Meet our Newest Graduate: Alem Cherinet!

Meet Our Newest Graduate!

Alem Cherinet’s MA thesis was entitled “Violence, Causality, and the Emergence of Mexico’s General Law on Forced Disappearance”. It written under the supervision of Dr. Pablo Policzer.

 

Tell us a bit about your thesis! What was it about and what were its main arguments?

My thesis examined the emergence of Mexico’s General Law on Forced Disappearance. In a climate of extreme violence coinciding with the drug war, tens of thousands have been disappeared. While the roots of the epidemic are historic and complex, the Law is meant to counteract barriers to justice and comprehensively deal with the problem of missing persons. Forced disappearance is a longstanding issue in Mexico, but the Law was developed and passed under immense pressure generated by the disappearance of 43 students-teachers from Ayotzinapa (2014). Was there actually a causal link between the explosive Ayotzinapa case and the Law’s passage?

I argue that while Ayotzinapa was an important political and cognitive mechanism, the General Law is the result of other critical processes and background efforts that might otherwise go unseen. Punctuated by Ayotzinapa, this milestone legislation is the hard-earned achievement of civil society and its allies over more than a decade of sustained efforts, culminating in a landmark lawsuit against the Mexican State.

Any favourite memories from your research or at UCalgary Political Science you’d like to share?

I met so many amazing people through the Department of Political Science, which has lot of meaning for me. I was also incredibly fortunate to have performed fieldwork for my thesis. I travelled to Mexico and conducted interviews with government officials, civil society and international organizations, and security experts. As a result, I was able to incorporate important perspectives and direct knowledge into the research. Our connections to others are so important. So whether that’s through the Department, the greater University of Calgary, or abroad, those relationships have made for my best memories.

Where has your degree taken you now?

I’m now the Project Coordinator for the Extractive Resource Governance Program at the School of Public Policy. I get to work on governance and capacity building projects all over the world. We have a strong focus on Latin America and Africa, which is perfect for me, but our international character means we collaborate everywhere. It’s a fantastic alignment with my academic background and I’m excited to see where it takes me.

Any final words of advice?

To a prospective or new student, I would say… do things your way. Don’t be too much affected by how others manage graduate school. Define your path as a reflection of who you are, because the experience is going to be your own.

 

Congratulations Alem Cherinet on your degree!

You can find our more about Alem by visiting her LinkedIn page.

To find out more about our current and past graduate students please visit our website.