Week 5: Learning Community Newsletter

BISA UG event series - Essay writing: top tips

Tuesday 12th March

12:00-13:30, online, (book here)

This session, led by a recent Politics & IR undergraduate (Queen Mary/Oxford) and two lecturers (Leeds and York) experienced in supporting students in essay writing, will take you through the process of planning, researching, drafting and writing a Politics/IR essay. The session will start with practical advice on how to interpret/break down the question and how to develop and signpost your argument. It will then move on to researching the topic, smart reading, and note-taking before guiding you through some tips on essay structure, drafting and responding to feedback. There will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions to the panel and they will share some helpful resources. 

Impact or no impact: The International Criminal Court’s intervention in Kenya

Tuesday 12 March

1pm to 1.50pm, YH/001b

The echoes of Kenya's post-election violence still linger today. Kenyans flocked to the polls on December 27, 2007, to elect leaders, who would guide the country for another five-year term. Instead, on December 30, the country descended into political anarchy, an upheaval that would most likely shape the course of the country's political history for many years to come. The International Criminal Court's (ICC) efforts to hold those responsible for the violence sparked a well-known debate within and beyond Kenya. On one front, there were apprehensions that holding accountable prominent perpetrators could exacerbate ethnic tensions and impede national reconciliation. On the other side, proponents argued that the ICC's involvement in Kenya was not only morally justified but also could act as a deterrent against future violence in a country that had witnessed ethnic conflicts since the advent of multiparty politics in 1992. This ongoing discourse reflected the fundamental 'dilemma' of transitional justice—a precarious equilibrium between the necessities of justice and peace in post-conflict situations.

Our speaker, Robert Wanjala, an investigative journalist who reported on ICC proceedings both in Kenya and The Hague, will share his experiences in a politically charged environment. He will dissect the impact and challenges of the international court, at the height of demonization of the court as a tool for "global power politics and not justice."

History of Art Undergraduate Exhibition 

Thursday 15th March

5-7pm, 1st Floor Spring Lane Building

Working with Helena Cox and artworks from the University of York Collection, alongside innovative approaches in contemporary curatorial practice Students from History of Art and Curation present four group exhibition projects in the Spring Lane Building, Level 1 & 2 Atrium. The exhibitions include: 'From a Birds Eye View' 'So to Speak' 'Chroma' & 'Threads Between'. Drinks and light refreshments will be served.