Perspective with Alison Smith

Alison Smith: A Vote for Europe’s Future With or Without Brexit Eric Reguly, European bureau chief for The Globe and Mail, comments on what the EU elections might mean in light of the growing populist sentiment in Europe. Rosa Balfour, senior fellow in the Europe program at The German Marshall Fund of the United States, looks more broadly at the forces at play in the coming European elections. Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer, assistant professor at Kozminski University in Warsaw, talks about the broad support the EU has in Poland, despite the ongoing criticism within the country of certain aspects of the union. We hear from voters on the streets in London and Paris about what the European elections and EU membership mean for them.

Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, discusses the organization’s recent report on the increase in global military spending. Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow and director of research at the Brookings Institution, shares his thoughts on what the numbers mean for international rivalries and relationships. Vasily Kashin, senior fellow at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, comments on the deepening relationship between China and Russia and what it might mean for the West. More info - cpac.ca/perspective

Hala al-Karib, regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa and activist for women’s rights, comments on the protests on the streets of Khartoum and the way women have helped shape the uprising. Eric Reeves, a senior fellow at Harvard University’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, discusses the broader implications of the removal of Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir from power and what that might mean for the region. Nuha Zein, spokesperson for the Sudanese Professionals Association, talks about the way forward for the protesters and also the role the Sudanese diaspora has played in supporting the country’s push towards democracy. More at - cpac.ca/perspective

Freelance journalist Stefano Pozzebon reports from Caracas on the daily struggles Venezuelans face to get food, water, medicine and electricity. Eric Farnsworth, vice-president of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society, discusses the broader geopolitical forces at play with regards to the Venezuela crisis. Tamara Taraciuk Broner, senior Americas researcher for Human Rights Watch, comments on the country’s current humanitarian situation and the need for the United Nations to declare it an emergency. Isaac Nahon, a Venezuelan expat and professor in the department of communication at the University of Ottawa, talks about what more Canada and the Lima Group should be doing to address the severe circumstances in his home country. More at cpac.ca/perspective

Lahav Harkov, senior contributing editor with The Jerusalem Post, talks about the election campaign and the close race between incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main challenger Benny Gantz. We also hear from Israeli citizens on the streets in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem about their thoughts on the coming election. Neri Zilber, analyst and adjunct fellow with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, discusses the broader implications of the election campaign and how Netanyahu is using his standing on the world stage to campaign for re-election. Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, comments on the opinions of Palestinians over next week’s election and whether the results could ultimately lead to concrete change on the ground with regards to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. More at - cpac.ca/perspective

David Herszenhorn, chief Brussels correspondent for POLITICO Europe, discusses the details of the EU’s decision to extend the Brexit deadline. Freelance journalist Cindy Pom reports from the streets of London on this weekend’s anti-Brexit protests. Peter Kellner, former president of YouGov and visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe, comments on the broader implications of the political developments in Westminster and Brussels. Jim Pickard, chief political correspondent for the Financial Times, speaks about what might potentially happen next week when Prime Minister Theresa May puts the Brexit-deal vote to the House of Commons for the third time.

Freelance journalist Sameer Yasir comments on the situation on the ground in Kashmir in the wake of the recent fighting between India and Pakistan. Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia, Wilson Center, discusses the broader implications of the recent flare-up between the two nuclear-armed nations. Aaghaz-e-Dosti is a cross border initiative that aims to foster cooperation and friendship between India and Pakistan. Raza Khan, a Pakistani, and Devika Mittal, an Indian, offer their perspective on these efforts. Omair Alavi, an entertainment journalist and film critic in Karachi, speaks about the recent decision by the Pakistani government to ban Bollywood films in response to recent tensions and the effect it is having for the domestic film industry.

Rebecca Traister discusses her new book “Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger.” Kavita Dogra, founder of We Talk Women, speaks about her involvement on the front lines of the women’s movement in Toronto. Srosh Hassan, a University of Alberta student interning at Aga Khan University in Nairobi, comments on the important role women play worldwide in bringing about social change. Participants at the “Walk in Her Shoes” rally in Ottawa share their views on why they march for equality and awareness of women’s issues.

Parag Khanna, author and global strategic adviser, discusses his new book “The Future is Asian.” Emi Yasuda, Rhianna Parent and Daniel Lin — three Canadians studying and working in Asia — offer their viewpoints on living in the continent. Dhruva Jaishankar, foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institution, talks about India’s perspective on China’s rise in the region and what it means for the rest of Asia. More information at: www.cpac.ca/perspective

Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson discuss their new book “Empty Planet: The Shock of Population Decline.” George Leeson, director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing at the University of Oxford, talks about how governments and societies can adapt and prepare for the large increase of the aging population in the coming years. Nobuko Kobayashi, managing director and partner at EY-Parthenon, speaks about the declining population in Japan and what needs to be done to address this demographic crisis. More information at: cpac.ca/perspective

Freelance journalist Cindy Pom reports from the streets of Paris on the “yellow vest” protests. Dominique Moïsi, founder of the French Institute for International Relations and special advisor to the Institut Montaigne, comments on the domestic political challenges President Macron faces in the wake of the protests. Jan Techau, senior fellow and director of the Europe Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, talks about the possible repercussions of the gilets jaunes protests on other countries in the EU leading up the European Parliamentary elections in May. More info at cpac.ca/perspective

Freelance journalist Maya Averbuch, who has been travelling with the migrant caravan that is making its way toward the U.S., speaks about the daily struggles of those Central American migrants and their reasons for leaving their home countries. Bill Frelick, director of the refugee rights program at Human Rights Watch, discusses the harsh realities for refugees around the globe. Marta Foresti, director of the Overseas Development Institute’s human mobility initiative, talks about the politics surrounding mass migration and the motivations migrants have for leaving their countries of origin. Freelance journalist Molly Thomas reports from Cox Bazar, Bangladesh, site of the world’s largest and most densely populated refugee camp where close to one million Rohingya Muslims currently reside. More info at cpac.ca/perspective

Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute, discusses the shifting China-U.S. relationship and the possible geopolitical ramifications. Catherine Wong, a reporter with the South China Morning Post, talks about how the Chinese government is addressing the U.S.-China trade dispute and its effect on the Chinese economy. Charles Burton, associate professor of political science at Brock University, speaks about how the tensions between the U.S. and China could affect Canada. Yves Tiberghien, political science professor at UBC, looks at the upcoming G20 summit in Buenos Aires and what the trade conflict between the two superpowers might mean for the future of multilateral institutions. More info at cpac.ca/perspective

Thomas Colson, political reporter with Business Insider UK, discusses British Prime Minister Theresa May’s political challenges in selling the Brexit deal leading up to the parliamentary vote on December 11. Jonathan Portes, professor of economics at King’s College London, comments on the potential costs of Brexit to the U.K. economy. Andrew Lilico, who was the lead economist for the official Leave referendum campaign, talks about the economic benefits that will be gained for Britain leaving the European single market. Jacopo Barigazzi, reporter with Politico Europe, gives us a view from Brussels on the recent draft Brexit deal negotiated between the U.K. and the European Union, and how this might be affected by the upcoming British parliamentary vote. More info at cpac.ca/perspective

Alec Luhn, Russia correspondent with The Telegraph, discusses the situation on the ground in Ukraine following the incident in the Kerch Strait and the reaction from Moscow. Gwendolyn Sasse, director of the Centre for East European and International Studies, speaks about the implications of the Kerch Strait confrontation and what the West can do to avoid the possibility of wider conflict with Russia. Olexiy Haran, research director for the Democratic Initiative Foundation, comments on the changing sentiment towards NATO and Russia by Ukrainians. Ganna Zakharova, a Ukrainian-Canadian who fled Crimea in 2014, shares her view on the annexation of Crimea and what she thinks the international community should do to assist Ukraine amidst ongoing Russian aggression. More info at cpac.ca/perspective

Freelance journalist Shuaib Almosawa talks about the situation on the ground in the country and the daily struggles faced by its citizens. Farea Al-Muslimi, chairman and co-founder, Sana’a Center, discusses the broader geopolitical backdrop against which the Yemen conflict is unfolding. Kamal Al-Solaylee, author of “Brown: What Being Brown in the World Today Means (to Everyone),” talks about the role Canada plays in the situation in Yemen and the personal experiences of his family back home in the country. Stephen Anderson, Yemen country director for the World Food Programme, speaks about the scale of the crisis and challenges his organization and others like it face in providing humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni population. More info at cpac.ca/perspective

Ana Vanessa Herrero, a reporter in Caracas for the New York Times, discusses the mood on the ground among everyday citizens in the country in the wake of recent protests against President Nicolás Maduro. Phil Gunson, senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, describes the complex political manoeuvring between President Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, as well as the international reaction to the situation. Fen Hampson, executive director of the World Refugee Council, talks about the refugee crisis that the instability in Venezuela has caused for neighbouring countries and also what to expect from next week’s meeting of the Lima Group in Ottawa. Deborah Hines, the country director in Colombia for the UN World Food Programme, speaks about the Venezuelans who have fled to Colombia and what kind of support can be provided to them. More info at cpac.ca/perspective

Afghanistan’s deadly reality and the prospects for peace. Freelance journalist Zakarya Hassani talks about the atmosphere on the ground in Afghanistan in the wake of last weekend’s parliamentary election. Graeme Smith, a consultant with the International Crisis Group, discusses the broader implications of the recent election and what it may mean for the future of the country. Human rights activist Semin Qasmi comments on the progress that has been made in Afghanistan in terms of women’s rights and what challenges still remain. Nipa Banerjee, senior fellow at the University of Ottawa’s School of International Development and Global Studies, speaks about the role Canada has played in Afghanistan, both in terms of military and development assistance.

Russia’s Threat – Putin’s Global Ambition. Tom Nichols, professor at the U.S. Naval War College, speaks about the threat Russia poses to the West and how Russia employs hybrid warfare to disrupt the democratic institutions of liberal democracies. Andrei Kolesnikov, senior fellow and chair of Carnegie Moscow Center’s Russian domestic politics program, discusses the domestic challenges Vladimir Putin faces and how this may influence his approach to foreign affairs. Janis Garisons, Latvia’s state secretary for the Ministry of Defence, comments about the threat Russia poses to his country and the role that NATO forces play to counteract that influence. Marcus Kolga, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, discusses how Russia has mounted disinformation campaigns against Canada in the past and how it may do so again leading up to next year’s federal election.

Assessing the promise, the priorities and the reality of Justin Trudeau’s foreign policy. Jennifer Welsh, professor and chair in international relations at the European University Institute, speaks about what Canada’s role in the world should be given the current geopolitical climate. Sean Speer, Munk Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, talks about Canada’s recent negotiation of the USMCA and what that might mean for the future of international relations. Peggy Mason, president of the Rideau Institute, discusses the need for the country to bolster international institutions in order to maintain the multilateral system. Students of international affairs at UBC and SFU comment on the direction of the Trudeau government’s foreign policy.