Audio-Video Reviews

NO PLACE TO HIDE

At our monthly general meeting, we screened the video 'No Place to Hide - the UN's Peacekeeping Efforts' obtained from the Vancouver Public Library. This 1996 film is narrated by Sir Brian Urquhart who in the early '60's made the following (possible politically incorrect) statement: 'Better beaten than eaten!'. This occurred after Katangese paracommandoes seized and clubbed him, breaking his nose and cracking his ribs. Undaunted by his experience in the Congo, Urquhart became head of UN peacekeeping in the 1970's and 1980's.

The film is an excellent introduction to UN peacekeeping. It provides rare archival footage of the founding and history of the United Nations and examines early peacekeeping operations though the voices of peacekeepers, journalists and diplomats. The film explains how peacekeeping has become more complex through analysis of recent operations in Bosnia and Somalia. Produced by the United Nations, the film ends by calling for 'new methods and new visions' without specifying what these might be. Consequently, it is an excellent opening for discussion of specific ideas for improving peacekeeping capability advanced by World Federalists of Canada.

Our discussion of the film began with a note of despair over the political and economic forces that promote war. We ended with a call to network locally with other global interest groups, just as WFC does at the national level, to mobilize support for initiatives such as enhanced UN peacekeeping.

No Place to Hide
Vancouver Public Library call # HIS - VIDEO 341.58N73f
Films for the Humanities and Sciences
Box 2053, Princeton, N.J. 08543-2053
order info phone 800/257-5126 or 609/275-1400