DOCSLIB.ORG

Citizenship, Refugees, and the State: Bosnians, Southern Sudanese, and Social Service Organizations in Fargo, North Dakota"

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Citizenship, Refugees, and the State: Bosnians, Southern Sudanese, and Social Service Organizations in Fargo, North Dakota CITIZENSHIP, REFUGEES, AND THE STATE: BOSNIANS, SOUTHERN SUDANESE, AND SOCIAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS IN FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA by JENNIFER LYNN ERICKSON A DISSERTATION Presented to the Department of Anthropology and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy September 2010 11 University of Oregon Graduate School Confirmation of Approval and Acceptance of Dissertation prepared by: Jennifer Erickson Title: "Citizenship, Refugees, and the State: Bosnians, Southern Sudanese, and Social Service Organizations in Fargo, North Dakota" This dissertation has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the Doctor ofPhilosophy degree in the Department ofAnthropology by: Carol Silverman, Chairperson, Anthropology Sandra Morgen, Member, Anthropology Lynn Stephen, Member, Anthropology Susan Hardwick, Outside Member, Geography and Richard Linton, Vice President for Research and Graduate StudieslDean ofthe Graduate School for the University of Oregon. September 4,2010 Original approval signatures are on file with the Graduate School and the University of Oregon Libraries. 111 © 2010 Jennifer Lynn Erickson IV An Abstract ofthe Dissertation of Jennifer Lynn Erickson for the degree of Doctor ofPhilosophy in the Department ofAnthropology to be taken September 2010 Title: CITIZENSHIP, REFUGEES, AND THE STATE: BOSNIANS, SOUTHERN SUDANESE, AND SOCIAL SERVICE ORGAl~IZATIONS IN FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA Approved: _ Dr. Carol Silverman This dissertation is a comparative, ethnographic study ofSouthern Sudanese and Bosnian refugees and social service organizations in Fargo, North Dakota. I examine how refugee resettlement staff, welfare workers, and volunteers attempted to transform refugee clients into "worthy" citizens through neoliberal policies aimed at making them economically self-sufficient and independent from the state. Refugees' engagement with resettlement and welfare agencies and volunteers depended on their positioning in social hierarchies in their home countries and in the United States. Refugees had widely variable political, educational, cultural, and employment histories, but many had survived war and/or forced migration and had contact with many ofthe same institutions and employers. Bosnians in Fargo were either white, ethnic Muslims (Bosniaks), or Roma (Gypsies), who had a darker skin color and were stigmatized by Bosniaks. By v interrogating intersections ofrace, class, gender, and culture, I explain why social service providers and the wider public deemed Bosnian Roma as some ofthe least "worthy" citizens in Fargo and black, Christian Southern Sudanese as some ofthe worthiest citizens. In so doing, I highlight the important roles ofreligion, hard work, education, and civic duty as characteristics of"good" citizens in Fargo. The dissertation is based on a year ofethnographic research in Fargo (2007-08). It also builds on previous research with Roma in Bosnia (1998-2000) and employment with a resettlement agency in South Dakota (2001-2002). I relate this analysis to anthropological theories ofthe state with a particular focus on refugee resettlement in the context ofthe neoliberal welfare state. Following Harrell­ Bond's argument that refugees are often portrayed as mere "recipients of aid," I argue for a more nuanced understanding ofrefugees as active citizens in Fargo. I view refugee resettlement organizations, welfare agencies, and volunteers as powerful actors in shaping refugees' lives, but I also take into account the ways in which refugees inturn shaped these actors. I show how refugee resettlement called into question hegemonic forms ofcitizenship in the relatively culturally and racially homogenous city ofFargo. VI CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Jennifer Erickson GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon Luther College, Decorah, Iowa DEGREES AWARDED: Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology, 2010, University of Oregon Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies, 2010, University of Oregon Master of Arts in Anthropology, 2004, University of Oregon Bachelor of Arts cum laude in English and Psychology, 1997, Luther College AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Anthropology of the United States Citizenship Refugees The State Bosnia-Herzegovina South Sudan PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Graduate Teaching Fellow, Department of Anthropology, University of Oregon, 2002-2005,2006-2007,2008-2009 Graduate Teaching Fellow, Department of Women's and Gender Studies, University of Oregon, 2005-2006 Caseworker, Lutheran Social Services, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 2001-2002 Vll GRANTS, AWARDS AND HONORS: Center for the Study ofWomen in Society Jane Grant Dissertation Fellowship, University of Oregon, 2009-2010 Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics Dissertation Fellowship, University of Oregon, 2008-2009 National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, 2007­ 2008 Sasakawa Fellowship, International Trade and Development Graduate Fellowship Program, Oregon University System, 2003-2004 International Research & Exchanges Board, Individual Advanced Research Opportunities Grant, 2003 PUBLICATrONS: Erickson, Jennifer and Caroline Faria In press "We Want Empowerment for Our Women": Transnational Feminism, Neoliberal Citizenship and the Gendering of Women's Political Subjectivity in South Sudan. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. Erickson, Jennifer 2006 Roma in Bosnia-Herzegovina: A Gendered Gaze at the Politics of Roma, (I)NGOs, and the State. Special Issue, "The 'Grand' and 'Small' Political Narratives: Social and Political Realities of Europe," Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture 4(8-9):87-103. 2003 Reflections on Fieldwork with Romani Women: Race, Class, and Feminism in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Anthropology of East Europe Review 21(2):113-117. viii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am deeply humbled and inspired by the supporters I had in completing this study. This project could not have happened without the collaboration with institutions in Fargo. I am very grateful to the staff and volunteers at Lutheran Social Services New American Services, Cass County Social Services, the Giving+Learning Program, and English language learning teachers. Thank you so much for opening your organizations to me. I am especially appreciative of the Bosniaks, Roma, and Southern Sudanese who invited me into their homes and lives. I wish you all of the rights and resources of citizenship that you deserve. I want to give special thanks to the New Sudanese Community Association for supporting my research. Thank you to Rachel Mertz, Hatidza Asovic, MaIka Fazlic, Amy Philips, Cristie Jacobsen, and the Lemonade Book Club for your friendship, time, laughter, and kindness to a stranger in a not-so-strange land. I am particularly indebted to my professors and colleagues at the University of Oregon. Carol Silverman encouraged me to go to grad school and helped me through the process. Her unfailing support and guidance were key to my success as a graduate student. Sandi Morgen made me a significantly better ethnographer, activist, and leader. She often acted as an unofficial second advisor and I am grateful for the opportunity of working with her. Lynn Stephen provided crucial points that changed the direction of this study and made it better. Her work with migrants in Oregon inspired me in conceiving this project. I am honored by the opportunity of working with Susan Hardwick, whose geographical perspective makes this a better dissertation. Thanks also to Lamia Karim IX and Diane Baxter for their formal and informal support over the years. I could not have completed graduate school without the friendship and collegial support of my fellow students. My amazing cohort of Nicolas Malone, Patrick Hayden, and Shayna Rohwer supported, challenged, and pushed me to be a better scholar while having a lot of fun in the process. I am also additionally grateful to friends for reading, editing, and helping me in a variety of ways along the road to completing my dissertation: Emily Taylor, Melissa Baird, Tami Hill, Camille Walsh, Caroline Faria, Deana Dartt-Newton, Darcy Hannibal, Kathryn Barton, Tiffany Brannon, Josh Fisher, Mauricio Magana, and Elissa Helms. Elissa was my housemate in Bosnia, conducting her dissertation research and soon became a great friend and my anthropology big sister. Her guidance has been vital to me, both professionally and personally. To all of you: our discussions about academia, politics, and activism fed my mind and soul and your friendship means the world to me. I want to sincerely thank Medica lnfoteka, the local women's organization for which I volunteered in Bosnia, for inspiring and encouraging me to conduct applied, collaborative, activist, feminist research. Tremendous thanks also to the South Sudan Women's Empowerment Network for allowing me to continue on that path. Thank you to my parents, Keith and Joan, and my sister, Kim, as well as to my close extended family (especially Jean, Lisa, and Sonya), for providing multiple forms of support and encouragement over the years: thank you for your confidence in me. Finally, I gratefully acknowledge the vital support of the National Science Foundation, the Center. for the Study of Women in Society, and the Wayne Morse Center for Law and Politics at the University of Oregon. x To the memory of my grandmothers, who instilled in me the Protestant work ethic, but also empathy, curiosity about the world, and a love of reading and writing Muriel
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Worlds Apart: Bosnian Lessons for Global Security
    Worlds Apart Swanee Hunt Worlds Apart Bosnian Lessons for GLoBaL security Duke university Press Durham anD LonDon 2011 © 2011 Duke University Press All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America on acid- free paper ♾ Designed by C. H. Westmoreland Typeset in Charis by Tseng Information Systems, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data appear on the last printed page of this book. To my partners c harLes ansBacher: “Of course you can.” and VaLerie GiLLen: “Of course we can.” and Mirsad JaceVic: “Of course you must.” Contents Author’s Note xi Map of Yugoslavia xii Prologue xiii Acknowledgments xix Context xxi Part i: War Section 1: Officialdom 3 1. insiDe: “Esteemed Mr. Carrington” 3 2. outsiDe: A Convenient Euphemism 4 3. insiDe: Angels and Animals 8 4. outsiDe: Carter and Conscience 10 5. insiDe: “If I Left, Everyone Would Flee” 12 6. outsiDe: None of Our Business 15 7. insiDe: Silajdžić 17 8. outsiDe: Unintended Consequences 18 9. insiDe: The Bread Factory 19 10. outsiDe: Elegant Tables 21 Section 2: Victims or Agents? 24 11. insiDe: The Unspeakable 24 12. outsiDe: The Politics of Rape 26 13. insiDe: An Unlikely Soldier 28 14. outsiDe: Happy Fourth of July 30 15. insiDe: Women on the Side 33 16. outsiDe: Contact Sport 35 Section 3: Deadly Stereotypes 37 17. insiDe: An Artificial War 37 18. outsiDe: Clashes 38 19. insiDe: Crossing the Fault Line 39 20. outsiDe: “The Truth about Goražde” 41 21. insiDe: Loyal 43 22. outsiDe: Pentagon Sympathies 46 23. insiDe: Family Friends 48 24. outsiDe: Extremists 50 Section 4: Fissures and Connections 55 25.
    [Show full text]
  • American Jewish Yearbook
    JEWISH STATISTICS 277 JEWISH STATISTICS The statistics of Jews in the world rest largely upon estimates. In Russia, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and a few other countries, official figures are obtainable. In the main, however, the num- bers given are based upon estimates repeated and added to by one statistical authority after another. For the statistics given below various authorities have been consulted, among them the " Statesman's Year Book" for 1910, the English " Jewish Year Book " for 5670-71, " The Jewish Ency- clopedia," Jildische Statistik, and the Alliance Israelite Uni- verselle reports. THE UNITED STATES ESTIMATES As the census of the United States has, in accordance with the spirit of American institutions, taken no heed of the religious convictions of American citizens, whether native-born or natural- ized, all statements concerning the number of Jews living in this country are based upon estimates. The Jewish population was estimated— In 1818 by Mordecai M. Noah at 3,000 In 1824 by Solomon Etting at 6,000 In 1826 by Isaac C. Harby at 6,000 In 1840 by the American Almanac at 15,000 In 1848 by M. A. Berk at 50,000 In 1880 by Wm. B. Hackenburg at 230,257 In 1888 by Isaac Markens at 400,000 In 1897 by David Sulzberger at 937,800 In 1905 by "The Jewish Encyclopedia" at 1,508,435 In 1907 by " The American Jewish Year Book " at 1,777,185 In 1910 by " The American Je\rish Year Book" at 2,044,762 DISTRIBUTION The following table by States presents two sets of estimates.
    [Show full text]
  • Stirring the American Melting Pot: Middle Eastern Immigration, the Progressives, and the Legal Construction of Whiteness, 1880-1
    Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2013 Stirring the American Melting Pot: Middle Eastern Immigration, the Progressives and the Legal Construction of Whiteness, 1880-1924 Richard Soash Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES STIRRING THE AMERICAN MELTING POT: MIDDLE EASTERN IMMIGRATION, THE PROGRESSIVES AND THE LEGAL CONSTRUCTION OF WHITENESS, 1880-1924 By RICHARD SOASH A Thesis submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2013 Richard Soash defended this thesis on March 7, 2013. The members of the supervisory committee were: Jennifer Koslow Professor Directing Thesis Suzanne Sinke Committee Member Peter Garretson Committee Member The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members, and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university requirements. ii To my Grandparents: Evan & Verena Soash Richard & Patricia Fluck iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am extremely thankful for both the academic and financial support that Florida State University has provided for me in the past two years. I would also like to express my gratitude to the FSU History Department for giving me the opportunity to pursue my graduate education here. My academic advisor and committee members – Dr. Koslow, Dr. Sinke, and Dr. Garretson – have been wonderful teachers and mentors during my time in the Master’s Program; I greatly appreciate their patience, humor, and knowledge, both inside and outside of the classroom.
    [Show full text]
  • Un-Veiling Women's Rights in the 'War on Terrorism'
    KAPUR_FMT.DOC 06/09/03 4:37 PM UN-VEILING WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN THE ‘WAR ON TERRORISM’ RATNA KAPUR* Only the terrorists and the Taliban threaten to pull out women’s fingernails for wearing nail polish. The plight of women and children in Afghanistan is a matter of deliberate human cruelty, carried out by those who seek to intimidate and control. .Because of our recent military gains in much of Afghanistan, women are no longer imprisoned in their homes. They can listen to music and teach their daughters without fear of punishment. First Lady Laura W. Bush1 The bombings have increased the suffering of the people in Afghanistan. They muststopitatonce. Sabira Mateen2 Attention, noble Afghan people. As you know, the coalition countries have been air-dropping daily humanitarian rations for you. The food ration is en- closed in yellow plastic bags. They come in the shape of rectangular or long squares. The food inside the bags is Halal and very nutritional. .In areas away from where food has been dropped, cluster bombs will also be dropped. The color of these bombs is also yellow. .Do not confuse the cylinder-shaped bomb with the rectangular food bag. U.S. Psychological Operations Radio, Sunday, October 28, 2001.3 I. INTRODUCTION On the morning of the September 11th attacks, I was delivering a lecture in New York to law school students about post-colonialism. More specifically, we were discussing a passage from The Poisonwood Bible,4 as well as a recently re- leased film, Lumumba.5 BoththetextandthefilmrelatethestoryoftheCongo’s Copyright © 2002 by Ratna Kapur.
    [Show full text]
  • The Syrian Community in New Castle and Its Unique Alawi Component, 1900-1940 Anthony B
    The Syrian Community in New Castle and Its Unique Alawi Component, 1900-1940 Anthony B. Toth L Introduction and immigration are two important and intertwined phenomena in Pennsylvania's history from 1870 to INDUSTRIALIZATIONWorld War II.The rapid growth of mining, iron and steel pro- duction, manufacturing, and railroads during this period drew millions of immigrants. In turn, the immigrants had a significant effect on their towns and cities. The largest non-English-speaking— groups to jointhe industrial work force — the Italians and Poles have been the sub- jects of considerable scholarly attention. 1 Relatively little, however, has been published about many of the smaller but still significant groups that took part in the "new immigration/' New Castle's Syrian community is one such smaller group. 2 In a general sense, it is typical of other Arabic-speaking immigrant com- munities which settled inAmerican industrial centers around the turn of the century — Lawrence, Fall River, and Springfield, Mass.; Provi- Writer and editor Anthony B. Toth earned his master's degree in Middle East history from Georgetown University. He performed the research for this article while senior writer for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee Re- search Institute. He has also written articles on the Arab-American communities in Jacksonville, Florida, and Worcester, Massachusetts. —Editor 1 Anyone researching the history of immigrants and Pennsylvania industry cannot escape the enlightening works of John E.Bodnar, who focuses main- ly on the Polish and Italian experiences. In particular, see his Workers' World: Kinship, Community and Protest in an Industrial Society, 1900- 1940 (Baltimore, 1982); Immigration and Industrialization: Ethnicity in an American MillTown, 1870-1940 (Pittsburgh, —1977); and, with Roger Simon and Michael P.
    [Show full text]
  • Ilias Bulaid
    Ilias Bulaid Ilias Bulaid (born May 1, 1995 in Den Bosch, Netherlands) is a featherweight Ilias Bulaid Moroccan-Dutch kickboxer. Ilias was the 2016 65 kg K-1 World Tournament Runner-Up and is the current Enfusion 67 kg World Champion.[1] Born 1 May 1995 Den Bosch, As of 1 November 2018, he is ranked the #9 featherweight in the world by Netherlands [2] Combat Press. Other The Blade names Titles Nationality Dutch Moroccan 2016 K-1 World GP 2016 -65kg World Tournament Runner-Up[3] 2014 Enfusion World Champion 67 kg[4] (Three defenses; Current) Height 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) Weight 65.0 kg (143.3 lb; Professional kickboxing record 10.24 st) Division Featherweight Style Kickboxing Stance Orthodox Fighting Amsterdam, out of Netherlands Team El Otmani Gym Professional Kickboxing Record Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time KO (Straight 2019- Wei Win Wu Linfeng China Right to the 3 1:11 06-29 Ninghui Body) 2018- Youssef El Decision Win Enfusion Live 70 Belgium 3 3:00 09-15 Haji (Unanimous) 2018- Hassan Wu Linfeng -67KG Loss China Decision (Split) 3 3:00 03-03 Toy Tournament Final Wu Linfeng -67KG 2018- Decision Win Xie Lei Tournament Semi China 3 3:00 03-03 (Unanimous) Finals Kunlun Fight 67 - 2017- 66kg World Sanya, Decision Win 3 3:00 11-12 Petchtanong Championship, China (Unanimous) Banchamek Quarter Finals Despite winning fight, had to withdraw from tournament due to injury. Kunlun Fight 65 - 2017- Jordan Kunlun Fight 16 Qingdao, KO (Left Body Win 1 2:25 08-27 Kranio Man Tournament China Hook) 67 kg- Final 16 KO (Spinning 2017- Manaowan Hoofddorp, Win Fight League 6 Back Kick to The 1 1:30 05-13 Netherlands Sitsongpeenong Body) 2017- Zakaria Eindhoven, Win Enfusion Live 46 Decision 5 3:00 02-18 Zouggary[5] Netherlands Defends the Enfusion -67 kg Championship.
    [Show full text]
  • Comparing the Basque Diaspora
    COMPARING THE BASQUE DIASPORA: Ethnonationalism, transnationalism and identity maintenance in Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Peru, the United States of America, and Uruguay by Gloria Pilar Totoricagiiena Thesis submitted in partial requirement for Degree of Doctor of Philosophy The London School of Economics and Political Science University of London 2000 1 UMI Number: U145019 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U145019 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Theses, F 7877 7S/^S| Acknowledgments I would like to gratefully acknowledge the supervision of Professor Brendan O’Leary, whose expertise in ethnonationalism attracted me to the LSE and whose careful comments guided me through the writing of this thesis; advising by Dr. Erik Ringmar at the LSE, and my indebtedness to mentor, Professor Gregory A. Raymond, specialist in international relations and conflict resolution at Boise State University, and his nearly twenty years of inspiration and faith in my academic abilities. Fellowships from the American Association of University Women, Euskal Fundazioa, and Eusko Jaurlaritza contributed to the financial requirements of this international travel.
    [Show full text]
  • Uyghur Dispossession, Culture Work and Terror Capitalism in a Chinese Global City Darren T. Byler a Dissertati
    Spirit Breaking: Uyghur Dispossession, Culture Work and Terror Capitalism in a Chinese Global City Darren T. Byler A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Washington 2018 Reading Committee: Sasha Su-Ling Welland, Chair Ann Anagnost Stevan Harrell Danny Hoffman Program Authorized to Offer Degree: Anthropology ©Copyright 2018 Darren T. Byler University of Washington Abstract Spirit Breaking: Uyghur Dispossession, Culture Work and Terror Capitalism in a Chinese Global City Darren T. Byler Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Sasha Su-Ling Welland, Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies This study argues that Uyghurs, a Turkic-Muslim group in contemporary Northwest China, and the city of Ürümchi have become the object of what the study names “terror capitalism.” This argument is supported by evidence of both the way state-directed economic investment and security infrastructures (pass-book systems, webs of technological surveillance, urban cleansing processes and mass internment camps) have shaped self-representation among Uyghur migrants and Han settlers in the city. It analyzes these human engineering and urban planning projects and the way their effects are contested in new media, film, television, photography and literature. It finds that this form of capitalist production utilizes the discourse of terror to justify state investment in a wide array of policing and social engineering systems that employs millions of state security workers. The project also presents a theoretical model for understanding how Uyghurs use cultural production to both build and refuse the development of this new economic formation and accompanying forms of gendered, ethno-racial violence.
    [Show full text]
  • Irregular Warfare: a Case Study in Cia and Us Army Special Forces Operations in Northern Iraq, 2002-03
    IRREGULAR WARFARE: A CASE STUDY IN CIA AND US ARMY SPECIAL FORCES OPERATIONS IN NORTHERN IRAQ, 2002-03 THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE ANDREW L., MICK MULROY, AND KEN TOVO AUGUST 2021 WWW.MEI.EDU ABOUT THE MIDDLE EAST INSTITUTE The Middle East Institute is a center of knowledge dedicated to narrowing divides between the peoples of the Middle East and the United States. With over 70 years’ experience, MEI has established itself as a credible, non-partisan source of insight and policy analysis on all matters concerning the Middle East. MEI is distinguished by its holistic approach to the region and its deep understanding of the Middle East’s political, economic and cultural contexts. Through the collaborative work of its three centers — Policy & Research, Arts & Culture, and Education — MEI provides current and future leaders with the resources necessary to build a future of mutual understanding. ABOUT THE AUTHORS Andrew L. “Uncle Andy” is a retired Senior Intelligence Service Paramilitary Operations Officer in the Special Activities Center with 25 years of service in the CIA. He is a former U.S. Marine infantry and reconnaissance officer. Michael “Mick” Patrick Mulroy Mick Mulroy is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East. He is also a retired CIA Paramilitary Operations Officer in the Special Activities Center and a United States Marine. He is a Senior Fellow for the Middle East Institute, an ABC News National Security Analyst, and a co-founder of Lobo Institute. Kenneth “Ken” Tovo Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ken Tovo retired from the U.S. Army in 2018 with 35 years of service.
    [Show full text]
  • Water Dispute Escalating Between Iran and Afghanistan
    Atlantic Council SOUTH ASIA CENTER ISSUE BRIEF Water Dispute Escalating between Iran and Afghanistan AUGUST 2016 FATEMEH AMAN Iran and Afghanistan have no major territorial disputes, unlike Afghanistan and Pakistan or Pakistan and India. However, a festering disagreement over allocation of water from the Helmand River is threatening their relationship as each side suffers from droughts, climate change, and the lack of proper water management. Both countries have continued to build dams and dig wells without environmental surveys, diverted the flow of water, and planted crops not suitable for the changing climate. Without better management and international help, there are likely to be escalating crises. Improving and clarifying existing agreements is also vital. The United States once played a critical role in mediating water disputes between Iran and Afghanistan. It is in the interest of the United States, which is striving to shore up the Afghan government and the region at large, to help resolve disagreements between Iran and Afghanistan over the Helmand and other shared rivers. The Atlantic Council Future Historical context of Iran Initiative aims to Disputes over water between Iran and Afghanistan date to the 1870s galvanize the international when Afghanistan was under British control. A British officer drew community—led by the United States with its global allies the Iran-Afghan border along the main branch of the Helmand River. and partners—to increase the In 1939, the Iranian government of Reza Shah Pahlavi and Mohammad Joint Comprehensive Plan of Zahir Shah’s Afghanistan government signed a treaty on sharing the Action’s chances for success and river’s waters, but the Afghans failed to ratify it.
    [Show full text]
  • Teaching Immigration with the Immigrant Stories Project LESSON PLANS
    Teaching Immigration with the Immigrant Stories Project LESSON PLANS 1 Acknowledgments The Immigration History Research Center and The Advocates for Human Rights would like to thank the many people who contributed to these lesson plans. Lead Editor: Madeline Lohman Contributors: Elizabeth Venditto, Erika Lee, and Saengmany Ratsabout Design: Emily Farell and Brittany Lynk Volunteers and Interns: Biftu Bussa, Halimat Alawode, Hannah Mangen, Josefina Abdullah, Kristi Herman Hill, and Meredith Rambo. Archival Assistance and Photo Permissions: Daniel Necas A special thank you to the Immigration History Research Center Archives for permitting the reproduction of several archival photos. The lessons would not have been possible without the generous support of a Joan Aldous Diversity Grant from the University of Minnesota’s College of Liberal Arts. Immigrant Stories is a project of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota. This work has been made possible through generous funding from the Digital Public Library of America Digital Hubs Pilot Project, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. About the Immigration History Research Center Founded in 1965, the University of Minnesota's Immigration History Research Center (IHRC) aims to transform how we understand immigration in the past and present. Along with its partner, the IHRC Archives, it is North America's oldest and largest interdisciplinary research center and archives devoted to preserving and understanding immigrant and refugee life. The IHRC promotes interdisciplinary research on migration, race, and ethnicity in the United States and the world. It connects U.S. immigration history research to contemporary immigrant and refugee communities through its Immigrant Stories project.
    [Show full text]
  • Conflict in Afghanistan Is Here-To-Stay: the Taliban’S Second Coming
    University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Economics Scholarship Economics 2-18-2004 Conflict in Afghanistan is here-to-Stay: The Taliban’s Second Coming Marc W. Herold [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/econ_facpub Recommended Citation Herold, Marc W., “Conflict in Afghanistan is here-to-Stay: The Taliban’s Second Coming” (Durham: manuscript, Dept. of Economics, University of New Hampshire, February 18, 2004) reprinted at http://www.grassrootspeace.org/herold_taliban_afghanistan.pdf This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Economics at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Economics Scholarship by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 "Conflict in Afghanistan is Here-to-Stay : The Taliban's Second Coming" by Marc W. Herold Departments of Economics & Women's Studies Whittemore School of Business & Economics University of New Hampshire Durham, N.H. 03824 U.S.A. Phone: 603 862-3375 FAX: 603 862-3383 e-mail: [email protected] February 18, 2004 On May 1, 2003, in Kabul flanked by his obedient client, Hamid Karzai, Secretary Rumsfeld announced to the world that the United States had moved from a period of major combat activity to a period of stability and reconstruction in Afghanistan. The 'news' was gushingly reported by the U.S. mainstream corporate press, e.g., Matt Kelley of the Associated Press and a favorite of the U.S. colonels at the Bagram base.
    [Show full text]