International Relations Commons^™

Japan And Its Hesitation In Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage, Morgan R. Lewellen

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Japan is the only state in the G7 that has not legalized same-sex marriages despite increasing support of LGBTQ+ rights and norms for respecting human rights. While some local governments and constitutional courts have made progress with recognizing same-sex partnerships and deeming the ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, the Japanese national government has not enacted comprehensive pro-LGBTQ+ policy. Instead, the Diet (Japan’s legislative body) passed the “LGBT Understanding and Enhancement Bill” in 2023, which is a law that fails to legally recognize same-sex marriage or provide protections. This project aims to explore Japan’s hesitancy by examining politics, culture, history, and …

Breaking News And Broken Hopes: Inter-Korean Engagement And The Emotional Consequences Of Media Framing, Sophia Lizanne Trombley

Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes two periods of pro-North Korean engagement regimes in South Korea during the presidencies of Kim Dae-jung (1998-2003), Roh Moo-hyun (2003-2008), and Moon Jae-in (2017-2023). Through analysis of the three aforementioned presidents’ initiatives for engagement with the North, categorization of news headlines from two major South Korean sources, and public opinion polls, I argue that especially high and low emotional reactions among the South Korean public during these periods were exacerbated by news media’s overly dramatized portrayal of inter-Korean interactions, both big and small. This has led to desensitization and emotional exhaustion among the South Korean public, causing …

Afghanistan: An Analysis Of U.S. Foreign Policy’S Effect On Afghan Terrorism Rates, Katelyn E. Tinsley Foust

Honors Theses

While the term ‘terrorism’ was first coined and widely used in the late 1700s regarding the French Reign of Terror, its popularity has grown dramatically around the globe in the last few decades. Advancements in things like technology and news reporting have made these attacks more popular and have given terrorists an easier outlet to be recognized around the world. One such area we hear about often is the Middle East and the Levant. Countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Israel, and more, are routinely discussed in our news cycles here in the United States, especially since the terrorist attacks on …

Recent U.S. Government Policy Literature On Critical And Strategic Minerals, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Critical and strategic minerals have become increasingly important in U.S. government civilian and military policymaking in recent years. This is demonstrated by the heavy use of such minerals in many critical civilian and military infrastructures. This work will discuss how this subject has been addressed in laws, presidential documents, and works by government agencies along with congressional oversight committees and support agencies. It will stress how the United States is heavily dependent on strategic minerals from adversarial foreign countries such as China and will examine U.S. efforts to increase its ability to produce such materials in the United States by …

The Mujahedeen E-Khalq Of Iran (Mek): Agents Of Democratic Revolution Or Cultic Oppression?, Molly Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on the People’s Mujahideen of Iran (MEK), an Iranian oppositional group that has engaged in a decades-long effort to depose the Iranian government. The goal of this thesis has three parts. First, it examines if the MEK should be classified as a new religious movement/cult. It also addresses the implications of such status given the MEK’s claims that it functions as a democratic entity and that it can be trusted to govern Iran in democratic fashion. Secondly, it examines if Iranian disinformation has influenced the MEK’s reputation. Thirdly, it analyses how the MEK has been able to …

Investments Or Restrictions? China’S Influence On Freedom Of Expression In African Countries, Christina A. Oswalt

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

Between 2001 and 2018, China’s outward foreign direct investment increased by 66.3 times, with a particular focus on resource-rich countries in Africa. While the economic impact of these investments has been widely studied, their potential impacts on democratic freedoms have been neglected. This thesis investigates how Chinese foreign direct investment affects African countries’ free speech, free press, and internet freedom. Based on case studies of Zambia, Kenya, and Ghana, this thesis finds a causal relationship between increased foreign direct investment from China and decreased freedom of expression and internet freedom in host countries. This relationship is moderated by the proportion …

Monitoring The Qosh Tepa Canal Project: A Geospatial Timeline Of Taliban Water Diversion, Enerel L. Crosslin

Honors Thesis

The World Food Program states that “acute malnutrition in Afghanistan is above emergency thresholds in 25 out of 34 provinces and is expected to worsen”. Aiming to support agriculture, the Taliban began to build the 285 km “Qosh Tepa Canal” to divert 17% of the Amu Darya, which supports the livelihoods of millions of people in downstream Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The World Bank estimated that roughly 2.4 million Central Asians could become climate refugees by 2050. Our objectives are to create a timeline of satellite imagery of the canal’s construction. Our research questions are (1) Can we characterize water diversion …

Koxinga: The Catalyst Of Taiwan's Current Geopolitical Conflict, Lauren Masterson

Honors College Theses

Taiwan, strategically located in the South China Sea, has long faced challenges in asserting its sovereignty. While much of the existing scholarship focuses on the 20th-century conflict between the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party, this study turns to the mid-17^th century to trace the roots of the island’s contested status. It centers on Zheng Chenggong (1624–1662), also known as Koxinga, who established the Ming loyalist Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan (1661–1683) following the fall of the Ming dynasty. By examining Koxinga’s actions and the legacy he left behind, this research draws parallels between his retreat …

The Effectiveness Of International Courts In Contributing To Rebuilding And Resolving Conflicts In Societies Post-Genocide, Garrett Connely

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

In the aftermath of mass atrocities, international courts have emerged as key mechanisms for delivering justice and fostering post-conflict reconciliation. Rooted in the precedent set by the Nuremberg Trials after World War II, these institutions aim to prosecute crimes that often go beyond national legal systems. However, their effectiveness remains contested, largely due to their dependence on state cooperation and the complexity of post-conflict environments. This project examines the societal impact of international courts in two significant cases – Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Through a comparative analysis of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Tribunal …

The Role Of Specialty Coffee Roasters: A Proposal For A Sustainable Value Chain, Konoka Hattori

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

Specialty Coffee Roasters are starting to adopt transparency to reshape the coffee value chain, as climate change and sustainability challenges deepen. Through a case study of Onyx Coffee Lab in Arkansas, this research examines how transparency in pricing and traceability can foster more equitable and sustainable value chain systems. This thesis also explores the potential of B Corp Certification to further embed sustainability into Specialty Coffee Roasters’ business models, by comparing Onyx with Coffee Collective based in Denmark, which already has B Corp certification. By making pricing transparent and investing in producer relationships, Specialty Coffee Roasters can lead a future …

Contracted Wars, Compromised Oversight: Private Military Companies In Iraq, Afghanistan, And The Decline Of U.S. Accountability Standards, Brianna N. Buzzell

International Studies (MA) Theses

The Global War on Terror, beginning in 2001, started U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, facilitating the expansion of Private Military Contractors (PMCs) through a combination of operational necessity, strategic policy decisions, and systemic oversight failures. Despite their growing role, PMCs operate in legal and oversight grey zones. Despite a growing body of work on PMC accountability, there remains little agreement on how U.S. military interventions created conditions for their proliferation. This paper examines how U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan facilitated the expansion of PMC influence, resulting in reduced oversight and accountability for both the U.S. government …

Canadian Security Intelligence Service (Csis), Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

April 24, 2025 presentation for Canada's GovInfo Day Spring 2025 hosted by Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and Internet Archive Canada. Provides information about the publicly available information resources produced by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) which is the Canadian Government's foremost national intelligence agency. Provides information about this agency's statutory organization, types of publicly available reports they produce, information about other Canadian government intelligence agencies, and parliamentary oversight of Canadian government intelligence operations. Lists additional resources for finding information about CSIS and explains the benefits of having access to these resources for users.

Foreign Involvement And Economic Outcomes In Coups, Paul Hanson

SPARK Symposium Presentations

A variety of factors come into play when determining economic outcomes. One of these factors is tied to political stability. After coup events, the literature finds that economies perform worse overall. This literature has explored other factors tied to coup events, such as overall political stability and the effects of different governing types on economies. Previous methods of exploring coups did not permit foreign intervention to take an active role, or even any role in most cases, in their models. This study will explore the correlation between economic output, utilizing GDP data from the Penn World Table, and foreign intervention …

Colonial Legacies And Gender Equality: A Study Of Women’S Rights In Angola & Namibia, Anna E. Stephens

Global Tides

Angola and Namibia, neighboring countries in southwestern Africa, share a history of colonial exploitation and rich natural resources, yet diverge sharply in their post-independence trajectories concerning gender equality. This paper employs the method of difference to investigate how Namibia emerged as a continental and global leader in advancing women’s rights, while Angola continues to face significant challenges. It argues that Namibia’s inclusive liberation movement and peaceful, UN-brokered decolonization contrast with Angola’s prolonged and violent colonial legacy under Portugal, which culminated in a devastating civil war. The paper also considers how Namibia’s smaller population may have fostered greater unity and gender …

Compulsory Sterilisation And Reproductive Injustice In India: The Global Impact Of The American Eugenics Movement, Marina Cortez

Institute for the Humanities Theses

On 8 November 2014, Dr RK Gupta performed eighty-three tubal ligations at a makeshift clinic in Bilaspur, India — thirteen of which resulted in death. The women, most of whom belonged to the Dalit or “untouchable” caste, were recruited by family planning agencies, lured in by cash incentives or other gifts in exchange for sterilisation. Sadly, however, the Bilaspur tragedy does not exist in isolation — but rather belongs to an extensive history of government-sponsored abuse, the majority of which has been directly led by white, Western powers. Funded by the New York-based Population Council, India was one of the …

Combating Genocide Denial Through Rwanda’S Foreign Policy, Jonathan R. Beloff

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Rwanda’s foreign policy is still greatly influenced by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, commonly referred to as the Rwanda Genocide. Despite the genocidal massacres ending over thirty years ago, the Rwandan government still perceives its continued threat. Despite tangible threats to the state, such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) decline, the concern of the genocide’s lasting ideology and denial still concerns Rwandan policymakers responsible for the nation’s foreign policy and remembrance. This research relies on in-depth fieldwork with various Rwandan government agencies responsible for crafting state security, foreign policy, and anti-genocide policies. It examines …

The Impact Of American Politics On Canadian Voters, Reilly Funk

Political Science Theses and Capstones

I analyze to what degree American political forces shape Canadian elections. Due to the unique economic and cultural relationship between the countries, U.S. political and policy changes impact the Canadian political landscape. I examine this relationship with a comparative study using the Canadian Election Study of the 2021 federal election. This data enables analysis of voter behaviour within a wide variety of voters. Tentative findings show that major political events within the United States, such as presidential elections and major policy shifts, have a major impact on election results in Canada. Canadian political parties consistently adjust their messaging strategies to …

The Impact Of Drought And Socio-Economic Factors On Attitudes Toward Immigrants In South Africa, Pamela Antwi-Nimarko

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

Estimates of the global migrant population have steadily increased, with current data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reporting approximately 281 million migrants worldwide. Alongside this growth, anti-immigrant sentiments have risen in many host countries. This study seeks to contribute to the research on attitudes toward immigrants by exploring climate-related factors, particularly drought, as a key influence.

Leveraging a unique dataset combining the World Values Survey (WVS) and Afrobarometer, the study examines how drought, along with individual and contextual factors, affects attitudes toward immigrants. This dataset allows for an in-depth analysis of the direct impact of drought on public …

Review Of Ordinary Whites In Apartheid Society: Social Histories Of Accommodation, Gary Prevost

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Peacebuilding And Catholic Social Teaching, Peter R. Gathje

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Insurrectionary Uprisings: A Reader In Revolutionary Nonviolence And Decolonization, Matilda Maseno

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

Review Of Pope John’S Pacem In Terris And The Call For Global Governance, Thomas Massaro

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

New Cold War, New Anti-Nuclear Activism (Webinar), - Kroc Institute For International Peace Studies

The Journal of Social Encounters

The nuclear freeze movement of the early 1980s demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to influence national defense and security policy at the height of the Cold War. Today, the world is threatened by a new global arms race as the United States, Russia, China, and other nuclear weapons states are rebuilding and enhancing their arsenals, including new missile deployments. In the face of worsening nuclear dangers, grassroots movements are once again advocating for nuclear disarmament and justice.

This webinar, which took place February 11, 2025 discussed the efforts and impact of local government officials, religious leaders, and international networks …

Toward Integral Security: How Environmental Protection Was Incorporated Into The United Nations System And Why It Matters Today And Tomorrow, Patricia M. Mische

The Journal of Social Encounters

How did the United Nations - an international organization built on 19^th century worldviews and state-centric structures, integrate 21^st century challenges of environmental protection into its mission and programs? The UN Charter includes no mandate for environmental protection. Ecological integrity was not included in the scope of peace and security held by member states when they ratified the UN Charter. Yet, despite this and other historical, philosophical and structural limitations, the UN became the leading body for the development of global environmental policy.

Fratelli Tutti And Social Media: Solidarity And Social Networks Among Locals And Urban Refugees In Kampala, Uganda, Augustine Bahemuka

The Journal of Social Encounters

Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis’ social encyclical, exhorts all Christians and people of good will to cultivate a spirit of fraternity and solidarity with all people in need, regardless of socio-cultural or creedal or racial differences. He challenges us to broaden our perception of “neighbour” to even include those people whose plight we encounter via social media – our digital neighbours. This paper shows how the Association of Refugee Women in Uganda (AORW- U) has used social media to amplify the voices of urban refugees living in Kampala, thereby raising public awareness; attracting global and local partnerships; and creating healthy social …

Intergenerational Dialogue And Inquiry For Collective Healing, Social Justice And Communal Well-Being: A Reflection On Conceptions, Processes And Practices, Scherto Gill

The Journal of Social Encounters

This paper explores how intergenerational dialogue and inquiry (IDI) may help break the silence about past brutality and contribute to collective healing, social justice and communal well-being. The specific historical contexts that it is concerned with are transatlantic slavery and colonisation, and the continued legacies of contemporary racism. Global communities impacted by these tragedies often experience silence between the generations about the trauma resulting from the atrocity, often exacerbated by present day discrimination. In considering the case study of IDI in communities on four continents, this paper further analyses the processes involved in breaking the cycles of silence, and remembering …

Human Security And The Idiot: “Can Beauty Really Save The World”, Aaron Tyler

The Journal of Social Encounters

A key point of progress in the systematic considerations of the causality and cessation of violent conflict is found in the evolving idea of human security. In a collective effort to respond to the chaotic reality of violent engagement, human security emerged toward the end of the twentieth century as a multilateral, person-centered paradigm for thinking about and pursuing conflict transformation. As human security enters a third generation of development, scholars and policymakers continue to discern the usefulness of this holistic, multilateral paradigm for security. The efficacy of human security outcomes will depend on how the individual and collective within …

From Hegemony To The “Regime Of Tolerance” In Muslim-Christian Relations: The Stakes Of The Pope’S Trip To Bahrain, Francois Mabille

The Journal of Social Encounters

Whilst not ignoring theological discussions on the subject of Muslim-Christian dialogue, the present analysis of Muslim-Christian or Muslim-Catholic relations will not be conducted from a historical-theological perspective. It will be limited to the political and geopolitical aspects of the work undertaken by the Holy See and Pope Francis since 2013. The argument put forward here is that since the beginning of the current pontificate, there has been a major change in the order of relations between Catholicism and Islam, which has had an impact on the international scene and should therefore be closely watched by states. This change corresponds to …

Gang Violence And Pacification In Ecuador: Comparing Trends In Guayaquil And Duran 2008-2024, Mason Alexandra Rothenberger

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Why has there been a dramatic increase in gang violence in Ecuador beginning in 2020? Cities like Guayaquil and Duran in the coastal region of Ecuador, as well as the border region that Ecuador shares with Colombia have experienced significant increases in criminal activity and with it a rise in criminal violence. I review four hypotheses for why criminal violence has emerged and proliferated within Ecuador. Analysis of primary interviews with subject matter experts in Ecuador shows that the rise in violence resulted from the 2007 efforts to reintegrate gangs into society, which set the stage for fragmentation of gangs …

The New World Order And National Security Dynamics Of African States: Case Study Cameroon And Mali, Chick Edmond, Nyongbet Gabsa Wilfred, Dekoum Ta Nda Hugues Martin

Graduate Research Conference (GSIS)

This paper seeks to investigate the impact of the new World order on national security dynamics of African states. The case study chosen was Cameroon and Mali because of their diverse security approach in enhancing national security policies on the continent. The paper ponders on how the evolving global political landscape is shifting power dynamics and emerging threats influencing security strategies of these two countries. The notion of ontological security was vital in examining why both states adopt different approaches in enhancing their national security interests. Cameroon has a steadfast ontological security since from its independence while Mali is ambiguous. …