WBEZ's Worldview

On Today's show: A look at Australia's gun policy, drone attacks in Pakistan and who will succeed Hugo Chavez.

In Switzerland, guns are readily available. Recreational shooting and shooting clubs are popular among Swiss men. Military service is compulsory, and the government issues automatic assault rifles and ammunition to all young males. Despite widespread gun ownership, Switzerland has a very low rate of gun crime. We revisit and interview with Freda Adler, an expert in comparative criminology who's lived and studied in Switzerland.

Canada’s energy economy looms so large that some say it’s altering their democracy. We’ll speak with Andrew Nikiforuk, a Canadian journalist and author of The Energy of Slaves: Oil and the New Servitude.

In the mid 1990’s the Mayor of the Colombian city of Cali enacted a firearms ban that made it illegal to carry a firearm outside the home on weekends. The policy was linked to a 14 percent reduction in homicides. Since then mayors in parts of Colombia have enacted similar legislation. Dr. Andres Villaveces is an epidemiologist who has spent 18 years study injury prevention around the globe and he’s conducted research on the Colombian gun ban. He joins to discuss his work.

On today's Worldview, we examine Colombia's gun ban, gun culture in Switzerland, and Canada's abundant oil.

Worldview film contributor Milos Stehlik reflects on the state of the movies as 2012 comes to a close.

WBEZ’s long-running global affairs program, hosted by Jerome McDonnell. From Nobel Peace Prize winners to Nicaraguan sweatshop workers, Worldview highlights a range of voices that go beyond the headlines. The show also delves deep into the people and forces shaping Chicago’s world communities, exploring issues and events through in-depth series and public events.

Mali, a troubled nation which underwent a military coup earlier this year, swore in a new prime minister on Thursday. The move came just days after the soldiers responsible for the coup stormed the house of the former prime minister, Cheikh Modibo Diarra, and forced him to resign. Susanna Wing, associate professor of political science at Haverford College, explains what the latest developments means for the country’s future.

On Thursday Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, withdrew her name from consideration for secretary of state. Steve Clemons, Washington Editor-at-Large for the Atlantic, tells us who he thinks may replace her.

On today's show: Susan Rice's withdraw, Mali's new prime minister, the state of world cinema and global plans for your weekend.

The Japanese sent fighter jets after a Chinese military surveillance plane, which the Japanese say entered its airspace. The Japanese say the plane was spotted flying over a set of disputed islands in the East China Sea. The episode threatened to heighten tensions between the two nations. Also, there are conflicting reports that a North Korean satellite which was launched into space on Wednesday might be tumbling out of control. We’ll discuss the latest developments with Harry Kazianis, editor-in-chief of The Diplomat, a current affairs website focusing on the Asia-Pacific region.

Tom Ginsburg is a professor of international laws at the University of Chicago. He runs the Comparative Constitutions Project and has helped draft new constitutions in countries such as Kenya and South Sudan. He joins us to talk about what is and isn’t included in Egypt’s new constitution.

CircEsteem’s mission is to unite youth from diverse racial, cultural and economic backgrounds and help them build self-esteem and mutual respect through learning circus arts. Maribeth Joy is CirEsteem’s executive director and a “Circus Yoga” instructor. For Global Activism, she’ll update us on her work and tell us about CircEsteem’s annual Winter Circus, which takes place this weekend.

On today's show: conflict in the China Seas, Egypt's disputed constitution and Global Activism.

In an interview with Barbara Walters, President Obama announced that the United States would now recognize the newly formed coalition of opposition groups, the National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, as Syria's legitimate representative. The U.S. joins France, Britain, Turkey and several other nations who had already recognized the coalition. We’ll speak with Ambassador James Jeffrey about the decision.