The following was published originally originally on the UPenn SID blog on December 6, 2011. This Tuesday, December 6th, the National Election Commission of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is due to announce the preliminary results of last week’s tense Presidential contest. Analysts and academics have warned all week that some degree of violence will likely follow the flawed election between incumbent Joseph Kabila, opposition leader Etiesnne Tshisekedi, and the nine other candidates in the running. If violence does ensue, to what extent is the permissive environment created by the international community to blame? The election process to this … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: January 2012
Complex, Intimate Paths to Violent Jihad
The Real Lives of Islamic Radicals By Ken Ballen They could be any teenagers in an all-American coming-of-age story. Experimenting with drugs, racing cars their parents gave them, and spying on girls, they have the same inclinations as characters in American Graffiti eager to rebel and to find their independence. Except that these kids are all boys, and their female counterparts are separate and veiled. Instead of a quaint California town, their story unfolds in the harsh Arabian Desert. Instead of meeting for shakes and fries at the local diner, they enjoy eating sweet dates, making a game of spitting the … Continue reading
Welcome to the New SIRJOURNAL.ORG
Dear Sigma Iota Rho members, On behalf of the SIR Journal of International Relations executive board and the online journal team, I am pleased to announce the new SIRJOURNAL.ORG. Throughout the past semester, we at the Epsilon chapter of the University of Pennsylvania have been revamping the online journal and envisioning an expanded forum for undergraduate scholarship, unbounded by geographic and temporal constraints—a truly universal medium for academic expression and debate. SIRJOUNAL.ORG follows in the tradition of the print journal in offering undergraduate students of international relations a channel for participation in scholarly discourse, yet takes this objective a step … Continue reading