Emperor Akihito of Japan is not your traditional emperor. In light of Akihito’s unconventional remarks hinting at a possible desire to abdicate, we spend this episode discussing the emperor’s place in Japanese government and culture. Read More
How far do the limits of modern society reach? What is “modern society,” and who belongs to it? What happens when states, organizations, and other members of the “connected world” come into contact with groups that may have little intersection with it? Should these groups be actively protected, thoroughly researched, or simply left alone? Follow along with us as we wrestle with these questions and more during this week’s episode, “Uncontacted Peoples.”
The U.S. Department of Defense calls climate change a threat multiplier, but for some countries it is an imminent and existential threat. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are particularly at risk, facing the possibility of their nations literally go under in the next few decades. Join us as we discuss who’s to blame, the future for these nations and their citizens, and what can be done.
Organized criminal groups that deal in sand are perpetrating violence and undermining governments around the world.
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Myanmar is experiencing one of the world’s fastest rollouts of mobile phones. What are the political, social, and economic effects of the smartphone revolution in Myanmar? Read More
[su_quote cite=”Ambassador Omar Arouna”]People need to watch Benin — the future of Africa will go through Benin.[/su_quote]
This episode originally aired in May 2016. Join us on our first installment of Conversations with Ambassadors as we sit down for a chat with Omar Arouna, the then Ambassador of the Republic of Benin to the United States, Mexico, and the Organization of American States (OAS).
What do we get out of space? What rules do countries use to ensure that everyone will “play fair” with the resources that might be out there? Will these rules truly ensure that countries will play fair in space, or will the same political dynamics that divide us here on Earth continue to plague us indefinitely out into the infinite universe? Join us and our special guest, Ken Tanaka, as we ponder these issues and more on today’s episode, “Asteroid Mining and the Outer Space Treaty.”
Note: this episode was originally published in February 2016. Given today’s announcement that Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro will not allow the main opposition parties to run in next year’s presidential election, we’ve decided to republish this episode to provide context to Venezuela’s political and economic struggles.
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Africa. This episode explores the dam’s potential benefits, development hurdles, and controversy. Read More
Do more nuclear weapons make the world a safer place? Since 1945, nuclear weapons have underpinned the global balance of power. This episode explores the development and practice of nuclear deterrence. Read More
