On Shifting Ground

Essential to a free and functioning democracy is an independent press, a crucial civil society actor that holds government to account and provides citizens access to the impartial information they need to make informed judgments, reason together, exercise their rights and responsibilities, and engage in collective action. In times of crisis, the media fulfills the vital role of alerting the public to danger and connecting citizens to rescue efforts, as Ushahidi has done in Kenya. Or, it can alert the international community to human rights abuses as does Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently. But, the very capabilities that allow the media to alert and inform, also allow it to sow division – as it did in Rwanda leading up to and during the genocide-- by spreading untruths, and, through “dog whistles,” targeting ethnic groups and inciting violence against them. This panel will focus on two topics: the role of media as a vehicle for advancing or undermining social cohesion, and the use of media to innovate, organize and deepen understanding, enabling positive collective action.

* Abdalaziz Alhamza, Co-Founder, Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently

* Uzodinma Iweala, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Ventures Africa; Author, Beasts of No Nation; Producer, Waiting for Hassana (moderator)

* Ben Rattray, Founder and CEO, Change.org

* Malika Saada Saar, Senior Counsel on Civil and Human Rights, Google

Direct download: 04_18_17_Trust_Identity_Politics-GPF17.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 1:59pm PDT

This week’s episode offers an in-depth perspective of foreign policy under Trump, with a focus on US - North Korea relations. What is the strategic calculus for both countries and how can some degree of calm be restored?

In the first half of the show, you’ll hear from Ambassador Wendy Sherman. Ambassador Wendy Sherman served as the US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. In this position, she led the team from the United States and five other countries in negotiating the Iran nuclear weapons deal. Under the Clinton administration, she served as Advisor to the President and Secretary of State and North Korea Policy Coordinator.

From Jerusalem to North Korea, President Trump has demonstrated again and again a willingness to break with established diplomatic strategy and forge a new path. In our conversation, Sherman discusses the current state of foreign policy under the Trump administration, with a focus on the current diplomatic calculus with North Korea.

The second half features Orville Schell and Philip W. Yun. They discuss whether the US and North Korea can pivot from searing rhetoric, and instead work toward strengthening diplomacy. This interview was previously aired in August.



SPEAKERS

Wendy Sherman, Senior Counselor at Albright Stonebridge Group

Orville Schell, Arthur Ross Director, Center on US-China Relations, Asia Society

Philip W. Yun, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Ploughshares Fund

MODERATOR:

Jane Wales, CEO, World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum; Vice President, The Aspen Institute

Direct download: 12_11_17_Sherman_Schell_Yun.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 3:37pm PDT

His Excellency Anatoly Antonov was recently appointed by President Putin to serve as the Russian Ambassador to the United States. A career diplomat, he has served for more than thirty years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2004, he was the Director of the Department for Security and Disarmament. Ambassador Antonov was formerly the Deputy Minister of Defense and, before his recent appointment, held the position of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. Please join us for this special event to hear Ambassador Anatoly Antonov discuss the importance of diplomacy and Russia’s role in the world.

SPEAKER:

Anatoly Antonov
Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the United States, Russian Federation

MODERATOR:

David Holloway
Raymond A. Spruance Professor of International History, Professor of Political Science, Senior Fellow Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1783

Direct download: 11_29_17_Ambassador_Anatoly_Antonov.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 2:37pm PDT

President Trump will meet with President Duterte during his first visit to the Philippines next month. What can be expected for the future of US-Philippine relations? Although the two countries have historically been strong allies, the elections of Trump and Duterte, as well as policy shifts in both nations, have raised questions about the stability of the relationship. The Philippines has benefited from significant US military aid for several decades. Recently both training and intelligence sharing were especially helpful as Philippine armed forces fought to regain control of Marawi following terrorist attacks by ISIS affiliates. While military aid is considered a symbol of the continued alliance between the two countries, Duterte’s renewed economic and political relations with China are causing tension. Is the Philippines looking to pivot toward China for a stronger alliance and veer away from the US, therefore shifting the strategic balance in the region? As for Filipinos as home, how are they impacted by the rise of a populist leader, one who is focused on fighting corruption and targeting drug offenders? What do these tactics reveal about Duterte as a leader? What issues can Trump and Duterte come together on and where might they disagree?

Richard Heydarian, a Filipino academic and columnist, will join us for a discussion on the Philippines under Duterte and his latest book "The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt Against Elite Democracy."

SPEAKER:

Richard Heydarian
Resident Political Analyst, GMA Network

MODERATOR:

Maria Ortuoste
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, California State University East Bay

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1777

Direct download: 11_01_17_Richard_Heydarian.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 2:40pm PDT

Less than a year into the new Trump administration, the US appears to be shifting away from key, longstanding foreign policies as well as from established allies. The president’s recent speeches to NATO members and at the G20 signal a departure from previous administrations on myriad issues, including human rights, climate change, and resolving civil conflicts. These global challenges often require leadership and collective action by major actors in the international community, yet the US is uncertain whether these issues are worth the investment. There is deep concern among many nations and former US officials who are perplexed by this strategic direction.

Is the US forging a new path, going it alone and leaving behind ongoing conflicts and unresolved humanitarian crises? Will the US maintain its alliances and continue to engage with the international community?

On the anniversary of Donald Trump's election, Samantha Power, former US ambassador to the United Nations and current professor of practice at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law, will join World Affairs CEO Jane Wales for a discussion on the state of US Foreign Policy, and challenge the assumptions behind the Trump administration’s strategic direction. How can we make America good again, and where might we go from here?

This event is made possible through a generous grant from the Stanley S. Langendorf Foundation in the name of Richard and Judith Guggenhime, and brings world-renowned experts to the Bay Area.

SPEAKER:

Samantha Power
Former United States Ambassador, United States Mission to the United Nations

MODERATOR:

Jane Wales
CEO, World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum; Vice President, The Aspen Institute

Direct download: 11_08_17_Samantha_Power_Foreign_Policy.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 11:31am PDT

This week’s episode will feature two unique perspectives from the frontlines of international war.

In the first half of the show, you’ll hear from Retired US Admiral James Stavridis. Admiral Stavridis was the Supreme Allied Commander for NATO from 2009 to 2013, and he led NATO’s Operation Unified Protector during the 2011 military intervention in Libya.

In this talk, Stavridis discusses the US' role in a complex, quickly shifting international landscape.

And now to the second half of our program, featuring combat journalist Sebastian Junger.

In his newest project, “Hell on Earth: The Fall of Syria and the Rise of ISIS”, Junger documents the civil war by telling the stories of Syrians living through the chaos and rise of extremism, and who later attempt to escape the violence. Jung discusses his motivation for the project, and he reveals the inside story of the film.

Direct download: 10_30_17_Stavridis_Junger.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 1:16pm PDT

Equal access to justice and equal protection under the law are critical elements of our liberal democracy. Yet, in practice, in the US young men of color are more likely than their white counterparts to be picked up for, locked up for, and prosecuted for suspected criminal offenses. If they cannot gain pre-trial release, these young men remain in jail while awaiting prosecution. The jury is more likely to find these men guilty, and the prosecutor is more likely to ask for a stiff sentence, which the judge is more likely to impose. Once incarcerated, these young men may not be protected from mental and physical harm. Once released, they can be denied housing, jobs, credit and even the ability to vote. Their families will have been impoverished by the costs associated with trials, imprisonment and lost earning capacity. This pattern of bias – whether unconscious or not – has served to delegitimize our system of justice in the eyes of a growing number of Americans. Can philanthropy and civil society advance the reforms needed for our justice system to regain the trust of all Americans? Can we realize the vital goal of equal justice for all?

Introduction: Adam Foss, President, Prosecutor Impact

Panel Discussion

* Carroll Bogert, President, The Marshall Project

* Adam Foss, President, Prosecutor Impact (moderator)

* Glenn E. Martin, Founder and President, JustLeadershipUSA

For more information about this event please visit: https://www.philanthropyforum.org/conference/gpf-2017/

Direct download: 04_20_17_Race_Justice_Legitamacy.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 12:06pm PDT

In 2012, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned that the United States was facing the possibility of a "cyber" Pearl Harbor and was increasingly vulnerable to foreign computer hackers who could dismantle the nation's power grid, transportation system, financial networks and government. Since then, we have seen Iran attack US financial institutions and gain control of a New York dam. ISIS has released a kill list complete with stolen US federal employee information. Russia has attacked our democratic system through a combination of cyber theft and massive botnets used to propagate fake news. And North Korea is alleged to be behind a series of attacks including Sony Entertainment and culminating in the global WannaCry ransomware attack in May.

Why have we been unable to defend against these attacks? What is being done to prevent and protect us from potential future threats? The “WannaCry” attack and most recent “Petya” attack have caused damage on a global scale, and have even taken lives. Further, it appears such attacks have made use of stolen NSA cyber weapons previously distributed on the dark web and available for sale.

Nicole Perlroth, cyber security reporter for The New York Times, will discuss these attacks and what to expect for the future of cyber warfare.

SPEAKER:

Nicole Perlroth
Reporter, The New York Times

MODERATOR:

Kim Zetter
Author, Countdown to Zero Day: Stuxnet and the Launch of the World's First Digital Weapon

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1749

Direct download: 09_11_17_Nicole_Perlroth.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 2:57pm PDT

If pluralism is essential to free and functioning societies, it is also the sine qua non of liberal democracy, and essential to the legitimacy – and sustainability – of the state. But when states fail to meet the needs of their citizens and collapse into violent conflict, what is the role of the international community and global civil society? Where does responsibility lie? We will explore interventions along the conflict continuum as well as global norms that assign responsibility. Will citizens trust their government, if access to health, education, jobs and even justice is uneven? And when governance fails, how can human security be assured? This conversation will focus on governments and the governed, with particular attention to access to justice and examples of conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict reconciliation. Throughout, the role of race, gender, religious affiliation and ethnicity will be explored.

Robert Malley, incoming Vice President for Policy, International Crisis Group (moderator)

David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee

John Prendergast, Founding Director, Enough Project

Yifat Susskind, Executive Director, MADRE

David Tolbert, President, International Center for Transitional Justice

Robin Wright, Senior Fellow, The US Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center

For more information about this event please visit: https://philanthropyforum.org/conference/gpf-2017/

Direct download: 04_19_17_Trust_Justice_Conflict_Continuum.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 12:26pm PDT

President Trump once pledged to “tear up” the Iran nuclear agreement. Now, the world watches to see the fate of an agreement considered by some to be a pivotal victory in American foreign policy, and by others as a mistake.

Trita Parsi, the preeminent Middle East foreign policy expert who advised the Obama White House throughout the Iran talks, takes us behind the scenes to examine the negotiations. Was a better deal to be had in 2015? What have been the benefits gained, or disasters averted, under the deal? Parsi provides a nuanced and thoughtful view of the agreement designed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Will the Iran deal survive the Trump Presidency? If the agreement can be viewed as a down-payment on improved US-Iranian relations, has that now been squandered by the sabre-rattling that followed? What are the options and consequences of a renegotiation and, without the support of an international coalition, does an effort to renegotiate have the impact of removing the US from a position of influence on this important subject? What is the benefit where each side abides by the letter of an agreement, but does not act in the spirit of the agreement?

SPEAKER:

Trita Parsi
President, National Iranian American Council

MODERATOR:

Neil Joeck
Research Scholar, Institute for International Studies, University of California, Berkeley

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1747

Direct download: 09_05_17_Trita_Parsi.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 9:07am PDT

Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank Group, in conversation with Jane Wales, Founder, Global Philanthropy Forum.

Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank.

For more information about this event: https://www.philanthropyforum.org/conference/gpf-2017/agenda/

Direct download: 04_18_17_Kim_Moreno.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 8:34am PDT

Imagine if you had no choice but to flee your country. Where would you go? How would you cope? What would you need to rebuild your life in exile? These are the questions that three million South Sudanese have had to ask themselves in the face an unrelenting civil war, famine, violence and persecution. And as conflicts across the globe have forced millions to flee their homes, the international debate on refugee policy rages on. How does South Sudan fit into this broader narrative, and what lessons can be learned from its citizens cast into uncertain exile?

Join World Affairs as we examine this pressing global issue from both policy and human perspectives. Gabriel Akim, spokesperson for Rebuild South Sudan, Diana Essex-Lettieri, Deputy Director of Asylum Access, and Valentino Achak Deng, co-founder of the Valentino Achak Deng Foundation, will call upon their unique expertise and personal experience to shed light on what it means to be displaced from war-torn South Sudan.

As part of our "Engage" series, this event features a post-discussion Q&A, when you will have the chance to participate directly with the speaker and gain incredible insights that you won't get anywhere else.

SPEAKERS

Valentino Achak Deng
Co-founder, Valentino Achak Deng Foundation

Gabriel Akim
Advisor, Rebuild South Sudan

Diana Essex-Lettieri
Deputy Director, Asylum Access

MODERATOR:

Jane Wales
CEO, World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum; Vice President, The Aspen Institute

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1743

Direct download: 08_09_17_South_Sudan.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 10:59am PDT

In 2018, Russia will hold its presidential election, and few are likely to oppose the current president, Vladimir Putin. One of the potential challengers gaining momentum is Alexei Navalny, a central figure in the pro-democracy movement. Since 2011, this small but passionate opposition group has captured the attention of many disaffected Russians angered by corruption, economic disparity and the restriction of civil liberties. What can Russia's pro-democracy movement do to break through a culture of systemic corruption to win the election? What can the opposition do to build support among all Russians?

Vladimir Ashurkov, executive director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation and close colleague of Alexei Navalny, will provide insight into the pro-democracy campaign, recent protests in Moscow and the many challenges facing the opposition movement.

SPEAKER:

Vladimir Ashurkov
Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Foundation

MODERATOR:

Carla Thorson
Senior Vice President, Programs, World Affairs

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1744

Direct download: 07_26_17_Vladimir_Ashurkov.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 1:24pm PDT

The American dream used to be founded on the goal of finding a good, stable job to spend the majority of one’s career — but this is no longer the norm. Over the last seventy years, the standard employer-employee relationship has drastically changed. Companies no longer offer the same level of job security, regular pay increases, guaranteed pensions, robust health benefits and other social benefits as they did in the past. This shift in the corporate social contract has taken a toll on loyalty on both sides.

Senior Advisor and former Executive Director at the Drucker Institute, Rick Wartzman, discusses his recent book "The End of Loyalty: The Rise and Fall of Good Jobs in America," which chronicles the erosion of the relationship between major American businesses and their workers. Have these new workplace practices decreased morale and productivity? How can America revitalize its middle class? What is the new American Dream?

SPEAKER:

Rick Wartzman
Senior Advisor and Former Executive Director, The Drucker Institute

MODERATOR:

John Sepulvado
Host of The California Report, KQED Public Radio

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1739

Direct download: 07_20_17_Rick_Wartzman.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 12:57pm PDT

The first five years of a child’s life are a period of intense creativity, invention and growth. During this period, children rely on those around them to provide for their physical, cognitive and socio-emotional development needs to ensure their capacity to trust and become resilient adults. Distressingly, nearly 200 million children globally may not reach their developmental potential due to the effects of unhealthy environment and paucity of educational opportunities. Many of these children also live in stressful circumstances – caused by poverty, abandonment or violent conflict – and so face additional challenges in learning to trust. This session will investigate the factors impacting early childhood development and learn which interventions can prevent, mitigate or address the potentially lasting effects of toxic stress. If –as Nelson Mandela said –“there is no keener revelation of society’s soul than the way it treats its children,” then surely the legitimacy of a state rests at least in part on whether it meets its obligations to the young.

Randa Grob-Zakhary, Global Head of Education, Porticus

Peter Laugharn, President and CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation (moderator)

Carolyn Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children

Deogratias Niyonkiza, Founder and CEO, Village Health Works

 

For more information about this event please visit: https://www.philanthropyforum.org/conference/gpf-2017/

Direct download: 09_04_17_Capacity_Child-GPF17.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 11:49am PDT

The current crisis between the US and North Korea has escalated with both sides firing off heated exchanges following North Korea’s missile tests and threats extending as far as Guam. While North Korea has tested missiles in the past, the US is on alert as Kim Jong-un accelerates the drive for nuclear capabilities which could bolster the survival of his regime. President Trump is now faced with his biggest challenge since coming into office, and it is one which is alarming from both a humanitarian and economic perspective as South Korea and China urge more dialogue and less military exercises.

Can the US and North Korea pivot from searing rhetoric and work toward strengthening diplomacy? To what extent is China willing to help in terms of diplomacy and deterrence? Is the Korean Peninsula less safe with a nuclearized North Korea?

SPEAKERS

Orville Schell
Arthur Ross Director, Center on US-China Relations, Asia Society

Philip W. Yun
Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Ploughshares Fund

MODERATOR:

Jane Wales
CEO, World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum; Vice President, The Aspen Institute

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/media-library/event/1758

Direct download: 08_22_17_Wales_Schell_Yun-North_Korea.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 9:43am PDT

President Trump’s first visit to the Middle East demonstrated a notable shift in US policy toward the region. In a marked departure from the policies of the Obama administration, the president not only embraced the Sunni Arab states, but signed a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia, and stated that he will not lecture the Kingdom or other Arab autocracies on human rights issues. He also initiated a review of the Iranian nuclear deal, gave greater military emphasis to US actions in the area, and called for states in the region to isolate Iran. Meanwhile, elections in Iran have given President Rouhani a broader mandate to open Iran’s economy further.

How will President Trump’s policies and actions impact America’s relations with Saudi Arabia, the nuclear deal with Iran and the prospect of ending arduous conflicts as seen in Syria and Yemen? Will this further increase tensions, or is there potential for renewed diplomatic cooperation between the US, Saudi Arabia and Iran?

Banafsheh Keynoush, a geopolitical and communications consultant, Jessica Tuchman Mathews, distinguished fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Ambassador Hossein Mousavian, Middle East security expert at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, will discuss the US - Iran - Saudi Arabia nexus and whether we are destined for renewed diplomacy or conflict in the Middle East.

SPEAKERS

Seyed Hossein Mousavian
Middle East Security and Nuclear Policy Specialist, Program on Science and Global Security, Princeton University

Banafsheh Keynoush
Foreign Affairs Scholar and Author, "Saudi Arabia and Iran: Friends or Foes?"

Fred H. Lawson
Senior Fellow, Centre for Syrian Studies, University of St. Andrews

MODERATOR:

Jessica Tuchman Mathews
Distinguished Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

For more information please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1737

Direct download: 06_27_17_Iran_Saudi_Arabia.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 11:19am PDT

What drives voters to the election booth? Dr. Arlie Hochschild, UC Berkeley sociologist and author of New York Times best seller “Strangers in their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right,” embarked on a journey to the Deep South to explore this very question. What she found were lives damaged by lost jobs, poor wages and an elusive American dream. As she connected and became friends with the people she met, she was surprised to discover that their values mirrored the liberal values she grew up with, including a desire for community, the importance of family and hopes for their children. She came to appreciate how strongly emotions, including years of anger and frustration, drive political preference for many far-right voters.

What role did “emotion in politics” play in the results of the 2016 election? What feelings motivate Trump supporters and Tea Partiers to support these movements? Why do citizens who would seem to benefit most from “liberal” government programs detest the party that passed them? Dr. Hochschild will share her observations and the stories of those who have felt like strangers in their own land.

SPEAKER

Arlie Hochschild
Professor Emerita, Sociology, UC Berkeley

MODERATOR:

John Sepulvado
Host of The California Report, KQED Public Radio

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/events/event/1727

Direct download: 05_31_17_Arlie_Hochschild.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 1:25pm PDT

What can the rise of Japan and Germany in the last century - or the rise of Athens 2,000 years earlier - tell us about the risks facing the US and China today? Is a US-China war inevitable?

Graham Allison, among the most astute geostrategic observers of his generation, terms this “Thucydides’s Trap.” He takes us back to the Peloponnesian war to remind us of the timeless insights of the historian Thucydides: When a rising power rivals a ruling power, danger is near. In fact, in 12 of the 16 occasions this global power pattern has repeated, the outcome was war. With this view to history, the existential challenge of our era is not violent Islamic extremists or a resurgent Russia; it is the impact of China’s ascendance on the international order. According to Allison, "Never before in history has a nation risen so far, so fast."

Even Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged that the world “work together to avoid the Thucydides trap… Our aim is to foster a new model of major country relations.” But is being aware of danger enough to avoid it? While the West seeks to encircle and constrain, China demonstrates, with aggressive naval exercises in disputed seas, that it will demand the respect due a major power in its own region and the world. Can the world escape the perilous prophecy of Athens and Sparta?

Graham Allison, director of Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, founding dean of Harvard’s Kennedy School and advisor to every secretary of defense from Reagan to Obama, shares insights from his career, and outlines the painful steps both China and the US must take to avoid disaster.

SPEAKER:

Graham Allison
Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University

MODERATOR:

Michael M. Nacht
Thomas and Alison Schneider Professor of Public Policy; Interim Director, Center for Studies in Higher Education, Goldman School of Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1732

Direct download: 06_06_17_Graham_Allison.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 8:56am PDT

In 2011, Cairo's Tahrir Square commanded the attention of the world as the Egyptian people demanded their freedom. At the time, President Barack Obama famously declared: “Egyptians have inspired us, they have changed the world.” But, half a decade later, is this the whole story?

The Arab World's most populous nation remains as volatile as ever and thoroughly enmeshed with a broader moment of political turbulence that is unfolding across the globe. In his new book, "The Egyptians: A Radical Story," former Egypt Correspondent for the Guardian, Jack Shenker, examines the roots of Egypt’s revolution, arguing for a much more nuanced, and far-reaching view of the forces that are reshaping the region. Egypt’s revolutionary turmoil has never just been about Mubarak, or his successors, or elections, says Shenker. It is not merely a civil war between Islamists and secularists, nor a fight between backwardness and modernity. Underlying it all, the unrest is about economically marginalized citizens muscling their way onto the political stage to demand sovereignty over domains previously closed to them: factories and urban streets, the houses they live in, the food they eat and the water they drink. The real story is more complicated and, ultimately, more hopeful.

Speaker Jack Shenker is an author and journalist, and Former Egypt Correspondent for the Guardian.

The conversation is moderated by David D. Arnold is President of The Asia Foundation.

For more information please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1683

Direct download: 02_02_17_Jack_Shenker.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:12pm PDT

Our lives in 2050 will be vastly different than today. Rapidly advancing technology is changing everything from food production to health care, energy output, manufacturing and the military balance. Innovations already in development include brain-computer interfaces, vat-grown cruelty-free meat, knitted cars and guided bullets among many others. Technology which once seemed like science fiction is now reality - and even old news - where can we possibly go from here?

The Executive Editor of The Economist, Daniel Franklin, explores how technology will shape the future in his recent book, Megatech: Technology in 2050. His insights are based on extensive interviews with distinguished scientists, industry leaders, academics and acclaimed science-fiction authors who are at the forefront of the most exceptional inventions and sinister trends.

Where will technology be in 2050, and how will it affect the way we live? What does this mean for the job market and how we perform our work? In what ways can we prepare for the opportunities — as well as the dangers — that await?

Speaker Daniel Franklin is Executive Editor at The Economist. He is in conversation with Quentin Hardy, Head of Editorial at Google Cloud.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1699

Direct download: 03_29_17_Daniel_Franklin.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:41pm PDT

In April – shortly after triggering article 50 of the Lisbon treaty which started the process of withdrawing from the European Union – British Prime Minister Theresa May called for a snap general election to be held in June. There is no turning back on Brexit, but a strong win by the Conservative Party would give May a stronger mandate in executing it as she sees fit. May hopes to increase her majority in Parliament as she strives to negotiate a good deal for Britain, and local election results and polls indicate that this is a likely outcome.

The UK vote comes in the wake of the French elections, where pro-EU Emmanuel Macron won with 65% of the vote. One of his first public statements was to warn the UK to expect “tough” Brexit negotiations. Regardless of how the deal is cut, it will redefine the political and economic relationships between the EU and Britain, as well as the US, that form the bedrock of the Western alliance.

What is the future of the European Union, and how will the upcoming UK elections influence it? How will this impact the transatlantic US-UK relationship? Colin Brown, chairman of the British-American Business Council and Christophe Crombez, senior research scholar at Stanford’s The Europe Center and professor at KU Leuven in Belgium, will discuss prospects for Brexit, the European Union and international trade negotiations.

As part of our "Engage" series, this event features a post-discussion Q&A, when you will have the chance to participate directly with the speaker and gain incredible insights that you won't get anywhere else.

SPEAKERS

Colin Brown
Chairman, British-American Business Council

Christophe Crombez
Senior Research Scholar at Stanford’s The Europe Center and Professor at KU Leuven in Belgium

MODERATOR:

Kausik Rajgopal
Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company

For more information please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1734

Direct download: 06_12_17_UK_Elections.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 3:02pm PDT

According to recent studies by Pew Research, consumers are now just as likely to get their news from social media as from traditional news websites. And while some Americans are confident in their abilities to detect "fake news," two-thirds feel some confusion about navigating the facts in current issues and events.

What obligations do government and media have to filter fake news, and what steps have already been taken to prevent these stories from gaining undue attention? What is the future of journalism in this post-facts era? How can we know what is credible and what is not?

Joaquin Alvarado, CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting, will share his thoughts about reporting in a time when our country is being confronted by an unprecedented assault on basic facts.

SPEAKERS

Joaquin Alvarado
CEO, Center for Investigative Reporting

Janine Zacharia
Former Jerusalem Bureau Chief and Middle East Correspondent, The Washington Post

MODERATOR:

Edward Wasserman
Dean, Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1724

Direct download: 05_24_17_Fake_News.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 4:03pm PDT

Is American influence in Asia and around the world set to decline? In the years following the global financial crisis, the US has increasing ceded its leadership in the world, while China has rushed in to fill the gap left behind. Based on the inward-looking economic nationalism of the Trump administration, some say this trend is poised to accelerate.

Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times, terms this phenomenon “Easternization” - the tectonic shift of the world’s center of gravity from West to East, and from the US to China. Though obscured by the headlines of the day, in the not-so-distant future we may come to view this, as Rachman does, as the momentous transformation of the young century.

How is the growing wealth of Asian nations transforming the international balance of power? Will Trump’s temperament lead to war or peace with Asian nations? After striving for years to be a part of Europe, is Russia now returning to its Asian roots? How would a shift to the East shape all of our lives? This event is co-organized with the Mechanics Institute.

SPEAKER:

Gideon Rachman
Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator, Financial Times

MODERATOR:

Carla Thorson
Senior Vice President, Programs, World Affairs

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1714

Direct download: 05_23_17_Gideon_Rachman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:07pm PDT

In November, the international community watched as Americans elected Donald Trump the next President, leaving many with unanswered questions about what lies ahead for international development. The United States government is currently the biggest foreign aid donor in the world. Washington’s actions also influence how much other governments contribute to global efforts to eliminate poverty, reduce hunger, empower women and local actors, and increase access to education and healthcare.

Trump said little about his stance on international aid throughout his campaign. Republicans have supported foreign aid in the past because it contributes to national security at home, which is also one of Trump’s biggest priorities. However, if his nationalist ideologies and “Make America First” rhetoric are any indicators of future actions, foreign aid — despite representing less than 1% of the national budget — may be on the chopping block.

What progress has been made, and what hope is there for the world’s most vulnerable people? Dana Hyde, the CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and Richard Leach, the President and CEO of World Food Program USA, will share insights about major achievements in recent years and shifting priorities for the future.

Dana Hyde, Chief Executive Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and Richard Leach, President and CEO of the World Food Program USA, are in conversation.

The discussion is moderated by Jane Wales, CEO, World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum; Vice President, The Aspen Institute.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1674

Direct download: 01_11_17_US_Development.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 11:36am PDT

The US Presidential elections were a wake-up call to many that millions of Americans are angry and want drastic change. While our new global economy has benefited many, they feel that they have been left behind – losing their livelihoods and income to companies abroad. As a nation, we need to do something about these issues, although Trump’s promises and actions to pull out of international trade deals may not be the only or best solution.

The problem, according to Council on Foreign Relations’ Edward Alden, is not globalization itself, but the failure of domestic policies to address its associated challenges. US policymakers have long recognized the challenges that Americans would face in the new global economy, but mainly looked the other way.

In his book, Failure to Adjust: How Americans Got Left Behind in the Global Economy, Alden explains why support for free trade is disappearing, and how to improve the situation for citizens whose lives have been negatively impacted by it. What can we do to minimize these impacts, and how can we build a workforce that is adaptable and resilient to rapidly changing global markets? What potential federal policies would develop more internationally competitive industries and improve the overall American economy?

Speaker Edward Alden is the Bernard L. Schwartz Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The conversation is moderated by Jane Wales, CEO, World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum; Vice President, The Aspen Institute.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1713

Direct download: 05_10_17_Edward_Alden.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 2:51pm PDT

Theodore Roosevelt once famously said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick," in reference to his stance on foreign policy. Today, many Americans - wary of waging another war and maintaining a military presence abroad - question this approach.

But given the threats posed in today’s increasingly dangerous and nuclearized world, can the US afford to shy away from hard power? Can diplomacy be divorced from military power? Would deploying forces and strengthening our naval or military presence to thwart Russian hostilities, irrational regimes and China’s transgressions in the South China Sea serve to weaken America’s interests and security?

Dr. Eliot Cohen, a former senior advisor to George W. Bush, professor at Johns Hopkins University and renowned political commentator, will make the case that hard power remains essential for American foreign policy. Sharing insights from his recent book, "The Big Stick: The Limits of Soft Power and the Necessity of Military Force," Dr. Cohen will provide a nuanced argument for the use of force in the service of American security and ideals.

Speaker Eliot Cohen is the Robert E. Osgood Professor of the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University.

The moderator for this discussion is Stephen Krasner, Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and the Hoover Institution, Stanford University; and Senior Associate Dean for the Social Sciences at the School of Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1702

Direct download: 05_09_17_Eliot_Cohen.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 3:03pm PDT

North Korea has threatened the United States with a “merciless” nuclear attack. While not a new threat, they may soon be capable of actually making good on that promise. North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, has recently been pushing to develop a missile capable of hitting the US, as witnessed by a series of tests. The likely target? California.

Meanwhile, escalating military tensions in the region have further isolated the nation both politically and economically, setting the stage for long-standing internal human rights abuses to worsen. Situations involving political prison camps, unresolved disappearances and the abduction of Japanese and South Koreans are all cause for concern. Add to that savory list, power struggles within the family itself. According to Malaysian authorities, Kim Jong-un's half-brother was recently murdered with chemical weapons in an airport in Kuala Lumpur, further escalating tensions.

How serious is the risk of a North Korean nuclear attack? How will Trump’s reaction and willingness to work with our allies in the region influence the situation? And what obligation, if any, does the international community have to intervene on any and all fronts? Experts Philip Yun, Director of the Ploughshares Fund, and Daniel Sneider, Associate Director for Research at Stanford’s Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, will share their insights.

SPEAKERS

Daniel Sneider
Associate Director for Research, Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University

Philip W. Yun
Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Ploughshares Fund

MODERATOR:

Neil Joeck
Research Scholar, Institute for International Studies, University of California, Berkeley

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1708

Direct download: 04_12_17_North_Korea.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 1:48pm PDT

Tension in US-Russia relations is at its highest level since the end of the Cold War. Russia’s 2012 invasion of Ukraine and Putin’s military intervention in support of the Assad regime in Syria — along with the unprecedented Russian interference in the 2016 US election — have fanned these flames.

President Trump insists that he will prioritize healing the relationship and that Moscow can be an important partner in the fight against terrorism and other issues. However the recent use of chemical weapons in Syria followed by a US retaliatory airstrike against the Russian-backed Assad regime have raised the stakes and the risk of greater use of force. What can be done to avoid accidental or unintended military confrontation in the Middle East or in Europe? Will Russia’s interference in our domestic politics have lasting repercussions? In what ways can we collaborate with Russia on fighting the risk of nuclear terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction? Will Trump’s approach lead to stronger US-Russia cooperation, or is the relationship too broken to fix?

Andrew Weiss, Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, will share his perspectives on the future of US-Russia relations as well as key policy recommendations to manage the bilateral relationship, drawn from a two-year, high-level, and bipartisan task force on U.S. policy toward Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia. The task force was convened jointly by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Chicago Council for International Affairs.

Speaker Andrew Weiss is Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

 
The conversation is moderated by Carla Thorson, Senior Vice President of Programs at World Affairs.
 
For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1716
 
Direct download: 04_11_17_Andrew_Weiss.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 12:16pm PDT

The United States is a leader in environmental policy, with California at the forefront as a global hub for clean energy technology and investments. With Trump as President, many environmentalists fear this will change. Trump has vowed to bring back coal jobs, withdraw from the Paris Agreement, and reduce clean energy spending — not to mention calling climate change a “hoax” and selecting climate change deniers to head the EPA and Energy Department.

Californian officials and other international leaders have spoken out and pledged for continued environmental progress, regardless of what happens in Washington. What specific protections can state governments such as California put in place? Are market forces and technology strong enough that current trends towards clean energy will continue despite any potential policy decisions? If the US were to pull out of the Paris Agreement, would other countries continue to hold up their end of the bargain?

Hal Harvey, the CEO of Energy Innovation: Policy and Technology LLC, and Severin Borenstein, E.T. Grether Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, will evaluate the ramifications of potential policy decisions that Trump could make.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1681

Direct download: 02_28_17_CA_Energy.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 9:13am PDT

The Syrian war has left an estimated 470,000 dead, with 4.8 million international refugees and 6.6 million people internally displaced. As peace efforts falter, the world cries out for the respect of human rights and international humanitarian law, seeking accountability for their infringement.

Recent attention has focused on the siege of Aleppo, where intense aerial bombardment by Syrian and Russian forces destroyed all medical care infrastructure, wiped out marketplaces and bakeries and led to thousands of civilian deaths. Unlawful killings remain a hallmark of this blood-soaked conflict. Humanitarian access is blocked. What can be done?

This panel discussion will examine the findings of the the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic special report examining the violations that took place in Aleppo city since late 2015, and debate its impact on any future accountability for victims of the conflict's many crimes.

This event is co-organized by World Affairs and the Center for Justice and Accountability

SPEAKERS

Sareta Ashraph
former Chief Analyst, UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Scott Gilmore
Staff Attorney, Center for Justice and Accountability

Stephen Rapp
Former Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes, U.S. Department of State

MODERATOR:

Beth Van Schaack
Leah Kaplan Visiting Professor in Human Rights, Stanford Law School

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1685

Direct download: 02_13_17_Syria_War_Crimes.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 2:45pm PDT

Join Asia Society, The Asia Foundation, Commonwealth Club, and World Affairs for a unique dialogue featuring the leaders of four of the Bay Area’s most prestigious public affairs and non-profit organizations, who will look at the presidency of Donald J. Trump and what it will mean for America’s relationship with Asia and the world.

Held within the first 100 days of the Trump Administration, the dialogue will examine more closely a persistent divide between California and the Bay Area, and the rest of the country, on the future direction of this nation. The dialogue will examine how the Bay Area, and the state more broadly, views America’s relationship with Asia, as well its place in the world on global issues such as trade, security and climate change.

What are some of the primary issues of importance to the Bay Area—politically, economically, culturally—as it relates to US-Asia relations and are they similar or different from the rest of the country? Has the state and the region evolved differently from the rest of the country in how they perceive America’s relationship with Asia and the world, and if so, why?

World Affairs seeks to explore problems and expand opportunities at the intersection of international policy, philanthropy and enterprise — where solutions to hard problems lie. Every day, we convene thought leaders, change makers and engaged citizens to share ideas, learn from each other and engage in conversations that matter. Founded in 1947, following the San Francisco conference that established the United Nations, World Affairs remains one of the most vibrant global affairs organizations in the United States.

SPEAKERS

David D. Arnold
President, The Asia Foundation

Dr. Gloria C. Duffy
President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club of California

N. Bruce Pickering
Vice President of Global Programs, Asia Society and Executive Director, Asia Society Northern California, Asia Society

Jane Wales
CEO, World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum; Vice President, The Aspen Institute

MODERATOR:

Mina Kim
PM Anchor and Forum Friday Host, KQED

For more information please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1691

Direct download: 03_07_17_Trump_West_Coast.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 9:20am PDT

General Michael Hayden is the only person ever to lead both the CIA and NSA. For 10 years, he was a key player in some of the most important events in the history of American national security. Now, at a time of ominous new threats and political change, General Hayden will share an insider’s perspective of America's intelligence wars.

What role did US intelligence play in the wake of terrorist threats, a major war and the technological revolution? What was the transformation of the NSA after 9/11? Why did the NSA begin the controversial terrorist surveillance program that included the collection of domestic phone records? What else was set in motion during this period that formed the backdrop for the infamous Snowden revelations in 2013?

General Hayden is a retired United States Air Force four-star general, former director of the NSA, principal deputy director of National Intelligence, and director of the CIA. His recent book, "Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror," is a behind-the-scenes account of his experiences within our national intelligence operations. His goals for writing it are simple: No apologies. No excuses. Just what happened.

Speaker General Michael Hayden is the Former Director of the NSA and CIA.

Jane Wales, CEO, World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum, and Vice President, The Aspen Institute, moderates the discussion.

For more information please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1692

Direct download: 03_13_17_Michael_Hayden.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:53am PDT

In the first months of the new administration, multiple questions have arisen about President Donald Trump’s approach to executive power. Join us for a discussion that will focus on the White House’s policy on immigration. We will discuss the law and policy of the executive order suspending immigration from seven majority Muslim nations under the Immigration and Naturalization Act and the US Constitution.

Does the president have the authority to build a wall along the US-Mexico border and tax Mexican imports or currency transfers to pay for it? What can the president do in the absence of legislative action and when and where does the judiciary step in? Has President Trump gone too far or simply not framed the orders correctly? Daniel Farber, Peter Schuck, and John Yoo, three of the nation’s leading legal scholars, respond to these questions and more, illuminating the limits of the executive power.

As part of our "Engage" series, this event features a post-discussion Q&A, when you will have the chance to participate directly with the speaker and gain incredible insights that you won't get anywhere else.

SPEAKERS

Daniel Farber
Sho Sato Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley School of Law

Peter Schuck
Visiting Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley School of Law

John Yoo
Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law, University of California at Berkeley School of Law

MODERATOR:

Jeffrey L. Bleich
CEO, Dentons Diplomatic Services and Chair, Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1700

Direct download: 03_09_17_Trump_Executive_Power.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 3:52pm PDT

Join Asia Society Northern California and World Affairs for a dialogue with The Honorable Kevin Rudd, President of the Asia Society Policy Institute and former Prime Minister of Australia, who will look at some of the critical issues facing the Asia-Pacific region today and the challenges likely to emerge in the coming years.

While Asia is home to some of the world’s fastest growing economies and a young, dynamic population, the region is also confronted with a number of issues that threaten to stymie the region’s rise. Growing nationalism, enduring security flashpoints in the Korean peninsula and the South China Sea, an ascendant China, and climate change are just some of the factors that will demand attention and action in the coming years. The election of Donald Trump as the new U.S. President adds unpredictability to the region given his campaign promises to upend America’s role in the alliance infrastructure that underpins security, economic, and political relationships in the region and the world.

Co-Chairman of the ASNC Advisory Board and Chairman Emeritus of Silicon Valley Bank Ken Wilcox will moderate the dialogue.

Direct download: 02_08_17_Kevin_Rudd.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 2:27pm PDT

There is a new world order. This isn't the 20th century anymore: shifting coalitions, changing spheres of influence, evolving economic and political powers. A friend one minute; a foe another. To address these challenges, the next US president must reconsider our statecraft and diplomacy. Career Ambassador and renowned expert on US-China and Middle East relations, Chas W. Freeman, will call upon his decades of experience to discuss how US foreign policy must change to suit today’s increasingly competitive and disorderly world.

How can the US better navigate its complex relationship with China? What lessons can be learned from our failed interventions in the Middle East, and what steps can be taken to remedy those diplomatic and military errors? How should the US respond to the Arab uprisings and the deteriorating order in the Middle East? Is Israel a strategic asset or liability for the US?

Ambassador Chas Freeman is well-positioned to respond to these questions. During his three decades as an American diplomat, he has served as the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia; negotiated with Fidel Castro and other state leaders; translated for President Nixon during his breakthrough visit to Beijing; and served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. Freeman is one of America’s most distinguished diplomats. Providing frank, but graciously rendered observations, he will challenge us to think critically about US foreign policy - how we have erred in the past, and how we might do things differently in the future.

Speaker Chas W. Freeman is Senior Fellow of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University, and Chairman of the Board, Committee for the Republic

Moderator Jane Wales is CEO of World Affairs and Global Philanthropy Forum, and Vice President of The Aspen Institute.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1686

Direct download: 02_07_17_Chas_Freeman.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 1:34pm PDT

The news each week is filled with increasingly horrific stories of the effects of violent extremism and ISIL-led and ISIL-inspired attacks in Iraq, Syria and around the world. We will make a a clear-eyed assessment of the challenge of violent extremism, including recruitment and radicalization, and the current state of the conflict and discuss how the US and our partners might respond in 2017 and beyond. How are the US defense, intelligence, diplomatic, and development agencies working to prevent the rise of violent extremism and counter ISIL? What consensus for our strategies and tactics exists among US allies and partners? What role should the multilateral organizations, including the UN, NATO and others play in the year ahead? How is ISIL able to convince young vulnerable populations across the globe to join them? How do we work with our local communities and in communities in Europe and other regions to identify signs of radicalization to violence and prevent it? How is the US and our partners working to leverage the technology sector, social media platforms and counter-messaging efforts to counter ISIL’s use of the internet for self-promotion and recruitment?

Rukmini Callimachi, Foreign Correspondent covering extremism, The New York Times

Michael Ortiz, Deputy Coordinator for Countering Violent Extremism, Bureau of Counterterrorism, US Department of State

Moderator: Martha Crenshaw, Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University

For more information please visit: https://www.worldaffairs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=792

Direct download: 10_28_16_Countering_ISIL.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 11:52am PDT

Head west. Start up. Get rich.

The Silicon Valley mythos describes a steady stream of young, idealistic startup founders who have made it big. No longer content on joining the next “unicorn” (the unprofitable startup with a billion dollar valuation), entrepreneurs now chase the goal of the “deca-corn” - the 10 billion dollar startup. But what about the rest of those many unknown entrepreneurs battling to make it to the top?

Alexandra Wolfe, staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal and author of Valley of the Gods, takes us on a journey into the unique Silicon Valley culture, turning her relentless gaze and unflinching wit on the life and times of the startup bubble. What makes these Silicon Valley entrepreneurs tick? How do these young up-and-comers balance Silicon Valley’s endless optimism with its lofty expectations? Who are these men and women of Silicon Valley, whose hubris and ambition are changing the world?

Speaker Alexandra Wolfe is an author and Staff Reporter at the Wall Street Journal.

The conversation is moderated by Brad Stone, Senior Executive Editor for Technology at Bloomberg News.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1673

Direct download: 01_12_17_Alexandra_Wolfe.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 8:08am PDT

Take an extraordinary journey through the criminal underworld of the Mexican drug cartels and the dark heart of the US-Mexican drug wars. Los Zetas, the infamous Mexican drug cartel, has taken gang brutality to unprecedented levels. United States and Mexican law enforcement agencies accuse Los Zetas of hundreds of deaths and laundering millions of dollars.

As blood has spilled on both sides of the US-Mexican border, the cartels have increasingly turned to children as their foot soldiers - for trafficking, kidnapping, and even murder. Journalist Dan Slater has spent years researching this phenomena as it has played out in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, and just across the border in its sister city, Laredo, Texas - border towns that are a prime battleground for control of lucrative US drug smuggling routes.

Sharing insights from his book, "Wolf Boys", Slater will respond to the questions: Who are the casualties when cartels go to war? Why did the cartels begin this sinister recruitment of children, and how did two American teens get caught up in the violence? What can be done to break this vicious cycle?

Speaker Dan Slater is author of Wolf Boys.

The discussion is moderated by Andrew Becker, Reporter, The Center for Investigative Reporting.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1632

Direct download: 10_05_16_Dan_Slater.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 1:49pm PDT

Disorder is on the rise: in the Middle East, in Europe, across Asia and even on the home front. It is not merely that the players in the international arena have changed, but the rules of the game itself have changed too. Old approaches to world affairs are now rendered obsolete.

Richard Haass, President of the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the upcoming book, A World in Disarray, will provide a compelling diagnosis of the most pressing global challenges today and his prescription for a renewed American foreign policy to address these challenges. In the age of non-state actors re-writing traditional rules of diplomacy, the US, while still an indispensable nation, must also recognize that once-great powers are losing their sway. The old global order has shifted, but the US - through its relationships with China, Russia and in the Middle East - can help forge a new order for this twenty-first century world.

Calling upon his years of experience working as an analyst and in the highest levels of government, Haass will provide a lucid and incisive analysis: what is the state of the world; how did it become a world of disarray; and what can we do about it?

Speaker Richard N. Haass is President of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The conversation is moderated by Kori Schake, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

For more information please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/media-library/event/1678

Direct download: 01_30_17_Richard_Haass.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 4:51pm PDT

Violent, extremist movements have continued to build around the world, and diplomacy and military power have failed to stem the tide. Why have the past responses to these crises fallen short? Steven Koltai argues that terrorist groups are fueled less by ideology, and more by a lack of attractive economic prospects for the young men who join the fray. If joblessness is an important root cause of extremist movements, then good jobs and economic growth may provide security where past responses have failed. Have traditional approaches to development adequately invested in entrepreneurship as a means of creating economic opportunities in the developing world? What lessons from the US startup culture can be translated to these volatile markets?

Steven Koltai's new book, "Peace through Entrepreneurship" builds a case for a renewed emphasis on entrepreneurship in US foreign policy.

Speaker Steven Koltai is an author and guest scholar at the Brookings Institution.

The conversation is moderated by Charles Slaughter, Founder and CEO, Living Goods.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/media-library/event/1634

Direct download: 09_27_16_Steven_Koltai.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 12:41pm PDT

Fred Hochberg, Chairman and President of the Export-Import bank of the US, makes the case that the US is leading the way in a globalized economy. By focusing 90% of the bank’s attention on small businesses, Hochberg argues that his bank is creating greater opportunity while reducing risk. In contrast, Rana Foroohar, Assistant Managing Editor at TIME, sees a murkier future.  According to Foroohar what few of us realize is how the misguided financial practices and philosophies that nearly toppled the global financial system in 2008 have come to infiltrate all American businesses, putting us on a collision course for another cataclysmic meltdown.

Direct download: 01_23_17_Hochberg_Foroohar.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 10:44am PDT

This week, World Affairs CEO Jane Wales is in conversation with Senator George Mitchell, former Senate Majority Leader and Special Envoy for Middle East Peace and Alon Sachar, lawyer and former advisor to Senator Mitchell. The two recently co-authored the book, “A Path to Peace: A Brief History of Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations and a Way Forward in the Middle East.”  As a new administration takes over, are there new avenues for diplomatic solutions in the Middle East?

Direct download: 01_16_17_George_Mitchell.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 2:15pm PDT

In this special episode, we feature two conversations from WorldAffairs 2016.

In the first half of the program, Stanford's Larry Diamond and Francis Fukuyama discuss whether global democracy is in crisis.

In the second half of the program, Frances Burwell and Holger Stark talk about the rise of Right-leaning populism in Europe and the United States.

For more information on conversations from WorldAffairs 2016, please visit: https://www.worldaffairs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=792

Direct download: 01_09_17_Rise_Right_Diamond_Fukuyama.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 6:13pm PDT

All around us, we see intractable challenges - problems which have defied solutions for years, even decades: Immigration reform, economic stagnation, inequality, political gridlock, corruption, civil war and terrorism. These are the issues elections are fought over, and it has become commonplace to conclude there are no solutions.

Jonathan Tepperman, Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs magazine, has traveled the world conducting more than 100 interviews, and he has reached a different conclusion: The solutions are out there. As he explains in his recent book, "The Fix: How Nations Survive and Thrive in a World in Decline," innovative approaches have been tried and tested, in democracies near and far, which may offer hope and hold insights for policy responses in the United States.

Is there cause for optimism? If tried and tested policy solutions are available around us, why do the solutions appear to spread so much more slowly than the problems themselves? How does a news culture which overlooks positive stories affect our determination and focus to pursue these solutions? Among a sea of cynics, is there a data-driven case for optimism today?

Speaker Jonathan Tepperman is Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs.

The discussion is moderated by Annie Maxwell, President of the Skoll Global Threats Fund.

For more information about this event please visit: http://www.worldaffairs.org/event-calendar/event/1643

Direct download: 10_13_16_Jonathan_Tepperman.mp3
Category:News & Politics -- posted at: 8:37am PDT

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