Audio and Video Interviews and Podcasts of Our Events
New horizons and old problems for UN Peacekeeping
FES Podcast on UN peacekeeping
This FES podcast was produced alongside the workshop on July 7 and provides an overall overview of the discussions during the day and comprehensive summary of the main points of discussion.
Listen to the podcast (in English, 18min24)
...and the podcast "to go": download here
UN peacekeeping is dangerously overstretched
Richard Gowan, Research Fellow at the Center on International Cooperation at New York University and an expert on EU security and UN Peacekeeping Operations, describes the challenges lying ahead for UN Peacekeeping.
Listen to the interview with Richard Gowan (1min44)
The reforms of UN peacekeeping: The New Horizon process
The Chief of the Peacekeeping Best Practices Section of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO), David Haeri speaks about the reform process that was initiated to strengthen UN peacekeeping.
Listen to the interview with David Haeri (6min12)
On current and future contributors to UN peacekeeping
Sharon Wiharta, Head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Project on Multilateral Peace Operations, talks about the north-south divide between the countries that provide troops for UN peacekeeping.
Listen to the interview with Sharon Wiharta (4min13)
The African Union and UN peacekeeping
As Secretary to the Peace and Security Council of the African Union Commission, Dr. Admore Mupoki Kambudzi has the perfect insight to describe the cooperation between AU and UN and their comparative advantages.
Listen to the interview with Admore Kambudzi (5min08)
The deployment gap in UN peacekeeping
Dr. Elisabeth Schöndorf, a Researcher at the International Security Division of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, speaks on what the UN, but also what Germany can do about the deployment gap that still hinders peacekeeping operations.
Listen to the interview with Elisabeth Schöndorf (2min54)
25 Years of the Right to Development
25 Years „UN Declaration on the Right to Development“
On 24-25 February 2011, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the OHCHR commemorated the 25th anniversary of the Right to Development. Highlight of the public event on February 24th was the keynote address of Navanethem Pillay, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. We compiled the highlights of both keynote and discussion in a video:
The FES on the 10th World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal
Another world is possible
The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung participated in the 10th World Social Forum in Dakar, Senegal 2011 and organized a set of seminars and workshops in cooperation with various partner organizations. We compiled the highlights of our activities in Dakar, that provided a platform for dialogue between representatives from trade unions, NGOs and other members of civil society, in a video:
The Future of German and European Peace Policy
An important new element in terms of peace policy institutions
On December 16, Angelika Spelten, Dr. Hans-Georg Ehrhart and Edelgard Bulmahn MoP discussed The Future of German and European Peace Policy.together with Andreas Zumach, taz. The podcast we produced in this context summarizes the most important statements with additional information on the recent developments in German - and European - Peace Policy:
FES Podcast on Peace Policy (11min, in German only)
Human Rights Award 2010 for Marcelina Bautista Bautista
Our commitment in the fight against unfair working conditions is worth the trouble
As director and founder of an advice centre for domestic workers in Mexico CACEH (Centro de Apoyo y Capacitación para Empleadas del Hogar) Marcelina Bautista Bautista engages in the difficult struggle for better working conditions and or legal protection and trade union representation for domestic workers in Mexico - with remarkable success. Listen to Ms Bautista:
Interview with Marcelina Bautista Bautista (German voiceover version, 7min36)
Original Interview in Spanish (7min30):
On the Millennium Development Goals +10 - Summit in New York
Wanted: "New Development Policy"?! - Podcast on MDG+10 Summit
The podcast produced at the event on 7 September presents, besides excerpts from the podium discussion involving Jens Martens of the Global Policy Forum and Thomas Fues, DIE, selections from interviews with Eckhard Deutscher, chair of the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC), as well as the development-policy spokesperson of the SPD Parliamentary Group Sascha Raabe MP, which we were able to carry out on the fringes of the discussion. The full interview with Eveline Herfkens can be found below.
Listen to podcast (german, 11min13)
Too Many Donors Often Create Problems for Developing Countries
Often, there are simply too many donor organisations on the ground and the cost for the developing countries is enormous. Founder of the UN Millennium campaign and former Dutch Development Minister Eveline Herfkens, in her interview, cites clear priorities for the fulfilment of the Millennium pledges and advocates increased provision of budget assistance, also in order to foster a sense of responsibility among recipient countries.
Listen to the interview (15min45)
"The abolishment of nuclear weapons would be a major preventive humanitarian action!"
Interim Report: Where Do We Stand on the Road to a Nuclear-free World?
After the NPT Review Conference and before the development of the new NATO strategy we produced a podcast within the framework of two events that took place on 22 June 2010 at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Berlin, which also presents the concrete assessments of some of the participants.
Listen to podcast (german, 16min53)
The German Government Must Come Up with Proposals for the New NATO Strategy
Disarmament and arms control, according to SPD foreign policy spokesperson Rolf Mützenich, should as a matter of urgency be restored to a prominent position in NATO policy. Mützenich makes clear in this interview conducted in Berlin on 22 June 2010 why he is calling on the German government to make a stronger commitment.
Listen to the interview (german, 4min47)
Bretton Woods and Financial Crisis
The Bretton Woods Institutions and the Lessons of the Financial Crisis
Amar Bhattacharya, head of the inter-governmental Group of 24 (G24) in Washington DC spoke about the need for reform of the World Bank and the IMF, as well as the lessons of the financial crisis in relation to development financing. He also called for the introduction of workout mechanisms which are intended to help in the event of debt crises.
The interview was conducted within the framework of the conference "Orderly and Fair Debt Workout Mechanisms" on 12 April 2010 at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung in Berlin.
Listen to the interview
FES Human Rights Award 2009 on the Treatment Action Campaign
New Government Anti-AIDS Package Gives Hope - TAC Maintains Its Commitment
Nonkosi Khumalo, chair of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), on the work of the TAC and the challenges facing the fight against HIV/AIDS in southern Africa. The interview was conducted following the bestowal of the FES Human Rights Award on the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), which Khumalo accepted on behalf of her organisation.
Listen to the interview with Nonkosi Khumalo (10min13)
Human Rights Award for TAC Sends an Important Signal
Herta Däubler Gmelin, professor of international humanitarian law, former German Justice Minister and for many years chair of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid, on the challenges facing the fight against HIV/AIDS in southern Africa. The interview was held after the ceremony presenting the FES Human Rights Award to the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), at which she gave the eulogy.
Listen to the interview with Herta Däubler-Gmelin (german)
Financial crisis and development
Social Consequences of the Crisis: Priority for People
According to Roberto Bissio, head of the Third World Institute in Uruguay and coordinator of Social Watch, the Social Watch Report which appeared recently show that the situation in the developing countries is much worse than previous assessments had indicated. The more than 60 country reports contained in the Social Watch Report point to ways of highlighting the needs of people above all in the poorer countries.
Listen to the interview with Roberto Bissio
More Democracy as a Guarantee against a Repetition of the Crisis
Head of the Policy Analysis and Development Branch at UNDESA's Financing for Development Office Manuel Montes talks about the difficulties facing developing countries as a result of the global economic and financial crisis, for which they were not responsible. Montes explains why it is so important to involve the countries of the South in processes aimed at averting further crises.
Listen to the interview with Manuel Montes
How ANANDI Supports Women from Rural Areas
Neeta Hardikar is founder and director of the Area Networking and Development Initiative (ANANDI), an NGO which makes gender mainstreaming a core element of the treatment of development problems. Currently, it is conducting a programme focusing on microcredits and local self-governance. Hardikar talks about increasing participation and women's gender-specific leadership capacities, and not just in Gujurat.
Listen to the interview with Neeta Hardikar
Elections & Conflict
Risking Elections - Milestone or Stumbling Block for Democratization?
The FES discussed the dilemma of elections and conflict with academics and practitioners from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Kenya, Ivory Coast and Bangladesh. This podcast which resulted, which also contains the assessments of some of the event participants, provides an insight into the topic:
Podcast on Elections and Conflict (german, 14:46 min)
Afghanistan Has Voted - But How?
The first presidential election organised by Afghans themselves took place on 20 August 2009. Gunter Mulack, from September 2008 Executive Director of the Orient-Institute in Berlin was present on the ground as EU election observer and describes the difficulties encountered during these difficult days. The interview was recorded within the framework of the event "Risking Elections - Milestone or Stumbling Block for Democratization".
Listen to the interview with Gunter Mulack (german, 4:46 min.)
Elections in Post-conflict Countries: Stumbling Blocks or Milestones?
The interview with Angelika Spelten, senior researcher at the Institute for Peace and Development (INEF), University of Duisburg-Essen and FriEnt, about the challenges facing the organisation of elections in post-conflict countries, such as Afghanistan or Kenya was recorded within the framework of the event "Risking Elections - Milestone or Stumbling Block for Democratization?"
Listen to the interview with Angelika Spelten (german, 7:04 min.)
Global Governance
Global Economic Governance in 2020:
What Future for the Global Economic Order?
With a team of 25 experts from 17 countries FES Geneva worked out various scenarios depicting how the organisation of the global economy could develop in the future. These scenarios were presented at FES Berlin where they led to a lively debate among the experts.
View an edited version of the event here.
Entschuldung
What Happens If Another Debt Crisis Looms?
Jürgen Kaiser, policy coordinator of the NGO erlassjahr.de and one of the authors of the FES study, foresees considerable risks facing the poorest countries which could lead to another debt crisis. In an interview he explains what can be done today to prepare for the advent of such a crisis.
Listen to the interview with Jürgen Kaiser on the HIPC study (german)
G8 vs. G20
For the G20 and against Elite Multilateralism
Salma Bava teaches European Studies at the JNU School of International Studies in New Delhi, India, and is Associate Fellow of the Asia Network in New York. The interview was recorded within the framework of the North-South Dialogue "Global Governance for Global Markets - Moving beyond G8" which took place on 17 June 2009 in Berlin.
Listen to the interview with Professor Salma Bava, JNU New Delhi
The G20 and the Borders of an Emerging Country
Wang Heifeng is the head of the Institute for International Economic Research at the National Development and Reform Commission in Beijing (recorded within the framework of the North-South Dialogue "Global Governance for Global Markets - Moving beyond G8" on 17 June 2009 in Berlin).
Listen to the interview with Wang Heifeng
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
How Biofuels, Cotton and Coffee Can Be Reconciled with the Right to Food
Olivier de Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, evaluates the price rises for basic foodstuffs and describes how, among other things, biofuels have an effect on the right to food. Recorded within the framework of a technical discussion on 11 June 2009 in Berlin.
Listen to the Interview with UN Special Rapporteur Olivier de Schutter
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Are No Longer Second-Class Rights
Virginia Dandan of the University of the Philippines is a long-standing member of the UN Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and appeals for broad recognition of these rights. Recorded within the framework of a technical discussion on 11 June 2009 in Berlin.
Listen to the Interview with Professor Virginia Dandan.
How Indicators Can Help in the Monitoring of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
On the basis of the international pact on economic, social and cultural rights an international expert group, led by Eibe Riedel, has developed a set of indicators which help in the monitoring of concrete progress in the realisation of these rights. Recorded within the framework of a technical discussion on 11 June 2009 in Berlin.
Listen to the Interview with Professor Eibe Riedel, University of Mannheim (german)
Nuclear Disarmament
New Disarmament Negotiations a "Once in a Lifetime Opportunity"
Former US Special Representative of the President for Arms Control, Non-proliferation and Disarmament, Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr. describes with some urgency how crucial the current disarmament debate is. Recorded within the framework of the policy dialogue "New Momentum for Nuclear Disarmament" on 22 April 2009 in Berlin.
Watch the Video-Interview with ambassador Thomas Graham on YouTube
It Is Right to Link the Disarmament Negotiations with the Issue of Iran
The interview with Dr Rolf Mützenich, Spokesman on Disarmament and Non-proliferation of the Social Democratic Group in the German Federal Parliament, Berlin on the current disarmament initiative was recorded within the framework of the policy dialogue "New Momentum for Nuclear Disarmament" on 22 April 2009 in Berlin.
Watch the Video-Interview with Dr. Rolf Mützenich on YouTube
India Can Contribute to the Success of the Disarmament Negotiations
The Indian disarmament expert Rajesh Rajagopalan on the chances of success and problems facing the new initiative. Recorded within the framework of the policy dialogue "New Momentum for Nuclear Disarmament" on 22 April 2009 in Berlin.
Watch the Video-Interview with Prof. Dr. Rajesh Rajagopalan on YouTube
Financial Crisis
Why the Global Financial Crisis Represents a Major Opportunity for Reform of Governance Structures
is explained by Stephany Griffith-Jones in this interview, recorded at a lunch on 26 March 2009 in Berlin.
Listen to the Interview with Stephany Griffith-Jones
German Peace Policy 2020
War and Peace in 2020-
Scenarios for a German Peace Policy
Recording of scenario presentation and podium discussion on 17 September 2008 in Berlin.