Items related to "Human Security Gateway: Audiovisual". Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:12 +0000 Fri, 16 May 2008 0:30:12 +0000 robert_hartfiel@sfu.ca (Robert Hartfiel) Wed, 14 May 2008 13:36:54 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24362 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24362 Speakers: Chris Beyrer, M.D. Department of Epidemiology Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Patrick Marcham Director, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief National Security Council (NSC) Ky Luu Director Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) Moderated by: Derek Mitchell Senior Fellow and Director for Asia CSIS International Security program SOURCE: Center for Strategic and International Studies Center for Strategic and International Studies Mon, 12 May 2008 12:20:46 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24286 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24286 The Indian government has been mining low-grade uranium on tribal lands for decades, but it plans to expand production so that nuclear power will eventually meet a quarter of India's energy needs. The risks of pursuing that policy made international headlines in 2006 when a uranium waste pipeline burst in the east of the country, creating a devastating spill. FRONTLINE/World reporter Sonia Narang travels to this remote area to find out how the mines are affecting the health and traditions of villagers, and forcing thousands off their lands. SOURCE: Public Broadcasting Service // Frontline World Public Broadcasting Service // Frontline World Thu, 08 May 2008 15:08:10 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24249 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24249 Richard Holbrooke (left), the chairman of the Asia Society and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., gave a speech on Afghanistan at an event co-hosted by CSIS and the Asia Society. Jack Garrity, executive director of the Asia Society in Washington, welcomed the audience. Anthony Cordesman, the CSIS Burke Chair in Strategy, introduced Holbrooke and moderated the question-and-answer session that SOURCE: Center for Strategic and International Studies Center for Strategic and International Studies Tue, 06 May 2008 09:54:01 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24148 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24148 What are the Federally Administered Tribal Areas? Why should we be concerned about them? And what can we do about them? SOURCE: Center for American Progress Center for American Progress Mon, 05 May 2008 15:35:46 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24144 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24144 On May 1, The Century Foundation's Prospects for Peace Initiative hosted Aaron David Miller as he discussed his newly-released book, The Much Too Promised Land: America’s Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace. Miller’s first-person account of the peace process tackles the most difficult questions: Why has the United States failed to broker a solution to the conflict? What approaches have been more or less successful? What influence does American domestic politics have on U.S. foreign policy? And how can we get it right next time? The discussion was moderated by Daniel Levy, director of the Prospects for Peace Initiative. Until his departure from government in 2003, Miller served at the Department of State as an adviser to six secretaries of state, where he helped formulate U.S. policy on the Middle East and the Arab-Israeli peace process. Drawing both on his personal experiences and 160 interviews, including interviews with three U.S. presidents, nine U.S. secretaries of state, and a host of Arab and Israeli leaders, Miller’s book is a rich insider’s account—full of controversial analysis, wise advice and great stories—and Aaron will be sharing all of this with us at this invitation-only lunch. SOURCE: The Century Foundation The Century Foundation Mon, 05 May 2008 13:16:03 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24123 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24123 On April 9, the Center on International Cooperation hosted a lecture at NYU by Dr. Hans Blix, chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, former Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC and former Director General of the IAEA. Drawing upon his recently-published book, "Why Nuclear Disarmament Matters," Dr. Blix gave a lecture before an audience of nearly 200 people entitled "Time for a Revival of Disarmament?" which was attended by students and faculty, members of the public and United Nations staff and diplomats. SOURCE: Center for International Cooperation // New York University Center for International Cooperation // New York University Fri, 02 May 2008 14:46:52 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24107 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24107 An April 27 assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai offered a clear reminder of the security challenges confronting Afghanistan on its path to stability. But retired army Lt. Gen. David W. Barno, former commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, says U.S. efforts in Afghanistan are at a fork in the road (PDF). Prior to 2006, when the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) assumed overall military command in the country, international efforts were “built around a linkage” between the Afghan government and U.S. military and diplomatic commands. Under the current NATO-led framework much of that “overarching strategy is now absent,” the general says. SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Fri, 02 May 2008 14:34:49 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24104 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24104 A vicious cycle of insecurity, under-development, and poor governance has imperiled Afghanistan's progress and provided opportunities for the anti-government insurgency. Countering these trends with a virtuous cycle of security, development, and good governance is the fundamental goal of the Afghan government and the international community. The Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, which runs the acclaimed National Solidarity Program—aimed at creating village-level development and governance—is at the center of this effort. H.E. Mohammed Ehsan Zia has been involved in the implementation of humanitarian and post-conflict programs in Afghanistan since 1988. Minister Zia has extensive professional experience in rural and community development, and specializes in participatory development theory and peace building. He joined the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD) in 2002, and was appointed Minister in 2006. Minister Zia will discuss the Afghanistan perspective on development, and its relationship to security, governance, and combating the insurgency. SOURCE: United States Institute of Peace United States Institute of Peace Fri, 02 May 2008 10:58:36 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24077 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=24077 Dr. David A. Hamburg, president emeritus of the Carnegie Corporation, discusses his new book, "Preventing Genocide: Practical Steps and Effective Action. SOURCE: Foreign Policy Association Foreign Policy Association Wed, 30 Apr 2008 10:16:39 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23984 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23984 One of the most remarkable archive sequences we came across while researching the Age of Terror programme, features a seven-year-old Algerian boy called Abdelkahar Belhadj. He is seen addressing a political rally of thousands in 1991 with all the confidence and fire of a mature adult. In 2007, 16 years later, we watched another clip, a propaganda video announcing the launch of al-Qaeda in North Africa featuring non other than Abdelkahar Belhadj, now a fully-fledged jihadi. SOURCE: BBC News BBC News Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:42:30 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23937 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23937 North Korea's testing of a nuclear weapon in October 2006 prompted international uproar and raised concerns about the erratic nature of negotiations with Pyongyang. While the United States and Japan worry about the isolated country's long-range missile developments, South Korea and China fear the economic implications of the collapse of Kim Jong-Il's regime. Behind these tensions lies a frozen conflict: Over half a century since the end of the Korean War, the peninsula remains divided between the communist North and capitalist South. The United States continues to maintain tens of thousands of troops in South Korea in case the conflict reignites, and North Korea's long-range artillery and rocket-launch batteries keep Seoul in Pyongyang's crosshairs. SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:32:32 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23910 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23910 In just under two decades, France went from being a hub of terrorist activity to the most effective counter-terrorism practitioner in Europe, according to Brookings Institution analyst Jeremy Shapiro. SOURCE: National Public Radio National Public Radio Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:29:52 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23908 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23908 Is Afghanistan on the brink of failure? Not necessarily, though the challenges in Afghanistan do remain formidable, says Brookings expert Jeremy Shapiro, who recently returned from Afghanistan and saw optimism among U.S. and NATO ground forces there. That optimism is reminiscent of attitudes in Iraq in 2004 and 2005, but Shapiro draws important distinctions between the situations in Afghanistan and Iraq. "Increasing violence is an expression of the desperation of insurgents," says Shapiro, as Afghans today are seeing the increasing capacity of their government and security services and are increasingly rejecting the insurgency. SOURCE: The Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:30:27 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23902 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23902 Burmese forces are waging the largest military offensive against their own people in more than a decade, targeting the country's eastern ethnic groups with violence and destruction. Tens of thousands of refugees, mostly Karen minorities, are abandoning villages in search of safety in Thailand. SOURCE: The Washington Post The Washington Post Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:28:46 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23901 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23901 "In Hiding" is a detailed account of human rights abuses committed by the Burma Army against ethnic minorities inside Burma over a one year period. It is an unrelenting documentary of disturbing images and firsthand stories; unadulterated evidence that the brutal military dictatorship of Burma continues its tyranny. And yet the film shows a people who resist the Burma Army and who, despite incredible difficulty, have hope. SOURCE: Free Burma Rangers Free Burma Rangers Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:25:44 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23900 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23900 Front Films / Free Burma Rangers. 6 min 8 sec. Dec 3, 2005 SOURCE: Free Burma Rangers Free Burma Rangers Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:33:58 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23895 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23895 Rebecca Feeley, a field researcher for the ENOUGH Project discusses the current situation in Congo, particularly the massive problem of gender based violence. SOURCE: Voices on Genocide Prevention Voices on Genocide Prevention Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:58:44 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23875 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23875 The U.S. detention facility at Guantánamo Bay has become a stain on the United States' reputation. Shutting it down will cause new problems. Rather than hold terrorism suspects in preventive detention, the United States should turn them over to its criminal justice system. SOURCE: Foreign Affairs // Council on Foreign Relations Foreign Affairs // Council on Foreign Relations Thu, 24 Apr 2008 10:39:03 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23859 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23859 Middle East Institute & Israel Policy Forum are honored to co-host Aaron David Miller to discuss his new book "The Much Too Promised Land: America's Elusive Search for Arab-Israeli Peace." For nearly twenty years, Miller has played a central role in U.S. efforts to broker Arab-Israeli peace. His position as an advisor to presidents, secretaries of state, and national security advisors has given him a unique perspective on a problem that American leaders have wrestled with for more than half a century. Why has the world’s greatest superpower failed to broker, or impose, a solution in the Middle East? If a solution is possible, what would it take? And why after so many years of struggle and failure, with the entire region even more unsettled than ever, should Americans even care? Is Israel/Palestine really the “much too promised land”? SOURCE: Middle East Institute Middle East Institute Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:46:59 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23842 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23842 These days, it seems, everyone wants to close Guantánamo. In January 2002, the Bush administration created a detention camp at the Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba to imprison what former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld called "the worst of the worst" terrorism suspects. The facility has since become an embarrassing stain on the United States' reputation. With some inmates now having endured more than six years of detention without charge or trial, and with no end to their ordeal in sight, Guantánamo has come to symbolize Washington's flouting of international human rights standards in the name of fighting terrorism. Now, even President George W. Bush says he wants to shut it down. SOURCE: Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:37:07 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23816 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23816 Event Speakers: Sarah Sewall , Louis Fisher , Charles Stimson , Glenn Sulmasy Event Moderators: Sarah Sewall Event Co-Sponsors: Carr Center for Human Rights Policy SOURCE: Harvard University Institute of Politics Harvard University Institute of Politics Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:00:19 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23763 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23763 As part of the Chicago and the World Forum series, on March 27, 2008, Martin Indyk, director of Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution and former ambassador to Israel, discussed important lessons that will help the United States make progress with its engagements and objectives in the Middle East. According to Indyk, America first needs to learn about the region and stop acting naively without understanding the political nature of the region. This includes being sensitive to the connections among the countries in the Middle East and creating a strategy that uses these connections so achieve goals. To improve relations in and with the region, Indyk advises that the United States should pay attention to rare moments of change and movement, when leaders act against the status quo and America can use its great power and influence to effect change. He suggests abandoning the goal of “transforming the region,” pursued by both Clinton and Bush, and instead focus on other issues, like preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. SOURCE: The Chicago Council on Global Affairs The Chicago Council on Global Affairs Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:57:13 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23737 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23737 Despite continuing reports of Sudanese involvement in the killing, rape, and displacement of many thousands in Darfur, the Khartoum regime was celebrated for its "cooperation" at the recently concluded session of the UN Human Rights Council. Sudan’s allies from the African, Islamic groups and Non-Aligned blocs lined up to praise Khartoum, a position that was formalized in a consensus resolution welcoming the “collaboration of the government of Sudan.” Gibreil Hamid, a survivor from Darfur, took the floor on behalf of UN Watch to confront the impunity granted to Sudan. SOURCE: United Nations Watch United Nations Watch Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:48:15 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23652 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23652 For decades, the effects of the Israel-Palestinian conflict have reverberated throughout the Middle East and the world. Understanding the origins of this dispute requires understanding its complex and often contested history. SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:36:20 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23629 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23629 The United States' unipolar moment is over. International relations in the twenty-first century will be defined by nonpolarity. Power will be diffuse rather than concentrated, and the influence of nation-states will decline as that of nonstate actors increases. But this is not all bad news for the United States; Washington can still manage the transition and make the world a safer place. SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Mon, 14 Apr 2008 15:11:26 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23604 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23604 The state of affairs in Afghanistan is often seen from the top down, but Rory Stewart, an Oxford-educated author, former British soldier, and one-time coalition deputy governor in Iraq, has a different perspective. For nearly a decade Stewart has maintained an intimate relationship with Afghanistan and its people. He now runs a non-government organization in Kabul, the Turquoise Mountain Foundation. Stewart’s take on Afghanistan differs from many western military and political assessments. He says the country is “divided into two quite different areas.” People in the north, west, and center “are prospering” and remain grateful for the international focus on their homeland, he says. But Afghans in the south and east “are very traumatized, very impoverished,” and harbor deep resentment. “By and large, the reason why we’re fighting in southern Afghanistan and not fighting in the center and the north is that we’ve got more consent and more legitimacy in the center and the north than we do in the south.” Stewart says the best way to bring lasting stability to Afghanistan is through small, locally focused redevelopment projects, as opposed to top-down mandates from governments half a world away. “We need to be targeting our resources on what’s working, rather than trying to do things we can’t do.” SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:56:16 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23592 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23592 China recently announced thwarted terrorism plots as protests against the country's hosting of the Olympics continue across the world. China expert Cheng Li joins Diane Rehm to discuss these issues and others facing the August games in Beijing. SOURCE: The Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:53:20 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23591 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23591 As General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker complete their testimony before Congress, Ivo Daalder joins Diane Rehm to discuss the status of Iraq SOURCE: The Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:41:08 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23588 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23588 The US mission in Iraq has reached the mid-decade mark, while U.S. troops continue to battle Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. Senior Fellow Peter W. Singer says our next president will need a thoughtful plan for improving America’s relationship with the Islamic world. SOURCE: The Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:10:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23586 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23586 A landmark 2005 directive issued by the U.S. Defense Department for the first time placed post-conflict "reconstruction and stabilization" on the same level with the U.S. military's role as war-fighter. But the implementation of this directive has led many to fear that in embracing "peacebuilding", the Pentagon is actually militarizing and commercializing it. SOURCE: The Mainstream Media Project The Mainstream Media Project Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:31:36 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23553 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23553 From Myanmar to Tibet, saffron-robed monks have been taking to the streets in protest against political repression. Paul Harrison, a professor of Buddhist studies at Stanford University, discusses Buddhist teachings and the acceptable role of monks in politics. “Direct involvement in political activity, strictly speaking, is not sanctioned,” he says. Although non-violence is a primary tenet of Buddhism, Harrison says there has been an emergence of militancy among the religion’s followers since the beginning of the twentieth century. “To some extent,” he says “this is a testimony to the situation in many Buddhist countries where previously things were not so bad in terms of political oppression.” Therefore, members of the sangha, the Buddhist order, he says, feel obliged to take up the struggle to improve the situation of the people. SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:54:28 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23521 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23521 With Senators Clinton, McCain and Obama debating the war in Iraq and other military engagements overseas, the complex challenges facing the United States military are coming into focus. On April 7, Opportunity 08 was in Miami to discuss the future of the United States armed forces and solutions for our next president. As the war in Iraq and the U.S. mission in Afghanistan continue our armed forces are being stretched to the breaking point. Beyond arguments over strategy and tactics in U.S. military deployments, a critical question facing the nation and presidential candidates is, "What is the future of our military." Opportunity 08 Project Director Michael O'Hanlon joined two other defense experts--Senior Fellow Peter W. Singer and U.S. China Economic and Security Review Commissioner June Teufel Dreyer--for a discussion on military readiness. Former presidential advisor Kenneth Duberstein and Brookings senior Fellow Thomas Mann preceded the discussion with an analysis of the issues impacting this presidential election cycle. The event was co-hosted by Opportunity 08 at Brookings; the University of Miami; the University of Miami Student Government; the University of Miami Council for Democracy; and the University of Miami Get Out The Vote Chapter. SOURCE: The Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:46:51 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23519 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23519 Listen to experts discuss issues surrounding the education of children of conflict, specifically with regard to the current situation in Iraq. SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:27:51 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23510 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23510 David Wurmser is a specialist on the Middle East and served as an advisor to Vice President Dick Cheney until recently. His prior positions included special assistant to John R. Bolton at the Department of State and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Wurmser is the author of numerous influential papers and three books, including Tyranny's Ally: America's Failure to Defeat Saddam Hussein (AEI Press, 1999). In 2000, he contributed to the Middle East Forum's Lebanon Study Group report, "Ending Syria's Occupation of Lebanon: The U.S. Role," which condemned Syria's occupation of Lebanon. He received a Ph.D. in international relations from Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Wurmser addressed the Middle East Forum on March 6, 2008 in New York City. SOURCE: Middle East Quarterly Middle East Quarterly Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:21:27 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23497 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23497 Petraeus and Crocker Testify on Iraq SOURCE: C-Span C-Span Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:56:24 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23488 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23488 Failed and weak states are unable for various reasons to provide security and other basic services for their citizens. The Bush administration and a growing number of foreign policy experts say failed states pose a threat to world peace and security. But as VOA's Brian Padden reports, there are critics who argue that intervening in a failed state can do more harm than good. SOURCE: Voice of America Voice of America Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:32:39 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23466 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23466 At the beginning of April 2008, the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will be meeting in Bucharest, Romania to decide which countries they want to welcome into the fold. There's a long list that would like to join NATO, but the voting on two of them -- former Soviet republics Georgia and Ukraine -- is expected to go down to the wire. Both of them see NATO membership as the next step in their pro-Western revolutions. Georgia's Ambassador to Canada, Vasil Sikharulidze, explained the importance of NATO membership for Georgia. But it's not clear that Georgia and Ukraine will get their wish. NATO wants new members as a way of guaranteeing its survival. But it also doesn't want to over-aggravate an old nemesis -- Russia. It's just one of the dilemmas facing NATO. And it's adding to the sense among many observers that the alliance -- which turns 60 in 2009 -- is in the throes of a mid-life crisis, unsure of its identity or purpose in a post-Cold War world. SOURCE: The Brookings Institution The Brookings Institution Mon, 07 Apr 2008 10:06:40 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23447 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23447 Watch a video about small arms control and mine action featuring Sara Sekkenes, Senior Advisor for the Conflict Team, to learn more about how small arms, landmines, cluster munitions and the legacy of war creates an environment that inhibits human development. SOURCE: United Nations Development Program United Nations Development Program Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:57:13 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23430 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23430 After years of economic crisis and repressive leadership under President Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe looks poised for change. The opposition party contends Mugabe lost March 28 presidential elections, and delays in announcing poll results have fueled intense speculation about what is next for the beleaguered country. Andrew Meldrum, a Nieman fellow at Harvard University and former Zimbabwe correspondent for the Guardian, says the inner circle of Mugabe’s party, ZANU-PF, is looking at its options. SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Fri, 04 Apr 2008 13:34:32 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23420 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23420 The ICRC is the only humanitarian organization with a large-scale operation in Gereida camp in South Darfur, where it continues to provide for the basic needs of over 120,000 displaced people. This gallery presents the latest in a series of images illustrating the organization's activities throughout Darfur, providing for basic needs, health services, war wounded surgery, water and agricultural support. SOURCE: International Committee of the Red Cross International Committee of the Red Cross Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:18:18 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23402 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23402 The Century Foundation hosted a luncheon roundtable on Negotiating Arab-Israeli Peace: American Leadership in the Middle East, featuring the authors of an eponymous book, Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer and Dr. Scott B. Lasensky. The two offered both an insider's account of past negotiations and an incisive assessment of US involvement in the Arab-Israeli peace process, critiquing the approaches of the three most recent American presidencies and a way forward for Israelis and Palestinians toward a final status agreement is possible. Featuring: Daniel C. Kurtzer, S. Daniel Abraham Chair, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University and former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt and Scott B. Lasensky, Senior Research Associate and Middle East expert, United States Institute of Peace SOURCE: The Century Foundation The Century Foundation Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:41:27 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23333 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23333 Failed & Failing States on India's Neighbourhood and Its Effects on National Security - A presentation by TV Paul SOURCE: Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:16:13 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23324 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23324 A Magnum photo essay SOURCE: Slate.com Slate.com Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:27:40 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23232 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23232 Both Charles Ferguson's Oscar-nominated documentary "No End in Sight" and his new book of the same name chronicle the Bush administration's myriad policy errors early in the Iraq war that have led to the insurgency and chaos currently rampant there. Ferguson recently spoke to American Progress about his new book, the challenges the United States now faces in Iraq, and whether there really is no end in sight. SOURCE: Center for American Progress Center for American Progress Wed, 26 Mar 2008 14:44:56 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23169 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23169 This edition focuses on the situation in Sudan’s conflict-ridden Darfur region. Studies conducted by the UN, US government, and other agencies estimate that between 100,000 and 400,000 people have died since the war first erupted in 2003. The UN says 2.4 million people are still living in massive displaced-persons camps after having fled violent attacks on their villages. And the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that another 230,000 remain in refugee camps in neighboring Chad. SOURCE: Doctors Without Borders // Médecins Sans Frontières Doctors Without Borders // Médecins Sans Frontières Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:50:32 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23106 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23106 Three experts discuss the interaction between religion and state around the world. Columbia University’s Philip Hamburger points out one can hardly discuss a society without getting into its religion. Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im, professor of law at Emory University Law School, says a secular state is a prerequisite for him to be able to practice his religion of choice. But CFR’s Noah Feldman says the idea of a secular state is not a universal value. He says if a state chooses to have an official state religion, provided it grants every individual the basic human right to religious liberty, “I think that’s just fine.” SOURCE: Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:25:44 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23102 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23102 In an investigation carried out by GuardianFilms for Channel 4, we uncover how thousands of Iraqis employed at $10 a day by the US to take on al-Qaida are threatening to go on strike because they say they have been used by the 'Americans to do their dirty work' and haven't been paid SOURCE: The Guardian The Guardian Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:48:24 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23099 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23099 On this day in 2003, the United States began Operation Iraqi Freedom. As the campaign unfolded, tens and thousands of our troops poured across the Iraqi border to liberate the Iraqi people and remove a regime that threatened free nations. Five years into this battle, there is an understandable debate over whether the war was worth fighting, whether the fight is worth winning, and whether we can win it. The answers are clear to me: Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision -- and this is a fight America can and must win. SOURCE: United States White House United States White House Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:26:09 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23091 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23091 The surge of 30,000 U.S. forces in Iraq, in combination with changes in military strategy and the Awakening movement, has been credited with the reduction in violence and improved security situation in Iraq. General Petraeus “faced impending defeat, and has instead provided us with a useful stalemate” said Dr. Andrew Bacevich, Professor of International Relations and History at Boston University. We now have a “window of opportunity” of relative calm in Iraq that the Bush administration can use for political action and in which, said Flournoy, “restoring our credibility and influence in the world should be a critical goal.” SOURCE: Center for American Progress Center for American Progress Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:45:56 -0700 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23084 http://www.humansecuritygateway.com/showRecord.php?RecordId=23084 Chile once harbored Nazi fugitives and has a history of racial discrimination, but its predominantly mixed-race population makes it an unexpected home for a neo-Nazi movement. Reporter Lygia Navarro examines why some brown-skinned, working class kids have bought into Hitler's ideology. SOURCE: Public Broadcasting Service // Frontline World Public Broadcasting Service // Frontline World