Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and a video... well, that can really be helpful to understanding an issue and being able to identify more with the details and intricacies of a particular issue.
Here are some helpful online videos:
Darfur: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darfur/ (very complete with full documentary plus documents, maps, interactive features, etc available on the same site) On Our Watch--the world's responsibility to the people of Darfur to never again allow a genocide...this has blow by blow coverage of UN action and inaction and why, Refugees in Chad, ICC, etc. this one is depressing about the UN's ability to affect change and resolve... how can you use the UN's power to solve this genocide and help the refugees? should peacekeeping be reformed? is R2P the answer?
Afghanistan and Pakistan and the US: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/view/ This recently aired (this month) and is excellent. Tens of thousands of fresh American troops are now on the move in Afghanistan, led by a new commander and armed with a counterinsurgency plan that builds on the lessons of Iraq. But can U.S. forces succeed in a land long known as the "graveyard of empires"? And can the U.S. stop the Taliban in neighboring Pakistan, where U.S. troops are not allowed and the government is weak?
Pakistan and the Taliban, fighting AlQaeda in the tribal areas, Waziristan, etc.: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/taliban/view/
Hugo Chavez and his role in Latin America: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/hugochavez/view/
Iran: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/showdown/view/ this one is a 2007 documentary, so it doesn't include the latest developments or last year's elections--but the issues are still very relevant, hot and this really helps you understand them.
AIDS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/aids/view/ Especially the last half of this documentary goes through what policy options the international community should be considering, what they have done or tried to do, and most importantly, why this challenge is not solved and cannot be ignored (see New CHallenges section).
Europe, Muslims and Terrorism: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/front/view/
Israel and Middle East peace--instead of focusing on the Palestinians, this one focuses on the Settlers in the Settlements and Israeli radicals that complicate the peace process.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/israel/view/
Also explore the PBS website and do a search on topics of interest within their website. they have great documents linked to their site, interview clips, transcripts, stories, maps, interactive features--very, very very helpful!
Here are some helpful online videos:
Darfur: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/darfur/ (very complete with full documentary plus documents, maps, interactive features, etc available on the same site) On Our Watch--the world's responsibility to the people of Darfur to never again allow a genocide...this has blow by blow coverage of UN action and inaction and why, Refugees in Chad, ICC, etc. this one is depressing about the UN's ability to affect change and resolve... how can you use the UN's power to solve this genocide and help the refugees? should peacekeeping be reformed? is R2P the answer?
Afghanistan and Pakistan and the US: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamaswar/view/ This recently aired (this month) and is excellent. Tens of thousands of fresh American troops are now on the move in Afghanistan, led by a new commander and armed with a counterinsurgency plan that builds on the lessons of Iraq. But can U.S. forces succeed in a land long known as the "graveyard of empires"? And can the U.S. stop the Taliban in neighboring Pakistan, where U.S. troops are not allowed and the government is weak?
Pakistan and the Taliban, fighting AlQaeda in the tribal areas, Waziristan, etc.: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/taliban/view/
Hugo Chavez and his role in Latin America: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/hugochavez/view/
Iran: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/showdown/view/ this one is a 2007 documentary, so it doesn't include the latest developments or last year's elections--but the issues are still very relevant, hot and this really helps you understand them.
AIDS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/aids/view/ Especially the last half of this documentary goes through what policy options the international community should be considering, what they have done or tried to do, and most importantly, why this challenge is not solved and cannot be ignored (see New CHallenges section).
Europe, Muslims and Terrorism: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/front/view/
Israel and Middle East peace--instead of focusing on the Palestinians, this one focuses on the Settlers in the Settlements and Israeli radicals that complicate the peace process.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/israel/view/
Also explore the PBS website and do a search on topics of interest within their website. they have great documents linked to their site, interview clips, transcripts, stories, maps, interactive features--very, very very helpful!