February 24, 2010, 9:57 am
A civil-society based opposition movement has been growing in response to the planning and execution of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Concerned Canadian citizens are asking questions about the cost and benefit distribution of the Games and the growing militarisation and clampdown on democratic rights.
Christopher Shaw is a professor at the University of British Columbia and author of Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games. He is a founding member and lead spokesperson for 2010 Watch.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 24th of February.
February 24, 2010, 9:52 am
Previously on Back Story we have investigated the failed policy that is the United States “War on Drugs”. We specifically looked at the implications that it has in US foreign policy but the “War” is an equally catastrophic failure for the US domestically.
Jack Cole is a retired detective lieutenant who worked mostly undercover in the Narcotics Bureau of the New Jersey State Police. He is now the executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP).
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 24th of February.
February 17, 2010, 10:05 am
When issues of international relations are presented in the media, especially international conflicts, they are often analysed through over simplified framing devices. For instance conflicts are often presented in isolation of the surrounding political events. Consider the term “ethnic violence” which is devoid of a political subtext other than just people killing each other. Because of the nature of the media and an over reliance on domestic government information, especially during a war, war journalism is often just propaganda used by military power to ensure public backing in conflicts.
Back Story spoke to Associate Professor Jake Lynch, Director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney about these issues. Casey Hribar started by asking him what methods were used by the media to frame conflicts that can create a distorted viewpoint.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 17th of February.
February 17, 2010, 9:54 am
On the 31st of December last year some 1300 activists from all over the world attempted to cross the Egyptian-Gaza border to mark the first anniversary of the Israeli attack and invasion of the Gaza Strip in December 2008. Organised as the Gaza Freedom March, the aim of the activists was to raise awareness of the continuing siege and ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to show solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Ali Abunimah is an analyst and the co-founder of Electronic Intifada, a non-profit, independent, online publication focussed on the Israeli Palestinian conflict. He is author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse. Ali was in Cairo with the Gaze Freedom March and Back Story spoke to him about the events.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 17th of February.
February 15, 2010, 12:57 am
Given the legal development of corporations as persons and of possessing rights in domestic legal structures, how has this changed the relation between corporations and international criminal codes?
Dr Joanna Kyriakakis is a Lecturer of Law at Monash University. Her research has examined the direct application of international criminal law to companies and the possibility of extending the jurisdiction of the international criminal court to include companies, as well as individuals.
Casey Hribar started by asking her why Australia had ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in 2002.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 10th of February.
February 15, 2010, 12:36 am
With approximately 110,000 troops still stationed in Iraq as well as continually growing mega-military bases and the spending of billions of dollars, the US still appears to be no closer to harnessing the Iraqi oil fields or bringing any semblance of order to the country. Given the time and energy spent on this occupation, such a failure of the US imperial project is remarkable and worth investigating.
Michael Shwartz is a professor of sociology at Stony Brook State University and is author of War Without End: The Iraq War in Context. He is a regular contributor to TomDispatch.
Back Story first asked Michael to elaborate on the claims that Iraq has been left in environmental ruin.
This talk was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 10th of February.
February 11, 2010, 12:00 am
Back Story spoke to Bobby Sandaralingham, a representative of the Australian Tamil Congress, before the recent elections in Sri Lanka on the 26th of January and asked him to characterise the political dilemma the Tamil people were facing at the election.
Since the elections there have been a number of serious issues raised. The election saw the re-election of the incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapaksa who has since dissolved the Sri Lanka parliament. There has been disappearance and deportation of reporters and a large number of post election violence incidences.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 3rd of February.
February 11, 2010, 12:00 am
The political aspirations of the Tamil people was brought to a decisive end in 2009 when the Sri Lankan military effectively ended the civil war after a 30-month-long military campaign against the Tamil Tigers. With thousands of Tamil civilians killed in the conflict there are continuing questions raised about human rights abuses committed by the Sri Lankan military.
Backstory spoke to Antony Gration, a representative of the Australian Tamil Congress, to get the historical context of the Tamil communities in Sri Lanka and started by asking him to give us a bit of insight into what life was like for the Tamils under colonialism from the Portugese, Dutch and the British.
This interview was broadcast on Radio Adelaide on the 3rd of February.
