Social Documentaries

PBS Engage | Introducing the Public Media Economy Widget | PBS

2010-01-28T05:07:00.000-08:00

PBS Engage | Introducing the Public Media Economy Widget | PBS

To help you access important information about the economy, we are bringing all of the great coverage on PBS to one place with the PBS Economy Feed Widget. The widget is a powerful new tool that allows you to select video from a playlist and watch it right inside the widget’s window. You can watch high-quality streaming video from all your favorite PBS shows including Frontline, The NewsHour, Bill Moyers Journal, NOW on PBS, American Experience, Tavis Smiley, Nightly Business Report and many more.

The widget also provides you with access to the in-depth information that you’ve come to expect from PBS. Below each video you will find a series of “Related Links” that have been specially selected for each video. Say you’re checking out Frontline’s latest episode “The Warning” and you want to know more about a “derivative”. You’ll find a link right below the video you’re watching to another video from our partners at NPR’s ‘Marketplace' that explains exactly what a derivative is and how it works.

:: Download Free Political Documentaries And Watch Many Interesting, Controversial Free Documentary Films On That You Wont Find On The TV! ::

2010-01-07T18:30:00.000-08:00

:: Download Free Political Documentaries And Watch Many Interesting, Controversial Free Documentary Films On That You Wont Find On The TV! ::: "At freedocumentaries.org we strongly believe that in order to have a true democracy, there has to be a free flow of easily accessible information. Unfortunately, many important perspectives, opinions, and facts never make it to our televisions or cinemas (you can watch movies in our media category if you want to know why).

For this reason we decided to start freedocumentaries.org, a site where anyone with an internet connection can watch a movie to educate themselves or simply explore another perspective whenever they please. These movies aren't just for education but are also for entertainment.

As a secondary objective freedocumentaires.org allows independent filmmakers to have their message heard by viewers that they may not normally reach.

Our goal is to have everyone that watches a film at freedocumentaries.org learn something; whether it be a new perspective on a topic, simply understanding a conflict, or being more accepting of a certain belief system. We are proud to say that the vast majority of people that watch our films are glad they did so. In fact many people become addicted to watching documentaries after seeing a movie on our site."

2009-09-09T19:45:00.001-07:00

Wing It!

2009-03-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Wing It!: "Ever wondered what it's like to live in Ethiopia? Always wanted to see Ireland? Interested in exploring the world? If you answered 'yes,' you're like most people and, unfortunately, just like most people, visiting and living in all these places isn't always possible. School, jobs, family, money — everyone has a reason why they never made that trip Egypt, or missed the plane to Micronesia.

But sometimes those 'faraway' places you dream about are actually right in your backyard. Most major cities in the U.S. have a Chinatown, some even have a Little India. If you visit Queens you might think you're in Central America and if you head to Boston, the luck of the Irish will be upon you. Visit Seattle and at some point you'll probably run into what is rumored to be the largest Ethiopian population in the world outside Ethiopia.

Instead of getting on a plane and rushing off to discover the world, show us the world that's right in your own city. Take a video camera, be a tour guide and tell us about an ethnic community and culture that's in your city. Dig deep into your own local haunts to show us that 'faraway land' that's actually not so far away. Think you can do that?"

2009-03-16T12:44:00.001-07:00

WHAT THE PEOPLE KNOW - call for videographers

2009-03-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

WHAT THE PEOPLE KNOW - call for videographers: "The Cluster Project is an online collaborative art exhibition that surveys the social, historical, financial, and technological underpinnings of cluster bombs. The web exhibition will display some 22 installations (or projects or bomblets) made by a variety of artists using animation, illustration, performance, photography, video and other creative approaches."

2009-01-05T08:08:00.001-08:00

Border Stories - about BorderStories

2008-12-10T09:02:00.000-08:00

Border Stories - about BorderStories: "what's a mosaic documentary?
Border Stories is re-imagining the documentary, one with no beginning, middle, or end. Its only linear aspect is the border itself. We produce short, focused video installments. Isolated from the whole, these pieces may seem disparate, but together they form new meanings that transcend their individual subject matter. In this way, we hope to show - but not get lost in - the complexities of the U.S.-Mexico border region. Each story is important, but there is larger meaning in the mosaic as a whole.

Our crew travels the length of the U.S.–Mexico border, from Brownsville, Texas to Tijuana, Mexico in search of stories that portray the human face of this politically and emotionally-charged region. Through this website, we invite a world-wide audience to interact and connect with these subjects. Our hope is that these voices will carry beyond the border towns and into the interiors of both countries to deepen the understanding of the unique challenges the region faces.

The U.S.-Mexico border traverses an entire continent, forming the longest land border between the developed and the developing world. Debates about immigration, international trade, cultural change, terrorism and security, environmental quality, and the drug trade converge on this international boundary. These debates keep the border in the national consciousness of both"

FOTO.SYNTHESIS: A SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM SHOWCASE

2008-11-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: FOTO.SYNTHESIS: A SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM SHOWCASE
WHAT:
FOTO.SYNTHESIS is a student run and student submitted film showcase at the University of Arizona focused on exposing student opinions and work in social justice and diversity.
WHEN & WHERE:
FOTO.SYNTHESIS will be hosted at the University of Arizona Campus on several screens, April 23-25, 2009.

REQUIREMENTS FOR SUBMISSIONS:
- Topic must focus around an issue of social justice, for instance how things like race, ethnicity, gender identity, ability, class, religion, sexual orientation, nationality, etc. relate to health, law, policy, economics, art, and other social institutions and themes
- Submission open to undergraduate and graduate students at four year universities or 2 year community colleges, from all departments and areas of study
- Film must be submitted in DVD format: DVD clearly marked with title, name of filmmaker, running time, which will be kept in a permanent file
- Documentary, experimental, narrative, animation, live action features and shorts accepted
- Please include the informational sheet, filled out in full, with your submission:
Download the sheet at our website, www.u.arizona.edu/~ksad

- Submissions must be postmarked by February 16, 2009.
Must be mailed to:
Katelyn Sadler, Room 232
1000 N. Park Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85719

To learn more, email ksad@email.arizona.edu ksad@email.arizona.edu

> or visit our website at www.u.arizona.edu/~ksad

Website features interactive blog discussing issues of social justice, so get involved early!

2008-10-28T19:33:00.001-07:00

Call for Entries - Days of Ethnographic Film

2008-10-27T08:26:00.001-07:00

D E F - Days of Ethnographic Film

Ljubljana, Slovenia, May 18th – 22nd, 2009

Deadline for entries and delivery of preview tapes: February 15th, 2009

Call for Entries

Days of Ethnographic film (DEF) is a new festival in the network of CAFFE (Coordination of anthropological film festivals in Europe) organized by Slovene Ethnological Society. The third edition is inviting again the production of visual ethnography in its broadest sense in order to bring face to face different forms of observational cinema generated by both the research's and the filmmaker's interest.

Films made by individual researchers, institutes, museums, university and faculty departments and independent filmmakers are welcome and the student films as well.

The festival has no competition program. There are the following sessions along the main program in the schedule: Retrospective, Guest program, Student films' program and a session of visual footage, displayed by the researcher him(her)self in order to provoke the discussion about his (her) work in progress.

For Entry forms see: http://www.sed-drustvo.si

Contact:

Nasko Kriznar

Audio-Visual Laboratory

ZRC SAZU

Novi trg 2

1000 Ljubljana

SLOVENIA

GSM: +386 41 761 743

E: nasko@zrc-sazu.si

Greensboro: Closer to the Truth

2008-10-27T05:59:00.000-07:00

Greensboro: Closer to the Truth: "On November 3, 1979, members of the Communist Workers Party were holding a Death to the Klan rally in Greensboro, North Carolina. Suddenly a caravan rounded the corner, scattering the protesters. Klansmen and Nazis emerged from the cars, unloaded an arsenal of guns and began firing. Five people were killed in what became known as the Greensboro Massacre.

Greensboro: Closer to the Truth reconnects 25 years later with the players in this tragedy—widowed and wounded survivors, along with their attackers—and chronicles how their lives have evolved in the long aftermath of the killings. All converge when the first Truth and Reconciliation Commission ever held in the United States is convened in Greensboro from 2004-2006 to investigate the Massacre. As the Commission struggles to uncover what actually happened and why, the participants confront the truth of their past, and struggle with the possibility of hope and redemption."

The Social Documentary: Bibliography, Radio-Television-Film 345 -- Articles -- Center for Social Media at American University

2008-10-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

The Social Documentary: Bibliography, Radio-Television-Film 345 -- Articles -- Center for Social Media at American University

Social Documentary projects - documenting positive stories of development projects - Film Africa

2008-10-26T07:11:00.001-07:00

Social Documentary projects - documenting positive stories of development projects - Film Africa

Film Africa is committed to work towards development and social change in Africa through its films and media projects.

Using local knowledge and expertise and encouraging direct participation of the local communities we aim to:

1. Campaign through film for social change on some of the most pressing issues facing Africa.
2. Document and promote positive examples of development projects
3. Encourage social inclusion by running participatory video projects with discriminated groups.
4. Contribute to a better cross-cultural understanding between communities.

Film Africa works in social documentaries, news footage used for campaigning and documentaries and drama produced through participatory projects in many parts of Africa.

Film Africa was co-founded by experienced film makers Dominique Chadwick and Abibata Mahama.

If you are interested in our work you can contact us at: dom@filmafrica.net

Assistant professor, tenure-track, social documentary | Job Listings | University Film & Video Association

2008-10-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

Assistant professor, tenure-track, social documentary | Job Listings | University Film & Video Association: "The Department of Community Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the evolving field of social documentary. Candidates must have a proficiency of practice in at least one of the following: video, audio, or photography, especially as the medium interfaces with new-media platforms. Prior experience in and commitment to a social documentary focus on contemporary public life, social issues, and/or emergent crises in domestic, transnational or international settings is important. We are interested in candidates who are grounded in the histories of and theoretical approaches to the field of social documentary, and who address the role of documentary in civic engagement and social change. We especially seek candidates who can participate in building the Social Documentation Program’s proficiency in emergent new media technologies such as locative media, GPS-adapted systems, mobile technologies, web-based interfaces, etc. In addition to production skills, we anticipate that the successful candidate will possess demonstrable experience in merging documentary practice with social analysis in such matters as research methodologies, collaboration with subjects, and field-study approaches to production, as they form the foundation of this program"

Video: Forced Migration Online

2008-10-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Video: Forced Migration Online: "Watch a selection of films about the situation of forced migrants worldwide produced by partner organisations of Forced Migration Online."

best.online.docus - Best Online Documentaries

2008-10-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

best.online.docus - Best Online Documentaries

Tools for Educators | EVC

2008-10-26T06:42:00.000-07:00

Tools for Educators | EVC: "Lesson Plans
EVC's Youth-Powered Video: A Hands-On Curriculum for Teaching Documentary includes 50 lessons on documentary and PSA production. This curriculum is available for purchase in the EVC Store. Additional lesson plans, written by EVC staff, classroom teachers and out-of-school educators, are available here for free download."

Download and Watch Free Documentary Video Films Online

2008-10-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

Download and Watch Free Documentary Video Films Online: "ocumentary Film Network

The Documentary Film Network offers a complete solution, and bridges the gap between film makers and their audience."

What?

2008-09-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

2008-08-19T09:41:00.001-07:00

Komando.com, Website for The Kim Komando Radio Show®, Komando Downloads

2008-06-24T18:38:00.000-07:00

Komando.com, Website for The Kim Komando Radio Show®, Komando Downloads: "Some video-editing programs are very powerful. With these, you have a lot of tools to manipulate your video. You can add special effects, transitions, subtitles and much more. Of course, all that power comes with a steep learning curve.

Sometimes you only need to do minor edits to a video. A powerful video editor can be cluttered with options and controls. For simple modifications, look for a simple video-editing program."

2008-04-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

The Business of Detention

2008-04-27T18:58:00.000-07:00

Love this editing...

2008-04-26T07:12:00.001-07:00

Annual Summer Film and Digital Media Institute Summer 2008

2008-04-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

May 12 - August 11 Washington DC/Los Angeles California/Alaska

The American University School of Communication 2008 Summer Film and Digital Media Institute now in its 27th year has planned an exciting summer of intensive courses and seminars/workshops. Geared towards both experienced film and digital media professional and beginners, the courses and workshops are taught by AU faculty and local professionals. Scheduled during evenings and weekends, classes are kept small to maximize students' hands-on experience. The Institute runs May 12 through August 6 (August 11th for the Alaska class).

For additional information visit the web site at http://soc.american.edu/content.cfm?id=56

If you have questions, email film@american.edu

Isuma TV

2008-04-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Isuma TV

www.isuma.tv is an internet video portal for indigenous filmmakers, with unique indigenous-language content available 24/7. Our goal is to help films and filmmakers reach a wider audience; help audiences see themselves in their own languages; help communities connect around common concerns; and help worldwide viewers see indigenous reality from its own point of view.

Isuma.tv is a FREE service to filmmakers and viewers: a serious, professional, high-quality space to post your films on the internet, in a respectful user-friendly context. Isuma.tv is a neutral viewing service only, not a seller or distributor. Filmmakers own their films and upload whatever they want; viewers watch but can't download; to buy a DVD you're directed to the email or web address of the filmmakers or their distributors.

2008-03-31T13:56:00.001-07:00

2008-03-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Every year, dedicated high-school students are denied the chance to attend college, based solely on their undocumented status. This website is a place for these students to tell their story anonymously, and an opportunity for you to do something.

Meet six students from diverse backgrounds who have come together to share their stories daily on the blog: Dream Activist, The Dream Advocate, FASH, IAmAShadow, Newsie and Sayuri Jane.

2008-03-27T05:14:00.001-07:00

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

2008-03-27T05:10:00.000-07:00

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. {Individuals are rational actors with personal agency}

Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
{Rights supersede the sovereignty of states to apply to all individuals}

2008-03-27T05:08:00.000-07:00

Human rights films make historical moments, abuses of power, and global inequalities available for scrutiny, debate, and recontextualization.

Human rights films help us to imagine the suffering and pain of others and to recognize the effects of seemingly normative political and economic policies.

Dialogue on human rights films may help us to understand how they are embedded in the same global flows of capital and culture that the films themselves aim to critique.

Center for Social Media: Resources

2008-03-27T05:05:00.000-07:00

Center for Social Media: Resources: "What difference can a documentary make? This fact-filled report, with many case studies of successful strategic use of social documentaries, answers that question. The report, written by Center director Pat Aufderheide, analyzes conditions of production and use in four contexts: television channels, alternative media, community media, and nonprofit sponsored production. It also discusses current teaching practices about social documentary, and analyzes key policy issues affecting production of social docs."

Petition to Chinese President Hu Jintao

2008-03-27T05:02:00.000-07:00

Avaaz.org - The World in Action: "Petition to Chinese President Hu Jintao:

As citizens around the world, we call on you to show restraint and respect for human rights in your response to the protests in Tibet, and to address the concerns of all Tibetans by opening meaningful dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Only dialogue and reform will bring lasting stability. China's brightest future, and its most positive relationship with the world, lies in harmonious development, dialogue and respect."

2008-03-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Take a look at your competition at www.fuelthechange.com/sfm.asp
You're the next James Cameron, right? So, it could be like taking candy from a baby.
Students, alumni, educators, amateurs and professionals are all eligible. Go to www.fuelthechange.com/sfm.asp to learn more and submit your video.

International Documentary Association

2008-03-25T14:52:00.000-07:00

International Documentary Association: "DOORPOST FILM PROJECT - CONTEST
Inaugural film contest offers aspiring filmmakers the chance to springboard their careers through the Doorpost Film Project, a new contest that will offer monetary awards totaling $300,000 to a fresh wave of talent who produce compelling short films. The inaugural contest, which has two competitive rounds culminating with a Film Festival in Nashville, Tennessee in September 2008, provides a grand prize totaling $100,000 and second and third place awards for $30,000 and $20,000 respectively. Interested filmmakers may register online at www.thedoorpost.com; Early registration closes April 1. Filmmakers may then upload their submitted films between February 1 and May 1. During the first round, each submitted film goes through a two-level judging process: online viewers and a panel of prominent film industry professionals. A group of 15 finalists from round one will each be provided $10,000 to compete in the second round of the contest which begins in June 2008. The Doorpost Film Project is aimed at discovering and developing filmmakers capable of producing films that inspire and influence, rather than simply entertain. The Doorpost invites hopeful filmmakers to tackle topics of love, greed, redemption, pain, forgiveness, freedom or energy in a non-genre specific short (under five minutes), accepted in any format. The $100,000 award will be give"

FRONTLINE: bush's war: introduction | PBS

2008-03-24T18:25:00.000-07:00

FRONTLINE: bush's war: introduction | PBS: "From the horror of 9/11 to the invasion of Iraq; the truth about WMD to the rise of an insurgency; the scandal of Abu Ghraib to the strategy of the surge -- for seven years, FRONTLINE has revealed the defining stories of the war on terror in meticulous detail, and the political dramas that played out at the highest levels of power and influence.

Now, on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, the full saga unfolds in the two-part FRONTLINE special Bush's War. Veteran FRONTLINE producer Michael Kirk draws on one of the richest archives in broadcast journalism -- more than 40 FRONTLINE reports on Iraq and the war on terror. Combined with fresh reporting and new interviews, Bush's War will be the definitive documentary analysis of one of the most challenging periods in the nation's history."

2008-03-23T06:35:00.001-07:00

Center for Social Media: Resources

2008-03-23T06:12:00.000-07:00

Center for Social Media: Resources: "Social documentaries are funded by individuals with creative strategies including partnering, and by organizations and foundations that know the power of media. They also depend on public resources including public television and arts and humanities council funds."

Several good articles on media and social justice issues.

Toronto Human Rights Watch Film Festival » About

2008-03-23T05:50:00.001-07:00

Toronto Human Rights Watch Film Festival » About: "Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is one of the world’s largest research and advocacy organizations. It conducts fact-finding investigations into human rights abuses in more than seventy countries around the world and publishes those findings in hundreds of reports each year. By generating press through reporting and advocacy, Human Rights Watch seeks to shame abusive governments, change policies and practices, and inform the public about important human rights issues."

The Fight for Human Rights

2008-03-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

The Fight for Human Rights: "The Fight for Human Rights

'I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened.'
--John F. Kennedy

This site is dedicated to the fight for human rights and the struggle for equality throughout the world. Follow our links to find films, books, and websites about the many men and women who, in the battle against tyranny, have worked to promote freedom for all."

Human Rights Film Foundation » Mission statement

2008-03-23T05:48:00.000-07:00

Human Rights Film Foundation » Mission statement: "The Budapest-based Human Rights Film Foundation was set up in 2005 to assist non-governmental organisations and educational institutions in their efforts to integrate film into their advocacy and outreach work.

We also provide consulting services to international organisations and NGOs who wish to outsource some of their communication work. We can advise on media strategy, help establish a stronger presence on the internet, place stories with leading newspapers and online magazines, or publicise upcoming events.

Our educational and creative documentaries deal with issues in the areas of social justice, international development and human rights, and are entirely tailor-made to the needs of our partners. Please get in touch with us here to discuss how we can help your organisation."

Film festival One World 2008

2008-03-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Film festival One World 2008: "Since its inception, one specific facet of One World has been the fact that it is not just a place where filmmakers and people interested in film can come together, but that it is also a meeting place for people working for NGOs and civic initiatives. In order to emphasise this aspect of One World even more markedly on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, we are preparing two distinct new features. A new section focused on video and film productions by NGOswill be included in the festival programme for the first time.

This section is called Film against Injustice and Poverty and it presents the work of renowned global organisations such as Amnesty International, Reporters without Borders, Oxfam, Greenpeace, Transparency International, Witness, Internews and others. The representatives of these organisations will attend the festival and acquaint the Czech public with the work that they are doing. At the same time, as part of the One World festival, we will also offer selected Czech NGOs the chance to present themselves and their activities at the Lucerna palace, which will be the focal point of the festival."

Three Burmese women receive Homo Homini Award from Czech Republic | Asian Tribune

2008-03-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

Three Burmese women receive Homo Homini Award from Czech Republic | Asian Tribune: "People In Need (PIN), a Czech Republic based Human Rights Organization, is awarding the Homo Homini Award for 2007 to the Burmese female pro-democracy activists Ma Su Su Nway, Ma Phyu Phyu Thin and Ma Nilar Thein for their contribution in the struggle to restore democracy and human rights in Burma.

This award is presented annually by People in Need at the “One World
Festival”

Human Rights Documentary Film Festival to individuals who have distinctly contributed to non-violent conflict-solutions, promotion of human rights and democracy within the past year.

The award ceremony will took place on March 5, 2008. None of the award recipient was able to attend the ceremony due to the persecution by the Military Regime in Burma. Instead, Mrs. Ma Leah Leah New will accept this recognition on behalf of the three Burmese women. Ma Leah Leah New is a former political prisoner and she now serves as a member of Foreign Affair committee of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)."

5th Annual New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival releases 2008 schedule - Business of Film - NOLA.com

2008-03-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

5th Annual New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival releases 2008 schedule - Business of Film - NOLA.com: "The 5th annual New Orleans International Human Rights Film Festival has just released its upcoming 2008 festival schedule on its website to be held April 9- 20, 2008 at multiple venues in New Orleans. This year's festival is the largest event to date with 12 event-filled days showcasing with more than 50 award winning local and international films, workshops, five world premieres, music and dance performances, parties and more than 20 film presentations with directors present."

Invisible Children

2008-03-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

2008-03-22T07:34:00.001-07:00

2008-03-21T16:13:00.001-07:00

Transana

2008-03-21T16:11:00.000-07:00

Transana: "Transana is software for professional researchers who want to analyze digital video or audio data. Transana lets you analyze and manage your data in very sophisticated ways. Transcribe it, identify analytically interesting clips, assign keywords to clips, arrange and rearrange clips, create complex collections of interrelated clips, explore relationships between applied keywords, and share your analysis with colleagues. The result is a new way to focus on your data, and a new way to manage large collections of video and audio files and clips."

Maquilopolis (City of Factories)

2008-03-21T15:16:00.000-07:00

Maquilopolis (City of Factories)
http://www.maquilopolis.com/
Produced and Directed by Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre
California Newsreel, 2006, 68 minutes, Spanish with English subtitles/ English with Spanish subtitles.
Reviewed by Stephen J. Sills, University of North Carolina Greensboro

Globalization has been blamed for many of our current social problems: environmental degradation, marginalization of women and children, global stratification, and continued disenfranchisement of the working class. Many of these problems are attributable to shift in the economic structure brought upon by Neoliberal reforms. Production in the neoliberal global economy has changed dramatically since the mid 20th century when most international trade was linked to manufacturing needs of core countries. Natural resources were shipped from low-income countries in the global South to the industrialized North where they were made into finished products. This trade model has all but disappeared in today’s post-industrial global division of labor. Today companies favor outsourcing their manufacturing to assembly plants low-cost labor markets. This has lead to the creation of Export Processing Zones (EPZs) where factories import raw materials and produce finished goods for export without tariffs thus reducing costs and increases profits for transnational corporations like Sanyo, Sony, and Panasonic. In the last twenty years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of EPZs. According to the United Nations International Labour Organization (2006) there were 5,174 EPZs in 116 countries employing nearly 42 million people--about a fifth of the global workforce. The majority of those employed in the EPZs are in China, Bangladesh, and in the maquiladoras (export assembly plants) along the U.S./Mexican border.
Maquilapolis is a film by Vicky Funari and Sergio De La Torre. I first became aware of Vicky Funari’s work at the 2001 Pacific Sociological Association showing of Live Nude Girls Unite! (2000), a film she co-directed and edited on the unionization of exotic dancers at a strip club in San Francisco. Like Live Nude Girls Unite! the focus of Maquiloplis is on the everyday lives of women and their efforts to combat marginalization and exploitation through collective action. The documentary is set in a Tijuana squatter’s camp called Chilpancingo located in a gulch just below the factories. It describes the economic, social and environmental impact of these assembly plants on the residents of Chilpancingo. The difficult, repetitive, and labor intensive work within the factories is shown as well as the hazardous conditions outside where air pollution and water contamination threaten the residents of the areas surrounding the factories.
The film follows two women, Carmen and Lourdes, as they fight for economic and environmental justice. We learn that in the global “race for the bottom” many workers in the maquilas have been abandoned as factories move to even cheaper labor markets in Southeast Asia. Carmen was employed by Sanyo until the company moved its operations to Indonesia, leaving her not only unemployed but without the legally required severance pay. The film follows as she and other workers unite to confront Sanyo through the Labor Arbitration Board and to obtain their unpaid severance. Lourdes participates in the formation of the Collectiva Chilpancingo to challenge Metales y Derivados, an abandoned battery reclamation factory (owned by the San Diego firm: New Frontier Trading Corporation). Lead, acid, and other containments have been found to be seeping out of the factory and into the groundwater used by the residents of Chilpancingo. Through protests at the PROFEPA offices (Procuraduría Federal de Protección al Ambiente or Federal Ministry for Environmental Protection) and a binational media campaign they are successful in convincing the US EPA and the Mexican PROFEPA to engage in a clean-up of the site.
The greater part of the film is a series of video diaries and interviews conducted by Carmen, Lourdes, and other members of the collective. These auto-ethnographic accounts are interwoven with background information on the maquilas and artistically shot video montage interludes (no doubt influenced by Sergio De La Torre’s background in performance art). The film’s website (www.maquilapolis.com) provides the back-story on the process of working with several non-profit environmental and women’s rights groups to train the women to document their story.
I have shown Maquilapolis to a third-year undergraduate course on Globalization. The film could easily be used in other social science and humanities courses to discuss social movements and collective action, gender and globalization, poverty, the environment, labor rights, global economics, development, etc. While the 68 minute film leaves little time for discussion in some class formats, students were engaged and curious to learn more. One student noted, “I thought the use of personal life narratives in the film helped connect the audience with life in the Maquilas.” However, several students noted that the artistic montage sequences felt overly manufactured and took away from the reality of the workers’ situations as well as slowing the pace of the film.
While less focused on the macro-structural issues that create situations of global injustice and environmental ruin, the film fits well with other anti-globalization/ labor rights films like: Life and Debt; No Logo: Brands, Globalization & Resistance; and Maquila: A Tale of Two Mexicos. Maquilapolis is engaging and informative, focusing on the human impact of complex international economic relations and the manufacturing zone at the US/Mexico border.

Browse | The Hub

2008-03-21T15:13:00.001-07:00

Browse | The Hub: "Beginning August 19, 2007 there was a series of peaceful protests across Burma as monks, activists and ordinary citizens challenged misrule and repression. On September 26, the Burmese military government responded with violence in which thousands were detained, and hundreds disappeared. Meanwhile, in eastern Burma, a 45-year catastrophe has reached one of its worst moments, as the country's military junta escalates its attacks against the area's ethnic minorities........."

What's Wrong with Immigration?

2008-03-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

The global platform for human rights media and action

2008-03-21T15:12:00.000-07:00

The Hub: World Water Day 2008 - Over 1 Billion Without Access and Growing "Water is the essence of all life on earth and regular access to safe water is a basic human right. But the UN estimates that over 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and by 2025 it will jump to over 5 billion – two-thirds of the world’s population - unless we dramatically change course. From water privatization in India to mining in Ghana, these videos highlight some of the challenges communities are facing around the world in the struggle for safe, accessible water."

The Hub

2008-03-21T15:07:00.000-07:00

The Hub: "Water is the essence of all life on earth and regular access to safe water is a basic human right. But the UN estimates that over 1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water and by 2025 it will jump to over 5 billion – two-thirds of the world’s population - unless we dramatically change course. From water privatization in India to mining in Ghana, these videos highlight some of the challenges communities are facing around the world in the struggle for safe, accessible water."

Chinese Calligraphy, Japanese Calligraphy, Korean Calligraphy, Custom Carved Seals, Logo, Stationary Design and Translations by Asian Brush Art

2008-03-21T15:06:00.000-07:00

Chinese Calligraphy, Japanese Calligraphy, Korean Calligraphy, Custom Carved Seals, Logo, Stationary Design and Translations by Asian Brush Art

Reporters sans frontières - Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents

2008-03-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

Reporters sans frontières - Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents: "Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents

Do something good by creating your blog with us

Blogs get people excited. Or else they disturb and worry them. Some people distrust them. Others see them as the vanguard of a new information revolution. Because they allow and encourage ordinary people to speak up, they’re tremendous tools of freedom of expression.
Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest.
Reporters Without Borders has produced this handbook to help them, with handy tips and technical advice on how to to remain anonymous and to get round censorship, by choosing the most suitable method for each situation. It also explains how to set up and make the most of a blog, to publicise it (getting it picked up efficiently by search-engines) and to establish its credibility through observing basic ethical and journalistic principles."

Global Voices Online

2008-03-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Global Voices Online: "Global Voices aggregates, curates, and amplifies the global conversation online – shining light on places and people other media often ignore. more about us »"

Editing Software Price Cuts - Avid Media Composer Academic $295

2008-03-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

Avid announced earlier this week some major changes in pricing....full Media Composer is now half price, $2495. It used to be five grand. Media Composer Academic version is now openly available to all students & faculty for $295.

Upgrade from Avid Xpress to Media Composer for $495. Xpress is now officially discontinued!

Liquid ACAD version is $149. Liquid PRO ACAD is $800.

www.equipmentemporium.com

Tibet Uprising - BBC

2008-03-21T13:49:00.001-07:00

Tibet Uprising - BBC

2008-03-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

Video | Tibetan Uprising

2008-03-21T13:48:00.001-07:00

Video | Tibetan Uprising: "Tibetans living in exile in India have launched a March to Tibet as part of the Tibetan People's Uprising Movement. This historic Movement aims to revive the spirit of the Tibetan national uprising of 1959, and by engaging in nonviolent direct action, bring about an end to China's illegal occupation of Tibet."

Video | Tibetan Uprising

2008-03-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Iraq For Sale

2008-03-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

Street Life on Mill 2002

2008-03-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

Stand with Tibet - Support the Dalai Lama

2008-03-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

Avaaz.org - The World in Action: "After decades of repression, Tibetans are crying out to the world for change. China's leaders are right now making a crucial choice between escalating brutality or dialogue that could determine the future of Tibet, and China.

We can affect this historic choice -- China does care about its international reputation. But it will take an avalanche of global people power to get the government's attention. The Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has called for restraint and dialogue: he needs the world's people to support him. Fill out the form below to sign the petition--and spread the word."

Union Fight Headed to Court — North Carolina Public Radio WUNC

2008-02-06T05:59:00.000-08:00

Union Fight Headed to Court
Dave DeWitt
Wednesday, February 06 2008
Download Union Fight Headed to Court — North Carolina Public Radio WUNC

The fight between Smithfield and the United Food and Commercial Workers over unionizing the Tar Heel hog processing plant has entered a new phase. A federal judge in Virginia has allowed a lawsuit filed by Smithfield to go forward. The suit accuses the UFCW of a coordinated public smear campaign. It uses the RICO statutes that were created to fight organized crime. The lawsuit is the latest step in a confrontation that has slowly been moving out of the plant itself and into the kitchens and living rooms of consumers. Dave DeWitt reports.

Thinking Internationally - Acting Locally - CommonDreams.org

2007-12-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

Thinking Internationally - Acting Locally - CommonDreams.org: "hinking Internationally - Acting Locally by Judith Blau Americans ignored Martin Luther King when he urged that the civil rights movement broaden to become a human rights movement just as the nation earlier ignored FDR when he proposed a bold human rights framework for the US. Human rights are not part of the American psyche, are not part of our laws, are rarely mentioned in the media, and they are not in the US Constitution. To be sure, Civil and Political Rights are part of our Constitution, but these are citizens’ rights, not human rights. America had a short flirtation with human rights, in the disorienting post-World War II period. Europe was in ruins and America was magnanimous. Shortly after the UN was founded in 1945, a small committee was formed to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The US was supportive and the committee was chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt. The US signed the 1948 UDHR, not a legal treaty but a document of great international significance, still today. The initial idea in 1948 was to redraft the UDHR as a treaty and send it out to states for their signatures and ratification, but the United States became increasingly adamant as the Cold War dragged on that it would not ratify a treaty that was such a bold challenge to the rights of capitalists. The UDHR advances civil"

SOLIDARITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND NON-VIOLENCE ~ V3 N12 DECEMBER 2007

2007-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

SOLIDARITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND NON-VIOLENCE ~ V3 N12 DECEMBER 2007: "Violence is the main obstacle to human development. There is an intrinsic link between violence and religion, patriarchal gender violence being the most pervasive expression of religious violence. Mitigating violence therefore requires overcoming the patriarchal mindset, especially in religious institutions. The mission of this independent newsletter is to provide a commented digest on current research and emerging issues related to human solidarity, ecological sustainability, and both religious and secular non-violence. The U.N. 'Millennium Development Goals' (MDGs) are used as a point of reference."

NPR : A Soldier's Journey from Iraq to Grad School

2007-11-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

NPR : A Soldier's Journey from Iraq to Grad School: "Morning Edition, November 14, 2007 · Demond Mullins spent a year in Iraq with the National Guard. When he came back, he felt alienated and angry at what he had seen and done in the war. Now Mullins has found a degree of peace in higher learning. 'Academia ... that's where I'm at,' the City University of New York grad student says. 'Right now, school, books — Weber, Marx, Durkheim — that's my medication.' That's his medication now. But if it's true that there are seven stages of grief, it's fair to say that Mullins is going through several stages of adjusting to his new life. His military transport plane brought him back in the fall of 2005. When he arrived at New Jerseys' Fort Dix, there were no bands waiting to welcome him home, Mullins says."

No fuel for Burmese Junta

2007-11-20T08:46:00.000-08:00

No fuel for Burmese Junta: "No fuel for Burmese Junta Total and Chevron, the giant international oil corporations, pump hundreds of millions of dollars every year into the the Burmese junta through their operations in Burma. This money helps arm the brutal Burmese regime and maintain their oppressive rule. As consumers we have both power and responsibility — let's use our purchasing power to end this terrible cycle. So we are launching a call for a global boycott of Total Oil and Chevron and all their subsidiaries. By hitting them straight in their bottom line, we can press these corporations to either push Burma to democratic reform, or to leave the country entirely. It's time for the power of transnational corporations to face the power of global democracy! All Total and Chevron brands are displayed in the image. To see which brands are in your country, check here for Chevron brands and here for Total brands."

2007-11-16T06:34:00.000-08:00

Trade versus localization | Wise Bread

2007-10-20T18:29:00.000-07:00

Trade versus localization | Wise Bread: "Localization--eating locally grown foods and buying locally produced goods--has become trendy just lately. For the past twenty years, though, globalization has been the dominate force. The tension between trade and localization is not a new one. The advantages of trade are obvious. Let's say you can design a website in four hours, but it would take you six hours to make a wooden box. Meanwhile, your neighbor is a cabinet maker, for whom the amount of labor involved would be reversed. Clearly, you both come out ahead if you make two websites, your neighbor to makes two boxes, and then you work out some sort of exchange. In this case--if you can do one thing better and your counterpart can do some other thing better (if each of you has an 'absolute advantage' in some task)--the advantages of trade are intuitive. It turns out though, that even if one of you is better at everything, you still both come out ahead if you engage in trade."

2007-10-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Visiting Scholar "Reversing the Gendered Nature of Cameroon Politics: Challenges and Way Forward."

2007-10-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

On Monday November 26th at 3:30PM, Dr. Joyce Endeley, a Visiting Scholar in Sociology and Women's and Gender Studies, will be presenting a colloquium on the topic "Reversing the Gendered Nature of Cameroon Politics: Challenges and Way Forward." This is the most important event in her one-month stay with us, so I hope you will put it on your calendars and do your best to attend. (Room TBA)

Stand with the Burmese Protesters

2007-10-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

Stand with the Burmese Protesters: "Stand with the Burmese Protesters After decades of military dictatorship, the people of Burma are rising – and they need our help. Marches begun by monks and nuns snowballed, bringing hundreds of thousands to the streets. Now the crackdown has begun, but the protests are spreading... When the Burmese last marched in 1988, the military massacred thousands. If the world stands up and supports their struggle, this time they could win. We're in a race against time-- targeting the dictatorship's main backer China in a global advertising campaign, delivering the petition to the UN secretary-general and sending the Burmese our support via radio-- To Chinese President Hu Jintao and the UN Security Council: We stand alongside the citizens of Burma in their peaceful protests. We urge you to oppose a violent crackdown on the demonstrators, and to support genuine reconciliation and democracy in Burma. We pledge to hold you accountable for any further bloodshed."

Four Eyed Monsters » Blog Archive » Watch our film for free, join spout, they give us $1, buy DVD/downloads & spread the word!!!

2007-09-29T19:47:00.000-07:00

Promoting Indy arts...
Four Eyed Monsters » Blog Archive » Watch our film for free, join spout, they give us $1, buy DVD/downloads & spread the word!!!

Congressional Legislation To amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act

2007-09-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Congress.org: "Congressional Legislation To amend section 301 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to clarify those classes of individuals born in the United States who are nationals and citizens of the United States at birth. Bill # H.R.1940 Original Sponsor: Nathan Deal (R-GA 9th) Cosponsor Total: 91 (last sponsor added 09/04/2007) 1 Democrats 90 Republicans About This Legislation: 4/19/2007--Introduced. Birthright Citizenship Act of 2007 - Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to consider a person born in the United States 'subject to the jurisdiction' of the United States for citizenship at birth purposes if the person is born in the United States of parents, one of whom is: (1) a U.S. citizen or national; (2) a lawful permanent resident alien whose residence is in the United States; or (3) an alien performing active service in the armed forces."

It's A Small (And Changing) World After All | Wise Bread

2007-09-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

It's A Small (And Changing) World After All | Wise Bread: "It's easy to stick our heads in the sand and say that the answer to 'Life, The Universe, and Everything' is 42. But we all very well know that the world we live in is a constantly changing one, thanks to evolution, industrialization, and the more recent trend and buzzword: Globalization. After reading The World Is Flat by Thomas Friedman, my interest in this topic was piqued. At one point or another, and in many cases unbeknownst to us, we have placed a call to customer service and actually spoken to somebody in India. In fact, as I learned from the book (or audiobook as it so happens), working in a customer call centre in India is a coveted position, and training includes adopting the english accents specific to each region of the US and North America. So although the person on the other side of the line may say their name is Andy and sound like he is from Georgia, he could very well be Ajeet and only have a vague knowledge of where Georgia is."

CCI Human Rights Film Festival

2007-09-07T16:58:00.002-07:00

CCI Human Rights Film Festival: "Human rights films “seize hold of a memory as it flashes up at a moment of danger” (Benjamin), making it available for scrutiny, debate, and recontextualization. We often bring these films into the classroom as powerful ways of presenting historical trauma, of engaging students in the complicated exchange of imagining the suffering and pain of others (Das, Scarry), and of recognizing the effects of seemingly normative political and economic policies. Interdisciplinary dialogue on human rights films may help us to understand how they are embedded in the same global flows of capital and culture (Appadurai, Cheah) that the films themselves aim to critique. All films starting at 6:30pm and followed by facilitated discussion on the film and related topics. Films will be shown in McIver 28 except 27 Sep - Osama to be screened in the Multicultural Resource Center.
10-Sep Battle of Algiers (La Battaglia di Algeri)
18-Sep Maquilopolis
20-Sep Long Night’s Journey into Day
27-Sep Osama
1-Oct Moolaadé
9-Oct Dying to Get In

CCI Human Rights Film Festival

2007-09-07T16:58:00.001-07:00

CCI Human Rights Film Festival

2007-09-07T16:58:00.000-07:00

CCI Human Rights Film Festival

2007-09-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

CCI Human Rights Film Festival: "Human rights films “seize hold of a memory as it flashes up at a moment of danger” (Benjamin), making it available for scrutiny, debate, and recontextualization. We often bring these films into the classroom as powerful ways of presenting historical trauma, of engaging students in the complicated exchange of imagining the suffering and pain of others (Das, Scarry), and of recognizing the effects of seemingly normative political and economic policies. Interdisciplinary dialogue on human rights films may help us to understand how they are embedded in the same global flows of capital and culture (Appadurai, Cheah) that the films themselves aim to critique. All films starting at 6:30pm and followed by facilitated discussion on the film and related topics. Films will be shown in McIver 28 except 27 Sep - Osama to be screened in the Multicultural Resource Center. Date Film Topics 10-Sep Battle of Algiers (La Battaglia di Algeri) Revolutionary War, Algeria, Torture, Terrorism 18-Sep Maquilopolis Globalization, NAFTA, Maquiladoras, Environmentalism, Grassroots Movements 20-Sep Long Night’s Journey into Day Apartheid, South Africa, Truth and Reconciliation 27-Sep Osama Gender, Taliban, Religion, Afghanistan 1-Oct Moolaadé Gender, Female Circumcision, Burkino Faso, Modernization 9-Oct Dying to Get In Undocumented"

SOLIDARITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND NON-VIOLENCE ~ V3 N8 AUGUST 2007

2007-07-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

SOLIDARITY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND NON-VIOLENCE ~ V3 N8 AUGUST 2007: "# Most poor women suffer both poverty and patriarchal abuse (MDG1)
# The largest fraction of the poorly educated are girls and women (MDG2)
# Fertility rates are higher in regions of virulent gender inequality (MDG3)
# Child mortality rates are higher in regions of virulent sexual violence (MDG4)
# Maternal health is poorest in regions of virulent gender violence (MDG5)
# HIV/AIDS is rooted in the patriarchal abuse of human sexuality (MDG6)
# Attaining sustainability requires human solidarity and, specifically, cross-gender solidarity (MDG7)
# Sustainable development requires human solidarity, and cross-gender solidarity is the foundation for all forms of human solidarity. Therefore, cross-gender solidarity is crucial for building a global partnership for development (MDG8)"

I&IT Streaming Video - Films by Saul Landau

2007-06-22T06:51:00.000-07:00

I&IT Streaming Video - Films by Saul Landau: "Maquila: A Tale of Two Mexicos (1999)

A documentary film examining the effects of burgeoning industry in the border towns of Mexico brought about NAFTA."

Wade M. Cole - When All Else Fails: International Adjudication of Human Rights Abuse Claims, 1976-1999 - Social Forces 84:4

2007-06-18T07:12:00.000-07:00

Wade M. Cole - When All Else Fails: International Adjudication of Human Rights Abuse Claims, 1976-1999 - Social Forces 84:4: "The idea that all individuals possess rights simply because they are human has gained widespread currency since World War II, but the reality is that many states continue to neglect or abuse those rights. Given that rights increasingly originate outside the state, what measures are available to individuals aggrieved by state actions? This article focuses on one such means of recourse: the claims-making procedure established by the First Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, hereafter referred to as 'Optional Protocol' or 'Protocol.' By enabling individuals to issue formal complaints alleging state abuse, the Optional Protocol illuminates the long shadow that sometimes falls between the idea and the reality of human rights."

Human Rights Issues

2007-06-14T12:49:00.000-07:00

Torture and other "any means necessary" tactics
Right-wing militias
Suppression of native peoples/ Colonialism
Cultural imperialism (see recently passed and ratified Convention on Cultural Diversity)
Terrorism
Suicide Bombings

Thoughts on La battaglia di Algeri

2007-06-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Revolutionary Guerillas or Insurgents and Terrorists
The first question that comes to my mind in viewing La battaglia di Algeri is, “what is the distinction between a terrorist and a revolutionary?” Or for that matter, is there a distinction between a governing authority that uses bombings, torture, and raids and a revolutionary movement that engages in the same? I can see using this film in my Global Social Problems course. I have one lecture on collective violence in which we move from disorganized to more organized forms of violence: Riots, Civil Disobedience and Strikes, Insurrections/ Rebellions/ Revolts, Terrorism, and War. In defining a rebellion vs. terrorism we discuss the fact that a rebellion is a (violent or non-violent) refusal to accept authority, perhaps with the political goal of overthrowing a government. On the other-hand terrorism is specifically violence which is meant to create psychological impact and fear by deliberate targeting of non-combatants with a specific political goal in mind. We also talk briefly about martyrdom and Islam.
I found an interesting flow chart created by Brad Schneiderman a student at Chicago-Kent College of Law for his seminar paper entitled "Terrorism v. Freedom Fighting: Is there a difference?" (Fall 2006 Semester, Nation Building Seminar, Professor Perritt ). The flow chart (and paper) look at the distinction to be made between terrorism and revolutionary actions, making the distinction based not on actions and outcomes but on the context in which the violence occurs.

This movie follows the protagonist Ali La Pointe as he is recruited into the FLN and becomes involved in their revolutionary/terrorist activities. Many tactics for destabilizing the colonial government are presented. Also the organizational structure of a clandestine movements can be seen first from within, then from the point of view of the French military. Late in Scene 73 Col. Mathieu explains “…every militant will know only three members in the entire organization: his commander who has chosen him, and the two members that he himself has chosen ... Contacts take place only by written instructions ... That is why we do not know our adversaries: because, in practice, they do not even know each other.” (http://home.online.no/~bhundlan/scripts/The-Battle-of-Algiers.htm ) The presentation of this clandestine structure, the discussion of the progression from terrorist activities to popular revolt, and the anecdotes on organizing a resistance movement could be used for discuss the organization and development of resistance efforts. It may also be contrasted with other movements For example, a 1999 report on terrorism noted a similar organizational structure in the Liberation Army’s efforts to bomb the World Trade Center in 1993:
New breeds of increasingly dangerous religious terrorists emerged in the 1990s. The most dangerous type is the Islamic fundamentalist. A case in point is Ramzi Yousef, who brought together a loosely organized, ad hoc group, the so-called Liberation Army, apparently for the sole purpose of carrying out the WTC operation on February 26, 1993. Moreover, by acting independently the small self-contained cell led by Yousef prevented authorities from linking it to an established terrorist organization, such as its suspected coordinating group, Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida, or a possible state sponsor.”
Comparisons between FLN and other organizations such as PLO, Fatah, Sinn Féin, ETA, Shining Path, the Contras, EZLN and others could be made. In my Soc 344 Global Society Course we discuss global resistance movements in particular, first discussing Islamic Radicalism as a reaction to Western Neo-Imperialsm (reading Jihad vs. McWorld ) then moving through other resistance movements like the Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Nacional (EZLN), and on to the anti-globalization movement and finally ending with the World Social Forum and the alterglobalists. EZLN in particular could be a good bridge from post-colonial revolutions to a discourse on post-modern resistance (check out http://www.zeztainternazional.org/ ).

Globalization and Terror
Finally, in tying the film to others in our series as well as to the core of my classes I began thinking of a paper by Manfred Steger in which he discusses the six ideological claims of globalization. Steger claims that economic, political, and cultural imperialism of core nations has led to some countries embracing globalization, others putting their own culture putting their own spin on it (India, China, Japan), and yet others rejecting outright the domination by the core (especially in Near East Asia). This rejection has lead to increased nationalism (particularist protectionism) and anti-globalization movements (universalist protectionism). Among some the reaction has been a rejection of western cultural hegemony and increased fundamentalism. Fundamentalists, threatened by the idea that globalization is unstoppable (TINA) turn then to their only perceived defense: Jihad. He says that globalization requires a global war on terror. Moreover, “if the global War on Terror turns out to be a lengthy and intense engagement—as suggested by the current American political leadership - then it would become actually more important over time. No wonder, then, that some commentators who favor the second option have claimed to detect a dangerous turn of globalism toward fascism.” There is an online lecture by Michael Parenti entitled (“Terrorism, Globalism, and Conspiracy” http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6573660441809242121 ) that is also useful in linking the issue of globalization and terrorism.

In debating Jihad, I ask my students to discuss the following:

Do groups that are threatened by violence (real or perceived) on their own land have a right to defend themselves?
Do groups that fear threats of loss of culture, language, and way of life from others have a right to protect themselves?
If so, how should they do so?

_____________

[1] Hudson, Rex. (1999) “The Sociology And Psychology Of Terrorism: Who Becomes A Terrorist And Why?” A Report Prepared under an Interagency Agreement by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/pdffiles/Soc_Psych_of_Terrorism.pdf

[1] Steger, Manfred (2005). "Ideologies of globalization" Journal of Political Ideologies, (10) 1:31-49. www.globalism-nationalism.org/publications/MS_JPI%20Ideologies%20of%20globalization%20%20final.pdf

[1] I also like this more positive reaction to TINA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3w7zbPLnxg

The Anti-Torture Memos: 2001 to 2007

2007-06-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Balkinization: "The Anti-Torture Memos: Balkinization Posts on Torture, Interrogation, Detention, War Powers, Executive Authority, and OLC

For ease of reference, we've grouped together our posts on the complex of issues raised by torture, interrogation, detention, war powers, Executive authority, and the Office of Legal Counsel. We've also included a few related op-eds that Jack wrote before this blog began in January 2003. We'll post a link to this compendium on the Balkinization front page, and we plan to update the list as new posts are written."

Military Commissions Act 2006—Unchecked Powers?- Empire? - Global Policy Forum

2007-06-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

Military Commissions Act 2006—Unchecked Powers?- Empire? - Global Policy Forum: "September 29, 2006, the US Senate agreed to the Military Commissions Act of 2006 which gives US President George Bush unprecedented power to detain and try people as part of their “War on Terror.” President Bush is then expected to sign the Act into law. Broadly, the new Act does 3 things:

1. Strips the right of detainees to habeas corpus (the traditional right of detainees to challenge their detention);
2. Gives the US President the power to detain indefinitely anyone—US or foreign nationals, from within the US, and from abroad—it deems to have provided material support to anti-US hostilities, and even use secret and coerced evidence (i.e. through use of torture) to try detainees who will be held in secret US military prisons;
3. Gives US officials immunity from prosecution for torturing detainees that were captured before the end of 2005 by US military and CIA.

The bill was passed by the Senate sixty five votes in favor, thirty four against. Twelve Democrats joined the Republican majority. The House passed virtually the same legislation a few days earlier on Wednesday, 27 September."

Harvard International Review: Torture in the War on Terror

2007-06-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

Harvard International Review: Torture in the War on Terror: "This permissive attitude toward detainee abuse extends even to outright torture. President Bush repeatedly says that the United States will not countenance torture. Yet for over two years beginning in August 2002, the administration defined torture so narrowly as to render the prohibition virtually meaningless. In its view, abuse was not torture unless the pain was equivalent to the loss of a major bodily organ, thereby allowing for procedures such as ripping out fingernails or cutting off ears. Even since the administration repudiated this grotesque definition in December 2004, Porter Goss, the CIA director, continues to insist that “water boarding”—a classic torture technique involving mock execution by threat of drowning—is a “professional interrogation technique” and reportedly has authorized its use."

It is necessary to find an excuse to legitimize our intervention

2007-06-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

“… in the last two months, they have reached an average of 4.2 assaults per day, including aggression against individuals, and the explosions. Of course, the conditions of the problem are as usual: first, the adversary; second, the method to destroy him ... There are 80,000 Arabs in the Casbah. Are they all against us? We know they are not. In reality, it is only a small minority that dominates with terror and violence. This minority is our adversary and we must isolate and destroy it ... He is an adversary who shifts his position above and below the surface with highly commendable revolutionary methods and original tactics. ... He is an anonymous and unrecognizable enemy who mingles with thousands of others who resemble him. We find him everywhere: in the alleys of the Casbah; in the streets of the European city, and in working places….the military aspect is secondary to the police method. I know we are not fond of this word, but it is the only word that indicates exactly the type of work that we must perform. We must make the necessary investigations in order to proceed from one vertex to another in the entire pyramid. The reason for this work is information. The method is interrogation. And interrogation becomes a method when conducted in a manner so as to always obtain a result, or rather, an answer.

In practice, demonstrating a false humanitarianism only leads to the ridiculous and to impotence. I am certain that all the units will understand and react accordingly. However, success does not depend solely on us. We need to have the Casbah at our disposal. We must sift through it ... and interrogate everyone. And here is where we find ourselves hindered by a conspiracy of laws and regulations that continue to be operative, as if Algiers were a holiday resort and not a battleground. We have requested a carte blanche. But it is very difficult to obtain. Therefore, it is necessary to find an excuse to legitimize our intervention, and make it possible. It is necessary to create it ourselves -- this excuse. Unless our adversaries will think of it themselves, which seems to be what they are doing.”

Lieutenant Colonel Mathieu, Scene 73 Battle of Algiers

Terrorism

2007-06-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Terrorism: "'Do you think the use of torture against suspected terrorists in order to gain important information can often be justified, sometimes be justified, rarely be justified, or never be justified?'
sometimes to often justified 46% (2006)

President Discusses War on Terror at National Endowment for Democracy

2007-06-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

President Discusses War on Terror at National Endowment for Democracy: "They target nations whose behavior they believe they can change through violence. Against such an enemy, there is only one effective response: We will never back down, never give in, and never accept anything less than complete victory. (Applause.)

The murderous ideology of the Islamic radicals is the great challenge of our new century. Yet, in many ways, this fight resembles the struggle against communism in the last century. Like the ideology of communism, Islamic radicalism is elitist, led by a self-appointed vanguard that presumes to speak for the Muslim masses. Bin Laden says his own role is to tell Muslims, quote, 'what is good for them and what is not.' And what this man who grew up in wealth and privilege considers good for poor Muslims is that they become killers and suicide bombers. He assures them that his -- that this is the road to paradise -- though he never offers to go along for the ride.

Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy teaches that innocent individuals can be sacrificed to serve a political vision. And this explains their cold-blooded contempt for human life. We've seen it in the murders of Daniel Pearl, Nicholas Berg, and Margaret Hassan, and many others. In a courtroom in the Netherlands, the killer of Theo Van Gogh turned to the victim's grieving mother and"

Algeria Independence France 1954-1962

2007-06-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

Algeria Independence France 1954-1962: "In the early morning hours of All Saints' Day, November 1, 1954, guerrillas of the National Liberation Front (Front de Libération Nationale -- FLN) launched attacks in various parts of Algeria against military installations, police posts, warehouses, communications facilities, and public utilities. From Cairo, the FLN broadcast a proclamation calling on Muslims in Algeria to join in a national struggle for the 'restoration of the Algerian state, sovereign, democratic, and social, within the framework of the principles of Islam.' The French minister of interior, socialist François Mitterrand, responded sharply that 'the only possible negotiation is war.' It was the reaction of Premier Pierre Mendès-France that set the tone of French policy for the next five years. On November 12, he declared in the National Assembly: 'One does not compromise when it comes to defending the internal peace of the nation, the unity and integrity of the Republic. The Algerian departments are part of the French Republic. They have been French for a long time, and they are irrevocably French... Between them and metropolitan France there can be no conceivable secession.'"

Iraq Body Count

2007-06-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

The human cost of a war of occupation...
Iraq Body Count

The war on terror: a war on human rights

2007-06-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Choike - The war on terror: a war on human rights: "Whether we like it or not, the world has not been the same since September 11, 2001 (9/11). Nearly all of us could witness that day, thanks to the spectacular media coverage, the biggest terrorist attack ever against US interests. What many people still could not imagine then was that the world may turn into an even more insecure, unstable and more unjust place following the reaction of the US government. First came the invasion of Afghanistan, whose Taliban regime – according to the Bush administration – hosted the Al-Qaeda network which the United States held responsible for the 9/11 attacks; then it was Iraq’s turn, which since 2003 lives under the occupation of a US-led coalition."

Mass rescue of 'slaves' in China

2007-06-14T06:55:00.000-07:00

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Mass rescue of 'slaves' in China: "More than 200 people, including 29 children, have been rescued after working as 'slaves' in brick kilns in central China, state media reports."

La Battaglia di Algeri

2007-06-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Synopsis of film as well as bibliography of related texts

La Battaglia di Algeri: "In 1966 the revolutionary filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo released his stunning chronicle of one of the major clashes of the Algerian struggle for independence: The Battle of Algiers. The film's fictionalized account of this crucial three-year period in Algeria's history draws on actual people and events as the basis for its story, and adopts an impressively convincing documentary style in its presentation.

The film's opening credits contain a message stating that 'not one foot' of actual newsreel footage was used in the making of the picture, yet Pontecorvo achieves a naturalistic, cinema-verité quality through his direction, conveying the events with the immediacy of a television news broadcast. Marcello Gatti's grainy, black and white photography captures the look and texture of a newsreel, as does the jarring realism of the hand-held camerawork in many of the film's explosive crowd scenes. The use of non-professional actors (with the exception of Jean Martin as the French Colonel Mathieu) also contributes to the film's overall impression of events being recorded as they occur."

Battaglia di Algeri Forum

2007-06-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

Battaglia di Algeri Discussion Forum

Working Time Around the World

2007-06-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

ILO Publications Employment (Text Version)- Publications

"Despite a century-long optimism about reduced working hours and some progress in legal measures limiting working hours, this book demonstrates that differences in actual working hours between industrialized and developing countries remain considerable – without any clear sign of hours being reduced. This study aims to offer some suggestions about how this gap can begin to be closed."