In his recent installment of "Dan Rather Reports" for HDNet, the former CBS news anchor presents a look at look at conflict and peace from what he calls "a different perspective."
And indeed it is different -- it's a feminist perspective.
The program -- "Dan Rather Reports: Women and War" -- addresses issues of difference and gender and their respective roles in conflict and the quest for peace.
Rather mediates two panel discussions with women from two countries that have experienced genocide -- Rwanda and Bosnia -- and two with ongoing conflicts -- Labanon and Pakistan.
U.S. Ambassador Swanee Hunt joins in both panels.
Watch a clip from Rather's report here:
Areas of discussion include:
Can women contribute to peace negotiations in ways that men can't -- or won't?
Quotas for women in representative governments.
How are women uniquely poised to eliminate ethnic tensions?
Gender parity in the 21st century
The role of forgiveness in the peace process.
Religion's role in perceived oppression.
Feminism comes across in the theme, tone, and language used throughout the program. A couple of times the panelists acknowledge difference by insisting there is not generic category of "all women."
By bringing in societal factors and encouraging respect for difference beyond a Western perspective, Rather and company present a 55-minute lesson in global feminism.
He plans to host more programs on feminist topics throughout the year. Stay tuned.
Two bucks well spent: Get the entire episode -- or choose from other interesting titles in the "Dan Rather Reports" series -- at HDNet. All titles are available for iTunes for only $1.99.
Learn more about Ambassador Swanee Hunt's Institute for Inclusive Security at www.huntalternatives.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment