As we transition to new group of incoming students we are determining who will be our next fabulous International Administration blogger. Please check back at the end of October to meet this new person, I promise you won’t be disappointed…
Nicole
Nicole Vilegi
Associate Director of Graduate Admissions
Josef Korbel School of International Studies
Humanitarian Relief Camp in "Anstravia" (Photo compliments of Nirvana Bhatia)
True Statement. (Photo compliments of Nirvana Bhatia)
“There is only one of you for all time. Fearlessly be yourself.”
-unknown
This week has brought news of two deaths. One young. One old. Both leaving their mark for living fearlessly true to themselves.
The first: Aselefesh Darge, better known as “Emaye” or Grandma. A beautiful woman. In touch with the rhythm of life. I remember her fiesty spirit two years ago, at 96 years old: body bent from time and blindness, yet dancing and singing in her house. I am grateful to Emaye’s granddaughter, Beline Wolde, for inviting me to Ethiopia, allowing me the opportunity to meet Emaye; Grandma’s house was our homebase in Addis Ababa during the two months I was there. Emaye spent time in prayer each day, offering up the intention that she die on a Friday, like Jesus, and on the day of Emanuel (the 28th of the month). Last Friday, at 98 years old, Emaye died on the 28th day of the month according to the Ethiopian calendar. Her family and friends grieve her departure, from Seattle to Addis Ababa, but there is something remarkable about the intention surrounding her death. Amaye, you are an inspiration. I pray that I will still be singing and dancing at 98!
"Kev and Pockets"
The second: Kevin S. Belle Jr, better known (to me) as “Kev”. A generous man. Had a heart for animals. I remember the day he brought “Pockets” to work–a young squirrel he was caring for. Pockets became the New York Restoration Project’s pet for a few months, roaming around the education office at its leisure; no cage, but curiously peering into the cages of Kev’s animal collection that filled one wall of the office…snakes, cockroaches, turtles, scorpions, a lizard called “Governor” (Gov’na), just to name a few. Pockets could often be found in Kev’s sweatshirt pocket, and even came out to my crew’s garden opening in Harlem with Bette Midler. Bette opted to hold Kev’s turtle for the group picture, and took a liking to it. Kev was known for both his way with animals and for his generous spirit. He was a mentor and role model for many youth throughout NYC. On May 10th, at 24 years old, Kev died from asthma-related complications while living in NYC. A bittersweet reality–Kev leaves behind his girlfriend and their unborn child. Friends and family will be celebrating his life and mourning his death this weekend in the Bronx. Kev, it was an honor to work with you. You are deeply missed.
In the midst of these deaths, I recieved news of two babies…Mariah (Hill) and Nick Lofing (good friends from Seattle U) welcomed their first child, Peter Emanuel, into the world on May 6th. Such a cutie! And lifelong friend Michael Woods and his wife Jamie are expecting baby Ella Marie to be born any day now!! Happiness IS.
The juxtaposition of life and death is prominent in humanitarian relief work. Tomorrow morning I head into the Rocky Mountains for a four-day camping trip (and final-exam) for my “Humanitarian Assitance: Field Protocol and Survival” course. The trip is designed to be a simulation of an actual humanitarian relief camp in a (simulated) hostile territory. Our professor has extensive experience working in real humanitarian relief camps in East Timor and Ethiopia. We will be graded on six field excercises throughout the weekend, including successfully moving our 8 vehicle convoy from Denver to the campsite in the Rocky Mountains (without GPS! and without getting lost); performing a search and rescue for lost aircraft; performing a search for lost humanitarian camp workers; rescuing two injured refugees by making our own stretchers out of trees and tarps (and I’m bringing duct tape, McGyver style!); and setting up a proposed “refugee camp” for 150 refugees. At some point during the weekend, our humanitarian camp will be attacked by “insurgents.” We don’t know when this will take place, but have prepared an appropriate security protocol. The first week of class I was nominated and elected by my classmates to be Camp Commander of this humanitarian relief simulation, due in part to my wildland firefighting and US Forest Service experience. I know how to navigate the woods and what to do if we see bears or mountain lions, but dealing with “insurgents” is going to be a challenge! 
Wish me luck!
Blessings to all of you.
Hana T.
“We may have different religions, different languages, different colored skin, but we all belong to one human race.”
–Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations
Sitting here in my office at the University of Denver, I just received a DU email emergency alert: TORNADO WARNING.
Well that explains the eerie siren I heard a few minutes ago outside and the ominous dark clouds engulfing the usual blue and sunny skies. I’m a little shocked. This is the first time I’ve found myself in Tornado country! From sky and siren to email alert, I’m feeling calmly anxious…if that’s possible.
In other news, an update on our Iraqi refugee family:
Turns out the father was an ally to the US troops in Baghdad, serving as a translator for several years during this ongoing Operation Iraqi Freedom. Seems like a good enough job– his English is really quite excellent because of it. But it turns out being an Iraqi ally to the US is extremely dangerous with grave consequences. As a US ally, our friend had to take on an entirely new name and identity. His uniform consisted of a black face mask and black sunglasses. It was imperative that NO ONE find out his true identity. He and his family are incredibly fortunate to have already been resettled in the United States. Others have not been so lucky.
I am currently doing a research project for my Issues in Policy Making class, exploring US policy on refugee resettlement for Iraqi allies. Talk about a wake-up call! Allies to the US are the most hunted class in Iraq. The lethal stigma they bear as “collaborators” transcends sect or tribe, and they are being systematically targeted for assassination. Our friend had one nerve-racking encounter where he thought his identity as an ally had been realized, but was able to get his family out of Iraq before having to flee routine death threats, abduction, assassination, torture and/or extortion. As the refugee crisis has escalated, Iraq’s neighbors have closed their borders, trapping many people inside. Currently, Iraqi’s seeking asylum in the US-even those who have worked for it-are forced to apply at embassies in neighboring countries, despite the existence of the world’s largest embassy in Baghdad. Congress has mandated that the State Department begin processing applications inside Iraq, but the effort has not yet begun and it remains unclear when it will do so.
15% of Iraq’s population is in flight, either displaced internally or forced to flee across international borders. Of these millions, more than 3,000 are allies. Since the beginning of the war in 2003, only 500 allies have been safely resettled to the United States and 1,000 have already been killed. Refugee allies have not always had to navigate such a complicated process. The President of the US is the only person with the authority to accelerate the bureaucracy of refugee resettlement, as well as do away with it altogether in times of crisis. In 1975, when the North Vietnamese took Saigon and forced a wave of refugees who had either been tied to or part of the US-backed Saigon government, President Ford ordered the transport of 111,919 refugees to Guam over the course of 5 months. (111,000!! We’re talking about no more than 3,000 for Operation Iraqi Freedom!!) In Guam, they went through health, security and political screening. 1,546 of them were eventually sent back to Vietnam for political reasons, but nearly all of the rest became US citizens. More recently, in the final few months of 1996, President Clinton ordered the evacuation of 6,493 Iraqis to Guam in three airlifts. Most were Kurds, and all were under immediate threat from Saddam Hussein’s forces for having worked with American agencies. Their cases were processed at military facilities in Guam, and nearly all were granted asylum before moving to the US.
In the context of Operation Iraqi Freedom, America’s coalition allies, such as Denmark and Britian, have already begun operations similar to those described above, airlifting their Iraqi allies out of harm’s way. In 2007, the Danish government announced that it had secretly transported its Iraqi allies and their families to Denmark. In Feb 2008, Britain announced that it would begin airlifting out Iraqi allies starting in April and would continue doing so until the fall. Even Sweden, who didn’t support the war in Iraq has resettled Iraqi allies. So where is our administration?? In my research thus far, I have yet to come across even a statement pertaining to Iraqi allies from President Bush, although under both the Bush and Obama administrations, there have been policy movements. Unfortunately, these policies have done little good. I know there is a discomfort among many Americans who oppose the resettlement of Iraqi allies, labeling them as “terrorists” that will threaten US security. Even in emergency airlifts, the US goes to great lengths to process and screen refugees prior to resettlement. Do we not owe it to our allies, both in Iraq and elsewhere, to protect their livelihoods when they are at risk precisely for their affiliation with our objectives? Or are US citizens our only concern? To find out more, check out http://www.thelistproject.org/
The current US Ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill, was scheduled to be on campus last week for us students to interview. He is a Dean-candidate for the Josef Korbel School of International Studies that I am currently attending. I was very excited to meet him! Unfortunately, due to circumstances in Iraq, he has had to postpone his trip to DU. Just a fun fact: Ambassador Hill was a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, Africa in the early 1970s, prior to his career in the Foreign Service!!
Who knows where the journey may lead!
I just hope it doesn’t lead to a tornado today.
Hana T.
The divine Ms. Becca Roy!
Hello! My name is Becca Roy, and I am currently trekking through my first year in the Master’s program for International Administration at the Korbel School. Thanks to Hana for letting me share my thoughts to all of you out there (and giving me the opportunity to blog for the first time ever in my life!).
Spring has sprung in the lovely city of Denver! Today, the weather was perfect and very conducive for reflection. I can’t help but look around and appreciate the beautiful scenery that has, unbeknownst to me, officially become my home. As I was toting a big box of who-knows-what from Penrose Library to my office at my work-study job, I took a mental step back and thought about what I was doing this time last year. With my undergraduate graduation less than a month away, I was frantically soul-searching for my meaning in life, my reason for being, my purpose in this world (A bit melodramatic, no?). In essence, what the heck is next for me???
Somewhere along the line I decided upon graduate school. My choices: either stay in College Station, TX and attend the Bush School OR take a huge leap of faith (financially, academically, logistically), make the move up to Denver, and begin graduate school at Korbel. The former choice seemed like the “right” one. I had gone to undergrad at Texas A&M (Whoop!), so I know the area, have a tight group of friends down there, and you can never go wrong with Tex-Mex. =) I weighed the options for a good two weeks, flip flopping between risk and reason. Money, of course, was an issue (as it always is). But I was also anxious about other factors, too. Will I be able to live so far from home? Will I meet people and friends? Will I be able to take on the academic challenge of grad school? I finally came to the conclusion that even though I didn’t know these answers, the excitement and uncertainty of it all was something I couldn’t pass up. I made up my mind: I’ll accept the adventure and go to DU.
Three hundred and sixty five days later, I am still so thankful that I made that decision. Not only have the classes at Korbel allowed me to explore and question my academic (and personal) pursuits, the people that I have met these past nine months have changed my life. I am in a constant state of absorption. I learn something new everyday from someone here. Friends challenge me, listen to me, relate to me, and have pushed me to think more openly, act more lovingly, and dream more broadly. I am very proud of myself for taking the risk of coming to Denver, and I am overjoyed with all the blessings I have received here.
So if you are a prospective student and find yourself confronted with the difficult decision of choosing a graduate school, remember: never doubt your instinct and don’t be afraid to take a leap and go some place you’ve always dreamed of going. Money will pay for itself eventually; the true worth of something is in the experience and in the people that will perpetually add value to your life. So GO, JUMP, LEAP! But be sure you leap in the direction that is right for you. I jumped a mile high and landed right on my feet =)
Prom of all Proms
Korbel peeps dancing up a storm.
The first time I ever danced with a boy was Junior prom back in high school. I had a purple, strapless gown and my date had a matching purple tux. (You looked AWEsome, Vails!) Alas, both Junior and Senior proms were altogether awkward and wholly unfulfilling, as high school was definitely NOT the time of my life.
Ten years later, the ultimate prom experience was finally fulfilled…Korbel Prom! The Graduate Student Association of the Korbel School of International Studies hosted it at a nice hotel in downtown Denver. I had my dress from Junior prom shipped out from back home…alas, zipping it up meant not breathing for the night, so my Auntie and I hit the town the morning of, on a mission for the perfect prom dress and made it home…SUCCESSFUL… with 30 minutes to spare. I flew out the door with nail polish still drying. Thank you Carole! At the prom… Funky DJ with a shaved head and bright pink mohawk + 211 Korbel Students + dancing like no one was watching = Prom of all proms! (Open bar may have been a contributing factor.) Oh, not to mention another AWEsome date! Who said grad school isn’t the time of your life??
The funky DJ with the neon pink mohawk even played my all-time FAVORITE SONG…
“…In New York…
The concrete jungle where dreams are made of, there’s nothing you can’t do. Now you’re in NEW YORK!
These streets will make you feel BRAND new, the lights will INSPIRE you. Let’s hear it for NEW YORK”
-Jay Z’s “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys
…I couldn’t help but jump up on stage to dance! There is something timelessly INSPIRING about the song…it truly captures the very essence of all that I loved about my love/hate relationship with the Big City. It speaks to my SOOOULL! Even my parents dig it! (shocking, I know) In the weeks leading up to my NY departure last fall, my friend Amy and I huddled together around her i-pod, sharing headphones during our subway rides, learning the lyrics to this hit single of Jay-Z’s from his newly released album The Blueprint 3. This past CHristmas, Amy and our friend Meg flew out from NYC to meet up in Coeur d’Alene for a day. Their gift to me was a red fitted Yankees hat, which they had specially embroidered with the words “Empire State of Mind”. LOVE IT! The song has been my all-time FAVORITE since its release back in 2009 and I have not tired of it yet. A few weeks back DU was selling $15 student tickets to noneother than….the Jay-Z concert here in Denver! Oh, the perks of being a student!! Concert was AWEsome, as Jay-Z lit up the arena with Empire State of Mind and I danced my heart out with my new red fitted Yankees hat, reminiscing on life in the Big City.
Empire State of Mind
Prom and Concert pics! www.htnyc.blogspot.com
May life INSPIRE you,
HT
“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time.
But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
-Lilla Watson, Australia Aboriginal Activist
As a kid, growing up with beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene so central to life: swimming, sailing, walking around the boardwalk, picnic’s on the dike road, feeding the ducks every Sunday, I was under the impression that EVERY town had a lake. It wasn’t until a trip to Clarkston, WA to visit my aunt and uncle that I remember asking where the lake was and finding out– like a kid finding out there is no Santa Claus–that not every town has a lake. I had been living under a faulty pretense and Lake was not in the definition of Town. This realization made an impression deep enough to be a vivid memory over 20 years later.
And here in Denver, at the age of 27, yet another definition I’ve clung to all my life has been falsified. In Mr. Medved’s 7th grade geography class, which took place in one of the “portal” trailers at Canfield Middle School and where I sat next to the boy called “Critter” who regularly collected the dead flies from the windowsill and proceeded to eat them, while the girls squealed in disgust…anyway, it was here in the portal next to Critter that I learned about the world outside of the US. We observed borders and memorized capitals and did reports on our country of choice. I presented on GHANA, feeling a natural affinity for the country that was practically my name: G-Hana. (To this day I still call it “G”-Hana). Since then, I’ve never questioned the structure of the world: States are a given. Countries are a given. Borders are a given. White picket fences: given. (just kidding about the picket fences, but seriously how did they get into the definition of “American Dream”?)
Thanks to my International Political Theory class–my most despised class this quarter, because I had no idea what it was or why it was pertinent to my life–my definition of the world has changed: my definition of the structure of international society has changed. Borders are not a given. Sovereign states are not a given. Countries are not a given. The whole structure of our world is NEW. This idea of the “American Dream” is new because America is new. I suppose I’ve known this all along, but it wasn’t of enough significance for my brain to dwell on. So why is it significant now? Post-World War, International theory emerged for the purpose of changing the world for the better by removing the blight of war. It emerged from the dialogue around world peace. Is world peace possible? How is it possible? International political theories have been significant in the formation of US Foreign Policy. Problem-Solving theories (particularly Neo-Realism) have dominated the field, assuming the structure of the world as we know it to be natural, legitimizing it. This means that these theories are asking how world peace can be achieved (if it can be achieved) within a world that is frozen in particular ways and ultimately unchangeable in the way it is divided. These theories cannot imagine a world without boundaries, without borders, without sovereign states as the main actors. However, a different movement of theory has been gaining in popularity: Critical Theory is driven by political interest of emancipation, acknowledging that world structure is ever-evolving, ever-changing and perhaps world peace is attained through a different world structure. While problem-solving theories seek change within structure, critical theory seeks to change the structure itself.
I used to take world order as I was born into it, as given. But how effective is it really? Nation states beget Borders and Borders beget “us” and “them” mentality. Why did I grow up surrounded by prejudice against Mexican immigrants and Muslims and fear of “others”? Three generations back, my family immigrated from Finland, Yugoslavia, Cornwall and Sweden. Immigrants. All of them. “If you’re not Native-American, you’re Immigrant American.” Why does the livelihood of American “citizens” matter more than the livelihood of the new wave of immigrants seeking a better life, just like my relatives? Are we not a global community? As far as my ecological studies taught me, the Earth is one big ‘ol interconnected Eco-System. What happens in one part of the world, affects another part of the world. Natural disasters don’t pay any mind to borders. Are they really the most effective structure for world order?
In 6 hours, I’ll be at Denver International Airport to pick up a Muslim refugee family from Iraq: Ammar and Nada and their three teenagers Khattab, Hafssa, and Yamamah. My friend Stuart rallied us friends to sponsor this family. Living examples of the reality of war, that I have been so far removed from. I can’t imagine the devastation if Idaho had been declared war upon, and the world as I knew and loved was suddenly destroyed. Family and friends killed, no longer safe to go feed the ducks at Lake Coeur d’Alene on Sundays. And then, as a 14-year old girl, like Yamamah, have to leave everything familiar behind to become a refugee in… Brazil: I don’t know Portuguese! I really have no answers, but between my International Political Theory course and sponsoring a refugee family for the rest of this year, my brain’s getting out of the “Neo-Realist” box for awhile.
Is world peace possible in this world as we know it?
Here we are in the MIDST OF FINALS…
My friends are all looking forward to CELEBRATING the end of finals tomorrow or friday night. ME? I won’t be celebrating until SUNDAY night. Something is wrong with this picture… TWO DAYS of my Spring Break will be impeded upon with Final Exams. 
Boo.
But on the BRIGHT SIDE…
Final paper for Int’l Development from a Cross-Cultural Perspective is DONE! Wrote about the possibility for Sustainable Development options through which to EMPOWER a community I’d like to work with in Ethiopia. Final papers aren’t so bad!! One down, three more essays and one Stats Exam to go! Little by little. One DAY at a TIME!
JAY-Z Tickets ON SALE for $15 on campus!! My friend and I heard about this last week and RAN out of class mid-lecture! We secured tickets for the upcoming AWESOMENESS! I moved out here via New York City, so Jay-Z’s new album holds a special place in my heart with his “Empire State of Mind” song. Gotta CELEBRATE the small JOYS! Concert coming up 1st day of Spring quarter!
Gotta get back to an essay on the challenges of current Penion Systems for my Comparative Public Policy and Finance course. Actually proving to be VERY interesting, as pension systems will affect me– so better start thinking about SAVING for retirement NOW! Thanks to my parents for kicking off my first IRA as my gift this past Christmas. Never too early to start saving. Happiness IS.
Hana
Leng's 23rd Birthday TODAY! Andy, Leng and Stuey at Casa Bonita!
Greetings! To be completely honest I do not know where to start but allow me to introduce myself; My name is Leng Yang and like Hana I am a Master’s International Candidate going into International Administration. This is also my first year as a DU Graduate student and my first time living in Denver as well.
My experience so far at DU has been great, it has been both challenging and rewarding; though I understand saying these things are often cliche, it truly has been. Since I have such a limited amount of time to complete this post, I will speak on three different aspects of DU Korbel and the Graduate life: Classes, Professors and Social Life.
Classes:
Thankfully, each of my quarters has been a very good mix of theory courses, practical courses and stats. Theory courses (Like International Political Economy or Comparative Politics) are very focused on reading material and it is not uncommon to read 100-200 pages a week. Although some of the readings can be quite challenging, in the end it is quite worthwhile and definitely helped me see things in a new light.
So far, my practical courses have been my favorite courses and for good reason: they let me see what I want to be doing in action. The approach of these courses brings together the theory you learn in class with the reality of the outside world and by doing so you get a taste of what you will be doing once your studies are complete.
And then there is Stats and whenever I am reminded of Stats I smile. Stats has been a course which has brought MANY people together, I don’t think I would have known the people I have met in the class without having Stats as a medium. Overall, I have enjoyed the class and the stories and things which go on only in Stats. It has been an experience but a good experience.
Professors:
So far, I have admired and respected all my professors. Each one is very knowledgeable about their topic and what is most important, they are so willing to help you learn and grow as an individual. I have not had a negative experience with a professor thus far and I hope this continues.
Social Life:
Like Hana, who came from a very engaged undergraduate life, the social life of the graduate student ebbs and flows. I have been very fortunate in the people I have met and the friends I have made, they are my family here in Denver from my older brothers to my older sisters (lol haven’t met my younger siblings yet). I must admit that in the fall quarter, it is rather difficult to meet people initially due to the fact that so many people have lives outside of school, we all do which includes: Internships, Jobs, Family (Many people I’ve met are married or have children) and of course, student groups and homework. Juggling all of this can be difficult and often comes with the expense of a less engaged social life. Not to mention most people live in apartments or houses either around campus or 15 minutes away which adds to the lack of interaction among people. However, I am fortunate and glad of the people I have met and who have befriended me and made my life easier and more fun.
Overall, Denver has been good to me but now I must rush off as my friend is waiting at the door! For any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at lyang25@du.edu. Much love.
