Pope Francis Approves Same-Sex Marriage

Pictured above: Pope Francis. Photo courtesy of WikiMedia.

By Amelia Luo ’23

Staff Writer & Photographer

In the documentary “Francesco” — which premiered on Oct. 21 at the Rome Film Festival — Pope Francis expressed his support for same-sex civil unions, stating that gay people are also the children of God. Pope Francis’ remarks, different from the traditional teachings of the church, might bridge the gap between the church and its recognition of the LGBTQ+ community. 

“Francesco,” directed by Evgeny Afineevsky, documents Pope Francis’ (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio) papacy for the past seven-and-a-half years, including his views on the environment, poverty, migration, inequality and more. 

In the film, Pope Francis states, “Homosexual people have a right to be in a family. They are children of God and have a right to a family. Nobody should be thrown out or be made miserable over it. What we have to create is a civil union law. That way they are legally covered. I stood up for that.” This interview was the first time that Pope Francis has publicly stated his unequivocal support for same-sex civil unions after taking on the papacy.

For years, the Pope has not given a definitive answer about their views on same-sex unions. In 2013, when asked about homosexuality on a flight back to Brazil, he answered, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?” Yet in 2016, he flat out rejected same-sex marriage in his book “Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Love), claiming that it is in no way equal to marriage between a man and a woman. That being said, he still voiced support for people who are in nontraditional relationships such as single parents, unmarried straight couples and gay people who live together. 

According to The New York Times, public support from Pope Francis has “the potential to shift debates about the legal status of same-sex couples in nations around the globe,” mitigating the relationship of the Catholic Church to the LGBTQ+ community. 

Rose Lu ’23, a gender studies major at Mount Holyoke, remarked on how external societal factors play a large role in influencing people’s personal beliefs. “I believe that social structure [and] culture and people’s ideas are interlinked,” she said. “I always thought that if followers can accept other things that are forbidden in the Bible such as divorce and masturbation, then they shouldn’t exclude the LGBTQ[+] group.”

Pope Francis has made increasingly progressive comments and decisions during his papacy. On Oct. 25, he appointed the first African American cardinal to the Catholic Church’s highest governing body in history. Archbishop Wilton Gregory is a Chicago native and the first American named to the College of Cardinals since 2016. 

Critics from both sides have commented on Pope Francis’ recent remarks. Since traditional Catholic teachings condemn and prohibit homosexual acts, conservatives have criticized him for “diluting” the church’s doctrine and reversing years of its teachings. 

Others point out that while Pope Francis has helped shift the tone of the church on the topic of homosexuality, there has been little action involved in actually changing its teaching or policies. 

Carrie Lewis ’23 expanded on this sentiment. “I think for Catholics in the LGBTQ+ community it’s a big step forward to accepting them fully for their sexuality,” Lewis said, noting that the Pope’s statement likely will not reverse homophobia within the religion. “For the Catholic community itself, I would be curious to see how this is introduced at the parish level. I wonder if they’ll begin to teach this new ‘dogma’ in Catholic schools.”

According to NBC, the Vatican is still firm in its claim that marriage is an “indissoluble union between man and woman,” thus making same-sex marriage unacceptable.

Chileans Vote for New Constitution

Pictured above: Chilean protests. Photo courtesy of WikiMedia

By Sophie Soloway ’23

Global Editor 

On Sunday, Oct. 25, 78.3 percent of Chilean citizens voted in a referendum in favor of a new national constitution. This majority decision follows a year of protests in Chile largely centered around calls for major changes to the country’s democratic process and leadership. According to The Guardian, this national vote was the first step in meeting protesters’ demands and beginning a new chapter for the country. 

Helen Roane ’23, international relations major at Mount Holyoke, reflected on the referendum.“I think it is really important that Chileans have taken this step [toward] creating a more democratic government and ensuring that their voices can be heard in the future,” Roane said. “It feels especially hopeful in the context of living through the current United States election, where people are concerned about their votes counting or having their opinions heard.”

In October 2019, it was announced that metro fare prices would be raised in Chile. The announcement was immediately met with disdain from citizens who claimed that this would make public transit inaccessible to the majority of Chileans. While this planned price hike was canceled just two days after its announcement, economic protests have persisted well into 2020. Beginning with intentional turnstile-hopping and soon culminating in a declared state of emergency, these protests quickly widened to encompass the extremely high rate of wealth inequality and rising living costs in Chile. 

One of the largest demands that emerged from the diverse array of protesters was that for a new constitution. The current legislation was created in 1980 under Augusto Pinochet, who is widely recognized as a dictator in the country’s history. Although changes have been made to that constitution, its relation to Pinochet’s rule holds weight in citizens’ eyes. 

According to Assistant Professor of Politics Cora Fernandez Anderson, “Since 1990 with the transition to democracy, the political regime changed but most of the economic reforms were left intact. As protesters were saying these days, ‘It is not about the 30 pesos (the increase of the subway fare), it’s about the last 30 years,’ about the lack of change brought by democracy, about the increasing social injustice and inequality that democracy was not able to address.” 

“The privatization of health and education done by Pinochet is still in place, and it is not surprising that students have been at the forefront of protests,” Fernandez Anderson continued. 

Fernandez Anderson also spoke to the increased influence of student protests in Chile. “The student movement in Chile is very strong; [it] emerged first around 2010 and had other peaks of mobilization, and while the initial protests were about the subway fare this time, students were fast to make these protests about something bigger than an increase of the price of transportation but throw light into the structural injustices present in the country,” she explained.

In November 2019, political leaders voted to approve a public referendum on the subject of maintaining or demolishing the fraught constitution. However, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its implementation. On Sunday, voters were finally able to vocalize their hopes for the country in the voting booths. 50.9 percent of eligible voters cast their votes, marking increased voter turnout from the most recent presidential election, according to The Guardian. 

“This shows that the population has not participated actively in previous elections because of a deep crisis of representation,” Fernandez Anderson explained. “Existing parties were not giving real options, neoliberalism had been embraced by all parties and alternatives to this economic model were [off] the table. Political parties were not able to channel people’s discontent, voting turnout was low, and people found the streets as a way of expressing their frustration and their search for alternatives. The referendum and the decision to reform the constitution seems to show the political system acknowledged its crisis and is on the way to create a hopefully more legitimate political system in which people feel better represented and taken care of.” 

Voters will return to the booths in April 2021, when a vote for new assembly members is scheduled to take place. Yet another referendum will be held in the first half of 2022 in order to approve or disapprove of the proposed constitution that will be written by these newly elected officials. 

Fernandez Anderson noted that these votes will have a wide range of topics, including whether or not to remain a presidential system or change to a “parliamentarian or semi-parliamentarian system.” They are also considering the decentralization and regionalization of the country. 

Additionally, “A big issue will be to define the relationship with the Indigenous people, mostly the Mapuche [people] who have been demanding rights for decades,” according to Fernandez Anderson. The role of the state in the economy will be another controversial issue, along with its role in guaranteeing social rights such as health, education, housing and more, Fernandez Anderson explained. 

As the country awaits these upcoming elections, they also await a decision that would shape Chile’s political future. “I think this is a moment for Chile to rethink their whole political system and in the spirit of the protests push for a deepening of democracy, take advantage of this moment to put everything under scrutiny,” Fernandez Anderson said. “This is a foundational moment for this country and I hope they will take it as such.”

Practice Your Spanish With Tus Amigos

Graphic by Anjali Rao-Herel ‘22

By Jocelyn Zhou ‘22

Staff Writer 

Every Monday and Wednesday, members of the Spanish department, Spanish speakers and Spanish learners gather around the virtual Cafecito de Espanol, or Spanish Language Table.  This table is held for Spanish learners of all levels to come together and embrace the Spanish language, according to one organizer, Emma Sullivan ’22. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the table meeting is being held over Zoom this year. 

During the meeting, students meet one another and practice conversational Spanish, as opposed to the more formal and academic Spanish spoken in the classroom.  

Sullivan talked about how the Spanish Table tries to make everyone feel comfortable and welcome when speaking the language. “We make sure that we speak slowly and that we have a cheat sheet with key words and phrases,” Sullivan said. “Usually one of us will work more closely with the student[s] who are at a lower level to make sure they understand and can get something out of … Spanish Table.” Along with Sullivan, Elizabeth Belka ’22, Katie Milligan ’22, Rahael George ’21, Cydney Hambrick ’22 and Allie Benguiat ’22 attended this week’s table.

“I attend the cafecitos to practice and strengthen my Spanish in an informal setting,” Hambrick said. “I could not fit [a] Spanish [class] in my first module so this was a great way to keep my skills up. I also plan on studying abroad, so this is an awesome opportunity to learn more colloquial phrases and vocabulary beforehand,” she added.

The table usually starts with iceberg questions to help everyone engage in the conversation. There are no specific topics to discuss, but this year, there is a lesson plan for each Zoom call.

“We have talked about music from the Spanish-speaking world, the evolution of beauty [and] hairstyles in different Spanish-speaking countries, Indigenous peoples in Latin America, Mexican Independence Day, different styles of dance, slang from different countries,” and more, Sullivan said.

Benguiat encouraged people to come have fun at Spanish Table. “It's just fun to talk and watch videos together,” Benguiat said. “I hope we can play games like Pictionary together in Spanish in the future.” 

Cafecito de Espanol meets from 4:30 p.m to 6 p.m. EST every Monday and Wednesday. More information about the event can be found on the Mount Holyoke College events calendar.

International Students Reflect on Module 1

By Aditi Parashar ’22

Staff Writer 

Through time zone differences and the demands of the new module system, international students have had a vastly different start to their school year than domestic students. After finishing the module system on Oct. 15, some international students reflected on the challenges they faced these past seven-and-a-half weeks. 

Saachi Khandpur ’22 was recently quoted in an article for HuffPost India as saying, “I am choosing between whether I want to follow a normal schedule, not feeling sick and getting some quality time with my family or if I want to be able to participate at my optimal potential in class, and it is a hard choice.” As a junior politics and psychology double major, attending three classes that go past midnight has taken a toll on Khandpur’s health, both physically and mentally. 

In addition, many countries around the world do not have consistent access to electricity and the internet. This is an added challenge to remote learning as all resources and social connections to Mount Holyoke are now available almost exclusively online. On Sept. 17, the North American Association of Indian Students’ Instagram page posted a statement from Kusha Chopra ’21. “Office hours, TA hours and extra resources for students are available only during the night,” Chopra stated. “It is not like [international] students can sleep all day as individuals have chores, internships and some even have jobs. It further exacerbates the resource inequality due to the different time zones and distance.” 

The differences in time zones have an additional disparate impact on international students’ social lives. While many clubs and organizations on campus have continued to hold meetings in an effort to build and maintain community, these meetings tend to be held in Eastern Standard Time, making them inaccessible to those in different time zones. In the same HuffPost India article published Sept. 18, Khandpur elaborated, “I am part of the FAMILIA, an LGBTQ+ and people of colour organisation on campus. It was my family away from home and that’s one community I miss a lot. Now that I am home, that is something I miss talking about. One of the clubs emailed me that they are meeting today [Sept. 18], but they are meeting at 3 AM, and I don’t know if I should stay up.”

International students are also not eligible for student employment this semester. Many jobs on campus, despite functioning in an online space, are still not available for international students. The Opening the Gates FAQ page states, “If you work remotely for MHC while living in another country, MHC is subject to all of the employment laws of that country. Employment laws vary widely from country to country. Mount Holyoke is not able to comply with all of the laws and regulations required to lawfully employ students living in various international locations.” 

Amman Syed ’22 said, “There has been no clarity from the [College] administration as to whether or not we will have the jobs we were selected for once we are back on campus. Since we were not eligible, they had to give these jobs to domestic students or students within the United States; however, what happens when I go back? Will I have the job that I not only qualify for but also was selected for, or not?”

The International Student Organizing Committee recently held a dialogue titled “FIT Module? Or Not?” In their discussion, the attendees suggested that the administration improve the FIT model to emphasize the need to listen to student voices with more transparency in the decision-making process.

Armenia-Azerbaijan Border Is Exposed To Heaviest Fighting It’s Seen in Years

Photo courtesy of wikimedia commons

By Aditi Parashar ’22

Staff Writer

Armenia and Azerbaijan’s military forces have erupted into conflict, exposing their border to the heaviest fighting it has seen in years. The clashes began on Sept. 27, with both Armenia and Azerbaijan accusing the other of making the first move. 

This conflict has been the most significant military escalation the region has witnessed since the last war between Armenia and Azerbaijan ended in 1994. Al-Jazeera reported that experts and citizens alike fear that this could end in a full-scale war. Laurence Broers, a South Caucasus expert, said in a BBC article that containing the conflict within days, as has happened previously, might not be possible due to the intensity this time around. 

The decades-long conflict is centered around the battle between Armenia and Azerbaijan for control over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan but controlled by ethnic Armenians. 

The tensions in the region began in 1988 while the two were still republics within the Soviet Union. As the Soviet Union began to dissolve, it gave formal control of the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region to Azerbaijan, despite the region having an Armenian ethinic majority. During the time in which formal control of the region was given to Azerbaijan, Armenians made calls for the control to be transferred to Armenia; the Nagorno-Karabakh regional parliament vote showed the residents of the area wanting the same. 

Central Eurasian studies expert Michael P. Croissant explains the historical background in his book, “The Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict: Causes and Implications.” “In August [of 1987] a petition signed by more than 75,000 Armenians was sent to General-Secretary Gorbachev, pleading for the Soviet leader to ‘reattach Mountainous Karabakh to Socialist Armenia,’” Croissant wrote.

Azerbaijan took steps to suppress this separatist movement because it wanted to maintain control over Nagorno-Karabakh. After Armenia and Azerbaijan both gained independence from Moscow in 1991, the region saw full-scale war due to the conflict of interest between the two countries. This resulted in tens of thousands dying in massacres and ethnic cleansings. Mass displacement led to a severe refugee crisis and various other human rights violations. The war lasted until 1994 and ended with a ceasefire; however, “Negotiations over decades, mediated by international powers, have never resulted in a peace treaty,” reported the BBC.

Nora Cyra ’21, a double major in international relations and Russian and Eurasian Studies, said: “The recent years have seen a notable increase in nationalist rhetoric from either side of the border. Both countries have emphasized how the other is an existential threat to the people, and placed great importance on how integral the Nagorno-Karabakh region is to each country’s national identity. The increasingly strong public opinion on both sides, especially following the 2016 outbreak of fighting, is that the only resolution can come from direct conflict.”

Shanze Hasan ’21, another international relations major, also weighed in on the conflict. “One of the major factors at play here is the desire for no compromise present on both sides. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have hardened their positions on this conflict so considerably that it leaves no room for compromise to even be considered. When the other side has been vilified to the extent we see in these two countries, even if tomorrow both the governments decided to hold talks, the result of their aggressive propaganda would be seen in their own populations’ inability to accept such a move.”

The BBC reported that the scale and scope of the conflict has surpassed the periodic escalations the border has seen over the years, this time “involving heavy artillery, tanks, missiles and drones.” Cyra explained, “Azerbaijan and Armenia have increased their own militarization capabilities in a way that has had a direct impact on the level of militarization visible at the border and thus, the willingness of both countries to engage in battle.”

Cyra, who is completing her thesis on the resolution of intractable conflicts in the former Soviet Union, further elaborated, “The changing international landscape has also led to an increased involvement of the allies of both countries which we could see result in a wider regional power conflict.”

Turkey has historically been an ally to Azerbaijan and has lent its explicit support to the Azeri government. There currently exist no diplomatic relations between Turkey and Armenia. 

The other key country which could potentially get drawn into the conflict is Russia. Russia maintains relationships with both Armenia and Azerbaijan, supplying them both with weapons. However, Russia has a military base in Armenia, and both are members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, an intergovernmental military alliance. The BBC reported, “The longer that fighting goes on, and/or if one side is seen to be losing in a more protracted struggle, the more likely it is that Russia and Turkey will face difficult choices over whether to become more involved.”

Amnesty International Ceases Work in India Citing Years of Harassment

Courtesy of Flicker - Photograph by Bodo Tasche

By Madhavi Rao ’24 

Staff Writer

On Sept. 29, 2020, Amnesty International announced that it would be ending its operations in India. The human rights organization withdrew from the country after the government froze its bank accounts on Sept. 10, 2020, effectively ending its work there. This came after what Amnesty International has cited as years of harassment by the Indian government. In response, the government turned to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act as justification for its actions, claiming that the organization’s foreign funding violated the law. 

Executive Director of Amnesty International India Avinash Kumar stated, “The continuing crackdown on Amnesty International India over the last two years and the complete freezing of bank accounts is not accidental.” He claimed that the Indian government has been raiding Amnesty International’s offices for years and harassing the organization in an attempt to silence it, especially in reference to its work in reporting human rights abuses in the Delhi riots and the region formerly known as Jammu and Kashmir.

The Delhi riots, which started in December 2019, began after the passing of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Protests against the CAA were met with violence, and the situation escalated into riots, where a majority of the brutality was targeted at Muslim communities. 

Indian-administered Kashmir is the world’s most militarized zone, with 200,000 troops guarding 12 million civilians, as reported by Bloomberg. Kashmir is also the site of an excess of human rights violations, especially concerning dissent over the Indian administration. The tensions over the highly disputed territory were exacerbated by the change in Kashmir’s status from that of an autonomous region to a union territory on Aug. 5, 2019. This, coupled with telephone networks and internet access being cut off, increased concerns of human rights violations in the valley. 

Assistant Professor of History Abhilash Medhi said, “As much as organizations like Amnesty International and Human Right[s] Watch are important in drawing attention to what’s happening in Kashmir, there are fairly robust domestic circuits of information as well. In the valley and outside, more and more, Kashmiris have been creative in using the media to get their message out. This is something we can draw hope from.”

According to The Hindu, statements condemning the Indian government’s actions have been released by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, the U.K. Foreign Office, and the European Parliament. The Indian government responded to these allegations justifying their actions as an attempt to stop Amnesty International’s illegal funding from foreign investors. 

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indian government blamed the organization’s continued violation of the FCRA. According to the MHA, “Amnesty’s failure to comply with local regulations does not entitle them to make comments on the democratic and plural character of India.”

The FCRA, created in 1976, aims to protect India’s democratic process from foreign influence by prohibiting external powers from funding operations in the country. It is now being used to target NGOs, such as Amnesty International, which was said to have received funding from foreign investors. However, in a statement responding to these allegations and the freezing of the organization’s accounts, Amnesty International reiterated that all their funding was raised domestically.

“The FCRA was put into place to limit foreign actors from meddling in domestic political affairs. But now it is used as a silencer of dissent,” Medhi said. “This in itself is telling of a larger project. Exceptions to laws, such as that of the FCRA, have been created in an effort to delegitimize these organizations and their work with human rights.”

Amnesty International is one in a line of many organizations whose operations have been terminated. More than 20 NGOs, including Greenpeace, Compass International and the Ford Foundation, are under fire from the government regarding the FCRA, according to The Hindu. Kumar said in a statement released by Amnesty International, “For a movement that has done nothing but raise its voices against injustice, this latest attack is akin to freezing dissent.”

Medhi said, “Their withdrawal from India is a worrying development. But it’s also part of a larger scheme. This process is occurring in slices, starting with NGOs and activists. What’s worrying is that if the current dispensation stays in power, this could happen to a huge chunk of the population.”

Jamal Khashoggi’s Trial Raise Questions in Saudi Arabia

Image of Jamal Khashoggi Trail courtesy of Flickr

By Corrine Celupica-Liu ’23

Staff Writer

In October 2018, Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered while inside the Saudi consulate in Turkey. Khashoggi, who had been critical of Saudi Arabia’s leadership and who went into self-imposed exile in the United States the year prior, entered the consulate to get the necessary documents to marry his fiancee. The journalist never came back out.  

Throughout the investigation, much uncertainty and contrast arose surrounding what Saudi, Turkish and United Nations’ investigations concluded regarding the journalist’s death. U.N. Special Rapporteur Agnès Callamard concluded that Khashoggi was the “victim of a deliberate, premeditated execution,” while the Saudi public prosecution concluded that the murder was not premeditated. 

Professor of International Relations and Politics Sohail Hashmi noted how it was “very hard to imagine [the] murder would have taken place without the knowledge and acquiescence of [Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia] Mohammed bin Salman.”

This sentiment was shared by Assistant Professor of Politics Ali Aslam, who felt that there is “no question that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince ordered and knew about the mission to kill Jamal Khashoggi.” 

Another issue surrounding the murder of Khashoggi involves the lack of transparency and fairness in the subsequent trials of his murderers. 

As Callamard noted to Middle Eastern news source Al-Jazeera, “We know that the trial failed to meet the most basic international fair trial standards. Most importantly, the high-level officials who were named by the prosecutor were never included in the trial. … Also, all the hearings were held behind closed doors.”

Carrie Lewis ’23, a student interested in international affairs, noted that “just the fact that it was not a public trial usually indicates that it was involved in obstructing justice.”

During the trials in 2019, five people found to be directly involved in the murder were given death sentences. However, under Saudi law, the five individuals convicted were allowed legal reprieve after Khashoggi’s family pardoned them. Because one of Khashoggi’s sons, Salah, announced his family’s forgiveness for Khashoggi’s killers, the five death sentences were reduced to 20-year terms. 

Given that many of Khashoggi’s family members, including his sons, still live in Saudi Arabia, this announcement brings up questions about whether or not the Khashoggi family was pressured into the pardoning. 

Hashmi explained how it is “very hard to believe that no pressure was put on the family to forgive the killers. Even if they were not directly pressured, the mere suggestion would be enough for them to realize they had no other choice.”

An additional matter of concern is the amount of time that has passed since Khashoggi’s murder and the subsequent trials. Hashmi noted that “so much time has passed now that in general I think the issue has been put in the past by the states involved.” Because of this, the prospect of getting a fair trial and justice for Khashoggi is dwindling. 

Regardless of what future possibilities exist for a fairer trial for Khashoggi, there is now a rising concern about the implications of this trial on the safety of journalists around the world. 

Lewis noted how events like this “limit people from exposing injustices that their government is trying to hide and discourage them from pursuing journalism because it sends the message that partaking in it is risking their life.”

“We should care about this because the press is a right that is not always protected,” Lewis continued. “It is important to be informed about events that could be limiting this right for people around the world.”

Extrajudicial Killing in Mozambique Leads To Mass Controversy

By Aditi Parashar ’22

Staff Writer

Content Warning: This article describes graphic violence and firearm use.

A recent video of a woman being shot at by men in military uniform sparked outrage in Mozambique after it was circulated widely on social media throughout the week of Sept. 14. The video shows a naked woman being beaten by sticks on a countryside road. She is then shot over 30 times. The video ends with one of the men making a victory sign and saying in Portuguese, “We've just killed Al-Shabaab,” which is the jihadi group operating in the region. 

The government of Mozambique condemned the act and claimed the violence was meted out by jihadi troops impersonating military personnel rather than the military itself. The insurgents in the region have done this in the past, according to the BBC. The government has promised to carry out an investigation of the “horrifying” video, reports Africanews. 

Interior Minister Amade Miquidade said, “The macabre acts that have been publicized are actions of subversion aimed at pitting the people against the forces that protect them. There is no relationship between those images with the defense and security forces.”

However, Amnesty International noted that the men in the video were wearing Mozambique Armed Defense Force uniforms, making them appear as if they were possible members of the FADM. They have also shed light on additional details. They claim the events in the video took place on Sept. 7 in the town of Awasse in the Cabo Delgado province. Amnesty International, while asking for a thorough investigation to be carried out, stated that the killing demonstrates “a repeated and unrelenting pattern of crimes being committed by the Mozambican armed forces.”

These allegations come amid heightened scrutiny on the Mozambican army after Amnesty International published a report claiming that the army was carrying out human rights violations in the region, such as executing civilians and dumping bodies into mass graves. These allegations came after it received video footage and photographs from its sources in the country. 

David Matsinhe, the Lusophone regional researcher for Southern Africa at Amnesty International, told AllAfrica, “People on the ground have been sending us numerous complaints of such violations since 2017. It just hasn't been in the spotlight.”

Africanews reported that the military forces have been fighting to take back control in northern Cabo Delgado since the extremist insurgency began three years ago. This province is one of Africa’s biggest liquefied natural gas projects, which makes it essential to the region. The rising violence in the area poses a threat to the billion-dollar investments by international firms for the development of gas projects. Al-Shabaab has escalated the violence since the beginning of the year, when a bid to establish an Islamist caliphate in the area was set forth. 

“Although the region is naturally rich in natural resources, the story is not the same for social markers such as employment and literacy rates, which remain incredibly low,” said Maha Ahmed ’21, an international relations major. “Additionally, foreign investments imply that the cheapest labor must be hired. This has a direct impact on the youth of the area who are then denied access to jobs that essentially exist to exploit the resources of their very land.”

“I think you can see the frustrations of unemployed youth who have been denied opportunities in the ongoing conflict in the region,” Ahmed continued.  

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project estimates that since the militants have carried out continuous attacks on the region’s towns and villages, more than 1,500 people have been killed while 250,000 have been displaced. Additionally, the total number of fatalities on either side stands at 1,854. Human Rights Watch reports that no one has been held to account for any of these abuses.

Professor of Africana Studies and Economics Lucas Wilson said, “There is no population more vulnerable, more dependent on respect for rights and dignity by those in authority than a population of incarcerated people. Based on the information I’ve read, the guards should face charges in Mozambique and in an international criminal court. I’m sorry this has happened and attention and care is needed to restore trust throughout society.” 

Women of Belarus March Against ‘Europe’s Last Dictator’

Image courtesy of WikiMedia

By Madhavi Rao ’24

Staff Writer

On Sept. 19, approximately 2,000 women marched through Minsk, the capital city of Belarus, as a part of more than six weeks of protests against the results of the recent presidential election, which has caused unrest across the country. Dissent has been targeted towards what is seen as the fraudulent reelection of the long-standing president, Alexander Lukashenko.

Lukashenko, who is also known as “Europe’s last dictator,” has ruled since 1994. The title was awarded to him following the dissolution of presidential term limits, years of voter fraud and his lead in arresting any challengers to his presidency. As reported by The Washington Post, these ploys have come to be seen as “the pitiful acts of a tyrant who has no legitimacy and clings desperately to power.” 

In regard to the months of protests, Lukashenko’s government has responded with a brutal crackdown. Since the wave of unrest began in August, more than 10,000 peaceful protesters have been arrested, according to U.N. Special Rapporteur Anaïs Marin. Middle Eastern news network Al-Jazeera has reported that the detained protesters are subjected to torture and abuse in custody, resulting in the deaths of several protesters. 

This abusive treatment of protesters is a driving force for the Women’s March in Minsk. Irina K. Palyukovich, a protester at the march, told The New York Times, “Women can do a lot, they can fight against a dictator. Men cannot do that not because they are weak, but they are more vulnerable. They are being beaten more often.”  

Around 2,000 women marched around the capital city on Sept. 19, carrying red and white opposition flags and demanding the removal of Lukashenko from his position. This was confronted with more state-sanctioned violence, as approximately 300 protesters were dragged into vans and forcibly detained. Step Vaessen, reporting for Al-Jazeera, stated that Lukashenko’s response to the protests was to “treat everyone as violently as possible,” crushing dissent by “making sure that people are so scared and intimidated that they will stop these protests.” 

In a statement released before the march, opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya advocated for the “brave women of Belarus.” Tikhanovskaya, a former teacher, ran for president in the place of her husband, Sergei Tikhanovskaya, who was jailed for being a vocal supporter of the opposition. Of the three female leaders of the opposition, two — Tikhanovskaya and Veronika Tsepkalo — have fled the country. The conditions of their departure to Lithuania closely following the election results are said to have been under duress from the Belarusian government. 

The third leader of the opposition, Maria Kolesnikova, who previously ripped up her passport to avoid deportation to Ukraine, has been arrested for “actions aimed at undermining Belarusian national security,” according to NBC. Kolesnikova was last seen being pushed into a minibus by masked men in Minsk. Her current whereabouts are unknown. 

Lukashenko has faced little opposition during his rule, but the government’s mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with grievances about the economy, have led to a strong wave of dissent among the public. According to BBC News, Tikhanovskaya says that she won 60-70 percent of the vote in places it was counted properly. Lukashenko’s reelection, with an alleged 80 percent majority, caused outrage across the country. 

Assistant Professor of International Relations and Politics Christopher Mitchell commented on Lukashenko’s regime. “What these events show is just how delicate a position Lukashenko finds himself in,” Mitchell said. “His dictatorship has largely survived because he’s enjoyed the support of Vladimir Putin. However, this has put Belarus in a position where it frequently bends to Russia’s will, inflaming resentment among a segment of the population.” 

Mitchell continued, “To manage this, Lukashenko has gently pushed back against Putin to look more assertive, and Putin has been reluctant to get involved directly to support him.”

Alejandra German Chavarin ’23, a history and politics double major, believes that the protests are a valid reaction to the electoral issues. “The ‘president’ Mr. Lukashenko hasn't been considered a legitimate leader by many countries including the U.S,” Chavarin said. “This uproar deserves attention because it obviously points at wide dissatisfaction amongst the citizens, one that would make the alleged 80 percent of votes that Mr. Lukashenko received questionable.”

A fresh wave of protests broke out after Lukashenko was sworn in at a secret inauguration on Sept. 23. The Moscow Times reported that unlike previous inaugurations, the ceremony was not shown on live TV. Instead, photographs of Lukashenko swearing-in and a transcript of his inaugural address were published by the state-run news agency, BelTA. 

Ales Belyatsky, head of the human rights group Viasna, said to The Moscow Times, “If the inauguration had been announced in advance, 200,000 demonstrators would have gathered outside his palace.” In a statement, Tikhanovskaya called the ceremony “a farce.” The United States and several European countries such as Germany have refused to recognize Lukashenko’s presidency. 

Mitchell said concerning the inauguration, “Lukashenko's best strategy is to wait out the opposition and hope that they lose intensity with time. Therefore, any large public display of asserting his authority runs the risk of reviving the opposition, and he can no longer count on Putin to support him.”

Escalation in Border Conflicts Leads to Deteriorating Relationship Between India and China

Graphic courtesy of WikiMedia Commons

By Amelia Luo ’23

Staff Writer

India and China, two nuclear-armed countries, have been fighting over the disputed border in the Himalayan region, the McMahon Line, since 1914. The McMahon Line is an ill-defined border constituted by rivers, lakes and snowcaps, according to the BBC. The instability of the bodies of water causes the border to shift year to year and has led to several armed confrontations between India and China, including one this year.

On June 15, heightened tensions triggered a clash between the two countries, leaving 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers dead. This was the first fatal clash between India and China since 1975, according to the BBC. 

The details of the clash are unclear. India accused China of “provocative military movements” near the border, while China denied these charges, claiming that it was India’s troops that engaged in “open provocation and caused the border situation to become tense,” according to The Guardian.  

After the 1962 war, both sides engaged in a competition of building infrastructures such as roads, telephone lines and airstrips. This infrastructure formed what is now called the Line of Actual Control. The LAC was intended to create a demarcation line in the hopes of easing tensions between the two countries. 
In 1996, China and India signed a treaty barring firearms and other explosives along the LAC. Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili, a spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army, stated that India's move “seriously violated related agreements reached by both sides, stirred up tensions in the region ... and is very vile in nature,” according to the BBC. In rebuttal, India’s government released a statement claiming that although the Indian army is “committed to maintaining peace,” they were also “determined to protect [their] national integrity and sovereignty at all costs.”

In 2019, India completed the construction of the new Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi Road to a high-altitude airbase in the Ladakh region near the LAC. This road has enhanced India’s ability to move armies and organize support more quickly in the event of a conflict. China was strongly opposed to this project, as they believed that the road was harmful to the country’s economic corridor to Pakistan and Central Asia, according to Al-Jazeera. 

It is unlikely either of the countries will be willing to back down. Nevertheless, the standoff could escalate tensions further if neither side gives way.

Wei Chao ’23, an international relations major, shared her theory on the Chinese government’s strategy while engaging in these conflicts. “I think the Chinese government deliberately sent off troops to test [India’s] bottom line in the border issue,” Chao said. 

On Sept. 10, foreign ministers S. Jaishankar of India and Wang Yi of China reached a five-point plan in Moscow, aiming to ease tensions and resolve the crisis. That being said, this period of conflict could be the turning point of the India-China relationship. 

China is one of India’s biggest trading partners; however, India has a trade deficit of 48.66 billion, which also contributes to the political tension between the two countries. With China and India’s relationship becoming more volatile, the Indian government is calling to reduce trade and economic ties with China. It recently banned more than 150 China-linked apps such as the popular video-sharing social media app, TikTok, citing security reasons. It also introduced restrictive measures on Chinese foreign direct investment. 

Lasya Priya Rao Jarugumilli ’23, a double major in politics and physics, shed some light on why India might view China as such a big threat to the country’s sovereignty. “India is very diverse in every sense. The only thing that is keeping Indians together is this togetherness,” Jarugumilli said. “Every piece of land is important to the whole country. … [It] is part of the soul.” 

 Jarugumilli believes the aggressive response also ties back to colonialism. “[It has] not been a very long time since independence. The freedom struggle is not that far,” Jarugumilli said. “People my age, their grandparents were freedom fighters, so it is still very connected with the reality of everyday life.”  

Looking at the future of the two countries’ relationship, it is very likely that the tension might de-escalate after the diplomacy engagement in Moscow, yet the tension could easily trigger a security dilemma with 50,000 troops on both sides of the LAC. 

Seeing the potential increase in India’s military expenditure, Chao suggested that “it could be possible that the Chinese government wants to use the border conflict to force India to spend more on ground forces instead of the navy.” Suspicion like this exists on both sides of the conflict, potentially leading to a future harsh hit on the economic engagement between the two countries. 

Refugee Camp Burns Down in Greece; Who's to Blame?

By Aditi Parashar ’22

Staff Writer

A large blaze on Sept. 8 destroyed the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, leaving over 12,000 of its residents with nowhere to go. There were no casualties reported. 

According to The New York Times, aid workers, activists and officials claimed the fire was started intentionally, following protests over prolonged lockdown measures after 35 residents tested positive for coronavirus. Four unnamed migrant men have been formally charged with arson. 

However, many have also blamed the Greek government and the European Union for the disaster. As Eva Cossé, lead researcher in Greece for Human Rights Watch, told The New York Times, “This fire was expected. It’s a testament to the European Union’s negligence and Greece’s negligence.” According to German media outlet Deutsche Welle, the Moria camp was housing four times more migrants than its intended maximum capacity. Human Rights Watch reported that refugees were living in cramped conditions in overcrowded tents with limited food, water, sanitation and health care resources.  

Moria was established in 2015 in order to address the refugee crisis after 850,000 refugees and migrants hoping to travel to safety in northern Europe made their way from Turkey by boat. These refugees passed through the camps quickly when the European attitude toward refugees was more tolerant, reported The New York Times. However, since those initial days, the island of Lesbos has hosted an additional 300,000 refugees. 

The refugees have gone through traumatic experiences, fleeing persecution and war-torn countries. They now live in squalid conditions for long stretches of time, sometimes for as long as two years. In this time, they must often go through bureaucratic asylum formalities before either being sent home or allowed to move on to seek permanent asylum in northern Europe. 

“Before, I thought that Greece would be one of the best places to live,” Mr. Ashrafi, a 34-year old Afghan refugee with three daughters, told The New York Times. “Now I feel it would have been better to drown while crossing the sea.”

Some say the increased time spent in these camps is due to Europe’s inability to reach any long-term solutions to the crisis. European countries have continued to block borders, and leaders have continued to disagree on the number of refugees each country should take while providing Greece with funds to care for the refugee population. “Moria has been considered an emblem of Europe’s hardening approach to migrants in the aftermath of the 2015 crisis,” The New York Times reported.

Mickiyah Pope ’23, a politics major at Mount Holyoke, said, “For politicians to continue to behave in such an unplanned manner in the face of a humanitarian crisis — which is no way new — is truly disheartening. Politicians have the ability to do great good if they come together and truly understand the suffering of these refugees, instead of trying to pass the sole responsibility to their neighbor.”

While the European Union continues to figure out the way forward for the stranded migrants, Human Rights Watch reported that 406 unaccompanied children have been flown to mainland Greece to be relocated to other EU countries or placed in long-term shelter facilities in Greece. Countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands have also agreed to take in some number of unaccompanied children. Additionally, on Sept. 15, Germany said it plans to relocate another 1,553 refugees from Greece. 

Middle Eastern news network Al-Jazeera reported that many refugees have been moved to a temporary facility at Kara Tepe with the goal of all 12,000 being housed there by Sept. 20.  However, according to Refugee Support Aegean, a local nonprofit organization, conditions in Kara Tepe fail to meet the minimum standards of dignified living under Greek and international laws.

The Indian publication The Hindu reported the discontent among the residents of Moria on being moved to new refugee facilities. Many protested before being moved to the new facility with chants of “freedom” and “no camp,”  along with signs saying “We don't want to go to a hell like Moria again” and “Can you hear us Mrs. Merkel?” Numerous refugees see the new housing situation as continued neglect, reported Al-Jazeera. 

Rehat Thussu ’23, an international relations major at Mount Holyoke, stated, “The crisis is an issue that isn’t going away anytime soon. If countries consistently fail to respond to this crisis, that too in accordance with international human rights law, we will soon face another crisis: the loss of our humanity and our morals.” 

Time Zones Most Impact International Students’ Remote Learning Experiences

By Corrine Celupica-Liu ’23

Staff Writer

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mount Holyoke announced the implementation of the Flexible Immersive Teaching model as a means of academic instruction for the 2020-2021 academic year. This model, as explained on Mount Holyoke’s “Opening the Gates” webpage, emphasizes synchronous classes to “ensure an immersive experience and inclusive excellence,” offering courses from 8 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. EST so that “students in different time zones across the world can participate.” While the entire Mount Holyoke community has had to adjust to this new model of instruction, international students have faced unique challenges and experiences due to widely diverse geographic circumstances and time zones. 

For Deborah Korboe ’21, who lives in Sakumono, Ghana in West Africa, time zone differences mean she attends her Module 1 courses starting at 5 p.m. and finishes at 2 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time.

“It has certainly been a tasking job,” Korboe said. “It helps that I have time during the day to do homework, but I have to change my [biological] clock to keep up with synchronous classes.” 

Both Aurora Vo ’23 and Hongtian Wang ’22, who are 11 and 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in Vietnam and China, respectively, are also taking classes late at night and have faced difficulties adjusting to time differences. 

“For this module, I have classes starting from 7 p.m. through 11:15 p.m. every day, and all require students to attend in real time,” Vo explained. “Even though it’s only been three weeks, I am already tired because I stay up late, making my sleep schedule a bit off.” 

Wang also mentioned how it can be difficult to keep track of and calculate deadlines in a different time zone. “There have been some difficulties for me in calculating deadlines,” Wang said. “I have made mistakes calculating deadlines, so I ended up turning in assignments late.” 

Mount Holyoke has made efforts to maintain access to resources and community despite remote circumstances. “My professors try to put students in the same time zone into a group so it will be easier for us to communicate, and they also hold a virtual common room for us to do homework together outside of class,” Wang explained. “I feel very involved and cared [for], even living very far from the campus.”

Vo also noted how the tight-knit nature of the Mount Holyoke community is helping to maintain a connection to campus. “One cool thing about Mount Holyoke is that because our student body is not large, I have seen most of my classmates on campus before,” Vo said. “A big picture of Mount Holyoke is still there for me.”

For Korboe and Wang, however, the support and community felt in courses seems not to apply to extracurricular activities. 

“It seems like [student organizations] won't be a feature for me this semester, because meeting times are always in the middle of the night for me,” Korboe said. “I just wish my colleagues would be a little more considerate.”

Wang noted that, because “I sleep early, I don’t participate in any events. That is a pity.” 

While the FIT model marks a significant adjustment for the entire Mount Holyoke community, the experience of Mount Holyoke’s large international student population is important to understand in order to continue work on fostering community through the academic year.

How the World Has Handled COVID-19

By Corrine Celupica-Liu ’23

Global Writer

Over the past nine months, coronavirus case levels have fluctuated around the world. In the United States, life during a global pandemic looks strikingly different than it did back in March. The U.S. has seen both community compliance and resistance in efforts implemented to suppress the virus. 

According to a New York Times report on Sept. 6, 2020, there are 26.9 million confirmed cases worldwide and the virus is spreading at its fastest recorded speed, with a global cumulative of 200,000 daily new cases. As of early September, there are rising surges in many parts of Europe, including Germany, Spain and France. Similar patterns are also occurring in North America, where geographically-diverse hotspots have sporadically developed over the past six months. 

Megan Horner ’23 lives in Herrin, Illinois, and has experienced the state’s response to each new hotspot of the coronavirus. 

“In the beginning, the state was able to slow the spread, but once things began opening, a lot of people stopped adhering to rules,” Horner said. “The state instituted pretty strict measures, and it was pretty effective but has since been rescinded.” 

As of Sept. 6, 2020, Herrin has recorded 1,024 confirmed coronavirus cases, which is up from 530 total confirmed cases reported on Aug. 9, 2020. 

Due to the lack of standardized federal testing and containment protocol in the United States, the reported number of cases has varied from region to region. Abroad, countries’ various strategies mixed with a more collaborative community response have been more effective in controlling the spread of the virus. 

Rachel Kang ’23, who has been living in Seoul, South Korea, since March, noted the effectiveness of the South Korean government’s response. 

“From the beginning, [the government] made it mandatory for everyone entering from abroad to quarantine for 14 days and get tested for COVID-19,” Kang said. “If there is someone who caught the virus in your neighborhood, the government sends emergency alerts to their county [and] track[s] ... where the anonymous individual has been since they started showing symptoms.” Kang also praised South Korea for its citizen safety requirements, such as wearing a mask in certain buildings and on public transit and participating in regular temperature checks. 

In South Korea, there is a 1.1 percent positivity rate from coronavirus testing. Additionally, the country has been able to maintain lower rates of contraction. From April 1 to August 12, it reported less than 100 cases daily. 

Across all the different strategies regions have attempted to control the coronavirus, one truth remains: keeping the spread suppressed requires a sense of intentionality. As Kang noted, “As much as the idea of a virus is terrifying, if the correct precautions are being taken at the right moment, it is possible to control the numbers of cases.”