Nassrine Azimi – författare

One of the untold stories of the American military occupation of Japan, from 1945 to 1952, is that of efforts by the Arts and Monuments Division of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), for the preservation of Japan's cultural heritage. While the role of Allies after WWII in salvaging the cultural heritage of Europe has recently become better known, not much is written of the extraordinary vision, planning and endeavors by curators and art specialists embedded in the US military and later based in Tokyo, and their peers and political masters back in Washington D.C. - all of whom ensured that defeated Japan's cultural heritage was protected in the chaos and misery of post-war years.

One of the untold stories of the American military occupation of Japan, from 1945 to 1952, is that of efforts by the Arts and Monuments Division of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), for the preservation of Japan's cultural heritage. While the role of Allies after WWII in salvaging the cultural heritage of Europe has recently become better known, not much is written of the extraordinary vision, planning and endeavors by curators and art specialists embedded in the US military and later based in Tokyo, and their peers and political masters back in Washington D.C. - all of whom ensured that defeated Japan's cultural heritage was protected in the chaos and misery of post-war years.

One of the untold stories of the American military occupation of Japan, from 1945 to 1952, is that of efforts by the Arts and Monuments Division of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), for the preservation of Japan’s cultural heritage. While the role of Allies after WWII in salvaging the cultural heritage of Europe has recently become better known, not much is written of the extraordinary vision, planning and endeavors by curators and art specialists embedded in the US military and later based in Tokyo, and their peers and political masters back in Washington D.C. - all of whom ensured that defeated Japan’s cultural heritage was protected in the chaos and misery of post-war years.

LAST BOAT TO YOKOHAMA: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BEATE SIROTA GORDON tells a story of both tragedy and grandeur in the twentieth century. It recounts the life and work of Beate Sirota Gordon: the influence of her father, Leo Sirota, one of the greatest pianists of his generation; her secret work ensuring women’s equality while helping to develop the post-WWII Japanese constitution—at the age of 22; her broad influence on hundreds of Western artists such as Robert Wilson, David Byrne and Peter Sellars—who were introduced to leading contemporary Asian music, dance, theater and visual artists through her extraordinary cross-cultural efforts.The brilliant pianist Leo Sirota, a Ukranian Jew, was forced by early 20th-century war to escape Russia and settle in Austria, where Beate was born. In 1929, he found a welcome home when he emigrated to Japan with his wife and young daughter at the invitation of the Imperial Academy of Music in Tokyo. There, as a professor, he trained many of the country’s musical elite and performed to packed concert halls. Nevertheless, because of his Jewish faith, he spent the last years of World War II in detention, under the harsh watch of the Japanese military police, suffering hunger,

Last Boat to Yokohama tells a story of both tragedy and grandeur in the 20th century. It recounts the life and work of Beate Sirota Gordon: the influence of her father, Leo Sirota, one of the greatest pianists of his generation; her secret work ensuring women’s equality while helping to develop the post-WWII Japanese constitution—at the age of 22; her broad influence on hundreds of Western artists such as Robert Wilson, David Byrne and Peter Sellars—who were introduced to leading contemporary Asian music, dance, theater and visual artists through her extraordinary cross-cultural efforts. The book relives Beate's drive, talent, ambition, and influence, with intimate diary excerpts from her mother, an introduction by Beate herself, and an afterword from her daughter, Nicole.Note: This edition is the Persian translation of the English edition.

Over the last few years, and with the collapse of the bipolar world order, new and complex conflicts have emerged which, in some cases, have ignited into larger and devastating regional wars. In the very midst of peacekeeping operations for such conflicts, experts claim, the requirements of peace-building should be considered a priority as well. It is for this reason that the United Nations, even as it deploys military and civilian forces in the four corners of the globe, seeks to set the foundations for sustainable peace. The task is daunting but the challenge impossible to ignore. Against such a background, and even as events were unfolding in East Timor and Kosovo, the fourth in a series of prestigious conferences organised on lessons learnt from peacekeeping operations was held under the auspices of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Singapore, and the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA). Throughout two intense days in Singapore, in November of 1999, an eminent group of academics, government officials, representatives of international organisations, and military scholars gathered behind closed doors to reflect upon what has been coined the nexus between peacekeeping and peace-building. This volume contains all the papers commissioned for that event. It also includes a summary of the many animated debates that took place during the conference. The broad range of opinions and perspectives it contains provides insights into a difficult and important topic, and demonstrates how dangerous it would be for the international community to ignore it. Four past cases - Angola, Haiti, Mozambique, and Cambodia - and two ongoing operations - Kosovo and East Timor - were analysed. The findings should give policy makers, researchers and international affairs analysts a candid review and critique of past experiences that is essential for the comprehension of current peacekeeping missions and the requirement of peace-building strategies.

In March 2000, the United Nations Secretary-General convened an international panel to conduct a major study on United Nations Peace Operations. Chaired by former Algerian Foreign Minister and current Under-Secretary-General, Lakhdar Brahimi, the Panel was tasked to conduct a wide-ranging study and analysis over lessons learned from past operations such as those in Rwanda and Somalia, as well as current missions in Kosovo, East Timor, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Panel looked at how peacekeeping missions could achieve greater efficiency and success in attaining the key objectives of maintaining peace and promoting reconciliation and reconstruction. It also reviewed the context within which peacekeeping missions took place, the resources and limitations of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) specifically, and the modality, efficacy, and extent of assistance rendered by the `international community' within the framework of peacekeeping and peace-building in general. The fifth in a series of conferences organised on lessons learnt from peacekeeping operations was held under the auspices of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Singapore and the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA). Throughout two intense days in Singapore, in April 2001, an eminent group of academics, government officials, representatives of international organisations, representatives from ongoing UN Missions, and military scholars gathered behind closed doors to reflect upon the recommendations of the Brahimi Report and the obstacles to reform of peacekeeping. This volume contains all the papers presented at that event. It also includes the Co-Chairs' Summary and Recommendations. The Report is a summary of the many animated debates that took place during the conference. Recommendations of the Co-Chairs have been drawn from the broad range of opinions and insights from the conference. The findings and reactions of the participants to the Brahimi Report should give policy-makers, researchers, and international affairs analysts a candid review and critique of past experiences that is essential to the comprehension of the failures of current peacekeeping and requirements for future success.

The United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) was the fruit of many years of negotiations which had resulted in the Paris Agreements on Cambodia, and a sincere attempt to reach out to a country devastated by conflict. The present report synthesises the discussions and papers presented at the `International Conference on the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC): Debriefing and Lessons', organized jointly by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Singapore and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). This report reflects as faithfully as possible the analysis and observations of the conference participants, and draws overall lessons and recommendations from that exercise, in the hope that these will be of use in future undertakings of the United Nations. Many reforms have already been initiated at the United Nations Secretariat in the wake of UNTAC. The Department of Peace-Keeping Operations (DKPO) has been strengthened and the Field Operations Division (FOD) integrated into it; the number of staff dealing with political analysis and training has increased; and the involvement of Member States, through secondment and the provisions of national expertise, has become institutionalized.

This is the second book based on a series of conferences, held under the auspices of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) of Singapore, on various aspects of UN peace-keeping operations. This new book covers the 1995 conference, which dealt with the role and functions of civilian police, and brought together nine of the eleven police commissioners involved in past and present UN peace-keeping operations, as well as heads of national police, policy makers, UN staff, lawyers and academics. The book is divided into two segments: the Executive Summary, followed by the papers presented. The Executive Summary, a concise and frank synthesis of debates, is divided into five parts as follows: Part 1 provides an overall introduction to the current problems and the general background within which civilian police components of UN peace-keeping operations are required to function; Part II presents an outline of the common problems and challenges faced by many police commissioners in the conduct of their mandates; Part III highlights some of the key attributes and functions of civilian police, notably in the areas of institution building, human rights monitoring and community policing; Part IV reviews existing training at national, regional and international levels; and Part V offers general recommendations.

In the wake of the Iraq War, what lies ahead for the United Nations as peacekeeper and nation-builder? What lessons were learnt in Afghanistan and Iraq, what reforms could they entail, how do UN efforts fare as compared with those of the United States, and what will be, in the next decade, the most pressing challenges confronting the Organization? Will the United Nations, in its current form and within the new global power structure, be able to remain relevant, retain its ideals and still respond meaningfully to mounting international tensions?These were some of the questions tackled by a group of eminent scholars and practitioners, many directly and personally involved with multilateral or unilateral peace operations. In addition to the larger issues of peacekeeping and peace-building and the recommendations for historical reform suggested by the 'UN High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change' in December 2004, the group debated some of the most complex recent interventions, including Afghanistan, East Timor and Iraq. This volume, which contains all the presentations and discussions of the UNITAR/IPS Conference on "e;United Nations as a Peacekeeper and Nation-Builder: Continuity and Change - What Lies Ahead?"e; will be a valuable addition to the collections of experts or laypersons interested in the future role of the United Nations in general and in peacekeeping and post-conflict state-building in particular.

One of the untold stories of the American military occupation of Japan, from 1945 to 1952, is that of efforts by the Arts and Monuments Division of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), for the preservation of Japan’s cultural heritage. While the role of Allies after WWII in salvaging the cultural heritage of Europe has recently become better known, not much is written of the extraordinary vision, planning and endeavors by curators and art specialists embedded in the US military and later based in Tokyo, and their peers and political masters back in Washington D.C. - all of whom ensured that defeated Japan’s cultural heritage was protected in the chaos and misery of post-war years.