The Non-IA event that I chose to attend this semester was the Global Water Forum that took place in the 18th Ave. Library, on Friday, February 8th. This event was regarding various water crises that take place around the world and different efforts to mitigate, or even solve said issues regarding water resources. I only attended for an hour of the seminar, so I did unfortunately miss the keynote speaker, however,Dr. Vanesa Rodríguez Osuna spoke to the challenges scientists and water management practitioners face when dealing with water management.

One thing to note and take away from the Forum is that dealing with water resource issues is a complex and multi-faceted issue that requires tackling multiple other platforms than just water. One must come up with a solution that compromises between differing ideas on how to apply water management solutions, that also fit in with a particular countries social and political viewpoints and standing, whilst also taking into account their existing infrastructure and political/governmental climate. Cultural practices and traditions must be respected when doing any kind of work in another country, and one must be sure to respect the wishes of the people when carrying out actions to work towards water management solutions.

A problem that arises when dealing with water resource issues is the sheer amount of organizations that exist. This creates the problem of divergence, where different organizations are using different methods and techniques, sometimes working towards completely different goals when it comes to water resource management. A lack of unity in this field leaves most organizations underfunded and underdeveloped, and they lack the capacity to carry out full scale solutions to water resource management issues. NGO’s must come together under one name in order to carry out a strategic, well thought out, funded plan that will deal with a countries water resource issues on a full blown scale rather than multiple small startups which do little in the long run/grand scheme.

One particular country that I was able to catch during my time at the Forum was the Water Resource issue in Tanzania. One in six people lack access to clean drinking water, according to a UNICEF/WHO report made in 2004. This impact of water scarcity leads to an increase in outbreak of epidemic disease. Most communities in rural areas have to walk an upwards of 3 kilometers to find safe, clean water. Various organizations make donations and efforts to mitigate the problem, however the only way a full term solution can come about is if an infrastructure for clean water is actually made throughout the country, which faces its own challenges- difficult topography, funds, and working with government officials to decide where wells are going to be constructed and how construction will be carried out.

This event was particularly thought provoking, as it requires multiple schools of thought and methods of critical thinking to come up with a complex solution to a complex problem. On the surface, it may seem easy to build clean water systems throughout a country. But we must also look at the sustainability of said systems, and look at what the particular country wants and needs, and how it fits into the cultural, political, and social climate of the country in question. Experts in the field of international relations, cultural and social anthropologists, environmental and civil engineers, and many other fields come together to tackle this complex and multifaceted issue.

The academic event I chose to attend this semester was the Current Events Convo hosted by Sam Stelnicki on March 4th, 2019 at 8:oo PM in Smith Steeb’s glass classroom. This event was focusing on international affairs and their current status, events that Sam chose to present on. The first event she spoke on was the Pakistan and India conflict. This is a conflict dating back to 1947 regarding Pakistani/Indian rule/Independent rule and religions tensions between Hindu/Muslim. Recently, tensions have flared with a new Indian rule in 2014, and in the month of February various attacks and counter attacks have been launched. Full scale conflict is anticipated to ensue. In the Nigerian presidential election, only 1/3 of the population voted, and the election was delayed because of logistical issues. There are speculations of a rigged election from the opposition. The country continues to struggle with achieving democracy due to widespread violence and poverty. Current president Buhari made promises to deal with these issues, but since gaining power has failed to make action towards his claims. In news regarding the United States and North Korea, a conference was held to lift North Korean Trade bans and for North Korea to denuclearize, but neither side seems to want to budge. The Labour Party is willing to support a second referendum on Brexit. Their options are revoke article 50, or extend article 50 to leave more room for a decision.  Venezuela is facing a mass exodus and Latin American Countries are dealing with a mass influx of Venezuelan immigrants. Tensions arise between cultures in Latin American countries, particularly Colombia.

I feel like these type of events and conversations need to happen more often. It is a great way to touch base with what is going on in the world, and it is at the heart of what International Affairs is all about. We, as international affairs scholars, should be concerned with what is going on around us in the world, and informed on decisions that are being made by leaders and policy makers world wide.

I would love to gear more events towards this kind of style, perhaps even an open discussion across IA members so that we can get a developed perspective of world events. I feel as though we were able to do this more so in our seminar class, but as we are no longer in this structured environment, these conversations are much more difficult to foster.

Another suggestion I offer up is that we involve other scholar groups in our discussions. A general sentiment I get from International Affairs Scholars is that we all generally come from a similar political background and mindset, and it might behoove us to engage in conversations with PSL, for example, or perhaps open panels for international students to speak on events happening in their home countries. This would bring a sense of personal connection to these conversations and place a face and a person with these issues instead of just talking about them blindly without regard to the feelings of the people involved, which we often times do.