Photo Credit: Pixabay/Alexandra Koch It is 2020: a year when racial injustice is topping national headlines and forcing the national security community to confront its heritage of racial prejudice, exclusion, and marginalization. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are three core principles guiding organizations and communities as they seek to increase representation of marginalized and underrepresented … Continue reading As Unusual School Year Begins, Georgetown’s SSP Steps Up DEI Efforts
Category: Topics
The Future for Unmanned Surface Vessels in the US Navy
Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) concept renderings from shipbuilder Austal USA. Photo Credit: Austal USA In the past few years there has been an increasing focus on expanding the US Navy’s capabilities through the use of unmanned surface vessels. On September 17th, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said “Unmanned will enable us to grow the United … Continue reading The Future for Unmanned Surface Vessels in the US Navy
“Where the real fight begins:” What Would it Take to Solve Washington’s Diversity Crisis?
President Trump Addresses a Briefing on the Coronavirus on January 29, 2020. Photo Credit:White House Official Flickr Account The killings of Ahmad Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd by police over the past summer have ignited a worldwide wave of protests calling for racial justice and an end to police brutality. In a deeper sense, … Continue reading “Where the real fight begins:” What Would it Take to Solve Washington’s Diversity Crisis?
Who’s in the Room? Part II: The Case for Women’s Voices in National Security
Businesswoman explaining new business strategy to coworkers sitting around table in conference room. Photo credit: Shutterstock/Jacob Lund Over the last 40 years, women have gained greater representation across the United States national security establishment.[i] From 1992-2012, the proportion of men and women in the general scale of federal service came closer to approaching equality overall; … Continue reading Who’s in the Room? Part II: The Case for Women’s Voices in National Security
The Lethal Results of Police Militarization in 2020
State police officers dispersing a protest after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. Photo Credit: New York Times/Victor J. Blue The progression of police militarization in the United States has heightened the antagonistic relationship between state and local law enforcement and many of the civilians they have sworn to protect. The National … Continue reading The Lethal Results of Police Militarization in 2020
Security Comes First: The Link Between Global Counterinsurgency and American Policing
Police secure an intersection during a third night of unrest in Richmond, Virginia. Photo Credit: Associated Press Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policingby Stuart SchraderUniversity of California Press, 393 pp., $29.95 Stuart Schrader, author of the intellectually and empirically towering Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policing, knows that his … Continue reading Security Comes First: The Link Between Global Counterinsurgency and American Policing
Reclaiming the Moral High Ground?
The final 40 Guantanamo detainees are still waiting for their day in court, but a recent DC appellate court decision has put the privilege of due process in jeopardy. Can the U.S. regain the moral high ground with these indefinitely detained individuals acting as an indefinite stain on the robes of justice? Photo Credit: Congregation … Continue reading Reclaiming the Moral High Ground?
Where are the Women and Where are They Not: Why it’s Important
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Photo Credit: Getty Images/ The Washington Post As the world mourns the loss of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her legacy continues to illuminate the gender disparity present throughout the United States. As the first woman to lie in state at the US Capitol,[i] and only the fourth woman to serve … Continue reading Where are the Women and Where are They Not: Why it’s Important
The Dangers of Militarizing Racist Facial Recognition Technology
A US soldier takes biometric information. Photo Credit: Defense Systems Information Analysis Center, Cpl. Alejandro Pena In recent months, US politicians and activists have called for a nationwide ban of facial recognition systems for local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.[i] The ban comes after years of activism from researchers detailing the tendency of facial … Continue reading The Dangers of Militarizing Racist Facial Recognition Technology
As Attacks Rise, is the Islamic State Tightening its Grip on the Sahel?
ISGS fighters clash with al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM near Talataye, Gao Region, Mali. Photo from IS al-Naba publication Since 2018, the Liptako-Gourma region on the borders between Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso has seen a rise in violence from jihadist groups, including the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). Although ISGS is expanding its geographical reach … Continue reading As Attacks Rise, is the Islamic State Tightening its Grip on the Sahel?