International Horizons

Sri Lanka has recently endured tremendous political and economic turmoil with severe shortages of goods and fuel leading to the ouster of the sitting president. After Gotabhaya Rajapaksa fled the country in disgrace, he was replaced by another dynastic heir, Ranil Wickremesinghe. While much has changed in the once war-torn island nation, much has stayed the same. In this episode, Farzana Haniffa, Professor of Sociology at University of Colombo, speaks with John Torpey, Presidential Professor of History and Sociology and Director of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at Graduate Center, CUNY, about the events that led to massive protests and a coup d'état in Sri Lanka, including the deterioration of the economy caused by COVID and Sri Lanka's reliance on tourism and remittances and the long reign of the Rajapaksas. Haniffa also discusses how the government is prosecuting and attacking protesters and incarcerating them without trial to instill fear as they did during the Civil War, and how Sri Lankans are responding with anti-polarization protests.

Six months after Russia's attack on Ukraine, the country celebrated its Independence Day on August 24. The Russians seem to have expected that their conquest of Ukraine would be over quickly after a “shock and awe”-style assault, but instead, the Ukrainians have held out unexpectedly against Russian power. The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has now lasted over six months, with many thousands of people, soldiers, and civilians, dead on both sides of the conflict, millions displaced, and no end in sight. What can we expect from the continuing Russia-Ukraine conflict? We open this season of International Horizons with former US Ambassador to Ukraine Roman Popadiuk

As was widely feared or hoped might happen, the Supreme Court has overturned Roe vs. Wade, reversing almost 50 years of a constitutional right to abortion. The major driver of attitudes on abortion turns out to be religion. How does religion shape the discussion about political issues worldwide? In this episode of International Horizons, sociologist Amy Adamczyk of CUNY's John Jay College of Criminal Justice discusses the role of religion in determining people's attitudes on a range of issues such as abortion and homosexuality. From a global perspective, we also discuss the peculiarities of religiosity in the United States, which is an outlier because of its relatively high levels of religiosity compared to other wealthy democracies.. Adamczyk also discusses the intersection between religion, abortion and LGTBQ+ issues, considering that the world has become widely accepting of sexual diversity in the past 20 years. Finally, the conversation revolves around Adamcyzk's most recent co-authored book Handing Down the Faith: How Parents Pass Their Religion on to the Next Generation, which addresses the factors that make children religious.

This is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the increased visibility, dignity and equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people around the world. There have been many advances in the rights of sexual minorities in recent decades such as decriminalizing same-sex relationships, banning discrimination in employment and housing and, of course, legalizing same-sex marriage. Yet there's also been a conservative backlash in many countries and growing controversy over care for transgender teens in the US and Europe. Where does the struggle for LGBTQ rights around the world stand today? In this episode, John Torpey, Presidential Professor of Sociology and History at the Graduate Center and director of the Ralph Bunche Institute, talks to LGBT activist Adrian Coman about the clashes between domestic laws and those of the European Union, the challenges of LGBT activism, how politicians instrumentalize homophobia to stay in power, the controversy over trans teens, and the key issues to be addressed in order to increase inclusion.

The US women's soccer team recently reached a deal with the owners of American Professional Soccer for pay equity with the men. It was noted that the women's soccer teams in the United States were more successful on the international stage and were generating considerable revenue for investors, and yet women had been on the short end of the stick when it came to paying for their work. Meanwhile, international men's soccer has been plagued by scandal in recent years, undermining the image of the sport for many people. So what's going on out on the soccer pitch? This week, Andrei Markovits, Professor of comparative politics and German studies at the University of Michigan, talks with Ralph Bunche Institute Director and Graduate Center Presidential Professor John Torpey about the comparative history of sports in Europe and the United States and how soccer was crowded out from the hegemonic sports space in the U.S. The conversation covers the rise of soccer in the US, the way in which soccer is a "catholicized" institution and the implications that pay equity has for the sport.

Africa has grown economically in recent years in such a way that many of its populations now enjoy both the benefits and the drawbacks of a middle class western lifestyle. Yet it is also growing rapidly in demographic terms due to the combination of high fertility and lower mortality, raising questions about employment and development generally. What does the future of the continent look like? This week RBI Director John Torpey talks with Ebenezer Obadare, Douglas Dillon Senior Fellow in Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, about the current situation in Africa. The conversation covers Africa's experience with COVID, the influence of China and Russia on the continent and why they represent a threat to the established order, why Africa suffers from state weakness, the demographic situation and the lack of opportunities for youth, and finally the religious dimension of contemporary African politics.

International organization,s whose activities unavoidably have political consequences, nonetheless have a well-earned reputation for being apolitical or depoliticized. Why, when so much of what they do seems intrinsically political? Is that reputation for being apolitical a good thing? What are the consequences of the de-politicization of such organizations? This week, RBI director John Torpey talked with Marieke Louis and Lucile Maertens about the trending depoliticization of international organizations and its effects for achieving results and enhancing cooperation. The discussion covers the causes of depoliticization, its framing in comparison to past years, the dangers of politicizing certain issues and not informing policy on science, and how depoliticization may end up protecting the status quo

Some 12 million Ukrainians – a quarter of the population -- have been forced to flee their homes or their country as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Millions are concentrated in Poland as well as in other countries in the region: Romania, Hungary, Moldova, Finland, Germany and elsewhere. How are they faring as refugees? This week on International Horizons, RBI Director John Torpey speaks with Rand Richards Cooper, a journalist, editor and writer, about his recent trip to visit Ukrainian refugees in Poland alongside magician Bill Herz. In addition to anecdotes from the magic shows and his interviews, Cooper describes the extraordinary Polish response to the refugee influx, the varied refugee experience, how the war has divided families, and the long shadow of World War Two.

How do Russians feel about the war in Ukraine? What information are they getting about the war? What about the reports of people leaving, especially people in the tech world, but certainly in other fields as well? Are Russians protesting the war? Or has there been too much repression and disinformation for them to want to do that? In this episode, RBI director John Torpey discusses with Institute of Urban and Regional Research's Anna Zhelnina about the evolution of protests in Russia and how the new legislation has allowed the government to quell them and how the repressive machine has evolved. Moreover, Zhelnina outlines how Russians are responding to the polls in support (or opposition) to the war, and how many Russians are fleeing the country, the way in which artists and common citizenry manage to silently protest the war and finally, the pessimistic view that there is not best replacement for Putin.

This week, International Horizons showcases an interview by RBI and EU Studies Center director John Torpey with political scientist Ivan Krastev about how Russia's invasion of Ukraine will affect the balance of power in Europe, transatlantic relations, and the future of democracy. How does the war change existing political divisions, and what should the role of NATO of the U.S. government be? This event took place on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, as the Otto and Fran Walter Memorial Lecture, organized by the EU Studies Center of the Ralph Bunche Institute and by Graduate Center Presents public programs. Ivan Krastev is chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, Bulgaria, and permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences, Vienna, as well as an author and contributor to the NY Times Opinion page.

This week on International Horizons, RBI Director John Torpey talks with Andrew Nathan about the extreme paranoia of the U.S China policy during the Trump administration, whether China poses a threat to the liberal order, what Chinese are perceiving of the U.S, how Chinese are pursuing a multilateral world, and how ill-advised war on Ukraine is enhancing U.S. power outreach and what China is doing about it.

Hungary's Viktor Orban, the originator of the notion of illiberal democracy, has now been re-elected for four more years as Prime Minister of Hungary. This is on top of the 12 years that have preceded this election, and a previous stint as prime minister. This time he won with a supermajority that allows his party to revise the Constitution unilaterally. How did he do it? What can we expect from the ruler whom many regard as the greatest threat to democracy and Eastern Europe other than Russia? What will the EU do? This week, RBI director John Torpey talks to San Diego State University Professor and corruption scholar David Jancsics about the recent victory of Victor Orban after twelve years in office and how this time he has managed to amass more power than ever before. Jancsics discusses the Hungarian state as a “monopoly of corruption” where Orban has created a network of clientielism and loyalties that maintains him in power while giving the impression of legitimacy. Additionally, Jancsics unveils how the war in Ukraine has served Orban's electoral strategy of enhancing the rhetoric of “us and them,” where the outer world creates threats against which the only stable protection is Orbanism.

This week, RBI director John Torpey talks with Catherine Bertini, top expert in food security issues and former director of the UN World Food Programme about the War in Ukraine's consequences for the world's supply, the decisive actors, how is all related to price increases, the main victims of a food shortage, the violence that this can carry, and how through dietary alternatives and the relocation of crops the world can cope with the effects of this shortage.

This week, RBI director John Torpey talks to Metin Hakverdi, member of the German Bundestag, about the political momentum of Germany, the global implications of the defense budget increase, the revival of WW2 memories in the psyche of Germans that are witnessing the war in Ukraine, the role of the West as a bloc, and how the Western response of this war is decisive for the liberal order and the stability of national borders.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has created a military stalemate, perhaps soon to be called a quagmire, and a humanitarian crisis of a magnitude last seen by Europeans during World War Two. NATO leaders are preparing for a long conflict and one that may involve chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Russians are fleeing their country or resigning their official posts out of opposition to the war or remorse for their roles in it. Thousands have been arrested in Russia for their opposition to the war. What comes next after the NATO Summit and the plans to strengthen troop deployments to NATO's eastern flank at the very borders of Russia? This week on International Horizons, John Torpey, RBI Director, talks to Kadri Liik, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about the prospects for ending the war in Ukraine, the possible end of Putinism, the risks of an economic crisis in the West as a result of energy shortages, how Russia is becoming even more repressive than the Soviet Union, and how its economy is moving backwards.

A military coup in Myanmar in February 2021 and subsequent humanitarian crisis have largely fallen off the Western media's news headlines, especially as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has captured attention in recent weeks. What is the current situation of the democratically elected government of Myanmar and the oppression of the Rohingya minority? What are the similarities between the military coup in Myanmar and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022? How can the world address the crises of these two would-be democracies? Marcus Brand, International IDEA's Head of Programme for Myanmar and former UN Development Programme Ukraine Director, speaks with Ralph Bunche Institute Director John Torpey about the parallels between the military coup in Myanmar and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including unexpected resistance, humanitarian crises and massive refugee flows, and possible optimism about what it means for the future of democracy.

How might efforts to end previous conflicts inform the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine? Why was U.S intervention in Afghanistan a failure? What role can the UN play in conflict mediation? What is China's stance on the Russian invasion? This week, RBI director John Torpey talks with Professor Daisaku Higashi of Tokyo's Sophia University about his book Inclusivity in Mediation and Peacebuilding: The UN, Neighboring States and Global Powers and his extensive research on conflict to draw lessons for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

What is Putin's mental state? Is the invasion a legitimate response to NATO expansion? This week, RBI director John Torpey talks to Queens College Professor Julie George about the real motives behind the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the role of NATO and the U.S. in the invasion, the views of Russians and Ukrainians about the war, Putin's miscalculations of the world's reaction, and the prospects of nuclear weapons being deployed in the conflict.

Ellen Chesler talks with former director of UNIFEM Noeleen Heyzer about what was to be a woman in leadership, the constraints of advancing an agenda for women, how bureaucracies can be converted into communities of mutual aid, the legacy of Beijing's 1995 Conference on Women and how UN's principles of peace and human rights are not enough in preventing violence, corruption and exclusion.

What do the patches in Tom Cruise's jacket tell us about China? Are different features and problematiqués of movies being shaped by China? What do Chinese viewers' preferences tell us about the role of the US in the world? How successful is the Chinese version of Hollywood in attracting people's around the world? This week, RBI director John Torpey talks with Eric Schwartzel about the past, present and future of the Chinese film industry and markets and how it is all related to soft power. You can listen to it on iTunes here, on Spotify here, or on Soundcloud below. You will find a transcript of the episode here or below.

In the United States and Europe we live today in what seems to be a sea of populism; some on the left, some on the right, some outside of that spectrum, seemingly. The term is certainly ambiguous. What is populism? What is driving the popularity of populism today? And why is it doing better in some places than others? This week, RBI director John Torpey interviewed Jan-Werner Müeller about the increasing (mis)framing of populism as a political program and how leaders of both left-wing and right-wing parties may be labeled as populists. Müeller also discusses the perils for democracy that our understanding of populism entails and the centrality of "cultural wars" for all populisms.

How is power linked to the way we eat? Has inequality boosted the amount of unhealthy food we consume? How have things changed since Diet for a Small Planet was first published in the early 1970s? This week on “International Horizons,” RBI Director John Torpey talks with Frances Moore Lappé about the politics of food and how the way we eat interacts with structures of power – and what we can do about changing that for the better.

How are Russia and Ukraine tied historically? What are the narratives around the national identity of Ukrainians in relation to Russia? How is contemporary Russian nationalism linked to the collapse of the Soviet Union and Putin's perception of those events? Could the United States have prevented a revanchist Russia by adopting a less aggressive policy towards transition in the 90s? Susan Smith-Peter, Russia expert and Professor of History at the College of Staten Island, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the intertwined histories of Russia and Ukraine on the current tensions between the two countries.

Ibn Khaldun, the late 14th century statesman and historian, is regarded as one of the earliest social scientists on the strength of his classic, The Muqaddimah: An Introduction to History. The book catalogues the political, social, and historical trends in Arab, Berber, Persian, and European civilizations in the Middle Ages and recalls Aristotle's Politics in its encyclopedic treatment of social and political life. Yet regardless of its contributions to the humanities, it has been largely forgotten in modern times. Aziz Al-Azmeh, University Professor Emeritus at the Central European University, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the life, ideas, and significance of Ibn Khaldun and the Muqaddimah.

How has the human rights movement developed into the international force that it is today? What ideological and material factors shaped its development? How successful are human rights activists and institutions in reducing human rights violations in sovereign countries? And, finally, where do we go from here? George Andreopoulos, Professor of Political Science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and at the Graduate Center, CUNY, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the division on human rights between the global North and global South, the complications around setting legal norms for such complex problems, and the discussion on whether human rights is a Western construct. Transcript: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/12/13/can-the-human-rights-regime-survive-a-new-world-order-the-past-future-of-the-human-rights-agenda/

Are we in the golden age of conspiracy theories? How can society respond to dangerous theories, such as COVID conspiracy theories and misinformation, that create wide-spread dangers to society? Can, or should, conspiracy theories be ‘deprogrammed' from society, or would that create a potential for states to intervene in people's thinking in a way that we would find overreaching? Joseph Uscinski, Professor of Political Science at the University of Miami, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the psychological conditions underlying support for conspiracy theories, the existence of QAnon, and the role of the media in aggrandizing such theories. Transcript: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/12/06/you-wish-them-a-good-day-conspiracy-theories-in-the-age-of-information-with-joseph-uscinski/

What is behind the current standoff over refugees trying to enter Poland from Belarus? Why is the EU supporting Poland's position? Have asylum seekers become pawns of regional powers seeking political and economic advantage? Nick Micinski, assistant professor of political science and international affairs at the University of Maine, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the situation at the Polish/Belarusian border and the politics of migration in and around the countries of the European Union. You can find a copy of the transcript on our website: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/11/22/the-crisis-on-the-poland-belarus-border-with-nick-micinski/

Why would warring parties turn to the UN, even when they don't have an interest in guaranteeing peace? Have rebel groups learned to manipulate the UN peace process to further their military goals? How can peace keeping missions adapt their approaches to better accomplish their goals? Anjali Dayal, assistant professor of international politics at Fordham University, talks to RBI Fellow Jenna Russo about her new book Incredible Commitments: How UN Peacekeeping Failures Shape Peace Processes and how peacekeeping dynamics have evolved over time. You can find the book here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/incredible-commitments/42CBF9FB8770469896CA1F72E352D8AA You can find a transcript of the episode here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/11/15/how-un-peacekeeping-failures-shape-peace-processes-with-anjali-dayal/

What conditions led to the recent coup in Sudan? Has the international community's response had a significant impact on the Sudanese regime? Will changing international and regional power dynamics affect domestic politics and international pressures on Sudan? Mohamed Osman, Researcher in Human Rights Watch's Africa division, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the coup in Sudan, civil society's response, and efforts to find a solution to the ongoing crisis.

Is legally avoiding taxes a smart thing to do, or is it dodging one's social responsibility? Does tax avoidance treat the law as a mere formality to circumvent, a tool to manipulate, or a shield of justification? How can we reform tax codes to prevent tax evasion while ensuring that those legal tools are still usable for legitimate purposes? Katharina Pistor, Edwin B. Parker Professor of Comparative Law at Columbia Law School, talks to RBI director John Torpey about the Pandora Papers, what they reveal about international tax evasion, and how much tax reform we can expect in the foreseeable future.

Have efforts to make war ‘humane' made it easier for the United States to undertake military action? How do those efforts balance with efforts that are instead aimed at peace? What can we expect from the laws of war in the future in the face of changing technology that replaces soldiers with machinery? Samuel Moyn, Henry Luce Professor of Jurisprudence at Yale Law School, discusses his new book, Humane: How The United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War, with RBI Director John Torpey. You can read the transcript of the episode here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/10/25/do-humane-wars-lead-to-forever-wars-with-sam-moyn/

In the recent Czech elections, a broad coalition edged out the populist ANO (YES) party and changed the political landscape. Meanwhile, the ailing Czech President must appoint the government from the intensive care unit in order to avoid a constitutional crisis. How relevant is the Czech election in the context of the current international wave of populist politicians? What lessons can be drawn about populism in Eastern Europe and beyond? Petra Guasti, Associate Professor of democratic theory at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University in Prague, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the recent Czech elections, and what they may tell us about the fate of populism in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.

Where do intellectuals fit within the recent resurgence in right-wing populism? What differentiates European and American far-right ideologies? How internationally organized is today's far right? A. James McAdams, University of Notre Dame, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about trends in far-right thought that are growing in influence in Europe and the United States, and various tactics and ideas that have been instrumental in that rise. For the transcript of this episode, please see https://bit.ly/2YBKLp8

What are the immediate and long-term political implications of the new Australia-UK-US cooperation agreement, providing Australia with nuclear submarines despite the fact that the French had been contracted to provide Australia with subs? Does the pact signal a return towards the ‘Anglosphere'? How will the arrangement affect Australia's relationship with other countries, specifically France and China? Gareth Evans, former Foreign Minister of Australia, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the AUKUS agreement and how it will affect the international security landscape and relations among the relevant countries, especially including France and China.

What should we expect in Afghanistan's future? How is the Taliban governing the country, and what challenges will they face? Will the end of the war bring peace, or will it leave a power vacuum that risks even further destabilizing the region? Sarah Shah, PhD candidate in the Political Science program at The Graduate Center, CUNY studying counterinsurgency and post-conflict reconstruction, talks about the prospects for Afghanistan and the region after the end of 20 years of war and failed state building. For the transcript of this episode, please see https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Prospects-for-Afghanistan-under-the-Taliban-with-Sarah-Shah.pdf

How did Indonesia become the latest Covid-19 hot spot? Can the new wave of the virus be attributed to dangerous new variants, lack of funding, government mismanagement, or a combination of factors? Irma Hidayana, an independent public health activist with a PhD in health and behavior studies from Columbia University, talks with RBI Director John Torpey about Indonesia's current battle with Covid-19 and local civil society efforts to track the pandemic's spread.

The UN has long been one of the most important voices pushing for global gender equality. But how does the UN approach promoting equality from the top down? Should gender equality be its own issue, should it be incorporated into all other issues, or can both approaches be combined? How can we even measure success for such a complex global issue? Anju Malhotra, principal visiting fellow at the UN University International Institute of Global Health and former Principal Adviser on Gender and Development at UNICEF, talks to Ellen Chesler, Research Fellow at the RBI, about the UN's efforts to promote gender equality and about what has worked, what hasn't, and what steps the UN may take in the future.

The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games start on July 23rd. Is Japan capable of safely hosting the Olympics at this stage in the pandemic, or does this global spectacle risk becoming an international super-spreader event? What political dramas can we expect from these games? Are the Olympics changing to remain relevant to younger audiences interested in newer sports? John Gleaves, professor of kinesiology and co-director of the Center for Socio Cultural Sport and Olympic Research at California State University-Fullerton, talks to RBI director John Torpey about what we should expect from the first postponed Olympics in modern history and what that means for the international sporting community.

On January 31, 2020, the UK voted to leave the European Union making it the first and only nation to do so. What have been the main consequences of Brexit, a year and a half after the fact? Are there other exits waiting to happen? António Goucha Soares, Professor of Law at the Lisbon School of Economics & Management, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about how Brexit developed, how the EU and UK negotiated the exit, and what issues are still unresolved between the two parties.

How do cultural artifacts end up outside their country of origin? What are the different approaches that are being taken to repatriate historical treasures, and what barriers stand in the way of these efforts? What value do we give to objects of ancestral origin, and does it change with time? Pierre Losson, a postdoctoral fellow at the Italian Academy at Columbia University, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the politics of cultural heritage and what we can expect from international efforts to return ‘stolen' artifacts to their homelands.

What does China's newly announced three-child policy tell us about China's changing demographics? What have been the economic and societal consequences of China's historical efforts to control births? How does this policy fit into a context of global demographic change, and what are the political implications? Wang Feng, Professor of Sociology at University of California, Irvine, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about global demographic changes across China and the world, and what can we expect in the future from today's changing global demographic trends.

What are the current policy objectives guiding the State Department's foreign policy decisions? How has the US approach to China changed with the transition to a new administration? How is America re-engaging with the world after several years of unilateralism? Scott Busby, the Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL), talks with RBI Director John Torpey about their work promoting human rights and democracy abroad, as well as about global trends that are implicated in these efforts.

How are the Eurovision Song Contest and politics interconnected? How do countries use the song contest to promote their interests in this nominally apolitical event? What role does it play in cultural trends and the soft power of countries, languages, and identity? Dean Vuletic, a historian at the Research Center for the History of Transformations at the University of Vienna, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the 65 years of the Eurovision Song Contest and the role it plays in European culture and politics. You can read the transcript here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/The-Eurovision-Song-Contest-as-a-Cultural-and-Political-Phenomenon.docx

Researchers at the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently analyzed Africa's “second wave” of Covid-19 in The Lancet. How does the situation in Africa look in comparison to the situations elsewhere? How are the continent's various countries faring in their struggles with the coronavirus? Dr. Stephanie Salyer of the Africa CDC talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the trajectory of the virus since the start of the pandemic, efforts to produce vaccines within the countries of the African Union, and other unique challenges facing Africa in its battle against the coronavirus. You can find a transcript here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/05/17/africas-experience-with-covid-19-with-dr-stephanie-salyer/

How did recent protests against Colombia's proposed tax reforms turn into chaos? What differentiates these events from previous anti-government protests in the region? Is Venezuela's role in these protests as an outside agitator or a convenient scapegoat for the government? Sandra Patricia Borda Guzman, Associate Professor of political science at Los Andes University, discusses the quickly escalating protests in Colombia, and what they tell us about the current political climate within the country and Latin America. You can find a transcript of the podcast here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/05/11/the-anti-government-protests-in-colombia-with-sandra-borda/

Are Israel's policies over the West Bank and Gaza Strip war crimes? What are the implications of such an accusation? Do these policies come from Israel's security concerns, or are they pretextual explanations for their repressive treatment over the Palestinian population? Eric Goldstein, acting Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division of Human Rights Watch, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about the latest HRW report that accuses Israel of crimes against humanity. He discusses what that means and how the determination was made, HRW's efforts to stay impartial in their inherently political work, and what governments response to the report indicate for the future of Israel. You can read the transcript at https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/05/10/the-human-rights-watch-report-charging-israel-with-the-crime-of-apartheid-with-eric-goldstein/

What impact has the standardization of international trade had on society? Has the newfound speed and efficiency outpaced other market factors, such as worker conditions and risk prevention? How have dock cities, built on traditional supply chains, been affected by these changes? What can we expect to happen to the hundreds of thousands of shipping containers once they too become obsolete? RBI Director John Torpey talks to Marc Levinson, economist, historian, and journalist, and Liang Wu, doctoral candidate in anthropology at the Graduate Center, CUNY, about how shipping containers have become the new paradigm in international shipping, and what affect that has had on supply chains, markets, and those working in the shipping industry. You can read a transcript of this episode here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/05/03/the-containerization-of-shipping-and-its-global-consequences-with-marc-levinson/

How did India go from declaring victory over covid in January to being the world's hotspot 3 months later? As one of the largest pharmaceutical and vaccine producers in the world, did India focus too much on vaccine diplomacy and too little on internal vaccination efforts? How has India's regional competition with China affected how this plays out? Manu Bhagavan, Professor of history, human rights, and public policy at Hunter College and the Graduate Center, CUNY, talks to RBI Director John Torpey about how India reached its current crisis point and what other problems face today's India on the international stage. You can find the transcript here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/04/26/indias-struggle-against-covid-with-manu-bhagavan/

Is Asia in the ascendancy, and the West in decline? How does the rise of Asia affect power dynamics and competition with Western markets? Will China's creation of its own regional banking and investment vehicles weaken Western-dominated global financial institutions? Does the rise of cryptocurrency threaten to further destabilize and restructure markets? Kimberly Kay Hoang, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Institute for Global Studies at the University of Chicago, discusses economic soft power and its role in the broader pattern of Asian ascendancy. You can read the transcript of this episode here:https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/04/19/asian-ascendency-western-decline-with-kimberly-kay-hoang/

What does China's past tell us about its present and future? How do remnants of its pre-Communist history affect the way the current leadership approaches the country's contemporary challenges? How will the United States and China deal with each other on such issues as trade and climate change? How much “soft power” does China have as it takes its place on the world stage? Ian Johnson, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author, formerly with the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other outlets, and recently expelled from China, discusses historical trends in China's development and how they affect the policy choices of the Chinese Communist Party today. You can find a transcript here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/04/12/china-before-today-tomorrow-with-ian-johnson/

How have governments responded to the economic crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic, and what will be the consequences? On Tuesday, April 6, a panel discussion with Wolfgang Schmidt, State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance of Germany, Angella MacEwen, Senior Economist, Canadian Union of Public Employees, and Branko Milanovic, Professor and Senior Scholar, the Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality, the Graduate Center, CUNY, addressed the inequalities revealed and exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the public policy tools available to ameliorate those inequalities, and the likely paths economies can take in the recovery from the pandemic. This public online event was moderated by John Torpey, Director, European Union Studies Center and Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, and organized with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Washington office. It was co-sponsored by the American Council on Germany, Colorado European Union Center of Excellence, University of Florida Center for European Studies, and Stone Center on Inequality at the Graduate Center, CUNY. You can find a transcript of the episode here: https://ralphbuncheinstitute.org/2021/04/08/economic-inequality-after-the-pandemic/ You can also watch the recording of the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdFdOBi7moc