Global Dispatches -- Conversations On Foreign Policy And World Affairs

There is a global development pileup on the horizon. In 2024 and 2025, about a dozen funding pools that support global development and global health are due for replenishment. These replenishments are essentially fundraisers for entities like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), and the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), among many, many others. A new report from the Center for Global Development warns that these fundraisers may all be competing with each other for similar pools of money—and doing so at a time of contracting foreign aid budgets and pivotal elections in key donor countries. One of the authors of that report, Clemence Landers, joins me for a conversation about the causes and consequences of a potential replenishment traffic jam. We kick off discussing what we mean by a "replenishment" in Global Development speak. Clemence Landers also makes the point that of these fundraisers, the World Bank’s

On January 28th, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger jointly announced they were leaving the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS. This is a regional economic and political union of most countries in West africa. Citizens enjoy free movement across borders of ECOWAS member states and many of its members share the same currency.  ECOWAS also seeks to uphold democratic norms, and each of these three countries are led by military juntas. Now, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are setting up rival entity, called the Alliance of Sahel States.  Joining me to discuss the significance of this joint decision to exit ECOWAS is Ornella Moderan, a researcher and practitioner who's been working in the Sahel and West Africa for nearly 15 years. She is currently a Research Fellow with the Netherlands-based Clingendael Institute. We kick off discussing the role of ECOWAS in West Africa, particularly the important,albeit imperfect, ways it seeks to uphold democracy in the region. She then explains why these countries left EC

Last week, the United States Senate passed a foreign aid bill that included about $60 billion for Ukraine's defense. The vote was overwhelmingly bi-partisan, but the ultimate fate of continued American aid for Ukraine now depends on action in the House of Representatives, where the outcome is unknown. Mounting uncertainty around America's commitment to Ukraine's defense comes at the two year anniversary of Russia's invasion. The apparent wavering today is a far cry from the overwhelmingly broad support for Ukraine in the early days of the war. So how did we get to this point? And how might the passage or not of a spending bill to support Ukraine impact the trajectory of the war and the transatlantic alliance that has emerged in Ukraine's defense? Joining me to discuss these questions and more is Peter Van Praagh, President of HFX, a Washington, DC based organization that convenes the Halifax International Security Forum. We kick off discussing the action in the United States Congress before having a broader c

Indonesia is the third largest democracy in the world, and on February 14th national elections were held including to replace the extremely popular outgoing president Joko Widodo. The current defense minister Prabowo Subianto won those elections and will be Indonesia's next president. He's a controversial figure who has been credibly accused of human rights abuses during Indonesia's long Suharto dicatorship. He was also a former rival of Joko Widodo, but received the popular president's backing while tapping the president's son as to run as his presidential nominee.  Indonesia is a massive democracy in an increasingly stragegic region. So what does Prabowo Subianto's election mean for Indonesia's foreign policy, its relationship to the United States and China, and for broader global trends like climate change? To answer these questions and more I speak with Prashanth Prashanth Parameswaran, a fellow at the Wilson Center and Founder of the Asean Wonk Newsletter. We kick off discussing Prabowo's background befo

2024 is an important year for African democracy. At least 19 national elections scheduled to take place this year. Not all of these elections will be free or fair-- let alone competetive. Some of these elections will serve to ensconce leaders for life like Rwanda's Paul Kagame. Others may serve to consolidate power following a coup. But genuine multi-party democracies like Ghana and South Africa are also headed to the polls in important elections.  Joining me to discuss key trends in African democracy and some of the highlights on the African electoral calendar in 2024 is Oge Onubogu, director of the Africa Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center. We kick off discussing Senegal, a once reliably stable democracy that has experienced significant backsliding and recently cancelled upcoming elections.  Disorder Podcast

To understand any country's foreign policy you need to understand domestic political dynamics. So what is driving Iranian decision making right now? Negar Mortazavi is a journalist, host of the Iran Podcast and senior fellow at the Center for International Policy. I reached out to her for this interview because it seems that lost in much commentary about the widening crisis in the middle east is a nuanced understanding of what is influencing Iranian policy and decision making. Our conversation focuses on Iranian domestic politics and how that is shaping the regime's response to the Gaza crisis and US strikes against Iran backed groups in the region. Disorder Podcast:  https://tr.ee/ksicr-3Wty

On January 25th, a milestone was reached in humanity's long fight against Malaria. For the first time ever, a Malaria vaccine was included in a country's routine childhood vaccinations program. Cameroon rolled out a new Malaria vaccine for children and other countries will soon follow. This comes after years of successful trials in Kenya, Ghana and Malawi which demonstrated the vaccine to be safe and effective in preventing Malaria deaths among children.  Joining me to put this milestone in context is Margaret McDonnell, Executive Director of United to Beat Malaria, a global grassroots campaign of the United Nations Foundation. We kick off discussing the burden of Malaria around the world and have a broader conversation about how this new vaccine fits into global efforts to rid humanity of Malaria.

On January 15, Kim Jong Un formally declared South Korea to be an enemy state. This is significant for the fact that since the end of the Korean War, the line from Pyongyang was more or less that South Korea was like a wayward relative and would ultimately be reunified with the North. But now, according to Kim and changes he's enacting to the North Korean constitution, the state of South Korea is Enemy Number 1. This policy shift comes amidst several geopolitical trends that combined suggests to some longtime North Korea watchers that Kim is readying for war.  On the line with me to explain the significance of this official change in North Korea's policy towards South Korea, why this change is happening now, and what can be done to deter of constrain Kim Jong Un, is Sue Mi Terry. She is a former CIA analyst, long time North Korea expert and producer of the new documentary about North Korea called Beyond Utopia, which was just nominated for a BAFTA for best documentary. Read Sue Mi Terry in Foreign Affairs 

The United Nations is hosting the Summit of the Future in September during the annual opening the UN General Assembly. If all goes according to plan, world leaders will endorse a so-called "Pact for the Future" that will serve as a vehicle for enacting meaningful reforms to the United Nations. In late January, negotiations began in earnest over what will be included in that pact.  My guest today Dan Perell has been following this process closely. He serves as a representative for the Baha'i International Community's United Nations Office. We kick off discussing why the Secretary General is so invested in the Summit of the Future and its potential to encourage key reforms to the United Nations. We also discuss what role civil society organizations like the Bahai International Community can play in helping ensure a successful Summit of the Future. This episode is produced in partnership with the Baha’i International Community, an NGO that represents the worldwide Baha’i community at the UN and other internation

The UN has not declared a famine in gaza--not yet at least. But the World Food Program has said there are "pockets of famine" in Gaza. In December, the UN released its most comprehensive assessment of food security in Gaza and estimated that over half a million people are facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity inside Gaza. For comparison's sake, in the entire rest of the world there are an estimated 129,000 people facing similarly catastrophic levels of food insecurity. My guest today, Tjada D’Oyen McKenna is the CEO of Mercy Corps, a large international humanitarian NGO that has long had a presence in Gaza. We discuss the food security landscape and prospect of famine, and then have an in depth discussion about the complex process of getting even limited humanitarian aid into Gaza.  

Climate change is impacting the migratory patterns of fish around the world. And in some cases, the changing location of fish stocks is heightening the risk of armed conflict. My guest today, Johan Bergenas, is Senior Vice President for Oceans at the World Wildlife Fund. Late last year, the World Wildlife Fund launched a platform called Oceans Futures to collect data on climate change and fisheries models and provide early warning of potential hostposts where fisheries might cause conflict. There has been a surge in conflict over fish over the last forty years, and this model seeks to help policy makers understand where such conflict might erupt, and how to prevent the outbreak of conflict over fisheries. In our conversation, Johan Bergenas explains where we can expect conflict over fish in the near and long term. 

On Tuesday January 16th, Iran launched airstrikes in Pakistan targeting a terrorist group it claimed carried out attacks in Iran. Two days later, Pakistan responded with its own strikes in Iranian territory, targeting a separatist group that has carried out attacks against Pakistan.  These attacks were notable for both their scale--these were major missile and drone strikes --  and for the fact that Iran and Pakistan otherwise have normal, stable and even cordial diplomatic relations. These are not hostile neighbors, yet in the course of one week they conducted military strikes on each others' territory. These hostilities come amid escalating instability throughout the broader middle east. My guest today Michael Kugelman is Director of the South Asia Institute at the Wilson Center. We kick off discussing Pakistani-Iranian relations and why this episode is such a departure from normal. Michael Kugelman explains how this flare up is influenced by the fraught situation in the Middle East, and offers some insight

Taiwan held elections for President and the Legislature on January 13. These elections were highly anticipated for the fact that the leading candidates have differing views on how to manage Taiwan's relationship with China. The current vice President, Lai Ching-te of the Democratic Progressive Party won the elections and is considered to be more pro-west, pro-independence, and skeptical of China.  My guest today, Kharis Templeman, spent the last several weeks in Taiwan leading up to the vote. He explains the results, including the fact that while the DPP candidate Lai Ching-te won the presidency, the DPP does not have a majority in the legislature. We discuss the significance  of this split government and what Lai ching-te's presidency means for cross strait relations with China. Kharis Templeman is Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution and the manager of the Project on Taiwan in the Indo-Pacific Region. He is also a Lecturer at the Center for East Asian Studies at Stanford University.  

Since mid-November, the de-facto authorities in most of Yemen, the Houthis, have launched dozens of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis say they are doing this in response to Israel's war in Gaza and these attacks have severely disrupted a key global shipping lane. The United States and the United Kingdom have launched missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation, and to deter future attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.  My guest today, Gregory D. Johnsen, is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. He is currently the associate director of the Institute for Future Conflict at the U.S. Air Force Academy. He is a longtime Yemen watcher who served on the UN Security Council's Panel of Experts on Yemen.  We kick off with a brief background on the Houthis and their role in Yemen's civil wars. We spend most of this conversation discussing the motivation behind the Houthi attacks and why airstrikes are not likely to deter future Houthi attacks in th

As I'm recording this, Antony Blinken is on a whirlwind trip to at least eight countries in the Middle East and Mediterranean region. This flurry of diplomatic activity comes in the wake of worrying signs that the conflict in Israel and Gaza may spread throughout the region. The Houthis have mounted a series of attacks on commercial shipping off the coast of Yemen in the red sea. Meanwhile, Israel has targeted a senior Hamas and a senior Hezobollah leader with missile strikes in Lebanon. The risk of widespread regional escalation is suddenly very acute, according to my guest today Natan Sachs, the director of the Center for Middle East Policy and a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy Program at Brookings. We kick off discussing Antony Blinken's trip and what he hopes to accomplish. And this includes planning for a post-Hamas political order in Gaza. And here, Natan Sachs explains, there is significant differences between the preferences of the Biden administration and Netanyahu -- and deep divisions within I

Yaroslav Trofimov is the chief foreign affairs correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and author of the new book "Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence."  Yaroslav Trofimov is a veteran journalist who has covered conflicts around the world. He also happens to have been born and raised in Ukraine. In the book, he offers a first-hand account of the war, and really explains the conflict from a Ukrainian perspective. We spoke amid news of a major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia, so I kick off asking him about the significance of prisoner exchanges and what it means, if anything, for the trajectory of the conflict. We also discuss the recent major missile barrage on Kyiv, which was the largest single attack since the start of the war, and Ukraine's response.  Much of our conversation focuses on some of the trends to follow in 2024, particularly as there is serious doubt about whether or not the United States Congress can pass a funding bill to support Ukraine'

As we enter 2024, the conflict in Sudan is shaping up to be one of the worst crises in the world. Nearly 7 million people have been displaced, hunger is widespread and a hallmark of this civil war has been ethnic cleansing that may have crossed the threshold to genocide. Despite being a calamitous catastrophe, Sudan has not received much media attention, nor sustained high level engagement by policy makers, particularly in the West.  To begin 2024, I am bringing you my conversation with Kholood Khair, the founder and managing director of Confluence Advisory, a think and do tank formerly based in Khartoum. We kick off discussing her analysis of why conflict broke out in April between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. We then discuss how this conflict evolved to the point where the Rapid Support Forces appear to very much have the upper hand and why international diplomacy has thus far failed to end this civil war.   

Ten years ago the podcast industry was in its infancy and the format of Global Dispatches was a bit different than it is today. I would sit down with people who had interesting lives or careers in international affairs and interview them about their life and career, with digressions about the historic foreign policy moments in which their or career intersected. I did around 200 of these longform biographical interviews over the first several years of the podcast. These interviews are mostly behind a paywall at this point, and unlocked for paying subscribers via Apple Podcasts or Spotify. For today, I wanted to bring everyone my 2016 conversation with Clarissa Ward, CNN's Chief International Correspondent. At the time, Clarissa Ward had recently snuck into rebel held territory in Syria.  We kick off with a conversation about the mechanics of sneaking into a conflict zone and the risks that war reporting entails. We then have a long conversation about how and why she became a journalist, including her

A few months ago, I attended one of the more interesting dinners of my life. Partly, it was the conversation: the venue was the Council on Foreign Relations. But mostly, it was the menu. The dishes served were of ingredients that are going extinct. Sam Kass curated the menu for this “Dinner of Extinction.” He was the White House chef for the Obamas and now works at the intersection of climate sustainability and food systems — and take it from me, also cooks a great meal. I caught up with Sam Kass again for a wide ranging conversation about foods that are going extinct. He discusses in detail the ways in which climate change is imperiling everything from Snow Crabs to the peaches he served atop the burrata, to coffee and wine.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is holding national elections on December 20th. The DRC is a massive country, with some 100 million people. It is also one of the most resource-rich countries on the planet, particularly the kinds of metals required in consumer electronics and in the batteries used in electric vehicles. Needless to say, the politics of the DRC are an issue of global importance. Incumbent Felix Tshisekedi is seeking re-election, five years after the DRC's first peaceful transfer of power since the 1960s. However, there are serious doubts that this election will be free or fair; meanwhile in the Eastern part of the country an ongoing conflict may prevent millions of people from casting their votes.  I'm joined today by Zaynab Hoosen, a political economist at Oxford Economics Africa in Capetown.  We discuss the major candidates and several of the key issues that are dominating the debate as Congolese head to the polls.