Diplomacy Lab is a program where students, under the guidance of professional diplomats at the U.S. Dept. of State, work on global policy issues currently facing the U.S.
Through Diplomacy Lab, Wright students have the chance:
· To explore real-world problems and contribute to the U.S. policy making process.
· To engage directly with State Department officials in Washington or in embassies around the world.
These projects also look impressive on a transfer or scholarship application or résumé!
Wright will offer the following 5 courses with Diplomacy Lab projects in Spring 2023:
SOC 201 D2 (64342), Intro to Society — T/TH 9:30 am to 10:50 am (in person)
SOC 201 F (63627), Intro to Society — T/TH 11 am to 12:20 pm (in person)
SOC 211 G (64348), Race and Ethnic Relations — M/W 12:30 pm to 1:50 pm (online live)
Supporting Indigenous Rights: The Australian Alliance in Action – The United States and Australia share a rich First Nations cultural heritage, but also share a history of subjugation, dispossession, and poor life outcomes for Indigenous peoples. For this project, students will compare initiatives in the U.S. and Australia for Native American reparations for residential schools, as well as the work of indigenous social change organizations. Questions? Please email Professor Sydney Hart at shart9@ccc.edu.
POL SCI 204 E (63626), Intro to International Relations – M/W 11 am to 12:20 pm (in person)
INTDSP-299-1 (63943), Independent Study – Online/one credit (approval by professor)
The Haitian Diaspora Resources – Only 600 miles from Florida and experiencing its most protracted crisis in thirty years, Haiti is a top U.S. foreign policy priority. The State Department wishes to engage with the widespread Haitian diaspora in a more systematic manner to benefit from the insights of its members and their varied perspectives. Students will compile a comprehensive spreadsheet of Haitian organizations throughout the U.S., along with associated members of Congress and notable Haitian Americans in other governmental units. For more information, contact Professor Merry Mayer at mmayer2@ccc.edu
Questions about Diplomacy Lab? Contact Merry Mayer, mmayer2@ccc.edu
Previous Diplomacy Lab Projects Details:
Libya’s Vast Cultural Heritage – A Survey of the Most Important
Anthropology students helped compile a comprehensive list of ancient sites in Libya from diverse periods. Resources used included academic publications, archaeological organizations, individual scholars, and less formal sources. Students analyzed the current status of each site, including its state of preservation, protection, risks, and need for help. Analysis of the relative importance of sites included their cultural value for Libya and the world, their scholarly significance, political considerations, and their economic potential, such as for tourism.
Sharing Native American Culture and Perspectives with International Audiences
Sociology and anthropology students surveyed Native American leaders, using tribal listings from the BIA and the American Indian Center of Chicago. Using this information, students researched and developed teaching materials, highlighting various indigenous points of view, and illustrated by art and stories from specific nations.
How to Effectively Combat Anti-Semitism in 21st Century Europe
English 102 students examined hate speech as it escalated toward violence, creating a climate for the Holocaust. Using contemporary advertising and political rhetoric, students then analyzed the media role and assessed critical messaging as it evolved along Stanton’s Eight Stages of Genocide. Students also analyzed the potential to resist state sanctioned violence using various modes of social media and created a class Twitter feed documenting how stereotyping today is used to convey messages that imply acceptance of broader and potentially dangerous political ideologies based on social assumptions. Resources included historical posters, films, and research stemming from academic publications, class discussion, and a visit to the Illinois Holocaust Museum.
Developing New Case Studies for Public-Private Partnerships
Students in an honors-level Introduction to International Relations class examined innovative approaches to dealing with global challenges. Through TED talks, articles, and resources from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, students explored new ways to address global challenges and provided updated case studies to help in training new U.S. Department of State personnel.
Civil Rights of Jews and Arabs in America
Students in three classes–English 101, an Arabic language course, and an American Government course worked with the Public Diplomacy Section at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv to develop programming about civil rights in America that was more relevant to local audiences. In the past the story of the expansion of civil rights in America was usually recounted in Israel by examining the experiences of African-Americans. Students in these classes worked on a variety of historical snapshots telling the story of Jewish and Arab immigrants’ absorption into American cultural life.
You(th) Can Do It: Inspiring Albania’s Young People to Take Action
Students, in two linked courses, utilized both communications theory and interdisciplinary social science research to examine strategies in U.S. and international social movements and explored possible ways to encourage youth civic engagement in Albania. Students reviewed both historical documents and contemporary Albanian media sources, as well as examined Albanian pop culture, including films. They also considered other efforts, such as the U.N.’s, to engage young people around the world. As part of Diplomacy Lab, the students had multiple conferences with State Dept. officials from the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania, as well as heard from a local DePaul University student who interned with the embassy over the summer.
Religion and Social Change in Global Affairs
Students conducted research on present day and historic examples of social change led by religious actors (including non- clergy, women and youth) on a range of issues including LGBTQ rights, women’s advocacy, environmental sustainability, peacebuilding, social entrepreneurship and conflict mediation. This research was drafted into a set of thematic case studies to be used as a training tool for the Department of State.
Assessing the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
With the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) approaching its 50th anniversary, students in an International Relations course developed materials to celebrate some of the treaty’s achievements.
Truth Decay — How can we fight web-based disinformation
Undergraduate students in four courses, two political sciences courses, an Aligned Reading and Composition course, and an independent study explored the various ways countries combat disinformation.
Promoting Women’s Advancement in Diplomacy
Sociology students conducted library research on the status of women in the workplace, relying on academic search engines and Gender & Society, the journal of Sociologists for Women in Society (a subgroup of the American Sociological Association). In addition to library research, students conducted interviews with local scholars and scholars in the Sociologists for Women in Society networks in order to deepen their understandings.
Global Best Practices for Cryptocurrency Regulation
Students in a cybersecurity class examined the best practices for regulating cryptocurrency.
Making Smart Cities Meaningful to the Public
Students in two political science courses and one independent study examined ways to make smart technology better serve the populations of Southeast Asian nations.
We Come from the Land of Ice and Snow: A Network to Connect Arctic Museums
Anthropology students compiled a comprehensive directory of Arctic-region museums, cataloguing their missions, audiences, resources, facilities, and online websites.
Gender & the Great Power Competition
Students in an honors international relations course and an independent study examined both the role that women play in negotiating successful peace treaties (the research shows that including women as negotiators make peace treaties 35% more likely to last 15 years or more) and the benefits of a more gender-equal society (it makes conflict less likely). At the end of the semester, seven students virtually presented their work to 37 Dept. of State personnel, one of whom was Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, Kelley E. Currie.
Overseas Coverage of U.S. Racial Relations
Students in two political science courses and an independent study analyzed how the foreign press covered such events as the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests.
The Growing Impact of Social Media on Philippine Politics
Students in three political science courses assessed the role of social media in Philippine politics, examining a few fake news case studies, how each was handled, and the advantages/disadvantages of each approach. They provided a brief overview of the country’s social media fake news landscape and what research says are the major actors. Students also analyzed U.S. efforts to reign in social media platforms and considered possible actions the United Nations could take to combat misinformation, especially as it crosses borders.