What ’ s Going On ?
… in global health ?
▶ “ Among today ’ s global health security experts and watchdogs , the question is not ‘ if ’ the world will experience a major pandemic , but ‘ when .’ The complexity of preventing , monitoring and preparing for global health security threats is difficult to understate . For example , the pandemic of the future might be natural or man-made , and it may be either ameliorated or caused by emerging biotechnology with dual-use potential . Depending on the pathogen , our clinical ability to fight the disease may be impacted by rising human and animal resistance to antimicrobials . And our political ability to conduct effective outbreak response may be jeopardized by conflict , malgovernance and isolated states . It ’ s important that health security continues to be increasingly prioritized as an issue of national security , as we recognize the unique borderless nature of infectious disease threats .”
… in our oceans ?
▶ “ Farm to table ” restaurants and locally sourced food are all the rage right now , but when it comes to seafood , it ’ s not so easy . Sourcing paths can touch multiple countries , continents and illegal activity like human trafficking and damaging fishing practices . So what ’ s going on in our oceans ? A lot .
Traceability is becoming a powerful weapon to combat illegal fishing , and great strides are being made around the world . Indonesia became the first country to publicly release its vessel monitoring system data , meaning anyone can see where boats are fishing in Indonesian waters . Peru did the same . These are promising examples , but we need to scale solutions .
We started the Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability ( SALT ) to bring together stakeholders from around the world to share their traceability projects and stories in order to learn from each other and identify ways to collaborate . A success with catch documentation technology from South America could catalyze ideas for improvement in Southeast Asia . Partnerships could spark innovation . With this knowledge exchange , we can slowly unpack the complexity of seafood supply chains and paint a clearer picture of how traceability can empower effective fishery management .”
Tobias Aguirre , MPIA ’ 05 , is CEO of FishWise , an organization that helps the seafood industry support sustainability through environmentally and socially responsible business practices .
Photo : Lance Anderson on Unsplash
Emily Foecke Munden , MIA ’ 16 , is Associate Fellow , Global Health Security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington , D . C .
… in Cuba ?
▶ “ Cuba is at the crossroads . The last several years have seen a process of economic reform and social change , which has reshaped the mentality of the country ’ s youth . Yet conservative forces in government are concerned that private sector growth , foreign investment and open media and telecom policies will result in growing inequality and a push for political change . Obama ’ s opening to Cuba brought a rush of trade , travel and investment interest , but Trump ’ s rollback — which was more bark than bite — has scared banks , businesspeople and travelers alike , slowing down the momentum . Even so , that limited opening has given the Cuban people the taste of more efficient economics , faster connections and life outside of Cuba . There are hurdles in the road , but Cuba will continue to open .”
— Collin Laverty , MPIA ’ 12 , is President of Havana-based Cuba Educational Travel and Senior Partner at Havana Strategies .
… in public service ?
▶ “ After 18 years since starting my career at the Department of Defense , I have traveled the world , participated in meetings with world leaders and worked on issues like non-proliferation regimes , maritime piracy and the training pipeline to produce a special forces soldier . All the while , I went to work each day knowing that each decision and each action I took was based on what I thought was best for U . S . national security . This country needs committed , passionate and thoughtful citizens to join government , and I know GPS will continue to produce people who will thrive and succeed . And , take it from me , it is a wonderfully gratifying ride .”
Elizabeth Phu , MPIA ’ 00 , is Principal Director , Secretariat for Special Operations in the Office of the Secretary of Defense .
30 TRITON | WINTER 2019