S-CAR's monthly Activity Recaps highlight the ongoing contributions being made by S-CAR students, faculty, and alumni to the field of conflict analysis and resolution. Each Activity Recap includes publications, presentations, and awards from the previous month.
Are you a member of the S-CAR community? Send your publication, presentation, and award updates to scarlib@gmu.edu so that we can include them in our Activity Recaps.
Summary
September saw the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution through the beginning of a new semester, alongside a series of events and publications. Tehama Lopez Bunyasi released her new book, Stay Woke, for which an event was held at the American Political Science Association’s Washington, D.C., headquarters at the end of the month. Two academic articles and one report were published, including a co-authored article from Dean Alpaslan Özerdem. In addition, eleven members of the S-CAR community wrote or were featured in twelve news articles, while three members of the S-CAR community made television and radio appearances. Three S-CAR faculty members made public presentations in September, including Terrence Lyons, who launched his newest book, The Puzzle of Ethiopian Politics, at USIP on September 16. S-CAR and its affiliated research centers and student organizations hosted eleven events throughout September.
Congratulations to PhD candidate Sandra Tombe, who successfully defended her dissertation proposal on September 5!
Academic Publications
Books and Book Chapters
Tehama Lopez Bunyasi co-published the book Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter with Candis Watts Smith, released on September 24, 2019.
Journal Articles, Papers, and Reports
Tehama Lopez Bunyasi, “The Role of Whiteness in the 2016 Presidential Primaries,” Perspectives on Politics, 17(3), 679–698, published September 2019; co-authored with Candis Watts Smith and Jasmine Carrera Smith, “Linked Fate over Time and Across Generations,” Politics, Groups, and Identities, 7(3), 684–694, published September 2019.
Alpaslan Özerdem and Bahar Baser, “Conflict Transformation and Asymmetric Conflicts: A Critique of the Failed Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process,” Terrorism and Political Violence, published online on September 9, 2019.
Solon Simmons, “The Aging of Empire and Future of the Inter-Civilization Dialogue,” Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, published on September 29, 2019.
S-CAR in the News
Print Articles
Michael Shank was quoted in an article by Daniel L. Davis titled “The Real 9/11 Tragedy America is Missing,” published by The National Interest on September 11, 2019.
Richard Rubenstein wrote an article titled “Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy Sows Confusion,” for Transcend Media Service, published on September 16, 2019.
Audrey Williams (MS student) wrote an article featuring Fatma Jabbari (PhD student) for S-CAR News, “In Berlin, street art prompts PhD student to reflect on Holocaust remembrance,” published on September 18, 2019.
Patricia Maulden wrote an article for S-CAR News titled “Peacebuilding & performance,” published on September 13, 2019.
Alpaslan Özerdem was profiled in an article by Mariam Aburdeineh for Mason News, “New dean is ready to build up the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution,” published on September 3, 2019.
Talha Kose (PhD ‘10) published numerous columns in The Daily Sabah: “PKK’s dirty gamble with Kurdish youth” (September 7, 2019); “Still too early to be optimistic about stability in Syria” (September 21, 2019); and “The UN General Assembly in an era of declining multilateralism” (September 30, 2019).
Nousha Kabawat (MS ‘14) wrote an article titled “Will a New Constitutional Committee Secure a More Just Future for Syria?” for the International Center for Transnational Justice, published on September 30, 2019.
Ibrahim Fraihat (PhD ’06) was featured in an article in Hafryat on September 19, 2019, profiling and praising his work in the field.
Antti Pentikainen was quoted in an article titled “An Emoji for Forgiving? Campaign Launched in Finland is Crowdsourcing Ideas,” published by PR Newswire on September 20, 2019.
Television and Radio Appearances
Min Zaw Oo (PhD ‘10) appeared on 7 Day TV discussing “Civilian Casualties” on September 2, 2019.
Ibrahim Fraihat (PhD ‘06) appeared on Al Jazeera to discuss American-Houthi negotiations in regards to Yemen. The interview aired on September 6, 2019.
Tehama Lopez Bunyasi joined the Mississippi Edition radio broadcast on Mississippi Broadcasting Service to discuss her new book, Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter. The interview aired on September 12, 2019. She also appeared on “Talkies” (September 3, 2019); “Top of Mind with Julie Rose” (September 5, 2019); “Issues Today” (September 9, 2019); “Rising Up with Sonali” (September 12, 2019); “More Talk Radio” (September 16, 2019); and “Patricia Raskin's Positive Living” (September 23, 2019).
Dissertation Proposal Defense
Sandra Tombe defended her dissertation proposal, “Transnational Opposition-Diaspora Networks: Mobilization of Cameroonian and South Sudanese in the United States by Opposition Groups in Times of Conflict” on September 5, 2019. On the committee was Terrence Lyons (Chair), Thomas Flores, and Jennifer Victor (Schar School for Public Policy).
S-CAR Events, Presentations, and Public Lectures
Public Lectures
On September 10, Daniel Rothbart presented his paper, “The Paradox of State Power over Political Subjects,” at the Conflict Research Society Conference, University of Sussex, UK.
On September 16, Terrence Lyons presented research from his new book at an event titled “A Changing Ethiopia: The Puzzle of Ethiopian Politics” at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.
On September 27, Tehama Lopez Bunyasi launched the book she co-authored with Candis Watts Smith, Stay Woke: A People’s Guide to Making All Black Lives Matter, at the American Political Science Association in Washington, D.C. A video of the event can be viewed on S-CAR's YouTube channel.
S-CAR Events
On September 9, the Fall 2019 S-CAR Student Welcome took place at the Johnson Center on the Fairfax Campus. Other in-house events from the school this month included an Admissions Information Session on the Arlington Campus on September 18 and the Welcome Back Picnic on September 22 at Point of View International Retreat and Research Center.
On September 11, Patriots for Peace held an interest meeting in Merten Hall on the Fairfax Campus. The group also celebrated the International Day of Peace with an event at the Johnson Center on the Fairfax Campus on September 21.
On September 16, the Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict (CRDC) held an Open House at Vernon Smith Hall on the Arlington Campus. The CRDC also held a study abroad information session on the Arlington Campus on September 23 to advertise their upcoming academic trips.
On September 17, the Dialogue and Difference Project launched its Fall 2019 programming with a dialogue on social violence, which was held at Research Hall on the Fairfax Campus.
On September 18, S-CAR hosted a Critical Conversations discussion featuring Dr. Fathali Moghaddam (Georgetown University), who discussed “Threat to Democracy: The Appeal of Authoritarianism in an Age of Uncertainty.” The event was held on the Arlington Campus.
On September 19, S-CAR’s undergraduate program hosted a book discussion at the Johnson Center on the Fairfax Campus on this year’s Mason Reads community book selection, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists.
On September 20, S-CAR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee held a committee meeting at Vernon Smith Hall on the Arlington Campus.