World Policy On Air is a podcast from the pages and website of World Policy Journal featuring former Newsweek On Air host David Alpern and conversations with experts and journalists from around the globe.
World Policy Institute — When Indigenous representatives began to draft a U.N. document enshrining the right to self-determination, many states worried that their proposals would open the door to secession. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, University of Alaska professor Dalee Sambo Dorough discusses the lengthy process of overcoming these concerns and securing support for the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
World Policy Institute — Photographer Josué Rivas spent months on the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota, documenting not only the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline, but also the culture that developed among the participants. This week, he joins World Policy On Air to discuss his photoessay in the winter issue of World Policy Journal.
World Policy Institute — Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the first international treaty to recognize Indigenous peoples’ right to self-determination. On today’s episode of World Policy On Air, editor Jessica Loudis discusses the new issue of World Policy Journal, which features Native contributors from across the globe.
World Policy Institute — On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we revisit our conversation with documentary photographer Daniella Zalcman about the painful history and legacy of Canada's Indian Residential Schools, which separated Indigenous children from their families in an effort to eradicate their culture and language. The discussion in this episode was originally published on Oct. 13, 2016.
World Policy Institute — This week on World Policy On Air, we revisit our conversation with Nadine Fabbi, the head of the Arctic Fellows program at the University of Washington, who discusses the progress the Arctic Council has made after 30 years of operation. This episode is an encore of the episode originally published on Aug. 25, 2017.
World Policy Institute — Russian state media marked the centenary of the Bolshevik revolution this year by airing new television dramas, launching interactive websites, and live tweeting. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, Moscow-based journalist Amie Ferris-Rotman discusses the current government's conflicted relationship with the country's Soviet past.
World Policy Institute — The Hungarian government has taken a law-and-order approach to address a rise in drug use, often targeting poor and minority communities in police raids. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, drug-policy expert Peter Sarosi discusses the social issues, from structural racism to a lack of affordable housing, that contribute to high rates of drug use and are largely ignored by policymakers.
World Policy Institute — As Erdoğan's Turkey becomes increasingly polarized and intolerant of political opposition, a 1943 novel by Sabahattin Ali demonstrates how literature can introduce dissident themes in ways newspapers cannot. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, president of English PEN Maureen Freely discusses the state of Turkish media culture today.
World Policy Institute — Trends in Latin America's marriage rates, and rates of children born outside of marriage, often reflect changes in laws that create economic incentives—or disincentives—for certain family structures. This week on World Policy On Air, Barnard College professor Nara Milanich discusses how 21st-century "responsible paternity" laws serve the agendas of neoliberal states more than the low-income, unmarried mothers they were intended to help.
World Policy Institute — Nicaragua ranks fourth in the world for most reported incidents of rape, and this problem originates in the highest echelons of power. This week on World Policy On Air, journalist Ian Bateson talks about rape and power, and why the country’s laws are failing Nicaraguan women.
World Policy Institute — In the wake of the Arab Spring, Tunisia is the only state where a protest movement gave way to a democratic transition. This week on World Policy On Air, Amna Guellali of Human Rights Watch discusses how Tunisia's past corruption and authoritarianism are haunting the fledgling democracy.
World Policy Institute — President Trump railed against China on the campaign trail, citing unfair trade practices, but as he meets with Xi Jinping many speculate that Trump will reconsider plans to limit Chinese imports. This week on World Policy On Air, World Policy fellow James H. Nolt argues that the conventional wisdom is wrong and a trade war is far more likely than many believe.
World Policy Institute — The specter of nuclear conflict has been hanging over the Korean peninsula for some time, but recent inflammatory rhetoric has brought heightened urgency to the situation. This week on World Policy On Air, World Policy fellow Jonathan Cristol discusses the future of security cooperation in East Asia.
World Policy Institute — In 2014 people across the world spent over $293 billion on lottery tickets, an amount greater than the gross domestic product of more than 150 countries. This week on World Policy On Air, Jeff Kelly Lowenstein describes the multinational gaming organizations that dominate this global industry.
World Policy Institute — When she served as home secretary, Prime Minister Theresa May devised a "minimum income requirement" to limit net migration to the United Kingdom to 100,000 people. This week on World Policy On Air, journalist Ismail Einashe describes the effects of this salary threshold, which prevents thousands of British residents from bringing spouses into the country, on children and families.
World Policy Institute — Hundreds of young people have left Belgium to join terrorist groups abroad since 2011. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we speak with journalist Lisa De Bode about how one woman, Saliha Ben Ali, whose son died in Syria in 2013, is sharing her story in an effort to help fellow mothers recognize signs of radicalization in their children.
World Policy Institute — Former U.K. Prime Minster David Cameron, when discussing the possible radicalization of Muslim men, said that Muslim women could be a "moderating force" on their husbands. This week on World Policy On Air, Rafia Zakaria disputes this orientalist thinking and describes how jihadi groups' new recruitment tactics are changing views on women and Islam.
World Policy Institute — In this week's episode of World Policy On Air, World Policy Journal managing editor Laurel Jarombek previews the new "Constructing Family" issue, discussing responses to a "Big Question" about family values as well as essays on terror and gender roles, intimate violence in Shinzô Abe's Japan, and "responsible paternity" policies in Latin America.
World Policy Institute — At his first speech at the U.N., President Trump threatened to "completely destroy" North Korea in response to its nuclear weapons program and provocative missile tests. This week on World Policy On Air, World Policy Senior Fellow Jim Nolt discusses how a slide into open conflict may be more likely than we think.
World Policy Institute — Earlier this month, a report by the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Burundi recorded a litany of human rights abuses and recommended that the International Criminal Court open an investigation immediately. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, political analyst Amilcar Ryumeko discusses how the international community has failed to protect Burundian victims of atrocities.
World Policy Institute — The campaign to combat HIV/AIDS is often cited as an example of how fundraising efforts by states and private organizations can be channelled to address critical global issues. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, journalist Ross Benes discusses why the billions of dollars that poured into AIDS-relief groups' coffers failed to stop the spread of the disease.
World Policy Institute — In the wake of the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, President Donald Trump was widely criticized for emphasizing violence "on many sides" and failing to forcefully condemn white supremacists. This week on World Policy On Air, we speak with Jacob Davey, a project coordinator at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, about the increased visibility and collaboration of neo-Nazi movements across the U.S. and Europe.
World Policy Institute — In 1987, Mikhail Gorbachev became the first major political figure to deliver a speech on Arctic issues, setting in motion a process to establish a regional governance body. This week on World Policy On Air, Nadine Fabbi, the head of the Arctic Fellows program at the University of Washington, discusses the progress the Arctic Council has made after 30 years of operation.
World Policy Institute — In March, EarthRights International filed a lawsuit against the International Finance Corporation, the World Bank’s private-lending arm, on behalf of a group of farmers in the Bajo Aguán region of Honduras. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, lawyer Lauren Carasik discusses the IFC's role in backing the agribusiness at the center of a bloody land dispute and the farmers' struggle for justice.
World Policy Institute — During his campaign, Donald Trump promised decisive and successful military action. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we speak with Karen J. Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School, about how Trump has dealt with foreign policy challenges in the first few months of his presidency.
World Policy Institute — In recent years, Russia has made efforts to extend its diplomatic and economic reach in the Balkans. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we speak with Milos Rastovic of Duquesne University about why Moscow is able to gain outsized influence in countries like Serbia, despite its relatively low level of investment in the region compared to Europe's.
World Policy Institute — As Berlin develops, modern high-rises, start-ups, and gentrification threaten to upend the subcultures that have shaped the city over recent decades. This week on World Policy On Air, World Policy Institute fellow Paul Hockenos discusses his latest book, Berlin Calling, which explores the occupied squats, artistic ferment, and street politics in the anarchic years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
World Policy Institute — Climate change is accelerating faster than scientific models predicted. This week on World Policy On Air, associate director of the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund Mari Margil argues a transformation in law and culture is needed to curb the damaging effects on the world's ecosystems.
World Policy Institute — Over the last 20 years, the U.S. government has given about $4.3 billion in surplus military equipment to state and local authorities. Now, conversations around #BlackLivesMatter and police brutality have amplified the call for less militaristic methods of policing. This week on World Policy On Air, University of Chicago professor Aziz Huq discusses procedural justice and police reform.
World Policy Institute — In the face of looming environmental catastrophe, Geoffrey Mann and Joel Wainwright's book Climate Leviathan describes the new world order emerging from efforts to force countries to comply with climate agreements. This week on World Policy On Air, Mann discusses state sovereignty, climate change, and social movements in response to threats to the environment.
World Policy Institute — In this week's episode of World Policy On Air, World Policy Journal editor Christopher Shay previews the new "Justice Denied" issue, discussing an interview with incarcerated Philippine Senator Leila de Lima as well as essays on codified oppression in Egypt, racism and the law in Germany, prisons in Singapore, and indigenous rights in Canada.
World Policy Institute — Pro-Russian propaganda, common in Bulgaria, is typically fabricated not by Kremlin agents but by ordinary Bulgarians. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we talk with Canadian freelance journalist Michael Colborne about how this anti-Western, anti-democratic, and anti-NATO content on news sites and social media affects politics in the Balkan nation.
World Policy Institute — The National Corps, the political wing of the far-right Azov battalion currently serving as part of the National Guard of Ukraine, was launched when Russia seized Crimea in 2014. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we talk with journalist Ian Bateson about how this nationalist group uses historical figures and artifacts to help justify its vision for Ukraine's future.
World Policy Institute — To convince residents to support an occupying force, the logistics of counterinsurgency are as significant as the actual fighting. On this week’s episode of World Policy On Air, we talk with University of London professor of politics Laleh Khalili about how the U.S. and Israel use road construction to reach political and tactical ends in Afghanistan and Palestine.
World Policy Institute — Last September, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was removed from office on charges of illegally using Central Bank funds to conceal the budget deficit amid a worsening economy and growing corruption scandals. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we speak with professor of political studies at Bard College Omar G. Encarnación about the misogynistic political culture that helped bring down Rousseff.
World Policy Institute — President Trump’s recent visit to the Middle East (“and Israel”) has been met with international controversy, but some in the diplomatic community argue that his inconsistent approach to regional policy could be just what the Israeli-Palestinian conflict needs. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we speak with Sari Bashi of Human Rights Watch about how Trump has been received on both sides of the issue.
World Policy Institute — Just days after President Donald Trump said he’d be “honored” to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un “under the right circumstances,” the country conducted yet another ballistic missile test off its western coast. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, World Policy Institute senior fellow James H. Nolt discusses the potential for military escalation on the Korean peninsula.
World Policy Institute — France’s far-right National Front leader Marine Le Pen conceded defeat on Sunday to Emmanuel Macron, an independent, moderate candidate. In this week’s episode of World Policy On Air, we talk with Paris-based writer Cole Stangler about the results of the French presidential election and the future of the nation’s political parties, both left and right.
World Policy Institute — White House counselor Kellyanne Conway was correct when she told MSNBC’s Chris Matthews the “Bowling Green Massacre” wasn't covered by the media—but it was because the event never really happened. In this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we talk with Central Asia expert Sarah Kendzior about why Americans should heed the warning of similar efforts by Uzbekistan's leaders to tamper with the truth.
World Policy Institute — After the first round of presidential voting in France, the leader of the right-wing National Front, Marine Le Pen, finished a close second to centrist candidate Emanuel Macron. In this week’s episode, provost and political science professor Terri E. Givens discusses the right-wing revival in Europe and the U.S. and offers ways for progressive parties to fight back.
World Policy Institute — Earlier this year, Vietnam purchased its sixth Russian-built submarine amid rising Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, Sarosh Bana, executive editor of Business India in Mumbai, discusses the implications of Vietnam's increased military capabilities for stability in the region.
World Policy Institute — The idea that Muslim women are more oppressed than women of other religions is a common belief in the U.S. today, but this wasn't the case 20 years ago. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we speak with Dr. Leila Ahmed, an Egyptian-born author and the first appointed professor of women's studies in religion at Harvard Divinity School.
World Policy Institute — If President Trump follows the latest missile strikes in Syria with further U.S. military intervention, the escalation could drive even more refugees from the embattled country. On this week’s episode of World Policy On Air, journalist Tania Karas discusses the effects of the massive wave of migration to Greece, where thousands are trapped in makeshift housing.
World Policy Institute — Tough abortion laws across the Americas and the Caribbean are threatening women’s lives and family stability. On this week’s episode of World Policy On Air, we discuss how these harsh policies exacerbate inequality and gender discrimination with Medellín-based journalist Angelika Albaladejo.
World Policy Institute — “Freedom is the freedom to say two plus two equals four. If that is granted, all else follows.” - George Orwell, 1984. Since the inauguration of President Donald Trump, sales of the iconic, dystopian novel have jumped 9500 percent. In this week’s episode of World Policy On Air, we preview key components of the new Spring 2017 issue of World Policy Journal “Fascism Rising” with Editor Christopher Shay.
World Policy Institute — With plans for a meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping next month still unconfirmed, Premier Li Keqiang stated that China hoped to avoid a trade war but pointed out the harm this outcome would cause to U.S. firms. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, New York University professor Ann Lee, author of What the U.S. Can Learn from China, discusses the future of relations between the two nations.
World Policy Institute — Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump have denied rumors of a "Cold-War bromance," but evidence of the Trump administration's ties to Russia appears to be piling up. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, we talk about the future of U.S.-Russia relations with New School Russian expert and World Policy fellow Nina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of the late Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
World Policy Institute — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's support for the Russian-brokered cease-fire in Syria continued a trend of closer ties with Russia and increasing distance from the U.S. On the latest episode of World Policy On Air, World Policy Institute fellow and Turkey expert Elmira Bayrasli assesses what Erdoğan's geopolitical maneuvering means for the numerous security challenges his country still faces.
World Policy Institute — The world was stunned last year when Tay, Microsoft’s premier Twitter chatbot, evolved from innocent social media consumer to a sexist, racist troll after operating only a few hours. On the latest episode of World Policy On Air, cybersecurity expert Megan Garcia explains why governments and companies must be conscious of the institutional biases picked up by complex algorithms.
World Policy Institute — A new wave of feminism is quietly sweeping through China amid the government’s recent crackdown on freedoms of assembly and expression. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, historian Maura Elizabeth Cunningham considers the likely outcomes of activists' efforts to advance women’s rights in the face of a regime looking to subdue dissent.
World Policy Institute — Winning hearts and minds in the war against Islamist terrorism benefits from partnering with religious leaders—not blaming them. On this week’s episode of World Policy On Air, Manal Omar of the U.S. Institute of Peace talks about missteps in U.S. policy and better ways to conduct digital and conventional diplomacy.