Tag Archives: Human Rights

Scholars' Circle Interviews

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- Mar. 17th, 2013

The United Nations has concluded its annual conference on the status of women with a focus on ending violence against women at a time when modern slavery has become a more than $35 billion industry that enslaves millions of people, mostly women and girls. The State Department estimated that in 2012, 27 million people were being held as slaves, most as sex slaves, and many held in western nations. Just last week, in fact, a UK commission found more than 1000 cases of enslavement. Most were women and girls forced into sexual exploitation. What are the realities of trafficking and slavery in 2013?We spend the hour exploring the realities of human trafficking, modern day slavery and exploitation.

First Scholars’ Circle: [ dur.  35 mins. ]

  • Kathleen Kim is a Professor of Law at Loyola Law School. She currently co-directs the Anti-Trafficking Litigation Assistance and Support Team. Her many publications include, “The Coercion of Trafficked Workers”,(link to publication ) and “Reconceptualizing Approaches to Human Trafficking: New Directions and Perspectives from the Field(s).”
  • Siddharth Kara is a Fellow with the Carr Center Program on Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery. He is the author of, “Bonded Labor: Tackling the System of Slavery in South Asia,” and the award-winning book, “Sex Trafficking: Inside the Business of Modern Slavery.” Kara currently advises the United Nations, the U.S. Government, and several other governments on antislavery research, policy and law.
  • Gillian Wylie is an Assistant Professor in International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin. She is the author of many publications including, “Human Trafficking in Europe: Character, Causes, Consequences,” and “Defining Trafficking/Denying Justice: Forced Labour in Ireland and the Consequences of Trafficking Discourse.”

Finally with Scholars’ : [ dur. 18mins. ]

  • Kathleen Berry, Prof. Emiritus Penn State University –  Authour of  Female Sexual Slavery;
  • Kathryn McKeenan, Prof. of Law, Univ. of Michigan Law School – Author of Sex equality only word.
  • Melissa Farley, Clinical Physcologists with Center for World Indigenous Studies. – Author of Men who buy Sex.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- Jan. 27th, 2013

Much of the mass media has fixated on whether the film Zero Dark Thirty glorified torture. Academy Award-winning director Katherine Bigelow has been forced by critics to explain her use of graphic, detailed torture scenes in her new film, which dramatizes the hunt and assassination of Osama Bin Laden. But while headlines and talk shows focus on Bigelow and her film, less has been said about two new reports detailing extensive torture, or about the realities of torture.

We are joined by filmmaker Murad Aldin Amayreh discussing his most recent documentary, “The Tortured: Stories of Survival.” And, Hector Aristizabal, one of the interviewees in the film who was tortured in Colombia. Also joining the conversation: Pamela Merchant is Executive Director of the Center for Justice and Accountability. Gerald Gray is a social worker and psychotherapist who works with torture victims and who has initiated numerous institutes to assist them (including the Center for Justice and Accountability). Pamela Merchant is Executive Director of the Center for Justice and Accountability. Stephen Rohde is a constitutional lawyer, founder and Chair of Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace, Chair of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California and a Vice President of Death Penalty Focus, and author of AMERICAN WORDS OF FREEDOM, and FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY. [ dur. 29 mins. ]

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle, President Obama has announced that a decade of war is now ending, our panel argues that warring is a relatively new phenomenon in human societies and that human beings are not warlike by nature. [ dur. 27 mins. ]

Douglas P. Fry, Dir of Peace, Mediation & Conflict Research at Abo Akademi Univ. Finland.  Author of Beyond War : The Human Potential for Peace.

Darcia Narvaez, Prof. of Phycology, Univ. of Minnesota. Co-author of Evolution, Early Experience and Human Development: From Research to Practice and Policy.

Brian Ferguson, Prof. of  Anthropology , Rutgers Univ. .  Co-author of  War in the Tribal Zone: Expanding States and Indigenous Warfare.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- Dec. 16th, 2012

First, a look inside the secret world of spying and intelligence agencies. A discussion with Glenn Carle, former CIA agent and author of the book, The Interrogator, An Education. [ Dur. 28 mins. ]

Then, on the Scholars’ Circle, how might the power of ideas shape countries and international power structures.

  • Liz Borgwardt, Prof. at Univ. of Chicago & Washington University, author of New Deal for the World, America’s Vision for Human Rights;
  • Christopher McKnight Nichols, fellow at Univ. Of Penn and prof. of history oregon state university and author of Promise and Peril , America at Dawn of a Global Age;
  • Tim Lynch, Prof. Political Sciences Univ. of Melbourne. Turf war, Clinton Administration and Northern Ireland;/li>

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

The Scholars’ Circle & Insighters Radio- Dec. 2nd, 2012

First we explore the politics of Palestine in relation to the region and in light of its new status of statehood. We began a discussion with Mark Perry about the politics of Palestine and statehood. We continue now to make sense of the new dynamics inside and outside of Palestine. Author of  Talking with Terrorists: Why America must engage with its enimies. [ Dur. 16 mins. ]

Finally on Scholars’ Circle: With more than 130 votes in the United Nations, Palestine has attained statehood, a move that is thought to empower President Mahmood Abbas’s position both inside Palestine and in future legal battles with its neighbor, Israel. This change in status along with other developments within Palestine and the region may have more ripple effects.

  • Ervin Staub, Prof. of Phycology, University of Massachusetts , Amherst. Author or  Roots of Evil : Origins of  Genocide and other Group Violence.
  • Sami Adwan, Prof. of Education, Bethlehem University , Editor of Peace Research Institute in Middle East and Author of Side by Side: Parallel history of Israel-Palestine
  • Sarai Aharoni, Prof. of Political Science, Hebrew University,  Jerusalem.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Sept. 2nd, 2012

1) A retrospective on the Republican Convention–What does it tell us about the future of republican politics & policy & what does it mean for the future of the US? [ dur: 9 mins. ]

  • Alan Minsky, Interim Program Director, KPFK;
  • Mitch Jesserich, KPFA;

2) The humanitarian crisis in Syria keeps getting worse with more than 1.5 million people displaced. [ dur: 16 mins. ]

3) The Scholars’ Circle — Syria, the region, the international community and possible solutions to the crisis there. [ dur: 29 mins. ]

  • Mark LeVine, University of California,Irvine; Prof. of History.
    Author of Why They Don’t Hate Us: Lifting the Veil on the Axis of Evil.
  • Nader Hashemi, Univ. of Denver; Prof. Middle East and Islamic Politics.
    Author of Islam, Secularism, and Liberal Democracy: Toward a Democratic Theory for Muslim Societies.
  • Rochelle Davis, Georgetown University. Prof. of Culture Anthropology:
    Author of Palestinian Village History

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Aug. 12th, 2012

Seg. 1: How Google affects our knowledge, politics, privacy, and public projects. Joining us is Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies and Law at the University of Virginia, and author of, “The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry).”

Seg. 2: We explore eliminationalism and genocide in the 20th and 21st century with author and former Professor of Political Science and Social Studies at Harvard University, Daniel Jonah Goldhagen. Goldhagen authored, “Worse than War: Genocide, Eliminationalism and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity.”

Seg. 3: On The Scholars Circle we look at Presidential power, and its restrictions and constraints. Blame Obama or blame the system? Joining us are three experts:

  • Julian E. Zelizer is Professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University. Author:  Governing America: The Revival of Political History.
  • Eric Schickler is Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Author:  Disjointed Pluralism: Institutional Innovation and the Development of the U.S. Congress.
  • Allan Lichtman is Professor of History at America University. Author:  White Protestant Nation: The Rise of the American Conservative Movement

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle June 17th, 2012

Seg. one: Secret heroes. We look at lesser known people who have shaped the world. With Paul Martin, author of Secret Heros ; journalist. [ dur. 16 mins.]

Seg. two: A lock down in Tibet continues, with six more monks burning themselves as acts of protests. We speak with a scholar who just returned from Tibet and China. With Lori Brand, professor, USC; [ dur. 15 mins. ]

On the Scholars’ Circle, we look at root causes of the China – Tibet conflict, and how it might be resolved. [ dur. 28 mins. ]

  • Prof. Robbi Barnett, Colombia, Director of Modern Tibet Studies Program and author of numerous books on Tibet;;
  • Prof. Perry Link, UC Riverside.  Author: Evening Chats in Beijing  co-translated the Tianamen Papers.
  • Prof. Emily Yeh, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder.

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – May 6th 2012

Segment 1: Can new media change power relations? We speak with Rory O’Connor author of, “Friends, Followers and the Future: How Social Media are Changing Politics, Threatening Big Brands, and Killing Traditional Media” [ Dur. 29 mins. ]
Segment 2: Scholar’s Circle. What does the conviction of former Liberian President Charles Taylor reveal about the international justice system? Does this system work? Are there other ways to ensure justice?

  • Mark Drumbl is director of the Transnational law Institute at WA and Lee Univ. School of Law. His numerous publications include the award winning, Atrocity, Punishment, and International Law.
  • Prof. Hannah Garry is director of Int’l Human Rights Clinic at USC’s Gould School of law. She specializes in int’l human rights law, int’l criminal law, int’l humanitarian law and international refugee law.
  • David Kaye is the Executive Director of the Int’l Human Rights Law Program and Director of Int’l Justice Clinic at UCLA School of Law.

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Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – April 24th, 2012, Armenian Genocide

On the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we look at what are the conditions for genocide and what are the means to prevent it. [ Dur: 28 min. ]

  • Vahakn Dadrian, Dir. of Genocide Res. @ Zoryan Inst.
  • Prof. Alex Hinton, Rutgers Univ. Anthropology & Genocide;
  • Prof. Richard Dekmejian, Political Science, USC

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Scholars' Circle Interviews

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – April 19th, 2012

Seg. 1: Living Off the Grid? a look inside the movement to live with total freedom and independence. Who’s doing it? How and why? We speak with Nick Rosen author of, Off the Grid.

Seg. 2: Cancer and the environment – increasing evidence suggests that the cancer epidemic is linked to chemicals in the environment. We speak with Steingraber author of, Living Downstream: An Ecologist’s Personal Investigation of Cancer and the Environment.

Seg.3: On the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, we look at what are the conditions for genocide and what are the means to prevent it.

  • Vahakn Dadrian, Dir. of Genocide Res. @ Zoryan Inst.;
  • Prof. Alex Hinton, Rutgers Univ. Anthropology & Genocide;
  • Prof. Richard Dekmejian, Political Science, USC.

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