Volume 1, Issue 2
...
March, 2011
STAFF
Audra Jones
Editor
Mercer offers “Service First” program
how it connects recent graduates with the international community
By Maegen Manly
With graduation quickly
approaching, many seniors are
Tess Frawley
Staff Writer occupied with planning their
future endeavors. For some this
will take them on to higher
education or beginning careers,
yet for a select few, graduation
signals the beginning of a year
of adventures in exotic cultures.
For the second year, Mercer’s
Service First program is
Maegan Manly connecting graduating seniors
Staff Writer
with opportunities to teach
English as a second language in
a yearlong service experience,
while satisfying their thirst for
travel. Part of the purpose of
the Service First program is to
provide graduates time to
formulate their pursuits of the
future and gain a deeper
Sean Kennedy
Layout and Design
understanding of their unique
gifts. As such, this program is a
component of a recent effort by
1
Mercer called the Institute of
Life Purpose, which challenges
graduates to discover their life’s
dream.
Dr. Scott Walker, Mercer
alumni of 1973, leads both the
institute and Service First. Dr.
Walker describes Service First
as providing graduates “a
meaningful experience while
learning about the world and
about themselves.”
Last year, six graduates
traveled to Thailand and have
since worked in various types of
school settings, from public to
private, elementary to high
school, and in diverse locations,
from the international setting of
Bangkok to traditional rural
towns. Their experiences have
also been diverse and
enlightening. Two graduates
have even decided to extend
their stay in Asia, seeking to
prolong their international
experience.
So far this semester has
proven another successful year
for the new program, with even
more potential for the coming
months. Already four Mercer
seniors have been accepted to
teach in the northern district of
Thailand, and many more
opportunities around the world
are still available.
Available positions can be
found from Asia to Africa in
countries such as Thailand,
China, South Korea, and
Liberia. At this point, every
location still has openings for
interested students.
Inquiries should be directed to Dr.
Scott Walker at walker_rs@mercer.edu.
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INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS Volume 1, Issue 2
INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS Volume 1, Issue 2
Country Spotlight - Malawi
• Location: Southern Africa, east of Zambia (landlocked).
• Slightly smaller in size than the state of Pennsylvania.
• Climate: sub-tropical; rainy season (November to May);
dry season (May to November)
• Natural Resources: Limestone, arable land, hydropower,
unexploited deposits of uranium, coal, and bauxite.
• Environmental Issues: deforestation; land degradation;
water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage,
industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds
endangers fish populations.
• Population: 15,879,252
• Ethnic groups: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe,
Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
• Languages: Chichewa 57.2% (official), Chinyanja 12.8%,
Chiyao 10.1%, Chitumbuka 9.5%, Chisena 2.7%,
Chilomwe 2.4%, Chitonga 1.7%, other 3.6% (1998 census)
• Religions: Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none
4.3% (1998 census)
• Government type: Multiparty democracy.
• Capital: Lilongwe.
• GPA – Composition by Sector:
• Agriculture: 33.4%
• Industry: 21.7%
• Services: 44.9% (2010 est).
• Currently Mercer on Mission country.

fried plantains: a tasty Malawian snack

Ingredients: Directions:
• 4 firm plantains
1) Slice the plantains into rounds 1/2-inch thick, and
sprinkle lemon juice over the pieces, stirring to moisten.

• 4 tsp lemon juice

2) I n a separate bowl, combine the ginger and pepper.
3) Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a heavy skillet until a

• 4 tsp ground ginger test piece of plantain sputters.

4) Roll plantain pieces a few at a time in the spice mixture

• 4 tsp cayenne pepper to coat surfaces, then transfer to the skillet.

5) Fry until outsides are crisp and golden.

• Oil for frying 6) With a slotted spoon, remove plantains to paper towels.
7) Serve hot.

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 the IAF program at Mercer University
INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS Volume 1, Issue 2

a note from Dr. Eimad Houry, Chairman of the IAF program and the Political Science Department

4
INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS Volume 1, Issue 2
flood resistant rice
cross-breeding crops “Rice is a staple food for
yields a success many areas of the world,
including almost half the
By Tess Frawley
world population, as well
as a means of livelihood for
In this day and age, we are constantly
many farmers. The demand
bombarded with information and
is increasing along with an
statistics about the devastating impacts
exponentially growing
of global climate change, especially in
population.”
developing countries that have always
struggled with adverse climate
conditions. Yet, in the face of such
large scale destruction from natural
disasters to the spread of disease and
extreme water scarcity, it can be
difficult and overwhelming to imagine
practical methods of improving the
livelihood of the poor.
By 2004, the yields from rice crops in
many areas of the world were dropping
severely with steadily rising
temperatures. The plants utilized more
few days. Southern Asia is very perspective as to the priorities of
energy for perspiration than for growth.
vulnerable to flash flooding during wealthy nations. With redistribution and
Rice is often grown in the tropics, but
monsoon season, especially in low-lying improved management of the
these warm temperatures fall in the
regions. In Bangladesh and India, this agricultural sector, we could survive and
upper limits of the species’ tolerance,
gene has been introduced into the local prosper alongside the millions that
beyond which the plant would be
variety of commercially bred crops and currently starve around the globe.
pushed to high physiological stress levels
has proven high-yielding in many other However, as this occurrence does not
and low-yield. Rice is a staple food for
areas as well. Recently, it was discovered seem probable, we look to the promising
many areas of the world, including
that along with flood resistance, the feat of science in the realm of rice
almost half the world population, as
Sub1A-1 gene also gives rice shoots the harvests. This has led to optimism for
well as a means of livelihood for many
ability to recover from droughts by continuing discoveries and progress in
farmers. The demand is increasing
growing new shoots. The next step is to the field of agriculture including the
along with an exponentially growing
test the plant under natural, drought development of rice with the ability to
population.
conditions. grow in salty water, as the sea level is
Researchers in the Philippines began
With all of this promising progress, rising and spreading inland. There may
searching for ways to increase the
one still has to wonder whether people be no end to the increasing challenges
efficiency of rice yields without
are simply finding remedies for the that face our world and environment,
incurring a great cost such as
symptoms of a greater problem of but for now, these efforts will help to
deforestation to clear more land for
global wealth disparity. Currently, there build a more dependable, self-sufficient
fields. In 2005, the complete genome for
is enough food produced in the world to food supply for the poor.
rice was identified, and in 2006,
feed everyone plentifully. However,
scientists from the University of
much of the Western and more http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/
California in collaboration with the
developed world use subsidized crops nature/3841477.stm
International Rice Institute based in the
inefficiently and produce this energy for http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/
Philippines identified a gene called
animal feed. To feed cows for the nature/4777561.stm
Sub1A-1 that would increase the crop’s
production of beef is one of the most http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/
resistance to flood, enabling plants to be
energy consuming and wasteful uses of south_asia/8415391.stm
submerged for up to 2 weeks. Rice crops
food. While this is not a call to become http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-
will usually die from a lack of carbon
a vegetarian, it does give some environment-12636902
dioxide if submerged for more than a

5
INTERNATIONALAFFAIRS Volume 1, Issue 2
international courts
two systems provide justice across borders
International Court of Justice
• Established under the 1945 Charter of
the United Nations.
• The principal judicial organ of the UN
• Located in the Peace Palace of The
Hague (Netherlands).
• Court is meant to settle legal disputes
and give advisory judgments on legal
inquiries by the member States of the
UN.
• The ICJ only deals with States.
• The Court has 15 judges, elected every
9 years by the General Assembly and
Security Council.
• Began in 1946 as a replacement for the
Permanent Court of International
Justice.
• The rulings of the ICJ can be vetoed
by the Security Council.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC/About +the+Court/
http://www.icj-cij.org/homepage/index.php?lang=en
International Criminal Court
• Legalized under a treaty called the Rome
Statute of 1998 and is independent of the
United Nations.
• It is the first permanent, treaty based,
international criminal court.
• It is also located at The Hague in the
Netherlands.
• The ICC aims to “help end impunity for
the perpetrators of the most serious crimes
of concern to the international community.”
• This Court cannot prosecute States, only
individuals.
• The Court has 15 judges, elected every 9
years by the General Assembly and Security
Council.
• Examples are the Nuremberg and Tokyo
trials and addresses genocide, crimes against
humanity, war crimes, and crimes of
aggression.
• The structure of the court consists of four
organs; the Presidency, the Judicial
Divisions, the Office of the Prosecutor, and
the Registry.
• The Rome Statute entered into force in
2002 and has been ratified by 114 States as
of 2011.