International Musings

  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...