Archive for security

a city of shining lights: an inside look at urban and social policy

SIPA’s location in New York City provides an ideal opportunity for students to learn about the workings of one of the most dynamic cities in the world. The Urban and Social Policy (USP) concentration attracts a very diverse group of students from the public, private and non-profit sectors who are interested in managing city governments and non-profit organizations, and designing and analyzing policies across a variety of sectors. USP students enter SIPA with backgrounds in teaching, immigration law, non-profit program evaluation, urban transportation systems, public health, and many more areas.

USP classes are taught by faculty members with extensive academic and professional experience. Mayor David Dinkins, the former mayor of New York, offers a unique perspective in the two courses he teaches to USP students every year. Professor Ester Fuchs, the Concentration Director, served as Special Advisor to the Mayor for Governance and Strategic Planning under New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg from 2001 to 2005 in addition to her many years of teaching experience at Columbia. A number of other full-time and adjunct faculty members draw on their experience as city planners, high level officials in city government, and executive directors of non-profit organizations. They are experts in immigration, organizational management, housing policy, social movements and several other fields.

Students can choose between the Urban Policy and the Social Policy track. Both tracks equip students with strong skills in policy analysis, program management and evaluation. The Urban Policy curriculum offers focus areas in the following fields: Urban Politics and Governance; Management in Urban Public Sector or Not for Profits; Urban Social Policy; Urban Economic Development, Planning and Land Use; Sustainability and Environmental Policy; Housing Policy; Education Policy; Health Policy; Crime, Safety and Security Policy; and Employment and Labor Policy. The Social Policy track provides students with the analytical tools, management skills and knowledge needed to design, implement and evaluate the outcomes of social policies that aim to increase access to economic opportunity in marginalized populations and manage economic and social risks, such as unemployment, poverty, social exclusion, crime, recidivism, homelessness and sickness.

The concentration hosts The Global Mayor’s Forum each semester, featuring mayors from cities in the U.S. and around the globe. USP also hosts a series of roundtables, panel discussions, and brown bag events offering students the opportunity to hear from leading practitioners in the field. Additionally, USP hosts field trips for students to local museums, organizations, and historic sites.

USP graduates pursue careers in leadership levels within city, state and federal government, political campaigns, non-profits and NGOs, think tanks, philanthropic foundations, social enterprises, and academia. During their time at SIPA, many students pursue internships with the New York City government as well as with leading non-profit organizations, consulting groups, and think tanks coming up with innovative solutions to urban and social challenges. A sample of employers who hired USP graduates is available here http://new.sipa.columbia.edu/careers/employment-statistics/career-paths-by-concentration.

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Summer 2011 Intership Post #1 – Mynor Godoy

All MIA and MPA students at SIPA complete thirty weeks of professional development during their two year program.  Fifteen weeks is comprised of an internship and fifteen weeks is comprised of a group project referred to as a workshop or capstone project.  SIPA offers no summer classes and this allows our students the opportunity to complete their full time internship anywhere in the world.

There are several SIPA students working in the Admissions Office this year.  The blog will feature a post written by each of them describing what they did over the summer.  The entries should provide a glimpse of the exceptional individuals in our program and the various professional opportunities they engage in over the summer.  This first entry was written by Mynor Godoy, an MIA student concentrating in International Security Policy.

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Recreating Realities Through Art

For many Americans, perceptions of Latin America are often tied to violence, corruption and poverty. Many of these views are derived from and enforced by media coverage of the war on drugs, among other things. Colombia is considered one of those dangerous places. The United States and Colombia officially declared a war against drugs in the late 80s. The city of Medellin, Colombia was usually in the spotlight because of its most notorious resident – Pablo Escobar. However, for Colombians, the war on drugs only perpetuated the cycle of violence that had been plaguing the country for years. While Colombia has been considered a perfect conflict resolution case study by some, there does not seem to be much resolution. In contrast, cities like Medellin have experienced a transformation of conflicts characterized by a recycling of violence.  What better place to spend summer and put my conflict resolution skills to the test, right?

I decided to attend SIPA specifically because of its International Security Policy concentration and Conflict Resolution Specialization. As an undergraduate at the University of California, Irvine, I developed an interest in the phenomenon of youth gangs and was able to do research on the transnational gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13).  Even though I had some experience, I was surprised that at SIPA, I was funneled from a classroom course and into the field so quickly.  I secured an internship with Fundación Mi Sangre in Medellin thanks in part to Professor Aldo Civico, who taught “Theories and Methods of Conflict Resolution.” At SIPA, professors are the leaders in their respective fields and are valuable resources for their students. With his extensive experience working in Colombia, Professor Civico knew of plenty of organizations that fit my interests.

Fundación Mi Sangre is a local, arts-based non-profit that was started in Medellin by Colombian musician Juanes. Its mission is to help victims of landmines and internally displaced people in the cities of Colombia. It is one of the leading peace-building organizations in Colombia and it has offices throughout the country. Medellin was not the city that came to mind when I started my internship search, but after talking with the director, it was a no-brainer. Mi Sangre was a fusion of all the things I was passionate about: education, at-risk youth, community advocacy, and art. They were in the process of launching a new program known as “Pazalobien” and they wanted me to assist with their research on the role art can play in the construction of peace.

Due to the years of conflict in Colombia, Medellin has one of the largest populations of displaced people in the country.  Since the city is located in a densely populated valley, there was no place for the displaced people from the countryside or coast. These displaced people have been forced to build their homes on the mountainsides. Entire hillsides have turned red, as brick homes have overrun the lush grassy slopes. These areas, known as comunas, are very similar to the favelas in Brazil or the ghettos of the United States. The harsh realities of comuna life are twofold: the residents there have to worry about adjusting to the social problems posed by their new surroundings, and they also live in constant fear of the combos or gangs that operate in the comunas. These groups are made up of guerrilla, paramilitary and cartel influences. They have established lineas invisibles or “invisible lines” that cannot be crossed. Violent turf wars keep residents locked inside their homes.  This form of urban warfare has claimed many young lives in the comunas. The combos even threaten parents with death if they don’t give at least one child to the gang. Ultimately, many families end up leaving, resulting in a population of people that have been displaced numerous times.

In this context, Mi Sangre has partnered with a local organization called Circo Momo to help youth living in the comunas cope with the violence and create new opportunities. Circo Momo is an organization made up of sociologists and psychologists interested in the arts, which they use as a means to do social work and help rehabilitate youth who may have been victims of violence or abuse. The technique is simple enough; participating schools have one day dedicated to art in every class, from kindergarten to high school and ranging from literature to science. Staff at Circo Momo implement project-based learning and bring a framework for the day, but allow students to choose the subject. One example was the kindergarten class in Comuna 5 where the students were fascinated with robots. The Circo Momo staff structured their sculpture lesson around robots. Each student made a robot out of clay and was then asked to place the robots in the middle of their table. They would then discuss the robot family that had just been created. Each family was different and students would then be asked to decide who was the dad, who was the mom, and so on. In this way students learned to work together and accept differences. More importantly, they were able to discuss what a family was and the type of relationships families foster. Slowly, these types of projects are helping Medellin heal from the wounds of the conflict and build a generation of students that can tell Medellin’s history from a different perspective. Their perspective will be peace.

These youth groups are also supported by the Mayor’s office on Cultural Affairs, not just Mi Sangre, and the strong emphasis on social works projects seems to be a valuable investment. Yet, these youth groups were not moved into action because of a small influx of funding. Rather, they were working in their communities and trying to change their neighborhoods before the funding even came. They understood that there were alternatives to doing drugs or stealing. However, without the financial support, their organizing efforts would have been limited only to their single comuna and their sphere of influence would be much more limited.

My internship experience helped me to see that working with youth in conflict zones is my calling. During the course of my internship, I would start work at 8 AM in the offices of Mi Sangre, and then head out to interview leaders or visit classrooms in the comunas, then head to youth group meetings, and finally visit hip-hop groups that met at night around the city. I returned to my apartment at 11 PM, exhausted mentally, emotionally and physically, but with an overwhelming sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. The work that I did in Medellin demonstrated that reconciliation and reconstruction are possible in conflict zones. In short, a better world is possible. Augusto Restrepo, a representative from the Mayor’s Office on Cultural Affairs, put it the best, “When you ask me if peace is possible? These kids demonstrate that it is because if it wasn’t, they would not be in the comunas.” It is hard to find a stronger argument for the powerful role that art plays in constructing peace.  The youth living in the comunas are leading a revolution; they are recreating their communities and constructing a new reality – all without ever picking up a gun.

10 Years of Women, Peace and Security

The following post was submitted by Sawako Sonoyama.  Sawako is working in our office this year and she, along with several other students, will be contributing posts throughout the year.

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10 years ago, the UN Security Council passed resolution 1325 that focused on increased representation of women in the Security Council. The resolution reaffirms the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction.

This resolution marks the first time the Security Council has recognized the link between the security of women and peace. This is a landmark because the Security Council finally understands the ability of women to take on two roles:  “victim” of Conflict and “change agents” of Peace.

10 years have passed. How have we done? Five speakers convened at SIPA today on a panel for the UN Studies Program and spoke on this issue from their various issues:

  • Atul Khare, Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations.
  • Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Assistant Secretary General for Peace Building Support to the Peace Building Commission, and SIPA Alumna.
  • Betty Achan Ogwaro, Chairperson of Sudanese Women Forum of Darfur, Southern Sudan
  • Barbara Crossette, former NYT Foreign Correspondent and journalist.
  • Juergen Heissel from the UN Security Council Peace Austrian Peace Keeping Mission

The panel started with an interesting debate surrounding the information gap in conflict zone. Mr. Heissel gave a brief history of the Security Council’s evolution in working with women in conflict zone. The problem that persists today is still the information gap. There is no consistent and comprehensive way to report on acts of violence against women in armed conflict. There is no way to measure how much we have made progress. There needs to be a more concrete data so evidence based policy making could be deployed to helping these women on the ground.

However, Ms. Ogwaro responded by saying that the Council will never have enough data. Too many times, there were women dishonored, hurt, and killed in front of the eyes of a Peace Keeping officer. The numbers are there, however, the mandates are not matching what needs to be done to help women in conflict. Furthermore, why will a Sudanese women be able to provide data when they are too busy protecting their lives and the lives of their children?

Finally, SIPA alumni Ms. Cheng-Hopkins provided a strict remark on the progress made.  After 10 years, 3% of negotiators and 0% of mediators in conflict zones are women. To improve these numbers, she recommended that at least 15% of post-conflict aid budgets should be endorsing women and peace building. There is much more work to be done in incorporating women into peace building.

SIPA Events – Interdisciplinary Talks

SIPA is a very busy place.  Each week there are 10-15 events that feature interesting speakers and panels on a variety of topics.  The following entry was contributed by Erisha Suwal, a second year student at SIPA.  Erisha is working in our office this year and she, along with several other students, will be contributing posts throughout the year.

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While having lunch over lamb and rice with hot and white sauce, my Pakistani friends encouraged me to join them for a talk titled “ Pakistan 2010: The most dangerous decade begins.” The talk was organized by the Center for the Study of Democracy, Toleration, and Religion (CDTR). It is a Center that was founded after SIPA won a competitive grant and its main objective is to examine religion’s role in politics and international relations. The title was very intriguing and only the day before I had had a discussion   on how Pakistan seems to be in a constant state of turmoil. More than any other country. Perhaps even more than Afghanistan.  I joined them.

Christine Fair, Assistant Professor at the Center for Peace and Security Studies, Georgetown, was one of the panelists. She was speaking on ‘India and Pakistan in Afghanistan: Opportunities and Constraints.’  She argued that India had a strong interest in staying in Afghanistan especially to monitor Pakistan. She questioned why no one talks about India running intelligence operations in Afghanistan and why no one challenges India when it build schools very close to the Pakistani border. She claimed that the Pakistani Army personnel, particularly those in the lower ranks, want the U.S. out of Afghanistan because they believed that the American presence intensified Taliban presence in Afghanistan. Her talk led to a rich discussion on India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

At the talk, I found out that Terry Eagleton was coming to speak the same evening   on “The New Atheism and the War on Terror.” Eagleton is an influential literary theorist and Distinguished Professor of English Literature at the University of Lancaster, who has written more than forty books. He gave an entertaining and insightful talk. The poster said, seating was on first come first serve basis. Usually I do not follow these warnings, but I’m glad I did this time. The room filled up very quickly and I ran into some SIPA professors. I saw Mahmood Mamdani, who teaches Political identities, State and Civil Wars in Africa and Theory, History, and Practice of Human Rightsand Professor S. Akbar Zaidi was also present. He teaches Political Economy of Pakistan: State, Society, and Economy.

Eagleton started off asking, “Why are atheists obsessed with religion as Puritans are obsessed with sex?”  He commented that Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, whom he dubbed Ditchkins, were engaged in anti-god diatribe with zero conception of faith and theology. He also argued that rise of Islamic fundamentalism was similar to “chickens coming home to roost.” Eagleton delivered provocative and controversial but witty statements and entertained his audience.

CDTR co-organized Terry Eagleton’s lecture with Heyman Center for the Humanities. I missed going to lectures outside of class. It is easy to immerse oneself in course-works and socializing, Wednesday’s two lectures reminded me of how being in Columbia exposes you to cutting edge discussions in whatever field it might be.

SIPA Veterans Association

Active duty military and veterans from around the world are important contributors to the ongoing debates that form the foundation of the SIPA learning experience.   From discussing the most effective relationship between humanitarian organizations and military units in a war zone to discussing best practices in serving populations during natural disasters, SIPA benefits greatly from the contributions of students, faculty and visiting speakers with military experience. SIPA thrives on the diversity of perspectives in its classrooms and counts among its student body military students from nations around the world.

Late last month the SIPA Veterans Association hosted the following event:

Lieutenant General “Pete” Osman, USMC(RET):

Reflections on US Military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a welcome to the

Columbia SIPA Veterans Association

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Lieutenant General H.P “Pete” Osman

General Osman will share his thoughts on current events in Iraq and Afghanistan, veterans in the classroom, the New GI Bill, and the future of the US military.  General Osman served on active duty in the US Marine Corps for 37 years.  During his service he fulfilled a variety of duties including commanding officer of 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines, Commanding Officer for Officers Candidate School, and Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force.  General Osman also served as Deputy Commandant of the Marine Corps for manpower and reserve affairs.  He is veteran of both the Vietnam and Iraq wars.

Columbia SIPA Veterans Association

Please join Lieutenant General “Pete” Osman as he welcomes the Columbia SIPA Veterans Association (CSVA) to campus.  The CSVA will endeavor to assist transitioning SIPA veterans assimilate to student life, provide venues for the discussion of relevant military and veteran issues, and help SIPA Veteran Alumni stay connected with current SIPA students.

Monday, November 23, 2009

7:00pm – 9:00pm

Room 1512, 15th Floor

School of International and Public Affairs
420 West 118th Street, New York City

In Memory of Major Mike Weston, USMCR

"The most global public policy school, where an international community of students and faculty address world challenges."

—Merit E. Janow, Dean, SIPA, Professor of Practice, International and Economic Law and International Affairs

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