Jackson School Journal of International Studies Edited and Published by Jackson School Students
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Jackson School Journal of International Studies Edited and published by Jackson School students Volume 5 Number 2 Autumn 2014 The Jackson School Journal of International Studies Vol. 5, No. 2: Autumn 2014 Editors in Chief Simon Walker, Francis Wilson Editorial Board Irena Chen, Sarah Foster, Adam Khan, Iman Farah, Anna Mikkelborg Faculty Advisor Sara Curran Advisory Board Jessica Beyer, Sara Curran, Kathie Friedman, Wolfram Latsch, Frederick Lorenz, Deborah Porter, Scott Radnitz, Cabeiri Robinson, Susan Whiting Reviewers Mayowa Aina, Kate Burns, Alexis Chouery, Katherine A. Keesee-Clancy, Sarah Brendan, Kelsey Engstrom, Anne Fadely, Ivalene Lachajaratsang, Michael Land, Yating Anna McKnight, Bevin McLeod, Adrianna Meharry, Maeve Reagan, Jaylan Renz Ji Soo Yoo The Jackson School Journal of International Studies publishes Spring and Autumn issues and receives generous support from the Center for Global Studies, The Hellmann Fund for Innovation and Excellence in International Studies, and donors to the International Studies Discretionary Fund. For print copies of the Jackson School Journal, please contact the Center for Global Studies at the University of Washington, Box 353650, Seattle, WA 98195, (206) 685- 2707. Access the Jackson School Journal online at: http://depts.washington.edu/jsjweb The views expressed in this Journal are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editors or the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. Cover photograph by Erin Hill. Letter from the Editor he Jackson School Journal is proud to analysis of the concepts of power to provide Tbegin this issue by highlighting work the reader with an interesting discussion on from the Jackson School’s Undergraduate the importance of graffiti as an expression of Honors Program. Identity Politics in Kumaon, resistance in the region. provides a richly detailed examination Expert Insights interviews with two of development in Uttarakhand. The new members of the Jackson School faculty, author’s first-hand experience living in the professors Daniel Bessner and Rebecca mountainous region of Northern India, Weber complete this issue of the Journal presents a compelling and new account The diversity of the topics included of how economic system and practices of in this issue of the Journal acts both as a Kumaon have been influenced by their testament to the interdisciplinary nature geographic and political isolation. of Jackson School curricula, and to the The Development of the National outstanding work that Jackson School Referral Mechanism, the second piece featured students—and other undergraduates—are in this issue, was sourced by the editorial capable of producing. As the Journal enters board from the International Conference of its sixth year in production, the Editorial Undergraduate Research. Originally written Board looks to continue to provide a for an economics course at Singapore bridge for undergraduates to engage with Management University, The Development the academic community at the Jackson of the National Referral Mechanism addresses School and beyond, improve upon quality inconsistencies between China’s domestic scholarship, and grow as individuals and policy and the international and regional intellectuals. agreements that China is a party to and concludes with policy recommendations Sincerely, intended to curb human trafficking in the region. Simon Walker The third and final paper takes Editor in Chief an original look at something that has been around as long as the earliest of civilizations—street art. Graffiti and Street Art in the Middle East uses contemporary pieces of protest art in conjunction with a theoretical The ninth issue of the Jackson School Journal is dedicated to Professor Fredrick Lorenz. Jackson School Journal of International Studies Volume 5 Number 2 - Autumn 2014 Table of Contents Research Discourses Identity Politics in Kumaon Geography of identity, the state, and development By Arianna M. Delsman 6 Graffiti and Street Art Resistance in the Middle East A re-imagination of power By Katherine A. Keesee-Clancy 29 Policy Briefing The Development of the National Referral Mechanism Assessing China’s counter-trafficking strategy By Seah Yujia 46 Expert Insights Interviews with Daniel Bessner and Rebecca Weber 55 Appendix: Bibliographies 64 Research Discourse Arianna M. Delsman Identity Politics in Kumaon Geography of identity, the state, and development Kumaon is a mountainous division of a newly independent Indian state, Uttarakhand. The rural region with dramatic topography and the hill people who live there are often represented as “backwards” by scholars, historians, and politicians alike. Although once subjected to an extractive history of British colonial and Indian national imperatives, the hills region now thrives economically in its current development trends. In this study I explore why the isolated, seemingly “underdeveloped” region of Kumaon that has only recently emerged is now able to succeed in fulfilling its own grassroots development vision. I propose an answer rooted in identity politics and a regional social movement. I examine the interdependency between geography and social and historical social processes, to inform my analysis of the local identity-based development strategy. The analysis uses data collected through qualitative, ethnographic interviews and participant observation in the field. Supplementing the primary data with literature on identity assertion as a response to colonial and neocolonial processes, I argue that Kumaon has thrived and made significant progress because development there is inextricably linked to a regional identity of isolation and to collective movements for social change. These social movements distinguish Kumaon and have contributed to the evolution of a conservationist and rights oriented regional identity, which has helped form a particular vision for Kumaoni development focused on the environmental and economic rights of the people living in its hills. his article traces the emergence of successful investigated. This article argues that regional Tdevelopment processes in Uttarakhand, Pahari identity, grounded in the experience of a newly established state in northern India. geographical separateness as well as culturally Government-driven incentives to build up specific environmental and economic claims, tourism and manufacturing sectors in the constitutes an important feature of development state have frequently been identified as the success. source of successful economic development This article draws on research conducted in Uttarakhand; however, the crucial role that primarily during two months in 2012 where I participation of local people has played in lived in Kumaon with two host families as well as these processes and the way that geographical at a local village retreat. My field work took place conditions have informed their culture in Nainital and Almora, two districts in Kumaon, and identity as a distinctive component of one of the two political divisions of Uttarakhand, developmental success have not been adequately where I lived for two months with host families 6 Vol. 5 - No. 2 Identity Politics in Kumaon and at a local village retreat. During this period coincide with the administrative divisions. This I completed research both independently and greater altitudinal division between the hills and also for a local non-governmental organization the plains represents differences in culture and (NGO), Chirag. identity, and the marked inequality between the North of Delhi sits the small, largely hills and the plains. Most of the evidence within mountainous and heavily forested Indian state this paper comes from the people who live in the of Uttarakhand. After a movement for statehood hills, particularly the lesser Himalaya districts of that was based on economic and political claims, Kumaon. Figure 1: Map showing India, Uttarakhand, its divisions and their districts, and changes in territory over time. (Map designed by Rajiv Rawat.) Uttarakhand became a new state on November The underlying premise of this study 9, 2000 when it was carved out of the larger state is that regional development revolved around of Uttar Pradesh. Uttarakhand is now divided a regional identity of ‘separateness’ that is into two divisions, Garhwal to the north and inextricably connected to effective movements Kumaon to the south. Nainital and Almora, the for social change. These movements led to sites in which most of the research for this thesis the emergence of a conservationist and rights- was conducted, are districts of the latter division. oriented regional identity, which informed a Uttarakhand, politically organized into particular vision for Kumaoni development that divisions and districts, is also geographically focused on environmental and economic rights separated into hills and plains regions that of people living in this region. This identity has Autumn 2014 7 Arianna M. Delsman proven integral to the success of the initiatives Uttarakhand’s statehood, people living in northern for Uttarakhand’s progress, and has ultimately Uttar Pradesh regarded themselves as different by allowed the people to propagate a specific vision virtue of not only their ethnicity but also because of development for the future. of their geographical and political isolation.2 The Following Dear, this study concerns “the vision of development has its roots in the tradition of illumination of the concrete process of everyday Kumaoni social movements rooted in separateness life,”