On Shifting Ground

From Haiti's revolutionary history, to its totalitarian dynasty that ruled for decades, to the 2010 earthquake, this island nation has become synonymous with poverty and dysfunction. Yet through it all shines a people's creative culture and resilience.

During her three decades covering the country, journalist and Haitian expert Amy Wilentz has seen Haitians overcome all kinds of hardship. Still struggling to rebuild from the 2010 earthquake, Haiti now finds itself awash with well-meaning, and sometimes misguided, characters: movie stars turned aid workers, musicians running for president and a former US president working as a house builder. Wilentz will explore the evolution of Haiti's vibrant culture and dysfunctional government.

Speaker: Amy Wilentz, Author, Farewell, Fred Voodoo
http://www.worldaffairs.org/speakers/profile/amy-wilentz.html

Direct download: 1_25_13_Amy_Wilentz.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 1:00pm PDT

Energy plays a vital role in all aspects of modern economies from transportation to communication, from health care to national defense systems. The reliance on energy to fuel the operations of the modern world creates vulnerabilities and competition over its supply and plays an important role in the national security of every country.

Join us for a conversation about the key drivers affecting the global energy landscape and their implications for international security. Energy security is a national as well as global priority that requires a coordinated foreign and domestic policy as well as international response. A critical question to be explored is: How will the global community collectively achieve a peaceful transition to a sustainable energy future?

This series is presented by Chevron.

Direct download: 1_15_13_Michael_Levi.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 8:00pm PDT

Twenty months after the Assad regime began its brutal assault on its own people, the humanitarian situation is dire. Some 2.5 to 4 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, approximately 1.2 to 2.5 million people are internally displaced and over half a million people have fled to Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and North Africa.

In this program, Mark Bartolini discusses the current humanitarian crisis in Syria, the US government's humanitarian response efforts and the challenges of providing aid in the midst of ongoing violent conflict.

Direct download: 1_7_13_Mark_Bartolini.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 8:00pm PDT

1