Conservation & Extinction in Madagascar
Division of Global Affairs Colloquium Announcement
Topic: The Politics of Conservation and Extinction in Madagascar
Speaker: Professor Genese Sodikoff
Date: November 5, 2009
Time: 5pm-7pm
Venue: CLJ, 123 Washington Street, Chancellor’s Conference Room 502
Genese Sodikoff is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Rutgers University-Newark. Her research has focused on rain forest conservation and international development in Africa, specifically the Comoros (1989-1991) and Madagascar (1994-2002).
Over several periods of fieldwork in Madagascar since 1994, she has examined the significance and role of low-wage labor in rain forest conservation projects, as well as the politics of biodiversity loss. Her teaching and research interests include political ecology, conservation and development, agrarian economies, biotic and cultural extinction, human-animal relations, labor regimes, green capitalism, historical anthropology, medical anthropology, and Africa and the Indian Ocean islands.
At present, Genese is finalizing a book manuscript entitled, “Workers of the Vanishing World: Labor and Rain Forest Conservation in Madagascar.”
Click here, for more on Genese. For information on the Colloquium Series “Indigenous Peoples and Globalization” click here.
DGA Professional Development Series
DGA and the RU-N Career Development Center are partners in professional development for global affairs students and alumni. The Professional Development Series is a new and developing initiative that offers workshops on different aspects of career development.
Coming Next: Workshop II – Interviewing and Negotiating - Wednesday, November 11, 2009 - 12pm-2pm - Engelhard Hall (room 211). Participants are advised to bring their resumes for the group exercise.
Every semester workshops on staple topics will be offered however the format is subject to change. The execution of these workshops are the product of DGA PR Officer, Eleni Mavrogeorgis and CDC Assistant Director, Cheryl Eegan’s brainstorm with meaningful feedback from students and alumni.
To rsvp for the upcoming workshop, contact dgaofficer@gmail.com
Simon Reich Talks Codes of Conduct
New York – November 3, 2009 – Division of Global Affairs Director, Simon Reich spoke on the culture of organizational codes of conduct for labor rights and the environment in different regions of the world. Reich was invited by Diversity Inc. to address a gathering of 120 people representing 64 companies and several government agencies at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan. Reich broached the issue of conduct mirroring risk averse practices in the American workplace. He surmised that this effect is a reflection of American legal values more so than any social agenda. Reich also offered observations on the character of codes of conduct in Europe and Asia and the behavior of subsidiaries. He believes that unlike the U.S., European codes utilize global and regional legislation, processes and initiatives as their reference point. While Asian codes are shorter and less substantial, they are more likely to have significant enforcement mechanisms. With regard to multi-national companies, Reich found limited evidence of arbitraging of codes across regions by subsidiaries and little evidence of convergence of code, form, structure or content.
H.E. Haris Silajdzic Lectures on the Future of the Balkans
On September 24th, 2009 the Division of Global Affairs had the honor to host Dr. Haris Silajdzic, Bosniak Member of the Preside
ncy of Bosnia & Herzegovina. President Silajdzic’s lecture focused on the Balkan Diaspora and the future of the Balkans. The event commenced at 7:00pm in the Bove Auditorium, Engelhard Hall, drawing a crowd from the Bosnian community in the NJ/NY area. Following introductory and welcoming remarks by Simon Reich (Director, Division of Global Affairs), Steven J. Diner (Chancellor, Rutgers-Newark) and Aras Konjhodzic (President, Federation of Balkan American Associations), the President took the podium and charmed the audience with his fresh perspective on Balkan politics.
President Silajdzic focused his lecture on the Bosnian Diaspora. He talked about how Bosnians living overseas could contribute vastly to Bosnia & Herzegovina’s political, economic and educational institutions if they returned. Making research and education at Bosnian universities a top funding priority, he stressed, is essential to the transformation of the Bosnian economy into one that can contribute to Europe. This was the basis on which he built an optimistic prediction for Bosnia’s future. With a sound and well funded research and education program, that had close collaboration with universities in the West, President Silajdzic argued that Bosnia could then exploit its geographic position and natural resources in a way that would benefit all segments of Bosnia’s diverse ethnic demographics. Thus, citing Bosnia’s rich renewable energy resources, including hydro-electric and geothermal energy, the President laid out his vision for Bosnia as an energy hub providing clean sources of energy to Western Europe. He thanked the Division of Global Affairs and Rutgers University for initiating partnerships with Bosnian universities which he felt was a historic step to fulfilling his economic objectives for Bosnia.
President Silajdzic’s road to prosperity in Bosnia was not limited to research and education. The President also emphasized that Bosnia’s eventual admission into multilateral institutions, such as NATO, is essential to changing the psychology of the diverse ethnic communities to one of unity rather than one teetering on the brink of civil war. He also gave a realistic assessment of Bosnia’s admission to the European Union, acknowledging that Bosnia would require more time to become a member however he is optimistic about an accelerated path to EU membership.
Following the lecture, a formal reception took place in the Berson Board Room where invited guests had the opportunity to informally interact with the President and his staff.
Chancellor Diner Welcomes Balkan Leaders at Historic Event
Rutgers University-Newark’s Chancellor Steven J. Diner presented the welcoming remarks at the 2009 Annual Balkan Leaders Conference, co-hosted by the Division of Global Affairs and the Federation of Balkan American Associations. Held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, Presidents and Foreign Ministers from seven Balkan nations convened to promote peace and prosperity in the region.
Recognizing acerbity and cynism amongst Balkan countries, the Balkan leaders expressed hope that all countries in the region can achieve peace, harmony and prosperity by defeating traditional biases and integrating into the European Union and NATO. They aim to defeat the stereotypical image of the Balkans as an area of conflict from the age that is past to forge a future based on a common cultural heritage and economic interests.
The Keynote Address was given by Ahmet Davutoglu, Foreign Minister of Turkey, who outlined Turkey’s vision of the Balkans as a buffer zone of economic prosperity forged on the foundations of the regions common culture and heritage. His optimistic view focused on the region’s past periods when the people were united and thrived.
His Excellency Dr. Haris Silajdzic, Former Bosniak Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina, to Speak at Rutgers-Newark
We are delighted to welcome Dr. Haris Silajdzic, Former Bosniak Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia & Herzegovina, to Rutgers-Newark on Thursday, September 24th. Dr. Silajdzic will give a lecture on the Balkan Diaspora and the future of the Balkans. The event will commence at 7pm in the Bove Auditorium, Engelhard Hall, and is open to the public. All are welcome to attend. Please save the date!
This event has been organized by the Division of Global Affairs in collaboration with The Federation of Balkan American Associations (FEMA).
Important details:
Lecture by Dr. Haris Silajdzic
Date: September 24, 2009
Time: 7pm
Place: Bove Auditorium, Engelhard Hall, Rutgers-Newark
DGA and FEBA to Host 2009 Annual Balkan Leaders Reception
On Wednesday, September 23rd, Division of Global Affairs will co-host the 2009 Annual Balkan Leaders Reception “Challenge of the Third Millennium: Lasting Peace and Prosperity in the Balkans” with the Federation of Balkan American Associations (FEBA). The event will take place at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. The list of esteemed invitees includes presidents, prime ministers, and foreign ministers of Balkan countries. Steven J. Diner, Chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark, will join Aras Konjhodzic, President of FEBA, to offer welcoming remarks. Following presentations by honorary guests, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will give the Keynote Address. The event is part an effort to develop common goals and ideals toward sustainable peace and prosperity as well as harmonious inter-ethnic relations.
DGA Student, Assel Rustemova, Co-Authors an Important Piece Comparing Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
Assel Rustemova, Ph.D. Candidate in the Division of Global Affairs, co-authored an article entitled ‘Mass Spectacle and Styles of Governmentality in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.’ The article was published in the academic journal Europe-Asia Studies, which was named Soviet Studies from 1949 until 1993. Rustemova and Harvard University Professor Laura Adams explore the relationship between the state and population that Michel Foucault (1991) termed governmentality. The authors highlight what they found to be important differences between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that larger political analyses might overlook. They argue that Kazakhstan under President Nazarbaev and Uzbekistan under President Karimov have developed distinct styles of governmentality. This difference exists despite commonalities in formal politics and the fact that stability is the primary end that determines the behavior of both governments. In their analysis, Rustemova and Adams describe how power relations manifest in each country, and to interpret how the differences influence various symbols and practices with a focus on holiday celebrations in particular. The causes of the differences found are tangential to their discussion. They reveal the positive consequences of power, such as how power ‘induces pleasure, forms knowledge, produces discourse . . . [rather than just] as a negative instance whose function is repression’ (Foucault 1980, p. 119). This article should be of interest to a wide variety of people for the innovative theoretical framework and rich ethnographic data.
Assel Rustemova is a Ph.D. Candidate in Global Affairs at Rutgers University-Newark. Her dissertation compares the styles of governmentality in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Assel completed her M.A. in International Affairs at American University in Washington, D.C. and her undergraduate studies at the Kazakhstani State National University in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Citation: Adams, Laura L. and Rustemova, Assel (2009) ‘Mass Spectacle and Styles of Governmentality in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan’, Europe-Asia Studies, 61:7, 1249 — 1276
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713414944
Europe-Asia Studies is the principal academic journal in the world focusing on the history and current political, social and economic affairs of the countries of the former ‘communist bloc’ of the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Asia. The journal explores the economic, political and social transformation of these countries and the changing character of their relationships with the rest of Europe and Asia.
Gregg Van Ryzin Joins DGA Core Faculty
The Division of Global Affairs is honored to report that Gregg Van Ryzin has accepted an invitation to join the DGA as a member of our Core Faculty.
Gregg G. Van Ryzin, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey. Dr. Van Ryzin’s research focuses on the use of surveys and other social science methods to measure the performance of government and nonprofit organizations and to evaluate program outcomes. He also conducts research on satisfaction with public services and trust of government. He teaches courses in statistics, research methods, program evaluation, and performance measurement and has published over 25 articles in scholarly journals in the fields of public administration, policy analysis, and urban affairs. Prior to joining Rutgers University, he was on the faculty of the School of Public Affairs, Baruch College / The City University of New York, where he served for eight years as the faculty director of the Baruch Survey Research Unit. Prior to becoming an academic, he had a post-doctoral professional career in evaluation and survey research in Washington, DC. He received his PhD in psychology from the City University of New York in 1991 and his BA in geography from Columbia University in 1985.
Professor Frank Fischer is Co-editor of a New Policy Journal that focuses on the interplay between Policy Theory and Real World Practices
Division of Global Affairs Professor, Dr. Frank Fischer, is the co-editor of Critical Policy Studies, a new journal published by Routledge. This journal bridges theoretical concerns and practical issues in the national, local, and global policy arenas. In addition to rigorous academic articles, readers are provided with a rich array of content including, essays on current debates and opinions from the field, reviews of published research, and book reviews. Critical Policy Studies is a fresh venue for researchers, policy-makers and practitioners to explore alternative approaches to policy-making and to promoting democratic governance.
For more information, click here
For details on how to submit a
paper to Critical Policy Studies
go to: www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rcps
