Madeline Griffin

MALAS
Conflict, Peace, and Rights

Madeline graduated with an honors degree from Emory & Henry College, a small liberal arts school in Southwest Virginia, where she studied International Studies, Hispanic Studies, and History. Coming from a rural Appalachian town, learning about other cultures, languages, and societies has always been a vital interest to Madeline. After taking courses on migration and Latin American Politics in undergrad, Madeline decided to pursue Hispanic Studies. Following graduation, Madeline continued expanding her understanding of the relationship between war, conflict, and politics through programming with the Hertog Foundation, Institute for the Study of War, and Hoover Institution. Most recently, Madeline taught as an English Language and Cultural Assistant at the primary school of a small village of the Basque country region of Spain.

Madeline now hopes to contribute to our understanding of security and conflict in a way that works towards a more inclusive, nuanced analysis of women, children, and migrant populations, who are repeatedly dismissed despite being disproportionately affected in instances of political instability. Madeline chose to pursue the MALAS program at UNM because these issues are clearly and commonly seen in Latin America–a crucial yet largely understudied region itself. LAII offers the experience, resources, programs, and faculty necessary that she hopes will allow her to bring an informed understanding of Latin America, and ultimately to speak with a more inclusive voice in our future dialogue on conflict and International Affairs.