All Political Science and Social Sciences students are welcome to attend an event to connect with the Political Science Department. Enjoy board games, trivia, and free refreshments and network with professors and peers.
Date: Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024
Time: 4 to 5 p.m.
Location: Plaza 600F, Brock University
Congratulations to Valentina Guerra on being awarded Export Development Canada’s 2024 Latin+ Community Leader Scholarship! This $5,000 scholarship is for post-secondary students of Latin American origin or descent who demonstrate dedication to the advancement of the Latin+ community in Canada or abroad.
Guerra, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a concentration in International Development, says she never considered herself a leader before coming to Brock University.
“I didn’t think of myself as someone who could make an impact on their community, especially as someone who was very shy and a newcomer to Canada,” she says. “My time at Brock has really encouraged me to discover my own ways to lead and contribute to the causes that are important to me.”
While studying at Brock, Guerra has consistently showcased her dedication to community involvement, international development and global affairs through her leadership roles and extracurriculars.
Her active participation in the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) and the presidency of the Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU) Local Committee for World University Service of Canada underlines her commitment to student advocacy.
Guerra was also a leader in Brock’s Model United Nations Club and was named Outstanding Delegate at the National Model United Nations in New York City, receiving the most prestigious award at the conference.
Driven to make a difference both locally and globally, Guerra’s contributions extend beyond the Brock community to her volunteer work with international organizations.
As an Engagement Officer for Girls in Global, Guerra works closely with fellow activists from across Europe, Africa and Latin America to promote women’s participation and representation in international affairs. She also volunteers with YATA-NATO Canada on their Defence and Strategy Committee, where she is currently writing a collaborative policy paper on strengthening Canadian Arctic defence and security.
“Guerra’s academic achievements, leadership qualities and commitment to community involvement deserve this incredible recognition,” says Associate Professor of Political Science Pascal Lupien, who recommended Guerra for the scholarship.
Based on her outstanding accomplishments, Guerra also received funding through Brock’s Match of Minds program, an initiative that provides research employment opportunities for students. She is currently working with Lupien on his project exploring the role of digital technologies in supporting Indigenous women’s political participation in Latin America.
“This project, co-developed by and for Latin American women, will make significant contributions to the development of Indigenous women’s communities in the region,” says Lupien.
Looking ahead, Guerra is excited to pursue a master’s program in International Relations and continue supporting the advancement of the Latin American community, a goal she says is driven by her identity as an Ecuadorian woman.
“I’m grateful for all the encouragement I’ve received from my professors,” she says. “I truly believe that Brock’s Political Science program has been fundamental to my success.”
Congratulations to Brontë Slote (BA ’24) on receiving the Faculty of Social Sciences Dean’s Undergraduate Award for Excellent Writing. Her winning paper, “Loss of Dogs, Loss of Life: The Destruction of Inuit Identity and Culture through Colonial Sled Dog Policies,” was nominated by Assistant Professor of Political Science Liam Midzain-Gobin.
Slote’s essay analyzes colonial policies surrounding the treatment of sled dogs in the Canadian Arctic during the mid-1900s. The paper sheds light on how these policies, driven by Eurocentric ideas of private property ownership and assimilation, disrupted Inuit-qimmiit relations, directly contributing to the destruction of Inuit identity and culture.
“I was passionate about this topic because it was an intersection of my interests, drawing from my minor in Political Science while also tying in knowledge gained from my background in Critical Animal Studies and Canadian Studies,” says Slote. “It serves as a powerful example of overlapping oppressions wherein colonialism and speciesism come together to affect both human and non-human members of a shared community.”
Slote feels fortunate that her Political Science courses focused on developing critical thinking and research skills, which she says helped her learn how to craft a well-written argument.
In POLI 4P37, she adds, “I had the opportunity to participate in a peer review activity where I not only improved my writing skills through feedback from my classmates but also gained insights into the peer review process that academic papers undergo before publication.”
Midzain-Gobin says he was thrilled to nominate Slote for the writing award because her essay went “over and above” what is typically seen in undergraduate courses.
“Slote’s essay draws on primary source material from the Qikiqtani Truth Commission and provides a rigorous analysis of Inuit-qimmiit relations and settler colonialism,” he says. “The paper is also wonderfully written. Simultaneously accessible and richly detailed, the clarity of the prose serves to highlight the analytical insight that Slote brings.”
Months of preparation resulted in two Distinguished Delegation Awards for the Brock Model United Nations (BMUN) when the student club competed in the annual National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference in New York City from March 24 to March 28. BMUN’s 37 team members represented two countries, Türkiye and Azerbaijan, in simulated UN committee sessions that discussed topics such as the relationship between disarmament and development, the eradication of poverty, emergency preparedness measures, and the protection of displaced and refugee children. The delegates were scored based on their representation of their country’s policies, intentions and relationships with other nations.
The Distinguished Delegation Award is comparable to that of a silver medal, with only a handful of delegations receiving this distinction. Further, BMUN had a stellar performance by two delegates in the United Nations Environmental Assembly, Matthew Cancilla and Billy Nicholson, who received an award for their Position Paper on environmental sustainability in fashion industries and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
This year, the delegation at NMUN was made up mostly of new delegates, as 51% of delegates had not attended NMUN previously. The group worked diligently to prepare, and supported one another in the process. Both BMUN and NMUN serve as a strong opportunity for students to develop various skills, including public speaking, policy-writing, research and debate.
