Disrespecting the dead: what is the fallout? Interview with Ambassador Melanne Verveer. Higher education in America: what kind of future does it have?
Disrespecting the dead: What is the fallout?
Well, it's not Abu Ghraib but the video of Marines urinating on dead members of the Taliban is embarrassing at best, a political disaster at worst and a clear violation of Geneva Convention rules governing the treatment of the dead during wartime.
By now the authenticity of the video is not being questioned, with the Pentagon now using phrasing to identify the men as "a small group of Marines," adding that "the video shows four Marines apparently urinating over three enemy corpses in Afghanistan."
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has released a statement "calling the behavior depicted in it utterly deplorable and ordering that it be investigated." Panetta also said "those found to have engaged in such conduct will be held accountable to the fullest extent." The incident is already stirring up anti-American sentiment in Afghanistan.
Arsala Rahmani, a senior member of the Afghan government's High Peace Council, told Reuters that "such action will leave a very, very bad impact on peace efforts," though a Taliban spokesman said, "We know that our country is occupied ... This is not a political process, so the video will not harm our talks and prisoner exchange because they are at the preliminary stage."
As egregious as these acts are, do they rise to the level of an international incident? And how do they get handled diplomatically? What kind of training do troops undergo to avoid this kind of disrespectful and potentially dangerous behavior?
Guest:
Hal Kempfer, Retired Marine Lieutenant Colonel; CEO of KIPP, Knowledge & Intelligence Program Professionals
David Michael Brahms, Retired Marine Brigadier General; Court-Martial Laywer practicing in San Diego
Interview with Ambassador Melanne Verveer
Last night, the Jewish World Watch presented its "I Witness Award" to U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer.
Jewish World Watch is a group centered on fighting genocide and other atrocities on a global level, and it confers the award each year on a figure who makes significant contributions to this fight.
Ambassador Verveer is receiving the award for her role in illuminating injustices faced by women and girls in conflict zones, specifically the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In addition to her position in the State Department, she is also the co-founder, chair and co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Parnership, a non-governmental organization preoccupied with supporting female leadership around the world.
What initiatives has Ambassador Verveer worked on recently? What progress is being made for women in conflict areas? What particular threat do women and girls face when genocide is present? How can the conversation on these issues be amplified?
Guest:
Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues
Higher education in America: What kind of future does it have?
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2008, 2.2 million freshman students, or 68.6 percent of all high school graduates, were enrolled in college. Most of the high school graduates who attend college are full-time students, though just under 40 percent of non-traditional, older or working students went to college full-time.
Higher education is still considered necessary for success in the American economy, but institutions of higher learning are being challenged as never before by rising tuition, rising operating costs, student unrest, online learning, challenges from for-profit colleges and reductions in funding for public colleges and universities.
What is the future of higher education in America? Is the four-year degree model with students living on or near a campus, is the idea of creating a well-read, well-rounded cohort of critical thinkers perhaps outdated? Can the nation's colleges and universities prepare students for the competitive challenges of a global economy?
A distinguished panel of university heads that represent the diversity of California’s higher education institutions joins Larry Mantle to discuss. The event was sponsored by Community Advocates Inc. It was made possible by generous grants from the Righteous Persons Foundation and the California Wellness Foundation.
Guests:
Chancellor Gene Block became chancellor of UCLA in August 2007. As chief executive officer, he oversees the university's three-part mission of education, research and service. He holds faculty appointments in the David Geffen School of Medicine and the College of Letters and Science. Chancellor Block serves as chairman of the board of the Association of Public Land-grant Universities, the nation's oldest higher education association. Chancellor Block has called for UCLA to define for California and the nation the role of a great public research university in a major urban center in the 21st century.
President C. Max Nikias has been president of USC since 2010. He has been part of the USC community for more than twenty years, having previously served in a number of positions, including provost and dean. He is an internationally recognized engineer who also holds an appointment in USC's department of classics.
Chancellor Jack Scott is chancellor of the California Community Colleges. Chancellor Scott came to his statewide office in 2009 after a distinguished career in academia and politics. He was the president of Pasadena City College from 1987 until his election to the California legislature in 1996. He served four years in the state Assembly and eight years in state Senate. He earned his doctorate in American history from Claremont Graduate University.
President Laura Skandera Trombley is in her tenth year as president of Pitzer College. She is an internationally renowned Mark Twain scholar and has authored three books, with her latest, "Mark Twain's Other Woman," published by Knopf. Under her leadership, Pitzer has annually produced more Fulbright scholars than any other undergraduate college or university in the country. She is also a national leader in sustainable building with eight new residence halls built at the highest LEED levels.