Co-authored by Emilia Intili and Victoria Cattelona

On the evening of March 27 during the 2021 Institute for Global Understanding Biennial Symposium, the student-led Open Mic Night provided a forum for students to share their talents and thoughts in relation to human rights and the environment. Hosted by IGU graduate interns Emi Intili and Courtney Gosse, the event was an energetic display with student, community, and faculty performances. Participants sang, danced, and recited poetry and short stories, while others attended simply to share their thoughts. Other participants produced original TikTok videos that reflected the intersectionality inherent in the human rights and the environment theme of the event and the symposium as a whole.

Winning performances included undergraduate student and aspiring educator Emma Cooper’s Spanish Ode to Mother Earth — which she wrote for a course with Associate Professor Dr. Alison Maginn in the Department of World Languages and Cultures — and the School of Social Work graduate student Hannah Burke’s “The Embalming Song,” which explores unsustainable modern death practices and her post-mortem plan to honor the Earth. Burke also delivered a presentation on the subject the following day during the Monmouth University Student Panel along with interdisciplinary presentations from four other undergraduate and graduate students. Other contributions include Julia Poaella’s original poetry on social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fifth grader Jeff Jiju’s recommendations for sustainable living.

The winning video submitted by Dillon Schindler, a music student, was of the student-run Blue Hawk Records showcasing their song “Equal,” which emphasizes the importance of actively combating racism through one’s voice. The music video is available to view here. The Kahoot! Trivia Game, moderated by IGU undergraduate interns Chelsea Franchette, Chloey Norris, and Muge Gore, featured a fierce competition and ended with Kerry Lenhart, a graduate student in the School of Social Work, claiming victory.

The successful inaugural student-run Open Mic Night will continue in future iterations of the biennial symposium.

By Chelsea Franchette

In the film Kivalina: Life in the Modern Arctic, the audience has an intimate look into the lives of the Inupiaq people in the Native Village of Kivalina in Northern Alaska. Throughout the documentary, the village faces a huge obstacle: climate change. The filmmaker, Gina Abatemarco, explores how climate change impacts Kivalina and its community members. The film also delves into the people’s lifestyles, culture, food sources, and views on climate change as well as the government’s role in response to this ongoing threat.

The Inupiaq people reside in a small and remote village. The film offers a window into the daily lives of this community by showing different activities in which the community members partake and interviewing multiple individuals. A brief portion of the film showcases some of the local teenagers. The community members participate in many activities together, and rely on one another for their needs. The community is rich in culture and has its own traditions. The film portrays how the community members hunt for their food by catching fish, whales, and seals and how they prepare the food for their families. In recent years, whaling has become a challenge for the community due to the lack of ice in the area. Climate change causes the thinning ice around Kivalina, and the severe ocean storms have led to erosion around Kivalina’s perimeter. Another ocean storm could be devastating for the village if the ocean waves are high enough and trigger an emergency evacuation.

The film examines possible adaptation responses to the challenges that Kivalina faces from climate change. The government proposed building a sea wall to protect Kivalina from the ocean storms. There was government funding to help move the village, but the government decided to fund the sea wall instead. Many within Kivalina expressed their disagreement with both the government and the sea wall. Some of Kivalina’s residents wanted funding for the village’s relocation rather than for the sea wall because they believed that the sea wall would not protect them from the ocean’s powerful waves during the next storm.

Although a number of community members expressed a desire to allocate funding for the village’s relocation, there were also many who wanted to stay in Kivalina no matter how dangerous the conditions. Those opposing the move have such strong ties with Kivalina and its culture that they do not want to abandon it. There is also documentation of a need for a “village move” in Kivalina’s history. Some of the documentation went as far back at 1912, but the members of Kivalina did not want to leave, and they retain the same priorities today.

During the commentary portion of the event, the audience heard from three speakers: Enoch Adams, a member of Kivalina; Dr. Kelsey Leonard, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Waterloo in Ontario and an expert on indigenous legal rights; and Gina Abatemarco, the filmmaker. Mr. Adams described how Kivalina has been moving forward in its evacuation efforts due to climate change. He discussed how the island has built an evacuation road and hosts a new inland school site. Furthermore, he stated that the community is split about the new school, as the majority of the community stayed while some community members decided to live near the new school. He also noted that the community is fond of Abatemarco, the filmmaker, and how she embraced the community.

Dr. Leonard recounted her experience as a member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in relation to Mr. Adams’s experience. She educated the viewers on some of the aspects of Indigenous Nations’ relocation with regard to time and money. Dr. Leonard offered further insight into how climate change affects Indigenous Nations and the federal government’s role in these matters.

Abatemarco discussed her emotional attachment to Kivalina and to its beautiful history. She explained how she entered this project, including that she related to the sense of loss and the sense of place that Kivalina was experiencing. During her seven-year journey in making the film, she formed deep friendships and connections and, through doing so, gained knowledge about the culture.

The film gave attendees the chance to feel that they are a part of a different lifestyle and environment. The audience gained insight into how the people of Kivalina abide by traditions, culture, and community values, as well as the struggles that they must overcome. Watching the film allowed the audience to see how Kivalina is confronting the challenge of climate change and what it means to the Inupiaq people to remain on the island regardless of the current dangers.

To view the recording of the film screening and commentary, please visit the 2021 IGU Biennial Symposium webpage. You can also watch interns Emily O’Sullivan and Madison Hanrahan interview Abatemarco here.

By Emilia Intili

The Institute for Global Understanding (IGU) co-hosted the fourth World Cinema Series discussion spotlighting the theme “A Delicate Balance: Global Communities and the Natural World” by examining the story and impact of the 2019 film Honeyland. Dr. Thomas Pearson moderated this event with faculty discussants Dr. Pedram Daneshgar and Dr. Mihaela Moscaliuc on March 11 at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.

The international sensation Honeyland is a documentary drama that takes place in Northern Macedonia. The main character, Hatidze Muratova, is a female beekeeper who respects the fragile balance of the bees and their sustainable production of honey. When a nomadic family invades her small village, the father of the family, Hussein Sam, compromises the bees of the land and Hatidze’s livelihood. This film explores how adherence to an Indigenous tradition protects natural resources and impacts human behavior.

Dr. Pedram Daneshgar, Associate Professor of Biology and recipient of the 2020 Distinguished Teaching Award at Monmouth University, has extensively researched the biology and ecology of the stars of the film: bees. He emphasized that bees work extremely hard to gather nectar and pollen when flowers are in bloom. While consuming some, they ultimately bring back much more to the hive in order to sustain it, especially during the inactive winter months.

Dr. Mihaela Moscaliuc, Associate Professor of English and the recipient of a Fulbright fellowship to Romania, discussed bees in their ecological symbolism across cultures and recent centuries. She also examined the interaction and structures of labor and care between the characters Hatidze and Hussain. Both of these characters depend on natural resources for survival; however, they represent two different positions on how their dependency works.

Hussain is a migrant capital herder who works to provide for his large family and sees bees and their honey as a temporary, seasonal undertaking to supplement his income. As a result of his greed, his beekeeping is done in a hurry, and he is not interested in truly learning or understanding the bees and their habitat. Hatidze, on the other hand, sings to the bees and treats them with the utmost care, doing so in a way in which human beings are merely guests to the home that is the Earth. She lives and works with the bees — not as their owner but as a guest in a world where there are sufficient resources for everyone as long as each person learns that there is enough on which to live and enough to sell if one can behave responsibly and honor the resources that others provide.

In the film, Hatidze’s mantra is “half for me and half for you;” she only takes half of the honeycomb the bees “gave to her.” In contrast, her neighbor, Hussain, overharvested honey for a commercial merchant, which deprived the bees of their ability to sustain their hive in the colder weather. When his bees no longer had a food source, they preyed upon all the other beehives in the village, leading to their demise.

The film’s message addresses the dangers of overexploitation of natural resources, which underscores the fragile balance between nature and human beings.

By Chloey Norris

In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly selected March 21 to celebrate the International Day of Forests annually. The goals of celebrating this important day include raising awareness of the importance of forests in addition to educating people on what they can do to contribute to reforestation. The UN encourages individual countries to take action with activities locally, nationally, and internationally to promote reforestation.

On the United Nations website, a summary of the International Day of Forests stresses the necessity of healthy, flourishing forests of all types across the globe. Despite the infinite benefits forests provide the Earth, its ecosystems, climate, and resources, deforestation continues, and the human population remains unaware of the devastating effects that will soon result. Thus, the theme for this year’s International Day of Forests is “Forest Restoration: A Path to Recovery and Well-Being.” Reforestation and forests’ sustainability are crucial to combating the ever-worsening crisis of climate change and threats to biodiversity.

Dr. Catherine Duckett, the Associate Dean of Monmouth University’s School of Science, is an expert on the subject and provided an informative explanation in regard to the International Day of Forests and its significance. She stated that this day “emphasizes and celebrates the forests that humans and other creatures need for a healthy life. Stability of a healthy forest allows much less susceptibility to pandemic disease or pest outbreaks. Moreover, healthy forests are important to maintain water systems that people and agriculture need. Forests transpire, which promotes local rainfall, and forest root systems filter and retain water ensuring a steady distribution of clean water in their watersheds.” This explanation describes forests’ crucial benefits as well as why it is so important to maintain them.

In an interview with the IGU Director, Professor Randall Abate, who also has extensive experience with this topic from a law and policy perspective, he expanded on the human population’s ignorance of forests’ importance, their significance as a resource, reforestation and sustainable management’s benefits, and what readers can do to contribute to reforestation.

He first explained that the reason people often underestimate the significance of forests is that they appear to be a vast, unlimited resource. Deforestation is not an issue close to home, so the urgent reality of the situation is not visible for them. Humans are also unaware of the integral role that forests play in promoting biodiversity and mitigating climate change. On the issue of individuals who are aware of issues affecting the world’s forests but continue to destroy them, he explained that this cognitive dissonance is motivated by “short-term, profit focused thinking” in efforts to drive the economy and to make as much money as possible.

Professor Abate identified the dual efforts for reforestation and sustainable management as the solution to all the issues affecting forests. Reforestation and afforestation are both necessary; reforestation refers to rebuilding forests in places they once existed, and afforestation is the introduction of forests to locations where they did not previously exist. These healthy, thriving forests’ presence will serve as a hub for increased biodiversity and are a valuable weapon in mitigating and adapting to climate change. A healthy ecosystem is resilient, and its resilience can better adapt to the effects of climate change. Moreover, photosynthesis in forests draws carbon out of the air, which makes intact forests valuable carbon sinks in the fight against climate change.

Finally, you can contribute to these efforts! You can donate to help others plant trees, spread awareness, conduct research on the Rights of Nature Movement, continue to educate yourself and others, and be mindful of your own contributions that affect the environment.

Professor Abate identified the following resources for readers to learn and contribute more:
Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund
The Nature Conservancy

Additionally, here are other websites dedicated to reforestation that you can financially support:
National Forest Foundation
United States Forest Service
The Gifted Tree

All in all, the UN National Day of Forests is an extremely important celebration of the forests, which are the backbone of our planet. It is our responsibility to raise awareness, educate, and contribute to the causes of reforestation, afforestation, combating climate change, and protecting biodiversity. We can make a difference!

By Madison Hanrahan

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began one year ago, colleges and universities have struggled to maintain a calendar of social events and activities to bring their students together. The tides are changing, though, as students and administrators slowly reintroduce more events to campus life. One upcoming event, sponsored by the Institute of Global Understanding (IGU), will surely bring a breath of fresh air to Monmouth’s campus community. As the three-day 2021 IGU Biennial Symposium approaches with its kickoff on Thursday, March 25, an entirely student-led social activity is in the works: the inaugural Open Mic Night.

Spearheaded by IGU graduate intern Emi Intili, Open Mic Night will be the highlight of student participation in the symposium. The IGU encourages all Monmouth students, staff, faculty, family, and community members to share expressions of their views on human rights and the environment. These can include singing a song, performing a dance, reciting a poem, displaying artwork, or simply sharing a thought about a deeply held perspective on the intersection of human rights and the environment. All students will perform via Zoom, so participants can engage from any location and inject more creativity into their performances than when they perform on a stage.

Those who are not comfortable performing live or who are unable to be synchronously present at the event can submit a recording or a TikTok video. The top three most creative pieces will win gift card prizes! Central to this event is that Monmouth University and the IGU are offering an opportunity for students’ voices to shine artistically and in dialogue with an attentive audience. In addition to the performances, the event will feature a Kahoot trivia game focused on topics related to human rights and the environment.

The Open Mic Night will take place on Friday, March 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. If this event intrigues you, register as either a performer or an audience member here until the start of the event. If you have any questions, e-mail Emi Intili at s0672455@monmouth.edu.

By Madison Hanrahan

On February 24, the Institute for Global Understanding (IGU) co-hosted a virtual discussion of the film The Odyssey. Hosted by Dr. Thomas Pearson, Professor of History, the discussion featured UCI Director Tony MacDonald, Esq. and Dr. Jason Adolf, Associate Professor of Biology and Endowed Associate Professor of Marine Science. The virtual discussion was an invigorating and highly educational reflection on the current state of the oceans and how they impact human life and activities.

The Odyssey is a 2016 French film directed by Jérôme Salle. Salle is a former art director and filmmaker who began working on The Odyssey in 2012, using two biographies of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the French explorer, conservationist, television star, filmmaker, and innovator. Producing this film proved challenging for Salle, as the film takes place on the world’s oceans and focuses heavily on cinematic underwater shots below the ocean’s surface. Additionally, creating a plot for this film was difficult because Cousteau was such an accomplished and complex character, which is why the movie focuses on his son Philippe and on their father-son relationship.

The sea fascinated Cousteau, who created a television show to document his awe of the oceans. The film follows Cousteau’s son, Philippe, who works on the show with his father and realizes that human pollution harms the ocean and believes humans should protect and conserve the ocean rather than try to conquer it. Cousteau’s and Philippe’s contrasting ideas and priorities create tension throughout the movie, driving the narrative. Throughout the film, both father and son discover that they must come together to protect the oceans and become advocates to protect the planet from human pollution.

Approximately 40 participants attended the discussion and provided their insights on the film. Tony MacDonald first offered his commentary, stating that the film’s main theme is perseverance. He drew comparisons to the recently launched Mars Rover to demonstrate how a government agency heavily funds space exploration, costing $2.7 billion annually, while ocean exploration has an annual budget of only $45 million a year. This comparison highlights how neglected our oceans are in terms of research and science. He then explained how the work at the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) helps fill the gaps of what we know about the oceans. For instance, the UCI focuses on both ocean exploration and underwater philanthropy and has a 47-foot research vessel for major research at the university.

Next, Dr. Jason Adolf offered his comments about the film and on oceanic research. He discussed how little is known about the ocean due to the lack of funding and exploration. As his research focus is on phytoplankton and light in the ocean, he discussed the technology that one would need to see and photograph the ocean at different depths, as well as the bioluminescence of marine life. With less light in the water at greater depths, there is less color in the environment. Additionally, there is a special bioluminescence in plankton and in other sea creatures, though little research is available. There is a wide variety of marine animals that use bioluminescence, but since humans can see blue light, the blue light disguises the special fluorescence.

Dr. Adolf then explained how coral reefs are the most threatened marine habitats due to climate change. These reefs are susceptible to temperature change, as 90 percent of Earth’s excess heat is held at the oceans’ surface. As a result of rising temperatures, there will be a mass coral bleaching that will destroy all coral reefs.

To raise awareness and support for protecting the oceans, Tony MacDonald suggested engaging everyday citizens in science and the environment, especially to give youth a voice in the matter. Youth activist groups are passionate about and dedicated to their goals, and they will be the ones to inspire great change for ocean research. Educating and organizing groups on a local level to focus on environmental issues would be a valuable first step to raise awareness about the oceans’ status and research gaps.

By the end of the discussion, it was clear to all that climate change is a topic that demands our urgent attention. Preserving the planet, and in particular the oceans, needs to be a high priority for governments around the world as pollution affects us all. Pollution has become such a devastating problem to our environment that humans are killing the oceans faster than we can uncover their mysteries. By not preserving the oceans, the Earth and its people will struggle to survive. Cousteau and Philippe were the first two people who understood the value of protecting the oceans from pollution.

By Chelsea Franchette

The United Nations created World Wildlife Day in 2013 to promote awareness of wild animals and plants, as well as to celebrate these species. This commemorative day is celebrated on March 3. It is now recognized as the most important global annual event dedicated to the world’s wildlife. It draws attention to endangered species and the work that people around the world are doing to save these species and their ecosystems.

On World Wildlife Day, various events occur around the world on different topics in relation to the environment. Some of these topics include wild animals, national parks, nature conservation, plant life, climate change, oceans and marine life, and forests. The events throughout the day are meant to help spread awareness and educate a global audience about the different issues our environment faces.

This year’s World Wildlife Day theme, “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet,” focuses on how forests, and their species and ecosystems, help sustain people’s livelihoods. Forests affect indigenous peoples’ livelihoods more than any other ecosystem and help indigenous peoples meet their basic needs, including food, shelter, energy, and medicine.

The indigenous peoples and the forest ecosystems are highly interdependent. Forests are also facing the challenge of COVID-19’s impacts, which affect indigenous peoples’ health, social interactions, and economic well-being. The forest and the species within it are also battling crises like climate change and biodiversity loss.

Forest ecosystems and forest species can have a significant effect on humans, just as humans can detrimentally impact forests. Humans are the reason for the crises that are affecting our forests all over the globe. Deforestation is perhaps the most significant crisis that forests are facing today due to many factors; however, one main factor is humans’ use of wood. In an interview, Dr. Jonathan Scherch, the Founder and Executive Director of Pacific Bamboo Resources, described his work with this international non-governmental organization (NGO). He explained that bamboo is a resource for people that can be used for other applications to replace wood. This can lead to a reduction in deforestation, which benefits wildlife’s habitats and, ultimately, our planet. Dr. Scherch continued that replacing bamboo for wood not only helps our habitats and wildlife but also has an added benefit in that bamboo has the ability to reproduce quickly. One of Pacific Bamboo Resources’ projects is growing bamboo with farmers near the boundaries of gorilla national parks in Uganda in order to save the mountain gorillas from farmers intruding onto their land to extract the resources they need. When the farmers trespass on the gorillas’ land, they remove the gorillas’ resources and introduce them to diseases. The hope for this project is that farmers can learn how to support themselves without ravaging the national parks, further supporting the species within the parks’ lands.

World Wildlife Day strives to promote forest and forest wildlife management practices. These practices are meant to improve humans’ well-being and forests’ long-term conservation. The United Nations encourages the education and awareness of how our forests and forest wildlife contribute to peoples’ livelihoods all over the world. This year’s IGU symposium has a similar goal.

“UN Wildlife Day is highly relevant to the ‘human rights and the environment’ theme of this year’s IGU symposium. By recognizing the relationship between human and non-human communities and the need for human communities to protect wildlife populations and ecosystem integrity, UN Wildlife Day goes to the heart of the symposium theme. Harm to the environment not only threatens the vulnerable non-human communities on the Earth, but also presents a severe human rights crisis for vulnerable human communities around the world.” — Prof. Randall Abate, Director, Institute for Global Understanding, Monmouth University

The IGU Symposium and the UN World Wildlife Day both highlight our environment’s importance, and how it affects humans and, more specifically, human rights.

By Emily O’Sullivan

On February 16, 2021, the Institute for Global Understanding (IGU) co-sponsored the Tuesday Night World Music Record Club’s discussion of Love Letters (2020), Anoushka Shankar’s most recent release. Nominated for a Grammy in the Best Global Music Album category, the EP consists of six songs: “Bright Eyes,” “Those Words,” “Lovable,” “Space,” “Wallet,” and “In This Mouth.” Dr. Meghan Hynson, Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, led participants through a thoughtful discussion spanning Shankar’s musical evolution as well as the intricacies of each Love Letters track. She contributed a substantive context to every song introduced, facilitating an immersive and collaborative listening experience for all in attendance.

Without question, Love Letters showcases Shankar’s mastery of the sitar. Shankar’s father, legendary Indian musician Ravi Shankar, first introduced her to the instrument at the age of seven. By the time she turned thirteen, Shankar’s professional career had taken shape and she had already performed on stage and produced an album. As her musical prowess grew increasingly evident, she opted not to attend university and instead followed in her father’s footsteps as a musical pioneer and performer of the sitar.

Love Letters epitomizes her ingenuity quite well, for it functions, in Dr. Hynson’s words, as a “fascinating fusion of the sitar and a number of other musical instruments.” For example, the single, “Bright Eyes” integrates the ghatam, a traditional water pot percussion instrument that is played with the mouth pressed against the player’s stomach. The player taps the surface of the ghatam with the fingers and the base of the palm and changes the pitch and resonance of the instrument by varying the pressure of the pot against the stomach. In this way, the EP incorporates a classic Indian aesthetic of sitar, ghatam, kanjira, and tanpura with modern Western pop instrumentation, to create a hybrid sound appealing to a variety of listeners.

Notably, Love Letters could not exist if not for the efforts of a host of trail-blazing women. The album featured a number of female musicians and writers, as well as a female musical engineer from Brooklyn, Heba Kadry. Ayanna Witter-Johnson plays the cello on the second track, “Those Words,” and Shilpa Rao (Indian vocals), Alev Lenz, Nina Harries, and twin sisters Ibeyi are all featured vocalists on the record. Their collaboration was integral to the EP’s creation, supporting Shankar both musically and spiritually. In reflecting on the EP’s production, Shankar explained, “I really got to experience the way women show up for each other when crisis strikes. That’s really where this music came from: the shared experience of women, holding my hand and helping me find a safe place to put some of my feelings.”

Love Letters signifies a departure from Shankar’s typical releases. Indeed, according to Dr. Hynson, the EP serves as “documentation of this profound period of upheaval” in Shankar’s recent history. From health issues to divorce, Shankar has grappled with losses that transcended her personal narrative and made their way into her songwriting. As a result, Love Letters emits a rather “somber,” “introspective,” and “cathartic” tone. At the same time, Shankar was careful not to craft her songs in an idiosyncratic manner, instead aiming for lyrics equally poignant and unspecific so that listeners could interpret her music in their own way. Therefore, Love Letters embodies a journey to healing, meeting listeners exactly where they are in hopes of elevating their spirits to some better place.

Love Letters is available to stream on Apple Music, Spotify, and Shankar’s YouTube channel. To further encounter musical genius from around the world, be sure to leave your Tuesday nights open!

By Madison Hanrahan

On Friday, February 19, the Institute of Global Understanding (IGU) and the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) co-hosted a panel for the most recent installment of the Global Ocean Governance series. This panel featured global perspectives on adapting marine shipping governance and maritime sovereignty to respond to climate change. Moderated by Professor Randall Abate, this panel featured three prominent speakers who are passionate about climate change: Dr. Beatriz Martinez Romera, an associate professor of environmental and climate change law at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark; Dr. Samira Idllalène, professor of law at Cadi Ayyad University in Safi, Morocco; and Dr. Joanna Siekiera, an international lawyer and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Bergen in Norway.

Dr. Martinez Romera began her presentation with some troubling statistics: emissions from ships and maritime transport currently account for three percent of annual global greenhouse emissions. She stated that by the year 2050, emissions could increase anywhere from 50 to 250 percent. Dr. Martinez Romera explained how international regulation of emissions has caused an oversight in limiting the amount of carbon emissions ships can release. Prior to the 2015 Paris Agreement, there was an “unequal treatment of ships and the amount of carbon they emitted,” and this unequal treatment hurt developing countries. When the Paris Agreement was created, shipping was not included in its terms, and unregulated carbon emissions persisted. Dr. Martinez Romera noted that there are now small steps underway to regulate carbon emissions from ships, such as strengthening the International Maritime Organization and with new policies implemented by the European Union to seek to comply with the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement.

The next speaker, Dr. Samira Idllalène, addressed how the “atmospheric waqf principle” can be applied to the marine environment to respond to climate change impacts. Dr. Idllalène stated that the atmospheric waqf principle is a belief in the Muslim religion that values the idea of trusteeship and can be utilized in a way to respect animals and the natural environment to which they belong. She supported her argument by noting that waqf is an existing legal tool in Muslim countries as well as an ancestral institution with ecological applications. Moreover, “[T]here is a growing spiritual ecology movement happening across the globe, and atmospheric waqf allows animals additional protections by ensuring climate change does not affect their environment.”

Lastly, Dr. Joanna Siekiera delivered a presentation focusing on the legal consequences of sea level rise and climate change on islands and their sovereignty and what can be done to protect these islands. Places such as the Pacific Islands, Oceania, and Bangladesh are just a few examples of states at risk of impacts to their human security, state security, and food security as climate change continues to affect the oceans. Global maritime sovereignty is governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982. This treaty protects international peace and security in the maritime environment. One way to change maritime laws and regulations to protect island and coastal states from instability linked to climate change is to amend UNCLOS. This task is challenging as countries that are not as significantly affected by sea level rise do not want additional regulations, while also claiming that amending UNCLOS will “threaten the security and stability of their countr[ies].” It is important that regulations and maritime sovereignty are established for all states because, as outlined by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Bangladesh v. India (2014): “Maritime boundaries, just like land boundaries, must be stable and definitive to ensure a peaceful relationship between states in the long term.”

Given that it is highly unlikely that a majority of states will agree to amend UNCLOS, another option for protecting island and coastal states is to issue political declarations that create maritime laws that only affect a specific region. This is the optimal solution as states that do not want to change their laws will not be subject to new regulations that will address island states’ concerns. This idea of changing maritime laws at the regional level has worked before through the 1933 Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States. The laws outlined in this convention only applied to states in South America but, over time, the Montevideo Convention became international “customary law.” By implementing new maritime laws and regulations at the regional level, it provides safety to coastal and island states as it would outline maritime boundaries that “once established, would not be challenged or reduced as a result of sea level rise and ocean change.” These maritime regulation and sovereignty protections are extremely important as the security and stability of these states are highly dependent on the ocean.

The recording of the lecture is available to view on the UCI’s Global Ocean Governance Lecture Series webpage. The next lecture in the series, which will address issues in global fisheries governance, will be co-hosted by the IGU and UCI on Thursday, April 8, 2021.

Dr. Joanne Jodry, Ed.D., D.M.H., Assistant Professor of Professional Counseling and the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Director, presented her talk on “Educational Transformation: Finding Your Meaning through Service to Others” during a TEDxAsburyPark salon on Tuesday, December 1, 2020.

Dr. Jodry shared her passion for service during an intimate discussion of her first meeting with Courtney Deacon Lalotra, the founder of One Life to Love, a nonprofit organization and orphanage that provides education, nutrition, and health care to migrant children with mental and physical disabilities in New Delhi, India. A mutual friend introduced Dr. Jodry to Ms. Deacon Lalotra shortly after Dr. Jodry received a cancer diagnosis in 2015 that she says created “a new identity” for her, leaving her “more fearful.” Ms. Deacon Lalotra’s selfless and courageous devotion to offering basic necessities, love, and care to children of the greatest need inspired Dr. Jodry to find meaning and healing in service.

With a renewed sense of purpose, Dr. Jodry developed a faculty-led program for the students in her graduate program to embark on an annual service trip through northern India, including to One Life to Love. The students serve food at the Golden Temple, provide care to children, and, in Dr. Jodry’s words, learn to “answer the call of suffering,” as they expand upon their training for therapy and counseling and engage in spiritual growth. Monmouth students will participate in the program for the third time this summer.

Dr. Jodry refers to service as “the cure” for our own suffering and encourages her students and audience to “live in action.”

Dr. Jodry’s presentation from the TEDxAsburyPark salon is available to view on YouTube.

“Be inspired by people who show meaning in their lives…. Really look at the suffering of other people… and ask yourself, ‘Why can’t I help?’” — Dr. Joanne Jodry, Ed.D., D.M.H., Assistant Professor of Professional Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Director