Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

La Prise De La Violence, La Force De La Femme, Abi Pollokoff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Excerpt from Introduction:

Qui est Olympe de Gouges ? Au fond, c’ est la femme qui a écrit la Déclaration des Droits de la Femme et de la Citoyenne. Mais, cette définition est de ce qui elle était : phrase peu claire. Aujourd’hui, elle représente le courage et une âme prête à défendre celles qui ont besoin de défense, de protection. Elle est l’espoir des femmes terrorisées par l’abus, la violence. Et donc, on a pris son image et ses connotations pour nommer une association qui assiste exactement le groupe ciblé par Olympe elle-même.

L’association Olympe de Gouges est la …

Policing With The Community, Dream Or Reality: Perspectives Of The Police Service Of Northern Ireland In West Belfast, Tom Carey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report is a culmination of three weeks of intensive primary research on community policing methods suggested in the Patten Report and the perspectives concerning police and policing in west Belfast held by Police officers as well as members of the community. My research question was; is the PSNI policing with the community as the Patten Report suggested in 1999? I set out to find if the active partnerships between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the community were actually being realized. Data was collected through interviews with both the Police Service of Northern Ireland officers from the Woodbourne …

Contrainsurgencia Y Salud: Contradicciones En La Teoría, Historia Y Aplicación Del Programa Oportunidades En Comunidades Rurales En Chiapas, José Carlos Gutiérrez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio explora las contradicciones en la teoría, historia y aplicación del Programa Oportunidades enfocado a la salud y a combate de la pobreza, basándose en la investigación de recursos secundarios y primarios pero especialmente en entrevistas con actores relevantes en la salud en Chiapas. El ensayo argumenta que las contradicciones del programa, que se manifiestan de forma concreta en las comunidades, no son producto de un error de planeación sino de una deliberada estrategia de contrainsurgencia empleada por el estado mexicano. El ensayo introduce el conflicto histórico entre el estado y las poblaciones indígenas mexicanas, expone la situación de …

Race, Class, Gender And The Law: A Study Of The Relationship Between Empregadas Domesticas And Their Patroas, Vasti Marilyn Mejía

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research analyzes the intersectionality of race, class, gender and governmental regulations, as they relate to violence against black women who are employed in domestic work. In order to reasonably address this larger issue in three weeks of field research, I have chosen to study this relationship as it relates to violence against black domestic workers, as domésticas and their female employers, as patroas, largely white women. Drawing from existent knowledge regarding the forms of oppression used against the black community during slavery, I conclude that that this hegemonic, dominant societal structure continues to function today in new, yet still …

Border Conflict And Tibet: The Asian Giants And Their History Of Power Struggle, Evan Towt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The South Asian world is dominated by India and China, their combined populations equaling almost a full half of humankind. In 1962, the two countries clashed over their border. The main reason for the war was the contest over large areas of territory claimed by both countries. The border still has not been adequately defined. This essay examines the border dispute from its roots in history, through the 20th century and into the present. It was the goal of this work to give an unbiased account of the dispute, though the weight of evidence in favor of the Indian claim …

¿Qué Significa Ser Militante En La Actualidad? What Does It Mean To Be A Militant Today?, Kathryn Campbell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In any society, the level of political activism and participation is an important factor in the way the government and society functions. In Argentina, specifically, the issue of political activism is especially significant because of the form it took during the 1960s and 1970s and the consequences that followed. Modeled after Che Guevara’s conception of the “Hombre Nuevo” (New Man), the political activism of this period in Argentina formed as “militancia,” in which political actors took up the “lucha armada” (armed fight) in order to confront government repression. After years of conflict, social unrest and government failures, a civil-military dictatorship, …

“We Didn’T Choose To Live In A Transition Society:” The Youth Of Milošević’S Serbia Ten Years Later, Jessica Tsunami Acosta

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The 1990’s were an extremely dark time in modern Serbian history, mired by wars, sanctions, dictatorship, and struggle. Those who came of age in that time find their entire lives to be defined by their country’s transition process. Because of this experience, these individuals are in a unique position to make connections between past conflicts and present challenges in Serbia. In particular, through understanding their narratives of this recent past and their perceptions of Serbia’s current progress in its transition phase, one can glean a better picture of this generation and what it holds for Serbia’s future. In allowing these …

Vietnamese Resistence Mentality, Michael Williams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

By the time tanks of the North Vietnamese Army crashed through the gates of the Presidential Palace in Saigon to reunify the country in 1975, the United States had spent almost two hundred billion dollars and lost over 58,000 soldiers in Vietnam. From the late 1940’s until the fall of Saigon, the United States had been fervently trying to prevent a communist takeover in Vietnam, spending billions to help France retain her Indochinese colonies, and subsequently billions in aid to the successive governments of the southern Republic of Vietnam. Yet despite the massive spending and military superiority, the United States, …

Moving On From The War: The Factors That Influence Contemporary Perceptions Of Former Enemies, Erin Martin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over 30 years have passed since the end of the Vietnam War, yet the memory still lingers for some. Mention of the war in correlation to contemporary politics today in the United States seems to demonstrate that Americans have not effectively put the past behind them. Similarly, the prevalence of Vietnam War-related media, such as films, music, and literature, implies that the war is still remembered strongly in American society. Why, then, do the Vietnamese appear to have put the war behind them? Most Vietnamese seem to avoid discussing the war or its consequences, and appear to revel in these …

A New Kind Of Middle Man: Looking At Fair Trade In Nepal, Julia Wilber

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The discipline of Development studies has gone through an evolution of changes in its relatively short time in existence. It has, among other things, left a legacy of vocabulary that is used to define many international interactions. Ideas of the colonizing first world juxtaposed against the colonized third world have given way to notions of an industrialized West and North comprised of developed nations and a backwards East and South made up of developing countries. Colonialism in the age of Imperialism left power and economic disparities across the world. The trends of colonial empires where the colonizer benefited from the …

Cool Head, Warm Heart: Governance And The Mission Of Microfinance In The Case Of Mc2 Micro-Banks, Cameroon, Claire Ruffing

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The concept of a cool head and a warm heart co-existing is a Buddhist principle which attempts to illustrate compassion and pragmatism as mutually compatible, not mutually exclusive. Without intelligent management, compassion is lost in its ineffectiveness, and without compassion, intelligence is purposeless reason. This equilibrium is exactly the vision of microfinance that drives this paper: an important social and moral idea that is nevertheless affected by the world and environment in which it operates. By examining the governance mechanisms affecting microfinance in Cameroon, namely the Ministry of Finance and the management structure of the firms themselves, an idea emerges …

L’Abandon De L’Excision Au Sénégal D’Ici 2015: Une Analyse De La Collaboration Entre L’Ong Tostan Et Le Ministère De La Famille, Karen Kirk

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The practice of female genital cutting (FGC) in Senegal continues today despite a law banning its practice. This study is a discussion of the collaboration between the NGO Tostan and the Senegalese government (Direction of the Family) as they work toward their goal of complete abandonment of FGC in Senegal by 2015. It examines the different roles of these two entities and how this collaboration will make this goal a reality. Key interviews with representatives from Tostan, the Direction of the Family and a third party provide opinions about this collaboration and whether or not this goal is realistic. La …

Playing Past The Troubles: Theatrical Expression In A Post-Conflict Society, Jayce Hafner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report is the result of a month-long study on theatrical expression in Northern Irish Communities. Data was obtained by way of qualitative methods using semi-informal interviews, observation, participant observation, and academic research. It is concluded that theatrical expression can contribute to building peace in Northern Ireland. Recommendations for potential future studies include comedic performance in a post-conflict society, and social development and the Belfast Community Circus.

Children On The Margins: A Case Study Of I Care's Hope Centre For Street Children In Durban, South Africa, Morgan Sullivan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Seeing street children was a new concept to me, but all too familiar to Durban, South Africa. It is something that had struck me and bothered me from my arrival here in South Africa and an issue that will trouble me for a lifetime. Working with I Care at the Hope Centre allowed me to get an inside look at the lives of some of these street children while building positive relationships with both the staff and the children alike. I began to see the children as children and saw past their rugged, stone-faced exteriors deep down to their desperate, …

Know Your Enemy: Tibetan Perceptions Of And Approaches To Chinese Studies In Exile, Katherine Mechling

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Achieving peaceful dialogue between Chinese and Tibetans is the crux of the Tibetan community in exile’s strategy to regain its homeland. Yet despite the recognized importance of cross-cultural communication the Tibetans, ideologically unwilling to separate “China the Oppressor” from “China the Neighbor” or even, potentially, “China the Co-Collaborator,” have largely avoided studying their adversary. Although increased literacy in Chinese language, knowledge of Chinese history and understanding of Chinese culture would enable the Tibetans to engage with China more effectively and productively, few initiatives exist in exile that facilitate the spread of such information. Receiving only a basic overview of Chinese …

Marriage In Conflict: Formerly Abducted Women’S Struggles With Marriage Upon Return, Julie Bailey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With the end of the twenty-year war in Northern Uganda, the area has begun the long process of rehabilitating, rebuilding, and reintegrating. For women who have now returned from abduction and forced marriage, reintegration has proven difficult, specifically in regards to these women’s desires to marry upon return. The experiences of these formerly abducted women in the bush as well as the conflict-induced changes to traditional marriage often limits their ability to remarry and thus prevents them from fully regaining their place in Acholi society. Ultimately, this study sought to examine these difficulties by looking at the societal norms for …

Dwog Paco: Tackling The Challenges Of Reintegrating Ex-Lra In Kitgum District, Takako Mino

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Broad intentions

The people of northern Uganda face the complex challenge of reintegrating former members of the LRA rebel group back into their communities. One month of field research in Kitgum district was carried out to study the reintegration process of LRA returnees and the roles of various stakeholders such as government, NGOs, traditional leaders, community members, and the returnees themselves in facilitating the process. This paper also analyzes the impact of the Government of Uganda’s Amnesty Act on the return of formerly abducted people.

Methodology

The research entailed the collection of both quantitative and qualitative information from various stakeholders …

Power To The People: Rural Electrification In Uganda, Zachary Ezor

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The absence of electrical utilities greatly impacts the lives of Ugandans. Without electricity many communities struggle to obtain the resources necessary to lift themselves out of a static state.

Rural communities have a genuine and justifiable need for electricity. These communities want to use electricity in relatively small quantities in order to: pump water, transport commodities, engage in income generating activities, practice modernized healthcare, and increase available light to extend work and leisure hours. Unfortunately, the road to achieving electrification is complex and costly.

Currently, Uganda’s electricity sector is in flux: after the passage of the 1999 Electricity Act private …

Zoran Djindjic Remembered: The Formation Of Collective Memories, Rebecca Gabrielle Porath Katz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Zoran Djindjic was the Prime Minister of Serbia and Montenegro from 2001 to 2003. Throughout the 1990’s, Djindjic was a leader in the Serbian opposition movement to President Slobodan Milosevic who advocated for major economic, social and political reforms in Serbia. In 2000, he helped engineer the removal of Milosevic from power. After two years in office and several attempts on his life, Zoran Djindjic was assassinated on March, 12th, 2003. Now, six years after his murder, Belgrade is in the process of constructing her memories of Zoran Djindjic. It is a special moment when, in the negotiation of a …

El Carácter Militar De Los Carabineros Y Cómo Influye Su Relación Con El País, Joseph Francis Wyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Carabineros of Chile are the sole police institution of the country. They possess many interesting characteristics that define the organization and construct a culture of pride, discipline, professionalism and integrity. Some of the most prominent characteristics of the institution are; homogeneity throughout the country, exhaustive education and training, structured hierarchy and a military character. The focus of this paper is to investigate the military character (as mandated by Chilean “Ley Orgánica Constitucional¨) of the Carabineros and evaluate how it has affected the culture of the organization. Then I will evaluate the military character of the institution in the context …

Supplying Clean Water To Jaipur: A Study Of Two Current Government Projects, Jenna Stearns

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Water is arguably the most important natural resource for human development, economic growth, and sustainability of the environment. Access to clean water is the most basic human need for life and health, and without it people cannot survive. Water plays a crucial role in determining where communities settle and how big they will be able to grow. Besides being the “elixir of life,” it is also essential for socioeconomic development, agriculture, industry, power generation, and other daily activities. Due to the growing population and the shortage of water around the world, it is said that future wars will be fought …

Bodhisattvas In The Pagoda And In The World: Socially Engaged Buddhism In Hue, Rachel Cotterman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

How do Buddhist pagodas and other Buddhist institutions, practices, and practitioners engage with the larger realm of society in Vietnam? Does the majority Mahayana Buddhist population enact this tradition's Boddhisatva ideal of helping all beings transcend suffering? What Buddhist teachings might provide a successful model for social engagement today? This paper addresses these questions in the context of the city of Hue, with an in depth case study at Tu Hieu pagoda that is situated within an investigation into the broader culture of Buddhism in this city.

Using participant observation, interviews, and literature reviewed, I explore the vibrant presence of …

Mitigating The Impact Of Aids On A Rural Community: Observations Of The Inner Workings Of A Rural Non-Governmental Organization, Kara Huselton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study project was to understand the impact of HIV/AIDS on a community and to assess the ability of a non-governmental organization to mitigate the negative effects of disease and poverty in the spaces where the government has failed to address community needs. The author observed employees at the Bhekuzulu Self Sufficient Project in rural KwaZulu Natal over a period of three and a half weeks in order to gain an understanding of the work done there. Secondary research was done to supplement these observations and better understand the social and economic impact of HIV/AIDS on a …

Critical Mass Representation In Uganda, Daisy-Cynthia Nneamaka Adi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In general, most societies of the world are patriarchal and as a result women’s participation in politics has historically been minute. To correct this fault, proponents of critical mass representation advocate for explicit quota systems that create special seats for women (e.g. women’s MPs), reserve spots for women or those which mandate the inclusion of women on national party lists. Proponents advocate critical mass with the expectation that female Members of Parliament (MPs) will enhance women’s rights. However, little is known about the actual contribution of female MPs to the enhancement of women’s rights in the countries where critical mass …

Alienation In Acholiland: War, Privatization, And Land Displacement In Northern Uganda, Nicole Kligerman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper presents the various dynamics, causes, and consequences of land conflicts in Acholiland. In order to comprehensively address these complex issues, this paper analyzes land conflict in connection to the Northern Uganda war, explaining the military strategies that resulted in widespread displacement and alienation from the land. This paper further explores changing Acholi cosmology and customary land law in connection to land alienation. Additionally, I examine local land conflicts as well as three privatization and “development” plans in relationship to preexisting land displacement issues. This paper highlights the opinions of my fieldwork participants regarding the importance of land to …

Teaching Peace: An Exploration In Youth Peace Building Through Peace Education Programs In Gulu Municipality, Northern Uganda, Julia Firestone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

After more than two decades of conflict and instability in Northern Uganda, there is finally relative peace. Now is the time of post-armed conflict transformation. The establishment of peace during this time will determine the direction of much of Uganda. Because youth were greatly affected by the conflict, they are particularly important to building a “culture of peace” (Interview with Mapenduzi, 18/4/2009). This study aims to explore the broad mechanisms of peace education and the role of youth in peace building using the case study of Gulu municipality. The research also utilizes key community representatives to examine the non-youth perspectives …

“For They Shall Inherit The Earth”: Seeking Solutions For Durban’S Street Children, Allison La Fave

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As a visiting white, American female, I could not help but be struck by Durban’s highly visible population of young African boys in the streets and on the beachfront. Although my experiences at a student-run homeless shelter and in the Housing Unit of Boston Legal Services have made me well aware of urban poverty and racial inequality, I was nonetheless shocked to see the extent to which young people bear the brunt of the problem in one of Africa’s most “developed” young democracies. Interested in what, if any, measures were being taken to curb the problem, I began to investigate …

The Ethical Limitations Of South Africa’S Education Market, Ethan Chang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In response to the centrally controlled Bantu Education system, the resistance movement advocated a decentralized system of educational governance that included local voices in the running of schools. In 1996, the government satisfied the movement’s demands by including local school governing bodies (SGBs) as apart of the South African Schools Act (SASA). Attached to the powers of SGBs however was a right not advocated by the movement: the ability to set school fees. SGBs’ authority over school fee policy has transformed their role in school governance from democratic platforms for local voices into efficient cost and budgeting centers. As a …

The Heart Of Forgiveness, In Light Of Unforgettable Hurt: A Multi-Faceted Perspective On Reconciliation In Northern Uganda, Barbara Vi Thien Ho

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the prospect of a peace agreement in northern Uganda becomes more likely, there is no greater time than now to address reconciliation and reintegration of formerly abducted persons (FAPs). Rather than focus on the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and reception centers, however, the study utilized focus group interviews, informal and non-formal interviews and secondary sources to gain a deeper understanding of how the community approaches reconciliation and reintegration. The study takes a critical look at Acholi community’s traditional approaches to justice and reconciliation in order to understand its strength and weaknesses in providing true reconciliation and a positive …

Vital Correspondence: Analyzing Local And International Media Coverage Of Armed Conflict, Marissa Moran

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The atrocities of armed conflicts such as those in Israel’s Gaza Strip and the Darfur region of Sudan are not reaching and affecting Westerners as clearly and potently as they should, considering the technological capabilities of today’s international news media. In this paper, I will argue that media coverage of armed conflict in the developing world is stifled by the politics of international and transnational news media organizations and the unique challenges and limitations to local news organizations at the site of conflict. Private interests, financial constraints, and physical and political limitations cause global media to emphasize mainly the violent …