By Sean P. Brooks

Where shall the healing begin? Let me rephrase, in which Muslim capital should President Barack Obama deliver his long-promised speech in his first 100 days to the over one billion believers of Islam?

As a partisan for then-candidate and now President Barack Obama, I will admit that the excitement of his victory may have blurred my objective analysis on occasion. However, I posed the above question to a number of individuals in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates during the first two weeks of January, when we were still in the much-hyped period of an American presidential transition. I was fortunate enough to meet government officials, journalists, and business and civil society leaders in these countries during a recent SAIS Middle East trip to the region.

The set of responses that I received in this admittedly unscientific and unrepresentative survey confirmed that indeed, Mr. Obama’s speech would be welcomed and considered important by many leaders in the Muslim world. Greater conclusions cannot be drawn, except to say that the President seems to have a number of potential intriguing settings for an address that will be judged primarily by its substance and not the choice of location.

Saudi Arabia?

For instance, Mr. Obama could take the advice that I heard most often and go to the birthplace of Islam: Saudi Arabia. To some individuals, this is the only option for the President if he wants to speak directly to the Muslim world. An addendum about the marginality of Indonesia – where most people expect him to go because of his time spent there in early childhood – usually followed this unequivocal recommendation.

Others pointed out the flaws in this thinking, which presumes that traditions of religious practice (i.e. the haj and the direction of prayer) still dictate the flow of ideas and discourse through the global Muslim community. This is not to say that Indonesia was a popular choice, only that for some Saudi Arabia was out of the question, given the intellectual and political restrictions that Mr. Obama would obviously encounter.

The UAE?

Some of our Emirati hosts naturally nominated their booming metropolises of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. They argued that Mr. Obama could endorse the astonishing economic development of these current success stories in the Gulf and present the technology, commerce, and prosperity of the Emirates as one example to which other Arab and Muslim countries could strive.

Despite acknowledging their doubts about replicating the Emirati model, they made a strong case for how the Emirates and other Gulf economies might serve as catalysts for regional change.

Nevertheless, Mr. Obama might want to avoid questions about the role of democracy in the maturation of these societies. Likewise, he will no doubt be wary of following in the footsteps of former President George W. Bush, who spoke in Abu Dhabi just last year.

Baghdad or Ankara?

Finally, two political analysts made separate cases for Baghdad and Ankara. The political rationale behind the Iraqi capital is self-explanatory and probably makes the most sense for the domestic American audience, if Mr. Obama follows through with his promise of an expedient drawn-down of American troops.

Ankara carries with it enormous historical and political opportunities. As the Saudi analyst asserted, “They are Sunni, moderate, and geographically important.” With that said, the choice might upset some Europeans, depending on Mr. Obama’s position about European Union accession.

These responses also reveal the changing dynamics in the region. There was a time when Cairo and Damascus would have been on everyone’s list, but today only the Egyptians and Syrians – probably more out of pride and not conviction – will argue that their capitals represent prospects for change and hope in the region.
The challenge for Mr. Obama is to carry a message that atones for Bush’s mistakes but also affirms that America will not return to policies that condoned the political decay in the region over the last three decades.

Obama started this dialogue in his inaugural address stating, “To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”
These lines are imbued with the restorative tenor of Obama’s rhetoric that helped him claim victory in November. They must be combined with American policies that will help leaders in capitals like Abu Dhabi, Ankara, Jakarta, and even Baghdad consolidate their recent achievements.

In rebuilding relations with other parts of the Muslim world, the key challenge is how to create an operating environment based on mutual respect, while also challenging a dangerous status quo (of which America’s past policies are partially responsible).

No matter where he goes, it is certain that Mr. Obama will have the opportunity to raise the bar of expectations that Muslim societies set for themselves. Mr. Obama must therefore demonstrate clearly that the United States seeks to help those in Cairo, Damascus, Islamabad, and Riyadh to chart a new course. However, he must stress that this American commitment to partnership depends first and foremost on the decisions to reform and innovate made by leaders in these capitals.

Emphasizing the importance of internal rather than external dynamics and actors for change would represent a bold revision in America’s discourse with the Muslim world. Indeed, from any Muslim capital, Obama can show an appreciation for the challenges of reform ahead while offering steadfast American encouragement and support for revolutionary change.

Sean Brooks is a second year Middle East Studies candidate.

I’m told that everyone watches the Super Bowl, even the President himself. So, I decided to join a bunch of Steelers fans for the evening, make inane comments, and glug cheap beer while they got increasingly tense and irritable.

Games are more fun when you back one of the teams, so having neither been to Phoenix nor to Pittsburgh, I asked myself one simple question to decide who would get the potentially decisive benefit of my armchair support: Which team had the best uniform? That immediately ruled out Arizona, with their frankly embarrassing helmet displaying a cartoon sparrow on it. I briefly wondered why they didn’t choose a more intimidating bird to sum up their fighting spirit; a buzzard or perhaps a pterodactyl. So the Steelers it is, I decided.

Having selected my team, I settled down to watch the adverts – sorry the game — and began to map out in my head what else I could have done with four hours of my life (a couple of essays, 34 games of pool, fly to Tampa and still get to the stadium in time to see the fourth quarter…). Snapped out of my daydreams by the host of the party, I was presented with a corn dog — apparently a special gift befitting my status as honorary foreigner. I was new to the concept, but it seemed to be some sort of molded, mystery meat on a stick, encased in a doughnut. I washed it down with a large bottle of something called Colt 45, which tastes like the sort of stuff problem drinkers turn to when they’ve already got through the contents of the cupboard under the sink.

My friends tried to answer my questions: “Who’s the fat guy commentating?” (John Madden), “Is eye-gouging allowed?” (No) “Why can’t anyone sing the national anthem without going all Mariah Carey and making a big deal of it?” (Leave her alone, her entire family was shot), “Where’s the bathroom?” As the first half dawdled to a close, I began to reconsider my Sunday evening options. All of a sudden the game sprang to life. A Steelers bloke intercepted the ball, barreled his way to the opposite end of the pitch, and in for a touchdown. My party friends went ballistic. Excitement is an emotion I had never associated with American sports but even I had to admit – that was quite a play.

I had heard that the commercials are usually the best bit about the Super Bowl and that some of this year’s ads would be in 3-D. I put on the cardboard specs, kindly provided by my local Safeway, but nothing seemed to work. All I got was a talking horse and a blurry shadow of MC Hammer encouraging me to trade in my gold jewelry for cash. But suddenly, 3-D vision kicked in and I was assaulted by a troupe of dancing cartoon reptiles and singing aliens. It all got a bit frightening, and Bruce Springsteen hadn’t even come on for the half time show yet. When he did, he looked like a wild-haired, deranged old uncle on crack. However, he was greeted with loud cheers by my fellow Steelers’ fans and then hoots of laughter when he attempted to slide across the stage on his knees and crashed into a camera. Clearly winded, he struggled to force out ‘Glory Days,’ helped by a man dressed as a pirate. Things went from bad to worse during the grand finale; he almost garroted himself with his guitar strap while performing a series of complex arm-flailing maneuvers. By then I was drunk, confused, and impatient for the game to get going again.

The third quarter plodded along with absolutely no sign of life from the little sparrows. But as the fourth quarter got going, they suddenly mounted a stirring comeback with two quick touchdowns. A pall of anxiety fell over the room and the black-shirted fans around me started muttering dark curses into their beers. The Steelers were going to throw it all away. I noticed, with surprise, that I was as anxious as the rest of them; chewing my nails absent-mindedly and shuffling around on my seat like a fidgety child. Then, with the clock running down, the Steelers rescued the game with – actually, you probably know the rest. Unless , of course, you’ve been in the SAIS library the whole time. (On second thought, the Steelers won).

Afterwards, my newfound friends were delirious with happiness. Someone put “We are the Champions” by Queen on the stereo, and a succession of increasingly incoherent toasts were made to their team’s status as ‘world champions.’ I considered pointing out that no other country in the world played American football (the clue is in the name), but decided it would be churlish to rain on their parade. In fact, I couldn’t help but to get swept up by the occasion. I declared lifelong allegiance to the Steelers and promised to buy one of those yellow-comfort-blanket things they all wave around at games. And I’m even considering a visit to the Steel City during Spring Break. On second thought, maybe that’s taking my newly discovered passion a little too far….

Richard Downie is an MIPP candidate focusing on African Studies.

The Enlightenment was a time of great change in Europe as new art forms, technologies, political systems, and religions emerged. While every Westerner has learned about the visible changes of this period, few people understand that the Enlightenment was a development in consciousness itself, not a mere shift in ideas.

In fact, most of the ideas that emerged at this time only existed in post-Enlightenment consciousness. By understanding the developing nature of consciousness on our planet, practitioners of International Relations can gain new insight into the rich tapestry of the human condition.

Prior to the Enlightenment, 2-dimensional (2D) consciousness predominated in the West. To a person in 2D consciousness, reality is characterized by two poles mutually sustaining each other, creating a closed system. Good and evil, God and Devil, faith and heresy, noble and peasant; the 2D universe is rigid and fixed, and the autonomous individual has yet to emerge from it’s polarities. During this period, the Earth was conceptualized as a flat disc and time was measured by the repetitive cycles of nature.

During the Enlightenment, 3D consciousness began expressing itself. To 3D humans, reality is an open system in which the closed loop of 2D polarity can be reconciled by a third point.

Good and evil are transcended by free will, God and Devil are set apart from man, faith and heresy are tested against reason, nobles and peasants become citizens.

Most importantly, the autonomous individual begins to stand apart from his surroundings and even from time itself. After the Enlightenment, the Earth was seen as a sphere, while time was perceived as linear and segmented into abstract units such as hours and weeks.

To further clarify the point, let’s look at the Enlightenment’s intellectual forefather, Saint Augustine of Hippo (died 430 AD). In his early adulthood, St. Augustine belonged to a sect of Christians called Manicheans, who believed that the universe was split into Good and Evil. These forces manifested themselves through man, who could only passively accept the evil done through him and pray that the forces of good would prevail. Manicheans had no concept of free will or an individuated soul, and clearly expressed their 2D consciousness in their belief that the individual is completely subsumed by two poles.

After a decade as a Manichean, St. Augustine became dissatisfied, saying, “I could make no progress in it.” He turned to Plato (the original 3D thinker) and integrated Plato’s ideas of the separate soul, free will, and reason into Christianity. As St. Augustine’s writings spread through the Christian world, the seeds were sown for 3D consciousness to eventually emerge.

A thousand years later, in 1336, the Enlightenment symbolically began when Francesco Petrarch climbed Mt. Ventoux, becoming the first European to climb a mountain simply to enjoy the view. To fully grasp the significance of this act, imagine yourself standing at the peak of a mountain, gazing down at the landscape stretching out to the horizon. Feel the exhilaration and isolation of this position; there is no denying that you are a separate individual who stands apart from the flat surface of the Earth.

This act symbolized Petrarch’s individuation from the 2D consciousness of his time. Significantly, he carried a copy of Augustine’s Confessions with him. Petrarch went on to become a famous poet, scholar, and philosopher whose works inspired the Italian Renaissance.

As the Enlightenment progressed, 3D consciousness manifested itself in a variety of ways. Paintings began to have perspective and depth, while the subject of art turned from religious to human themes. Martin Luther’s Reformation (inspired by St. Augustine) asserted that every individual had the capacity to interpret God’s will for himself. Francis Bacon’s “Scientific Inquiry” posited that man could discern truth by examining his environment, an act requiring man to first stand back and differentiate himself from his surroundings.

The Constitution of the United States was based on individual rights, creating a country dedicated to 3D consciousness. Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations theorized that individuals acting on their own behalf would create an ideal economy, in contrast to the fixed economies of feudal Europe. And the list goes on….

For practitioners of International Relations who wish to understand our troubled planet, it is absolutely essential to see beneath the surface and grasp that consciousness on this planet is slowly evolving from 2D to 3D. While this shift has accelerated in the last few decades, we are still living in a world predominated by pre-Enlightenment consciousness. While this situation is not inherently bad, it is very dangerous when misunderstood. Therefore, as you go through your career, be sensitive not only to different ideas and cultures, but also to fundamentally different types of consciousness.

Paul Alois is first-year M.A. candidate in International Law and president of the Integral Theory Club.

The SAIS Guy answers your questions each month on love, life, and SAIS. Today’s topics: the top 10 things to do before you graduate, and New Year’s resolutions.

Dear SAIS Guy:
First semester flew by. Give me a rundown of the things I need to do to make the most of my SAIS experience. – The Mass Ave Maniac

Dear Maniac:
Alright man, you’ve asked for it. Behold the long-awaited, first time to be published,

TOP 15 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU GRADUATE FROM SAIS

15. Insert your own here. Email your suggested list item to matt.kaczmarek@jhu.edu and the best will appear in next month’s column.

14. Start dating a fellow SAISer just to see if you can keep it a secret for more than a week.
You won’t be able to, I promise. It helps even more if the love blossoms on a SAIS-affiliated trip abroad. You know who you are, fake-secret-couples!

13. Rearrange a shelf of books in the library.
Seriously, have you ever seen anyone check out a non-reserve book? I don’t think so. I’ve been advocating for almost two years to take out all of the books and replace them with student workspaces. We do our research online now. Why not?

12. Buy a really nice expensive present for your Monetary TA, even if you took the course last spring.
It brings good luck. Trust me.

11. Take the “week-long-meal-event-challenge.”

Try to feed yourself, three meals a day, for a whole week solely by attending events with free food. You’ll be more successful than you think, but by the end you’ll for sure be over Geppetto’s tapenade.

10. Reserve a group study room for the two most popular hours one day each week but never show up.
Ok, this has got to be the douchiest item on this list, but clearly it happens all the time. First, it’s ridiculous that we only have two group study rooms when we have a gazillion people in the first year class. Second, you should really use the room or cancel your reservation if you don’t need it anymore. But, as long as no one plays by the rules, let’s have some fun.

9. Drink the Mad Dog in the fridge.
You know the one. You’ve seen that one beer in the refrigerator door in the basement of Nitze that looks like Paul Nitze himself probably left it there. That’s right… drink it. Just do it. Don’t tell anyone. Then later replace it so someone else can share the adventure.

8. Join SAISPride.
If you think you know how to have some fun in Dupont, just wait until you go out with the SAIS gays. Email saispride@jhu.edu to get on the guest list, and night after night, watch your calendar fill up with crazy memories. That, and, you might be surprised by who else you see out.

7. Write your significant other’s business school applications.
You came to SAIS because it felt good to balance that market-oriented, laissez-faire, radical free trader drive and determination with a little do-gooder democracy promotion, foreign aid, and microfinance warm fuzzy, but now you’re starting to feel soft. Still think you can get into Harvard Business School? Go for it. What’s the worst that could happen? As Professor Wedgwood says (and these are words I live by): “In life, do what makes you happy; but if you do, marry up.”

6. Make out with Mr. SAIS.
I know, hot. He’s like a mascot, but (hopefully) less furry. Plus, he embarrassed himself in front of the whole school. You might as well make him feel like the whole thing was worth it.

5. Find a way to use the Dean’s private bathroom.
This one may be an urban legend. She may or may not have her own en suite facilities. But if it’s true, you know what to do.

4. Try to take a cookie before 4:00 PM on Tuesday.
You won’t be able to. If you thought the cafeteria staff means business while making sandwiches, you should see the way they guard those cookies.

3. Get a job after you graduate.
No, really, it’d be really helpful, for all of us.

2. Pre-marg.
The pre-marg is an ultra exclusive SAIS ritual. Pre-marg is a verb, officially meaning the process of enjoying a margarita before a SAIS event. It could be happy hour, prom, Frisbee on the mall, a financial industry career panel, or even at 9:30 Monday morning before that 10:15 class. It doesn’t even have to be a margarita. Pina Coladas, vodka red-bulls, and the aforementioned Mad Dog are all valid substitutes.

And, the #1 thing to do before you graduate…

1. Make out behind the Berlin wall during happy hour.
Spring is almost here. The weather is getting warmer. Soon happy hour will be outside, and there it stands, the shining pinnacle of anyone’s SAIS career. The fall of the Berlin Wall represented the triumph of representative capitalist democracy over the totalitarian centrally-planned economy. Be sure to make this memory yours before you head out into real life. When the mood is right and you just need that romantic spot on campus, look no further, and pat yourself on the back for completing the #1 thing to do before you graduate from SAIS.
Have you done all 15? Email matt.kaczmarek@jhu.edu to get credit and find out what’s next. – SAISGuy

Dear SAIS Guy:

I’m still in the library, still procrastinating from writing a 30 page paper from last semester, and still trying to come up with a good New Year’s resolution. Any suggestions? – Late in the Library

Dear Late:
It is that time of the year again. Time to reflect on all of the crazy stuff that’s happened to you in 2008 and promise 2009 will be different, or better, or that you’ll start acting like an adult. Aside from the obvious (you should probably start your papers a little further in advance), here are some SAISer sample New Years resolutions:

Spend more time with SAIS classmates and get to know some of the fascinating people we are lucky enough to go to school with. Remember last semester how quickly we went from class to exams to – suddenly everyone was gone! It’s like that every term. Make a point to get to know each other before we all disperse.

Read more before class. We all do our reading, right? Well, we skim at least. Ok, well, most people do most of their reading. Classes can be that much more enriching if we come prepared. Some professors are smart and use techniques like reading summaries and cold-calling to keep us prepared. Consider this next time you see that number in the “amount owed to JHU” line on your ISIS statement. Are you getting your money’s worth from your classes?

Attend more speakers and panels. Think of all this extra brainpower provided at no additional charge to your SAIS experience. Force yourself to ask questions at events. It’s good practice for later in life when you get 30 second with your CEO in the company elevator.

Take up a non-SAIS activity. Frisbee? Pedicures? Tuesday nights have been my traditional non-SAIS nights. Last January I took up yoga, this year it’s beer and hot wings. But whatever your interest, get out of school for a couple of hours each week. Grad school doesn’t provide a lot of downtime, so get some when you can.

Do something to give back to DC or the SAIS community. There has to be a little public interest deep within us to be here, right? Don’t forget there’s a whole city out there that could use your help. Tutor little kids, help low income DCers complete their taxes, clean up after yourself in the cafeteria, or write a column for the SAIS Observer!

Take advantage of being in DC. It may not be America’s most exciting city, but the inaugural season and confirmation hearings put the world’s attention back on DC. There’s a lot to do here. Take some time to venture outside of Dupont.
Those are a few suggestions. As for me, my 2009 resolution will probably involve remembering more of my Saturday nights. – SAISGuy

Remember, email your suggested activity to do before you graduate, along with
questions for future issues, to matt.kaczmarek@jhu.edu and the best will appear in next month’s column.

Matt Kaczmarek is a second year M.A. candidate in Latin American Studies.

My first assignment as a writer for the SAIS Observer.  I could think of no better opportunity to talk to SAISers’ about dating and first dates.

With lots of cultural diversity at SAIS, everyone has their own understanding about “dating” and how to handle the electricity of seeing that person. Besides that, managing the time you have available to find time for that special (or not-so-special) person may be a little difficult.  Dating may seem impossible because of our tight schedules.  For many of us the only time we have to socialize is at the popular happy hours on Tuesdays at Lucky Bar or on Friday nights at SAIS. However, this situation does not stop couples from starting to date.

This begs the question: What chance do we have of meeting people at SAIS with whom we may connect?  It seems that people are not looking for romance; it just happens.  Nevertheless, how does “the chase” start?

Interviews with many well-known couples and single students at SAIS about their first dates with fellow SAISers brought out interesting pointers for dating. Speaking with students who had just started dating how the flirtation process also proved interesting.

Many SAISers felt that romance starts with a strong friendship. The best relationships flourish in a class environment where two people make back and forth eye contact and look away with nervous half-smiles, confident that they can be themselves.  Others answered that they did not know when the dating started or even more, at the beginning they did not know that they were dating! Feelings simply emerged.  Romance meant going with the flow while they took the same classes or were assigned to do a presentation together.  People need to read the signs, but what are the signs?

The simplest signs are: frequent phone calls with the most trivial of excuses, such as: “How should I apply to this internship?” “Can I have your notes?” “Do you have my pen?” Having long conversations makes all the difference.  There are other signs that are more direct, such as: Make a drink Trivial-Pursuit bet (if I win the game you have to drink)—as one of my interviewees said, drinking helps.  Other signs, that are less expected, include driving to another state to see that person, or touching his or her hand and feeling butterflies.

You know you’ve got it bad when you hug that person and don’t want that person to go away. Sometimes people feel the spark and the connection is obvious. It is impossible not to laugh when he or she says something even when it is not funny.  Well, SAISers I think that those who dare to make the first move will be surprised by the results! Feelings are always uncertain and unpredictable, but that’s what makes them exciting.

On the other hand, there were some interesting answers about SAISers’ first dates, in which things did not work out well. It can start with a planned date for a friend.  Sometimes, there is just no connection and you cannot help it.  How do you act under these kinds of circumstances?

One interviewee answered, “If there is a silence, you know that things are not going well.  You have to just start to improvise and talk about politics or econometrics.” This always works between SAISers. However, personally I think silence can be very relaxing if I feel comfortable with the person.

How do we deal with the situation if things do not work out?  Dating a SAISer means, if you split up, you will be seeing that person every day.  Our environment is so small and particular that it makes it a little difficult to avoid uncomfortable situations, so communication is important.

“One simple truth is that when nerds date it is never simple” a self proclaimed nerd and SAISer explained. Nothing is simple in this life, at least not in the environment of SAIS. But, after we have passed Microeconomics and International Trade without sleeping for days in a row, we can handle anything right?

Given all of this, should dating a SAISer be considered a plus?  Before, I thought that dating a SAISer was not an option; the classroom is a rocky environment for new relationships to bloom, and everyone is so focused on their courses there seems little time left for romance. But, dating a SAISer may have its advantages.  You are certain to share the same interests about politics, economics, development, and an international perspective about social reality.   Given mutually hectic schedule, you can understand each other’s lack of time. Sharing the same environment and the same friends makes it easier for you to spend more time with your partner, even if it’s in the library.

In the end, it does not matter if you are dating someone from SAIS or not. You may connect with someone from the outside world. What makes the relationship work depends all on you and how willing you are to act with maturity and honesty to communicate with your partner. The secret may be a lot of patience and communication, and a good friendship. As one of my interviewees said: A healthy relationship is like a healthy garden– you need to constantly tend to it and address those small weeds’ so that they do not  become big weeds and ruin what you care about.”

The author of this article chose to remain anonymous.

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper successfully passed his federal budget on February 4th with the support of the opposition Liberal Party, marking a return to the uneasy status quo in Canadian politics. The fate of the Conservative minority government has been in doubt since the three opposition parties attempted to form an unprecedented coalition to topple Mr. Harper two months after a general election.

Canada’s staid political culture was shaken loose by the proposed coalition as supporters of both sides staged public demonstrations. The Liberal Party would have been the senior partner in a government with the left-wing New Democratic Party, and supported in the legislature by the separatist Bloc Quebecois from Quebec.

Prime Minister Harper took to the airwaves to denounce the proposed alliance with the Bloc as a betrayal of the country and undemocratic. Conservative support exploded outside Quebec from 37% to 50% and the party set new fundraising records. After a tense 2 hour meeting with the Governor General (the head of state), Mr. Harper secured the prorogation or temporary suspension of Parliament until the end of January to prevent the coalition from voting down the government.

Soon thereafter, the coalition began to show signs of instability. The then-leader of the Liberal Party, Stephane Dion, had just suffered the worst electoral result for the party in decades and had agreed to resign shortly. Opponents of the coalition within the party soon forced Mr. Dion’s ouster, short-circuiting the selection process to install human rights expert and former Harvard professor Michael Ignatieff as leader.

Mr. Ignatieff played coy until the budget was unveiled, extracting a high political price from the Prime Minister for his support. The budget is brimming with stimulus goodies that send the country into deficit for the first time in 12 years.

But what caused this unprecedented and un-Canadian crisis? It stemmed from Mr. Harper’s attempt to eliminate all public subsidies for federal political parties. The opposition parties are heavily dependent on the $1.95 per vote subsidy to fund day-to-day party operations and retire campaign debt. Critics have argued that this clause was intended to bankrupt the opposition parties and cripple their campaign capacity for future elections.

Supporters argue that the policy would particularly punish the Bloc Quebecois, who receive 95% of their total funding from the federal government. Eliminating these supports would weaken the party and create opportunities for federalist parties, Liberal and Conservative alike, to secure electoral victory.

On the whole, the episode has left the Conservative government in a weakened position, although their public support has not diminished. The media has decidedly placed the blame on Mr. Harper. The Prime Minister also faces a formidable foe in Mr. Ignatieff, who is seemingly off to a strong start as leader. The Liberal Party does not appear keen for an election, as they are satisfied to let the government wear the recession. Mr. Harper is eager for a fresh start, beginning with President Obama’s first foreign visit to Canada on February 19th.

SAIS students may be asking: how does this relate to my regional interests? The Canadian calamity speaks to how political parties relate to the state. Eliminating supports for subsidy-dependent parties caused an immediate and drastic reaction. After all, these programs are usually designed to the mutual benefit of all involved. Once these programs are in place, political parties will never relinquish the comfort of cold, hard cash.

Jamie Huckabay is a first year M.A. student in the Canadian Studies program.

Career Service’s New York City Career Trek examined gender issues in an unprecedented way this January. More than 75% of alumni speakers on the trek worked on engaging women in development, tools for empowerment, and gender focused strategies. Meanwhile, the alumni discussed general career advice, family roles, accommodating settings for family issues, and work-life balance.

With gender lacking in the SAIS curriculum and gender mobility issues pertinent for SAIS faculty, the Career Trek refreshingly included organizations that are primarily focused on women’s issues and gender, with the majority of the speakers (11 out of 12) being female and in relatively high positions.

Throughout the trip, students had the opportunity to travel to different high ranking and important organizations – the very places many students will apply to once they complete their SAIS education.

The career advice given by the many individuals who spoke provided insight and support for male and female students alike. Sarina Beges, Senior Coordinator of Synergos’ Arab World Social Innovators, advised students to take at least one IDEV course, saying it was the missing piece she really wished she had from her SAIS education.

In a field so reliant on common interactions, the speakers discussed tools for utilizing already established networks, and how to form new ones. Susannah Leisher, Director of Programs at Trickle Up, discussed using her network to advance her career. While living abroad, Leisher planned a trip to the US with specific back to back meetings set up to aid in her networking, which she made clear was a necessary asset for success in any career. Be it with micro finance, international politics, or human rights relief work, connections provide the basis for interaction.

All but one of the institutions visited stressed the need for 2-3 years of consecutive experience abroad. Programs like UN Volunteers, P2 level UN positions in Peacekeeping missions, Peace Corps and the like were strongly recommended. Leisher encouraged students to “pack up and go” with or without a program. Many students felt frustrated with this advice. Given large student loan payments and the need to support one’s family, the “pack up and go” strategy seemed feasible for few.

Jane Buchanan of Human Rights Watch, Susannah Leisher of Trickle UP, and Kristina Koch-Avan from the UN all spoke about gender roles and work-life balance. Leisher described an arrangement she had made with her husband; she stayed home with her children while her husband was the breadwinner and then after a set number of years they switched roles. It was encouraging to hear this high-ranking woman speak positively about her opportunity to return to the workforce, and her husbands willingness to assume the caretaker role.

Buchanan discussed how her research trips abroad had to be shorter than previously in order to accommodate her family arrangement. She spoke highly of the willingness of Human Rights Watch to allow time for researchers freshly back from the field to attend to family care, and of their ability to accommodate schedules, both in and out of country to facilitate work-life balance.

Some students expressed concern with the trend of large sacrifices being placed upon successful and talented women. First year student Amanda Moderson-Kox recalled that the speakers discussed sacrifices they had to make and she found it disconcerting. In only one instance did it seem that the male spouse was making equal career sacrifices.

The tight balance between home and work that exists for most women in the workforce seems even more stressed for females seeking jobs in the competitive world of development and international organizations.

The Career Trek highlighted the importance of knowledge in gender theory and issues for a successful career in international relations and development. For the majority of alumni presenters, gender issues were a part of daily work. Given the meager coverage of gender issues in the SAIS curriculum, one wonders if SAISers are at a disadvantage.

At the same time, career advice demonstrated the increased burden placed on women through family roles. The young women of SAIS increasingly need an example of the capabilities of women, not the struggles. Although the Career Center’s NYC Trek provided priceless tools for the students who attended, and more fully addressed gender issues than many other areas of SAIS, it is clear that there is still a long way to go for full and fair participation for women, in both the workforce and the world.

Jessica Lamberston is a first year M.A candidate in Latin American Studies. Samantha Watson is an M.A.3 concentrating in International Policy.

By Nikolas Foster

Ahh, the International Policy Practicum. More fodder for the first day of school verbal sparring along the lines of: “What did you do over break? Oh, I went to the moon.” Excellent material for hyperbolic talk in the annual contest to out-travel our fellow students.

So where did we go? This year we went to Tanzania, South Africa, Zanzibar, Mexico, Senegal, China, and Arkansas—ask Jason about his exciting endeavors there. We did not go to Argentina—ask the World Bank about that one. But was it all about the travel?

Actually, the projects were just as fascinating as the locales: Researching bio-fuels, upgrading electricity production and grids, reducing timber overuse, and consulting environmental SMEs.

My team worked for the WWF (not the wrestlers, the World Wildlife Fund for Nature) to examine China’s position as “factory of the world” and to come up with policy recommendations that would reduce China’s demand for resources in “priority areas,” such as the Congo Basin. We came up with a topic after talking to the head of sustainable development of a Chinese computer company. This company is one of WWF’s partners and was interested in using more recycled materials in the production of their computers. We smelled a win-win situation coming along. Could we possibly come up with recommendations good for both business and the environment? Recommendations that increased computer recycling, reduced China’s demand for resources from “priority areas” and lowered production costs for computer companies?

The theory sounded great. But in practice, this proved to be a quite formidable task. We soon discovered that the country already had a highly efficient albeit unofficial recycling infrastructure in place. Given China’s huge supply of cheap labor and relatively low wages, scrap metal scavengers and computer buyers (the first tier of the unofficial recycling system) can make a decent living of about $150 a month and thus prevent the official system from working efficiently.

How so, you might wonder? If, for example, your computer dies on you, you can either take it to an official recycling center and collect 200 RMB (about $30) or cash in up to 1000 RMB (about $150) by selling it to one of the many private collection stores. If you chose the latter (and who wouldn’t) the computer will then be brought to a site like Ba Jia Cun in Beijing, where the functioning parts will be extracted and resold. What doesn’t work will then be transported to one of the disassembly sites in southern China. Places like Guiyu have become infamous for their entire population making a living by manually taking apart the computers, melting away plastics and bathing motherboards in acid baths to extract the precious metals from the computers (for some shocking pictures punch in “Guiyu” at Google images).

Officially, this should not be happening. This procedure is harming the environment and also the health of its workers while the official recycling facilities are running idle. But both the local and the central government know that millions of people make a living from sorting through trash, picking out the valuables, bringing those to collecting points, and then taking the items apart by hand. What alternative form of livelihood could the central or provincial government offer? How could they prohibit this form of recycling without causing civil unrest, one of the biggest fears of the Chinese government?

To complicate things even more, there is a huge foreign component to the problem. Every year, an estimated 20-50 million tons of e-waste are shipped to the developing world. We realized that it could not just be up to China to enforce its laws and ban e-waste from being imported or recycled that way. While China is hesitant to enforce laws that could potentially force millions of people (the scavengers, sorters and acid bathers) out of their jobs, we in the “West” haven’t paid too much attention to what actually happens to that old computer we tossed or gave to the Good Will store last time we moved.

So much for the environmental side. On the economic side, things did not look much better. While our team was still trying to establish the relationship between higher amounts of recycling and lower production costs for manufacturers, the current drop in commodity prices dampened the prospects for companies seriously interested in recycling. And in the long run, China’s efficient unofficial recycling system will fall apart once the scavengers and sorters need more than $150 a month to pay the bills. Would we then just ship our e-waste to Vietnam? Or Somalia?

Our time in China gave me a lot to think about for the plane ride home. After eight hours at 35,000 feet, when even the usually tantalizing distractions of finally watching all those “B” movies with Jennifer Aniston seemed utterly dreary, I began thinking about end life cycles and carbon footprints. I began thinking about the fact that my school (courtesy of the Luce foundation) had just spend a small fortune on me and my teammates in the hopes that we would come up with the suggestions this planet needs.

I realized that this trip, our project, would have to in an abstract way contribute not only to ameliorating my current carbon footprint, but also to addressing resource overuse and coming up with a more sustainable way of living. But how can we address this without changing consumer behavior? Can we go on shipping our stuff to China under the pretext of their comparative advantage in taking computers apart? Should we buy that ultra thin Laptop while our old one still works and we do not know how the new one is produced or the old one discarded?

Looking back at our fantastic time in China and ahead at the task of turning all our data into a presentable research paper, I guess the best thing I got out of the International Policy Practicum is that it unearthed many more questions than I had going in to it. But while the answers are out there, we might not want to hear them.

Nikolas Foster is a second year M.A. Candidate in International Policy.

By Kevin Cross

The 2009 Inauguration of Barack Obama was supposed to be an extraordinary event. Meaning should have suffused everything, the weather, Lincoln’s Bible, the colors of scarves and ties, Vice President Cheney’s wheelchair, the collapse of Senators Byrd and Kennedy.

Only a transcendent context could move the Smithsonian to seek Aretha Franklin’s great gray winged dog bowl of a hat as an item of historical note, and not merely a testament to the art of steam-punk haberdashery.

But the thing we were all supposed to have palpitations over was not the hat. No, it was quite simple, the man swearing the oath of Presidency was a son of Africa.

This was, no doubt, a huge deal.I knew the import of the moment. I voted for Obama. I’m from Illinois and met him at a constituency meeting two years ago. I read and loved Dreams from My Father. I ran in the streets when he won, and I misted up—OK, wept like grass on a dewy morn—during his acceptance speech in Grant Park.

Why was it then, that during Inauguration I didn’t feel much? Why didn’t I feel as if I were swimming in the river of history?

It could be, I suppose, that I have an appreciation for free food and drink. To be blunt, I’m a glutton. Instead of huddling around the jumbotrons on the frigid Mall with the masses, searching for the significance of it all, I was swimming in the great gravy bowl of DC largesse.

At Rosa Mexicana on Martin Luther King Day I spent a good three hours thrusting various corn-based products into a stone vat of freshly pummeled avocados. There were also shrimp skewers, pigs in blankets, and cheesecake bites. I had my first pomegranate margarita, delicious and packed with antioxidants. I believe I am set, as far as antioxidants go, for quite some time.

Later that night, at an Obama booster’s home in Dupont I had my first ever bacon-wrapped scallops. This little dish is, in my opinion, the nonpareil of non-Kosher, all-protein, surf ‘n turf, culinary duets.

At yet another event I had crab cakes, prosciutto, a lovely cheese platter and wine with a seven foot Greek communist. We shared an admiration for the kalamata olives and bruschetta. He suggested between mouthfuls that Obama did not represent the interests of the proletariat, or something like that. I wasn’t really listening, and his mouth was full of food.

The next morning I couldn’t bring myself and my distended gut to get up early enough to get a spot on the Mall. So I accepted an invitation to watch the inauguration in a corporate boardroom of extraordinary comfort and style.

We sat in red leather chairs and watched coverage from three channels on three large flat-screen TV’s. Though the office was only four blocks from the Capital, I couldn’t see the Mall itself. I could, I think, hear the crowd’s roar through the office windows.

The event was catered. I missed Rick Warren’s benediction due to the arrival of a sublime salmon pâté, which went well on everything: bread, crackers, toast, bagels, muffins, biscuits, buns, ham, and pieces of smoked salmon (something I call “death by salmon”).

Eva, my companion by the salmon pâté bowl and an African American consultant from Upper Marlboro said, “Never thought I’d see this in my lifetime.” She was in her fifties, and had grown up in Georgia. She said she’d been denied food at restaurants even through the 1970s.

Here we were now, sharing a sublime salmon pâté. I told her that I’d never had such sublime salmon, and was glad there was plenty of it so we didn’t have to cross crackers.

By the time Obama was given a chance to talk, I was quite stuffed and ready for a rousing speech. I expected soaring imagery and memorable phrases, the kind of triumphant “yes we can” homiletic that made me want to swing from light posts on election night. I wanted to be moved.

I was disappointed. The President sounded like a manager at a grocery store where I worked in high school, standing disapprovingly before us in the break room, exhorting us to punch our time cards correctly and make sure to put little bags around leaky chicken so as to prevent it from leaking on the cash register. “For everywhere we look,” he said, “there is work to be done.”

When it was done I grabbed my jacket, took a few salmon-smeared crackers for the trip back, and headed home. Around me were the people who’d been on the mall. I could feel how cold they were, and how much they’d gone through. Because there were no cars the city seemed eerily silent.

I finished off the last of the crackers. Tomorrow, a return to classes. No more salmon pâté or bacon wrapped scallops. It set in: there is work to be done.

Kevin Cross is a first year M.A. candidate in Middle East Studies.

By Gabriel Serrato

In early January, I was considering my options for getting out of town. I could rent out my apartment, make some quick cash and take a nice vacation leaving DC to the befuddled masses for the weekend. The swearing-in of President Barack Obama was going to be accompanied by droves of crowds who would invade my adopted city like swarms of locusts. Millions of beaming Americans ready to Twitter and Facebook their journey into history were going to descend on the Capitol – and they all planned on getting on my nerves.

They were going to overcrowd every place I needed to go, stand on the left side of the escalator, and bring abundant supplies of tacky clothes, souvenirs and anything else they could print, embroider or Bedazzle Obama’s name and face on.

Partly through my own historical curiosity, but mostly out of laziness, I ended up staying in D.C for the inauguration. And while the massive mob of my excited countrymen satisfied all of my expectations, I realized that there was nowhere else in the world I would rather be than in freezing Washington D.C. for that weekend.

For me, the experience of inauguration weekend did not hinge on the moment Obama recited the final words of his oath of office. While I recognized the importance of our nation’s first black president and the introduction of our new quasi-royal family, it was the masses themselves that I found most inspiring. Millions of sleep deprived Americans squeezed together shoulder to shoulder for endless hours while exposed to the freezing cold should have been a recipe for disaster. Instead it produced a national camaraderie that I neither expected nor had experienced in my lifetime.

On Inauguration morning, I stood for nine hours directly in front of the MSNBC booth at 7th and Jefferson, nearly a mile away from the action. I was surrounded by freezing tourist and locals from all walks of life, excited to usher in a new era of American history. As I tried to protect my six inches of personal space, I made small talk with those around me. Many were quite clear that Obama had erased their cynicism in American politics and had renewed their faith in the American spirit. Others literally breathed sighs of relief as they reflected on the end of eight years that were concluding with two-protracted wars and economic uncertainty.

When the lines of Hollywood celebrities began to file on to the inauguration stage everyone around me seemed to forget that their toes were frozen and their legs were weary from standing.

After a historically long campaign season, a bitter race between candidates trying to out-campaign promise each other, and two terms of what many around me considered historic ineptitude, it was finally show time.

It is difficult to explain the feeling of two million people cheering, jeering and singing together in unison, but as we got closer to 11:55am the symphony of Americans on The Mall seemed to embody the spirit of national unity that Obama had promised.

Millions of Americans covering every piece of real estate from the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial focused all of their emotions on one man and turned an amorphous campaign slogan of hope and change into discernable reality.

Four years ago I attended the second inauguration of George W. Bush, thinking I wouldn’t be in DC long enough to see another inauguration. Absent were the celebrities, bitter cold, and about a million and a half people. I literally could not give away two extra tickets, which today sit in my desk drawer as one my first Washington DC keepsakes.

There was no hope for change, only the comfort of the status quo. There were no hordes of crowds reflecting the diversity of the nation. There was no air of national mandate to unify the country. Bush had squeezed out a second hotly contested race for the presidency and his inauguration felt more like a formality to retain power than a celebration of American democracy.

Comparing Bush’s second inauguration to Obama’s first is a bit unfair, but what it reveals is the rejuvenated spirit of the American people. Millions of people together on The Mall and millions more watching across the country reevaluated their skepticism in government and were excited in the role they would play in reinvigorating the American spirit.

Obama’s inauguration weekend was physically demanding. Between concerts, balls and the swearing-in itself, I calculated that I stood among freezing strangers for more than thirty hours. And while I regret not bundling up enough and certainly miss the $2,000 I could have gotten for my apartment, there is no place in the world I would have rather been than among the dense freezing crowd of hopeful Americans on that National Mall.

Gabriel Serrato is a first year Strategic Studies candidate.