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Portrayal of Women in Arab SpringIn an article written for the Guardian in April 2011, a group of authors wrote, “Women may have sustained the Arab Spring, but it remains to be seen if the Arab Spring will sustain women.” This statement is indicative of what will come next for women in the region, and how the changes sweeping the region will affect their social and political status. Conflict often arises from unmet expectations, or incompatibility of goals. Therefore, we must consider how to manage our expectations during times of change. This can be difficult in the context of the mainstream media, which dominates discourse on Arab and Muslim women in a... |
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Life After S-CAR: Transforming Community Through MediationMany in our community know of the certifications and trainings that Northern Virginia Mediation Service (NVMS) offers conflict practitioners in mediation, facilitation, and other conflict management skills. What some may not know is that NVMS also offers a variety of conflict resolution services to the community at low or no cost. As a graduate of S-CAR, it is exciting to have the opportunity to work as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program Manager for the Mediation program at NVMS. I have the fortune of working for an organization that applies conflict resolution theory to everyday practices, helping the community to address conflict in a healthy and collaborative way. Some people see mediation as similar to counseling, while others think of it as another form of arbitration. I think mediation is about providing a safe space for people to work through extremely... |
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Engaging Youth: The Peace Camp ModelWe do not have to look far to be reminded of the prevalence of violence in our society at every level. Reading the headlines, which range from homicides to interstate wars, it can seem overwhelming to know how to respond either in our own communities or globally. It was over five years ago now that I was serving as a Jesuit Volunteer in Baltimore City. My placement was as a community organizer at St. Frances Academy Community Center, which sits in the Johnston Square community, one of the most economically impoverished neighborhoods of the city. St. Frances Academy is the oldest institution in the nation educating African Americans and its founder Mother Mary Lange and the Oblate Sisters of Providence were doing so at a... |
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Lynch Lecture 2011: ReflectionsMs. Yasmina Mrabet, editor of the S-CAR Newsletter, has invited me to comment on the 23rd Annual Lynch Lecture, “Peacemaking and Development: China’s Role in the World.” The lecture was presented on Tuesday, 25 October 2011 at the Arlington Campus of George Mason University, by Mme. Yan Junqi, Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Senior Vice President of the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD). My first observation is that Mme. Yan’s presentation, which lasted well over one hour, did not address “peacemaking” or any other aspect of the comprehensive subject matter dealt with by S-CAR faculty and students. Mme. Yan’s... |
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The De-industrialization of Burial RitualsIn the heart of New York City’s Ground Zero Memorial, amidst the towers of steel and glass and the granite fountains of mourning reflection, the last surviving tree pulled from the rubble of that fateful September day stands tall, though burnt and mangled, as a living testament to life’s resilience. The prominent symbolic inclusion of life seems to be a deliberate dialectical juxtaposition to the lifelessness of industrialized memorials constructed of cut stone, concrete, steel, and glass. In order to appease the outcries of "never forget!" the industrialized memorials falsely promise eternal remembrance by means of symbolically constructed and arranged non-living materials; and yet, inscriptions set in stone will... |
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Maha Addasi, S-CAR Graduate Certificate StudentBooks and literature are a significant source for new ideas and information, and Maha Addasi has a unique understanding of the power of stories. Maha is a Graduate Certificate student at the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (S-CAR), as well as a children’s book author and former journalist. Medical journalism attracted her and after spending time writing about the contentious topics in the medical industry and hosting a medical show which was broadcast worldwide via satellite, Maha earned her Masters degree in writing. Maha spent many years improving her writing and transitioned from being a journalist to a children’s book author. Her first book, The White Nights of Ramadan, was named one of the twelve best... |
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Charles Martin-Shields, S-CAR PhD StudentCharles Martin-Shields, a PhD student in the 2011 cohort at S-CAR, was led into the Conflict Analysis field after switching focus from a specialization in German Political Development and Theory while completing his Bachelor’s degree. Martin-Shields later joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Samoa, where he was able to see firsthand the pitfalls of international development and begin learning about how to improve this process. At S-CAR, Charles focuses his research on why some states, in spite of significant conflict risk, are resilient over time, and this interest has expanded to include research of how mobile and social technology can support conflict prevention and peacebuilding. He also has a deep interest in... |