London School of Economics - Public Lectures and Events: audio podcasts and videos CLICK HERE

London School of Economics: After the Arab Spring: power shift in the Middle East? Speaker(s): Dr Amnon Aran, Roger Cohen, Professor Anoush Ehteshami Chair: Dr Toby Dodge Recorded on 1 May 2012 in Old Theatre, Old Building. As the revolutions of 2011 become the politics of 2012, has power shifted in the Middle East, and has Iran been the main beneficiary? This event launches the new LSE IDEAS report After the Arab Spring: power shift in the Middle East. Amnon Aran is a senior lecturer at the Department of International Politics, City University. Roger Cohen is a columnist for the International Herald Tribune and New York Times. Anoush Ehteshami is professor and joint director of the ESRC Centre for the Advanced Study of the Arab World, University of Durham. CLICK HERE

Let's use this thread for the sharing & collection of Interesting Videos, Documentaries, Debates and Podcasts*. * Non somali/Somalia related videos, unless it is about development & developmental initiatives.

Some universities also offer material (videos, podcasts etc.) through I-Tunes. Stanford university for example. If someone searches through I-Tunes and finds anythign usefull let us all know

Online Education Database ^^ When you reach the page, scroll down as the subjects are listed on that page (alphabetical order). Its a dabase of the various courses available online. NOTE: not all are graduate level and not all are free. Some great material on Agriculture and Economics by the looks of it

Mario B;827645 wrote: Open used to be cheap, it's costs has been inflated to render it unusable! I dunno sxb, I'm not so sure about the quality of its material either.

UCLA ^^ Not very useful, offers the odd lecture or two. You have access to those lectures without a "lock" pictured next to them, nothing substancial.

Carnegie Mellon University

The Open University This one is not very useful but there are a few topics which might be worth looking at (languages, developmental studies).

wyre;827628 wrote: I thot I asked where I can get free Online education Sometime back Where Were YOU :D Better late than never eh... go get your multiple degrees Wyre

Delft University of Technology The Water Management degree is looking very interesting This university is mainly offering technology related courses.

University of Massachusetts Boston

Mario B;827612 wrote: Thanks saxib! Adaa mudan saaxiib, entirely my pleasure. To all members of SOL please do make use of these materials!

University of California, Berkerly - Online Free Courses Complete sets of lectures (free video or I-tunes)

Now you can become a graduate from Yale University... (albeit a non-acredited one) Yale University Online Free Courses All Departments/ Courses African American Studies American Studies Astronomy Biomedical Engineering Chemistry Classics Ecology & Evolutionary Biology EconomicsEnglish Environmental Studies Geology & Geophysics History History of Art Italian Language & Literature Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology MusicPhilosophy Physics Political Science Psychology Religious Studies Sociology Spanish & Portuguese

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Online Free Courses Example from Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Economics The materials you can access on this topic include lectures (videos/notes), questions/class material & solutions, assessments & solutions, exams & solutions, [text]book lists, projects & examples, pictures/multi-media material etc. 14.01SC Principles of Microeconomics Fall 2011 14.01 Principles of Microeconomics Fall 2007 14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics Fall 2009 14.02 Principles of Macroeconomics Fall 2004 14.03 Microeconomic Theory and Public Policy Fall 2010 14.04 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory Fall 2006 14.05 Intermediate Applied Macroeconomics Fall 2005 14.06 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory Spring 2004 14.06 Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory Spring 2003 14.11 Putting Social Sciences to the Test: Field Experiments in Economics Spring 2006 14.12 Economic Applications of Game Theory Fall 2005 14.13 Economics and Psychology Spring 2004 14.15J Networks Fall 2009 14.20 Industrial Organization and Public Policy Spring 2003 14.23 Government Regulation of Industry Spring 2003 14.27 Economics and E-commerce Fall 2000 14.28 Competition in Telecommunications Fall 2003 14.30 Introduction to Statistical Methods in Economics Spring 2009 14.30 Introduction to Statistical Method in Economics Spring 2006 14.32 Econometrics Spring 2007 14.33 Economics Research and Communication Spring 2005 14.33 Economics Research and Communication Fall 2004 14.41 Public Finance and Public Policy Fall 2010 14.42 Environmental Policy and Economics Spring 2011 14.44 Energy Economics Spring 2007 14.48J Economics of Education Spring 2007 14.49 Information Technology and the Labor Market Spring 2005 14.54 International Trade Fall 2006 14.64 Labor Economics and Public Policy Fall 2009 14.70J Medieval Economic History in Comparative Perspective Spring 2006 14.71 Economic History of Financial Crises Fall 2009 14.72 Capitalism and Its Critics Fall 2006 14.73 The Challenge of World Poverty Fall 2009 14.74 Foundations of Development Policy Spring 2009 ^ Back to top Graduate Courses Updated within the past 180 days Course # Course Title Term 14.003 Microeconomic Theory and Public Policy Fall 2010 14.121 Microeconomic Theory I Fall 2009 14.121 Microeconomic Theory I Fall 2005 14.122 Microeconomic Theory II Fall 2002 14.123 Microeconomic Theory III Spring 2010 14.123 Microeconomic Theory III Spring 2005 14.124 Microeconomic Theory IV Spring 2003 14.126 Game Theory Spring 2010 14.127 Behavioral Economics and Finance Spring 2004 14.128 Dynamic Optimization & Economic Applications (Recursive Methods) Spring 2003 14.129 Advanced Contract Theory Spring 2005 14.147 Topics in Game Theory Fall 2009 14.147 Topics in Game Theory Spring 2005 14.271 Industrial Organization I Fall 2005 14.28 Competition in Telecommunications Fall 2003 14.282 Organizational Economics Spring 2009 14.296J Collective Choice I Fall 2008 14.381 Statistical Method in Economics Fall 2006 14.382 Econometrics I Spring 2005 14.384 Time Series Analysis Fall 2008 14.385 Nonlinear Econometric Analysis Fall 2007 14.386 New Econometric Methods Spring 2007 14.420 Environmental Policy and Economics Spring 2011 14.444 Energy Economics Spring 2007 14.451 Dynamic Optimization Methods with Applications Fall 2009 14.451 Macroeconomic Theory I Spring 2007 14.452 Economic Growth Fall 2009 14.452 Macroeconomic Theory II Spring 2007 14.453 Macroeconomic Theory III Fall 2006 14.453 Macroeconomic Theory III Fall 2002 14.454 Economic Crises Spring 2011 14.461 Advanced Macroeconomics I Fall 2009 14.462 Advanced Macroeconomics II Spring 2007 14.462 Advanced Macroeconomics II Spring 2004 14.471 Public Economics I Fall 2007 14.472 Public Economics II Spring 2004 14.475 Environmental Economics and Government Responses to Market Failure Spring 2005 14.581 International Economics I Spring 2011 14.661 Labor Economics I Fall 2010 14.661 Labor Economics I Fall 2003 14.662 Labor Economics II Spring 2007 14.731 Economic History Spring 2009 14.731 Economic History Fall 2006 14.771 Development Economics: Microeconomic Issues and Policy Models Fall 2008 14.772 Development Economics: Macroeconomics Spring 2009 14.778J Economic Institutions and Growth Policy Analysis Fall 2005 14.781J Political Economy I

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Online Free Courses On the left hand side of the website you will see menu, select from the menu... and start learning! - Architecture and Planning Architecture - Media Arts and Sciences Urban Studies and Planning - Engineering Aeronautics and Astronautics Biological Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil and Environmental Engineering Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Engineering Systems Division Materials Science and Engineering Mechanical Engineering Nuclear Science and Engineering - Health Sciences and Technology Health Sciences and Technology - Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Anthropology Comparative Media Studies Economics Foreign Languages and Literatures History Linguistics and Philosophy Literature Music and Theater Arts Political Science Science, Technology, and Society Women's and Gender Studies Writing and Humanistic Studies - Management Sloan School of Management - Science Biology Brain and Cognitive Sciences Chemistry Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Mathematics Physics

Your education doesn't have to stop once you get out of school/college/university — being free of the classroom just means you have more control over what you learn and when, where and how you learn it. If you studied a degree subject but later regretted it; always wonder what it would have been like to study that other subject; have developed a sudden interest for a new subject; or simply want to keep learning and growing; this will be the thread for you. I will collate some of the free online university level classes and courses available on the web and will regularly post these materials in this thread. The materials you can access on these websites include lectures (videos/notes), questions/class material & solutions, assessments & solutions, exams & solutions, [text]book lists, projects & examples, pictures/multi-media material etc. Whether you're in school and getting ready to head back for the spring semester, or you're out of school and just want to keep learning and growing, there are an incredible amount of free, university-level courses that become available on the web every school year, and anyone with a little time and a passion for self-growth can audit, read, and "enroll" in these courses for their own personal benefit. Schools like Yale University, MIT, Stanford, the University of California at Berkeley, and many more are all offering free online classes that you can audit and participate in from the comfort of your office chair, couch, or computing chair-of-choice.

Intro This report provides a synopsis of politics since 1991. It takes stock of the EPRDF’s major institutional policies and practices, as well as the political dynamics unleashed by “ethnic federalism”, the contested centrepiece of the system, whose achievements and shortcomings require a holistic assessment that takes into account the formal and informal rules, decision-making and practices that shape political life. Particular attention is paid to how well ethnic federalism has satisfied its promises to enable popular participation, balance strong urban-rural and highland-lowland disparities, enhance delivery of services and maintain stability.

An interesting read. http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/africa/horn-of-africa/ethiopia-eritrea/Ethiopia%20Ethnic%20Federalism%20and%20Its%20Discontents.ashx Executive Summary The Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), led by its chairman and prime minister, Meles Zenawi, has radically reformed Ethiopia’s political system. The regime transformed the hitherto centralised state into the Federal Democratic Republic and also redefined citizenship, politics and identity on ethnic grounds. The intent was to create a more prosperous, just and representative state for all its people. Yet, despite continued economic growth and promised democratisation, there is growing discontent with the EPRDF’s ethnically defined state and rigid grip on power and fears of continued interethnic conflict. The international community should take Ethiopia’s governance problems much more seriously and adopt a more principled position towards the government. Without genuine multi-party democracy, the tensions and pressures in Ethiopia’s polities will only grow, greatly increasing the possibility of a violent eruption that would destabilise the country and region. The endeavour to transform Ethiopia into a federal state is led by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has dominated the coalition of ethno-nationalist parties that is the EPRDF since the removal in 1991 of the Derg, the security services committee that overthrew Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974. The EPRDF quickly institutionalised the TPLF’s policy of people’s rights to self-determination and self-rule. The federal constitution ratified in 1994 defined the country’s structure as a multicultural federation based on ethno-national representation. The government has created nine ethnic-based regional states and two federally administered city-states. The result is an asymmetrical federation that combines populous regional states like Oromiya and Amhara in the central highlands with sparsely populated and underdeveloped ones like Gambella and Somali. Although the constitution vests all powers not attributed to the federal government in them, the regional states are in fact weak. The constitution was applauded for its commitment to liberal democracy and respect for political freedoms and human rights. But while the EPRDF promises democracy, it has not accepted that the opposition is qualified to take power via the ballot box and tends to regard the expression of differing views and interests as a form of betrayal. Before 2005, its electoral superiority was ensured by the limited national appeal and outreach of the predominantly ethnically based opposition parties. Divided and disorganised, the reach of those parties rarely went beyond Addis Ababa. When the opposition was able to challenge at local, regional or federal levels, it faced threats, harassment and arrest. With the opportunity in 2005 to take over the Addis Ababa city council in what would have been the first democratic change of a major administration in the country’s history, the opposition withdrew from the political process to protest flaws in the overall election. The EPRDF did not feel threatened until the 2005 federal and regional elections. The crackdown that year on the opposition demonstrated the extent to which the regime is willing to ignore popular protest and foreign criticism to hold on to power. The 2008 local and by-elections went much more smoothly, in large part because the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) was absorbed with internal and legal squabbles, and several other parties withdrew after their candidates experienced severe registration problems. The next federal and regional elections, scheduled for June 2010, most probably will be much more contentious, as numerous opposition parties are preparing to challenge the EPRDF, which is likely to continue to use its political machine to retain its position. Despite the EPRDF’s authoritarianism and reluctance to accept genuine multi-party competition, political positions and parties have proliferated in recent years. This process, however, is not driven by democratisation or the inclusion of opposition parties in representative institutions. Rather it is the result of a continuous polarisation of national politics that has sharpened tensions between and within parties and ethnic groups since the mid-1990s. The EPRDF’s ethnic federalism has not dampened conflict, but rather increased competition among groups that vie over land and natural resources, as well as administrative boundaries and government budgets. Furthermore, ethnic federalism has failed to resolve the “national question”. The EPRDF’s ethnic policy has empowered some groups but has not been accompanied by dialogue and reconciliation. For Amhara and national elites, ethnic federalism impedes a strong, unitary nationstate. For ethno-national rebel groups like the ONLF (****** National Liberation Front; Somalis in the ******) and OLF (Oromo Liberation Front; the Oromo), ethnic federalism remains artificial. While the concept has failed to accommodate grievances, it has powerfully promoted ethnic self-awareness among all groups. The international community has ignored or downplayed all these problems. Some donors appear to consider food security more important than democracy in Ethiopia, but they neglect the increased ethnic awareness and tensions created by the regionalisation policy and their potentially explosive consequences.

And was he proved right.

Congrats to Alpha.

Todays quote of the day: "We will teach [the Somalis] a lesson they will not forget. We will bring them to their knees." USSR Ambassador to Somalia: Georgiy Samsonov

SOL quote of the day thread.

My petty Somalis.