Calendar: Archives
The Cafés Diplomatiques (Café Diplo)
Cumulative Archive of Cafe Topics for the year 2008
Monday January 21st January - UNDERSTANDING HAMAS with ZAKI CHEHAB
What is the real nature of Hamas? How 'Islamic' are they? What personalities lie beneath the black and green uniforms? Why did Israelencourage its development? Palestinian-born Zaki Chehab, a leading journalist, draws on his unique insider sources to offer completely new insights into this radical movement. Mr. Chehab has reported on the Middle East for local and Western media (The Guardian, Channel 4 News, BBC, The Newstatesman) for 25 years. He is London Bureau Chief for Al-Hayat and Political Editor of the Arabic TV Channel LBC, and the author of 'Iraq Ablaze' (2006) and 'Inside Hamas' (2007). Zaki addressed a Chatham House event on Hamas 2nd May 2007.
This talk has been re-scheduled from the original date, 26th November, when Zaki Chehab had to attend the Annapolis Conference at short notice.
Monday February 18th - A FILM EVENING WITH AL JAZEERA
The television network Al-Jazeera enjoys an unrivalled international reputation for controversial broadcasting, and its graphic documentaries and investigative reporting exert a profound influence both within and outside the Arab world. Leon Ferguson, Senior Producer at the channel’s English-language satellite service, Al-Jazeera English, will describe the network’s operations and objectives, and introduce a short film commissioned by the service. This documentary, ‘The Gaza Fixer’, tells the story of Raed Atharnneh, ‘fixer’ and bodyguard to Western journalists, whose extended family was decimated by an Israeli artillery barrage, making him one of Palestine’s newest icons of pain and suffering. The evening will end with Leon responding to questions from the floor.
Monday March 3rd - 'Venezuela under Chavez: dictatorship or model for radical democracy?' with Dr Julia Buxton
The Chavez administration has evolved from an initially moderate position advocating Blair’s model of ‘Third Way Socialism’, to the more radical agenda of ‘Twenty First Century Socialism’. Dr. Julia Buxton will discusses the drivers of this radicalisation, and critically explore the agenda, policies and ideology behind it. She will address the ‘dictatorship’ criticisms, and outline how the Chavez government believes that it is crafting a radical model of participatory democracy, and the initiatives intended to give this vision institutional form. Julia is a widely published expert on South American politics, and is currently Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for International Cooperation and Security at Bradford University.
Monday March 17th - ASSASSINATION – THE NOT SO SECRET WEAPON with RICHARD BELFIELD
Political assassinations have a profound effect, changing the course of history – though often not in ways the plotters imagine. Richard Belfield, an award-winning television producer, has investigated international intrigue and assassination. His book on assassination, 'Terminate with Extreme Prejudice’ was published in 2005. He will discuss the technology of modern assassination and focus on two recent cases, both of which define the way we are. The killing of Anwar Sadat in 1981 was the pivotal event in Al Qaeda’s formation. President Kennedy ordered the murder of President Diem of Vietnam, condemning the USA to a ten year war. Assassination used to be secret, but now the USA, Israel and Russia practise it openly.
MONDAY MARCH 31st
Is Asia the new African plunderer? with Charles Abugre
Direct investment in Africa by Asian economies has been increasing sharply in recent years, and unconditional loans and technical cooperation are also on offer, in particular from China. But will this trend further development and poverty reduction in African countries, or simply replace Western exploitation of Africa’s resources by a new regime of plunder? Charles Abugre will discuss this complex question in the light of his extensive experience as advisor to institutions in the UK, Africa and South-East Asia. A Ghanaian trained economist, he has written widely on Africa, and is currently Head of Global Advocacy and Policy at Christian Aid.
MONDAY APRIL 7th
'Bad days in Basra: A Turbulent time as Britain's Man in Southern Iraq' with Sir Hilary Synnott
Sir Hilary Synnott was Britain's most senior representative in Southern Iraq, trying to keep the region together as the rest of the country descended into murderous violence. Bearing witness to the chaotic fashion in which the coalition was run at the highest levels, Synnott's unique insider account is the most important primary source we have on how the South was lost. It is a devastating critique of CPA policies while providing controversial revelations about the real relationship between the two occupying powers, Britain and America. Sir Hilary Synnott was the British diplomat responsible for running Southern Iraq for the CPA, reporting directly to Paul Bremer. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the International Institute of Strategic Studies. His book 'Bad Days in Basra' will be published by I.B.Taurus in March 2008.
Monday April 21st - How we got back to the Cold War with Mark Mackinnon
Mark Mackinnon led the foreign press corps in reporting on the Western efforts to undermine Vladimir Putin and the new hardline Kremlin as Moscow reasserted its influence across the former Soviet Union. He will examine not only Russia's descent into authoritarianism under Putin, but the way that NATO and the West helped speed that process by treating the Kremlin as an adversary. Mark is currently the Middle East correspondent for Canada's national newspaper, the Globe and Mail. Prior to 2005 he was the paper's Moscow bureau chief. His book The New Cold War: Revolutions, Rigged Elections and Pipeline Politics in the Former Soviet Union was published by Carroll & Graf, in 2007
Monday May 12th 'Nuclear Weapons, Abolition Now' with Bruce Kent
Bruce Kent will talk about his belief that the threat caused by nuclear arms did not disappear with the end of the Cold War and that people's perceptions of nuclear arms have to be challenged, "to move to another common sense". In response to today's political climate he points out that "you cannot increase security by making other people feel insecure". Bruce Kent is perhaps the country's most prominent peace campaigner and first became involved in the peace movement in 1958, working with Pax Christi. He has been Chair of CND, President of Abolition 2000 UK and a member of Amnesty International. His tireless work has ensured his position as an internationally renowned speaker on issues centred on justice and peace.
Monday May 19th - SuperMedia: Saving Journalism So It Can Save The World with Charlie Beckett
The world needs a 'good' news media to explain the conflicts, threats and opportunities that globalisation offers. And yet quality journalism and international coverage is under threat from new media and commercial pressures. Charlie Beckett spent 20 years working around the world for news organisations such as the BBC and Channel 4 News before founding the LSE's media think-tank POLIS, of which he is now a Director, in 2006. In his new book, he argues that Networked Journalism, combining 'professional' journalism with public participation (blogging, wikis, crowd-sourcing, user generated content and the rest), can sustain the media business and offer huge social benefits. Is this another Internet fantasy, or the gateway to a new form of politics?
Conference alert! Saturday, June 16th, 2007 
It’s broke – let’s fix it!