International Musings

On Thursday, May 12, Jackie Sabbag and I presented our capstone project with our other GS cohort members. In attendance were a handful of budding global scholars- it was inspiring to see the continued interest in the program. Jackie and I outlined the specificities of our early relationship with I Am A Girl, and the grant proposal process that followed. The presentation marked a very special culminating moment for our time with the GIP. We presented a similar set of slides to our audience today to the slides that we presented to the grant donors. We wanted the audience today to fully understand why we chose to work with I Am a Girl, why the work we wanted to do through our project was important, and what the money would allow for within the Ugandan Mbale community and beyond. In addition to the grant proposal information we also shared our take-aways from the project. We spoke about the importance of really being able to fulfill our theme of empathy into action.

    Looking back on my experience as a Poly K-12 student, the Global Scholars Program stands out. Frequently in our community, we talk about a Poly or a Pasadena “bubble,” a sphere of separation between us and the greater LA, USA, and international communities. The Global Scholars Program allowed me the opportunity to pop that bubble and truly learn about the world around me. As a result of the varied sources we were exposed to- international experts, news, personal stories and even history- I gained a surprisingly well rounded perspective on what it means to be a global citizen. Especially after nearly two years of isolation from my peers and from the rest of the international community, the empathy and connections that were built individually and within our cohort continue to be of paramount importance. For me, my identity as a Global Scholar began to really take hold after I was able to facilitate the discussion portion of our International Women's Day Celebration ev...

As the global jaguar population declines rapidly, the jaguars of Belize are on the brink of extinction. Belizean conservation forces have banned together in protection of the Maya Forest Corridor- a small piece of critical land, spanning just 90,000 acres. This narrow strip of land is essential to the wellbeing of the Belizean jaguar population, as it serves as the connection for two of the largest jaguar habitats in Belize and Guatemala.  If Jaguars are unable to pass via the Maya Forest Corridor, populations will drop dramatically due to isolation. The Maya Forest Corridor (MFC) is already far too small to properly sustain the current jaguar population, but due to the growing threat of deforestation, as well as the insertion of large building developments is at risk of shrinking even more. Currently, conservation organizations are purchasing the land on which the MFC covers, hopefully preventing further development in the area. As of right now, only 30,000 of the 90,000 acre...

     Narrative 4 is a cross continental organization built on the principal of providing students and artists with the opportunity to share their stories with one another, cultivating community and international empathy for those with differing realities. After having had the opportunity to participate and multiple story exchanges, it was incredibly illuminating to hear from our three panelists about the goals of N4 as well as their personal experiences with the organization. I was especially moved by the exchange between the students from the Bronx and the students from Ms. Castaneda’s school in Mexico. As both sets of students had been exposed to, and experienced consistent acts of unimaginable violence, the story sharing between these two groups was incredibly effective and impactful. Something else that really stood out from this event was the explanation of action steps that fulfilled N4's motto: Empathy Into Action. Prior to this event, the latter of those two felt ...

  Living in a fairly liberal bubble within the western world, I often forget that there are places in the world in which seemingly basic human rights are not granted to countries’ inhabitance. In much of Latin America, there are laws prohibiting same-sex marriages as well as access to legal abortions. Just last week, Guatemalan congress voted in favor of a law legally banning same-sex marriages for their citizens. Abortions were already banned, but this new law would increase the amount of prison time for women who are seeking an abortion. In addition to the prohibition of same-sex marriages and abortions, congress’s law would disallow the acknowledgment and teaching of sexual and gender diversity in schools. Out of the 160 congressmen, only 8 of the lawmakers voted against what is being referred to as the "Life and Family Protection Law.”Like in the United States, in order for this law to actually come into practice, Guatemala’s conservative president, President Alejandro Giamma...

Marking the largest mass execution in decades, Saudi Arabia executed 81 men on March 12. Each of these men were reported to have been convicted for various violent or terrorist-related crimes. 37 of them were reported Saudi nationals who were accused of attempted assassination of Saudi security officers. It is important to assert that these accusations come directly from the historically corrupt interior ministry. Countries using the death penalty are falling to the minority, but Saudi Arabia has been consistent in its enforcement of this punishment. With that said, this most recent execution surpassed the 67 executions reported in Saudi Arabia in all of 2021. This day stands out in human and Saudi history, as the largest government-sanctioned execution on a given day. In 1980, a shocking but lesser 63 people were executed in one day. The kingdom’s utilization of the death penalty has caused many accusations of human rights violations in recent years, especially as it relates to religi...

This UNA-sponsored International Day of Women Celebration: Supporting Women in Global Leadership program was one of the most influential events I’ve had the opportunity to attend and participate in. I was fortunate enough to mediate the discussion portion of the event- something that first really frightened me, but ultimately turned out to be so incredibly illuminating. During the event, we had the distinct privilege to hear from Ambassador Eunice Reddick, American diplomat and former ambassador to Niger, Gabon and São Tomé and Príncipe, as well as (for the second time!), Khin Sandi Lwin UNICEF Representative with a 35-year career working in ten countries. I was so struck by the similarities in their experiences. They both shared almost identical anecdotes about subtle but impactful disrespect they faced as women in their field. Even as such distinguished and accomplished members of the international community, these two women still find themselves being dismissed and talked over by m...

  For my grant proposal, I worked alongside Jackie Sabbag in our work with the organization, I Am a Girl. In our proposal, we asked for $4250 to fund an essential research project out of Mbarara, Uganda. This research will ultimately identify the best (most sustainable, culturally acceptable, and easily used) menstrual product for young Ugandan girls experiencing period poverty.  Jackie and I felt incredibly nervous leading up to our project, as the responsibility of representing an organization is a very large task. Because this project extends so far beyond me or Jackie, we did our best to approach our presentation with the understanding that what we were saying to the judges carried real weight. We had to work hard to narrow in on what was most important to share with the judges during our 3-minute window. Right before giving our presentation, Jackie and I had to make some very last-minute tweaks to ensure that we would stay within the time constraints. Receiving the grant ...

  One week ago today, President Joe Biden announced that ISIS chief, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi was killed, "remov[ing] a major terrorist threat to the world." Since the death of his predecessor, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019, Abu Ibrahim has acted as the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq. Qurayshi is said to have been groomed his whole life for a leadership position within IS. Prior to his death, the American government had offered ​​a reward of around $7.3 for information on Qurayshi’s whereabouts or general intelligence. The blast that killed Qurayshi and his family came from an American-led raid in Northern Syria. Biden promises that the death of their leader will set ISIS back significantly- greatly impacting the group's ability to function and progress. However, ISIS experts around the world hold a different opinion. This is a result of Qurayshi’s leadership and also the very organization of ISIS today. “Qurayshi is no Baghdadi.” His length of leadership see...

  In November 2019, 4,300 gems were stolen from the Green Vault Museum in Dresden in a high-profile burglary. The gems, which make up 21 different pieces, are worth more than 113 million euros and have impressive historical significance. Ministry of Culture officials have gone so far as to say that the jewels possess "priceless material value." Six men have been arrested in Germany and are facing charges. The defendants are all under the age of 30 and are charged with gang theft and arson, among other things. Each of the six men could serve up to 10 years in prison for the crimes they are accused of. These defendants are not only linked by their young age, but also by the fact that they share the same organized crime family, the "Remmo Clan". The Remmo clan is Germany's most notorious crime family and has plagued the country since the late 20th century. Each of the 6 Remmo Clan men were charged for their crimes and are now serving their sentences in German priso...

    T his evening, Poly students, Jason Mayo, Megan Ha and Opal Hetherington impressively facilitated a hugely impactful conversation with Drs. Cornel West and Robert George. In our current sociopolitical climate, our Poly community will certainly benefit from what we collectively learned tonight. Despite their diverging ideological and political viewpoints, the two intellects’ relationship “extends beyond friendship and into brotherhood.” "Love is not reducible to politics or public policy," shared Dr. George at the beginning of the program. To me, this sentiment was consistently reinforced throughout their time with us. Their brotherhood, built on the foundation of truth-seeking, and seemingly epitomizing true friendship, served as proof of Dr. George's statement.       When asked about discourse, Dr. George defined civility for the audience- outlining the importance of listening from a place of wanting to learn; acknowledging the possibility that "I coul...

 This past Thursday, December 9th, the Poly community was involved in the UNA Human Rights day event. We heard from a total of 6 speakers, all of whom provided the audience with a deeply personal and unique experience.  Reyna Grande started off the event with her personal account of immigrating. Grande spoke of the interminable amount of borders she had to cross after her first border crossing into the United States. After she arrived in America, she was faced with legal, linguistic, cultural, and economic borders, all of which created a border around her and her identity- separating her from those around her. To conclude the sharing of her experience, Grande asserted that "border crossing is [her] superpower." She challenged us as Americans to create an environment free of the socially constructed borders we consciously and unconsciously maintain, welcoming immigrants and those in need with open arms.  After Reyna Grande, the audience heard from Martin Zogg,- the Chair o...

  On November 11, the Poly community was lucky enough to speak with and hear from the distinguished author and intellect, Vishakha Desai. With her book, World as Family as the framework for the discussion, Poly students were given the opportunity to engage with Desai through the Q&A structured event.  I was deeply moved by Desai’s perspective on identity. When reading her book, I found myself having a difficult time understanding how her mother was able to be both an ardent feminist and advocate and a woman who maintained her cultural tradition. To me, it seemed as though Desai’s mother’s feminism would be hindered by practices and values she chose to maintain. When given the chance to ask Desai about this dichotomy, she explained that identity does not have to be so clearly defined. We all have many identities, she shared. For Desai, she is an American-Indian, an Indian-American, a New Yorker, a woman from India living in New York, and so on and so forth. None of these i...

Dear President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, As a newly appointed advising foreign affairs officer, I believe it to be my duty to address the current Myanmar conflict. Yes, I am aware that this conflict is not new, and yes, I am aware of the seemingly interminable complications surrounding this conflict, but still, I implore you to reflect on both this memo and the Myanmar coup with great seriousness. In the United States, and as citizens of the globe, we must actively support our core values of democracy and basic human rights.  In 1962, when the military first took over what was then referred to as Burma, these aforementioned international values were immediately eradicated from the Burmese social/political landscape . After 60 years of a complete military takeover, and a blatant disregard for the lives of the citizens of Myanmar, the military junta dissolved . This opened up opportunities for the Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy (NLA) political pa...

Nuclear submarines have been a topic of international concern and tension in recent months. As seen in the USA’s poorly handled deal with the French, and subsequent partnership with Australia, the relevance of these naval powerhouses is significant. Most recently, an American couple- Jonathan and Diana Toebbe- were arrested by the FBI and the NCIS after selling “information known as Restricted Data concerning the design of nuclear-powered warships” to an undercover FBI agent, posing as an international representative. Mr. Toebbe has been employed as a nuclear engineer for the Department of the Navy’s Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. It was through this job, and the national security clearance his job provided him with, that he was able to access this highly sensitive information. The “leaked” information outlined the specific design elements and processes of the warships, the characteristics of the reactors on the ships, and the submarine’s general operating principles. Because only 6...

Even though our world collectively continues to be shaped by COVID-19, the impact of the virus on international communities has been quite different. As the United States continues to administer third booster vaccines for healthy citizens, inoculations across Africa are far from where they should be. The World Health Organization called attention to this issue, essentially labeling it immoral for countries with an abundance of vaccines to provide healthy people with their booster shot. Africa does not currently have the means to manufacture its own vaccines, so it must rely on buying or receiving donated vaccines from other continents like our own. For those in countries like the USA who do need a booster shot for health purposes, the World Health Organization deems it moral. This conflict raises many questions like: is it the responsibility of other countries to give their vaccines to countries with low vaccination rates? Who gets to make these kinds of decisions for the international...

Just over a month after the assassination of their president, and 11 years after their last disastrous earthquake, Haiti was struck by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. This caused obvious extreme damage to the physical infrastructure of the country itself, but even more damage to the safety and wellbeing of the inhabitants of the island. Numbers currently report just over 300 deaths and 1800 Haitians injured by the eathquake. With a government in complete disarray and a geological foundation lacking stability, how can a country be expected to find its footing again? This is the question that the leaders of Haiti will need to face. For now, it is immediately unclear who those leaders will be. This poses a clear issue, especially when one factors in the growing issues of gang violence and widespread poverty across the country. Although international nonprofit organizations like UNICEF are and will continue to offer aid to Haiti, the effectiveness of this outside support is somewhat contingent...

While Hassan Rouhani closes out his term as President of Iran, the Islamic Republic is facing a serious water shortage. Rouhani has enlisted the government to aid areas that have been the most seriously impacted by the drought. Many report that the drought is a direct cause of global warming. I found it interesting that Iran, a country that supplies much of the world's oil (a fossil fuel), is experiencing first hand the effects of climate change, something that is caused- in part- by the burning of fossil fuels around the world. The drilling required to harness the oil has also impacted the natural landscape of the country, disrupting ecosystems and artificially carving away at the land. Because Iran’s economy, as well as the world’s oil needs rely so heavily on the exportation and distribution of oil, it is not as though Iran will implement tactics to minimize the exportation of this oil in the face of the drought. While the drought is certainly a result of environmental factors, ...

Yesterday, Haitian President Jovenel Moise was shot and killed in his home. Much controversy surrounded his term length, as alleged election fraud resulted in a 12 month delay in which the new polls opened, and the election results of 2015 were annulled. These new polls were won by Moise. His opposition denied the legitimacy of the upcoming year of his presidency, claiming that he had served his 5-year term, because former Haitian president, Michel Martelly, stepped down 5 years prior. Moise, however, argued that he still had another year of his presidency due to the fact that he only took office in February of 2017 as a result of the aforementioned delay. Mr Moise continued to rule by decree, causing outrage throughout Haiti. Protests riddled the streets of Haiti, calling for Mr Moise’s resignation. Opponents also claimed that Mr Moise was to blame for a surge in violence, seeing as he left Haiti without a Parliament during the postponement of the October 2019 legislative elections. O...

After securing 62% of the Iranian vote, “ultra-conservative” Ebrahim Raisi has won the Iranian presidential election. According to Statistica, out of the 59.31 million eligible voters in Iran, only 28.93 million of these voters opted into casting their vote in this most recent election. In the past, Iran has relied on a high voter turnout to support the notion that Iranian elections are legitimate and fair (even if the Guardian Council virtually handpicks candidates). Recently, however, “#nowayIvote” was trending heavily on Persian social medias in the time leading up to the election. BBC credits this lack of voter enthusiasm with a growing sense of Iranian dissatisfaction with their government. Extreme reactions to political protests, general crackdowns and an economic crisis have resulted in an Iranian population that seemingly distrusts the legitimacy of their government. This corruption and economic crises served as the foundation for the 60-year-old Raisi campaign. Despite his cam...