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Title: Food sovereignty in Canada
Contributors: Michelle Metzger (author), Matias Margulis (thesis advisor), David Connell (thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia College of Arts, Social, and Health Sciences (Degree granting institution), Gregory Cameron (committee member)
Abstract: Food sovereignty has recently gained increasing prominence as an alternative framework for agri-food policymaking. In Canada, food sovereignty actors are engaging with domestic agrifood policy issues; yet their activities targeting national policymaking have not been subject to systematic study. My research seeks to fill this gap by explaining food sovereignty actors' engagement in, and efforts to influence, federal policymaking processes. Using a case study research design that examines the period between 2009 and 2015, I demonstrate how Canadian food sovereignty actors have interacted with the federal policymaking process by initiating public debate over agri-food policy and forming strategic alliances with agri-food policymaking stakeholders. Furthermore, I show how food sovereignty actors promote ideas about autonomy and public engagement in federal policymaking, and explain the significance of these ideas compared to existing theories of agri-food policymaking in Canada.
Discipline: International Studies-Global Environmental Policy
Date added: 2019-04-05T20:31:51.159Z

Title: Food security in sub-Saharan Africa: the role of food aid and trade liberalization
Contributors: Michael Odur (author), Fiona MacPhail (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:15:28.111Z

Title: Amplifying voices of development: Insights from Indigenous Maya leaders of El Quiche, Guatemala.
Contributors: Alexandra Pedersen (author), Catherine Nolin (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The concept of development is under immense scrutiny. By questioning what is development and development for whom?' a re-thinking of these practices is underway throughout the world. Critical development practitioners are seriously evaluating development' to better understand the divided views between the North and South from a richly interdisciplinary perspective. In my thesis, I present findings of a recent research project in which I sought the perspectives of eight Indigenous Maya leaders of El Quiché, Guatemala. Based on interviews conducted in September 2010 in the Guatemalan highland city of Santa Cruz del Quiché and surrounding area, I attempt to better understand the meaning(s) of the word development from an Indigenous perspective, and how a self-determined vision of life best suits local communities. Based on their lived experiences, the Indigenous Maya interviewees asserted that development' practices prescribed by the local government and country's elites, as well as outside non-government organizations and multinational corporations, are not in the best interests of the Indigenous population. I attempt to highlight how the imposition of the development' itself has become, to these leaders, synonymous with forms of racism, inequality, exclusion, oppression and a loss of Indigenous identity and culture. Rather, Maya leaders in El Quiché stress the right to self-determined development, cultural preservation and a more holistic vision of life for individuals and communities. --P. ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:09:05.829Z

Title: Economic restructuring gender and grassroots development in Mexico
Contributors: Amy Melissa Schell (author), Fiona MacPhail (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Since 1980s, Mexico has undergone extensive economic restructuring symbolic of broader' globalization' trends. Substantial changes to Mexican economic, political and social structures have been informed by neo-liberal principles of development. Structural adjustment policies (SAPs) and the more recent phase of economic restructuring, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), are two neo-liberal economic strategies implemented in Mexico to achieve trade liberalization and deregulation. The impacts of economic restructuring on Mexicans vary depending on gender, class and geographical location (whether urban or rural). Guided by the gender and development (GAD) theoretical framework, I explore answers to the question ' what are the gendered impacts of Mexican economic restructuring and how have disadvantaged Mexican women responded to these impacts?' By using secondary research methodologies to explore feminist development literature pertaining to the gendered impacts of economic restructuring in conjunction with literature specific to Mexico, this project analyzes structural changes on a macro level while drawing out contextual examples of gender specific survival strategies. This study suggests that urban and rural disadvantaged women in Mexico have responded to negative impacts of economic restructuring in similar ways by mobilizing into grassroots organizations (GROs). Membership in a grassroots organization serves the dual purpose of meeting immediate perceived needs while containing the potential for empowering women to challenge gender ideologies confining their activities in broader contexts. Overall, this project concludes that gender must be a central element in all development efforts. The concerns of women's grassroots organizations and women's struggles against gender subordination must be fully recognized and represented in policy formation and implementation processes in order to foster greater equality in development.--Page i.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:16:05.418Z

Title: The untold story: The role of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Canadian foreign intelligence.
Contributors: Harjit S. Virdee (author), Don Munton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Of the Canadian agencies involved in intelligence work, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) has tended to be overlooked. In fact, DFAIT acts as a collector, analyzer and disseminator of foreign intelligence. It is actively involved in foreign intelligence collection, participates in international intelligence sharing, and contributes to the Canadian intelligence-community. This thesis explores and highlights for the first time DFAIT's involvement in foreign intelligence work, albeit selectively, over the past sixty years.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:04:11.556Z

Title: "The war on crime": The securitization of narco-trafficking in Mexico during the Calderon administration.
Contributors: Diana Gabriela Blanco Barrios (author), Heather Smith (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This thesis applies the securitization framework developed by Barry Buzan, Ole Waever and Jaap de Wilde (1998) to study the case of Mexico during the government of Felipe Calderón. I use discourse and content analysis to answer the following questions: How and why has narco-trafficking been securitized during the Calderón government? What are the consequences of this securitization? I argue that Calderón successfully securitized narco-trafficking by using a rhetoric that emphasized the moral otherness' of criminals, resulting in two important consequences: the neglect of social approaches to combat narco-trafficking and the use of this discourse to limit government accountability regarding the high number of casualties in the country. I conclude by arguing that exploring the link between narco-trafficking and securitization theory can bring about new insights to guide theoretical research and policy making. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:13:12.358Z

Title: Marxist-Leninist ideology, Soviet foreign policy and the structure of the international system of states.
Contributors: Alexandre Grichine (author), Don Munton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This work examines the relationship between Marxist-Leninist ideology and Soviet foreign policy in the context of the contemporary structure of the international system of states. To what degree does the ideology of a state shape the course of foreign policy pursued by that state? How does the structure of the international system influence a state\u2019s international behaviour? What happens if the ideological "foreign policy blueprint" comes into conflict with the requirements dictated by the structure of the international system? This work will attempt to provide answers to these questions and to outline how structural constraints imposed on Soviet international behaviour during the 20* century diminished the role of Marxist-Leninist ideology as a determinant of Soviet foreign policy. It will demonstrate that, far 6om being "unorthodox" and "unique", Soviet foreign policy was governed by some of the same factors as were policies of other states in the contemporary international system.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T16:59:07.083Z

Title: The demise of the corporatist experiment in South Africa.
Contributors: Siobian Patricia Smith (author), Paul Bowles (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T16:57:37.292Z

Title: Is resource extraction a curse or a bonanza for local communities? Mining case study: Quiruvilca, Peru
Contributors: Ysler Giulliana Tamblyn (author), Catherine Nolin (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Mining keeps making the news around the world due to its social and environmental impacts on local communities. Peru is no stranger to these types of social conflicts. In order to address my research question: ' Is mining a curse or bonanza for local communities in Peru?', I reviewed secondary literature where scholars such as Bebbington, Arellano, Veltmeyer, and De Echave question the perceptions of mining as bonanza for local communities, and suggest mining may instead be a curse for local communities. I also conducted primary research and explored this dichotomy from the perspective of a local indigenous community. In 2012, I conducted fieldwork for a case study on the mining town of Quiruvilca in the central Andes of Peru, surrounded by two large mines owned, until recently, by Canadian mining companies. I used an exploratory mixed research method to conduct and analyse 100 semi-structured interviews with local indigenous residents, in the urban area of Quiruvilca. In spite of scarce evidence of socio-economic development and limited employment opportunities, the majority of residents support mining in their community, mainly because of employment opportunities where few other options exist. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:22:56.854Z

Title: Global to local: International conferences and environmental education in the People's Republic of China.
Contributors: Marie-Claude Roch (author), Kenneth Wilkening (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This thesis explores the relationship between international recommendations for environmental education developed at United Nations Conferences and non-formal environmental education initiatives undertaken by Chinese civil organizations. Data were collected and analysed through an interpretivist window and involved: (1) a historical and content analysis of recommendations from United Nations-sponsored conferences related to environmental education; (2) interviews with academics, Chinese officials, and Chinese civil organisations representatives; and (3) document analysis of academic literature as well as governmental and non-governmental publications related to environmental recommendations. Findings were compared, contrasted and interpreted in order to assess patterns of influence and consistency. Briefly, results showed that international recommendations for environmental education did not directly influence non-formal environmental education efforts in China; nevertheless, some non-formal environmental education efforts in China were consistent with the international recommendations, suggesting the existence of indirect communication pathways between international conferences and local agents.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T16:59:29.898Z

Title: Environment, salmon and politics: British Columbia's role in domestic and international fisheries policy, 1996--1999.
Contributors: Robert Leigh Ferrier (author), Don Munton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:33:34.945Z

Title: Partnerships and value chains for lignin-based biorefineries - A case-study approach.
Contributors: Zishan A. Shah (author), Karima Fredj (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The Canadian forest products industry is exploring new opportunities to diversity their revenue sources and product portfolio, and accessing new markets by implementing a forest biorefinery. This research considered the overall approach for the implementation of a biorefinery at a Kraft pulp mill by creating partnerships within the value chains of the mill to mitigate risks and enhance the likelihood for success of a biorefinery. The key challenges with forming successful partnerships for a biorefinery revolve around finding and evaluating potential partners. This research attempted to mitigate the impact of these challenges by creating a systematic partner selection process and evaluation criteria. This was accomplished by creating partnership strategies which included a customized partner selection process, identification of types of partners needed, finding potential partners, and development of evaluation criteria using the analytical hierarchical method. These methods were applied to a case-study Kraft pulp mill in western Canada to demonstrate their applicability. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-11T21:12:17.127Z

Title: International assistance in the midst of violence: Roles of North American NGOs in Colombia's indigenous movement.
Contributors: Freya Kristensen (author), Heather Smith (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-30T17:02:17.464Z

Title: Representations of security and insecurity in the highway of tears: A critical discourse analysis.
Contributors: Rebecca A. Tallman (author), Heather Smith (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The Highway of Tears is a local term that refers to a stretch of highway in northern British Columbia where an estimated 18 to 35 women and girls have disappeared or have been found murdered since the 1960s (Culbert and Hall 2009). Drawing on feminist approaches to security and International Relations, this thesis explores the concepts of security and insecurity in the case of the Highway of Tears. I use critical discourse analysis to answer the following question: How are the concepts of security and insecurity represented in the discourse of select media related to the Highway of Tears? It was seen that each narrator framed and located security and insecurity differently. Despite varying individual assumptions, the concepts of security and insecurity were represented by two broad shared understandings of security in the context of the Highway of Tears. These shared understandings uncovered a tension in the discourse between traditional conceptions of security and critical, feminist and Indigenous approaches to security. Ultimately, this research has disrupted mainstream assumptions of International Relations and security. Therefore, it provides new insights into research and advocacy for murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls in northern British Columbia and across Canada. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-11T21:13:58.432Z

Title: The nexus of gender and alternative trade: a feminist analysis
Contributors: Kelli Lea Kryzanowski (author), Heather Smith (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Coffee is an important and highly traded commodity in the international marketplace. However, the production and sale of coffee has created an unfair trading system where small-scale peasant producers are greatly disadvantaged. In response to this unfair system, a movement called alternative trade, which is directed by the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT), is working to give small-scale producers of coffee a more stable market and opportunities for social development. However, no information is available as to whether the needs of women, who are producers of coffee and labourers on cooperatively owned plantations, are being met. Therefore, the central question posed is: To what extent, if at all, do alternative trade coffee cooperatives have the potential to meet the practical and strategic gender needs of women coffee workers? The question has been answered through the application of feminist development approaches to three case studies; two focused on craft cooperatives and one on a coffee cooperative. Analyzing three case studies through Women in Development (WID) and Gender and Development (GAD) lenses, have helped to discern the extent to which practical and strategic gender needs are being met. The information used for the analysis was made available from both written literature and the original research I conducted in Guatemala. The findings suggest that craft cooperatives and the coffee cooperative do have the potential to meet practical and, to a lesser extent, strategic gender needs. However, meeting strategic gender needs are not of primary concern to both the IFAT and the male cooperative managers. Strategic gender needs are being met to a certain capacity indirectly through participation and occasional awareness-raising in the craft cooperatives. Coffee cooperatives need to learn from the positive outcomes of the craft cooperatives. This suggests some important implications, both for practical policy direction for IFAT and for further research. The significance of this study is that alternative trade development projects have potential to help women in the Third World meet crucial practical and strategic gender needs.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:14:15.367Z

Title: The internal motives and consequences of UN projects : evidence from the Tumen River area development programme
Contributors: Eenjin Batsuren (author), Lawrence T. Woods (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The Tumen River Area Development Programme is an ongoing process of building a free trade zone in North East Asia, and is extensively funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The value of this ambitious project as well as its motives and consequences has been questioned and interpreted in both positive and negative ways. Proponents of the TRADP consider it as a success of a free trade market. The opponents criticize the project as an unprecedented waste of capital. Such divergent views reflect the analysers' vision of the world or rather their assumptions. The following is an attempt to give an in depth analysis of these assumptions, based on the theories of realism, liberalism, Marxism and feminism.--Page iii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-11T21:17:48.727Z

Title: The absence of gender in Canadian foreign policy
Contributors: Charelle L. Gribling (author), Heather Smith (thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia College of Arts, Social, and Health Sciences (Degree granting institution), Fiona MacPhail (committee member), Rebecca Tiessen (committee member)
Abstract: Using a postcolonial feminist perspective, this thesis investigates gender in Canadian foreign policy toward South Africa, specifically toward HIV/AIDS programs, during the Harper era. This thesis shows that other than a superficial inclusion in the discourse, there was an absence of gender in Canadian foreign policy, under the Harper government. Moreover, there was a lack of attention paid to the complexity of HIV/AIDS and GBV intersection, and there was only a shallow effort by DFATD to prompt inclusion of gender while local practitioners had a keen understanding of the intersection. The absence in the Harper government discourse and practice showed a lack of understanding of the complexity of the issue, which is the lived experience of those on the ground in South Africa.
Discipline: International Studies-International Development
Date added: 2019-04-05T20:31:48.981Z

Title: The embedded hook: Fishing as a piece of the security puzzle.
Contributors: Craig Allan Curran-Morton (author), Lawrence T. Woods (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-03-29T17:33:42.451Z

Title: Steps to sustainable forestry success: a case study analysis of community-based forest management in developing countries
Contributors: Meaghan Hawes (author), Kenneth Wilkening (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Community-based forest management (CBFM) is an approach that involves small-scale community owned and managed forestry that is drawing serious attention for its applicability to achieving sustainable forest practices. In this paper, I research the question: What factors explain the success and failure of CBFM in developing countries? Thirty-four case studies of CBFM in 14 developing countries were reviewed and statistically analyzed. A total of 47 independent factors were found to significantly influence the outcome (success or failure) of these CBFM experiments, of which the most important determinants of success were: the comprehensiveness and objectives of the management plan, land tenure, ownership and property rights, types of support, participation (in particular that of women), perceptions (project confidence, perceived tangible benefits, social capitol, environmental concern, and equality between community members), agricultural and land management systems used (use of agroforestry techniques, rehabilitation of degraded lands), national community based forest management policy, community governance and law, socio-economic attributes, and the degree of decentralization. These factors were then used to develop steps to sustainable forestry success as a guide to the initiation and development of successful community based forest management in developing countries.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:07:53.027Z

Title: Sour grapes : simulating a WTO dispute settlement case
Contributors: Simone Gobeil (author), Don Munton (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This project has two purposes. The first is to provide readers with a descriptive overview of a simulation of a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement case (being European Communities - Measures Affecting Wine Imports). The simulation took place in a graduate level international trade course. Secondly, and arguably more importantly, the purpose of this project is to examine the usefulness and effectiveness of simulations as a teaching tool in international studies classes. Simulations are one of three interactive learning techniques that provide unique benefits not realized through traditional teaching methods. This project provides an overview of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism, discusses the actual dispute that was simulated and describes how the classroom simulation unfolded. The final analysis is conducted under the guise of four questions. Was the simulation an accurate reflection of what actually takes place? What significance did the simulation have for students of Canadian trade policy? Did the simulation contain the five major components as recommended by the literature? And, was the simulation effective? The final question uses a behaviour-content matrix, based on Bloom and Krathwohl's Taxonomies for the Writing of Educational Objectives. It is informed by interviews with the course instructor, student questionnaire responses and the author's own personal assessment as both a student who took the course and as a professional who works in the trade law field.--Page ii.
Discipline: International Studies
Date added: 2017-04-10T22:17:15.063Z