I was invited to speak at the 2017 Global Affairs Conference organized by the Rutgers Division of Global Affairs (DGA) and The Student Association of Global Affairs (SAGA) in Newark, NJ on April 21. The theme was “Dynamics of Global Inequality: New Thinking in Global Affairs.” I presented my work and my book Unequal Partners in the panel “Tracing the Roots of Oppression,” alongside Professor Taja Nia Henderson (Rutgers Law School), Dr. Miloš Hrnjaz (University of Belgrade), and Tyler Huether (Embry-Riddle).
This year the conference focused on exploring inequalities in global affairs, including their roots, their effects and ways of addressing these issues. Current events across the globe have demonstrated the urgent need for new ways of thinking about the historical and contemporary issues that shape global affairs. In the current political moment, it is imperative to examine how global systems of inequality such as race, sexuality, gender and ability shape the world in which we live. Central themes of global affairs scholarship, including security, development, migration and mass atrocity crimes occur with the context of, and are shaped by such systems of inequality. Further, we must recognize that a US- or Euro-centric focus offers a limited explanation of global politics and we must therefore look beyond these geographical arenas to reflect on the contribution of other regions to global affairs theory and practice.
FABRICE JAUMONT 