SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Lincoln Mitchell on the Upcoming Elections in Georgia
Lincoln Mitchell is the Arnold A. Saltzman Assistant Professor at  Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). In this interview, he speaks about the upcoming elections in Georgia and the  challenges faced by Mikheil Saakashvili. In addition to serving as chief of party for the National Democratic  Institute (NDI) in Georgia from 2002 - 2004, Lincoln has worked on  political development issues in Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh,  Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, and Russia.
(Windows Media)

Child Soldiers—The Silent Cost of War: What Has the United Nations Done For Them?
October 23, 2007 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm EDT
In celebration of UN Day, The UN Studies Program (UNSP), presented a panel discussion on Child Soldiers.

Panelists
Ishmael Beah, Former child soldier in Sierra Leone and author of Long Way Gone (Memoirs of a Boy Soldier)
Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert, Permanent Representative of France to the UN and Chairman, Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict
Nicolas Michel, Under-Secretary General, Department of Legal Affairs, UN
Hilde F. Johnson, Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF
Jo Becker, Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch
Tonderai Chikuhwa, Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict. 
Moderator
Elisabeth Lindenmayer, Acting Director, UN Studies Program, SIPA.

The event was co-sponsored by the Institute of African Studies, the Humanitarian Affairs Program, the International Conflict Resolution
Program and the Human Rights Concentration
(Flash Player)

The Threat of Bioterrorism—Private Sector Coordination with Governments
October 18, 2007 from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm EDT
The Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies (SIWPS), the East-West Institute, and the Center for International Business Education and Research presented a panel discussion on bioterrorism and WMD proliferation.

Panelists
Dr. Mark Chandler, Chairman and CEO, Biophysical
Brandon D. Declet, Counsel to the US House of Representatives, Committee on Homeland Security
Stuart Gottlieb, Lecturer in the Discipline of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Dr. Greg Austin, Vice President at the East-West Institute and Director of EWI's Global Security Program and Policy Innovation
(Flash Player)

War in Darfur and the Search for Peace
October 2007
Dr. Alex de Waal, editor of War in Darfur and the Search for Peace, currently a fellow at Harvard University's Global Equity Initiative and director of the Social Science Research Council, in an interview conducted by SIPA student Jessica Wanke (MIA 2009).
(Flash Player)

Every American Insured—Expanding Access to Health Care
September 26, 2007 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm EDT
The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) hosted a special lecture by Mike Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services. Secretary Leavitt delivered a speech on the state of our nation's health care system. His lecture and the question and answer session that followed touched on topics ranging widely from state-based initiatives to broaden insurance coverage, the current debate on renewal of the S-CHIP program, to efforts to improve the sharing of health information while protecting patient privacy.  
(Flash Player)

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
September 24, 2007, 1:30 pm EDT
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke and participated in a question and answer session with university faculty and students at Columbia University’s World Leaders Forum.
View Full Video of the Event (realplayer)

SIPA’s Statement  on Ahmadinejad’s speech

Dean John H. Coatsworth Statement  on Ahmadinejad’s speech

President Lee C. Bollinger's Statements on President Ahmadinejad's speech

President Bollinger's Introductory Remarks at SIPA-World Leaders Forum with President of Iran

Transcript of President Ahmadinejad's Remarks, from washingtonpost.com

Universities and Labor Standards in the Global Economy
April 11, 2007 from 4:00pm to 6:30pm EDT
Over the last decade a number of non-governmental organizations have sprung up to fill the need for transparent monitoring of labor conditions for some of the most vulnerable workers.  Universities have been at the forefront of this movement. The Worker Rights Consortium and the Fair Labor Association have been active in these efforts, but each takes a different approach. This university-wide event was dedicated to exploring the neutral enforcement of fair labor standards and what role, if any, universities should play. The symposium included Auret van Heerden, President and CEO of the Fair Labor Association; Scott Nova, Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium; Jagdish Bhagwati, University Professor, Discussant; Mark Barenberg, Professor of Law, Discussant; and moderator Sharyn O'Halloran, George Blumenthal Professor of Politics and Professor of International and Public Affairs. (Flash Player)

Lisa Anderson, dean of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, leads a conversation about news that might surprise you with President David Arnold, The American University of Cairo; President Joseph Jabbra, Lebanese American University; Chancellor Winfred Thompson, American University of Sharjah; President John Waterbury, American University of Beirut; on what's new at these centers of American education in the Arab world?
(Flash Player)

Perspectives on US Trade Policy—Congressional Priorities in a New Political Era
March 26, 2007 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm EDT
The International Economic Policy Concentration (IEPC) of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and Columbia University's APEC Study Center present a discussion panel entitled, “Perspectives on US Trade Policy: Congressional Priorities in a New Political Era,” with Congressman Charles Rangel.
Keynote Speaker:
U.S. Congressman Charles B. Rangel, Chair of House Committee on Ways and Means 
Discussants:
Harold McGraw III, Chairman, President, and CEO of the McGraw Hill Companies
Jagdish N. Bhagwati, Arthur Lehman Professor of Economics and Professor of Political Science, Columbia University 
(realplayer)

The Center for the Study of Democracy, Toleration and Religion (CDTR) and the Middle East Institute (MEI) present a lecture entitled, “Civil Liberties, Islam and the Nexus Between the Struggle for Democracy and Iran's Nuclear Ambitions,” with Akbar Ganji. Akbar Ganji is Iran's leading investigative journalist.  He is the winner of the 2006 World Association of Newspapers' Golden Pen of Freedom Award and of the 2006 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.
(Flash Player)

Sudan Divided
February 22, 2007
While the war between the North and the South of Sudan has been settled formally, lasting peace there is not assured. In Western Sudan, a solution to the vicious fighting and the ruthless slaughter of civilians seems remote. In the East, unrest prevails. Hundreds of thousands have died; millions are displaced. Humanitarians, seeking access to civilian victims, face increased security risks. Meanwhile, the conflict is spilling over into neighboring countries. Politicians say all the right things, but carefully refrain from action. What can be done? This conference represented an effort to take stock and to contribute to an action plan. It brought together people from various parts of Sudan, diplomats, aid workers, peacekeepers, students, academics and concerned citizens. In four panels, panelists examined various aspects of this “permanent crisis.  Organizers would like to thank Serena Chaudhry for her support for recording this event.
Panels 1-3: (Flash Player) | Panel 4: (realplayer)