Darfur’S Armed Movements: Evolution Of Roles And Relations With Actors In Light Of The April 15 War, Marwan M. Hamza

The Journal of Social Encounters

This research comes in eight main sections, comprising a historical background of the conflicts in Sudan in general and Darfur in particular; an intro to armed movements active in Darfur the research team have monitored; and an extensive analysis of interviews the team conducted with members of the armed movements, independent actors and the native administrations.

Focusing on the Darfuri armed movements’ evolution of roles during the April 15 War, an analysis of respondents’ responses highlights varying takes on the impact of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA). While some deems it futile as to resolve conflicts, others admittedly view it …

Sudan’S Current Conflict: Implications For The Bordering Regions And Influence Of The Key Regional/International Actors, Raimundo Gregoire

The Journal of Social Encounters

Since the beginning of the latest violent crisis, which began in April 2023, Sudan has been suffering the consequences of an armed conflict, that is worsening the humanitarian crisis and sociopolitical instability. In this context, it is worth analysing how this conflict affects the neighbouring region and the influence of the nearby countries and regional and world powers. The aim of this paper is to present the consequences of this conflict for Sudan’s neighbours and the degree of interference of the external powers in Sudan. In relation to this latter issue, it will be established if the foreign presence is …

The Roles Of External Parties In The April 15 War And Their Interests In Sudan, Aseel Abdalla

The Journal of Social Encounters

The April 15 War is frequently portrayed as a power struggle between two generals, a simplistic narrative that overlooks not only internal factors but also external dynamics and the agendas of foreign nations in Sudan. Numerous countries have vested interests in this resource-rich nation, a pivotal gateway to Africa with a strategic position overlooking the Red Sea facilitating over 12% of global trade. However, what exacerbates the situation is the leadership weakness and intense political polarization since 2019, following the downfall of the Inqaz regime.

Following the December Revolution, Sudan's leadership lacked a cohesive foreign relations strategy. The pillars of …

Exploiting Tribal Identity: Evidence From The Darfur Conflict (2001-) And The Chad-Sudan Proxy War (2005-2010), Eline Rosenhart

The Journal of Social Encounters

Using the case of the Darfur conflict (2001-) and the Chad-Sudan proxy war (2005-2010), this study will demonstrate that conflict in Chad and Sudan cannot be fully understood without taking into account how heads of state and rebel leaders in both countries manipulated tribal identities to retain and enhance power. It shows how Idriss Déby, a Zaghawa leader, held onto his tenuous position as President of Chad by leveraging tribal customs and symbols, while the Darfur conflict and the Chad-Sudan proxy war destabilized his rule. It also sheds light on the ways in which Darfuri and Chadian rebel leaders maneuvered …

When Peace Interventions Become Elusive: The Convoluted Darfur Conflict, Elias Opongo

The Journal of Social Encounters

The conflict in Darfur, rooted in longstanding tensions among ethnic and political groups in western Sudan, is marked by widespread violence, displacement, and human rights abuses. Whereas there have been concerted efforts by successive governments and different local, regional, and national stakeholders to resolve these conflicts through various transitional justice and traditional mechanisms, these interventions have largely been ineffective, often resulting in accusations of bias and unequal treatment by the Khartoum government. This article seeks to evaluate conflict intervention efforts by different actors such as the Sudan government, the African Union (AU), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), regional governments, and …

The Dynamics Of The Resistance Committees (Rcs) Movement Amid The Current Challenges Of Democratic Transition In Sudan, Salih Mustafa, Marafi Albahi

The Journal of Social Encounters

After the wave of protests that led to the fall of the former regime in April 2019 and the establishment of the Transitional Justice in August 2019, Sudan is undergoing transitional phases marked by significant political and social changes since 2018. The Sudanese Resistance Committees (RCs) have played important and crucial roles throughout the whole period since the breakthrough of the Revolution in Sudan in December 2018. Those roles are showcased starting from organizing and mobilizing the protests that took place prior to the fall of the regime. The dynamics of the movement have developed since then due to the …

Gold Mining In Darfur: Its Role In The General Economy, Political Conflicts And The Current War, Raphaëlle Chevrillon-Guibert, Enrico Ille, Mohamed Salah Abdelrahman

The Journal of Social Encounters

Darfur has been shattered by a long chain of violent escalations, and numerous interpretations of reasons and recommendations for solutions have been put forward. Since the early 2010s, gold mining appeared as an additional element in ongoing conflicts and became a dominant aspect, not just as one of the financial pillars of the upcoming Rapid Support Forces under Dagalo family leadership, but also as a source of environmental pollution. Nevertheless, gold mining made its way only slowly into political analyses, and although its substantial role in Sudan's recent history, including the current war, has now more often been recognized, it …

Reshaping Identity Politics: Capitalising On Shari‘A Debate In The Sudan, Musa Adam Abdul-Jalil

The Journal of Social Encounters

The relationship between religious identity, ethnic identity, and politics has always been a problematic one, especially in plural societies like Sudan. This article is an attempt to understand the reasons behind the insistence of the popular parties of the Muslim majority in Northern Sudan on establishing shar’ia law as the law of the land. By using secondary data on party programmes, public opinion, and an analysis of political events, I reconstruct the evolution of the debate in order to identify its prime movers. My conclusion is that this debate emerged as a result of the quest for a national identity …

Darfur And Sudan: The People, Politics, Conflict, And Recovery: An Introduction, Mawa Mohamed, Ronald Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Weather Risks, Crop Losses, And Risk Proneness: An Examination Of Evolving Risk Preferences Of Rice Farmers In Bangladesh, W. Parker Wheatley, Taznoore Khanam, Valerien O. Pede, Takashi Yamano

Economics Faculty Publications

Changing climate poses significant challenges for smallholder rice farmers. Weather-related deviations from longer-term patterns and crop losses due to abiotic hazards can affect farmer risk preferences and drive adaptive responses. In addition, farmers’ proneness to and past experiences with crop risks such as drought, submergence, and excess soil salinity can impact their baseline risk preferences and their response to changing risks. Using data for Bangladesh from two waves of the Rice Monitoring Survey, climate-related data (precipitation and temperature), farmer reports of crop losses, and measures of proneness to abiotic risks, this article estimates how weather deviations from longer-term trends, crop …

Strategic Advocacy: Doula Care, Liminality, And Reproductive Justice, Julie Johnson Searcy, Ellen Block, Angela N. Castañeda

Sociology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Deuda Pública, Desigualdad Y Desarrollo En México: Evidencia Estatal Y Municipal: Public Debt, Inequality And Development In Mexico: State And Municipal Evidence, Claudia Susana Gómez López, Artemlo Jiménez Rico, Ana Karen Negrete García

Economics Faculty Publications

El artículo analiza la relación de la adquisición de deuda pública con la desigualdad y el desarrollo económico. Específicamente, utiliza la tasa de crecimiento de deuda pública, el Índice de Gini y el Índice de Rezago Social como variables. Considera 31 entidades federativas de la República mexicana y 2414 municipios desde 2010 hasta el 2018. La metodología de convergencia absoluta y condicional y datos de panel deriva en los siguientes resultados: (I) bajo la hipótesis de convergencia condicional, los estados y municipios de México se acercaron en términos de la deuda pública per cápita en el periodo 2010-2018. La velocidad …

Income Differences Among Nations: Measuring The Effects Of Human Capital On Total Factor Productivity (Tfp), Ashley Tarrolly

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

In the past two centuries, long-term economic growth has been defined by The Great Divergence, where the gap of income distribution has widened as a result of some nations experiencing modern economic growth while others have remained stagnant in their economic well-being. This panel data research examines differences in income across countries by applying development accounting to analyze differences in per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and predict each country’s total factor productivity (TFP). Data from the Penn World Tables were collected and categorized into groups based on GDP per capita to create a sample of 144 countries in 10-year …

Representations Of Gender In Math-Related Films, Jacob Gathje

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

This project analyzes how four popular math-related films - Hidden Figures, Mean Girls, Good Will Hunting, and A Beautiful Mind - either follow, resist, or reconfigure gender stereotypes in mathematics. It includes close readings of specific scenes in each of the films, along with broader analysis of the effects of how women and men are represented differently. It concludes forward-looking focus, providing suggestions for how future math-related movies can depict a more realistic and inclusive version of the field of mathematics. Ideally, this will help improve one part of the larger issue of gender disparities in math.

The Association Between Student-Mentor Relationships And College Student's' Motivation And Academic Success, Emma Smith

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

No abstract provided.

Mapping The Boy Scouts In Central Minnesota, Michael Oehler

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

The purpose of this project is to display important information about the local Boy Scouts of America in a simple and easy to understand format. It is primarily a map of units in the area, but also contains other important geographic data such as schools, school districts, and chartered partners in Central Minnesota. The map was built in ArcGIS Pro in cooperation with Gerry Granum of the BSA.

Artificial Intelligence And Film: A Journey In Public Perception From 1960 To The Present Day, Kayla Anderson, Andrew Roggeman, Joseph Fuller

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

An analysis of accomplishments in film from the 1960s-2020s that feature Artificial Intelligence to give a full picture of how public perception has changed towards these technologies over time, supplemented by historical and technological context.

Physiological Processes During Reading, Elizabeth Morrey, Emma Smith, Catherine Bohn-Gettler, Jennifer Schaefer

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

There are many different variables that can impact reading comprehension, such as reading level, emotional state, and the content of the text itself. For example, if a text contains inconsistencies (e.g., when a key moment in the text does not align with the information presented earlier in the story), processing slows as readers attempt to resolve the inconsistency. However, little is known about the connection between processing inconsistent versus consistent passages and physiological responses in the body. The goal of this study is to examine whether reading narrative texts containing inconsistent and/or consistent information elicits sympathetic nervous system activation, as …

The Implications Of Gendered Wording In Job Advertisements At Csb/Sju And Women’S Underrepresentation In Stem, Sidela Nyuga, Majel Baker

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Women's underrepresentation in STEM is due to many factors, one of which includes the mode of STEM job advertising. The scarcity of women in STEM careers might be thought to be their choice, but previous research suggests that wording in job ads influences women’s choices. Job ads can contain masculine-stereotypical wording, which has a negative impact on women’s interest in applying (Gaucher et al., 2011). Moreover, platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn are used to target men for STEM jobs opportunities, reducing women’s opportunity to apply to these jobs (Imana et al., 2021; Tamime et al., 2022).

This present study examined …

Interpreting Text Messages, Emma Smith, Catherine Bohn-Gettler

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

In today’s modern age, texting and other forms of virtual communication are extremely prevalent, but still not completely understood. The goal of this study is to examine how a reader’s emotional state interacts with text message features to influence perceptions of sarcasm. This study includes different versions of text messages that can be perceived as negative or positive. Additionally, there are different sets of text messages that end with either an emoji (😉), an ellipsis (...), or a period (.). Findings from this study will help demonstrate the different characteristics of text messages (positive versus negative valence and features such …

An Examination Of The Determinants Of Annual Giving To Csb And Sju: 1990 - 2023, Benchy Dutreuil, Muhammad Ibragimov

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Based on the data gained from stages 1 and 2, we have concluded that the number of donors of CSB+SJU has declined over time after its peak in 2007, unlike the amount of donations that has been changing a lot but has a positive growing trend in general. We also discovered a significant growth in giving among the top 50% of donors after the year 2008, while the other 2 groups stayed relatively the same with a small positive trend. Additionally, we found a strong correlation between the macroeconomic factors and the patterns the real donations represent. Finally, our linear …

Mapping Racial Covenants In Stearns County, Mn, Jonathan D. Carlson

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Over the past year, CSB and SJU Honors students uncovered previously unknown racial covenants included in property deeds in Stearns county. Racial covenants prevent people of certain races from owning or occupying property, thus creating segregated neighborhoods. The Great River Covenants Project (https://greatrivercovenants.org/) was created to educate the public about this work. Using Geographic Information Systems, I created maps to show the location of the covenants and when they appeared in neighborhoods through the decades of 1920 to 1960.

Human Rights Abuses In Post Conflict Societies & Subsequent Case Study On Guatemala, Morgan Van Beck

CSB and SJU Distinguished Thesis

No abstract provided.

Review Of Saul Alinsky And The Dilemmas Of Race: Community Organizing In The Postwar City // Review Of God And Community Organizing: A Covenantal Approach, William Droel

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Poverty, By America, Linda Plitt Donaldson

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of No Guilty Bystander: The Extraordinary Life Of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, Tom Cordaro

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of For God And My Country: Catholic Leadership In Modern Uganda, John Ashworth

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of The Violence Project: How To Stop A Mass Shooting Epidemic, Chris Hausmann

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of After Genocide: Memory And Reconciliation In Rwanda, Selina Gallo-Cruz

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Playing God: American Catholic Bishops And The Far Right, Daniel R. Dileo

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.