Globus Mundi IV
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DEDICATION CRC President Debbie Travis has constantly shown her support for the activities, events and special projects undertaken by this department. Despite the effects the financial crisis years had on higher education in California, her support and encouragement never ceased. Thanks to her, our classrooms have never lacked resources and our events have always been supported. Globus Mundi continues to be funded and our first Model UN team had the opportunity to attend its first conference. This is just a short list of what could have never been possible if it weren’t for her leadership. Thank you, Debbie! Martin F. Morales CONTENTS FACULTY PAGE .......................................................... 1 Martin F. Morales ALUMNI NEWS ........................................................... 5 Marius Iordache VALETE .................................................................. 7 FACULTY ARTICLE Scotland: Land of the Brave and Proud Land of the Free ......................8 Elizabeth Huffman, Ph.D. EDITOR’S PAGE Islamic Feminism: Its Importance and Influence in Muslim Societies. 13 Emily Bills ALUMNI CORNER The US and Iran: A Twisted History from the Time of the Hostage Crisis . 17 Richard Floyd ARTICLES Cyber Executive: Thought on Robotic Warfare, the Surveillance State and Technique. 24 Julian Ramos An Analysis of the Current Mexican State .................................30 Julio Muñiz, Diego Rodriguez and Roberto Rizzo The Bolivarean Legacy ..................................................36 Yuleima Lozano Mafia Politics ..........................................................40 Taylor R. Martin Never Again or Inevitable? A Modern Take on Genocide. 44 Amir Terovic The Democratic Republic of Congo: Africa’s World War and its Aftermath .....................................51 Nicole Cameron Pakistan’s Paradox: Identity Crisis and Geopolitical Conflict Threatens the Future ....................................................54 Nimra Syed The Force of Religion. 58 Daniel Lumbang Analyzing the Afghanistan War to Determine America’s Next Foreign Policy . 63 Matthew Akin ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................. 67 FACULTY PAGE WELCOME TO THE FOURTH ISSUE OF “GLOBUS MUNDI,” THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND GLOBAL STUDIES AT COSUMNES RIVER COLLEGE. his year marks the second major transfer of a student and a lot of the ideas I studied found their way students from our program to the University of into lectures and discussion over the years. The course California, the California State University System progressed chronologically and covered major revolutions Tand to The American University in Rome and Washington, and ideologies. I am thankful to alumnus Ryan Neach DC. Yet, the numbers in Valete tell another story. What’s for his contributions to what became two lectures, one on going on here? “Religious Thought as Revolution” and the other “Non- True, we celebrate the achievements of our transferees Violence as a Tool of Protest: Mohandas Gandhi and Dr. Emily Bills, Bruna Cunha, David Cuoto, Brendan Martin Luther King.” Glapion, Joseph Johnson, Yuleima Lozano, Taylor Martin, The newest addition to our program came in the form Roberto Rizzo, Diego Rodriguez, Nimra Syed, Genesis of an extra-curricular activity: Model United Nations. We Tang and Samantha Whitt. But do these departures leave us had planned to create a course and proceed academically. with no students in the Dept. of Global Studies? Obviously To my delight, students took the initiative and chartered not. What is left, however, is a vacuum. We have been a club. They met from the beginning of the academic year blessed by having an unusually large cohort of students, through the conference and worked diligently on drafting indeed a “Friends of Global Studies”—who are either done background studies, issues briefs, position papers and taking major classes and must now complete their GE resolutions. They requested a lecture on their country requirements (Clarissa Bailey, Hana El-Khayat, Cecilia over Christmas break and, accordingly, on January 4th, Gonzalez, Cynthia Mesa, Leni Gonzalez, Noelle and we met on an almost empty campus to study Morocco Danielle Walsh, Julio Muniz and Julian Ramos) or they together. Their work at the conference was nothing short of were taking classes as electives with their friends. The point spectacular as our team represented Morocco in the Security is this: it seems as if everybody is leaving. The challenge Council, General Assembly and in every committee. They for next year, like it was in 2012, is to create another strong were prepared and did quite well in debate. They’ve set the cohort and continue to build this program. bar high for their successors and leave with an unique set Premised Nihilistic Dissidence: One of the highlights of skills that will benefit them in upper division courses. of this year was being able to teach our newest course, They also leave with the Slanczka Award in Diplomacy—an “Revolutionary Ideology.” This course fascinated me as accomplishment for a first year team. The Model UN was led 1 | GLOBUS MUNDI FACULTY PAGE by its President, Taylor Martin. Together with Emily Bills This year, our department was fortunate enough to be (VP) and Clarissa Bailey (Secretary), they made sure that able to place several students into internships. Yuleima the work was done on time and that everyone was prepared. Lozano interned at the California Hispanic Chambers of They also wrote a funding request to the Associated Students Commerce and also for the California Democratic Party. and appeared before them to both present it and answer Joining her at the Cal-Dems was Emily Bills, Bruna Cunha questions. Their commitment, dedication and organizational and Nimra Syed. The highlight of their internship was skills merit acknowledgement as does their leadership at the the California Democratic State Convention in March. MUNFW Conference in April. Well done, team! Nimra was a lead for volunteers, checking them in and This year marks a return to hosting on-campus events. delegating where they needed to be. Yuli helped with My colleague, Beth Huffman, invited photo-journalist Micah communications—including press coverage. Bruna worked Albert to campus during the fall semester and he exhibited registration, helped staff the general session and assisted with “Documenting the Forgotten,” a photography exhibit event organization. Emily worked endorsements, over-seeing showing people in crisis throughout the world. Our students, how different districts planned to vote, delegating where numbering approximately 200, were visually wowed by the and what volunteers needed to be doing in endorsement photographs and thoroughly enjoyed Micah’s anecdotes. caucuses. She also assisted with counting ballots. I hosted “Brave Miss World,” a documentary by Cecilia This year’s edition of Globus Mundi marks Emily Peck focused on Linor Arbargil. Linor was crowned Miss Bills’ debut as Editor. Her article, “Islamic Feminism: Its World 1998 after having been brutally raped only seven Importance and Influence in Muslim Societies” discusses weeks prior to the competition. Her journey as an advocate how feminism is taking root in traditionally male dominated for rape victims worldwide takes her from her native Israel societies in the Middle East and is slowly making positive to South Africa and the US and serves as a lesson in both changes in policy and society. Emily leaves CRC for UC Santa awareness and empowerment. A panel discussion followed Barbara to continue her studies in International Relations. this March 5th showing and it consisted of LRCCD-PD My colleague Beth Huffman contributes “Scotland: Captain John McPeek, CSUS Victim’s Rights Advocate Jessica Land of the Brave and Proud Land of the Free” to this Heskin, WEAVE Prevention & Education Coordinator volume. In it, she discusses the Scottish referendum and its Brenna Lammerding and CRC Counselor Alex Kagan. Over consequences for the UK and EU. 250 students attended this very emotional event; many Alumnus Rich Floyd contextualizes historic changes others were able to join through a live-stream set up by Jim in modern Iran in “The US and Iran: A Twisted History Lovett in Media Services. Later in March, alumni Marius from the Time of the Hostage Crisis.” Rich attended CRC Iordache and Ryan Neach presented at the department’s 2009-2011 and transferred to Cal State Bakersfield from inaugural colloquium on “Internships and Networking” where he graduated with a BA in Political Science. He and “Paternal Alliances: How Hegemonic States are Losing attends CSUS in pursuit of a Master’s Degree in California Control Over Their Smaller Allies,” respectively. Marius Government. discussed his internship at the Commission on European Julian Ramos wrote “Cyber Executive: Thought on Security and Cooperation through the UCDC program (UC Robotic Warfare, the Surveillance State and Technique.” Davis, fall 2013 semester) and Ryan showed transferring IR His article, inspired by readings from Jacques Ellul in students the type and level of work they will be expected to Revolutionary Ideology, focuses on the role of technology and do next year. Mentorship at its best! what Ellul refers to as “technique” vis. man’s ability to wage a GLOBUS MUNDI | 2 FACULTY PAGE new style of technological war. Julian continues at CRC next we’ve had too many articles to publish in our printed format. year to complete his required coursework for transfer. Accordingly, we present