2008 Woodie Awards
Institute attended
By Suzanne Penna
in NewsIssue date: 4/3/08 Section: News
The United States Institute of Peace seminar in Washington, D.C., recently included talks with three different scholars and covered three varied topics. The seminar is set up each year by Katherine Tietge, associate professor of philosophy. It is a day set aside strictly for selected OCC students, a conference in which the speakers are accessible and open to questions from the students.
This year, David Smith was the USIP coordinator. He explained the purpose of the USIP and served as host for the seminar.
The first speaker was John Voll, professor of Islamic history and associate director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. He spoke on the issue of Islam and understanding Muslims. He said many misinformed people wrongly align Muslims with the Middle East. He pointed out the majority of Muslim people live in Indonesia. He also said Muslims are not understood in America.
Virginia Bouvier was the second speaker. She is a senior program officer for the Grants and Fellowships Program at USIP. She spoke about Columbia and the ongoing conflicts between numerous factions. She described how multiple armed paramilitary groups, guerrilla organizations, drug lords and even government security forces are involved in an ongoing civil war since the era of "La Violencia," from 1948 through 1958.
Bouvier also explained how the original causes for the guerilla groups may still be intact, but their brutality and engagement in illegal activities such as drug trafficking has led them to be labeled as terrorist groups.
The final speaker was Robert Perito. He spoke on post-conflict resolutions. He described the lack in America of any sort of working post-conflict-resolution force. While most other democratic countries have a national constabulary force, America does not. The looting that took place in Iraq after the invasion was not something the U.S. military is trained to deal with, he said.
This year, David Smith was the USIP coordinator. He explained the purpose of the USIP and served as host for the seminar.
The first speaker was John Voll, professor of Islamic history and associate director of the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University. He spoke on the issue of Islam and understanding Muslims. He said many misinformed people wrongly align Muslims with the Middle East. He pointed out the majority of Muslim people live in Indonesia. He also said Muslims are not understood in America.
Virginia Bouvier was the second speaker. She is a senior program officer for the Grants and Fellowships Program at USIP. She spoke about Columbia and the ongoing conflicts between numerous factions. She described how multiple armed paramilitary groups, guerrilla organizations, drug lords and even government security forces are involved in an ongoing civil war since the era of "La Violencia," from 1948 through 1958.
Bouvier also explained how the original causes for the guerilla groups may still be intact, but their brutality and engagement in illegal activities such as drug trafficking has led them to be labeled as terrorist groups.
The final speaker was Robert Perito. He spoke on post-conflict resolutions. He described the lack in America of any sort of working post-conflict-resolution force. While most other democratic countries have a national constabulary force, America does not. The looting that took place in Iraq after the invasion was not something the U.S. military is trained to deal with, he said.
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