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Latest Research On Volunteerism

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

Read about the latest research and statistics on volunteering.

Why I Volunteer, Demi Sintz

Journal of Nonprofit Innovation

I began working with nonprofit organizations as a youth advocate for Epilepsy Awareness, from there I became a Director of Fundraising events for an organization that assists families with the expenses of training and matching with a service dog. Later I spent 18 months in L.A County volunteering in the community and leading youth seminars on positive social media use and training community leaders on the importance of family history and making it an accessible tool in their communities. Now I am a marketing advisor at WikiCharities, a platform that makes collaboration between organizations possible and increases accessibility to care …

The Economic Consequences Of Rapid Population Growth In The U.A.R., Safia Kamel Boulos Hanna

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

An Organizational Model Design For A Personnel Department In Petroleum Industry In The United Arab Republic, Amir K. Rizk

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

North Korea's Policy Toward The United States: Rappochement To Confrontational Diplomacy In The 1970s And The 1990s, Seongryeol Kim

Dissertations - ALL

This research project challenges the common belief that North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons and their related delivery systems in the 1990s was a fundamental shift in its foreign policy objectives toward the United States. It argues instead that North Korea has continued to pursue the rapprochement policy announced by Kim Il Sung in the early 1970s. Its findings demonstrate that the shift from rapprochement in the 1970s to provocation in the 1990s was a tactical rather than a strategic change in North Korea's foreign policy. The U.S.'s indifference to the acute security anxieties caused by exogenous factors associated with …

Israeli Settlements In The West Bank And Gaza, Rania El Razazz

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Struggle For Self-Determination: A Comparative Analysis Of East Timor And Western Sahara, Emma Baratta

Honors Theses

Self-determination is accepted as an international right of all people, yet in many cases it still takes decades of struggle to achieve it. Through comparative analysis of the selfdetermination and independence struggles of East Timor and Western Sahara, conclusions can be drawn as to why some former colonies are able to achieve these goals while others do not. In order to better understand the challenges associated with self-determination, I evaluate the two cases based on four overarching factors which influence the process: statehood criteria and imagined community status, colonialism and occupation, presence of natural resources, and international recognition. I argue …

Tearing Down The Facade: Power, Realism, And The War On Terror, Samirah Jaigirdar

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

Realism is a powerful theoretical framework to analyze international relations, including the War on Terror. For realists, US foreign policy is a tool to achieve national interests that are defined by the pursuit of power and primacy. Twenty years after 9/11, the US is still pursuing the War on Terror in order to continue protecting and building their unipolar sphere of influence. This motivation makes the War on Terror an example of realist grand strategy. However, proponents of neorealism argue that US foreign policy is engulfed in a liberal crusader sentiment that spreads democracy. But the US’s national security policies, …

Undersea Cables: The Ultimate Geopolitical Chokepoint, Bert Chapman

FORCES Initiative: Strategy, Security, and Social Systems

This work provides historical and contemporary overviews of this critical geopolitical problem, describes the policy actors addressing this in the U.S. and selected other countries, and provides maps and information on many undersea cable work routes. These cables are chokepoints with one dictionary defining chokepoints as “a strategic narrow route providing passage through or to another region."

Peran Dan Kepentingan North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) Dalam Konflik Perang Sipil Di Libya: Studi Kasus Periode Tahun 2011-2015, Harisuda Murdani, Yon Machmudi

Journal Of Middle East and Islamic Studies

The wave of the Arab Spring in the East The Civil War in Libya that occurred in the Middle East in 2011 was felt in Libya. The conflict that started as a demonstration ended in a civil war between the government and the Libyan opposition. NATO's humanitarian intervention is the mandate of the United Nations in the civil war in Libya uses the Responsibility to Protect rule to prevent the conflict from spreading. The presence of NATO as an international community is not only due to concern for Libya but there is an interest of oil resources in Libya. During …

The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, Nermeen Mohamed El Nawawi

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Right Of Return Of Palestinian Refugees Under International Law, Reem Essam Al-Salem

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Informal Ties, Social Capital And Development: Popular Committees In Egypt, A Case Study Post-25th Of January Revolution, Lamyaa Rayan

Archived Theses and Dissertations

The 25th of January revolution, was the mark of an extraordinary event in the history of Egypt. Mass mobilizations of people in the capital; Cairo, and many big cities such as; Alexandria, and neighboring governorates went down marching in the streets calling for the toppling of the Mubarak regime. Intense struggle between the people and security forces, has left the country with a wide security gap. The security gap as a result made way to a very significant phenomenon all over the country known as; “Al-Legaan Al-Sha’abeya” or “Popular defense committees”. The Popular defense committees resembled informal-ties that brought together …

The Effectiveness Of The United Nations' Use Of Communication To Achieve Development Results: A Genuine Shift From Top-Down To Bottom-Up Development Approach? A Case Study From Egypt, Karim Wafik Ezzeldin

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on â communication for development' concepts and initiatives, in an attempt to, first, investigate the limits of the UN's perceived shift from a top-down to a bottom-up development approach, and secondly, to evaluate the degree and extent of the effectiveness of its communication efforts to achieve development results. The main hypothesis is that communication, as a tool used to achieve development objectives, remains vastly underutilized within the UN system, partly owing to the lack of adopting a genuine people-centred, bottom-up approach in favour of top-down global strategies. The thesis first embarks on a review of the evolution …

Social Capital As A Survival Strategy: The Case Of El Bab Villagers In Syria, Marwa Salaheldin Abdelfattah

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This research seeks to investigate the impact and externalities of social capital in sixteen villages in El Bab district in Aleppo, Syria. El Bab villages are located in the North Eastern region, which has the largest agricultural sector in Syria, and the highest level of rural poverty. It is part of a region that faces various challenges, primarily due to the occurrence of droughts, depletion of natural resources, and changing state policies. Consequently rural populations developed their own coping strategies through heavily relying on the informal sector to access resources which are otherwise inaccessible through formal channels. This research hence …

The Union For The Mediterranean: Theory, Challenges And Prospects, Estefania Laso Tejero

Archived Theses and Dissertations

The Union for the Mediterranean was designed to be a multifaceted project, the intention of which was to create a framework to manage both bilateral and regional relations among the nations of the Mediterranean. It is based upon the principles of joint ownership, dialogue and cooperation. It seeks to develop the region by focusing on â Political and Security Partnershipâ , â Sustainable Socio-Economic Development and Reformâ , â Educational and Socio-Cultural Exchangesâ , and â Migration, Social Integration, Justice and Securityâ . It is also meant to apply many of the principles of the EU to a different set …

Norm Diffusion Or Norm Backsliding? A Text Analysis Of Anti-Lgbtq Rhetoric, Christopher Patane, Marc S. Polizzi

Biennial Conference: The Social Practice of Human Rights

How are counter-norms manufactured, and what are their components? Current literature on norm diffusion largely views the process as linearly progressive. In other words, norms progress towards greater inclusion. However, notable cases such as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s controversial use of traditional values in the UN Human Rights Council demonstrates a potential backlash to this progression. Building on our previous case study work of Russian anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and its spread to the United States, in this paper we examine the timing and content of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric using text analysis. This allows us to model the sequencing of messaging and whether …

Eva Peron, The Radio, And Her Strategic Influence On Peronism, Or Eva Perón, La Radio Y Su Influencia Estratégica En El Peronismo, Natalya Bachoura

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Eva Perón, la radio y su influencia estratégica en el Peronismo

Eva Perón (Evita) fue renombrada por sus discursos poderosos. Jugó un papel fundamental en el ascenso al poder de su esposo, Juan Perón, y ganó mucho poder para sí misma durante el proceso. En esta investigación, se estudian las estrategias de comunicación que Evita usó para ganar esta influencia en la sociedad y promocionar el peronismo. Se va a enfocar en dos estrategias que ella usó para mostrar su éxito en capturar los corazones de la gente: la retórica peronista y el uso de emoción—pathos. Específicamente, se analiza una …

Mobilizing Discomfort For Water Security As A Human Right: A Newspaper Analysis Of Social Conflict In South Africa, Madison Gonzalez

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

There are 884 million people globally that do not have access to improved drinking water, while 2.5 billion do not have improved access to sanitation (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 2010). Those living in informal settlements and slums—what I call the ‘solidaric disaffiliated’ zones—represent one such location where individuals around the world have found themselves in a situation of neglected crisis as their geographic, economic, and social expulsion pushes them beyond the reach of opportunity and access to basic human rights such as water and sanitation. As individuals feel their dignity deteriorating due to the extreme precarity …

Economic Sanctions And Opportunism, Keith A. Preble

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Sanctions busting refers to instances where third-party states increase their material support for states targeted by economic sanctions by increasing trade as well as foreign aid and investment, which, in turn, minimize the economic costs that sanctions imposed on target states. This concept privileges the sender and contributes to the “sender bias” inherent in the literature on economic sanctions. My dissertation instead argues that the terms sanctions opportunism may better reflect the nature of the processes at work when third-party states engage in sanctions busting either for commercial profit or as a “black knight” (or a combination of them both). …

Tightening Your Grip : The Unintended Consequences Of Export Control Policies, Keon C. Weigold

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This dissertation examines the effects that policies instituted to restrict the diffusion of technology between countries have on the development of technology and international relations. Diffusion restrictions such as export controls or strategic trade controls are often instituted for the purpose of increasing the national security of the implementing country. However, this project theorizes that these types of restrictions can have unforeseen effects on the level of technological development in the implementing country and other countries around the world. The implementing country will see a decrease in their relative level of technological development while other countries around the world will …

Crisis Of Hegemony: China’S Rise To Power And The South China Sea, Vanessa Gonzalez

Undergraduate Research Projects

“Let China sleep. For when she wakes, the world will tremble.” This quote attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte has foreshadowed the international political climate of the twenty-first century. Throughout history, great empires and nations that were sure of their power could not fathom their eventual decline until it came knocking at their door. In many ways, the U.S is facing one of these wake-up calls. Its likely successor? The People’s Republic of China. From trade and technology wars all the way to what many consider the “New Cold War” in the South China Sea: the U.S has met its economic match. …

The Impact Of Political Protests In Hong Kong On Consumerism, Katherine Kane

Honors College Theses

Hong Kong’s free economy has major influence in Asia and around the world. Because of the rising political tension between Hong Kong and Mainland China, the city’s economy is at risk. There has been a long history of political dissent in the city showing a growing disapproval of the Beijing government. The political and sociological impact of activism has been extensively discussed in the literature. However, few studies have statistically tested the economic implications of the protests. During the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019-20 Extradition Bill Protests, the city’s retail and tourism sectors have seen significant disruptions. This may …

China Containment In East Asia: Preventative Or Provocative?, Rachel Solsman

Senior Honors Theses

Since the end of World War II, the United States has developed and maintained its strategic alliances with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan, and has worked to contain China through bolstering its deterrence strategy. However, after a century of humiliation, China is modernizing its military capabilities, improving in trade, and increasing political cohesion to become a regional hegemon. In light of these changes to the international order, the United States must re-evaluate its East Asian alliances and its current military and economic deterrence strategy against China. This paper will discuss the history of these alliances, the rise of …

Collige Et Impera: The United States Reengagement In Libya, Marco Schinella

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

President Biden's "America is back" pledge holds the potential to be put to the test with the ongoing crisis in Libya. The internationalization of the post-Ghaddafi Libyan breakdown, strained by great-power competition (GPC) dynamics, poses nonnegligible threats to the United States (US) national security that extends beyond Libya per se. Reframing the conflict from yet another Middle East and North Africa (MENA) conflict to an urgent multilateral Mediterranean security challenge will help elevate the country's profile on the global stage. This thesis outlines a qualitative, within-case study analysis of the ongoing Libyan crisis from the perspective of US national security …

Norm Contestation And Its Effects On Emergence Of A New Norm, Khadijeh Salimi

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

The objective of this study is to propose a theoretical model to investigate the mechanism by which contesting of a harmful legal norm by powerless individual actors results in the emergence of a new norm. While much work has been done on norm contestation at the “actor level” in the field, the structural conditions under which contesting of harmful norms by powerless individual actors lead to emergence of a new norm have been insufficiently studied, especially in the non-democratic cultural context. I developed a model that combine existing causal theories in one frame to reproduce observe conditions in the real …

Language And Cultural Identity In Post-Soviet Frozen Conflicts, Irina Paquette

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

How we, as humans, define ourselves and our national and ethnic distinction often centers on visible characteristics—physical features, group traditions, and language. Of those, language is both mutable and plays such a central role in daily life that it is often a hotly contested and manipulated factor in defining national identity. This paper examines the role language has played in the formation of crisis situations in the former Soviet Union. Linguistic identity has been used as a basis to establish the legitimacy of independence for both Soviet republics and separatist groups within those republics. As such, it is a highly …

The Second-Order Impact Of Relative Power On Outcomes Of Crisis Bargaining: A Theory Of Expected Disutility And Resolve, Tatevik Movsisyan

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

How does structure shape behavior and outcomes in crisis bargaining? Formal bargaining models of war rely on expected utility theory to describe first-order effects, whereby the payoffs of war determine actors’ “resolve” to fight as a function of costs and benefits. Value preferences of risk and future discounting are routinely treated as predefined and subjective individual attributes, outside the strategic context of bargaining or independent from expected utility. However, such treatment fails to account for context-conditional preferences sourcing from actors’ expectations of relative gain or loss. Drawing on a wealth of experimental evidence from behavioral economics, but without departing from …

Islands In The Sun: Lawfare And Great-Power Competition In The Indo-Pacific, Clayton T. Russo

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

This thesis examines the U.S.-Japan Mutual Defense Treaty and its future considering the recent developments in the international security environment. The 2018 National Defense Strategy brought back an emphasis on Great Power Competition, fundamentally transforming the role of U.S. alliances to address new challenges. In the 2021 budget, the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) has prioritized the People’s Republic of China as the number one pacing threat to theUnited States, drastically shifting international focus away from the Middle East and towards East Asia. In conjunction with funding new capabilities through the PDI, the U.S. will need to conceive new legal doctrines …

Israeli Nuclear Deterrence: The Failure Of A Concept: "How Did The Change In Israel's Strategic Context Affect The Usefulness Of The Israeli Nuclear Deterrent?", Amr Nasr El-Din

Archived Theses and Dissertations

This study will aim at examining how the changes in Israelâ s security environment affected the strategic usefulness of its nuclear deterrent. The Israeli nuclear deterrent was developed during the 1950s and the 1960s when Israelâ s strategic setting was, mainly, dominated by state-centered security threats. Consequently, Israel, at the time, was mainly concerned with the possible symmetrical military confrontations with its Arab neighbors; something that would have created strategic value for the Israeli nuclear deterrent. Yet, a closer examination of the evolution of the Israeli security environment since 1982 will reveal that Non-State Actors (NSAs) and asymmetrical forms of …