Michelle Bovee

Michelle Bovée studied at James Madison University in Virginia, where she graduated with a BA in Political Science with a focus on international and comparative politics. She is currently attending the London School of Economics to get her Masters in International Relations. Michelle has been a Program and Research Intern with the SISGI Group since summer 2011, and is now a featured writer. She will post every fourth Monday on international economic development, the political and economic ramifications of the Arab Spring, and sustainable tourism.

Most commented posts

  1. Myanmar and the Politics of Tourism — 5 comments
  2. Voluntourism: the Good and the Bad — 4 comments
  3. Voluntourism Certification — 4 comments
  4. Responsible Tourism Reaches Egypt — 4 comments
  5. Abortion-Included Tours — 4 comments

Author's posts

Getting the Truth in Syria

Syria has, understandably, been a top point in the news lately as conflict continues to rage.  Indeed, I’ve written quite a few posts on Syria in the past, and could continue to write about the country for some time while only barely scratching the surface of the issues.  A quick Google search for news in …

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International Migration and Economic Development

Today I want to focus on an issue that is very dear to me: international migration.  I am currently residing in a foreign country, finishing up school and looking for work, and so naturally I have quite a vested interest in international immigration regulations and restrictions.  I don’t want to focus on my own story, …

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Responsible Tourism in Madagascar

I’m sure most of you have heard of the island of Madagascar, particularly since the release of the Madagascar animated films, and know that the country is home to numerous animal species that cannot be found anywhere else on earth.  10,000 of the islands 12,000 plant species, for example, are endemic, as are half of the …

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Is a Turkish Peace Deal Possible?

A couple months ago I wrote about violent conflicts on the Turkey-Syria border, as well as the mounting dissatisfaction with the Turkish governments handling of the situation, and since then the situation has, unfortunately, deteriorated further.  There have been numerous outbursts of violence in the intervening months, with the most recent clash having occurred over …

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“Failed” States?

Foreign Policy’s  annual Failed State Issue came out today, along with their 2013 Failed State Index, uses twelve social, economic, and political indicators to analyze nations and then ranks them accordingly, with 120 being the worst possible score a state can receive.  The states are then separated into five categories: critical, in danger, borderline, stable, and most stable. …

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Border Clashes Create Anger in Turkey

It’s been a while since I’ve written about the Arab Spring, mostly because it’s not really the “Arab Spring” anymore. Egypt, Syria, Libya, and others, have been struggling for two years now, and there is little hope that the conflict will be resolved any time soon, particularly in Syria.   The violence in Syria has …

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Myanmar in the Balance

Regular readers of this blog will know that Myanmar has long been one of my favorite topics.  I’ve written many times, often quite hopefully, about what the future may hold for this isolated country as it begins to open up economically and socially.  New president Thein Sein has made serious moves towards reforming the military-ruled country, …

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Tourism in Cuba?

I’ve written a lot about the opening up of Myanmar and Bhutan and their possibilities for sustainable tourism, so today I thought I would look at another isolated country: Cuba.  Travel between the United States and Cuba has been forbidden since February 8th, 1969, just a few months after the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis. …

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Economics and Happiness

In the 1970s Richard Easterlin wrote an article titled “Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence,” in which he described what is now known as the Easterlin Paradox and became the father of happiness economics. The Easterlin Paradox, simply stated, suggests that people do not get happier as they get richer.   …

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Jordanian Elections: Tipping Point

Jordan has largely stayed out of the news since the start of the Arab Spring, as the country has–so far–managed to avoid any major shake-ups or protests.  This may be about to change, however.  Resentment against King Abdullah II has been building for some time, and these elections were a way for his government to show …

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