For better or for worse, in an international system, outcomes in one state can have far reaching consequences. This is especially prevalent in Italy as I witnessed first hand last semester (as a study abroad student) of how refugees can effect state policies. Although refugees have continued to come from the Middle East for […]
American diplomacy has always been a cornerstone of American presence abroad, as we hold embassies or consulates in 190 countries, managing over 300 diplomatic missions. Career Diplomats are some of the most prestigious and well respected members of the United States Government. Working in tandem with US security forces, US diplomats protect and represent […]
In 2010, a Spanish man named Mario Costeja González sued Google Spain and Google Inc. after complaining that a Google search brought up a digitized auction notice of his repossessed home. He claimed that because the issue had been resolved in 1998, the information was unnecessary and a violation of his privacy rights. Google […]
The brutality of the most recent killing of a Jordanian air force pilot by the terrorist group ISIS has shocked the world, even after multiple beheadings and other news of barbaric and systematic human rights violations. This begs the question: why are human beings so ruthless, so cruel, so brutal; killing without empathy for the […]
This past week, the Reiff Center had the great honor of hosting a spectacular event, regarding the future of armed conflict. We would like to thank all of the people who came together to make this event a success: The World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads, whose generous support is always greatly appreciated […]
I am guilty of being a Facebook junkie, a Twitter fiend, and a Tumblr fanatic. I think many of us in this new century are. Social media has become an outlet for ideas, photos of cats, and a whole slew of other activities. In recent years, social media has evolved into something of a necessity […]
The international community is a confusing one with political gridlock and national interests stalling imperative decisions. I find that the challenges facing the UN are daunting and will continue to plague the world for years to come. Even so, I am not a pessimist, I believe the UN and other international organizations complete incredible tasks […]
This past weekend I served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Transnistria, Nina Shtanski. While this may seem unlikely to my readers, there is some truth to it. At Model United Nations, students at the middle school, high school, and collegiate level embody characters and countries in order to better understand diplomacy. While sitting […]
Most people can give you a pretty good guess about what the UN is, or the WTO, or NATO; but from my experience, not as many know about the ICC. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is often considered to be one of the major successes of the international community. It is a vital piece to the […]
Love and marriage, love and marriage; go together like a horse and carriage! – Frank Sinatra. This tale of love and happiness has been restricted to men and women for years, and Love and Marriage only went together for heterosexuals. In the past few decades, since Harvey Milk and the gay rights movement, things […]