RESOURCES
Kosovo & the Balkans
World War I and II
BBC News: The Balkans and the Shaping of Yugoslavia
This site provides an in-depth timeline of the history of the Balkans from 1900 to 2003.
NYTimes.com: Two Distinct People With Two Divergent Memories Battle Over One Land
This article explores the long and contentious history between the Serbs and Albanians. Be sure to check out the "Knowledge Tools" that allows you to look up vocabulary words and geographic locations of the countries named. (April 1999)
BBC News: Timeline: Kosovo
An overview chronology of key events in Kosovo's history from the 12th century up through March 2005.
1990s to Present
NYTimes.com: Kosovo: A Bitter Struggle in a Land of Strife
This Times special site presents links to all Times articles about Kosovo, a literature guide, interdisciplinary classroom activities and more. (2002)
BBC News: Kosovo: An Uneasy Peace
This news feature offers extensive interactive features and links and coverage of Kosovo after the war and the airstrikes. (2001)
Time.com: Balkan Files
Time presents analyses, photo essays and web resources.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Kosovo Force
The official site of NATO's Kosovo Force gives a background of the recent conflict and NATO's intervention.
Human Rights Watch: Background
HRW provides a brief history of the conflict, the atrocities committed and the state of affairs in the 1990s. (2002)
Albanians in America
Albanian American Civic League
Founded in 1989 by former Congressman Joseph DioGuardi, a politician with whom Florin Krasniqi worked closely during the build-up to the Kosovo War, the Civic League is the only registered lobby in Washington, DC for Albanian interests.
Albanian American National Organization
A non-religious and non-political organization with nine branches in the US and Canada, the AANO aims to advance Albanian tradition and culture.
National Albanian American Council
A Washington, DC-based thinktank on Balkan policy, the NAAC produces reports and whitepapers on peace and economic development issues.
Albanian American Women's Organization
A New York-based education, advocacy and community-building organization with programs for senior citizens, children and families.
The Frosina Information Network
A nonprofit informational resource for Albanian immigrants to the US, Frosina provides counselling and referral services.
U.S. Gun Laws
Sources on the Second Amendment and Rights to Keep and Bear Arms in State Constitutions
A set of resources prepared by UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh, who teaches firearms regulation policy and coauthors the blog The Volokh Conspiracy.
CBS News: Timeline on the Right to Bear Arms
Familiarize yourself with the key events in the history of guns in America, through 2002.
About.com: Gun Control Timeline
A timeline related to the right to bear arms, through 1999. Find outlines of federal regulations on firearms, links to government organizations and to advocacy groups.
Federal Gun Laws
Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) provides a reference guide to federal firearms laws and regulations, as well as an online learning theater that gives examples of real-life scenarios.
Gun Control Act of 1968 (PDF, Adobe Acrobat required)
Read the full text of this Act, passed in the wake of the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Senator Robert Kennedy and today the foundation of our federal gun legislation. Also visit the website of The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence for an overview of the major provisions of the Act.
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
Read the full text of the 1994 Brady Law that amended the Gun Control Act, establishing a national system of background checks for gun purchases. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence provides an outline of the major provisions of the bill.
State Gun Laws
ATF: State Laws and Published Ordinances -- Firearms(PDF File)
A guide to state gun laws provided by the ATF for federally-licensed gun dealers.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence: State Gun Laws
The Brady Campaign, a gun control advocacy group, prepares report cards on each state's gun control legislation.
The National Rifle Association: State Gun Laws
The NRA, a pro-gun advocacy group, provides a synopsis of state laws and reference charts accessible via a clickable map.
Gun Control Debate
Gun Rights Advocacy Groups
National Rifle Association-Institute for Legislative Action
The lobbying arm of the NRA, the ILA advocates on legislation relating to the Second Amendment and the right to bear arms. They also work on related issues such as wilderness conservation, law enforcement, crime victim rights and criminal justice reform.
Second Amendment Foundation
The SAF and its sister organization, The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, together advocate for the protection of Second Amendment rights and against firearm registration.
Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America is a lobbying organization focused on firearms ownership issues in national and local legislation.
Gun Control Advocacy Groups
Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence
Founded by Jim Brady, for whom the 1993 Brady Bill on background checks was named, the Center is the largest gun control advocacy organization in the country. Their programs, along with the work of the Brady Campaign, focus on reducing gun violence through legislation and regulation.
Violence Policy Center
The VPC approaches gun control as a public health issue, and focuses primarily on research, advocacy, education and litigation.
The Coalition To Stop Gun Violence
This coalition of 45 national organizations working for progressive gun firearm legislation emerged out of the civil rights movement.
Small Arms Trade
60 Minutes: Buy Big Guns? No Big Deal
Florin Krasniqi tells 60 Minutes' Ed Bradley that it's so easy in the United States to buy and ship .50-caliber rifles overseas that even a terrorist could do it. (July 17, 2005)
UN Disarmament Affairs: Small Arms and Light Weapons
In 2001, the UN undertook a major effort to curb the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. On the website of their SA/LW program, you can find materials relating to their multi-state efforts. Of particular interest might be this 2001 statement by John Bolton, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control, on the US position on a draft accord on SA/LW.
Federation of American Scientists: Monitoring the Proliferation of Small Arms
The FAS' Arms Sales Monitoring Project prepared this excellent overview and collection of resource links on small arms proliferation, monitoring and the role of government. Also explore their External Resources page for key links on the topic. (Read our interview with manager Matt Schroeder for more on the export of small arms.)
The Tangled Web of Illicit Arms Trafficking (PDF, Adobe Acrobat required)
Analyst and small arms expert Rachel Stohl lays out how the international small arms trade functions in this accessible and comprehensive article. Check out a related article, "Fighting the Illicit Trafficking of Small Arms," for more detail. (Hear directly from Rachel in our interview.)
International Action Network on Small Arms
A network of civil society organizations based in the UK working to combat the proliferation of small arms. The "Key Issues" and "Resources" sections of their website offer particularly useful information on the topic.
Small Arms Survey
This Swiss-based independent research group is a resource for governments, policy makers, researchers, and activists working on small arms proliferation. Their "Publications" and "Databases" sections are particularly of note.
International Traffic in Arms Regulations
The 1976 Arms Export Control Act authorized the President to control the export and import of defense articles and services. On the State Department's website, you can familiarize yourself with rules of operation that govern this export and import, known as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
Also on PBS and NPR
PBS.org Websites
Frontline: War in Europe
War in Europe explores NATO's 1999 war against Serbia over Kosovo. It includes interviews with policymakers and military leaders, facts and figures, a chronology and moral debate over intervention. (February 2000)
Online NewsHour: Surging Insurgence
Charles Krause takes a look at the history and growth of the Kosovo Liberation Army and their impact on the war.
(July 1998)
Wide Angle: Media by Milosevic
This site looks into the reign of Milosevic's dictatorship as well as the war crimes trial. (2002)
Online NewsHour Special Report: Trying Milosevic
This special report includes transcripts and archived news articles about Milosevic's trial. (2002)
NOW with Bill Moyers: For Educators
This site provides lesson plans for social studies classrooms exploring the Second Amendment and gun control issues. (2001)
NOW with Bill Moyers: Gun Land
This site provides opinions from both sides of the gun control debate. (2002)
KQED Bay Window: Gun Shots
KQED's Bay Window series prepared a collection of resources relating to gun control. Check out their lesson plan on the right to bear arms for more useful material. (2003)
NPR Stories
Weekend Edition: Kosovo Looks Ahead, Haunted by Past Violence
Thousands of Serbs and Albanians are still missing or disappeared in Kosovo six years after the war. (May 2005)
Morning Edition: In Kosovo, Serbs, Albanians Lead Separate Lives
Although the war has ended, Serbs and Albanians still lead divided lives. (May 2005)
Talk of the Nation: Milosevic at The Hague
Guests on the radio show discuss Milosevic's trial at The Hague. (September 2004)
All Things Considered: Terrorists Manipulate Loopholes in US Gun Laws
Some critics are worried that the current US gun laws make it very easy for terrorists to take advantage of the loopholes. (November 2002)
Talk of the Nation: Politics of Guns
Host Neal Conan discusses the issue of gun control. (May 2003)
Morning Edition: UN Small Arms Conference
Host Bob Edwards discusses the UN arms conference on small weapons trafficking. (July 2001)