Campus Engagement

My first campus engagement experience through ISP was about the Role of Fjords in the Carbon Cycle, and was given by a PhD candidate. This experience was particularly interesting to me as I had no idea that Fjords could impact climate change at all. Fjords are natural elements in water bodies that are comprised of a deep, elongated lake drain followed by a steep land at the mouth, where it usually pours into the sea. There can be tropical Fjords, but most of the time we think of Fjords in Norway as they were previously carved by glaciers. The Fjord are very active in terms of carbon sequestration, meaning they bury carbon deep into the ocean which reduces climate change for us. However, due to ocean warming and acidification, carbon may be released into the atmosphere, which would be detrimental to humans. This talk was especially important to me because it highlighted how critical it is that we have policies in place to protect natural structures. Since I want to be an environmental attorney, this opened my eyes to the scope of international environmental laws I could potentially become engaged in. 

My second campus engagement experience through ISP was called Fervor on the Frontier, and was about the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. During this talk, I learned about the Osa Peninsula and its biophysical, social, cultural, economic, and political importance to Costa Rican citizens, and also learned that this talk would soon be turned into a book adapted from a documentary done by the professor giving the talk. The Osa Peninsula is extremely biodiverse, and is important to the economy of Costa Rica as it caters to many tourists. It is also one of the reasons why Costa Rica has become known for its ecotourism. I learned that it is important to take into account multiple lenses when looking at policy action, and also that speaking with locals on their opinions and experiences is critical to rich understanding. 

My third campus engagement experience was a seminar called Amazonian Archipelagos: Rethinking relationships between Indigenous lands and conservation. Dr. Correia spoke of how their study categorized groups of indigenous peoples as part of archipelagos as opposed to islands, where there is a constant connection between these individual groups in terms of cultural, economic, and political exchanges. Many, if not most, of the areas that these indigenous people live in are important sites of biodiversity and have critical conservation potential. With the growth of colonization from outside logging and agricultural operations and monoculture in the Amazon, their protection is more crucial than ever. It was interesting to learn about the different political and cultural considerations that must take place to protect Indigenous people when trying to also make the other stakeholders, such as the Brazilian government and outside corporations happy. Many individuals have many stakes in this area, whether it be for economic, political, biological, or human rights reasons, and solutions can only be found when all perspectives are looked at and bargained with.

My fourth campus engagement experience was a Red Cross seminar called 'Even War Has Rules: An Introduction to International Humanitarian Law. At this seminar, I acquired many facts and points about international humanitarian law such as the seven principles of movement, the tenets of the Geneva Convention, types of armed conflicts, rules of engagement in war, fundamental principles of war, distinct emblems for protection, protected persons and protected places. I think that this event was monumental in my appreciation of international humanitarian law, and critical for my future legal career. I plan to go to law school to study environmental justice, which coincides with humanitarian assistance. Defining these key terms and how to access aid is important to law and justice. In terms of global perspectives, learning how different societies handle armed conflict and that there are often unifying rules helps to illuminate the interconnectedness of our world.