Security and International Relations Programme Seminar: The Economics of Killing

"The Economics of Killing".

 

 

 

 

Vijay Mehta chair of Uniting for Peace and Founding Trustee ofFortune Forum Charity.

23^rd January 18:00, Westminster Forum, 5^thFloor, 32-38 Wells Street.

 

Abstract

Globalisation has created an interconnected world, but has not diminished violence, militarism and inequality. The Economics of Killing describes how the power of global elites, entrenched under globalisation, has created a deadly cycle of violence.

Vijay Mehta shows how attempts at peaceful national development are routinely blocked by Western powers. He locates the 2008 financial crisis in US attempts to block China's model of development. He shows how Europe and the US conspire with regional dictators to prevent countries from developing advanced industries, and how this system has fed terrorism.

Mehta argues that a different world is possible, based on policies of disarmament, demilitarisation and sustainable development.

Bio:

Vijay Mehta’s books include The Economics of Killing (2012), The Fortune Forum Code: For a Sustainable Future (2006), Arms No More (2005) and The United Nations and its Future in the 21st Century (2005).

He has appeared in various TV programmes including BBC World, Press TV, Ajtak-24 hour Indian news channel, and Think Peace documentary, Canada, among others. Vijay Mehta is the recipient of the Global Indian Karmaveer (Action hero) Puraskaar (Award) by iCONGO (International Confederation of NGO’s). He is now a noble-laureate 2012 – 2013 of the iCONGO team of advisors and mentors. Vijay has been appointed as a fellow of the New Westminster College, Province of British Columbia, Canada in 2013.

Vijay Mehta’s new book “The Economics of Killing: How the West Fuels Wars and Poverty in the Developing World” is published by Pluto Press (UK) / Palgrave Macmillan (USA) / Amazon (Worldwide). For reviews and endorsements of the book, please visit: www.theeconomicsofkilling.org

“Vijay….a long standing activist for peace, development, human rights and environment”

The Sunday Times Magazine, London 1st February, 2009

“Vijay Mehta lends intellectual credibility to the project and wrote ‘The Fortune Forum Code for a Sustainable Future’, a sort of manifesto that will underpin the group’s future activities.”

The Independent, London 26 September 2006

Security and International Relations Programme Seminar 28/11/2013

"Low Intensity Humanitarianism and the Future Practice of the Responsibility to Protect".

Dr Jonathan Gilmore, University of Kingston.

 

 

 

 

28^thNovember 18:00, Westminster Forum, 5^th Floor, 32-38 Wells Street.

Dr Gilmore's research focuses on analysing intra-state conflicts and the evolution of peace operations and human security discourse, with a particular emphasis on the way military structures, techniques and training may be evolving towards a cosmopolitan-minded approach. His book, “The Cosmopolitan Military: Armed Conflict and the Protection of Human Security in the 21^st Century” will be published in 2014.

For more details contact Dr Aidan Hehir (a.hehir@wmin.ac.uk)

The Responsibility to Protect and the Crises

in Libya and Syria

 

December 5th, 2013

 

Film Screening: “No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka”

“No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka”

 

 

Introduction and Q&A with Henrietta Briscoe from Tamils Against Genocide.

24th October, 18:00, Westminster Forum, 5^th Floor, 32-38 Wells Street.

“No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka” has sparked international controversy through its account of the Sri Lankan government’s action in 2009 and has been acclaimed worldwide as a powerful documentary.

On the 16^th May 2009 the Sri Lankan government declared victory in its long running conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The United Nations later estimated  that between January and April 2009 6,500 civilians were killed and 14,000 injured. A subsequent UN enquiry found “credible evidence” of war crimes having being committed. The Sri Lankan government has strongly denied this.

 

Please contact Dr Aidan Hehir for further details (a.hehir@wmin.ac.uk)

Forthcoming SIRP Seminar: "Assange, Snowden and the Future of the Security State"

"Assange, Snowden and the Future of the Security State"

Professor Gavin MacFadyen Director the Centre for Investigative Journalism

18:00,3rd October, 2013

Westminster Forum, 5th Floor, 32-38 Wells Street

The Security and International Relations Programme is delighted to welcome Professor MacFadyen who will speak on privacy, journalists source protection, the growth of the secret police, the role of the mainstream media and the fight for the Internet.

 

Professor Gavin MacFadyen is the Director the Centre forInvestigative Journalism at City University in London and a television Producer and Director.

He was involved in the Amnesty Award winning Channel 4 Dispatches programme based on the WikiLeaks Iraq War Logs and has spoken publicly on the subject of Transparency, Accountability and whistle-blowing.

The Centre for Investigative Journalism has trained over 1000 journalists and graduate students and has conducted training programmes in over 20 countries including the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, and numerous international conferences.

CIJ has recently established Britain’s first Whistle Blowers organisation to encourage more truth telling insiders to inform the public of their concerns with safety. It was this work which brought him into contact with Julian Assange in 2007

 

For further information please contact Dr Aidan Hehir@wmin.ac.uk

 

UPCOMING ROUNDTABLE ON SYRIA...

UNDERSTANDING THE SYRIAN CRISIS

September 26th, 18:00, Fyvie Hall, 309 Regent Street

 

Since March 2011 the crisis in Syria has continued largely unabated and dominated the international political agenda. This roundtable brings together an array of experts from the Department of Politics and International Relations to discuss various aspects of the crisis (see speakers and topics below) and its implications for contemporary, and future, international relations. All are welcome.

 

"Neither Washington nor Moscow, neither Riyadh nor Tehran: What happened to the Syrian revolution?"

Dr James Allinson (Lecturer in International Relations)

"We Must (Not) Act: Politics of Imperialism and Humanitarianism"

Dr Dibyesh Anand (Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations and Reader in International Relations)


"Lessons From Africa"
Dr Hannah Cross (Lecturer in International Relations)

"Russia and Syria"

Professor Roland Dannreuther (Dean of School and Professor of International Relations)

"Sectarian Narratives and the Escalation of the Conflict"

Dr Abdelwahab El-Affendi (Reader in Politics)

"The Security Council and the Responsibility to Protect After Syria"

Dr Aidan Hehir (Reader in International Relations and Director of the Security and International Relations Programme)

"Iran, Syria and Lebanon"

Dr Farhang Morady (Senior Lecturer in Globalization and Development)

Security and International Relations Programme Seminar

Hi all,

Below are details about the next Security and International Relations Programme Seminar.

Hope to see you there,

Aidan

 

6th December, 18:00, Westminster Forum, 5^th Floor 32-38 Wells Street

“Bursting the Bubble: Lessons of Social Media’s Impact on Social Activism from KONY2012 and Beyond”

MarkKersten, LSE, creator of, and contributor to, Justice in Conflict blog.

 

The Justice in Conflict blog provides up-to-date commentaries on a wide range of issues related to international relations/law and can be accessed here.

Analyses of KONY 2012 can be accessed here.

The “KONY 2012” film is available to view here...