Podcasts

This is the third episode of our 3-part series on the rebuilding of that social contract from three distinct perspectives: that of the people, that of the corporate sector, and that of government. Governments are accused of letting the social safety net disintegrate for the many while facilitating vast economic gains for the few. An ever-expanding wealth gap has reinforced these views. Jason Furman, economics professor at Harvard, and Gillian Tett, US managing editor for the Financial Times, discuss what role governments can play in forging solutions...

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This is the second episode of our 3-part series on the rebuilding of that social contract from three distinct perspectives: that of the people, that of the corporate sector, and that of government. This first episode is from the people’s perspective. Since deregulation in the 1980’s, the only stakeholder that has mattered to business is the shareholder. Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B-Lab, and Colin Mayer, professor at Oxford University and author of “Prosperity: Better Businesses Makes The Greater Good,” discuss why the corporate culture may be...

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While globalization has lifted millions out of poverty, the geopolitical forces that drove it have largely left the middle class behind. There is a growing sense that the social contract established after WWII is broken. This week and for the following 2 weeks, we’re featuring a 3-part series on the rebuilding of that social contract from three distinct perspectives: that of the people, that of the corporate sector, and that of government. This first episode is from the people’s perspective. What forces caused the social contract to break and more importantly, what can citizens do to rebuild it? Tom Nichols, professor at the Naval War College and author of The Death of Expertise, and Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, discuss...

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Amaryllis Fox, a former clandestine officer recruited by the CIA for an algorithm she developed to predict terrorist activity, shares her experiences while deep undercover.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Thursday, December 12, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Angela Stent, Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings Institution and Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies at Georgetown University, and Jill Dougherty, SFS Centennial Fellow at Georgetown University, Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, and CNN Contributor.

Putin's World: Russia Against the West and With the Rest

We all now live in a paranoid and polarized world of Putin's making, and the Russian leader, through guile and disruption, has resurrected Russia's status as a force to be reckoned with. Stent helps Americans understand how and why the post-Cold War era has given way to a new, more dangerous world, one in which Russia poses a challenge to the U.S. in every corner of the globe -- and one in which Russia has become a toxic and divisive subject in U.S. politics. Join WACA for a conversation with Angela Stent and Jill Dougherty about Russia's role on the global stage.

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In May 2018, President Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions against Tehran. Iran responded by restarting elements of its nuclear program and sponsoring militant attacks against US interests and allies in the Middle East. Trump claims he will keep the pressure on until Iran agrees to a better nuclear deal, while Iranian leaders insist they will not negotiate under duress. Colin Kahl, Steven C. Házy senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies' Center for International Security and Cooperation and former national security advisor to the vice president of the United States, speaks with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales about Trump's Iran strategy and how it risks igniting war with the...

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Globally, social media is playing an increasingly important role in politics. Not only does it determine our political discussions, it has transformed the way politicians communicate with both the public and each other. On this week’s episode, we’re discussing leadership and governance in 280 characters or less with Matthias Lüfkens, founder of Twiplomacy, and Charlie Warzel, op-ed journalist for The New York Times. They're in conversation with Markos Kounalakis, World Affairs co-host and visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution about the changed nature of political communication in the age of social media.

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Protests are rocking the world everyday, with over 25 different countries experiencing citizens out on the streets in the past few months. The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire staff explores some of these protests and what commonalities are driving them. The Council also speaks with Lt. Col. Matthew Butler of the Air Force Warfighting Capability Integration about what the future of the Air Force is and what challenges they are preparing for. More information about this unit can be found at: https://www.afwic.af.mil

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Protesters have flooded downtown Hong Kong over the last six months, winning concessions and even adding to their demands. Experts say protests like these have proliferated around the world in recent years. But can they lead to lasting change? On this week’s episode of World Affairs, Richard Youngs, Senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and the author of “Civic Activism Unleashed: New Hope or False Dawn for Democracy?,” discusses what the explosion of civic activism says about the state of citizen discontent with Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Thursday, November 21, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Marina and David Ottaway, Middle East Fellows at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

A Tale of Four Worlds: The Arab Region After the Uprisings

First came the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire following World War I; then, in the 1950s and '60s, the Nasser-inspired wave of Arab nationalism and socialism. The Arab world's third great political cataclysm of the past 100 years has also brought permanent changes, but not as its activists had hoped: the 2011 uprisings. Their consequences have differed greatly from area to area, splintering the Arab region into four different worlds. Join Marina and David Ottaway as they discuss the profound upheavals that have shaken - and continue to transform - Arab and global politics.

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Samantha Power, the 28th United States Ambassador to the United Nations (2013 to 2017), discusses her experiences promoting international diplomacy while serving with President Barack Obama.

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Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world. By 2050, it will have a population greater than China and up to a quarter of the world’s workforce. Governments and businesses from all over the world are scrambling to have a strong footing in Africa by strengthening ties and making investments. In this week’s episode, we’ll consider what countries – from within and outside Africa – stand to gain the most and more critically, how Africans might actually benefit from this investment. Amaka Anku, head of the Africa practice at Eurasia Group, Alex Vines discuss the promise of Africa: how foreign investment affects self-sufficiency.

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Historian Hampton Sides delves into the epic autumn 1950 battle at “Frozen Chosin,” where thousands perished when Chinese troops trapped UN and U.S. troops near the Chinese border in North Korea.

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Susan Rice worked for the U.S. State Department during some of the most challenging periods this country has ever faced, from Black Hawk Down in Somalia to the Iran Nuclear Deal. In her new book, “Tough Love, My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For,” she describes the family struggles, ancestral legacies, and personal experiences that led her to the White House and the United Nations. Susan Rice joins Jane Wales, Vice President at The Aspen Institute, to share her experiences, and offer her perspectives on today’s foreign policy challenges.

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Brigadier General Robert Spalding discusses the growing power of China in “Stealth War.”

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The withdrawal of US troops from northern Syria has had grave repercussions for the security and stability of the entire region. The Turkish military has invaded northern Syria, killing dozens of Kurdish civilians, and forcing over 200,000 Kurds to flee. In the absence of US troops, Russian and Syrian troops have rushed in to fill the power vacuum. Meanwhile, hundreds of ISIS fighters have escaped detention. Brett McGurk, distinguished lecturer at Stanford University and former special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and David Phillips, director of peace-building and rights at Columbia University and former senior advisor to the U.S. Department of State, make sense of the cascading impacts with World Affairs co-host Ray Suarez.

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The Council is back and are looking at interesting stories of international issues and New Hampshire. This episode takes on the challenges facing the Kurds in Northern Syria in the wake of the removal of U.S. support. Speaking with Dr. Melinda Negrón-Gonzales about the history of the conflict between the Kurds and Turkey. We also meet with the Freedom Cafe, in Durham, to talk about how an IVLP visit lead to a partnership with a NGO in India.

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Richard Stengel, managing editor of Time Magazine (2006-2013) and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs(2013-2016), discusses the finer point of the global battle against disinformation.

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At the age of 22, Amaryllis Fox became one of the CIA’s youngest female officers. After training, she was deployed as a spy, under non-official cover, working throughout the Middle East to stop acts of extreme terrorism, and the illegal sale of arms and explosives. Fox joins KQED's Mina Kim to share her story of life undercover and talk about her new career working to promote peace around the world.

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The legacy of the Cold War still has a lasting effect on diplomacy today. Philip Zelikow, co-author of “To Build a Better World” with Condoleezza Rice, discusses pivotal events that ultimately led to global peace.

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Escalating tensions between the U.S. and China, driven by an ongoing trade war, technological competition and unrest in Hong Kong, may have long-term consequences for both countries along with the entire global economy. David Lampton, fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute at Stanford University and director of China Studies at Johns Hopkins University, joins World Affairs co-host Markos Kounalakis to discuss how Beijing and Washington could diffuse the disruptive tensions of this growing rivalry.

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Former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Josh Campbell talks to Jim Falk about his role in the investigation that led to the Mueller report.

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Every minute, an estimated one million dollars of public money is funneled toward farm subsidies around the world. Critics say these payouts pervert the economies of supply and demand, hide the true cost of foods, and harm the health of both us, and the planet. Jeremy Oppenheim, founder and managing partner of SYSTEMIQ, and Dr. Ann Thrupp, director of the California Food Is Medicine Coalition and founder of Down-to-Earth Innovations, join World Affairs co-host Ray Suarez to discuss how subsidies impact food production around the world and how they might be redirected to sustainably feed a growing planet.

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While the US has moved away from the term “colony,” the legacy of its colonial rule endures. In this week’s episode, World Affairs is talking about America’s covert history of expansion and how that has impacted the people who live in those places. Daniel Immerwahr, professor of history at Northwestern University and author of the book, How to Hide an Empire, A History of the Greater United States, and Ed Morales, journalist and author of the new book, Fantasy Island: Colonialism, Exploitation, and the Betrayal of Puerto Rico, join World Affairs co-host Ray Suarez to discuss how Puerto Rico and other American territories navigate their complicated national identities.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Wednesday, October 9, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Hope Harrison, Associate Professor of History and International Affairs, The George Washington University.

After the Berlin Wall: Memory and the Making of the New Germany, 1989 to the Present

The history and meaning of the Berlin Wall remain controversial, even three decades after its fall. Drawing on an extensive range of archival sources and interviews, this book profiles key memory activists who have fought to commemorate the history of the Berlin Wall and examines their role in the creation of a new German national narrative. This revelatory work also traces how global memory of the Wall has impacted German memory policy, and it depicts the power and fragility of state-backed memory projects, and the potential of such projects to reconcile or divide.

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Could the next World War be started over a bunch of uninhabited islands? The Brookings Institution’s Michael O'Hanlon discusses the growing geopolitical impact of trigger points in “The Senkaku Paradox.”

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The intelligence community is deeply invested in shades of truth and untruth, the known and the unknown. It has inspired generations of writers and moviemakers and we can’t seem to get enough details about this ancient art. Lea Carpenter is the author of “Red, White and Blue” and “Eleven Days.” She is a contributing editor at Esquire and wrote the screenplay for Mile 22, a film about the CIA’s Special Activities Division.

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What started in June as protests against a controversial extradition law has grown into something much larger and more formidable. On this week’s episode of World Affairs, David Rennie, columnist for the Economist, Illaria Maria Sala, a freelance journalist based in Hong Kong, and a Chinese reporter who has asked to remain anonymous join World Affairs co-host Ray Suarez to discuss what the protests mean for Hong Kong, China, and the pro-democracy movement.

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During this episode, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire talks with Chase Sova of the World Food Program, USA about tackling global hunger and how his organization is working to support these efforts. The Council also meet two alumni of the Global Education Movement at Southern New Hampshire University to hear about this program and how it changed their lives. This program works to educate displaced people, so they can reach their full potential, despite their circumstances.

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Jim Mattis, a retired United States Marine Corps general and 26th United States Secretary of Defense, shares leadership lessons he learned on the battlefield.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Wednesday, September 25, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring former Chairman of the Federal Communication Commission Tom Wheeler, Visiting Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution.

From Gutenberg to Google: The History of Our Future

Network revolutions of the past have shaped the present and set the stage for the revolution we are experiencing today. In this fascinating book, former FCC chairman Tom Wheeler puts past revolutions into the perspective of today, when rapid-fire changes in networking are upending the nature of work, personal privacy, education, the media, and nearly every other aspect of modern life. Outlining “What’s Next,” he describes how artificial intelligence, virtual reality, blockchain, and the need for cybersecurity are laying the foundation for a third network revolution.

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Democracy is in retreat worldwide. In his new book, "Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency," Larry Diamond argues that we are at a pivotal point where a new era of tyranny could upend the established order of liberal democracy. On this week’s episode, Diamond, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins World Affairs co-host Markos Kounalakis to discuss what it will take to save American democratic values abroad.

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American journalist and biographer Susan Page discusses Barbara Bush’s never-before-seen private diaries. What role did she play in advising her husband and son during their presidencies? Which other First Lady did Barbara butt heads with?

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call on Thursday, September 19, at 3:00-3:30 PM ET, featuring Oussama Romdhani, Editor in Chief of The Arab Weekly and former Tunisian Communications Minister.

On Sunday, September 15, Tunisians will go to the polls to elect their next president - a vote that will have regional and international implications. Considering the unsettled situations in Libya and Algeria, the success or failure of Tunisia's third democratic contest since the 2011 uprising could have a bearing on regional stability. Join WACA for a conversation with Oussama Romdhani and WAC Dallas/Fort Worth President & CEO Jim Falk about why the Tunisian elections matter and how the new Tunisian president can ensure the future stability and economic recovery of Tunisia. 

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Senator Ted Cruz discusses American foreign policy and lends listeners as little of his in-depth knowledge of the Constitution.

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A burning Amazon rainforest. Thinning ice sheets. Sea level rise. Wildfires in California. Thawing Arctic permafrost. It’s no surprise that many of us have anxiety about our planet’s future. The mental health impacts of climate change are increasing distress about the future while intensifying the trauma of natural disasters already happening. On this week’s episode of World Affairs, Caroline Hickman, Executive Committee member of the Climate Psychology Alliance and teaching fellow at the University of Bath joins World Affairs co-host Ray Suarez to discuss eco-anxiety in the age of climate change.

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After 30 years of chasing Soviet KGB secrets and jumping out of moving cars for the CIA, Jim Olson now shares his adventures with the world through his books. Olson was Directorate of Operations during his time at the CIA and mostly served overseas in clandestine operations. Currently a professor of practice at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, he is also the author of “Fair Play: the Moral Dilemma of Spying.” In his new book “To Catch a Spy,” Olson offers the American people a warning that our response to foreign espionage needs to be stronger and a guide for how our country can protect its national security and trade secrets.

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By 2030, up to 800 million global workers may lose their jobs to automation. Technological advancement in an ever-globalized economy is changing both service-sector and professional jobs at a staggering pace. How can governments help workers remain vital to the global economy? Richard Baldwin, author of the new book, The Globotics Upheaval: Globalization, Robotics, and the Future of Work, is in conversation with World Affairs co-host Markos Kounalakis.

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With Cyber-conflict on the rise, as well as global terrorism, we speak with Senator Maggie Hassan about her work on the Senate Homeland Security Committee to help protect the US against these types of attacks. We also talk with the Founding Dean of the School of Global Learning at SNHU to discuss the vision for a more globalized campus, right here in Manchester, NH.

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While the Islamic State no longer has any territory in the Middle East, its ability to recruit soldiers and engage in violence remains. In fact, its newly decentralized nature may make it even more effective in carrying out terrorist attacks. On this week's episode, Ali Soufan, former FBI special agent and author of “The Anatomy of Terror: From the Death of Bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State,” and Robin Wright, contributing writer to The New Yorker and fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, discuss the future of ISIS and the fate of tens of thousands of captured fighters, and their families with World Affairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Thursday, August 22, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence Jim Olson, Professor of the Practice, Texas A&M University.

To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence

The United States is losing the counterintelligence war. Foreign intelligence services, particularly those of China, Russia, and Cuba, are recruiting spies in our midst and stealing our secrets and cutting-edge technologies. In To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence, Olson offers a wake-up call for the American public and also a guide for how our country can do a better job of protecting its national security and trade secrets. Join Mr. Olson and WAC Dallas/Fort Worth President and CEO Jim Falk as they discuss Olson's recent book: To Catch a Spy: The Art of Counterintelligence.

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Today’s elites are some of the more socially concerned individuals in history. But do their philanthropic missions really make a difference, or do they perpetuate the system of inequality they’ve profited from? Anand Giridharadas, author of the new book “Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World,” talks with Markos Kounalakis, visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, about how philanthropists are preserving the very structures at the root of societal inequity.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call on Tuesday, August 13, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Dean C. Alexander, Director of the Homeland Security Research Program and Professor of Homeland Security at the School of Law Enforcement and Justice Administration at Western Illinois University.

Family affiliated terrorism, from the role of patriarchs to ISIS brides, poses significant and long lasting security threats to the international community. Author of several books on the subject, Professor Alexander is an expert on the issues surrounding global terrorism and the ways to combat these threats both foreign and domestic. Join WACA for a conversation with Prof. Alexander and former Peoria WAC President and WACA National Board Member Don Samford about the implications of family terror networks and countering international political violence.

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In the modern age of Facebook, Google, and smart devices, most of us are under 24-hour surveillance. These data points are collected by large tech companies and are in turn sold to and used by governments and businesses alike to influence our behavior. On this week’s episode, Dr. Shoshana Zuboff discusses her new book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, which explores what can be done to protect democracy and free thought against these new threats. She is in conversation with Jim Fruchterman, founder and CEO of Tech Matters.

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The protests in Hong Kong have continued to escalate and show no signs of slowing down, without changes to the government. The World Affairs Council of New Hampshire speaks with Professor Chris Reardon, of the University of New Hampshire, about these protests, what they are looking to accomplish, and how the Chinese government is likely to respond. The Council also sits down with the US Commercial Service and the Office of International Commerce to talk about the impact that international trade has on the state of New Hampshire.

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In May 2018, President Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed crippling economic sanctions against Tehran. Iran responded by restarting elements of its nuclear program and sponsoring militant attacks against US interests and allies in the Middle East. Colin Kahl, Steven C. Házy Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies' Center for International Security and Cooperation and former National Security Advisor to the Vice President of the United States, speaks with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales about Trump's Iran strategy and how it risks igniting war.

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Register now for WACA's Cover to Cover conference call on Wednesday, July 24, at 9:00-9:30 AM ET, featuring Anna Fifield, Beijing Bureau Chief at The Washington Post.

The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Kim Jong Un

The behind-the-scenes story of the rise and reign of the world’s strangest and most elusive tyrant, Kim Jong Un, by the journalist with the best connections and insights into the bizarrely dangerous world of North Korea. Anna Fifield reconstructs Kim’s past and present with exclusive access to sources near him and brings her unique understanding to explain the dynastic mission of the Kim family in North Korea. The archaic notion of despotic family rule matches the almost medieval hardship the country has suffered under the Kims. Few people thought that a young, untested, unhealthy, Swiss-educated basketball fanatic could hold together a country that should have fallen apart years ago. 

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Multiple places which were once engulfed in violence and instability have recovered and have since formed stable democracies. Rachel Kleinfeld, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and author of  "A Savage Order: How the World’s Deadliest Countries Can Forge a Path to Security", joins Markos Kounalakis, World Affairs co-host and visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, in conversation about how violent and weak states transform into stable ones.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call on Tuesday, July 16, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Dr. Mehdi Noorbaksh, Vice President of the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg.

Iran has resumed enrichment of uranium and the U.S. has blamed Iran for attacking an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman. Many worry current tensions could escalate, leading to a wider conflagration in the region. Join Dr. Noorbaksh and WAC Harrisburg President and CEO Joyce Davis as they discuss the current state of U.S.-Iran relations and the potential impact of increasing belligerence between the countries.

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Facebook’s recent announcement that it would be launching Libra, its own blockchain cryptocurrency, in 2020 has provoked a message of caution from regulators and central bankers around the world. Many worry that the social media giant's 2-billion-strong user base could allow it to upend the current global banking system, a system that depends on trust and transparency. Not exactly characteristics that come to mind with Facebook’s recent history. On this week’s episode, New York Times reporter Nathaniel Popper and Angela Walch, professor of law at St. Mary’s School of Law, discuss the future of money with World Affairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Global warming is causing the Arctic Circle to heat up twice as fast as the rest of the planet. A melting Arctic opens up both new opportunities but also new risks. A power play between rival nations — China, Russia and the US — has emerged, putting security at the forefront of strategic goals. On this week’s episode, Sherri Goodman, a Senior Fellow at the Wilson Center’s Polar Initiative, and Malte Humpert, Founder and Senior Fellow at the Arctic Institute, consider the geopolitical consequences of a rapidly melting Arctic with World Affairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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What role has leadership played in history's greatest achievements? General Stanley McChrystal served in the US Army for 34 years, and rose in rank to become four-star general in command of all American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. He joins World Affairs CEO Jane Wales in conversation about effective leadership in a world of waning American influence abroad.

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In the following episode, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire speaks with Dr. Jim Walsh of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology about the nuclear ambitions of Iran and North Korea, looking at the different challenges each nation poses to the US. The Council also takes the opportunity to sit down with Angelica Beltran Franco, a UNH Senior, to talk about her upcoming trip to Tanzania. She will be studying wildlife biology while there, thanks to a Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship.

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Since becoming the supreme leader of North Korea in 2011, Kim Jong-un has solidified his power base at home, clearing out his father’s top advisors, and expanding the nation’s nuclear program. While he’s often characterized by his odd behavior, he has successfully maintained domestic dictatorial rule while also exerting international pressure to establish state legitimacy. Anna Fifield, Beijing bureau chief for The Washington Post and author of “The Great Successor: The Divinely Perfect Destiny of Brilliant Comrade Jong Un”, talks with Markos Kounalakis, World Affairs co-host and visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, about how a better understanding of North Korea’s leader might lead to improved relations with the closed-off nation.

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Author: Sheila Smith, Senior Fellow for Japan Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations

Japan Rearmed: The Politics of Military Power

Japan has one of Asia’s most technologically advanced militaries and yet struggles to use its hard power as an instrument of national policy. The horrors of World War II continue to haunt policymakers in Tokyo, while China and South Korea remain wary of any military ambitions Japan may entertain. In Japan Rearmed Sheila Smith argues that Japan is not only responding to increasing threats from North Korean missiles and Chinese maritime activities but also reevaluating its dependence on the United States. No longer convinced that they can rely on Americans to defend Japan, Tokyo’s political leaders are now confronting the possibility that they may need to prepare the nation’s military for war.

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Around the world protests have proliferated in recent years, increasing in both intensity and frequency. Many movements have been created overnight, formed without leaders, or even any set of defined goals. And yet, they are transforming political and civic engagement and, in some cases, helping to strengthen democracy. But not all civic activism has been successful. On this week’s episode, Richard Youngs, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe and the author of “Civic Activism Unleashed: New Hope or False Dawn for Democracy?,” discusses how civic activism has changed over the years and what leads to lasting change with World Affairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Here the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire takes the time to sit down with two Foreign Service Officers to talk about their lives working for the State Department as a married couple, as well as talk about career opportunities for people interested in this work. The Council also takes the time to sit down with our Academic WorldQuest team from St. Thomas Aquinas who won the 2019 NH competition about their experiences in the program and what it is like to meet students from around the country at the national competition. They also share about how their interest in international relations has been piqued by competing in this program.

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Jim Falk, President of Global Ties U.S., and author of "Your Country, Our War: The Press And Diplomacy in Afghanistan," Katherine Brown discusses the power of the U.S. News Media to engage in informal diplomacy through their reporting.

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On this week's episode, Ali Soufan, former FBI special agent and author of “The Anatomy of Terror: From the Death of Bin Laden to the Rise of the Islamic State,” and Robin Wright, contributing writer to The New Yorker and fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, discuss the future of ISIS and the fate of tens of thousands of captured fighters and their families with World Affairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Farah Pandith, a world-leading expert and pioneer in countering violent extremism, draws on her visits to eighty countries, interviews with experts in a number of fields, and her experience in the Bush and Obama administrations as the world’s leading expert on countering violent extremism to explain her theory on how to inoculate communities against extremist ideologies with Jim Falk.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call on Thursday, June 6, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring Joe Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund (a global security foundation).

There is a high risk that someone will use, by accident or design, one or more of the 17,000 nuclear weapons in the world today. Many thought such threats ended with the Cold War, but they remain an ongoing nightmare. Author of the books Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It Is Too Late, Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons and Deadly Arsenals: Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Threats, Joe Cirincione is one of the leading experts in the country on U.S. nuclear weapons. Join Cirincione as he discusses the major nuclear weapons threats the world faces today and the debate over the best policies to counter them with Tennessee WAC's Patrick Ryan. 

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Rapid, sweeping changes in modern life are imposing new challenges upon society — but are also creating new opportunities. According to New York Times columnist Tom Friedman, these developments put a premium on “learning faster, and governing and operating smarter,” across the globe. He discusses the implications of this rapid transformational change for society with James Manyika, Chairman and Director of the McKinsey Global Institute.

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In this episode the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire sits down with New York Times National Security Correspondent, David Sanger, to talk about Cyber Warfare and Conflict. He was in New Hampshire to speak with at the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire's Global Forum and provided great insights into why this is so important. The Council also takes the opportunity to speak with Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett about the work of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice. Located in Concord, NH the Lantos Foundation provides support and recognition to Human Rights defenders around the world.

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President of the Middle East Institute, Paul Salem, discusses political change, transition, and conflict as well as the regional and international relations of the Middle East, with a special focus on recent changes in the U.S.-Iran relationship with Jim Falk.

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What role can diplomacy play in an era of global authoritarianism, nationalism, and populism? Ambassador William Burns retired from the US Foreign Service in 2014, after a 33-year diplomatic career. He is only the second serving career diplomat in history to become Deputy Secretary of State. He joins World Affairs CEO Jane Wales in conversation about effective American leadership in a world of waning American influence abroad.

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Allan Stam, the Dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, discusses his research on historical leaders and the trends they follow with Jim Falk.

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Governments are accused of letting the social safety net disintegrate for the many while facilitating vast economic gains for the few. An ever-expanding wealth gap has reinforced these views. Jason Furman, an economics professor at Harvard, and Gillian Tett, U.S. managing editor for the Financial Times, discuss what role governments can play in forging solutions with Ray Suarez.

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Since deregulation in the 1980’s, the only stakeholder that has mattered to business is the shareholder. Jay Coen Gilbert, Co-Founder of B Lab and Colin Mayer, Professor at Oxford University and author of the book "Prosperity: Better Business Makes the Greater Good" discuss the role of the business sector with Ray Suarez.

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CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett, author of "Mr. Trump's Wild Ride: The Thrills, Chills, Screams, and Occasional Blackouts of an Extraordinary Presidency," discusses fundamental changes in journalism as the result of recent administration changes, and what he believes the future has in the store for the ever-evolving profession with Jim Falk.

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AFTER THE ARCTIC ICE MELTS with the Honorable Fran Ulmer.

The Arctic has been warming almost twice as quickly as the rest of the planet and its effects can be felt worldwide. Research thus far shows the warming Arctic impacts weather patterns as far away as mid-latitude areas like California by weakening the jet stream. Colder water in the Pacific Northwest is becoming more acidic and unstable for farming shellfish, while melting permafrost and coastal erosion in Alaska is causing infrastructure collapse and loss of biodiversity. Join the World Affairs Councils of America's Lisa Falskow and former Lt. Gov and Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission Fran Ulmer for a conversation about the arctic, climate change, and the intersections of environmental science and policy.

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What forces caused the social contract to break and more importantly, what can citizens do to rebuild it? Tom Nichols, Professor at the Naval War College, and Ian Bremmer, President and Founder of the Eurasia Group and GZERO Media discuss the social contract's breakdown from the people's perspective with Ray Suarez.

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University of Texas Austin's Jeremi Suri, author of "The Impossible Presidency: The Rise and Fall of America's Highest Office," discusses the long-term ramifications of U.S. withdrawal from international treaties and agreements with Jim Falk.

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There is a wide consensus in liberal democracies around the world that the social contract is broken. How do we fix it? This Series Tease covers the series beginning on May 7th. This 3-part series explores the origins of the problem as well as solutions from the perspective of citizens, business and government.

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In this episode, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire speaks with two Dartmouth College professors. First, the Council hears from Professor Carey about the current situation in Venezuela and how that country began its decline into chaos. Also, the Council speaks with Professor Subrahmanian about cyber warfare and how technology can be used to predict terror attacks.

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American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks, author of "Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America From the Culture of Contempt," delves into how gratitude can bridge the increasing gap in American society caused by contempt with Jim Falk.

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In this week’s episode, we’re considering how President Vladimir Putin reinvigorated Russia's influence on the global stage and the potential impact of his future ambitions. Angela Stent, director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European studies at Georgetown University and author of the new book “Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and With the Rest,” discusses what Russian resurgence means for the world with World Affairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Author of "First: Sandra Day O'Connor" and Historian Evan Thomas delves into the interesting and often surprising life of the first female Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor with Jim Falk.

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Salman Ahmed, Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Edward Hill, Professor of Public Policy and Public Finance at Ohio State University, discuss how policymakers can make US foreign policy work better for Middle America’s middle class with World Affairs Co-Host Ray Suarez.

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Register now for WACA's KNOW NOW conference call on Thursday, April 18, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET, featuring documentary photographer Greg Constantine.

Photojournalism often succeeds where words fail. From powerful, iconic, and polarizing images, like Nick Ut's Vietnam-era "Napalm Girl" to three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi lying face down on a sandy beach in Turkey - these images tell stories with vivid urgency. Constantine, author of the Exiled to Nowhere book and exhibit, discusses the challenges and ethical implications of documenting war and atrocity with WorldOregon's Tim DuRoche.

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The New York Times’ Chief White House Correspondent Peter Baker, Co-Author of "Impeachment: An American History," gives an insider's perspective of what it's like to work in the White House Press Corps, as well as his personal experiences reporting on the impeachment trials of President Bill Clinton with Jim Falk.

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Lee Gelernt, Deputy Director of the ACLU's Immigrants' Rights Project, Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children, Marie Moreno, Principal of Las Americas Newcomer School, and Jonathan Ryan, President and CEO of RAICES, discuss the realities of what happens to migrants when they reach the border with Neal Keny-Guyer.

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Journalist and Author Beth Gardiner

Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution

Clean air feels like a birthright. But it can disappear in a puff of smoke if the rules that protect it are unraveled. At home and around the world, it’s never been more important to understand how progress happened and what dangers might still be in store. Choked shows us that we hold the power to build a cleaner, healthier future: one in which breathing, life’s most basic function, no longer carries a hidden danger.

Join our Cover to Cover conference call with Gardiner Wednesday, April 10, at 2:00-2:30 PM ET.

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Biographer, Historian, and Author of "Churchill: Walking With Destiny," Andrew Roberts delves into the life and times of one of the most recognizable personalities of WWII, Winston Churchill, with Jim Falk.

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On this week’s episode, World Affairs is discussing leadership and governance in 280 characters or less with Matthias Lüfkens, founder of Twiplomacy, and Charlie Warzel, op-ed journalist for The New York Times. They're in conversation with Markos Kounalakis, World Affairs co-host and visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution Marcus Kounalakis about the changed nature of political communication in the age of social media.

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Thomas Pickering - an esteemed diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Russia, India, El Salvador, Israel, Nigeria, and Jordan - shares his views on consistent diplomatic engagement and the best way to approach Iran in the wake of the dissolution of the nuclear arms agreement with Jim Falk.

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As a result of refusal to pay ransom to terrorists, a high number of American and British hostages have been killed. Should the US and Britain rethink their strategies? Joel Simon, author of the new book "We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages and Ransom," talks with Markos Kounalakis, World Affairs co-host and visiting fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution, about the conflicts and consequences in negotiating with terrorists and paying ransom.

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In this episode, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire explores the current state of Brexit, interview a Russian Journalist on a U.S. Department of State IVLP Exchange Program, and host a conversation with Brig. Gen. Donald Bolduc about his experiences in the Military overseas.

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How does America fit within the larger historical narrative of the rise and fall of world powers? Dr. Charles Edel, a Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre, draws on Greek history to caution Americans against forgetting the violence and tragedy of our past with Jim Falk.

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Join our discussion with Her Excellency Lolwah R M Al-Khater, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar.

Appointed by His Excellency Mohammad Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. Before her appointment as the Spokesperson, H.E. Lolwah joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Minister Plenipotentiary. She also served as the Director of Planning and Quality at Qatar Tourism Authority and as a Research Project Manager at Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development.

Her Excellency will provide an update on the U.S.-Qatar strategic dialogue and Qatar's foreign policy in a discussion with Bill Clifford.

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Stratfor's Fred Burton uncovers the details behind the abduction and murder of CIA Station Chief William Buckley at the hands of Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon in the 1980s, and how his abduction has shaped the Middle East to this day with Jim Falk.

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On this week’s episode, Dr. Shoshana Zuboff discusses her new book, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, which explores what can be done to protect democracy and free thought against these new threats. She is in conversation with Jim Fruchterman, founder and CEO of Tech Matters.

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Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Ambassador William J. Burns

The Back Channel

In The Back Channel, Burns recounts, with novelistic detail and incisive analysis, some of the seminal moments of his career. Drawing on a trove of newly declassified cables and memos, he gives readers a rare inside look at American diplomacy in action.

Ambassador Burns speaks with Bill Clifford on the topic of the renewal of U.S. Foreign Policy.

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Madeleine Albright shares her insight on the current state of American politics, its place in the greater historical context, and what we can learn from it with Jim Falk.

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While trade wars have been dominating headlines, globalization’s impact on labor has gone largely unnoticed. Global trade now favors more knowledge-intensive labor over low-cost, unskilled labor. How will this affect the future of work? Laura Tyson, distinguished professor and faculty director of the Institute for Business & Social Impact at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, and Susan Lund, partner and leader of the McKinsey Global Institute, discuss why globalized economies are in transition with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales.

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CFR’s James Lindsay, the author of The Empty Throne: America’s Abdication of Global Leadership, reviews President Trump’s strategy towards international diplomacy.

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In recent years, Hungary and Poland have become havens for alt-right movements that target human rights groups, feminists, and pro-immigration activists. But this rise of authoritarianism is not confined to Eastern Europe, and it has become a global phenomenon. In this week’s episode, we explore the forces fueling the erosion of democracies worldwide. Anna Grzymala-Busse, international studies professor at Stanford University andsenior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute, and Jason Wittenberg, political science professor at University of California, Berkeley, discuss the future of liberal democracies with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales.

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By 2030, up to 800 million global workers may lose their jobs to automation. Technological advancement in an ever-globalized economy is changing both service-sector and professional jobs at a staggering pace. How can governments help workers remain vital to the global economy? Richard Baldwin, author of the new book, The Globotics Upheaval: Globalization, Robotics, and the Future of Work, is in conversation with World Affairs co-host Markos Kounalakis.

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Christopher Sabatini, the editor of LatinGoesGlobal.com and Columbia University professor, discusses the tumultuous political environment in Venezuela that has created the greatest humanitarian crises in the Western Hemisphere.

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In this month's episode, you will hear from Dr. Melinda Negron-Gonzales about human rights and conflict in Turkey. You will also hear from Howard Brodsky about the power of cooperatives around the world to create a more equitable world. Finally, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire speaks with Katherine Brown about her upcoming presentation on how media coverage of Afghanistan has shaped people's understanding of the country and the war.

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Despite decades of autocratic rule, Saudi Arabia has historically been a close ally to the US. This has been especially true under the Trump administration, which saw the transition of power to Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, also known as MBS. Initially lauded as a social reformer, MBS’ international standing has since fallen as a result of arbitrary arrests, the proxy-war in Yemen, and the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Steven Cook, senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, joins World Affairs Co-host Ray Suarez to discuss whether the US should reassess its ties to the Kingdom’s ruler.

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This week, Laura Dawson and Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan give insight into the current state of the U.S. relations with Canada and Mexico.

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CFR's Thomas Bollyky delves into alarming and interesting trends in global health today, as well as their implications on the world as a whole.

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The three-month-old yellow vest movement in France is the largest protest the country has seen in decades. While protesters hail from diverse backgrounds, what they do share is a deep resentment towards both their government and their nation’s elites. And here the French are not alone. The Italian and British governments have also been feeling the backlash as yellow vest-inspired protests continue to spread. Does the yellow vest movement represent an inflection point for the future of Europe? Carnegie Europe’s Judy Dempsey and New York University’s Stephane Gerson share their insights with World Affairs Co-host Ray Suarez.

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This week, Daniel Krauthammer joins Jim Falk to discuss "The Point of It All," the final work of his late father, Charles Krauthammer.

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On January 23rd, millions of Venezuelans took to the streets in support of Juan Guiado, the president of the National Assembly, as he swore himself in as interim president. While Guiado has the support of many foreign governments, including the United States, President Nicolas Maduro insists that he is the rightful leader. How did Venezuela get to its current economic and political crisis? What happens next? Venezuelan columnist Moisés Naím discusses the future of the country with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales.

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Council on Foreign Relations' Thomas J. Bollyky 

Plagues and the Paradox of Progress: Why the World Is Getting Healthier in Worrisome Ways

Plagues and parasites have played a central role in world affairs, shaping the evolution of the modern state, the growth of cities, and the disparate fortunes of national economies. This book tells that story, but it is not about the resurgence of pestilence. It is the story of its decline. For the first time in recorded history, virus, bacteria, and other infectious diseases are not the leading cause of death or disability in any region of the world. People are living longer, and fewer mothers are giving birth to many children in the hopes that some might survive. And yet, the news is not all good. Recent reductions in infectious disease have not been accompanied by the same improvements in income, job opportunities, and governance that occurred with these changes in wealthier countries decades ago. There have also been unintended consequences. In this book, Thomas Bollyky explores the paradox in our fight against infectious disease: the world is getting healthier in ways that should make us worry.

Bollyky interweaves a grand historical narrative about the rise and fall of plagues in human societies with contemporary case studies of the consequences. Bollyky visits Dhaka—one of the most densely populated places on the planet—to show how low-cost health tools helped enable the phenomenon of poor world megacities. He visits China and Kenya to illustrate how dramatic declines in plagues have affected national economies. Bollyky traces the role of infectious disease in the migrations from Ireland before the potato famine and to Europe from Africa and elsewhere today.

Historic health achievements are remaking a world that is both worrisome and full of opportunities. Whether the peril or promise of that progress prevails, Bollyky explains, depends on what we do next.

Read more from Bollyky here:

Foreign Affairs: Health Without Wealth - The Worrying Paradox of Modern Medical Miracles 

Financial Times

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Ambassador Michael McFaul joins Global I.Q. Minute to discuss the current U.S.-Russia Relations and his own personal experiences as the United States Ambassador to Russia.

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As democracy declines around the globe and geopolitical competition grows, US sentiment increasingly appears to favor going it alone. But if we abandoned our long-term global commitments, what would happen to the current world order? Robert Kagan, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author, The Jungle Grows Back: America and Our Imperiled World, discusses the future of American foreign policy with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales.

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In this episode, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire explores the crisis in Venezuela, speaks with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Boston, as well as with Farmer's First Africa, a local non-profit dedicated to helping farmers obtain better data to increase crop production.

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In July 2014, Washington Post Tehran Bureau Chief Jason Rezaian was arrested by Iranian police and accused of spying for America. What he initially thought was a political stunt became an eighteen-month prison stint with impossibly high diplomatic stakes. Jason Rezaian joins World Affairs Co-host Ray Suarez to share his story, as told in his compelling new book, Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison.

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In 2014, Francis Fukuyama wrote that American institutions were in decay, as the state was progressively captured by powerful interest groups. Two years later, his predictions were borne out by the rise to power of a series of political outsiders whose economic nationalism and authoritarian tendencies threatened to destabilize the entire international order. These populist nationalists seek direct charismatic connection to “the people,” who are usually defined in narrow identity terms that offer an irresistible call to an in-group and exclude large parts of the population as a whole.

Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment is an urgent and necessary book—a sharp warning that unless we forge a universal understanding of human dignity, we will doom ourselves to continuing conflict. 

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General Stanley McChrystal joins Jim Falk to discuss historical leaders and the lessons we can learn from them.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) brings boundless possibilities. It can now drive our cars, diagnose our diseases, and even help us tackle climate change. But AI can also divide societies and drive nations to conflict. As we cede more of our fundamental decisions to machines, how do we ensure AI is designed with our best interests in mind? Fei-Fei Li, Co-director of the Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute and co-founder of the non-profit AI4ALL, and Olaf Groth, founder of Cambrian AI and co-author of the new book, Solomon’s Code: Humanity in a World of Thinking Machines, discuss how our relationship with AI is central to the future of humanity with World Affairs Co-host Ray Suarez.

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In today’s reality, democracy no longer ends with a revolution or military coup, but with a gradual erosion of political norms. As a growing number of countries are chipping away at liberally democratic values, are these institutions safe from elected, authoritarian leaders? Daniel Ziblatt, professor at Harvard University and co-author of How Democracies Die, discusses the future of liberal democracies with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales.

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Ambassador Ryan Crocker recounts his time as ambassador to the Russian Federation and the rise of Vladimir Putin on the latest episode of Council President & CEO Jim Falk’s weekly podcast. You’ll discover conversations with some of the world's foremost thinkers, writers, and diplomats in this interview series.

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We celebrate our 100th episode of Global I.Q. Minute with Jim Falk with a look back at some of our favorite moments, guests, interviews and some behind-the-scenes fun.

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In the last fifty years, a doubling of the world’s population has contributed to substantial habitat loss and large-scale species extinction. What can we do, as individuals and societies, to fight back against environmental degradation and animal endangerment? In this week’s episode, Jonathan Foley, Senior Scholar at the California Academy of Sciences, and Peter Knights, Executive Director at WildAid, discuss how to curb climate change and the illegal wildlife trade with World Affairs CEO Jane Wales.

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Saudi America, featuring Bethany McClean. Global I.Q. Minute explores global oil markets with Bethany McClean, author of “Saudi America: The Truth About Fracking and How It’s Changing the World."

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In the first-ever episode of the Global in the Granite State Podcast, the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire takes the time to sit down with Winato Adi, Minister of Economy for the Consul General of Indonesia in New York. The Council also hears from Dominic Goude from the UK who was in New Hampshire on a Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program.  Finally, the Council hears from the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire's Board President, Steve Solomon, about his interests in international affairs and why the Council is so important to the state.

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