Multimedia Resources
Audio
Safety4Sea July 3, 2012. The danger seafarers face from piracy is well publicized, but the victims remain invisible. Twelve hundred seafarers were held hostage by Somali pirates in 2011, yet their plight receives little attention. The International Maritime Bureau and the Oceans Beyond Piracy Project want to change this. They have just released a timely report that for the first time focuses on the human cost of piracy.
Foreign aid that hurts rather than helps American Public Media. Market Place. Mar. 4, 2010 Windows Media Format (requires Windows Media Player) Audio file. Disaster. When it comes to giving aid to places like Haiti and Chile, sometimes a helping hand can have unintended consequences. Sabri Ben-Achour reports on the economics of disaster relief.
Revolt on the Tigris: The Al-Sadr Uprising and the Governing of Iraq. National Public Radio. Jan. 11, 2006 Windows Media Format (requires Windows Media Player) Audio file 37 minutes. Terrorism In October 2003, Mark Etherington became governor of the Shiite-majority Wasit Province in Iraq. Six months later, Etherington, isolated from the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad, was forced to flee his headquarters in al-Kut, the province’s capital. That event culminated in a 16-hour battle with supporters of cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. In this NPR interview Mark Etherington discusses the experiences leading the the writing of his book Revolt on the Tigris. It offers a close-up view of modern nation building, as Etherington deals with both townspeople and private contractors and finds them both to be reluctant collaborators.
Justice Employees Help Set Up Iraqi Courts National Public Radio. Feb.16, 2008 Windows Media Format (requires Windows Media Player) Audio file 5 minutes. Rule of law Attorney General Michael Mukasey recently visited Baghdad to meet with Justice Department employees helping to reestablish an Iraqi court system. Ari Shapiro talked with department employees about what they’re doing and why it’s important to the stability of Iraq. Discusses relationship between security and rule of law.
Oil on the brain : Adventures from the Pump to the Pipeline. by Lisa Margonelli. National Public Radio.Oct. 17, 2006. Windows Media Format (requires Windows Media Player) Audio file 7min. Transnational crime Takes her from local gas stations to an Iranian oil platform, a Texas drilling rig, Nigeria, Chad and Shanghai to trace the path of the commodity that seems to command so much of our economy and politics. Book available in the Library. HD9560.5 .M3185 2007
The Partisans of Ali-A History of Shia Faith and Politics. National Public Radio. Feb. 9-16, 2007 Windows Media Format (requires Windows Media Player) Audio file various times. Religion, Security NPR presents a five-part series exploring the long history of the divisions between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
Moroccan Village Funnels Suicide Bombers to Iraq National Public Radio Apr. 25 , 2007 Moroccan authorities believe the village of Tetuan has sent as many as 30 suicide bombers from the North African village to Iraq. Scott Atran, senior fellow at City University of New York’s Center on Terrorism, briefed the National Security Council on the issue in March.
Video
What is Disaster Risk Reduction Oct. 2012. UNISDR.org Disaster risk reduction is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyse and reduce the causal factors of disasters. Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness for adverse events are all examples of disaster risk reduction.
Police Corruption: What Past Scandals Teach us about Current Challenges. November 2011. USIP. Police corruption is a universal challenge in peacebuilding. It wastes resources, undermines security and justice, slows economic development, and alienates citizens from their governments. Some experts argue that efforts to curb police corruption are hopeless, or at best secondary. Others maintain that attacking oppressive, unfair abuses is where reform efforts must start. On November 16, 2011, USIP hosted a panel of distinguished experts who discussed the root causes of and potential remedies for police corruption. This public event introduced a new USIP Special Report entitled “Police Corruption: What Past Scandals Teach about Current Challenges.”
Monopoly of Force: The Relationship between DDR and SSR in Post-Conflict. September 12, 2011. USIP In the aftermath of war, two processes are vital to successfully manage the transition to stability: disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR). DDR involves disbanding armed groups that challenge the state’s monopoly of force. SSR involves reforming the state’s security forces so they are accountable to the people they are sworn to protect. Historically, DDR and SSR have been viewed as linear and tackled in that order. In fact, the demobilization of former fighters and the creation of new security forces are complex, interdependent processes.On September 12, 2011, the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a panel of distinguished experts with combined experience implementing DDR and SSR in Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, the Balkans, Somalia and Haiti. The panel discussed lessons learned and recommendations for future peacebuilding operations. The event introduced the National Defense University Press’s new book, Monopoly of Force: The Nexus between DDR and SSR. This compilation of essays by experts and practitioners grew out of a March 2010 conference organized by USIP and the Center for Complex Operations at NDU.
Kill/Capture PBS Frontline May 17, 2011. After almost ten years of war, can the United States get out of Afghanistan? Producers Dan Edge and Stephen Grey carry out an in-depth investigation into the United States’ unprecedented campaign of targeted killing of militants in Afghanistan
Fighting for Bin Laden May 4, 2011 Two days after Osama bin Laden’s death, FRONTLINE presents this special report with inside access to the two biggest fronts in the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. First, correspondents Stephen Grey and Martin Smith go inside The Secret War and uncover new details of CIA-funded Afghan militas tasked with guarding the border, gathering intelligence and launching kill raids against the insurgents and their Al Qaeda allies. Based in Afghanistan, their work is focused on Pakistan. A former commander of one of these teams, the Khost Protection Force (KPF), tells FRONTLINE about how the team crosses the Afghan border into Pakistan’s tribal areas. Under the protection of drone aircraft, they fire mortars against Taliban and Al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan.
Afghanistan: The Nexus between Disarming and Rebuilding Armed Forces In November 2005, the United Nations announced the completion of its program to disarm and demobilize more than 60,000 members of the Afghanistan Military Forces. Coincidentally, the U.S. was building a new Afghanistan National Army to face the threat from a resurgent Taliban. What was the relationship between these seemingly incongruous actions? This event took place on February 3, 2011. USIP.
Women War and Peace 2011 Women, War & Peace is a bold new five-part PBS television series challenging the conventional wisdom that war and peace are men’s domain. The vast majority of today’s conflicts are not fought by nation states and their armies, but rather by informal entities: gangs and warlords using small arms and improvised weapons. The series reveals how the post-Cold War proliferation of small arms has changed the landscape of war, with women becoming primary targets and suffering unprecedented casualties. PBS 2011.
Obama’s War PBS Frontline
Children of the Taliban PBS Frontline
Rising Powers: The New Global Reality The Stanley Foundation 2009
PBS NOVA: The Spy Factory PBS Feb. 2009 Approx. 50 min.
PBS FRONTLINE/Rough cut Series. Sri Lanka: A Terrorist in the Family. Inside the life of a female suicide bomber PBS Oct. 2008 Approx. 14 min.
PBS FRONTLINE: Cyberwar! PBS Apr. 2003 Approx. 50 min.
PBS FRONTLINE: The War Briefing PBS Oct. 2008 Approx. 60 min.
Operation Murambatsvina: A special multimedia presentation. National Public Radio. May 31, 2006. (Flash Player Required).Approx. 20 minutes. Governance
China to fight pirates CNN Dec. 2008 Approx. 1 1/2 min.
On the trail of Somali pirates BBC Feb. 2009 Approx. 2 min. [/tab] [tab title=”Resources”]
MULTIMEDIA SOURCES
Asia Foundation Video Multimedia Resources
Covers issues on trafficking, policing, economy, education, environment and women’s issues in the Asia-Pacific region.
PBS Frontline/World Television Series. Windows Media Format (requires Windows Media Player) , RealPlayer 10 The PBS FRONTLINE series addresses topics of global concern including, environmental, transnational crime, human trafficking, domestic and global economics, security and terrorism issues.
Click on FRONTLINE/WORLDWATCH to access more than 90 additional videos indexed by region including the Middle East, Asia and Asia-Pacific regions.
PBS WIDE ANGLE
Link to WIDE ANGLE videos for viewing online
Updated videos on regional issues. Wide variety of podcasts, slides shows, photo and film galleries.
The Economist Multimedia Library
The Financial Times Videos
Advanced Security Cooperation (ASC)
The Advanced Security Cooperation (ASC) course of five weeks is designed to inform mid-career and senior security practitioners from across the Asia-Pacific Region in-depth about this large, diverse and complex region, its many issues, and opportunities for cooperation. The course also seeks to enhance the capability of every participant-or Fellow-in the areas of critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and decision-making undertaken in complex and culturally-diverse environments. The overall aim is to enable ASC Fellows to comprehend the Asia-Pacific Region’s most compelling security problems-and to empower cooperative attempts to address these.
For additional information about the Advanced Security Cooperation (ASC), click on the following hyperlinks:
Comprehensive Security Responses to Terrorism Course (CSRT)
This course provides CbT security practitioners in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as other designated countries around the world, the operational and strategic-level skills necessary to enhance their ability to understand and combat terrorism and transnational threats. Through faculty lectures, guest speaker presentations, real-world case studies, seminar discussions and tailored exercise scenarios, CSRT Fellows explore the nature of today’s terrorist threats, better appreciate the challenges associated with countering ideological support for terrorism and violent extremism, achieve a more common understanding of global and regional terrorism challenges, analyze tools and capabilities for combating terrorism and transnational threats in order to promote appropriate strategies. The CSRT course is designed to build relationships between and among the United States and current and future CbT practitioners of participating countries in order to develop trust, confidence and specific methods necessary for increased information sharing, reduction of obstacles to cooperation in the international collaborative effort against those who use terror to achieve goals. The curriculum focuses on the non-warfighting aspects of security and is divided as follows: Understanding; Framing and Assessing the Challenge; Formulating Responses to the Challenge; and Strategy Application. After leaving the Center, CSRT graduates are able to continue their collaborative efforts through IT/ET enabled portal connectivity.
For additional information about the CSRT Course, click on the following hyperlinks:
Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCM)
The Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCM) Course is a 4-week course that focuses on developing leader skills in five core areas: Comprehensive understanding of the complexity of crisis situations, strategic assessment, cooperation and collaboration, communication and use of appropriate technology. Offered once a year, the course is ideal for practitioners whose current or future responsibilities lie in the field of crisis management and recovery. Mid-career to senior practitioners including 0-4 (Major) to 0-6 (Colonel)- level military personnel, and civilian equivalents from diverse backgrounds such as law enforcement, government ministries and disaster management authorities are welcome to attend. Participants are also encouraged from NGOs, regional and international agencies and organizations, and academia. Participants come from all over the Asia-Pacific region, and in any one course may be drawn from as many as 45 nations and entities.
Crises are dramatic disruptions in the political, economic and social life of a nation. Their causes are diverse and range from conflicts to natural disasters, but they can seriously disrupt a population’s capacity to survive and the ability of national authorities to respond. Reflecting their complexity and scale, crises require a response that is well-coordinated and multi-sectoral in nature. Very often, the assistance of international actors may also be needed. Therefore, the course will emphasize broad, strategic-level themes and considerations rather than tactical prescriptions.
Asia-Pacific Orientation Course (APOC)
The course provides an introduction to Asia-Pacific culture, politics, protocols and challenges, while addressing U.S. interests in the region. The curriculum is focused by day and examines: Day One) Regional Perspectives, Day Two) Treaty Alliance Partners & Security Challenges, Day Three) Key Regional Players & Security Challenges, Day Four) Regional Issues, and Day Five) Transnational Challenges. Attention is given to both historical and emerging issues. The course includes a rigorous program of lectures and interactive sessions, and three break-out seminar sessions.