Ayotzinapa: Mexico´s Pandora´s Box
During this past year, Mexico experienced one of the worst crimes in recent memory — the kidnap and murder of almost 50 students. The magnitude of this atrocity has not been seen in the country since the Tlatelolco Massacre, which occurred on October 2, 1968. Over 500 students were wounded and killed by the police, […]
Carbon-Credit Strategies: REDD+ and an Analysis of Mexico’s Legal Framework
Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), parties of the UN are working towards the ultimate objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. Negotiations take place at annual Conference of Parties (COP) meetings, and the COP — […]
Colombia-FARC Peace Process
The Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, better known as the FARC, began as a resistance movement among impoverished farmers in rural Colombia during the 1920’s and 1930’s. The movement started peacefully as a way to protest a lack of government intervention in peasant hardships, but when the government failed to intervene. The FARC became more […]
Cuban Privatization: The Newest Victim of a Failed Embargo
The birth of Communist Cuba at the height of the Cold War presented a perceived immediate and dire threat to the United States. In response, President Kennedy authorized a handful of covert CIA operations to overthrow Cuba’s leader, Fidel Castro. All of these attempts failed, culminating with the disastrous Bay of Pigs Invasion. In October […]
The Black Market and Blue Rate: Argentina’s Bruised Economy
Much of Argentina’s charm comes from its emphasis on food and café culture — its love of a mid-afternoon snack or mate with a croissant (medialuna). But this tranqui way of life may have led to a certain level of acceptance and complacency that the government has taken advantage of. While there have been […]
Jamaica: Trying to be Better.
Flying over Jamaica is a little bit like watching advertisements for your dream vacation. The beauty is literally breathtaking. Yes, there are resorts. Yes, the water is spectacular. And yes, the food is phenomenal. But those are just perks. And unfairly, those perks aren’t available to most of the population. The beauty of Jamaica, though, […]
Diverse Dialogues: Perspectives on Microfinance in Latin America
This past May, Northeastern’s Social Enterprise Institute (SEI) led its fifth Dialogue of Civilizations program to the Dominican Republic. As part of the College of Business Administration, SEI is a driving force behind many Northeastern initiatives to channel enterprise-based solutions toward advancing the developing world. Unlike a majority of other Dialogues, this month abroad […]
America and Cuba Today: The Coming of Age of the Cuba Embargo Under the Obama Administration
In retrospect, the Cuban embargo was presumably logical. World order was essentially polarized into two distinct categories: Capitalism vs. Communism. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the USSR, this approach seems worthless in terms of achieving peaceful, stable relations with Cuba in contemporary international relations. In short, the Cuban embargo […]