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Lessons From Brexit for Our American FriendsThe British ‘Brexit’ referendum on whether or not to stay in the European Union highlights the perils of democratic and governmental decision making when there is no adequate prior collective strategic thinking and engagement. A strategy gap as vast as this leads to an equally large democracy gap via a dramatic impoverishment of the public debate. The result is that major implications are ignored altogether, and outcomes are likely in many cases to turn out to be the opposite of what voters thought they were choosing. This sad tale can be simply told. Former Prime Minister David Cameron decided to hold a... |
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Virginia 24-Hour Run for Cancer At 7:00 am on Saturday, April 30, 2016, I heaved a sigh of relief as I took off from the starting line of the Virginia 24-Hour Run for Cancer at Sandy Bottom Nature Park in Hampton, Virginia. With the exception of a two-minute break to change my socks and shoes, I ran for a full day and night and amassed a total of 111 miles. |
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Arrested for Working for Peace: The Story of Aya Hijazi, Undergrad AlumnaAs an undergraduate student at Mason's School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution, Aya Hijazi had a taste for ‘wicked’ problems. She was always searching for underlying elements of conflict that are particularly difficult to resolve. Aya brought a nuanced worldview to the classroom, borne from her experiences growing up between Alexandria, Virginia, and Cairo, Egypt. An attentive listener and an assertive debater, she was quick to test theories against current events. After graduating in May 2009, Aya returned to Cairo, a city that would soon be in flux: in 2011, a... |
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The Work We Do in Community Engagement: Working for the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance (DBFA)The Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance (DBFA) works to empower families and connect communities throughout the city of Baltimore. Established in 2008 in an effort to organize local parents who had made the choice to raise their families in downtown Baltimore and its surrounding neighborhoods, the organization currently advocates for better public educational resources, out-of-school care options, public safety, and access to cultural experiences in downtown Baltimore. The mission of DBFAsates, "Fueled by the belief that cities flourish when families thrive, DBFA's mission is to attract, retain, and support city families... |
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Greg Sullivan, Undergraduate Student Greg Sullivan, a native of Fairfax, Virginia, is a conflict analysis and resolution major who just completed his sophomore year at Mason. “I chose this field because of the broad perspective it offers in analyzing conflicts from around the world," he said. "For example, the media usually focuses on the political sources of conflict but at S-CAR, there is more of a holistic approach that covers the individual, societal, economic, social, economic issues that are not treated mutually exclusive from one another.” |
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Joel Amegboh, Incoming PhD StudentJoel Amegboh, an incoming PhD student, has worked for a number of agencies and departments under the United Nations. These include the Department of Public Information (DPI), Mali Integrated Operational Team of the Africa Division II in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), and the Permanent Mission of Togo to the United Nations. According to Joel, “I loved my duties, especially working with the Counsellor responsible for disarmament, global challenges, and threats to peace that affect the international community. I learnt a lot during this... |
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End Poverty, Protect the Planet, and Ensure Prosperity for All - Part 2The next one is tough. On sustainable economic growth, while we do have businesses and economists talking about climate impacts and risks to markets and supply chains, and plenty of talking points when it comes to green jobs and green growth, we’re short on re-evaluating and ultimately replacing the models and measurements inherent to the economic system. Hurricane Sandy, for example, was good for America’s economy. Extreme weather, and the damage it wreaks, is ultimately, and perversely, good for the GDP because it increases the transaction of goods and services. This is a problem, a result of faulty... |
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A Little of Muhammad Ali for the Next U.S. PresidentMuhammad Ali is no doubt one of the greatest athletes to have walked this earth, yet throughout the battles that he took on outside the ring, we learned that he was not just that. As a social and political force particularly in one of the most divided times in American history, Ali upheld values that today’s policymakers should take heed as we continue to face conflicts that drive mistrust and violence versus unity that promotes peace and prosperity. As we approach the 2016 Presidential elections, it is vital that we, the voters, begin to pay greater attention to the values that drive actions, particularly when these actions are implemented by... |