarantee the migrants’ human rights and ensure an orderly transition to their new surroundings.”

Spanish Prime Minister Visits Cuba Sean Fulmer Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Cuba on November 23 to reaffirm the strong bilateral ties between the two countries and sign several new cultural and political agreements. The visit marked the first time in 32 years that a Spanish leader visited Cuba.

Sánchez, leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, spent two days in Cuba meeting with business and government officials. According to Reuters, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Sánchez signed an agreement to continue high level talks between the two countries. This is the first such agreement between Cuba and a European Union country. These dialogue meetings will cover bilateral and multilateral topics, including human rights. El País reported that the agreement allows Spain and Cuba to question the political freedoms of citizens in the opposite country.

Sánchez and Diaz-Canel also signed an agreement regarding cultural coordination between the two countries. According to El País, cultural ties between Cuba and Spain were partially severed in 2003 when then-President Fidel Castro shuttered

the Spanish Cultural Center in Havana due to a dispute between Castro and Spain. Despite these historical tensions, there are rumors that King Felipe VI of Spain might come to Havana to celebrate its 500th anniversary of its founding in 2019.

Pablo Casado criticized Sánchez for meeting with a “living dictator.”

Whether this visit will actually occur is unclear. Sánchez’s trip to Cuba sparked anger among those who oppose the current government in Spain. According to El País, the leader of the Popular Party, Pablo Casado, criticized Sánchez for meeting with a “living dictator,” in reference to DíazCanel.

Spanish political parties do not seem to have a consensus on future Cuban policy. The center-right party Ciudadanos criticized Sánchez for not meeting with dissidents and antigovernment activists while in Havana.

The Spanish government has refused to reveal whether Sánchez

requested the release of Eduardo Cardet Concepción, the leader of the Christian pro-democracy Christian Liberation Movement, according to El País, despite the fact that Amnesty International and the Spanish Senate have demanded the immediate discharge of Concepcion from prison, over a year since his sentencing.

While in Havana, Sánchez hosted a business forum at the Grand Packard Hotel, which is managed by the Spanish company Iberostar and owned by the Cuban military, according to Reuters. Spain is Cuba’s third largest trade partner and a substantial investor in the Cuban economy. The Nation reported that Sánchez expressed continued support for the Cuban economy, specifically for renewable energy and transport industries.

AP News reported on November 14 that the Trump administration included the Grand Packard Hotel in a list of locations in Cuba that United States citizens are prohibited from visiting. The United States continues to distance itself from normal relations with Cuba, while Spain and the rest of the European Union appear to be welcoming Cuba into the international community.

Brazilian University Offers Exam to Indigenous Peoples Juliana Albuquerque

A group of teachers has left Campinas, one of the largest cities in the Brazilian state of São Paulo, on a flight to the Amazon rainforest.

According to Globo, the teachers will travel nearly 2,200 miles to the municipality of São Gabriel da Cachoeira—the region with the highest demographic of indigenous groups in the nation. The goal is to offer the Universidade de Campinas’ (Unicamp) Vestibular in the area to attract a greater number of Native Brazilians towards higher education.

In Brazil, university entrance exams are split into two categories. The first exam consists of the ENEM, which is similar to American standardized tests such as the ACT and SAT and can be taken as qualification for any national university. The second exam, called the Vestibular, is tailored to specific schools and varies according to university and intended major.

There is no college application system similar to the American one; students rely only on the scores obtained on one or both of these exams, and they can take as many Vestibulares as they choose.

The exams are administered annually on the same day. According to the Ministry of Justice, access to the exams is typically an issue for indigenous communities, who tend to live in isolated areas and do not have the means to travel long distances to the nearest testing center.

As part of another step towards increased representation of indigenous peoples at the university, Unicamp has reserved 72 spots spread over 27 different areas of studies for

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Ecuador Requests Aid to Support Venezuelan Immigrants

members of native communities, according to Tô No Rumo. 610 students have signed up for the Vestibular; out of that number, 350 are from São Gabriel da Cachoeira, where 76 percent of the population is of indigenous descent.

The decision is a historic one, as no public university from São Paulo has ever conducted an exam solely directed towards native Brazilians.

Furthermore, no university has ever traveled so far to apply the test, and particularly not a school so highranked in the continent. Unicamp was voted the best Latin American university by British magazine Times Higher Education in 2018 for the second time in a row. The indigenous population has historically been underrepresented in Brazilian universities. For the 2018 school year, only seven native Brazilian students enrolled in Unicamp, out of a student body of 3,327 people.

Professor José Alves Freitas Neto, executive coordinator of Unicamp’s entourage, spoke to Globo, stating that this exam is of great importance to “allow the integration of these students and help the university obtain a more diverse point of view, so that it has a less homogeneous repertoire.” Neto went on to say that the university has a lot to learn from the future admitted students, affirming that there will be at least two people of indigenous descent per area of study.

The vestibular took place on December 2, and Rede Globo, Brazil’s largest broadcasting and newspaper agency, accompanied the entourage to provide live updates on their journey.

Entrance to the Universidade de Campinas in São Paulo.

10 | DEC. 2 0 1 8

INDO-ASIA-PACIFIC

Jia Sheng

T

he Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested Jiang Jinfu, a prominent Chinese celebrity, in Tokyo for domestic violence on November 28.

According to South China Morning Post, Jiang’s girlfriend, Haruka Nakaura, shared images showing bruises on her face and body through Instagram on November 20, and Jiang soon issued an apology on Weibo, a social media platform, admitting to the abuse and expressing a willingness to face appropriate punishment.

On November 27, in an interview aired on a special program of the Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Nakaura revealed the details of Jiang’s violent actions, including beating her from midnight to the next morning and using hammers, according to Global Times. The next afternoon, Jiang is reported to have turned himself in at a local police station in Tokyo.

Jiang and Hakaura announced their relationship in July and soon moved into an apartment in Ikebukuro, according to Asahi Shimbun. The report of Jiang’s domestic violence received wide attention on social media in China.

Supporters of Jiang claimed on Weibo that Nakaura lied about her pregnancy, calling Jiang’s action “patriotic;” whereas, opponents called his actions immoral and punishable. Interestingly, many users who called themselves “honest and just observers” commented that, while Jiang should not commit domestic violence, Nakaura was not entirely honest.

In Asian countries such as China and Japan, domestic violence has long been viewed as a private affair, with Japan enacting a law regarding domestic violence not until 2001 and China not until 2016, South China Morning Post reports. As the situation escalates, the discussion on Jiang’s crime in China has stopped centering around the facts and is evolving into a debate regarding national identity, patriotism, and feminism.

North Korea Tests Unspecified New Weapon Suzie Kim North Korea’s state news agency, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported that North Korea tested a new tactical weapon on November 15 under Chairman Kim Jong-un’s personal supervision. Testing of an unidentified tactical weapon does not violate the “voluntary moratorium” of nuclear testings, but Kim’s presence at the testing site implies a deteriorating relationship between the United States and North Korea.

KCNA released a photo of Kim overseeing the testing of what the South Korean government assumes to be a multiple long-range rocket launcher. The exact type of artillery remains undisclosed, yet the South Korean government does not view this testing as a military provocation

by North Korea. Still, it was Kim’s first public appearance at a weapons test site since the test launch of the first intercontinental ballistic missile in November 2017, which allegedly demonstrated the ability to reach U.S. territory. The New York Times cited a KCNA report that Kim was very

pleased by the successful “ultramodern tactical weapon test” during his visit to the testing ground at the Academy of Defense Science, the core development research site of North Korea’s nuclear weapons.

Despite the impression of successful negotiations between Kim and President Donald Trump at their summit in Singapore earlier this year, North Korea’s renewed activities at testing sites indicate denuclearization talks are stumbling. Voice of America reports that Vice President Mike Pence proposed a second TrumpKim summit sometime early next year, expecting a full disclosure of the nuclear sites in North Korea; thus, the weapon testing is not a positive response from Kim. Though the U.S. is not mandating such disclosure before the summit, Pence has announced the need for tangible progress on denuclearization. Disclosure of nuclear testing sites is the first specific public request the U.S. has made of North Korea since the Singapore summit in June.

Peace on the Korean Peninsula continues to be at risk. Amid

cancellation of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to North Korea for unspecified reasons in August, Chosun Ilbo, a South Korean news outlet, reported of multiple rocket launches in North Korea earlier this month, which was affirmed by an anonymous South Korean official.

Similar rockets deployed near the 38th parallel threaten the lives of ten million South Koreans living in Seoul.

VOA News also reported that satellite images of a structure in one of North Korea’s training grounds resembles the South Korean military headquarters,

implying that it could have been built for target practice purposes.

Earlier this month, the North Korean Foreign Ministry demanded sanctions be removed, suggesting a possible resurgence of nuclear development and testing if these demands are not met.

Though North Korea did not release much information on the weapon it tested in order to avoid the situation from getting out of hands, it is perceived to be a “veiled threat” that is greatly aggravating the United States, reports CNN.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

EDITOR’S COLUMN:

North Korea’s ballistic missiles on parade in Pyongyang.

Taiwan Votes Against Ruling Party From p. 1 Despite being a unitary democracy, the municipal elections were viewed by many as a national vote of no confidence on Tsai’s administration and, specifically, DPP’s policy on cross-strait relations. Wang Kungyi, a political science professor at Chinese Culture University in Taipei, told South China Morning Post, “The results indicate the public are strongly dissatisfied with the performance of Tsai and used their ballots to teach her a lesson.”

Since 2016, Tsai’s administration and the DPP-controlled Legislative Yuan have sought pro-independence policies and become increasingly confrontational with China. South China Morning Post noted that Lai Ching-te became the first Premier in Taiwan’s history to explicitly advocate for the island’s political independence from mainland China.

DPP’s explicit calls for independence fueled frustration among officials in Beijing, who continue to view Taiwan

as part of mainland China. The Straits Times reported that “China has heaped pressure on Ms. Tsai” since she became president. According to South China Morning Post, the PRC has suspended all exchanges with Taiwan since Tsai’s election.

“The DPP is at a crossroads, we will see whether there will be a more rational voice in the party to reflect its policy on relations with mainland China, but we shouldn’t build our hopes up too much. It reflects Taiwan’s hopes for peaceful relations across the strait, and it is going to have a positive and profound impact on cross-strait relations,” Yu Keli, former director of the Taiwan research centre at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told South China Morning Post.

Other observers, however, feel that the elections were not necessarily a referendum on the DPP’s handling of cross-strait relations. In an interview with the Brookings Institution, Yu Ching-hsin, a research fellow at National Chengchi University’s

Election Study Center in Taiwan, highlighted “a strong anti-incumbent party tendency in Taiwan” and claimed that voters were more concerned with slowing economic growth. In fact, South China Morning Post noted that the results mirrored the 2014 municipal elections, where the KMT lost administrative divisions due to growing discontent over President Ma Ying-jeou’s governance.

Many pundits view the election as a litmus test for the DPP regarding its handling of cross-strait relations.

Nevertheless, most observers view the elections as being a sign of waning support for the DPP rather than increasing support for the KMT. “The KMT should not entertain the thought that it is the actual winner

of the election. Rather it won because voters were disappointed with the DPP and Tsai’s performance,” said Sun Da-chien, a former KMT legislator, to South China Morning Post.

Voters also faced 12 referendum questions on topics including LGBTQ rights, energy policy, and international nomenclature.

Voters rejected referendum questions that would have legalized same-sex marriage and added LGBTQ issues to school curricula.

Another rejected question of international significance was initiative 13, which proposed the use of the name Taiwan when competing in international sporting competitions. Taiwan has participated in all competitions under the name Chinese Taipei, a name which ROC and PRC officials agreed on in 1981.

According to South China Morning Post, the International Olympic Committee previously warned Taiwan that if question 13 passed, it risked removal from future Olympic games.

D E C. 2018 | 11

Cristina Lopez Addressing a crowd of hundreds of campaign volunteers, staff members, and supporters at an election night gathering in Melbourne, the capital of the southeastern state of Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews declared a landslide victory for the Australian Labor Party only a few hours after the polls closed on November 24, the Age reported.

According to Perth Now, three recent opinion polls all predicted the incumbent Labor government’s reelection to a second term. Labor’s projected margin of victory, however, widened by an unexpectedly large degree as Victorians cast their final votes.

Exit polls showed the centerleft Labor party as swinging to lead the conservative Liberal-National coalition by as much as 55 percent to 45 percent. Reuters and the Age further noted that while Labor entered the election with a minimum one-seat majority in the 88-seat Legislative Assembly, Victoria’s lower house of Parliament, the party is now on track to capture at least six new seats, giving it a much more stable majority.

The provisioned results from the

Victorian Electoral Commission reveal that even Brighton, a long-standing Liberal stronghold, came within 1,000 votes of electing its very first Labor representative: Declan Martin, a nineteen-year-old university student.

The Labor Party is now on track to capture at least six new seats in Parliament.

Antony Green, an election analyst for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), described these swings as “remarkable,” calling the night in favor of Labor less than ninety minutes after the vote count began.

According to the Age, the opposition also recognized the scale of Labor’s win. At about 9:00pm on election night, Matthew Guy, who served as both the state’s Liberal leader and the leader of the Opposition in Parliament, phoned Andrews to concede defeat and congratulate Andrews on a “stunning night.”

The Guardian reports that later that night in a concession speech to Liberal supporters, Guy also called for party unity and reiterated the importance

of key Liberal campaign issues such as eliminating congestion, lowering the cost of living, and reducing crime.

The Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported that Guy did not make any further major public remarks until November 28, when he released a statement to the media to announce his resignation from party leadership.

The Liberal shadow treasurer, Michael O’Brien, and shadow attorney general, John Pesutto, are seen as the two most likely contenders to fill the position.

As for Andrews, he attributed Labor’s victory to voters showing their support for touted Labor initiatives, including more funding for hospitals and schools, a royal commission into the state’s “crumbling” mental health care system, and the multibilliondollar “biggest infrastructure agenda in road-and-rail” in Victoria’s history, ABC and the Guardian reported.

Some political commentators framed the election as a warning to Australia’s ruling Liberal-National coalition, which has faced instability since ousting former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in August, according to the AAP. Labor’s decisive win in Victoria may foreshadow a similar shift in the upcoming federal election, which is due by May 2019.

Indian Farmers Protest Amid Crisis Karan Chauhan Around 100,000 farmers and activists demonstrated in New Delhi to demand debt relief and higher Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for their crops on November 29. MSPs are the rate at which the government buys crops from farmers to ensure a liveable amount of profit. The protestors, victims of an agrarian crisis, came from all across the nation. Twentyone political parties, prominent singers and poets, and members of 207 independent farming unions united under the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) to protest for their cause, according to HuffPost.

The farmers claimed that the government’s impotence has driven 300,000 farmers to commit suicide from 1995-2015, Zee News reported. according to Times Now, activist Yogendra Yadav said that “the government has not done anything for the farmers,” and advocated for “the government to immediately waive-off loans” and “legal[ly] guarantee their remunerative prices.”

Although Indian agriculture underwent a Green Revolution from 1970-1990, agricultural growth slowed dramatically after 1990.

Professor Mankombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, a leading geneticist during India’s Green Revolution, was commissioned by the government to research the causes of the crisis, and his reports from 2004-2006 serve as the foundation of the farmers’ demands of the government.

PRS Legislative Research and the Global Subsidies Initiative in conjunction with the Indian Federation of Environmentalist Journalists report that India’s agricultural productivity per hectare lags far behind China, France, and other competitive nations.

Additionally, land ownership has significantly declined among Indian farmers, with 80 percent of them owning less than two hectares of land. With declining crop prices, increasing fuel and fertilizer cost, droughts and adverse weather events, poor infrastructure, and little crop varieties, farmers are constantly put under enormous economic pressure.

Zee News reported that the typical

farmer’s wage is 247 rupees, or $3.50 per day. These economic pressures and lack of government aid have driven hundreds thousands of farmers to commit suicide, and even more still, approximately 2,000 farmers a day, to abandon farming for other jobs in urban areas by India Today’s numbers.

Though the Swaminathan reports sugessted redistributing land ownership, increasing payments, improving irrigation, promoting farmer education, and providing credit structures and relief in times of emergency, the government has made little progress to achieving these goals. The Hindustan Times reports that it might not be feasible for the national government to meet the farmers’ demands for loan forgiveness. The last time a loan waiver system was implemented, inflation of food prices ultimately hurt the economic situation and hindered the government’s investments in infrastructure. Regardless, farmers hope to obtain larger MSP’s and some debt relief by advocating for a special 21-day Parliament session to discuss the agrarian crisis.

Tufts World Historian Outlines History of Chinese Grand Strategy Ben Richmond At a Georgetown University event on November 15, Sulmaan Khan, a professor of international history and Chinese foreign policy at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, outlined a history of China’s grand strategy from the Mao Zedong era to the present under President Xi Jinping.

Khan defines grand strategy as the merging of various sources of power including military, economic, and diplomatic, in pursuit of a common goal. Grand strategy is a nation’s longterm goal, not merely a reaction to temporary circumstances within and policies of other nations. He argues that China’s grand strategy has focused on finding its place in the balance of global power during and after the Cold War by modernizing China’s military without destabilizing the economy or displeasing its citizens.

Khan notes that Mao had a vision that China was much more vulnerable and weak during the 1920s and 1930s when compared to other periods throughout history. He notes that Mao wanted to rebuild China and restore its rightful place in the world. After Mao’s victory in 1949 over the Nationalists, Mao began reaching out to other nations. Khan believes that Mao had a better understanding of the global balance of power than is typically realized. He explains that Mao reached out to Stalin and both agreed that China and Russia needed 20 years of peace to rebuild their economies and industry after facing devastation during World War II. Khan explained that China’s strategy and perspective has always been defined by its geography. China worries about coastal attacks and

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Australian Labor Party Wins in Landslide

invaders, as well as threats from its northern and western frontiers where Russia, North Korea, and India are.

During the Mao era, China learned the importance of always keeping relationships open and maintaining opportunities for dialogue with other nations. Khan explained that he found the term “Sino-Soviet split,” inadequate, as China never intended to end its relationship with the USSR; rather, it aimed to show its displeasure but maintain cooperation in other areas.

Khan also explained the strategy behind the economic reforms of both Mao and his successor, Deng Xiaoping. Khan explained that Mao’s infamous Great Leap Forward, which resulted in tens of millions of deaths in an attempt to modernize the country, was about building up an industrial base as a foundation for a strong military. Following Mao’s death, Deng aimed to integrate market forces into the socialist Chinese economy, what he called “socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Deng reduced foreign aid payments, reduced the size of China’s military, and instituted the one child policy in the name of fiscal responsibility. Khan explained that China has continued to follow the path set by Deng to modernize both its military and technology sector. Khan argued that China learned from the swift U.S. victory in the Gulf War that military technology matters.

Ultimately, Khan warned that China’s pursuit of industrial growth has led to the environmental degradation of its rivers and the militarization of artificial islands, threatening fish stocks that China depends upon for food and thereby posing a risk to China’s ambitions.

The Great Leap Forward took place from 1958 to 1962.

12 | DEC. 2 0 1 8

MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

Bahrain Accused of Skewing Elections Opposition activists have called the recent parliamentary elections in Bahrain “a farce”, and protests have formed on the streets throughout the country, according to Haaretz. One of the main opposition groups in Bahrain, al-Wefaq, has disputed the election results, calling them undemocratic, unfair, and rigged in order to support the ruling government.

Bahrain was swept up in the Arab Spring uprisings that happened the Middle East and North Africa in 2011.

Al-Jazeera reports that during the uprising, many Shia claimed that they were treated as second-class citizens within their own country, and that they faced difficulties finding jobs within the government, according to Al-Jazeera. Due to this, they called for Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa to be replaced and for the Shia to be treated as equal citizens.

Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa is the longest serving prime minister in the world and has held his position in office since 1971.

In the November 24 parliamentary elections, opposition groups

claimed that a number of electoral irregularities skewed the results in favor of the incumbent government.

Most prominently, Haaretz notes that opposition groups were barred from participating in the election, preventing the participation of many Bahraini citizens. Additionally, several opposition figures and activists were jailed prior to the elections.

Another prominent opposition figure, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Daghagh, claimed that the government threatened people into voting for them, or else they would face difficulties, according to Mehr News. All of these issues add to the alleged injustices in Bahrain. Per Al-Jazeera, the media is dominated by the government and hundreds of political prisoners are being denied their rights.

The government has either ignored or cracked down on calls for reform from the opposition. For example, Bahrain launched an armed crackdown on protests in 2011 during the Arab Spring-inspired protest movement within the country, with the assistance of neighbor Saudi Arabia. Haaretz reports that in response to the accusations that have

been levied against the government by the opposition, the Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs, and Endowment Sheikh Khalid bin Ali bin Khalifa said that “Bahrainis’ commitment to exercising their ballot was a clear indication of Bahrainis’ support for the process of democratisation… and showed their rejection of external forces who have deliberately sought to derail the electoral process.”

As these protests continue throughout Bahrain, international response remains largely absent.

Before the parliamentary elections, the

United States voted unsuccessfully on blocking a $300 million arms sale to Bahrain, according to Human Rights Watch. Similarly, Press TV reports that Israel has started to develop closer ties to Bahrain; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning a trip to Bahrain in the near future.

Thirty-one runoff elections are scheduled for December 1, according to Haaretz. Considering that the opposition has been barred from fair participation, it is virtually assured that government-supported candidates will be elected.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Noah Clarke

Opposition parties hold a sit-in in al-Muqshai’a village in 2012.

Airbnb Removes West Bank Listings Ali Taha Brown Airbnb has removed listings from its website of people who reside in illegal settlements in the West Bank.

The decision affects an estimated 200 homes in the West Bank and was made in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

The decision, officially made on November 19, has been received very poorly in pro-Israeli communities worldwide, with Israeli-Americans already filing a lawsuit in opposition to it and claiming the action to be anti-semitic. According to Fortune, 18 Israeli-Americans have filed a suit claiming that the boycott only affects Jews and Israelis, and it is therefore “violating the U.S. Fair Housing Act by discriminating on religious grounds.”

The article also cites unnamed sources claiming that the lawsuit would fail.

Adam Roberts wrote in a piece for the American Journal of International Law, that the settlements have been

found to be in violation of UN law by organizations such as the International Court of Justice and the UN General Assembly. However, the UN has often been criticized by human rights organizations for not enforcing their opposition to the illegal settlements.

However, the move has been celebrated by ‘Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions’ (BDS) groups, which, according to their website, “works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law.” They labeled Airbnb’s move as the “first step in the right direction,” but also insinuated that Airbnb did not go far enough, citing company listings of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem.

Airbnb’s boycott of illegal settlements has come at a time of renewed regional tension. A recent undercover raid led by Israeli forces in Gaza led to the death of seven Palestinians and an Israeli officer.

Hedges Released From U.A.E. Prison Amanda Feldman Matthew Hedges, an English academic, was arrested in the Dubai airport on May 5 as he attempted to leave the country. Emirati officials allege he was collecting classified information on the government with intents to distribute. He was sentenced to life in prison for espionage on November 21, until international outrage led to him receiving a presidential pardon just six days later.

Hedges is a doctoral candidate of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Durham in England. Al Jazeera reports that he had just finished a two-week stay in the United Arab Emirates when the authorities arrested him on allegations of espionage, backed up with videos supposedly showing Hedges admitting to being an MI6 agent.

On November 21, Hedges received a pardon from President Khalifa Bin Zayed in response to international pressures. Along with over seven hundred other prisoners, Hedges was given full pardon and permission to leave after administrative cleanup.

According to the International Campaign for Freedom in the U.A.E., Hedges’ release was too little too late.

The group claims that he was held for months in solitary confinement without legal counsel, a clear violation of his rights, and that his arrest is indicative of a larger problem in the Emirates in their treatment of political prisoners, according to Al Jazeera. Furthermore, according to the Washington Post, Hedges was forced to sign a confession document in Arabic, despite the fact that he did not know the language. The Middle East Eye reports that these alleged maltreatments led Hedges to say that he would like to file suit against the Emirati government.

Ultimately, the Matthew Hedges affair has led to a greater international spotlight on the U.A.E. and its violations of international conventions on human rights.

D E C. 2018 | 13

Saudi Aramco Looks to Diversify Investments Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest petroleum company, announced on November 27 that it is planning to increase shale gas output by almost 65 percent, according to a report from Financial Times. The move is expected to spur about $150 billion in investments over the next decade, according to Amin Nasser, the chief executive of Saudi Aramco.

With the Saudi Vision 2030 moving economic focus away from oil to other, more profitable long term projects, Saudi Arabian companies aim to diversify their portfolio. Saudi Aramco recently signed deals with five Chinese companies, making them the soon to be largest oil exporter to China, as reported by Arab Weekly.

The deals would see Saudi Arabia regain the position it lost to Russia in 2016 as the largest crude exporter to China. Despite the large profits and economic growth that will come from these deals, Saudi Aramco aims to expand its operations to include the new, growing market of natural gas.

Financial Times notes that

creating an integrated international gas business is a high priority for Saudi Aramco as it diversifies away from petroleum in order to prepare for forecasts of stagnating demand in coming decades. The company has already boosted gas exploration and production in the hopes of becoming a major natural gas exporter. In addition to ramping up domestic production, Saudi Aramco has fortified international holdings by signing an agreement with Royal Dutch Shell to jointly pursue “global gas business opportunities.”

petroleum capabilities, according to Reuters. EuroNews estimates that the agreements will total $25 billion and comprise Saudi Aramco’s In-Kingdom Total Value Add Program (IKTVA). The program is representative of the state oil giant’s plan to boost domestic production of energy-related goods and services to about 70 percent of total expenditures by 2021.

Saudi Aramco’s expansions into natural gas and its focus on expanding domestic capabilities precede

the OPEC meeting in Vienna on December 6 . The meeting will focus on developing responses to declining oil prices and deciding on production quotas for next year, according to a news article by World Oil. Plunging oil prices, along with international fallout from the kingdom’s role in the Khashoggi murder, place increased attention on Aramco’s decision next month. Analysts at CNN expect the kingdom to cut production to stabilize prices, a decision that could draw the ire of President Trump.

Creating an integrated international gas business is a high priority for Aramco.

Saudi Aramco’s announcement about expansions in gas operations come right after announcements on November 25 that it plans to sign multiple agreements with domestic and foreign companies in hopes of boosting Saudi Arabia’s industrial

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Alexander Lekan

Khurais Oil Processing Facility in Saudi Arabia.

Iraq Begins Dismantling Green Zone Fortifications Jaime Moore-Carrillo The Iraqi government commenced the deconstruction of fortifications surrounding the Green Zone on November 22 in an effort to partially reopen the high-security area to the public, according to Al Arabiya.

The National reports that Iraq’s prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, launched the project to communicate renewed solidarity between the Iraqi government and its disgruntled citizens.

Cordoned off from the rest of Baghdad by blast walls and mile-long stretches of barbed wire, the Green Zone houses government offices, foreign consulates and firms, and the personal homes and businesses of Iraq’s wealthiest citizens. AP explains that U.S. troops established the Green Zone to protect American officials and Iraqi government institutions following the 2003 invasion.

According to the Washington Post, U.S. military officials managed the Green Zone for five years after invading, and in 2009, the United States officially departed Iraq and transferred power to the Iraqis.

The area is inaccessible to the general public—individuals require special permits to pass through its well-guarded checkpoints, according to the New Yorker. According to BBC, former-Prime Minister Haider alAbadi briefly enabled public access to the Green Zone but reversed the decree within days.

For many Iraqis, the Green Zone epitomizes the injustice of the government.

For many Iraqis, the Green Zone epitomizes the aloofness, unaccountability, and injustice of their government, according to Politico analysts. Iraq’s political elites, protected within the Zone’s fortifications, have been largely exempt from the violence and insecurity that has ravaged the country since 2003.

Politico also reports that citizens complain that the security offered to Iraq’s powerful is not granted to the general population. Indeed, strings

of terror attacks have devastated Baghdad in past years. However, the Green Zone has been mostly immune to this onslaught. USA Today notes that although the area has weathered periodic mortar attacks from insurgents, it has been spared the severe violence unfolding just outside its walls. The deadliest terror attack of 2016, which killed 250 people, according to BBC, occurred only two miles outside the walls of the presidential complex.

Grievances over inequality are accompanied by frustrations with rampant government corruption and bureaucratic incompetence. According to the Telegraph, Joost Hiltermann, program director of conflict-resolution NGO Crisis Group, observed, “the central government is unable or unwilling to address problems across the board in Iraq. The corruption is endemic.” Transparency International ranks Iraq as the eleventh most corrupt country on earth.

Public frustration with the government runs deep. This summer, anti-government riots rocked the southern province of Basra, where citizens lack access to clean water

and electricity, according to BBC. NPR reports that in 2016, protestors stormed the Green Zone and staged demonstrations in the halls of Iraq’s parliament, demanding active anticorruption measures.

Assuming office at the height of instability in Iraq, Mahdi has been tasked with addressing the country’s many ailments. Mahdi has vowed to ramp up public security, root out corruption, and rebuild Iraq’s failing infrastructure. According to the AP, Mahdi declared, “we want to consider all of Iraq a Green Zone.”

To bolster the legitimacy of his initiatives, Mahdi has attempted to cast himself as a man of the people, a politician in touch with the suffering of his citizens and committed to addressing it. The AP reports that, on October 25, Mahdi moved Iraqi government headquarters out of the Green Zone to “bring his government closer to the people.”

For all of Mahdi’s claims to be a reformer, many of Iraq’s most pressing problems have not abated.

The dismantling of the Green Zone, however, could prove to be a move toward progress.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Michael Abi-Habib

A

n American airstrike in Afghanistan on November 27 killed 23 civilians, a majority of whom were women and children, and has sparked international outrage. The airstrikes have occurred partly in response to the killing of 22 policeman by the Taliban on November 25.

According to BBC, Afghanistan has experienced a proliferation of airstrikes and terrorist attacks in the last three years. In the first ten months of 2018, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has used an estimated 1,700 more weapons than it did in 2017. BBC states that USAF civilian casualties increased seven percent from 2016 to 2017. The most prominent attacks occured in April and killed 30 young people.

The recent proliferation of U.S. airstrikes and Afghan military missions are a response to the Taliban’s continued insurgency.

According to Al Arabiya, the recent skirmish between Afghan military forces and the Taliban in Helmand province on November 28 saw 30 civilians and 16 insurgents killed.

On the same day, Taliban forces attacked employees of the British security firm G4S, killing five and injuring 32 in the process.

The incessant fighting is a result of the seventeen-year war between allied American and Afghan forces and the Taliban. According to Al Arabiya, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has formed a 12-person team to negotiate peace with the Taliban.

Ghani is seeking an agreement that would include the Taliban in an inclusive and democratic society. Al Arabiya reports that the implementation of any deal would take at least five years.

The recent calls for peace are happening on the one-year anniversary of the arms deal in which Afghan air force acquired 159 American helicopters and other supplies, according to the Washington Post. With the upcoming presidential election, it is hard to gauge whether ongoing peace talks will see any success. The seventeen year war in Afghanistan has taken a toll on the country and stunted its growth. The ongoing peace talks must aim to alleviate the problems facing the country rather than just becoming a farce put on to eke out political advantage.

14 | DEC. 2 0 1 8

NORTH & SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA France Promises Return of Looted Artwork to Benin Terror Threats French President Emmanuel Macron has agreed to return 26 cultural artifacts claimed by Benin, a former French colony in West Africa, according to the president’s office.

The pieces were seized in 1892 after the French sacked the 300-year-old kingdom of Dahomey.

The announcement follows the publication of a report commissioned by the French government and compiled by historians and art experts from both Europe and Africa.

Chiefly authored by French historian Bénédicte Savoy and Senegalese economist and writer Felwine Sarr, the report recommends that the French government and its European counterparts return African artifacts in their possession unless there is clear proof that they were not taken under duress.

The report’s recommendations set a new precedent for France and other former colonial powers, which often favor policies of long-term loans to African countries over full restitution.

According to CNN, the document established a three-phased approach.

First, well-known and symbolic pieces should be returned immediately to those countries which have requested them. Second, European governments should commission an international inventory of stolen pieces from former colonies. Finally, African states should submit claims of restitution.

The report also released statistics on France’s current colonial holdings.

There are about 90,000 pieces of African art in French institutions, of which 70,000 are housed in a single museum, the Paris Quai Branly museum.

Overall, the authors estimate that over 90 percent of African artwork is housed outside the continent. The 26 works that Macron has promised to return to Benin constitute less than half of one percent of the 5,000 objects requested for restitution by the West African country, according to Hyperallergic magazine.

While Macron’s call for wide-scale and fast-paced restitution of cultural artifacts constitutes a promising new direction for some, others wonder whether it is simply an attempt to endear France to African countries that have veered away from their

French heritage. Indeed, it is unclear whether French law will even permit Macron to unilaterally order the pieces’ restitution.

However, it appears that African cultural repatriation has long been on Macron’s agenda. During a speech that he delivered in Burkina Faso at the end of a three-day inaugural tour of West Africa in November 2017, Macron announced his intentions to “return African heritage to Africa” within five years, according to JeuneAfrique. “I cannot accept that a large part of the cultural heritage of several African countries is in France,”

he said. “African heritage can’t just be in European private collections and museums.”

Now, the Macron administration’s apparent commitment to fulfilling these promises could represent an important step in pressuring other former European colonizers to return looted cultural artifacts. The Elysee Palace has also called for a meeting of European and African delegates in April 2019 to develop institutionalized policy regarding repatriation of stolen heritage. Whether other leaders will follow Macron’s lead remains to be seen.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Kate Fin

Brass plaques from Benin in the British Museum may not be returned.

Nigeria Prepares for Upcoming Election Connor Worley On February 16, Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, will have a presidential election. Incumbent Muhammadu Buhari will face challenger Atiku Abubakar.

Elected in 2015 as a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and over the previous incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari will make his first bid for reelection in the 2019 elections. Challenger Atiku Abubakar is a prominent businessman and was the Vice President of Nigeria from 1999-2007 under President Olusegun Obasanjo. Abubakar is a member of the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

A prominent topic for the upcoming election will be the issue of terrorism and state security. Over the past several years, violence from terrorism and insurgency movements in the north have afflicted the nation. In 2015, Buhari ran on a promise to combat

the terrorist organizations, however, the violence continues unabated. As recently as November 18, 44 soldiers died in the northern state of Borno due to insurgency violence.

Pressuring Buhari on his record regarding state security is just one facet of Abubakar’s campaign playbook.

Support for Buhari is very polarized: the northern states are his most reliable base of support, while the southeast views him least favorably. According to Reuters, voter registration in the southeast outpaces that of the rest of the nation.

In an endeavor to tap into the combination of newly registered voters and antipathy towards Buhari in the region, Abubakar has campaigned heavily in the southeast, even going as far as announcing his running mate as Peter Obi, a former governor from the southeast. Analysts are predicting a tight race come February, with the possibility of a narrow Abubakar victory.

Shut Down U.S. Embassy in D.R. Congo Sarah Mathys

The U.S. Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was closed to the public beginning the week of Monday, November 26, after receiving “credible and specific information of a possible terrorist threat,” CNN reports.

In a security alert on its website, the embassy warned U.S. citizens living in the DRC to “maintain a heightened level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness.” Congolese officials derided the closure as “useless psychosis” while denying the existence of a terrorist threat, per the East African.

Security concerns are widespread across the country, where instability in the North Kivu region has killed dozens of UN peacekeepers and displaced up to 1.7 million people over the past decade, BBC reports. The long-delayed presidential elections, taking place on December 23, have the potential to exacerbate conflict, per Al-Jazeera.

North Kivu is also facing an outbreak of Ebola, which the World Health Organization (WHO) says is now the second-largest recorded globally. Since the outbreak was declared on August 1, 426 people are suspected or confirmed to have been infected with the virus, and at least 242 people have died. WHO officials are facing difficulties in controlling the spread of disease due to the ongoing conflict and presence of rebel forces.

On November 16, a fatal attack on eight UN peacekeepers in the town of Beni briefly halted relief efforts, according to UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic.

“While [our] humanitarian response is continuing despite the outbreak of Ebola, the prevailing security situation and drastic funding shortfall severely hamper our efforts,” said Mahecic.

It remains to be seen how the Ebola crisis will affect security concerns across the country in the lead-up to the election.

D E C. 2018 | 15

Opposition Members Protest in Zimbabwe Thousands of Zimbabweans engaged in a nationwide protest on November 29, reported the Zimbabwe Times. Their concerns included deteriorating economic conditions, frustration over last year’s disputed election of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and what the opposition termed the government’s ongoing “cocktail of lies” as described by the Associated Press.

Many viewed Robert Mugabe’s removal from office in 2017 as a symbol of hope for the country. This marks the first protest by Zimbabwe’s primary opposition group, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), since the country’s presidential election in July.

The party called on citizens to protest taxes, cash and fuel shortages, and rising prices. Protestors deliberately planned the demonstration for the same time the capital, Harare, hosted an Africa ICT convention attended by government ministers and hundreds of delegates from 31 African countries.

Protesters sang anti-government songs in Harare’s Central Africa Unity Square as the security in the capital intensified due to intelligence on

potential violence, reported News24.

They carried placards that read, “No to Zimbabwe’s local currency, the bond note,” and despite the non-partisan intention of the protests, many hailed MDC leader Nelson Chamisa with banners reading “Chamisa my President” and ”Chamisa the solution.”

taken lightly,” evoking memories of the August 1 protests that killed six citizens and for which the opposition has denied responsibility.

A presidential spokesperson said that the protestors will not be allowed to march in areas deemed protected, such as the State House and the presidential residence, but the MDC dismissed this and claimed that “police are enjoined at law to protect protestors.”

The DMC plans to hand a petition to parliament on the current economic challenges, according to the Zimbabwe

The Youth League encouraged citizens to protect their property [from] “thugs and stupids.”

During the assembly, Chamisa expressed his gratitude to protesters for organizing despite the heavy rains and urged the people to “always be peaceful” because “peace is our strength ... Peace until victory!”

However, the ruling Zanu-PF party’s youth league encouraged citizens to protect their property “in view of the impending demonstration by ‘thugs’ and ‘stupids,’” according to Eyewitness News. The league also warned that “any attempt to destroy party property will not be

Mail. In response to the protests, the government claimed that they are attempting to arrange a stable currency, although steps to do so have not been made clear. In addition, governmental leaders agreed to commence dialogue with Chamisa on the condition that he publicly accepts Mnangagwa’s victory.

According to Chamisa, the demonstration is “coming from the people, they need redress, solutions and they need them now.” However, it is uncertain whether this urgency will translate into immediate policy reforms.

VOA NEWS

Ashanee Kottage

Opposition members protest electoral misconduct and high prices in Harare.

African Union Proposes Removal of Visa Requirements The African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 proposes the removal of visa requirements for African citizens to permit visa-free travel to all African countries by the end of 2018.

Despite the Union’s ambitious year-end goal, intracontinental travel for Africans remains difficult. Quartz notes that Seychelles and Benin are currently the only two countries offering visa-free travel to all African citizens, while citizens looking to travel to the remaining 52 countries still face hefty visa fees, confusing online applications, and other bureaucratic obstacles. A recent AU report on African visa openness found that many African countries still require visas for other African citizens. In contrast, North Americans only need a visa to travel to 45 percent of countries and do not need a visa to travel to 20 percent of countries, according to Quartz.

Many countries have taken individual steps to reduce barriers to free movement. Rwanda, Ghana, Kenya, and Namibia issue visas upon arrival to all African citizens.

Despite these improvements, citizens

result, African nationals have generally opted against inter-regional travel.

Recently, several African states took a major step in easing air travel.

23 African signatories launched the African Union’s Single African Air Transport Market Initiative on January 28, reported CNN. This project is meant to reduce airplane ticket prices and create more frequent, direct flights between African countries without layovers in the Middle East or Europe. “Greater connectivity will lead to greater prosperity,” said Rapahel Kuuchi, Vice President for Africa

of countries like South Sudan and Burundi must obtain visas prior to traveling in order to visit 47 countries.

The dream of a visafree Africa may soon become a reality.

Some have looked to regional blocs to lead the way towards a more integrated Africa. However, the majority of regional unions are not borderless. Quartz notes that citizens of member states within regional unions must go through the same bureaucratic process as non-member citizens when it comes to intraregional travel. The only regional union that allows for visa-free travel is the Economic Community of West Africa.

Reducing visa requirements for African citizens is only the first step towards further regional integration.

Other barriers thwarting interregional travel include the lack of lowcost flights. One flight from Kenya to Namibia costs as much as a flight from Kenya to Thailand, reported BBC. As a

GAROWE ONLINE

Jacklyn Pi

at the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

An internal IATA study found that even if only 12 African countries increased their connectivity, it could lead to the creation of 155,000 jobs and an increase in annual GDP of $1.3 billion.

Although the promise of a visa-free Africa by the end of this year seems out of reach, many African states are taking the necessary steps to reduce travel barriers. The dream of a visafree Africa may soon become a reality.

Somali passports could be replaced through the African Union’s integration plan.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Bethania Michael

A

United Nations audit revealed on November 29 that the UN Refugee Agency lost “millions of dollars” due to corruption and misconduct, Reuters reports. The Office of Internal Oversight Service’s (OIOS) investigation disclosed that the UNHCR was responsible for “inflated bills, fraud, and noncompliance with rules.” Uganda is home to one million refugees from the Great Lakes region and South Sudan, among other key migrantsending countries.

Although Uganda’s government has been heralded for implementing opendoor refugee policies, offering refugees access to resources, and fostering in-country refugee mobility, the recent news illustrated the limits of the response. According to Eleanor Burns, the director of the Internal Audit Division of the Office of UNHCR, “The weak risk culture and internal control environment in the UNHCR operations in Uganda contributed to serious risk management and control deficiencies and accountability lapses in operational and administrative activities.”

The investigation also revealed an updated figure of the number of refugees in Uganda, which were 25 percent higher than figures previously reported. These updated figures serve as evidence that the Office of the Prime Minister of Uganda was “unable to provide the OIOS documentation to substantiate” that civil servants were working on projects for the UNHCR while paying a $283,000 allowance to its staff on an annual basis. In response to the audit, UNHCR spokesman Babar Baloch said that the “majority of the actions resulting from these reviews have been implemented even before the final audit report was released.”

The European Commission has announced that the case would be referred to its anti-fraud office. The unfortunate news has negative implications for donor support, which has remained a continuous problem across the continent. Although the OIOS made recommendations to address “significant and/or pervasive deficiencies or weaknesses” in the aid process, corruption must be eliminated to bolster the positive impact of foreign aid.

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TRAVEL

CLAIRE HAZBUN (SFS ‘20)

Palacio de Cristal del Retiro in Madrid, Spain.

Castle Village in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.

CLAIRE HAZBUN (SFS ‘20)

EMMA OECHSNER (COL ‘21)

BRYCE COUCH (SFS ‘19)

Check out the photos below to follow fellow Hoyas on their adventures!

Floating through the Ebogo Nature Reserve in Cameroon.

Boats docked on the shore of Kribi, Cameroon.