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Multilateral Lending Institutions in Liberia: Recipe for Peace or Conflict? A Look at the Leadership of Ellen-Johnson Sirleaf
There is a growing recognition that significant threats to collective security emerge not
only from competition among great powers, but also from disorder, political violence,
and oppression wrought by governments or the absence of effective leadership and good
governance across the developing world.
Here it is, folks! I converted Reena's DVD file into MP4 and AVI video files. File size is around 45MB so if you are a dial-up modem user, it's going to take a loooooong time to download. Takes a while even at low-end broadband.
Mac Users
The MP4 download should work in fairly current versions of Quicktime and you can also load it in iTunes.
Windows Users
I haven't been able to test the AVI file so I hope one of you with fast broadband can grab it, test it, and then post a comment as to your success. I'll do it Monday if no one else has had the time.
Next week, I am going to explore a new online video storage area at the U. I may be able to put the video there in streaming format so it will just play in your browser. I'll keep you posted.
Technical Details
I used free software called Handbrake to "rip" Reena's DVD and convert it to MP4 and then AVI. Conversion time for each was about 10 minutes but this was a small file (280MB) compared to most video. With a theatrical DVD, it would probably take several hours. (Yes, many theatrical DVDs could be converted to a video file on your computer. Generally, the US Government would consider this illegal unless express permission to make a copy was included with the original DVD.)
You can get Handbrake here. Available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet Society publishes podcasts and videos exploring a vast array of issues relating to the global culture's interactions with the Internet.
In April, Eric Osiakwan (Ghana) and Ethan Zuckerman hosted a conversation about Africa's Internet Infrastructure. This is about the continent and what's going on to get everyone connected via broadband and for a reasonable cost. The broadcast goes beyond the Internet in discussing Africa's failure to implement a continental infrastructure in terms of rail, roads, and telecom. Maybe it can be done with the Internet.
Here is what Eric Osiakwan has to say about his work in Africa:
There is an urgent need for new approaches to financing and building of information and communication infrastructure in Africa. My project is to address this through the implementation of Open Access Models in Africa with the creation and development of a repository of academic and practical knowledge. I would work with African governments, regulators, policymakers, private sector and consumers on how to implement Open Access Models in their countries. For more information, please visit www.openaccessforafrica.org
You can view this as video or listen as a podcast. The following links will bring you to informational pages where you can begin the downloads.
I received this email from Julie Harold in Humphrey Admissions informing us that the deadline to apply for Fall admission has been extended to June 1st. I thought this might be of interest to those of you not yet enrolled in the program who, like myself, were considering applying.
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Greetings from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs!
You have attended one of our information sessions, and I wanted to encourage you to apply for one of our graduate programs in Public Policy or Planning for fall 2007. We have extended the application deadline to June 1st.
The Humphrey Institute offers concentrations and specializations in Public and Non-Profit Management and Leadership, Community and Economic Development, Social Policy, Policy Analysis, Global Public Policy, Science, Technology and Environmental Policy, Women and Public Policy, Transportation Planning, Environmental Planning, Land-Use and Urban Design, Housing and Community Development and Regional, Economic and Workforce Development. We also offer joint degrees with the schools of Law, Social Work, Public Health, Architecture and Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering.
For more information about our nationally ranked programs, please explore our website at: www.hhh.umn.edu . We can be reached via email at hhhadmit@umn.edu or by phone: (612) 626-7229. To start your application, visit this site: http://www.hhh.umn.edu/admissions/application.html
Consider joining the community of scholars at the Humphrey Institute to transform ideas and ideals into effective action to better serve society's needs and improve lives.