Scholars Online: Videos for Readings
The United Nations: Challenges and Change
The printed curriculum unit The United Nations: Challenges and Change introduces students to the idea of "collective security," tracing the emergence of the League of Nations to the formation of the United Nations. (See detailed description and ordering information.)
Videos for Readings: The videos below follow the outline of the printed curriculum unit. The headings correspond to the headings in the student readings.
Videos for Lessons accompany lessons in the teacher's guide of the printed curriculum unit.
Scholars
Susan Allee
Brown University
Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro
Brown University
Ricardo Lagos
Former President of Chile
David Kennedy
Brown University
P. Terrence Hopmann
Brown University
Jarat Chopra
Brown University
Dennis Davis
High Court of South Africa
Part I: The UN and the International Community
What is international law? [David Kennedy - 0:55]
How has international law evolved? [David Kennedy - 1:40]
What makes international law effective? [David Kennedy - 1:14]
The UN Takes Shape
How does membership in the UN promote human rights? [Susan Allee - 1:14]
Fundamental Principles of the UN Charter
Why is there a tension between state sovereignty and international law? [David Kennedy - 1:20]
The Structure of the UN
What are some of the effective programs of the UN? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 1:08]
How has the "veto" affected the UN? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 1:14]
How did the U.S. relationship with the UN change after the Cold War? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 2:23]
Part II: Debating the UN’s Role
What is your perspective on the structure of the United Nations? [Ricardo Lagos - 1:30]
Security Council
What are unilateralism, bilateralism, and multilateralism? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 0:57]
What are the advantages and disadvantages of multilateralism? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 1:45]
What is an example of effective multilateralism? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 1:59]
Why are there permanent seats in the UN Security Council? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:05]
Is the UN a democratic organization? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:25]
What is civil society? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 0:31]
How has the 2003 invasion of Iraq affected the United States' reputation within the UN? [P. Terrence Hopmann - 1:21]
Peacekeeping
Is the United Nations an effective peacekeeping body? [Susan Allee - 3:00]
How do peacekeepers maintain impartiality? [Susan Allee - 2:30]
What makes peacekeeping in the Middle East challenging? [Susan Allee - 2:32]
What are examples of successful peacekeeping operations? [Susan Allee - 2:30]
What are examples of unsuccessful peacekeeping operations? [Susan Allee - 1:52]
Bosnia
What is ethnic cleansing? [Susan Allee - 0:52]
What is the difference between genocide and ethnic cleansing? [Susan Allee - 1:08]
How was the UN involved in Bosnian peacekeeping? [Susan Allee - 1:42]
How was the UN military intervention in the former Yugoslavia significant? [Jarat Chopra - 1:12]
What countries had sympathies with different groups in Yugoslavia? [Susan Allee - 1:14]
How did NATO’s intervention in Bosnia set a precedent? [Susan Allee - 1:23]
Timor Leste
When has the UN been successful in alleviating human rights abuses? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:20]
What were important lessons of the UN intervention in East Timor? [Jarat Chopra - 1:59]
Humanitarian Aid and Development
The UN and Human Rights
What are human rights? [Susan Allee - 2:12]
What are human rights? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:14]
How does membership in the UN promote human rights? [Susan Allee - 1:14]
How does law protect human rights? [Dennis Davis - 2:05]
What is the UN authorized to do when human rights are violated? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:44]
How do other states view the U.S. human rights record? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:54]
Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur, Sudan
When do human rights abuses become genocide? [Susan Allee - 2:25]
When has the UN been unsuccessful in alleviating human rights abuses? [Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro - 1:01]
