Challenges and Advances in Small Arms Control: Dr. Edward Laurance

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

Destroying Arms in Sri Lanka

Trauma Recovery and Changing Norms in Burundi

Arms Collection in Afghanistan

Click here to download this 30 minute interview.

Small Arms and Light Weapon (SALW) Control, a fairly new category of Security Studies, has been innovated and championed by Dr. Edward Laurance, Professor and Gordon Paul Smith Chair of International Policy Studies at Monterey Institute. With five decades of experience in the military, working for the UN, research, teaching at Naval Postgraduate School and Monterey Institute of International Studies, Dr Laurance’s knowledge is truly enlightening.

He shares with Policy Pace hostess Paula LeRoy particulars of the challenges and advances of small arms control. Among the topics are increased violence in the world, the origins of focus on small arms control, DDR techniques, and changing norms.

The conversation includes successes such as Operation Ceasefire in Boston, and failures such as the DDR in El Salvador. Dr Laurance summarizes the four lenses of armed conflict analysis: people, perpetrators, instruments and institutions that are featured in the new concise OECD book Armed Violence Reduction: Enabling Development.

The interview draws upon Dr. Laurance’s numerous publications, involvement with the Small Arms Survey, United Nations, Conventional Arms Control, and Development Expertise.

Please let us know if this interview was informative, your suggestions, what other interviews you would like posted, and if you would like to be an interviewer for Policy Pace, by commenting here or at policypace@live.com. Thank you!

** the comment “everyone in Texas has a gun, but there are few homicides” was an obvious exaggeration, meaning ‘there is a strong consensus advocating gun ownership in many parts of Texas (but few homocides).’ Sorry if I offended anyone.

Looking Forward and Backward with the Motor Running: President Sunder Ramaswamy of MIIS

Posted on January 8, 2012 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

Monterey Institute of International Studies‘ President Dr. Sunder Ramaswamy reflects on what makes MIIS unique, the challenges of innovating while maintaining, channeling funding to accomplish MIIS’ mission, and the advantages and disadvantages of being cutting edge. Paula LeRoy, host of Policy Pace guides this 30 minute interview that gives an insiders view of President Ramaswamy’s philosophy of education carried out in his current role.

Click here to download 30 minute pod cast in MP3 format.

The Making and Questioning of a Development Professional: Alfredo Ortiz

Posted on November 25, 2011 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

Alfred Ortiz, Professor at Monterey Institute of International Studies of Nonprofit Finance and Organizational Sustainability as well as a Phd Candidate shares a deep contemplation about development work, development philosophy and the direction of development. He elaborates on some of his past experiences with social entrepreneurship, indigenous amazonian people and capacity building, his work with PACT Ecuador, teachings and trends. In this interview with Policy Pace producer Paula LeRoy, Professor Ortiz previews his PhD findings to challenge typical beliefs about development. He asks the hard questions. If we just strengthen this organization will it increase the impact? How valuable is training? Does training produce results? Are there too many promises? How can development agencies better understand the complexities of the project environment? Is visioning helpful or harmful? Can we work on the micro level and the macro level? Do agencies ask themselves the hard questions about their impact?

Click here to download the interview.

Questions, comments or request for an interview can be sent to policypace@live.com

Why Write Stories about Women? by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

“If you don’t speak for her, who else will?” “You have a seat at the table, and if you give it up, no one else will speak for her, because she can’t!” Gayle Tzemach Lemmon , speaks for under represented women, and encourages us too. She is the author of The Dressmaker of Kahir Kahan, a true story of a woman entrepreneur in Afghanistan during the Taliban era. Gayle’s convincing presentation tasks us with voting by what we read. “The news is all bad, because we let it be,” she instructs us and continues on, not only to tell the compelling story of Kamala, a teacher turned dressmaker entrepreneur, but to motivate us to be the voice for women who do not have a seat at the table. Taped and introduced by Paula LeRoy for Policy Pace, this 44 minute talk is a true treat.

Click here to download the presentation. It will download to your itunes or multimedia player, from which you can chose to download it to your ipod or mp3 player for mobile listening.

We encourage you to enjoy other speakers and interviews from the Dining for Women conference, found on Policy Pace at sites.middlebury.edu/informed. Erika Keaveney of Lotus Outreach, Marsha Wallace-cofounder of Dining for Women, Ursula Daniels and Denise Woods on Gender Politics and Power are posted.

Afghanistan: Progress and Inadequacies of US Involvement: COIN expert Terry Tucker

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

Lessons learned COIN expert Dr. Terry Tucker, expands the breadth of knowledge commonly available about US presence in Afghanistan. In this interview with Policy Pace, he details counterinsurgency pitfalls, challenges, ethics, and successes. Other topics include hard power vs. soft power, rule of law, intricacies of training the Afghan police and military, proliferation of small arms, forming the new government, development changes in gender based approaches, pacing and inclusion. Former Commander, Tucker also instructs us about the technical military structures that dictate the principles, constraints, mandates, and counterinsurgency techniques.

The information shared today is based on 51 months in Afghanistan training the Afghan police and national guard, interfacing with NGO’s and civilian leaders as well as two years of employment with Army Lessons Learned as a policy analyst. Presently, part of Dr. Tucker’s duties include interviewing returning troops and training deploying troops during which he stresses cultural and linguistic understanding, soft power skills, and the transmission of lessons learned.

Interview available at soundcloud.com/policypace/counterinsurgency-in

Journalism and Women’s Needs: Q & A with Gayle Tzemach Lemmon

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

“How can women be a majority of the population and a ‘special interest’ group?” is the lead question in this question and answer time at the Dining for Women Conference. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, a well known journalist and author of the Dressmaker of Kahir Kahan, a true story about courageous women entrepreneurs during the Taliban era in Afghanistan, challenges assumptions about what is news worthy. Her interesting and passionate answers compel us to rethink the concept of ‘women’s issues.’ She has to advocate constantly for ‘women’s issues’ to be part of the main news flow. Paula LeRoy, MA 2011, Security and Development at Monterey Institute of International Studies brings you this presentation as part of Policy Pace, a radio show aimed at bringing deeper news, less famous voices, and expertise to students and policy makers.

Click here to download the interview. It will open up in your iTunes or Multimedia Music Player as a MP3 file. It can be further downloaded to your ipod or mp3 player for mobile listening.

The Enigma: Power, Gender and Politics with Ursula Daniels and Denise Woods

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

Ursula Daniels, founder of PAXWORKS and Denise Woods, a consultant for NGO’s in DC, share their views and expertise on Gender, Power and Poverty, using a nested model, case studies in Nicaragua and Nepal and depth of exploration into this nexus. The women co-chair a chapter of Dining for Women in DC, and bring their experience to bear on many of the causes supported by DFW. Paula LeRoy interviews these fascinating women in October of 2011. the interview includes discussions of water issues, land grants, capitalism, shortages, violence, the presence of absence, journey head to heart, a free competent press and collaborative invasions.

Click here to download the interview. It will download to your itunes or multimedia player in an MP3 format, which you may then transfer to your ipod or mp3 player of leisurely listening.

Feel free to share this interview with colleagues and friends.

Foundations of a Successful NGO: Marsha Wallace of Dining for Women

Posted on November 17, 2011 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

Marsha Wallace, the co-founder of the highly successful NGO Dining for Women, describes the inspiration for, and beginning phases of, Dining for Women, an international giving circle that focuses on women’s empowerment and development. Each month the 200+ chapters of DFW, meet in their local communities and learn about a thoroughly vetted international NGO. Through the donations DFW is able to give $30-40K to each organization that has planned a particular project or expansion for the DFW partnership. With typical humility, Marsha describes the process and intricacies of running a growing nonprofit as well as solutions to some of the urgent issues experienced by women in poverty. This 34 minute interview on Policy Pace is inspiring and informative. Interviewer and producer Paula LeRoy, has created Policy Pace to bring successes and indepth analysis in the fields of security and development. If you would like to be interviewed or contribute an interview please contact us at policypace@live.com.

Download here to listen to the interview. Please be patient while it loads to your iTunes or Multimedia Player that is part of your computer. Please feel free to share with others.

Click here to stream audio.

This is also the link:

Yemen in Transition: Many Factions, Many Needs

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Paula LeRoy-Antaki

Policy Pace producer Paula LeRoy interviews Fuad Shaw, an International Policy Studies: Security and Development graduate student of Monterey Institute of International Studies, who unravels the complexities of the Yemeni conflict, its history and uniqueness.

Click here to hear this interview.

Feel free to download and/or share this MP3 podcast.

MIIS Radio

The voice of the MIIS Community

Tag Archives: development