The Rapoport Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Justice is an interdisciplinary undergraduate academic journal published annually. The Journal seeks to publish undergraduate work on a broad spectrum of issues written by students specializing in everything from political science to geography. I had the opportunity to connect with Cindy Wu and Jordan Imahori, the co-Editors in Chief for the 2018 publication, in advance of the journal launch.

Photo of the cover of the 2018 Rapoport Journal of PCJQ: What makes the Rapoport Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Justice unique?

Cindy: The Rapoport Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Justice is unique in its interdisciplinary nature, which is largely reflective of the PCJ program itself. Though many of our submissions are written by PCJ students, the topics covered by the submissions span a wide spectrum, from the role of private military and security companies in conflict, to the use of poetry to express political messages, to the implications of indigenous self-determination on the prospects for peace. Each of the pieces in this year’s journal provide a unique outlook on our theme, making for a dynamic and exciting read!

Q: Why did you get involved with the Journal?

Cindy: I got involved with the journal in my first year as a PCJ student because I wanted to engage in the PCJ community and see what kind of work my peers were doing. It’s been so amazing to read the submissions we receive each year, and to work with authors to publish something that we’re both proud of. I stuck around with the journal this year so that I could micromanage Jordan.

Jordan: I got involved with the journal in second year. There’s a lot of really good ideas coming from students in the PCJ program and the journal was a great way to help them gain a bit more visibility. I’ve always been interested in how we can take ideas that are expressed in a stricter, academic form and relax some of those rules so that they become easier and more enjoyable to read so people will actually engage with them.

Q: What can readers of the 2018 Journal expect?

Jordan: This year’s theme is peacebuilding, peacemaking and post-conflict reconstruction. We solicited papers that tackle this issue from a broad set of perspectives and disciplines. We worked hard to make the articles interesting and accessible, prioritizing readability and allowing anyone to be able to engage with them without necessarily needing to have a background in the issue to be able to understand it.

Q: Where can people get a copy of the 2018 Rapoport Journal of PCJ?

Jordan: Come to our launch party on Monday April 2! The event starts at 2 PM and will be taking place in Room 108N of the North House in the Munk School of Global Affairs, located at 1 Devonshire Place. Some of the authors will be present to give a short talk on their piece in the journal, so come learn more about the submissions. (Also, there will be refreshments provided!) If you can’t make it to the launch party, leftover copies will be floating around the PCJ Lounge.