On the same day that the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, US diplomat Chuck Hunter witnessed police forces violently crack down on a peaceful celebration of LGBTQ+ rights in Istanbul—essentially Turkey’s last legal pride parade. The annual pride parade in Istanbul, which had been going for decades, had been the largest in the… Read More "A Dramatic Turning Point: Turkey’s Last Pride Parade"
Peace Corps to Ambassador: Thomas Hull in Sierra Leone
Thomas Hull was undaunted by Sierra Leone’s reputation as “the white man’s grave” when he set out as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1964. After all, he was seeking an adventure––but he ended up coming away with a much deeper understanding of the country and its people. This experience afforded him insight that would serve… Read More "Peace Corps to Ambassador: Thomas Hull in Sierra Leone"
Peace Corps to Ambassador: David Greenlee and Bolivia
It’s very common for Peace Corps volunteers to feel disheartened, as David Greenlee did as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia during the 1960s, when they seemingly fail to make a difference in the communities they serve. It’s also never clear right in the middle of a volunteer’s two-year tour what impact the experience will… Read More "Peace Corps to Ambassador: David Greenlee and Bolivia"
Through Peace and Prosperity: An Armenian-American finds the American Dream
“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” This line from “The New Colossus,” by poet Emma Lazarus, upholds American values of hope and freedom from persecution towards all the downtrodden of the world. Nothing has defined America’s cultural identity more than the concept of the “American Dream,” the long-held… Read More "Through Peace and Prosperity: An Armenian-American finds the American Dream"
Political and Ethnic Strife in the South Sudanese Civil War
After nearly fifty-five years of civil war, the Sudanese people are no stranger to immense violence and devastation. The First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972) and the Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005) caused the deaths of approximately 2.5 million people due to violence, famine, and disease. In 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement promised to grant South… Read More "Political and Ethnic Strife in the South Sudanese Civil War"