International Affairs Symposium
Strings Attached: Tracing the Global Systems that Bind.
Lewis & Clark’s 62nd International Affairs Symposium
April 8-10, 2024
Do borders increase or decrease security?
A prominent concern of borders is security. Border policies often cover immigration, trade, transport, and refugee policy. Some argue that they are not successful at making the world secure, and that they are used as tools of oppression. Others believe that strong borders are necessary for a strong country. Can border policies effectively meet security concerns?
Todd Miller and Christopher Rudolph
Moderated by: Dr. Elliott Young, Professor of History
Todd Miller: Todd Miller is an investigative journalist based in Tucson, Arizona. Over his 15-year career as a researcher and writer, he has published work concerning migration, border-related issues, and the Department of Homeland Security. He’s a contributing editor on border and immigration issues for the North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA) Report and its column “Border Wars”.
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Christopher Rudolph:
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Is humanitarian intervention worth compromising state sovereignty?
Humanitarian intervention was born out of a sense of responsibility to protect those in dire need of help: countries struck by natural disasters, communities deprived of their fundamental human rights, and so on. Does the international community have a moral imperative to relieve suffering from compromised communities, or are the political implications of compromising state sovereignty too great?
John R. Bolton and Juan Sebastián Chamorro
Moderated by: Dr. Suparna Chaudhry, Assistant Professor of International Affairs
John R. Bolton: Ambassador John Bolton has served as National Security Advisor under former President Donald Trump, as the Ambassador to the United Nations under former President George W. Bush, and as the Attorney General for the Civil Division under former President Ronald Reagan. Ambassador Bolton is currently a diplomat and lawyer. He has spent a long and fulfilling career fighting to protect American values and national interests. He has also written extensively in prominent outlets on national security and foreign policy issues.
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Juan Sebastián Chamorro:
Juan Sebastián Chamorro is a Hewlett Visiting Fellow at the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Previously, he served multiple roles under the Nicaraguan President Enrique Bolaños, and was registered as a candidate for president of Nicaragua in its 2021 general elections. However, he was detained in a wave of arrests of opposition candidates and civic leaders. He was released in February 2023, and currently focuses on the field of human rights violations.
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Are emerging powers likely to succeed in efforts to challenge the global order?
As nations such as China, India, Brazil, and others ascend to prominence on the world stage, some believe they harbor shared ambitions to challenge the Western monopoly on international norms and institutions. These emerging nations have significant influence, but also face many obstacles. Can these aspiring powers navigate these hurdles and surface as true contenders to the prevailing global order?
Patrick Bond
Moderated by: Dr. Kyle Lascurettes, Associate Professor of International Affairs
TBD
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Patrick Bond: Patrick Bond is Professor of Sociology at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. Bond is an activist and author known for his work in the fields of political economy, social mobilization, and economic geography. Bond has also published numerous articles and books on social change, governance, and development. He has also served as the director of the Centre for Civil Society at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has worked closely with social movement organizations.
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What role, if any, should religion play in Peacebuilding and conflict resolution?
Religion has influenced conflicts and wars across the world throughout history. Its role in fragile conflict resolution processes can be inflammatory because faith is frequently intertwined with core identities, but this is also why some argue that involving religion can be so effective. Does highlighting religion further inflame existing tensions, or is religion key to achieving lasting peace?
Martine Miller and Jason Klocek
Moderated by: Dr. Paul Powers, Professor of Religious Studies
Martine Miller: Martine Miller is the Executive Vice President of the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy in Washington, D.C. and for the last 20 years has worked as a conflict transformation specialist and mediator across governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and academic institutions. She has worked in post-war reconstruction in 90 countries, specializing in identity-based issues such as religion and ethnicity.
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Jason Klocek:
Jason Klocek is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nottingham and Faculty Affiliate of the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society. Klocek was recently elected as Vice-Chair of the Religion in International Relations Section of the International Studies Association. He has worked with the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan, acts as a senior researcher for the National Science Foundation, and has been a prolific researcher studying the intersection of violence, politics, and religion.
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Is international intellectual property regulation a necessary protection for innovators or a form of modern imperialism?
Patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc, are intangible legal protections that allow creators to monopolize the distribution of their ideas. The international system managing these rights is often praised for promoting and protecting innovation. However, it raises the costs of acquiring new technologies, life-saving medicines, and access to knowledge for developing states. How should international intellectual property standards balance these competing interests?
Pieter Cleppe and Stephan Kinsella
Moderated by: Dr. Elizabeth Bennett, Joseph M. Ha Associate Professor of International Affairs and Program Director of Political Economy
Pieter Cleppe: Pieter Cleppe is Editor-in-Chief of BrusselsReport.eu, which publishes news about the European Union and its Single Market. He has prominently critiqued the World Trade Organization’s Intellectual Property policies in response to COVID-19 vaccine distribution issues. Cleppe worked as a cabinet advisor for Belgium’s Secretary for Administrative Reform, before founding the Itinera Institute as well as the Brussels and Berlin offices of Open Europe, two free-market think tanks.
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Stephan Kinsella: Stephan Kinsella is a patent attorney and writer residing in Houston, Texas. His focus includes intellectual property law, international law, and libertarian legal theory. He is the founder and Director of the Center of the Study of Innovative Freedom, the founder and Executive Editor of Libertarian Papers. He has written extensively on property rights, title transfers, and broader intellectual property issues.
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Should developing states be willing to sacrifice control over their cultures for the potential economic benefits of marketization?
Trading with international partners can raise indicators of economic health, boost development, and contribute to raising millions out of poverty. However, opening the doors to international markets can have detrimental effects on the uniqueness of a state’s culture, both through its commodification, and the importation of foreign ideas. Should states seek out these economic benefits regardless?
Vladimir Snurenco and Elias Wahab
Moderated by: Dr. Kim Cameron Dominguez, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Vladimir Snurenco: Vladimir Snurenco is the Senior Project Manager of the Poverty Centre at the Acton Institute. Snurenco is also a Professor of Economics at the Calvin University in Michigan, and the founder of the American Language Centre in Moldova. Snurenco has written articles on food poverty and stock market development within Moldova and takes great interest in the ties between marketization and culture.
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Elias Wahab: Elias Wahab is a Professor of Sociology at Lagos University in Nigeria. He has published work on many topics such as the erosion of cultural values in Nigerian society as a result of capitalist colonialism. He explores how global mobility and enhanced communication enable individuals to construct their identities transcending geographical constraints. His research also extends to disability concerns, and he is an expert on issues plaguing the aging population of Nigeria.
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International Affairs is located in John R. Howard Hall on the Undergraduate Campus.
MSC: 36
email iaffairs@lclark.edu
voice 503-768-7630
Chair Bob Mandel
International Affairs
Lewis & Clark
615 S. Palatine Hill Road MSC 36
Portland OR 97219