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Critical Minerals, Critical Choices: Ukraine’s Economic Diplomacy
Ukraine’s vast mineral resources, including major reserves of lithium, titanium, uranium, graphite, and rare earth elements. (Image Source: Visual Capitalist; https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-ukraines-mineral-resources/) By Luca Mórocz (“Lucy”) The Argument for Sovereignty and National Identity The Russia-Ukraine war remains unresolved with three key factors shaping the trajectory: the balance of military power on the battlefield, economic and military…
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Roots of Injustice: Land, Power, and Resistance in Guatemala
A small corn field on Acatenango Volcano, in the Chimaltenango Department of Guatemala. (Image Source: Photograph taken by Christopher Unruh in Guatemala, September 2024) By Christopher Unruh and Amanda Clark Throughout Guatemala’s history, land has acted as a nexus for economic and political power. Unequal power dynamics between local communities and foreign landowners, from colonial…
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The Unfair Aid Disaster in Afghanistan
By Layma Murtaza A series of powerful earthquakes struck Afghanistan over the course of one week in October, each measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale.[i] The epicenters were in the western region of the country, resulting in a tragic toll: nearly 2,400 fatalities,[ii] 2,000 injured, 500 individuals missing, 3,700 homes reduced to rubble, 21,300 buildings…
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You Don’t Need that Latest iPhone: Extending the Life of Electronic Devices to Save the Planet
By Lindsay Bacurin Unless your current phone is broken and beyond fixing, reconsider before upgrading to the new iPhone 15. The constant drive to obtain the newest electronic devices has serious effects on the environment and human health. Electronic-waste, (e-waste), or discarded end-of-life electronics, is the fastest-growing stream of waste in the world.[i] Every year,…
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You Are Being Gaslit into Supporting Genocide
By: Priscilla Ibrahim On October 7th, 2023 Hamas launched a brutal attack against innocent civilians, killing over 1,200 Israelis and taking an estimated 200 people hostage.[i] Any person with a conscience is rightfully horrified by this atrocity. Every one of those individuals had a personality, dreams, flaws, and people that loved them. The Western media…
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The Forgotten War
By Marcus Mildenberger Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February 2023 have refocused the world’s attention on the ongoing Syrian Civil War. While the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions in the South China Sea have occupied Western military strategists and policymakers over the past year, the war in Syria has seemingly been forgotten. The removal…
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Working with the Taliban to Provide Life-Saving Aid in Afghanistan
By Lilah Wilder Afghanistan is currently facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Approximately 18.9 million peopleare facing acute hunger and at least 9 million people are facing famine.[1] There are credible reports of people selling body parts or even selling their young daughters into marriage to survive.[2] The crisis stems from the collapse of Afghanistan’s economy after the…
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Dangers of the New Israeli Government: How can the Biden Administration React?
By: Patrick Bodovitz This past year, the Israeli government elected a new coalition to power that is one of the most controversial in its history. There are both familiar and new faces, but those incoming for the first time arise particular concerns. This government is the most right-wing government Israel has ever had and its…
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A Winter Without Power for Ukraine
By: Lydia Roeder Since October 2022, Russia has carried out over 1,350 missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure[i], disrupting the lives of over 12 million households nationwide every hour.[ii] Through these constant attacks, Ukraine has suffered over a 40 percent decrease in power generation capacity and remains unable to provide electricity to 30 percent…
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U.S. Policy Toward Taiwanese Independence: A Need for a New Deterrence Strategy
By: Lauren Chiaradio. Taiwan’s independence from China is vital to U.S. interests given Taiwan’s strategic location, Taiwan’s prominence in the semiconductor industry, and maintaining U.S. credibility by sustaining Taiwanese independence. Recent increases in Chinese aggression toward Taiwan are an indication that the U.S.’s current strategy for deterring an invasion of Taiwan may be failing and signals…
American University: Journal of International Service
Great Writers Make Great Leaders
