Video Descriptions:

• Plan Colombia: Cashing-In on the Drug War Failure
  (58 min. video, 2003) Questions the effectiveness of the U.S multibillion-dollar aid package to the Colombian military and spraying coca fields under the pretext of the war on drugs and the war on terrorism. Sheds light on the complex issues of drug-trafficking and civil struggle in Colombia. Explores how oil has become a significant factor in Colombia, a country with the same oil potential as Venezuela, today the second largest oil supplier to the U.S. Includes interviews with U.S. and Colombian officials, scientists, and Colombians from all walks of life. For grade 10 to adults. (Available from MCC)
• The Hidden Story: Confronting Colombia's Dirty War
  (29 min. 2001) Explores some of the realities behind the war in Colombia and the powerful testimony of men and women who risk their lives each day to build peace with social justice. Analyzes the roots of the conflict, the role of the U.S.-sponsored Plan Colombia and the "war on drugs" as well as Canada's connection to the worsening crisis. Also explores what is needed to bring peace and justice to Colombia. It ends with a call for international support. For grade 12 to adults. Study guide included. (Available from MCC)
• Coffee, Corn, and the Cost of Globalization
  (17min. DVD or video, 2004) Because of globalization, people in North America eat tropical fruit in winter and buy clothing made in Asia. Around the world, people exchange goods, information and technology at a faster rate than ever before. But not everyone benefits from having the world within reach. Learn about some issues of economic globalization through the stories of two communities in Mexico. In Tilapa, families who depend on income from coffee now face a devastating drop in world coffee prices. In Zacongo, changes to age-old corn-farming practices, and less expensive imported corn, have cut deeply into people's ability to support themselves. Explore how we as Christians have a responsibility to our global neighbors whose lives have been profoundly affected by this race to accumulate wealth and economic connectedness. DVD also includes the video "Food: A Plate Half Full" and a Spanish translation of this video. Study guide included. (Available from MCC)
• The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
  (95 min. 2003) Directed by Errol Morris; rated PG-13 for images and thematic issues of war and destruction. Documentary about Robert McNamara, Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations, who subsequently became president of the World Bank. Robert S. McNamara discusses his experiences and lessons learned during his tenure as Secretary of Defense under John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson. He talks about his work as a bombing statistician during World War II, his brief tenure as president of Ford Motor Company, and the Kennedy administration's triumph during the Cuban Missile Crisis. However, the film focuses primarily on his failures in Vietnam. The theme of the film are his "eleven lessons" learned during this time. Some of these include improving military efficiency, understanding your enemy, and the frustrations of trying to deal with (and unsuccessfully trying to change) human nature.
• Hurricane Mitch: Uncovering the Costs of External Debt
  (30 min. video 1999) Examines the effect of external debt on Nicaragua and Honduras after Hurricane Mitch. These countries, already using 30 to 40 percent of their national budget to pay off the debt from loans made years ago, are now struggling to rebuild. Tells of the Jubilee 2000 movement that asks for debt cancellation for the poorest countries in the world. For high school to adults. Video includes both English and Spanish versions. (Available from MCC)
• Trade Secrets: The Hidden Costs of the FTAA.
  (16 min.) Produced by the UC Berkley Center for Labor Research and Education, Institute for Industrial Relations. The FTAA (Free Trade Area of the Americas) would extend NAFTA (North America Free Trade Agreement) to the entire western hemisphere, encompassing 31 more countries and another 400 million people. If implemented, the agreement would accelerate job loss and endanger environmental protections and basic public services like education and health care. (Contact Jeremy Blasi, 510-642-1583 or blasi@uclink.berkeley.edu for info, about video purchase: $15.)
• Hope of a Better Tomorrow
  (13 min. DVD, 2005) Colombians tell of their lives in a country that has been at war for 50 years, recounting how increased U.S. military aid to Colombia adversely affects them. More military spending for fighting the drug trade and spraying of crops to eradicate coca plants have not decreased the amount of cocaine imported into the United States. Many times increased military presence leads to increased unrest in their home areas, causing them to be displaced from their homes. Learn of their dreams, their hopes and their work for a better tomorrow: How the Colombian Mennonite Church and MCC are helping displaced youth learn conflict resolution skills, supporting a development project in the community of El Cantaro, providing funds for schooling and for the immediate needs of displaced people. Explore actions you can take to support Colombians. DVD includes the video for junior high youth "Peace: The Ultimate Trick." For grade 8 to adult. Study guide included. (Available from MCC)
• Hidden in Plain Sight
  (122 min. DVD, 2003) Borrow in English with Spanish subtitles. A short history, a spirited debate, a personal story and a call for accountability, "Hidden in Plain Sight" is a bold, unflinching look at the nature and consequences of U.S. policy in Latin America. Critics denounce the School of the Americas as a "School of Assassins," but Army officials argue that the school has played a crucial role in bringing democracy and stability to Latin America. On this issue, the U.S. Congress is sharply divided. Interviews noted scholars and commentators Noam Chomsky, Eduardo Galeano, Christopher Hitchens and Michael Parenti, who broaden the debate to include such subjects as militarism, globalization, national security and international terrorism. Personal accounts from victims of the violence and repression in Latin America raise questions and concerns about the true aims of U.S. foreign policy. Grade 12 to adult. (Available from MCC)