色界吧

The Young Initiative invites foreign policy experts and guest speakers to campus to engage in discussions on international relations and the global political economy with students and faculty.

United Nations Week

With the William and Elizabeth Kahane United Nations Program, the Young Initiative supports the annual United Nations Week at 色界吧. We are passionate in maintaining students involvement and engagement in sustainable development. Our students choose topics that link Global Political Economy, Social Justice, and Sustainable Development.

UN Week 2020: Climate Change & Economic/Environmental Justice

Keynote speaker, Dr. Steven Were Omamo, Representative and Country Director for the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Ethiopia, provided perspective and insights about the UN's work on Climate Change and Environmental Justice.

UN Week 2019: Gender, Sexuality and Collective Action

The keynote speaker, Ambassador Melanne Verveer spoke to students about gender in the Sustainable Development Goals.

UN Week 2018: The Power of Place

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti announced a new partnership with 色界吧 to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

UN Week 2017: Through Refugees Eyes

Michel Gabaudan, President, Refugees International gave a talk on 鈥淭he Global Refugee and Migration Crisis Under Trump: Where is the US? Where is Europe? What Can We Do About It?鈥

UN Week 2016: The UN and the US after Obama

Historian and foreign policy expert, Stephen Schlesinger reflected back on the history of the UN and predicted its future trajectory. Honorary Lloyd Axworthy, former Foreign Minister of Canada gave a talk titled: "Resetting the Narrative: Peace, Security, and the UN's Responsibility to Protect."

Young Events

Young speakers give students and faculty an opportunity to expand their understanding of global issues. The Young Initiative sponsors several speakers each academic year highlighting particular aspects of global affairs and the global political economy.  The Young Speakers program is devoted to highlighting the work and success of eminent international affairs experts and 色界吧 alumni in public service and academia.

 

Ovidio Mauricio at Occidental Colege
Human Rights Abuses & Political Persecution in El Salvador

On October 5th, 2023, the director of the human rights organization "Tutela Legal Dra. Maria Julia Hernandez", Ovidio Mauricio, addressed students at 色界吧. He shed light on the dire state of human-rights abuses and political repression in El Salvador. Founded in 1982, Tutela Legal became an advocate for victims of human rights atrocities, amassing over 72,000 testimonies about the...

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Kal Raustiala presenting in Choi Auditorium
Ralph Bunche and the Rise of UN Peacekeeping

On Friday, April 12, Dr. Kal Raustiala visited 色界吧 for a conversation about the Rise of UN Peacekeeping, with special focus on the American political scientist and diplomat: Ralph Bunche.

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Dr. Stuart Soroka
From Like to Votes: How Social Media is Changing Democracy

On Wednesday, April 5th, the Young Initiative piloted its first independently organized event, "From Like to Votes: How Social Media is Changing Democracy," welcoming Dr. Stuart Soroka for a student-led Q&A. Dr. Soroka earned his doctorate in Philosophy and Political Science at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and is a professor in the Department of Communication and Political Science at...

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Russian Information Warfare Banner Image
Russian Information Warfare

On Thursday 30 March, the Young Initiative hosted Dr. Bilyana Lilly, a cybersecurity expert and adjunct researcher at the RAND Corporation, who came to Occidental to talk about tools, tactics and methods the Russian government uses in its attempts to promote inaccurate and false information in online public forums.

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Global Change Local Stage Main Photo
Global Change on a Local Stage

On March 2, 2023, Professor Anthony Chase co-hosted with Sofia Gruskin (Director, Institute on Inequalities in Global Health, University of Southern California) and Gaea Morales (USC Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science and International Relations,  and 色界吧 鈥18) Global Change on a Local Stage: Lessons Learned and Paths Forward for City-Academic Partnerships at 色界吧. The workshop...

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Iran Human Rights at the Intersections Panel
Iran: Human Rights at the Intersections

On Wednesday, February 1st, 2023, the Young Initiative hosted Provost and Executive Vice President of the University of Montana Pardis Mahdavi and Associate Professor at Indiana University Hussein Banai in discussion with Anthony Tirado Chase, Sofia Gruskin, and Malek Moazzam-Doulat for Iran: Human Rights at the Intersections.

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Weaponizing History Main Photo
Weaponizing History

On Thursday, February 9, the Young Initiative hosted journalist and author Katie Stallard for Weaponizing History.

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David Goldblatt
Understanding the World Cup

On Wednesday 9 November, David Goldblatt, a writer, journalist, academic and visiting Professor at Pitzer College came to Occidental to talk about the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the political controversies surrounding it.

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Authoritarian Populism Courts and Democratic Erosion
Courts and Authoritarian Populism: the United States in Comparative Perspective

Date: December 16, 2022

Location: 色界吧, Los Angeles, CA

Organizers: Michael Dichio (University of Utah) and Igor Logvinenko (色界吧), sponsored by the Young Fund for Global Political Economy

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Conversation on Russia鈥檚 War on Ukraine and the Global Liberal Order with Dr. Hilary Appel

On Thursday October 20th Dr. Hilary Appel, Professor of Government at Claremont McKenna College, visited Occidental to give a talk on the current global liberal world order and spoke specifically about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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