Spicy World

In our first episode of Season 2, we speak with Bermet Talant (Journalist, Reuters Institute Fellow, @ser_ou_parecer) about the recent presidential elections and referendum vote in Kyrgyzstan. We take a deep dive into the background of Sadyr Japarov, who won the contest in a landslide vote, and discuss his connections to former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, sources of financial support, and public appeal among rural populations and labor migrants. We talk about the events leading up to the vote, the new constitution, and the significance of a presidential system. We consider Kyrgyzstan's relations with Russia and China, the country's tourism sector, and how Bishkek can play a role in diplomatic efforts. Finally, we comment on the global trend toward populism and potential changes to reporting and rural-urban dialogue in light of this development, both in Kyrgyzstan and elsewhere.

In our last episode of 2020, we look back at some of our favorite clips from the year. We review Georgian words with Thomas Wier and historical swindling, gathering, and organizing with Maximilian Hess, Bernie Moore, and Shingi Mavima. We revisit some of this year's protest movements in Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Belarus with Shingi Mavima, Hildegard Titus, and Sasha St John Murphy. We conclude with geopolitical developments in Eurasia, including global Russia with Olga Khvostunova, North Macedonia's NATO membership with Jennifer Ginsburg, and conflicts in the Caucasus with Ian Kelly and Karena Avedissian.

This week our guest is Hans Gutbrod (@HansGutbrod). Hans has a Ph.D. in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and is a lecturer at Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Georgia. Our conversation is predicated on a piece Hans wrote which was recently published in Foreign Policy. We discuss a grand bargain to solve several conflicts at once for the greater peace across the Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean. We also talk about the role of Russia, Turkey and the West in any possible negotiations.

This week we reflect on the role of the US president in domestic and foreign policy. We question the power of the office and evaluate the currency of a presidential visit abroad. We discuss the goals of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Tbilisi and consider how President-Elect Joe Biden's policies toward the Caucasus, Russia, and Sub-Saharan Africa may differ from predecessors.

This week we speak with Ian Kelly (Former US Ambassador to OSCE, Georgia; Professor at Northwestern University @ikelly731) about the origins of the ongoing conflict in Nagorno Karabakh, including the history of diplomacy between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the past few decades. We discuss recent diplomatic efforts by the US, Russia, and France, as well as the interests of Moscow and Ankara in the conflict. We also ask about the variation in support for the independence of disputed territories in the Caucasus.

In a normal year diplomats and policy wonks converge on NYC in late September for the UN General Assembly. On this episode of Spicy World we discuss the implications of the first ever work from home UNGA. We look back at some of our favorite historic UNGA moments. We highlight some notable speeches and themes from this year. And we speculate on the preferred video chat platform used by heads of state.

This week we interview Shingi Mavima. Shingi has a PhD in African American and African studies from MSU. He is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Toledo. He is also the author of the novel Pashena. The episode starts in 1100 AD with the stone structures in Mapungubwe and the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe. We transition to the 20th century march for independence highlighting the founder of the Zimbabwe African National Union Ndabaningi Sithole. Lastly we talk about the modern day with land reform and the Zimbabwe Lives Matter Movement.

This week we speak with Sasha St John Murphy (Visiting Research Fellow at Minsk Dialogue @SashaStJMurphy) about the ongoing protests in Minsk and throughout Belarus. We discuss how the demonstrations began, the role of women in the movement, and how it embodies Belarusian culture and society. We talk about the role of industries in protest and speculate over Lukashenka's funds and future.

This week we interview Maximilian Hess (Head of political risk at AKE Group, FPRI Fellow, @zakavkaza) about all things sovereign debt and the implications for international politics. We discuss Russian holdings of Ukrainian debt, financing from Beijing, IMF's role, and old school fraudster Gregor MacGregor.

This week, we interview Karena Avedissian (@KarenaAV, researcher focused on issues of governance, justice, and security in Eurasia) about the recent escalation in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. We discuss the background of the conflict and how the recent developments differ from past tensions over Nagorno-Karabakh. We talk about the Tbilisi-Yerevan highway and how technologies like Google Maps reflect border conflicts. We also consider Russia’s offer to serve as a mediator and Armenian views on its role in the region.

This week we discuss the arrest of Sergei Furgal, the governor of Khabarovsk, on 15-year-old murder charges. The arrest is conveniently timed with Putin's move to serve as leader for life. It also raises questions about identity in the Far East and how to maintain rule over such a vast nation as Russia. We also ask why Eesti is not winning the digital transition amid COVID. The nation that developed Skype, Transferwise, and E-residency should be perfectly positioned to export solutions at a time of remote work and closed borders. Is Eesti winning behind the scenes or is this a missed opportunity?

We interview PhD student Andres Pertierra (@ASPertierra) on the history of the sugar industry in Cuba. We discuss how the role of sugar in the Cuban economy has evolved over time. We also talk about its implications for economic development in modern Cuba, as well as tourism, investment and migration.

Hildegard Titus (IG and @aafrobeat) discusses colonial history in Namibia and that of Curt von Francois, whose statue stands in Windhoek. Hildegard is leading the initiative "A Curt Farewell," which seeks to remove and replace that statue. We discuss the context as to why the statue is hurtful to Namibians. We also discuss the many challenges of dealing with various stakeholders to accomplish the removal of the statue in a democratic way.

This week we interview Mohamed Hegazy (Director of Transport for Cairo) on mapping an informal public transport network in one of the most densely populated cities on Earth and why active transport might be the future of how people move locally.

We interview Thomas Wier (Linguist & Caucasologist, Professor at Free Uni Tbilisi, author of a book on Tonkawa, @thomas_wier) about the languages of the Caucasus, how they compare with others in the world, and interactions with the neighbor to the north.

Did Kim Jong Un fake his death? What constitutes an unhealthy political family dynasty? We also bring up a topic to watch: the ongoing conflict in Cabo Delgado. Last, we wonder if Dmitry Medvedev is the Mike Pence of Russia?

We interview Sukirti Vinayak (Agriculture Consultant in Ethiopia, Aam Aadmi Party India, SIPA) about two areas. First we talk about his work in agriculture consulting in Ethiopia and what it is like living and working in Ethiopia during Covid-19. Second we talk about his experiences working with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. We also cover some of the basics of Indian national politics.

We talk to Olga Khvostunova (Director, Editor in Chief at the Institute of Modern Russia) about the organization's new project 20 Years Under Putin (putin20.imrussia.org). We bust myths about Putin as an all-powerful entity and hear about being a journalist in Russia in the naughts.

We interview Jennifer Ginsburg (Harriman Institute + Peace Corps Kosovo) on North Macedonia joining NATO. We also talk about Russia's role in the Balkans, beer selection in Sarajevo and Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari.

It would be disingenuous to predict what the world will look like after the public health challenges of Covid-19 are mitigated. Instead, we identify existing trends and patterns in migration, education, and developing nations that could be exacerbated by the pandemic. Shoutout to Jonas Salk, pictured in episode artwork, developer of the polio vaccine.

We interview Dipo Jimoh (Columbia SIPA, Oil Industry) on what it is like working on an oil rig in Nigeria. We also talk about how Nigeria is dealing with Covid-19. Lastly we touch on the booming startup scene in the country.

This week our guest talks about what it is like to travel in Kabul right now. Cory shares an ill timed dispatch from Istanbul on the police state and virus preparations. While much of the world is mired in uncertainty, Putin remains focused on stability with a presidential term reset.

We interview Lucia Savchick (IDLO, fmr UN IOM, Harriman Institute, Columbia SIPA) on her international development work in Mongolia & Uzbekistan. We also discuss relations between Armenia & Azerbaijan. Last, Lucia tells us what it is like living in Italy during the Coronavirus outbreak.

We interview academic Bernie Moore (MSU, Fulbright Scholar, Director of From Windhoek to Washington) on the past 100 years of Namibian history. We cover labor during the apartheid era, the wars in Angola, and popular hotel chains in Lubango.

Sometimes a story comes into the news for 48 hours and then you never hear about it again. This episode is to follow up on some of the headlines of the past few weeks. Carlos Ghosn is in Beirut. Isabel dos Santos is heading East. Haitham bin Tariq is staying put. Where is Dmitry Medvedev going? We also follow up on the draft of nations from episode 5.

We interview journalist Neil Hauer (@NeilPHauer - https://twitter.com/NeilPHauer?s=20) about recent Chechen extraterritorial killings, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, and Global Norwegian Rat Distribution.

Today our man in London (Cory) reports on Brexit. We draft our own fantasy multi-nation unions.

We finally introduce ourselves then we talk about whether corruption pays. Also, are the newly released Corruption Perception Index numbers flawed?

We begin the first of many episodes of the Russia Series by talking about Putin's surprise announcement.

This week we discuss the aftermath of the plane coming down in Iran, the passing of "the Sultan" and is Bellingcat a CIA asset?

This week Carlos Ghosn flees Japan in a roadie case, Qasem Soleimani is killed in Iraq and Russia says 'Imma sit this one out.'