Podcasts about African Affairs

To give us the benefit of his vast experience as a diplomat, former Ambassador Chas Freeman, helps us sort through the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Then Christian Sorenson, military analyst from the Eisenhower Media Network, explains just how the military industrial complex works.Ambassador Chas Freeman is a retired career diplomat who has negotiated on behalf of the United States with over 100 foreign governments in East and South Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and both Western and Eastern Europe. Ambassador Freeman served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires in the American embassies at both Bangkok and Beijing. He was Director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 1979-1981.The claim that suddenly Iran was on the verge of building a nuclear weapon has no basis in fact. And neither the CIA nor the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, agree with the statement of the President that Iran is about to build a bomb.Ambassador Chas FreemanThe Israelis have a strange way of negotiating. They went into negotiations with Hamas, and they killed the top two people in charge of the negotiations. Then they go into negotiations – with U.S. auspices – with Iran. And in the middle of them, they kill the top military and scientific people in Iran.Ambassador Chas FreemanIt's as least as likely, maybe more likely, that there will be regime change in Jerusalem as there will be regime change in Tehran.Ambassador Chas FreemanChristian Sorensen is the Associate Director of the Eisenhower Media Network. He is an author and military affairs analyst covering the business of war. Mr. Sorenson is a former U.S. Air Force Arabic linguist, served at a variety of stateside posts and a tour in Qatar. He is the author of “Understanding the War Industry.” Since leaving the military, he has become the foremost expert studying military contracting and how corporations profit from war.The U.S. taxpayer gives any year around three to $4 billion of U.S. tax dollars to Israel, and then Israel is supposed to turn around and use that money to purchase from the U.S. war industry. So it is incredibly profitable for the U.S. ruling class to do that because it doesn't come out of the pockets of the U.S. ruling class because the U.S. ruling class doesn't pay their fair share of taxes.Christian SorensonPer Ralph's call to action - Even non-veterans can sign up for Veterans for Peace Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

U.S. foreign policy towards Africa has been totally upended since Donald Trump returned to power earlier this year. Gone are the decades-old humanitarian programs that have been replaced by a new strategy that focuses on expanding U.S. commercial ties and countering China's presence on the continent. The State Department's most senior diplomat for Africa, Troy Fitrell, the senior official in the Bureau of African Affairs, appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Sub-Committee on Africa this week to explain the new policy with a particular focus on how the U.S. should challenge "China's malign influence in Africa." Eric, Cobus, and Geraud review Fitrell's statements on China through a point-by-point analysis, exploring whether Washington's new approach is truly fresh or merely a rehash of what previous administrations have tried to do for years in Africa vis-à-vis the Chinese. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque | @christiangeraud Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth Now on Bluesky! Follow CGSP at @chinagsproject.bsky.social FOLLOW CGSP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com | @SinSharqAwsat JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth

Some African leaders regard United States President Donald Trump's decision to halt aid to the continent as an opportunity to foster self-reliance. They have already initiated plans to mobilise the necessary resources to reshape Africa's aid landscape. “Trade, not aid, is now the pillar of our policy in Africa,” said United States ambassador Troy Fitrell, from the Bureau of African Affairs, in a speech on 14 May at business summit in Abidjan.The declaration settles any doubts over the Trump administration's position on aid towards Africa. The US – the world single largest aid donor in the world, according to the United Nations – no longer wants to disburse billions in foreign aid, despite the fact that it represents a small percentage of its entire budget.In 2023, the US spent $71.9 billion in foreign aid, which amounts to 1.2 percent of its entire budget for that fiscal year.President Donald Trump repeatedly stated that aid is a waste. For years, Africa has been the region receiving more funding from the United States than any other.Across the African continent, Trump's executive orders were initially met with shock, anger, and despair — but also with a renewed determination to change course and place African resources at the heart of African healthcare.In February, at an African Union summit, Rwandan President Paul Kagame announced that the AU's health institutions, including the Centres for Disease Control, would take the lead in seeking alternatives to US funding.“Africa now finds itself at a crossroads. The health financing landscape has shifted dramatically.“I propose that, over the next year, we work together to define new mechanisms for concrete collaboration on healthcare among governments, businesses, and philanthropies,” he told African leaders.“The work of building our continent, including our healthcare systems, cannot be outsourced to anyone else.” To untangle what is going on, for this edition of Interntional Report, RFI interviewed Eric Olander, editor-in-chief of the China-Global South Project; Chris Milligan, former foreign service officer at USAID, in Washington; Mark Heywood, human rights and social justice activist in South Africa, co-founder of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC); Onikepe Owolabi, vice president of International research at the Guttmacher institute in New York; Monica Oguttu, founding executive director of KMET, Kisumu Medical and Education Trust, in Kenya.

Send us a textProf. Dr. Islam Abou El-Magd, Ph.D. is the President of the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, Egypt ( https://www.narss.sci.eg/professor/47 ), which focuses on applied research using earth observation and geo-informatics in environmental-related issuesProf. Abou El-Magd is also Counsellor for the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research for Space Technology and African Affairs ( https://mohesr.gov.eg/en-us/Pages/home.aspx ), which is responsible for all related education, science and technology in Egypt with Africa either on bi-lateral, multi-lateral and AUC agreements. Prof. Abou El-Magd has been involved in developing many international, regional and national Geographic Information System (GIS) projects in different disciplines. He was a GIS consultant for the Centre of Environment and Development for Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE), Arab League. Prof. Abou El-Magd spent five years of his career in the UK as a GIS Program Coordinator for the University of Southampton and Gifford Excellence. He has been selected as an international consultant for a short-term consultancy to some of the UN Programs, including the Food and Agriculture Organization in Saudi Arabia, the World Health Organization in Sudan, and the United Nations Development Program in Kuwait.Prof. Abou El-Magd is also general secretary of the space council of Egypt, which is responsible for setting up the policy and strategy of space and earth observation applications in Egypt. He represents Egypt as a focal point in some European-African space initiatives and partnerships such as Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES). He was also a co-chair of the Implementation Plan Working Group – Group on Earth Observation that developed the ten-year implementation plan for GEO (2016-2025). Moreover, He is also an acting member of the African Space policy and Strategy by the Space Working Group that developed the African Space policy and strategy. Finally, he is the Vice-President of the African Association of Remote Sensing and the Environment, the largest remote sensing and geo-informatics association and network in Africa.Prof. Abou El-Magd chaired the high-level national committee to strategize and develop the National Space Program, which the Egyptian Space Agency ( https://www.egsa.gov.eg/ ) currently implements. He was also appointed for a short period as the Vice Executive President of the Egyptian Space Agency before being appointed president of the National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, which was the cradle of the Egyptian Space Program.Prof. Abou El-Magd has an MSc, University of El-Mansoura, Egypt and Ph.D., School of Civil Engineering and The Environment, University of Southampton, UK. #ProfDrIslamAbouElMagd  #RemoteSensing #SpaceSciences #Egypt #GeographicInformationSystems #SatelliteImagery #DisasterMitigation #SandDuneMovements #AeolianProcess #Dengue #MedicalEntomology #AquaticBiology #Fisheries #AedesAegypti #GreenhouseGases #GeothermalEnergy #FishingZoneDetection #Sardinella #Geosciences #GoldExploration #ArchaeologicalSites #SandStorms #Sinai #RedSea #STEM #Innovation #Science #Technology #Research #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #Podcasting #ViralPodcastSupport the show

Ralph welcomes retired diplomat Ambassador Chas Freeman to discuss the United States' disregard for international law, the incoming Trump administration's approach to foreign policy, and the decline of the American Empire (among other topics).Ambassador Chas Freeman is a retired career diplomat who has negotiated on behalf of the United States with over 100 foreign governments in East and South Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and both Western and Eastern Europe. Ambassador Freeman was previously a Senior Fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, and served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires in the American embassies at both Bangkok and Beijing. He was Director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 1979-1981. He was the principal American interpreter during the late President Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972. In addition to Chinese, Ambassador Freeman speaks French and Spanish at the professional level and can converse in Arabic and several other languages.He concluded his thirty years in public service as Assistant Secretary of Defense, responsible for managing defense relations with all regions of the world except the countries of the former Soviet Union. Ambassador Freeman is the author of several well-received books on statecraft and diplomacy, including The Diplomat's Dictionary, America's Misadventures in the Middle East, and America's Continuing Misadventures in the Middle East.I think it's fair to say that our country led the drive for international law, a world order that was based on rules established by consensus and legitimized at the United Nations. But we have also led the drive away from the rule of law, both internationally and domestically. And I think the connection is contempt for procedural justice or due process.Chas FreemanThat whole area of international law—which was a stabilizing force in the world—has gone [when Trump removed us from the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Agreement in Europe.] And the UN Charter is disrespected—not just the US Constitution is—in its fundamentals. We invade the sovereignty of other countries with no serious regard for the legal prohibitions against that. And in fact, those legal prohibitions—which once were something that smaller countries could rely upon when they confronted the great powers—are no longer effective. Therefore, we see at the local level, the regional level, a proliferation of weapons designed to counter and defend against attack by greater powers. So the whole world is in effect arming itself. This is very good for arms manufacturers, but it's very bad for the prospects for our species.Chas FreemanThere are no realistic threats against the United States—except those that we are provoking. Our view seems to be that the best way to deal with the hornet's nest—I'm speaking of West Asia, the Middle East here—is to go and poke the hornets in their nest.Chas FreemanThe real risk now…is Israel has so much power in the US that it could create incidents which would flip the United States into a blazing barrage of empire expansion— and suppression in the United States domestically. And they have an incoming president who is ripe for that kind of manipulation to begin with.Ralph NaderIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantisNews 12/11/241. On December 4th, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was assassinated in broad daylight in Midtown Manhattan. Clues indicated that the killing was political; most notably, the words “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were each written on one of the three bullets fired at the scene. As AP notes, “The messages mirror the phrase ‘delay, deny, defend,' which is commonly used by lawyers and critics about insurers that delay payments, deny claims and defend their actions.” Following nearly two full days of nescience, authorities turned up a suspect – Luigi Mangione, the Ivy League-educated scion of an established Baltimore family who had shown signs of increasingly erratic behavior in recent months, perhaps related to ever-worsening back pain. When Mangione was apprehended in an Altoona, Pennsylvania McDonald's, he was found with “a three-page handwritten document that indicated ‘motivation and mindset,'” the BBC reports, however authorities have not released this manifesto. Perhaps unsurprisingly, ABC 7 New York reports that Mangione's actions have unleashed a torrent of “‘volcanic' anger,” toward health insurance agencies, which many regard as capricious and cruel. It remains to be seen how this public sentiment will factor into what is sure to be a highly-publicized criminal trial.2. The reverberations of Mangione's actions are already being felt. Back in November, the American Society of Anesthesiologists issued a statement decrying Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield's unilateral declaration that it would refuse to “pay for anesthesia care if [a] surgery or procedure goes beyond an arbitrary time limit, regardless of how long the surgical procedure takes.” The ASA called on Anthem to reverse that proposal, but their pleas were ignored. That is until December 5th – just one day after the UnitedHealthcare shooting – when the company abruptly reversed themselves and even scrubbed the announcement of the policy from their website. Of course, Anthem insists that the outcry was based on “misinformation” and denies any correlation between the assassination and their decision, per NBC, but the timing frankly makes that difficult to believe.3. Another New York City killing also made the news last week: the trial of Daniel Penny, a former U.S. Marine on trial for strangling Jordan Neely to death in a New York subway car. Neely was an African-American street artist who had been experiencing homelessness. CNN reports Penny was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide, already a lesser charge than the original second-degree manslaughter allegation, which Judge Maxwell Wiley dismissed Friday after jurors “twice told the court they could not come to a verdict on the count.” Neely's father, Andre Zachary, is quoted saying “I miss my son. My son didn't have to go through this. I didn't have to go through this either…What's going to happen to us now? I've had enough of this. The system is rigged.”4. Turning to the Middle East, the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria has fallen. Assad, with help from Russia, has clung to power since the country descended into civil war in 2011, beating back all manner of rival forces ranging from U.S.-backed rebels to left-wing Kurdish militias to ISIS. The faction that finally did wrest power from Assad is called Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham or HTS, which splintered from Al-Qaeda but is now engaging in a so-called “charm offensive” per France24, and promoting itself as a tolerant faction that will not subjugate women or oppress ethnic and religious minorities such as Syrian Christians, Druze, and Kurds. In a statement, the group told the Kurds of Aleppo “You have the right to live freely … Diversity is a strength of which we are proud…We denounce the actions of the Islamic State group against the Kurds, including the enslavement of women … We are with the Kurds to build the Syria of tomorrow.” ABC reports the U.S. will “recognize and support a new Syrian government that renounces terrorism, destroys chemical weapons stocks and protects the rights of minorities and women.” So far HTS seems to fit the bill. And if this all wasn't enough, the Syrian situation is further complicated by Israel using this moment to expand its foothold in the country. CNN reports Israel has “launched airstrikes at military targets across Syria and deployed ground troops both into and beyond a demilitarized buffer zone for the first time in 50 years,” setting the stage for a possible new front in Netanyahu's ongoing regional war.5. In Palestine, the Intercept reports five Palestinians in the West Bank, along with the councils of the three villages they hail from have filed “a formal regulatory complaint in Germany accusing the media giant Axel Springer of contributing to human rights abuses in Palestine.” Specifically, the complaint concerns Yad2, a classified ads platform and subsidiary of Axel Springer that has been compared to Craigslist, which the plaintiffs allege enables illegal settlements. According to the complaint filed by Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre, Yad2's facilitation of settler activity violates Germany's Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which “requires German companies to identify and mitigate human rights risks within their global supply chains, including in subsidiaries which they control.”6. In more Israel/Palestine news, the student body at Yale has “overwhelmingly,” passed three pro-Palestine referenda, including two demanding that the university “disclose and divest from its holdings in military weapons manufacturers, ‘including those arming Israel,'” per Yale Daily News. These measures passed with around 80% of the vote. Han Pimental-Hayes, an organizer with the pro-Palestine Sumud Coalition, is quoted saying “University leaders have long tried to paint pro-Palestine and pro-divestment students as a fringe minority. The results of this referendum demonstrate that in reality, the movement for a free Palestine and a more ethical endowment is overwhelmingly popular.” Yale Friends of Israel however expressed that they are “certain” Yale will not change its investment policy regarding Israel's weapons of war.7. Looking to Africa, Semafor reports that the incoming Trump White House appears set to recognize the breakaway state of Somaliland, spurred on by right-wing elements who wish to use the unrecognized country as a base for anti-China intelligence operations. This piece highlights that this move would rattle the governments of East Africa and draw the ire of the African Union, but Trump's China hawks see it as a critical element of countering Chinese influence in the region and particularly in Djibouti where the People's Liberation Army has set up one of its handful of foreign military bases. Even if Trump does not recognize Somaliland however, and instead hews to the traditional American “One Somalia” policy, Republicans are calling for Trump to take an approach akin to Taiwan – treating it as independent without formal recognition.8. Turning to domestic politics, POLITICO reports Democrats are staging a “mutiny” against the old guard who have monopolized power in the House. This report focuses on Rep. Jerry Nadler, 77, who will vacate his position as the top Democrat on Judiciary to clear the way for Jamie Raskin, Rep. Raul Grijalva, 76, who announced he would step down as the top Dem on the Natural Resources Committee, and David Scott of Georgia, 79, who is looking down the barrel at multiple challenges for his spot on the Agriculture Committee. Since this piece was published, another major challenge has emerged – NBC reports AOC is gunning for the top Democratic spot on the Oversight Committee. The POLITICO piece emphasizes Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' approach of letting the challenges “speak for themselves,” as an indication that he will not fight this wave of challenges.9. Washington Post labor reporter Lauren Kaori Gurley reports the Teamsters are demanding Amazon agree to bargaining dates by December 15. In a statement, Teamsters President Sean O'Brien writes “The Teamsters are done asking nicely for Amazon to stop breaking the law. Amazon must commit to come to the table and bargain a Teamsters contract with its workers — or face the consequences of its inaction.” This gambit by the Teamsters comes just as the winter holiday gift deliveries are getting into full swing, maximizing the union's leverage. Moreover, the Teamster's Faustian bargain with the Trump administration may yield results for them, as the normally business friendly Republicans may be inclined to put the screws to Amazon on behalf of this particular union. Whatever the circumstances, the Amazon Teamsters deserve a contract and it is heartening that O'Brien is fighting for his members.10. In decidedly worse Trump news, the president-elect has announced former Missouri Republican Congressman Billy Long as his pick to lead the IRS. A story by the Lever sounds the alarm on how he might use the “non-profit killer” bill to pursue political vendettas against tax-exempt organizations he dislikes. This piece exposes Long's role in trying to pressure the IRS to launch a probe into, of all things, the Humane Society following their support of a Missouri ballot measure strengthening dog breeder regulations. Put another way, if Long was ready to use the long-arm of the IRS to crack down on an organization whose sole political goal is the protection of animals, what might he do to organizations devoted to civil rights or social justice?This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Interview recorded - 7th of November, 2024On this episode of the WTFinance podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming on Former Ambassador Chas Freeman. Chas is a well know diplomat with an array of experience. Examples include being the main interpreter for Richard Nixon during his 1972 China visit and the US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1989 to 1992, during the Gulf war.During our conversation we spoke about the US driving together China and Russia, Biden escalating tensions, US fighting Russia, sustainment of global hegemony, 0:00 - Introduction2:06 - Driving China and Russia together?5:28 - Biden escalating tensions11:22 - Should NATO have been ended when Soviet Union collapsed?15:32 - US fighting Russia?17:50 - Sustainment of global hegemony20:56 - How has the Middle East evolved?24:20 - Anyway to get back to two state solution?31:39 - Axis of evil36:09 - Further escalation?39:19 - Madman theory40:29 - Normalise relations with adversaries?49:49 - One message to takeaway from our conversation?Ambassador Freeman has recently retired from Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. He was Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 1993-94, earning the highest public service awards of the Department of Defense for his roles in designing a NATO-centered post-Cold War European security system and in reestablishing defense and military relations with China. He served as U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm). He was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during the historic U.S. mediation of Namibian independence from South Africa and Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola.Chas Freeman served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires in the American embassies at both Bangkok (1984-1986) and Beijing (1981-1984). He was Director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 1979-1981. He was the principal American interpreter during the late President Nixon's path-breaking visit to China in 1972. In addition to his Middle Eastern, African, East Asian and European diplomatic experience, he served in India.Ambassador Freeman earned a certificate in Latin American studies from the National Autonomous University of Mexico, certificates in both the national and Taiwan dialects of Chinese from the former Foreign Service Institute field school in Taiwan, a BA magna cum laude from Yale University and a JD from the Harvard Law School. He is the recipient of numerous high honors and awards. He is the author of three books on U.S. foreign policy and two on statecraft. He was the editor of the Encyclopaedia Britannica entry on “diplomacy.”  He is a sought-after speaker on a wide variety of foreign policy issues.Ambassador Freeman is Chairman of the Board of Projects International, Inc., a Washington-based business development firm that specializes in arranging international joint ventures, acquisitions, and other business operations for its American and foreign clients. After his retirement from government, he served concurrently as co-chair of the United States China Policy Foundation, president of the Middle East Policy Council, and vice chair of the Atlantic Council of the United States.Chas Freeman is married to the Hon. Margaret Van Wagenen Carpenter.  He has three children by a previous marriage, eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.Chas Freeman:Website - https://chasfreeman.net/WTFinance: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wtfinancee/Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/67rpmjG92PNBW0doLyPvfniTunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wtfinance/id1554934665?uo=4Twitter - https://twitter.com/AnthonyFatseas

U.S. President Joe Biden was supposed to be in Angola this week, fulfilling a pledge to visit the continent he made back at the 2022 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. But with massive hurricanes pounding the southern United States, the president was forced to postpone the visit. The trip to Angola would have marked a major milestone for Biden. The southwestern African country is the showcase for the president's global infrastructure investment program, which is widely seen as Washington's effort to rival China's Belt and Road Initiative. What does the president's cancellation of his trip this week say about Washington's larger Africa policy? Not a whole lot, according to Judd Devermont, the former senior director of African Affairs at the National Security Council and now an operating partner at Kupanda Capital in Washington, D.C. Judd joins Eric to discuss the latest trends in U.S. foreign policy in Africa and what role China now plays in the White House's strategy. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: X: @ChinaGSProject | @eric_olander | @stadenesque | @christiangeraud Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ChinaGlobalSouth FOLLOW CAP IN FRENCH AND ARABIC: Français: www.projetafriquechine.com | @AfrikChine Arabic: عربي: www.alsin-alsharqalawsat.com | @SinSharqAwsat JOIN US ON PATREON! Become a CGSP Patreon member and get all sorts of cool stuff, including our Week in Review report, an invitation to join monthly Zoom calls with Eric & Cobus, and even an awesome new CGSP Podcast mug! www.patreon.com/chinaglobalsouth

Engaging with the dynamic and rapidly evolving development landscape in Africa presents a complex challenge. Historically, global powers have treated Africa as a tool for extraction and a pawn in geopolitical struggles, from colonialism to the Cold War. However, with the growth of Africa and the world shifting into a multipolar era, the U.S. finds its policies and engagement with Africa unfit for purpose, having lost touch with the realities and interests on the ground. Often referred to as the "continent of the future" due to its vast resources and rapidly growing population, a critical question the U.S. is asking is: how can the U.S. engage effectively in Africa? Former CSIS Africa Program director and Into Africa's creator, Judd Devermont, rejoins the podcast to share his insights into the U.S.'s approach to Africa and the role of America in a multipolar world. Drawing on his experience as Special Assistant to President Biden and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, Judd offers a deep and informed perspective on these critical issues.

Today, President Cyril Ramaphosa will undertake a working visit to Angola, where he will meet with President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço. The two leaders will use this opportunity to review the bilateral relationship between their countries. They will also discuss regional mutual interests, including the situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the broader efforts to resolve conflicts across the continent. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Nixon Katembo who is an analyst of African Affairs 

In 2019, the U.S. Congress passed the bipartisan Global Fragility Act (GFA), approving up to $200 million annually for prevention and stabilization efforts in target countries and regions, including Mozambique, Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo. The GFA aims to strengthen fragile states, described by the Department of State as those "where state weakness or failure would magnify threats to the American homeland" and to "empower reform-minded governments, people, and civil society." Collaborating with state governments, civil society actors, and other key stakeholders, 10-year plans were developed for each target country. This initiative comes at a critical time, as conflict-related violence globally is at its highest since the end of the Cold War, with particularly acute effects in Africa, from the Sahel to Sudan to the eastern DRC. Peter Quaranto, Director of the Office of African Affairs in the Department of State Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), joins Mvemba to share CSO's approach to better anticipate, prevent and mitigate violent conflicts. They discuss how CSO's mission to strengthen U.S.-Africa partnerships for a more peaceful future.

Ambassador Cindy Courville joins Mike Shanley to discuss her work as the first Ambassador for the African Union. She talks about what it was like to enter into that role and how she worked with African Leaders to ensure their voices were heard, as well as what it meant to them to have someone assigned to Africa. Ambassador Courville describes the way the relationships have changed throughout different Presidencies and that it is critical to choose our next President based on the needs of other countries. Lastly, Ambassador Courville talks about what someone looking to get started in the development and diplomatic sector should be focused on. Tune in to learn more about the African Union.    IN THIS EPISODE: [1:49] What is Ambassador Courville's view on global security? [2:43] What does she see as the interplay between intelligence and development in promoting development outcomes?  [5:32] What was Ambassador Courville's experience being the first Ambassador to the African Union and what was her role? [9:25] How have the policies changed since the first implemented policies? [14:28] What did it mean to the African Leaders to have an Ambassador assigned to them? [16:25] Has there been momentum on the foundation of engagement with African nations and leaders under the Biden administration?  [19:56] How do the current African leaders see geopolitical options to them in the US, China, and other nations? [24:26] What is Ambassador Courville's insight on good development and the importance of interagency work? [27:25] What is Ambassador Courville's insight to someone that wants to cut development funding or diplomatic funding? [31:53] Ambassador Courville's advice for someone getting started in the development or diplomatic sector.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  If we fall or shift to a more authoritarian situation, that is not in the best interest of African countries or developing countries in general.  We need to have a democracy and a leadership that is focused on maintaining democracy, not curtailing the rights and freedoms of Americans.  The more politically and economically stable we are, the less you have to use other tools, and you only want to use those other tools in the most extreme situations.    QUOTES: [21:35] “The Africans have been extremely forgiving and understanding. I would say, extremely democratic in their outlook, so they recognize the dynamics and shifts on a level that the average American just doesn't get. I'm not just talking the leadership of Africa, but the people themselves, and so you can't expect them not to engage.” - Ambassador Cindy Courville [24:33] “If I were writing the policy for USAID today, or for the administration, not just for Africa, but in general, I would say we need to increase the size of USAID. USAID's mission is so huge, but the number of personnel and NGOs are great, but we need more continuity in that process.” - Ambassador Cindy Courville [31:19] “We haven't resolved our civil war issues, women's issues, all of those things that are fundamentally part of a democracy.” - Ambassador Cindy Courville   RESOURCES: NSL4A Steering Committee  Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube   BIOGRAPHY: Ambassador (retired) Cindy Courville, Ph.D. currently serves on the executive board of the National Security Executives and Professional Association (NSEPA) and as a member of the Steering Committee of the Leadership Council for Women in National Security (LCWINS).  Previously Ambassador Courville served as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Social Science Foundation Board for the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. Within the U.S. government national security enterprise Ambassador Courville has served in a number of positions for nearly 20 years in the Department of State, the National Security Council, the Defense Intelligence Agency , and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.  In the academic arena,  Ambassador Courville taught at the National Intelligence University, Occidental College, and Hanover College. Ambassador Courville served as the first U.S. Ambassador to the African Union where she was significantly instrumental in organizing and managing the fiftieth U.S. mission in Africa from November 2006-May 2008.  She led the U.S., European Union, and Non-African Observer countries negotiating efforts to design and implement the Strategic Planning Management Unit to support the African Union Mission to Somalia.  Also, she facilitated engagements with the ambassadors from Algeria, Ethiopia, and Uganda to develop a strategic engagement plan for the launch and sustainment of a Ugandan People's Defense Force led African Union peacekeeping mission to Somalia. In addition, Ambassador Courville led a team of experts that developed a Disaster Readiness Program.  Under her leadership, this effort was fully funded at $1 million to assist the African Union in the creation of a standardized, coordinated system to monitor, address and remedy humanitarian crises in Africa. From 2004 – 2006 at the National Security Council (NSC), Dr. Courville served as the Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for African Affairs.  She was responsible for developing and implementing critical strategic bilateral U.S. – Africa policy and relations that contributed to the advancement of U.S.- Africa political, economic, military partnerships, and security alliances.  Dr. Courville served as the White House and NSC lead working in collaboration  with the Nigerian government and the Special Court for Sierra Leone Office of the Prosecutor that helped bring  former  Liberian President Charles Taylor to justice for war crimes at The Hague.  In addition, Dr. Courville led the NSC interagency process that resulted in the U.S. training, airlifting and deployment of African Union troops in Darfur.  Also, she helped to create  and launch the Corporate Council on Africa, a public private partnership in support of the Presidential Malaria Initiative. Ambassador Cindy Courville received her Ph.D. and M.A. in international studies from the University of Denver and received her M.A. and B.A. in political science from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.  Also, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Louisiana, selected as  the Korbel School of International Studies 2014 Alumni of the Decade, and received the University of Denver Alumni Association Professional Achievement Award. Ambassador Courville is a Shell Oil Fellow, Ford Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow, International Career and Advancement Fellow and Department of Defense Executive Leadership Development Fellow.

With nearly 1.5 billion people, Africa has a young, rapidly rising population, coupled with an abundance of natural resources, access to key minerals for the green economy and a growing importance in the geopolitical balance of power. Hear from the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, Molly Phee, as she discusses U.S. policy toward this vital region. Assistant Secretary Phee brings a wealth of experience to her understanding of this vast and diverse continent, comprising over 50 countries and numerous cultures, languages and geographies. She outlines the current approach to U.S.-Africa relations and share her experiences building bridges of understanding and economic prosperity with people across Africa. Minnesota's significant and vibrant African diaspora add to the importance and relevance of understanding this crucial relationship.

Peace is a leading academic and award winning novelist. Her full list of projects and accolades is right here for you, courtesy of her website: She is associate professor in politics at the University of Bristol and her research is at the intersection of African studies, women's and gender studies, and international relations. She studies state and non-state actor responses to gender-based violence and other forms of insecurity. Her book, Global Norms and Local Action: The Campaigns to End Violence against Women in Africa, was published in 2020 by Oxford University Press. Her second monograph, which is in progress, draws on survey and interview data to study women traditional leaders and their evolving roles and impact on women's security and rights in Botswana, Ghana, Liberia, and South Africa. She is also writing and producing a documentary on the subject.  Her debut novel, His Only Wife, was published in 2020 by Algonquin Books. It was a New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice, a New York Times Notable Book of 2020, and a Time Magazine Must-Read Book of 2020. It was also a Reese's Book Club Pick. His Only Wife is available in Croatian, Dutch, Italian, French, and Russian, with more translations forthcoming. Her second novel, Nightbloom, was published in 2023 by Algonquin Books and was longlisted for the 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Slice Magazine, Transition, Four Way Review, and elsewhere. Medie's research has been supported by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council, and her findings have been published in African Affairs, InternationalStudies Review, Politics & Gender, the European Journal of Politics and Gender, and elsewhere. She has won many awards for her work, including the Best Article Award of the European Journal of Politics and Gender and the African Author Prize of African Affairs. She has also held several fellowships, including the Oxford-Princeton Global Leaders fellowship. She was an editor of African Affairs, the top-ranked African studies journal, from 2017 to 2022 and co-edits the Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relationsbook series.  Medie earned a BA in Geography from the University of Ghana, an MA in International Studies from Ohio University, and a PhD in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Before joining the University of Bristol, she was a Research Fellow at LECIAD, University of Ghana. She attended OLA Secondary School, Ho, and was born in Liberia. Get your copy of Nightbloom here, or at your local seller.

Brittany Brown, Acting Assistant to the Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization, joins Mike Shanley to discuss the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI). OTI has been an ongoing effort for 30 years, and Brittany shares some of their successes with working in other countries. Localization is a large aspect of the work that OTI is focused on, by working with local partners and change makers to ensure that everyone has a buy-in on the project a grant is funding. OTI partners with the National Security Council, State Department, and DOD in a variety of ways, and with someone from the OTI team on the Administration this year, they are seeing success with educating the government on impacts of certain decisions.   IN THIS EPISODE: [1:17] Brittany covers some of the key successes and lessons learned across 30 years of OTI.  [4:00] Brittany shares an example of the OTI's work in Libya.  [6:30] Brittany shares about the work that has been done in Columbia. [9:55] How does OTI work with local partners and what lessons can they share with other parts of USAID to best implement localization agendas and engage local partners? [18:22] Brittany explains how OTI engages with the National Security Council. [18:22] How does OTI work together with the State Department and DOD? [20:50] What are some of the innovations and challenges that OTI has come up with?  [23:00] Brittany shares what initiatives and strategies she is excited about looking forward to with OTI.  [28:22] Brittany talks about how impactful it is when everyone works together on a project.  KEY TAKEAWAYS:  [3:30] OTI goes to countries to create a collaborative model, where everyone has buy-in. It isn't only the U.S. Government that determines what they need, instead it is the country requesting what they need, and then everyone working together to make that happen.  [24:00] One of the reasons that OTI is an important organization is because they are limited and can be very targeted in the places they are engaging. They typically only have around 15 programs happening at any moment.  [27:26] None of us are as smart as all of us thinking together. There are a lot of creative ways that can help get things done better and differently than before, and those ideas will come with everyone working together.  QUOTES: [5:00] “We started asking the displaced people, what would it take for you to return? What is it, what do you need to return to Sirte, and then we immediately started doing the things they were asking for. So that meant we were just restoring regular services. It meant just government services, it meant sewage and trash collection, it meant running water, access to running water, it meant schools actually had to be functioning. It meant healthcare systems had to be stood up. We had to start cleaning up graffiti and signage that was left over from the ISIS occupation to make people feel like they actually had a future for themselves and their kids” - Brittany Brown [12:44] “We don't have the brilliant ideas. It's actually the people who live in these communities and understand the local context, the local dynamics about what is happening, and it's using systems that already exist in these countries.” - Brittany Brown [27:25] “I think government bureaucrats get a bad rap for not being innovative and creative in these different ways. Everytime I interact with anyone in this building at the state department, anywhere else, there are these big, brilliant change makers in government that are thinking about how we do things better. They also are very open to ideas from the outside.” - Brittany Brown RESOURCES: Aid Market Podcast Aid Market Podcast YouTube   BIOGRAPHY:  Brittany Brown serves as Deputy Assistant Administrator of USAID's Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Stabilization (CPS). She was appointed by the Biden-Harris Administration to also serve as the Director for the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in CPS. Prior to OTI, Brittany worked as the Chief of Staff at the International Crisis Group after more than a decade in the U.S. Government, working for a range of government agencies, including USAID, the U.S. Departments of Justice, State, and Defense, and both the Obama and Trump White Houses. She served on the staff of the National Security Council as the acting Senior Director for African Affairs under the Trump Administration, and as the National Security Council's Horn of Africa Director under President Obama. Brittany began her government career as a Presidential Management Fellow with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Before joining the U.S. Government, she worked with juvenile detainees and children in the foster care system. She also managed a GED program for women awaiting trial at Chicago's Cook County Jail. She holds a Bachelor's degree in political science and sociology from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Arts in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.

On today's show, we open with something to help more easily recognize how bad inflation still is for the average American. We look at the typical food prices from 2020 versus 2024. Most are paying around 46% more for food than they were four years ago. Yet, Joe Biden has twice lied about the inflation rate being at 9% when he took office. WH Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tried to explain it away, but the internet has a long memory. Seems the reason we lost Niger is due to Biden's Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Molly Phee. The Nigerian Prime Minister said she threatened them and to say who they can have relationships with as a nation. He said she did that with a condescending tone and a lack of respect. Let's hear it for the Biden Touch! We now have Afghanistan 2.0. We then spend a good amount of time with a Congressional hearing into collusion between the DOJ, the White House and the Alvin Bragg case. One of the key witnesses was Michael Cohen's former lawyer, Bob Costello. From Lawfare, to weaponizing the DOJ, to colluding, Costello's testimony is both riveting and disheartening. We hear from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and Rep. Harriett Hagemon (R-WO). While we are breaking that down, the cross of Michael Cohen resumed today and we got word that Judge Merchan is doing all he can to block the defense and aid the flailing prosecution. But, as CNN had to admit, things are not looking good for the Bragg prosecution. Apparently, Cohen went on an unhinged rant, calling the judge corrupt, the proceedings corrupt and, in fact, that he was the only there who wasn't politically motivated. Finally, on the topic of unhinged rants, we got to a professor from UC Irvine in California who was being led away from a protest. Just like other Ivory Tower campus elites, her pro-Hamas, pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic behavior finally got her arrested. But, it's her shrill screaming that tells you all you need to know about how far academic institutions have fallen. Take a moment to rate and review the show and then share the episode on social media. You can find me on Facebook, X, Instagram, GETTR and TRUTH Social by searching for The Alan Sanders Show. You can also support the show by visiting my Patreon page!

The Herle Burly was created by Air Quotes Media with support from our presenting sponsor TELUS, as well as CN Rail.I'll just say it: We'd be hard pressed to find a more relevant or newsworthy topic than what we're going to talk about today. Israel. Hamas. And the war in Gaza. The rise of antisemitism. The protests on college campuses all over North America.With me to do that is Israeli Ambassador to Canada, Iddo Moed.Ambassador Moed has been in the post since August of last year. Immediately prior, he was the Deputy Head of African Affairs for Israel's Foreign Ministry. And he spent 10 years working in Cyber Security for the Israeli government. So, the bulk of this pod will be spent exploring some of the more, frankly, uncomfortable questions on peoples' minds.Why did the war in Gaza have to be fought in this manner? How does it end? How does it help the hostages? (Who've been held captive 209 days as of this recording.) What comes next? And what of the response here in Canada and North America. Both from government and in culture.Thank you for joining us on #TheHerleBurly podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts or your favourite podcast app.Watch episodes of The Herle Burly via Air Quotes Media on YouTube.

Welcome back! We continue our exploration of slavery, this time in East Africa, where we zoom in on the practices of the Swahili, Ethiopian and Unyamwezi folk. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFuTYzTqseXvH1RkmxV-1XA Follow us: Twitter (apparently now X): https://twitter.com/Africas_UntoldS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/africasuntoldstories/ Outro music provided by DCQ BEATZ: https://player.beatstars.com/?storeId=97074&trackId=2559403 REFERENCES: Rodney, W. (1969). GOLD AND SLAVES ON THE GOLD COAST. Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, 10, 13–28. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41406348 Röschenthaler, U. (2013). The Blood Men of Old Calabar – a Slave Revolt of the Nineteenth Century? In A. Bellagamba, S. E. Greene, & M. A. Klein (Eds.), African Voices on Slavery and the Slave Trade (pp. 445–465). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Obichere, B. I. (1983). The Social Character of Slavery in Asante and Dahomey. Ufahamu: A Journal of African Studies, 12(3). http://dx.doi.org/10.5070/F7123017144 Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/72k2n7m2 Manning, P. (2006). Slavery & Slave Trade in West Africa 1450-1930. In E. K. Akyeampong (Ed.), Themes in West Africa's History (pp. 99–117). chapter, Boydell & Brewer. A. E. M. GIBSON, SLAVERY IN WESTERN AFRICA BY A WEST AFRICAN, African Affairs, Volume 3, Issue IX, October 1903, Pages 17–52, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.afraf.a093262 Rodriguez J. P. (1997). The historical encyclopedia of world slavery. ABC-CLIO Lovejoy, P. E. (2011). Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa (3rd ed.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. General History of Africa, Volume 5. Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century-UNESCO (1992) Lane, Paul, and Kevin C. MacDonald (eds), Slavery in Africa: Archaeology and Memory, Proceedings of the British Academy (London, 2011; online edn, British Academy Scholarship Online, 31 Jan. 2013) Medard, H., & Doyle, S. (Eds.). (2007). Slavery in the Great Lakes Region of East Africa. Boydell & Brewer. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africas-untold-stories/message

Africa Report with JJ CornishSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major General, U.S. Army (Retired) Michael Harrison shares his personal experiences and stories from attending an HBCU to an impressive 34 years of military service and beyond.  His journey illustrates a life of service and giving back to the community.     “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi    This podcast is made possible by generous funding from the Hickam Officers' Spouses' Club. To learn more, visit https://hickamosc.wildapricot.org/.    Show Notes:    Bio:  Major General, U.S. Army (Retired) Michael T. Harrison, Sr. was born at Fort Eustis, VA and raised in Surry County, VA where both his paternal and maternal families trace their lineage back seven generations. He is a proud husband, father, grandfather, and soldier. Harrison served in the U.S. Army in CONUS & OCONUS for 34 years retiring in 2014 as a Major General. During his active-duty years, he led and commanded military units from the Lieutenant to Major General level in peace and war. Since active-duty retirement, he has led an international security company and worked as a consultant for an information technology consulting firm where he coached and mentored a political appointee at the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. He has also served as a contractor for the Department of African Affairs in the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC.     He currently spends his time following his love: coaching and mentoring young men and women in and out of the military. He is very active in his community where he leads a Feeding Homeless Families project for the Williamsburg Rotary Club and serves on the Legal Redress Committee for the York James City Williamsburg NAACP. He is a life member of Disabled Veterans of America, the Surry Historical Society, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Howard University Alumni Association.     He is the recipient of several awards and decorations to include the U.S. Army's Distinguished Service Medal, the Bronze Star, the Order of the Rising Sun Award presented by the Government of Japan, the Order of Bahrain Award (Class III) presented by the Emir of Bahrain and the Williamsburg, Virginia Rotary District 7600 Foundation Service Award.    

After our trio of astronomy-themed episodes, we return to the squabbles and troubles of the Olympians. This week, we will see a reprehensible act from Zeus, a cameo from the poet Sappho, and Gaia getting up to her old prophecy-spouting tricks... Sources and extra information for this episode: Adler, E. (2008), Late Victorian and Edwardian Views of Rome and the Nature of “Defensive Imperialism”. International Journal of the Classical Tradition 15(2): 187-216. Casson, L. (1993), Ptolemy II and the Hunting of African Elephants. Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-2014) 123: 247-260. Coleridge, E. P. (1889), “The Argonautica” of Apollonius Rhodius. London: George Bell and Sons. Cooke. T. (1728), The Works of Hesiod, Translated from the Greek (Volume II). London: Printed by N. Blandford. Cyrino, M. S. (2012), Aphrodite. London: Routledge. Evelyn-White, H. G. (1943), Hesiod: The Homeric Hymns and Homerica. London: William Heinemann Ltd. Friedman, A. P. (1972), The Headache in History, Literature and Legend. Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine 48(4): 661-681. Frazer, J. G. (1921), Apollodorus: The Library (Volume I). London: William Heinemann. Gowers, W. (1947), The African Elephant in Warfare. African Affairs 46(182): 42-49. Guerber, H. A. (1929), The Myths of Greece & Rome: Their Stories Signification and Origin. London: George G. Harrap & Company Ltd. Haupt, P. (1922), Manna, Nectar and Ambrosia. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 61(3): 227-236. Marcovich, M. (1996), From Ishtar to Aphrodite. The Journal of Aesthetic Education 30(2): 43-59. Roberts, A. and Donaldson, J. (1872), Ante-Nicene Christian Library: Translations of the Writings of the Fathers Down to A.D. 325. Vol. XXIII: Origen Contra Celsum. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark. Wharton, H. T. (1895), Sappho: Memoir, Text, Selected Readings and a Literal Translation. London: John Lane. Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Metis (online) (Accessed 13/11/2023). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Porus (mythology) (online) (Accessed 13/11/2023). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Sappho (mythology) (online) (Accessed 13/11/2023).

Contrary to the popular narrative, Americans overwhelmingly agree on a startling range of issues. So why is there such a disconnect between what Americans want and what Americans get?  Robert Weissman, President of Public Citizen, and co-author of the book “The Corporate Sabotage of America” identifies the culprits and outlines what we, the people, can do about it. Then, Ralph welcomes Ambassador Chas Freeman, who brings his vast diplomatic experience and historical insight to bear on the ongoing collective punishment raining down on the people of Gaza.Robert Weissman is a staunch public interest advocate and activist, as well as an expert on a wide variety of issues ranging from corporate accountability and government transparency, to trade and globalization, to economic and regulatory policy. ​​For 20 years, he edited the Multinational Monitor magazine, and as the President of Public Citizen, Weissman has spearheaded the effort to loosen the chokehold corporations and the wealthy have over our democracy. He is the author, with Joan Claybrook, of The Corporate Sabotage of America's Future And What We Can Do About It.More than three in four people want to have CEOs held accountable for the crimes they commit. Eight in ten think the minimum wage is too low. Four in five support paid family leave, and on and on and on. By way of context, those are not regular numbers when you get polls. In fact, if you ask people, “Does the earth revolve around the sun?” only 80% of Americans agree that the earth revolves around the sun. So, when you get numbers in the 90% or 85%, these are extraordinary levels of national agreement.Robert WeissmanIf you step back from the immediate moment, I think the big-picture story is that the bounds of what's considered important—or the policy solutions that are considered acceptable or reasonable—are really constructed by corporations and their lobbyists, and that's the problem we face every day.Robert WeissmanAmbassador Chas Freeman is a senior fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, ambassador to Saudi Arabia, acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Chargé d'affaires at both Bangkok and Beijing. Ambassador Freeman is the author of several well-received books on statecraft and diplomacy, including The Diplomat's Dictionary, America's Misadventures in the Middle East, and America's Continuing Misadventures in the Middle East.I think one of the great pieces of collateral damage from this (Israeli/Gaza conflict) is the United Nations Charter, international law, and the credibility of these institutions at the UN. But more particularly, I think the next time Americans lecture foreigners about human rights, they're not going to laugh at us—they're going to sneer. Because this is such a tremendous demonstration of hypocrisy on our part.Ambassador Chas FreemanIt (the bombing of Gaza) is a gross violation of any standard of human rights. And the fact that we support it is discrediting us. We started out claiming that the eyes of the world were upon us, and we should shine like a city on the hill. I think much of the world looks at us now and they see dead babies in rubble, not a shining city on the hill.Ambassador Chas FreemanIn Case You Haven't Heard with Francesco DeSantis1. On Tuesday, political titans like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries rallied in support of Israel in Washington. While supposedly condemning antisemitism, the speakers were joined by Pastor John Hagee, a rabid Christian Zionist who wrote in his book Jerusalem Countdown: A Warning to the World that Hitler was a "half-breed Jew" he was sent by God, as a "hunter," to persecute Europe's Jews and drive them towards "the only home God ever intended for the Jews to have – Israel." John McCain rejected Hagee's endorsement in the 2008 presidential campaign. Meanwhile, the Intercept reports that the ADL plans to add Jewish peace rallies to their map of antisemitic incidents.2. Axios is out with a report on an “internal State Department dissent memo [which] accuses President Biden of "spreading misinformation" on the Israel-Hamas war and alleges that Israel is committing "war crimes" in Gaza.” Axios continues “The memo — signed by 100 State Department and USAID employees — urges senior U.S. officials to reassess their policy toward Israel and demand a ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war.” This memo comes as the State Department is attempting to establish red lines on Israeli aggression, with Secretary of State Blinken stating “The United States believes key elements [for peace] should include no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Not now, not after the war…No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza,” per the Washington Post.3. Al Mayadeen reports that Colombian President Gustavo Petro will cosponsor Algeria's war crimes case against Israel at the International Criminal Court. Petro has previously voiced support for ICC action, stating “what is happening in Gaza are crimes against humanity.” TimesLIVE reports South Africa's Foreign Minister Zane Dangor is also calling for an ICC investigation of Israeli leaders for “war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide,” stressing that “Failure to do so will exacerbate the growing cynicism that international law is applied selectively for political purposes.”4. From the Huffington Post: “Staffers from more than two dozen Democratic [congressional] offices say they are receiving an unprecedented number of calls and emails demanding for members to support a cease-fire…“Let it go to voicemail” was the prevailing guidance in several offices, one staffer said.” Yasmine Taeb of Mpower Change, a Muslim advocacy group lobbying on behalf of the ceasefire resolution, said there have been over 380,000 letters sent to the House alone. Last week, more than 100 staffers staged a walkout calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.5. Journalists have also begun speaking up for Palestine. Over 1,200 journalists have signed a letter “condemn[ing] Israel's killing of journalists in Gaza and urg[ing] integrity in Western media coverage of Israel's atrocities against Palestinians.” The letter names many of the reporters injured or killed by Israeli air strikes in Gaza, including Mohammad Abu Hassir, who was killed along with 42 of his family members in a strike on his home. The journalists write “This is our job: to hold power to account. Otherwise we risk becoming accessories to genocide.”6. Pro-Palestine protesters have also been taking the fight directly to the arms manufacturers. CT Insider reports protesters “blocked entrances at Colt…to protest…the gun manufacturer's sale of arms to Israel.”  Protester Mika Zarazvand is quoted saying that Israel is requesting 24,000 guns from the United States, and “we know that two-thirds of them are going to come from Colt.” In Arizona, the Tucson Coalition for Palestine staged a “die-in” blocking the roads to Raytheon's facilities, according to Arizona Public Media. Meanwhile in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 50 protesters chained themselves to the door of Elbit systems, decrying the company for profiting “from genocide” per NBC 10 Boston.7. Abed Ayoub, Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, reports that 5 U.S. citizens from Pennsylvania were “seriously injured after their bus out of Gaza was bombed. The family was on the State Department list of evacuees, and followed instructions.” Instead of speaking out for these victims, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has instead been antagonizing pro-Palestine protesters. At a recent veterans protest in favor of ceasefire, Fetterman laughed at veterans being arrested and waved an Israeli flag at them, per progressive veterans group About Face.9. In other news, details of the SAG-AFTRA deal have been released. In a note to members, the Guild wrote “In a contract valued at over one billion dollars in new wages and benefit plan funding, we have achieved a deal of extraordinary scope that includes "above-pattern" minimum compensation increases, unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI, and for the first time establishing a streaming participation bonus. Our Pension & Health caps have been substantially raised, which will bring much needed value to our plans. In addition, the deal includes numerous improvements for multiple categories including outsize compensation increases for background performers, and critical contract provisions protecting diverse communities.” A full summary of the deal is available at SAG-AFTRA.org.10. Finally, ProPublica reports that for the first time, the Supreme Court has adopted a code of conduct intended to avoid improper outside influence on the Justices. This code establishes guidelines for acceptance of gifts and recusal standards, both of which have become major points of contention following ProPublica's reporting on Harlan Crowe's influence network targeting Justice Thomas. However, the publication is quick to note that this code does not come equipped with any sort of enforcement mechanism. Law Professor Stephen Vladeck is quoted saying “Even the most stringent and aggressive ethics rules don't mean all that much if there's no mechanism for enforcing them. And the justices' unwillingness to even nod toward that difficulty kicks the ball squarely back into Congress' court.”This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

It doesn't feel like that long ago that we were here last, but Syrian War III is here- seven years after the first settled on Syrian War II. Get ready to see Ptolemy III rampage through Syria and the Middle East in a way Egyptian kings haven't done since Thutmose III more than a thousand years previously. Something tells me it's not going well for the Seleucids... Sources for this episode: Bevan, E. R. (1902), The House of Seleucus (Vol. I). London: Edward Arthur (eBook). Casson, L. (1993), Ptolemy II and the Hunting of African Elephants. Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-2014) 123: 247-260. Drower, M. S. and Dorman, P. F. (2023), Thutmose III (online) (Accessed 23/10/2023). The Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica (2019), Horemheb (online) (Accessed 23/10/2023). Gilbert, N. (2010), African elephants are two distinct species. Nature. Gowers, W. (1947), The African Elephant in Warfare. African Affairs 46(182): 42-49. Gowers, W. (1948), African Elephants and Ancient Authors. African Affairs 47(188): 173-180. Grainger, J. D. (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook). Mariette, A. (1892), Outlines of Ancient Egyptian History. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Murison, R. G. (1951), History of Egypt. Edinburgh. T. & T. Clark. Philips, A. K. (1977), Founder of the XIXth Dynasty? O: Cairo 25646 reconsidered. Orientalia 46(1): 116-121. Rawlinson, G. (1871), A Manual of Ancient History, From the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. Comprising the History of Chaldea, Assyria, Media, Babylonia, Lydia, Phoenicia, Syria, Judaea, Egypt, Carthage, Greece, Macedonia, Parthia, and Rome. New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers. Redford, D. B. (2003), The Wars in Syria and Palestine of Thutmose III. Leiden/Boston: BRILL. TED-Ed, YouTube (2014), The pharaoh that wouldn't be forgotten (online) (Accessed 23/10/2023). Watson, J. S. (1853), on Attalus (date unknown), Justinus: Epitome of Pompeius Trogus' Philippic Histories (online) (Accessed 23/10/2023). Author unknown, The Calculator Site (date unknown), What is 5'2'' in cm? (Accessed 01/11/2023). Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Battle of Raphia (online) (Accessed 23/10/2023).

On this edition of Parallax Views, Ambassador Chas Freeman, a retired diplomat with a stories career and a visiting scholar at the Watson Institute for International Relations and Public Affairs, returns to discuss the bombing of Gaza by Israel in retaliation for the October 7th Hamas attack. We also discuss his critique of the U.S.-Israel special relationship, which he argues is harmful towards to both the interests of the United States and Israel. In the final portion of the conversation Amb. Freeman discusses how pro-Israel lobby elements, namely the Zionist Organization of America, applied a pressure campaign against his being the chair of the National Intelligence Council in the Obama administration. Amb. Freeman's full bio (courtesy the Watson Institute): Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr. is a senior fellow at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense, ambassador to Saudi Arabia (during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm), acting Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and Chargé d'affaires at both Bangkok and Beijing.  He began his diplomatic career in India but specialized in Chinese affairs.  (He was the principal American interpreter during President Nixon's visit to Beijing in 1972.)   Ambassador Freeman is a much sought-after public speaker (see http://chasfreeman.net) and the author of several well-received books on statecraft and diplomacy. His most recent book, "America's Continuing Misadventures in the Middle East" was published in May 2016. "Interesting Times: China, America, and the Shifting Balance of Prestige," appeared in March 2013. "America's Misadventures in the Middle East" came out in 2010, as did the most recent revision of "The Diplomat's Dictionary," the companion volume to "Arts of Power: Statecraft and Diplomacy." He was the editor of the Encyclopedia Britannica entry on "diplomacy." Freeman is a former U.S. assistant secretary of defense, ambassador to Saudi Arabia, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs, chargé d'affaires a.i. at Bangkok and Beijing, acting U.S. commissioner for refugee affairs and director of program coordination and development at the U.S. Information Agency. He was the principal American interpreter during the late President Nixon's 1972 opening of U.S. relations with China. Chas Freeman studied at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and Taiwan and earned an A.B. magna cum laude from Yale University as well as a J.D. from the Harvard Law School. He chairs Projects International, Inc., a Washington-based firm that for more than three decades has helped its American and foreign clients create ventures across borders, facilitating their establishment of new businesses through the design, negotiation, capitalization, and implementation of greenfield investments, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, franchises, one-off transactions, sales and agencies in other countries.

It's almost that time of year  for holiday gatherings with family and friends. And with that comes lots of eating, maybe lots of cooking, and, for many, a growing list of topics that are off the table for discussion, as they run the risk of derailing an otherwise  festive occasion.   Of course, there are times when we need to have difficult conversations, and to be able to disagree with others without threatening our connection to the people we love, or the vital work we need to get done.   On today's episode, Hillary speaks with Sarah Stewart Holland and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield,  two people who are highly skilled at navigating difficult conversations, and can share stories and offer advice from the front lines.   Sarah is a progressive Democrat who ran for office (and won!), and is raising three kids, in the very red state of Kentucky. On the Pantsuit Politics podcast, she and her more politically conservative co-host Beth Silvers have been tackling challenging conversations since 2015. They've written two books to help others do the same, including the book club favorite I Think You're Wrong (But I'm Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversation.  Linda, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, has been engaged in high-stakes, complex negotiations for decades. Over the course of her 35-year career with the Foreign Service, she served as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, as the Director of Human Resources, and held posts abroad in Pakistan, Kenya, Nigeria, Switzerland, and elsewhere.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of AfriCan Geopardy, we explore the path to a more secure and prosperous future for the Gulf of Guinea countries by discussing "Improving maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea" with the remarkable Ambassador Florentina Ukonga. As a distinguished career diplomat, Ambassador Florentina Adenike Ukonga (MFR) brings a wealth of experience. She served as the Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) from June 2015 to April 2023. Before that, she was Deputy Executive Secretary-Political Affairs at the GGC from May 2007 to May 2015. But her expertise doesn't stop there! Before her tenure at the GGC, she was the Under-Secretary for African Affairs in Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, overseeing crucial relations with African nations and inter-governmental organizations from April 2004 to November 2006. During our discussion, Ambassador Ukonga sheds light on the threats to maritime security, their drivers and impact and the remarkable progress thus far. That's not all – she reveals the key roles that national and regional governments and international partners can play in ensuring the region's lasting security and sustainable development. Thanks for listening.

In this interview, Tomás Husted describes his career in foreign affairs research and what he does in his current role as an Analyst of African Affairs at the Congressional Research Service. After getting his bachelor's degree from Davidson College, he worked as a Research Associate for the Congressional Research Service and as a Strategy and Development Fellow for the International Rescue Committee. We discuss: His career path 0:34: His original career interests 3:00: Why he chose to be a research associate 4:54: How he got his role at the Congressional Research Service  6:55: An overview of the Princeton in Africa Program 9:35: How his experience living in Africa shaped his career path His current role 12:58: An overview of the Congressional Research Service 19:23: Examples of common tasks in his role 28:53: His biggest roles and responsibilities  31:29: What he likes and finds challenging about the role Advice: 36:57: Advice for careers in foreign affairs  38:41: General career advice 40:36: Tips for how to be a better writer  47:00: Tips for how to be a better presenter

In this week's episode about de-dollarization, notable trends supporting these calls, and the role of BRICS in the process, host Bridget Mutambirwa is joined by Professor Baocheng Liu, Associate Dean at the Academy of Global Innovation and Governance, and Professor Peter Kagwanja, policy adviser and strategist in African Affairs, governance and security.

On Daybreak Africa: Heavy fighting continued over the weekend in Sudan as a new diplomatic process gets underway Monday. Reuters News Agency reported Sunday that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, will travel to Addis Ababa to meet with African leaders and Sudanese civilians on how to end the fighting. Plus, political parties in Guinea Conakry have until the end of July to prove to the military junta they are in good standing and should be allowed to continue to operate. A new survey says bribery and corruption are deeply rooted within various regions of Somalia. A Zimbabwe court Sunday upheld a government ban on a campaign rally of the main opposition party. A Nigerian court orders the governments of four former presidents to disclose how they spent $5 billion in recovered money stolen by former leader General Sani Abacha. For this and more tune to Daybreak Africa!

EPISODE 1573: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Peace Adzo Medie, author of NIGHTBLOOM, about how to get beyond the shame of sexual violence in Africa Peace Adzo Medie is a scholar and writer. She is Senior Lecturer in Gender and International Politics at the University of Bristol. Her research addresses gender, politics, and conflict in Africa. Her book, Global Norms and Local Action: The Campaigns to End Violence against Women in Africa, was published in March 2020 by Oxford University Press. Her debut novel, His Only Wife, was published in September 2020 by Algonquin Books. It was a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, a New York Times Notable Book of 2020, and a Time Magazine Must-Read Book of 2020. Medie's research has been supported by grants from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and the Social Science Research Council, and her findings have been published in African Affairs, International Studies Review, Politics & Gender, and the European Journal of Politics and Gender. Her work has won several awards, including the 2019 Best Article Award of the European Journal of Politics and Gender. Her short stories have appeared in Slice Magazine, Transition, Four Way Review, and elsewhere. She is a co-editor of African Affairs, the top-ranked African studies journal, and of the Oxford Studies in African Politics and International Relations book series. She is also a Research Fellow at LECIAD, University of Ghana, and a 2015 - 2017  Oxford-Princeton Global Leaders Fellow. Medie earned a BA in Geography from the University of Ghana, an MA in International Studies from Ohio University, and a PhD in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. She attended OLA Secondary School, Ho, and was born in Liberia. Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group, opened hot dog stands upon his release from Russian prison as a young man. Now he leads the rapidly growing Kremlin-affiliated private military contractor, the Wagner Group. Mercenaries? Yes. Lethal? Yes. Incredibly rich and working for dictators and unstable regimes on (so far) three continents? Also, yes. Dealing in gold, diamonds, troll farms, shocking brutality, as well as political influence, Wagner's rise has been as fast as it has been unknown by most of us in the West. Tibor Nagy, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, knows more than we thought there was to know. 

In this interview, Matt Petit describes his career path and role as a Foreign Service Officer and the Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council. He joined the foreign service in 2008 and has worked as a vice consul in India, as a desk officer in Somalia and Eritrea, and as the Deputy Chief of Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Zambia. Matt speaks Persian, Spanish, and some Russian, Armenian, Tamil, German, and French. We discuss: 0:40: Why he wanted to become a foreign service officer 3:00: The steps required to become a foreign service officer 6:36: Career options within foreign service  7:29: Why he chose to be on the political side of foreign service out of all of the options 7:53: Misconceptions about diplomacy 10:13: An overview of his role 13:14 What determines the length, location, and job function of different assignments 15:33: Different types of assignments 16:56: What training entails  18:57: What the team hierarchy looks like 24:20: Opportunities for moving up 26:23: Typical roles and responsibilities  30:49: Typical hours 35:24: How long people usually stay in the role  37:58: Advice

In recent months the Biden administration has put a concerted effort into wooing the African continent. It's not a moment too soon, because China is busy forging ties and building infrastructure across African countries - with a growing number of African economies, such as Ghana's, becoming increasingly dependent on the Chinese to bail out their debt. Russia has also been busy, deploying Wagner mercenaries across countries in Africa, where they are making a fortune out of the bountiful resources and minerals that African nations like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Central African Republic have to offer. One Decision's Julia Macfarlane leads a roundtable of three veteran White House specialists on Africa, Jendayi E. Frazier, former United States Ambassador to South Africa, John Simon, former Ambassador to the African Union, and Bobby J. Pittman, former Senior Director for African Affairs in the White House. They discuss the emerging challenge from Moscow and Beijing's engagement with the aim of displacing Western interests, the damage to relations after former President Donald Trump reportedly used the word "shithole" to describe African countries, and the Biden administration's race to reinvigorate America's standing with the African continent and boost investment. International Intrigue is a

Clement is in coversation with African Affairs and political analyst, Izak Khomo unpacking the life and legacy of the 225th and last Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

China has been vigorously promoting the vision of a shared future for mankind. What does the concept mean? What does history say about China and African countries supporting each other in pursuit of common development? Join Host Bridget Mutambirwa's discussion with guests Dr. Xiaofei Zhou, Vice Dean of China-Africa Economic and Trade Research Institute Zhejiang Gongshang University, and Professor Peter Kagwanja, an intellectual, policy adviser and strategist & Specialist in African Affairs, governance and security.

Check out Part II of host Gareth Smythe's discussion with Dave Diaz, currently the Director of a State Department Interagency Task Force and formerly the Director of African Affairs at the National Security Council. Dave and Gareth discuss the role of education in the national security profession and how to successfully create a long-term plan for a career in foreign policy and security. The two also walk through Dave's Patented Ten Keys of Public Service Leadership, an incredibly useful framework to orient oneself around what is required to be successful in public service.

How does the US Government effectively leverage a whole-of-government response to the multi-varied threats posed by US adversaries? What is the US' greatest strength in working with allies and partners on key security challenges? How does the National Security Council actually work? Check out Part I of our latest episode as host Gareth Smythe sits down with Dave Diaz, currently the Director of a State Department Interagency Task Force and formerly the Director of African Affairs at the National Security Council, in a wide-ranging discussion about the interagency process. Stayed tuned for Part II, where Dave will provide his thoughts on the value of public service and share advice for aspiring national security professionals from his 30 years of service.

This week on Talk World Radio we're talking about the United States and China with Ambassador Chas Freeman, who chairs Projects International, Inc., and was a Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs from 1993-94, earning the highest public service awards of the Department of Defense for his roles in designing a NATO-centered post-Cold War European security system and in reestablishing defense and military relations with China. He served as U. S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia (during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm). He was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs during the historic U.S. mediation of Namibian independence from South Africa and Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola. Ambassador Freeman worked as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d'Affaires in the American embassies at both Bangkok (1984-1986) and Beijing (1981-1984). He was Director for Chinese Affairs at the U.S. Department of State from 1979-1981. He was the principal American interpreter during the late President Nixon's path-breaking visit to China in 1972. See: https://chasfreeman.net

In this episode, President William F. Tate IV speaks to LSU alumna Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who has dedicated more than three decades of her life to public and foreign service. Currently the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, she discusses her journey from Baker, Louisiana to a global stage and how she manages the heavy stress that's part of her job. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield graduated from LSU in 1974. She returned to public service after retiring from a 35-year career with the U.S. Foreign Service in 2017. Most recently in 2021 she was nominated by President Joseph Biden to be the Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations. From 2013 to 2017 she served as the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, where she led the bureau focused on the development and management of U.S. policy toward sub-Saharan Africa. Prior to this appointment, she served as Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources, leading a team in charge of the State Department's workforce. Read more about her career: https://usun.usmission.gov/our-leaders/our-ambassador/

Harvard Kennedy School Professor Erica Chenoweth and Lecturer in Public Policy Zoe Marks say the parallel global trends of rising authoritarianism and attempts to roll back women's rights are no coincidence. The hard won rights women have attained over the past century—to education, to full participation in the workforce, in politics, and civic life, and to reproductive healthcare—have transformed society and corresponded with historic waves of democratization around the world. But they have also increasingly become the target of authoritarian leaders and regimes looking to displace democracy with hierarchies controlled by male elites and to re-confine women in traditional roles as wives, mothers, and caregivers. LGBTQ people and others who don't fit into the traditional binary patriarchal model have become targets not just in places like Iran, Russia, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia but also China, Hungary, Poland, and the United States. But Chenoweth and Marks say the authoritarians are also fearful of empowered women—and that their research says they should be. Social movements like the protests currently underway in Iran that include large numbers of women tend to be more resilient, creative, and ultimately successful—which means the future of democracy and the future of women's empowerment in this pivotal historic era may go hand-in-hand. Erica Chenoweth is the Frank Stanton Professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School and a Susan S. and Kenneth L. Wallach Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University. They study political violence and its alternatives. At Harvard, Chenoweth directs the Nonviolent Action Lab, an innovation hub that provides empirical evidence in support of movement-led political transformation. Chenoweth has authored or edited nine books and dozens of articles on mass movements, nonviolent resistance, terrorism, political violence, revolutions, and state repression. Their recent book, Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford, 2021), explores what civil resistance is, how it works, why it sometimes fails, how violence and repression affect it, and the long-term impacts of such resistance. They also recently co-authored the book On Revolutions (Oxford, 2022), which explores the ways in which revolutions and revolutionary studies have evolved over the past several centuries. Their next book with Zoe Marks, tentatively titled Rebel XX: Women on the Frontlines of Revolution, investigates the impact of women's participation on revolutionary outcomes and democratization.Chenoweth maintains the NAVCO Data Project, one of the world's leading datasets on historical and contemporary mass mobilizations around the globe. Along with Jeremy Pressman, Chenoweth also co-directs the Crowd Counting Consortium, a public interest and scholarly project that documents political mobilization in the U.S. since January 2017.Foreign Policy magazine ranked Chenoweth among the Top 100 Global Thinkers of 2013 for their efforts to promote the empirical study of nonviolent resistance and they are a recipient of the Karl Deutsch Award, which the International Studies Association gives annually to the scholar under 40 who has made the greatest impact on the field of international politics or peace research.They are also a Faculty Associate at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, where Chenoweth and Zoe Marks co-chair the Political Violence Workshop. They hold a Ph.D. and an M.A. in political science from the University of Colorado and a B.A. in political science and German from the University of Dayton.  Zoe Marks is a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School. Her research and teaching interests focus on the intersections of conflict and political violence; race, gender and inequality; peacebuilding; and African politics. In addition to her research on peace and conflict, Professor Marks is committed to creating space for conversations about ethical research praxis and making academia more inclusive. She has convened workshops related to decolonizing the academy and with colleagues at the University of Cape Town edited a related special double issue of the journal Critical African Studies. Her research has been published in leading journals in the field, including Political Geography, African Affairs, and Civil Wars, and in peer-reviewed books and edited volumes from Oxford University and Palgrave press. Her dissertation received the Winchester Prize for the best dissertation in Politics at the University of Oxford. She serves on the editorial boards for the journals Critical African Studies and Civil Wars, and on the editorial committee of the Journal of Peace Research. Dr. Marks holds a DPhil in Politics and MSc in African Studies from the University of Oxford, and a BA in Government and African American Studies from Georgetown University. She has previously worked for UN and non-governmental organizations in Ethiopia, France, Sierra Leone, South Africa, the UK, and the US.Ralph Ranalli of the HKS Office of Public Affairs and Communications is the host, producer, and editor of HKS PolicyCast. A former journalist, public television producer, and entrepreneur, he holds an A.B. in Political Science from UCLA and an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University.The co-producer of PolicyCast is Susan Hughes. Design and graphics support is provided by Lydia Rosenberg, Delane Meadows and the OCPA Design Team. Social media promotion and support is provided by Natalie Montaner and the OCPA Digital Team. 

Edalina Rodrigues Sanches é doutorada em Ciência Política pela Universidade de Lisboa e é actualmente Investigadora Auxiliar no Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa. Os seus interesses de investigação incluem democratização, representação, ligações partidos-cidadãos, comportamento político, e dedicação ao círculo eleitoral, com enfoque em África. A sua tese de doutoramento foi distinguida com o prémio da Associação Portuguesa de Ciência Política em 2016, e deu origem ao livro «Party Systems in Young Democracies: Varieties of institutionalization in Sub-Saharan Africa, publicado pela Routledge. -> Apoie este projecto e faça parte da comunidade de mecenas do 45 Graus em: 45grauspodcast.com _______________ Índice da conversa: (3:35) Início da conversa (6:47) O processo de descolonização do pós II GM. | O que se passou para tantos líderes promissores da independência se terem revelado ditadores? (12:21) A «3ª vaga de democratização»: O que correu mal? | Como evoluiu de lá para cá? Francis Fukuyama e o Fim da História. | O que há de especial nos países africanos mais democráticos?  (26:57) Os desafios da democracia em África. Diversidade étnica e comunitarismo. | É preciso “africanizar a democracia”. O caso de sucesso do Botswana  (38:13) O tipo de colonização de cada país impactou o sucesso da democratização? A «maldição dos recursos naturais». É possível prever o sucesso da democratização com base em diferentes realidades pré-coloniais? (48:34) Casos de sucesso de democratização no século XXI? Seicheles, Zâmbia, Malawi (acção do Tribunal Constitucional). Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG). | O caso do Rwanda.  (57:10) Casos de INsucesso de democratização no século XXI? Guiné Equatorial, Eswatini, Chade, Camarões, Djibuti. | O mundo lusófono: Angola e Moçambique.  (1:04:22) Que podemos esperar no futuro da democracia em África? O crescimento dos protestos populares em vários países.  Livro recomendado: Marcher, une philosophie, de Frédéric Gros _______________ África é um continente gigante, com 54 países, étnica e culturalmente diverso e com um enorme potencial ainda por desenvolver. Mas é também vítima de uma História… complicada (para usar um eufemismo), com séculos de exploração europeia, primeiro, e colonialismo, depois.  O pós II Guerra Mundial trouxe uma nova esperança ao continente, com 30 países a tornarem-se independentes entre 1945 e 1960.  As promessas de democracia e liberdade saíram, porém, esfumadas, com muitos países a acabarem dominados por regimes autoritários. No final dos anos 1980, começou uma nova era de optimismo, com a chamada “3ª onda de democratização mundial” (cujo início se convencionou ser o nosso 25 de abril) a ganhar em África um ímpeto especialmente grande, combinando uma conjuntura internacional favorável (com a queda da URSS) com importantes protestos políticos a nível doméstico. Neste período, diversos países conseguiram iniciar processos de liberalização política para sistemas mais democráticos. No entanto, desde então, a verdade é que tem havido poucos ou nenhuns progressos ao nível da democracia em África (sobretudo se excluirmos a Primavera Árabe, no caso dos países acima do Sahara, cujo sucesso, de resto, acabou por ser reduzido). Hoje, menos de 10 de entre os 54 países que compõem o continente, são considerados democracias “liberais”. Se excluirmos países-ilhas, falamos essencialmente do Gana e dos três países mais a sul: África do Sul, Botswana e Namíbia. Ao olhar para o estado da democracia em África há, por isso, várias perguntas a que é preciso responder.  O que correu mal no processo de independência, em particular naqueles países que tinham, na altura, líderes independentistas tão promissores?  No sentido inverso, o que permitiu os avanços da democracia nos anos 1990? E o que explica os parcos progressos desde então?  Por outro lado, que factores comuns podemos identificar num continente tão grande e tão diverso?  E, finalmente, o que podemos esperar no futuro da democracia no continente nas próximas décadas?  Para responder a estas questões, dificilmente poderia pedir melhor pessoa do que a convidada deste episódio. Foi uma conversa muito elucidativa, sobre uma realidade muito complexa e à qual não damos, porventura, a devida atenção.  _______________ Obrigado aos mecenas do podcast: Julie Piccini, Ana Raquel Guimarães Galaró family, José Luís Malaquias, Francisco Hermenegildo, Nuno Costa, Abílio Silva, Salvador Cunha, Bruno Heleno, António llms, Helena Monteiro, BFDC, Pedro Lima Ferreira, Miguel van Uden, João Ribeiro, Nuno e Ana, João Baltazar, Miguel Marques, Corto Lemos, Carlos Martins, Tiago Leite Tomás Costa, Rita Sá Marques, Geoffrey Marcelino, Luis, Maria Pimentel, Rui Amorim, RB, Pedro Frois Costa, Gabriel Sousa, Mário Lourenço, Filipe Bento Caires, Diogo Sampaio Viana, Tiago Taveira, Ricardo Leitão, Pedro B. Ribeiro, João Teixeira, Miguel Bastos, Isabel Moital, Arune Bhuralal, Isabel Oliveira, Ana Teresa Mota, Luís Costa, Francisco Fonseca, João Nelas, Tiago Queiroz, António Padilha, Rita Mateus, Daniel Correia, João Saro João Pereira Amorim, Sérgio Nunes, Telmo Gomes, André Morais, Antonio Loureiro, Beatriz Bagulho, Tiago Stock, Joaquim Manuel Jorge Borges, Gabriel Candal, Joaquim Ribeiro, Fábio Monteiro, João Barbosa, Tiago M Machado, Rita Sousa Pereira, Henrique Pedro, Cloé Leal de Magalhães, Francisco Moura, Rui Antunes7, Joel, Pedro L, João Diamantino, Nuno Lages, João Farinha, Henrique Vieira, André Abrantes, Hélder Moreira, José Losa, João Ferreira, Rui Vilao, Jorge Amorim, João Pereira, Goncalo Murteira Machado Monteiro, Luis Miguel da Silva Barbosa, Bruno Lamas, Carlos Silveira, Maria Francisca Couto, Alexandre Freitas, Afonso Martins, José Proença, Jose Pedroso, Telmo , Francisco Vasconcelos, Duarte , Luis Marques, Joana Margarida Alves Martins, Tiago Parente, Ana Moreira, António Queimadela, David Gil, Daniel Pais, Miguel Jacinto, Luís Santos, Bernardo Pimentel, Gonçalo de Paiva e Pona , Tiago Pedroso, Gonçalo Castro, Inês Inocêncio, Hugo Ramos, Pedro Bravo, António Mendes Silva, paulo matos, Luís Brandão, Tomás Saraiva, Ana Vitória Soares, Mestre88 , Nuno Malvar, Ana Rita Laureano, Manuel Botelho da Silva, Pedro Brito, Wedge, Bruno Amorim Inácio, Manuel Martins, Ana Sousa Amorim, Robertt, Miguel Palhas, Maria Oliveira, Cheila Bhuralal, Filipe Melo, Gil Batista Marinho, Cesar Correia, Salomé Afonso, Diogo Silva, Patrícia Esquível , Inês Patrão, Daniel Almeida, Paulo Ferreira, Macaco Quitado, Pedro Correia, Francisco Santos, Antonio Albuquerque, Renato Mendes, João Barbosa, Margarida Gonçalves, Andrea Grosso, João Pinho , João Crispim, Francisco Aguiar , João Diogo, João Diogo Silva, José Oliveira Pratas, João Moreira, Vasco Lima, Tomás Félix, Pedro Rebelo, Nuno Gonçalves, Pedro , Marta Baptista Coelho, Mariana Barosa, Francisco Arantes, João Raimundo, Mafalda Pratas, Tiago Pires, Luis Quelhas Valente, Vasco Sá Pinto, Jorge Soares, Pedro Miguel Pereira Vieira, Pedro F. Finisterra, Ricardo Santos _______________ Esta conversa foi editada por: Hugo Oliveira _______________ Bio: Edalina Rodrigues Sanches é doutorada em Ciência Política (Universidade de Lisboa) e Investigadora Auxiliar no Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa. Os seus interesses de investigação incluem democratização, protesto popular, desenvolvimento dos partidos e sistemas partidários e representação política, com enfoque em África. A sua investigação tem sido publicada em revistas como Party Politics, African Affairs, Journal of Contemporary African Studies, Parliamentary Affairs, Electoral Studies, entre outras. Publicou recentemente o livro  Party Systems in Young Democracies: Varieties of institutionalization in Sub-Saharan Africa (Routledge, 2018) e organizou o livro  Popular Protest, Political Opportunities, and Change in Africa (Routledge, 2022). Integra a comissão editorial das revistas Caderno de Estudos Africanos e Análise Social.

ONE Campaign CEO Gayle E. Smith joins Zerlina on the show to discuss COVID and global health security!Gayle E. Smith is CEO of the ONE Campaign. She has served as a top advisor on international issues for three American presidents and is one of the world's leading experts on global development and global health security. She brings an unparalleled expertise and an extraordinary network of relationships across the African continent and around the world. In 2021, Smith took on a temporary role at the request of the Secretary of State and served as US State Department's Coordinator for Global COVID Response & Health Security, where she played a leading role in the US effort to end the global pandemic. Prior to joining the ONE Campaign, Smith served as the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, where she led a staff of more than 10,000 people working to end extreme poverty, foster sustained and inclusive economic growth, and promote resilient, democratic societies all over the world. Smith had previously served as Special Assistant to President Obama and Senior Director for Development and Democracy at the National Security Council, where she played a lead role in the response to the Ebola epidemic and presidential development initiatives including Power Africa and Feed the Future. Before her work at the NSC during the Obama Administration, Smith founded the Sustainable Security Program at the Center for American Progress and co-founded the ENOUGH project and the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network. She served as Special Assistant to President Clinton and Senior Director for African Affairs at the NSC in the late 1990s, and prior to that lived and worked in Africa for 20 years, working as a journalist and with NGOs. Smith is originally from Bexley, Ohio and earned a B.A. from the University of Colorado. Smith also won first place in the standing long jump in elementary school.

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, Dr. Sean McFate discusses his influential book, The New Rules of War. Sean describes how the Westphalian state system is changing, consequences for conventional war, the rise of mercenaries and international mega-corporations, and information operations. Plus, the Cognitive Crucible gets not only one–but two–Monty Python references. Research Question: Sean asks several questions worthy of examination. First, how can a democracy fight secretive wars without losing its democratic soul? Second, strategic culture can eclipse strategic IQ; so, how can a strong strategic culture be broken? Finally, what is strategic thinking, and how are good strategic thinkers created? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #49 Matt Armstrong on the Smith-Mundt Act https://www.seanmcfate.com Unrestricted Warfare: China's Master Plan to Destroy America by Qiao Liang and Wang Xiangsui The Art of War by Sun Tzu  (Author) and Thomas Cleary (Translator) The Knights Who Say "Ni!" - Monty Python and the Holy Grail The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-110 Guest Bio:  Dr. Sean McFate is a foreign policy expert, author and novelist. He is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington DC think tank, and a professor of strategy at the National Defense University and Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Additionally, he serves as an Advisor to Oxford University's Centre for Technology and Global Affairs.  McFate's career began as a paratrooper and officer in the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division. He served under Stan McChrystal and David Petraeus, and graduated from elite training programs, such as Jungle Warfare School in Panama. He was also a Jump Master. McFate then became a private military contractor and paramilitary. Among his many experiences, he dealt with African warlords, raised armies for U.S. interest, rode with armed groups in the Sahara, conducted strategic reconnaissance for the extractive industry, transacted arms deals in Eastern Europe, and helped prevent an impending genocide in the Rwanda region. In the world of international business, McFate was a Vice President at TD International, a boutique political risk consulting firm with offices in Washington, Houston, Singapore and Zurich. Additionally, he was a program manager at DynCorp International, a consultant at BearingPoint (now Deloitte Consulting), and an associate at Booz Allen Hamilton. McFate writes novels based on his own military experiences. His latest thriller is High Treason, and #1 New York Timesbestselling author James Patterson said: “Sean McFate just might be the next Tom Clancy, only I think he's even better...The action is non-stop.” James Rollins said: “It had me breathless—it's not to be missed!” McFate also writes serious non-fiction. The New Rules of War: How America Can Win—Against Russia, China, and Other Threats (Morrow) has been called “The Freakonomics of modern warfare.” It was named a “Book of the Year” by The Economist, The Times [UK], and The Evening Standard, and is included on West Point's “Commandant's Reading List.” Admiral Jim Stavridis, the former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, said: “Stunning. Sean McFate is a new Sun Tzu.” Max Hastings wrote in The Sunday Times: “[This] iconoclastic book is being hailed by radicals as a wake-up call to governments and armed forces everywhere.” It has been translated into six languages and the British edition is titled Goliath: Why the West Isn't Winning. And What We Must Do About It (Penguin). McFate also authored The Modern Mercenary: Private Armies and What They Mean for World Order (Oxford Univ Press). The Economist called it a "fascinating and disturbing book." McFate is a consultant to the U.S. military, U.S. intelligence community, United Nations, and Hollywood. His has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New Republic, Foreign Policy, Politico, Daily Beast, Vice Magazine, War on the Rocks, Military Review and African Affairs. He has appeared on CNN's Amanpour, Morning Joe, Fox and Friends, MSNBC, Fox, Sky News, NPR, BBC, WSJ, FT, Economist, Vice/HBO, The Discovery Channel, and American Heroes Channel. As a scholar, he has authored eight book chapters in edited academic volumes, and two monographs on modern war for the U.S. Department of Defense. McFate holds a BA from Brown University, MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a Ph.D. in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He was also a Fellow at Oxford. McFate lives in Washington, DC. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Photo: #EU: Suddenly nuclear energy is green. Victoria Coates, American Foreign Policy Council; former Deputy National Security Advisor for Middle East and North African Affairs https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-eu-gets-real-about-energy-parliament-nuclear-natural-gas-renewables-putin-blackmail-ukraine-nord-stream-11657308667?mod=Searchresults_pos1&page=1 Victoria Coates, @VictoriaCoates, Distinguished Fellow in Strategic Studies at American Foreign Policy Council; former Deputy National Security Advisor for Middle East and North African Affairs

PAN AFRICAN AFFAIRS, POLITICS AND HOT NEWS FROM PAN AFRICAN TV

Join us for a discussion with Ms. Chidi Blyden, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs. During this episode, co-hosts Stephanie Cannon and Donald Small speak with Deputy Assistant Secretary Blyden about key security issues in Africa and her career journey. Ms. Blyden also teaches a course at the Security Studies Program called African Security Issues and Policies (SEST-570).

On Saving America 94, former U.S. Ambassador Herman Cohen speaks on China's growing influence in African affairs, as well as the USA's relationship with the countries of Africa. As always, the opinions expressed in this podcast are mine and my guests' and not the opinions of my university, my company, or the businesses with which I am connected. I am an attorney and speaker as well as the founder and CEO of Claremont Management Group, a consulting firm in Houston, Texas. I'm also a tenured professor, the Cameron Endowed Chair of Management and Marketing, and the Director of Graduate Programs at the University of St. Thomas. You can connect with me on LinkedIn [@DavidSchein], Twitter [@DSchein1], Facebook [@AuthorDavidSchein], and YouTube [user/ClaremontManagement]! My upcoming book, Bad Deal for America, explores the high-stakes game U.S. politicians are playing with the taxpayers' money. The major players, themselves like a deck of cards, have shown us in their own words that the political system is broken. Readers can follow the money to see how some have lived high on the hog while masquerading as public servants. Told in an entertaining and unique way, this book is a call to arms to fulfill the ideals of the founding fathers by holding the political class responsible. My 2018 book, The Decline of America: 100 Years of Leadership Failures, is a thought-provoking, non-partisan book that reviews the last 100 years of American Presidents (from Wilson through Obama), offering not just criticism, but common-sense solutions to help fix America before it's too late. I also host the podcast Business Law 101, where I discuss the legal concepts all business owners need to know. Remember to subscribe to and rate Saving America and Business Law 101 in your favorite podcast app!

We're giving a $1,000 scholarship to one of our listeners this season! Connect with us on Instagram to find out how you can submit an application. Give us feedback on social media. Who has been your favorite guest? Who should we talk to next? What country do you want to visit next? Other suggestions or comments? Please let us know. Instagram: @BlackWithBluePassports Follow Us Everywhere Else: https://linktr.ee/BlackWithBluePassports ----- Big Javi and Dr. D Walker welcome Bintu Musa-Harry to Black with Blue Passports to explore what it's like to be a Black abroad while working for the U.S. Department of State. Bintu reflects upon meeting Big Javi in Panama, how she got involved with the state department and the overall impact that traveling abroad has had on her as a Black American woman, and why she thinks it's critical to engage Black youth in internationalization. Bintu Musa-Harry is a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Towson University and a Master's Degree in International Development from American University where she focused her research on democracy and development in post-conflict societies. Bintu is a proud recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship. Through this fellowship, she worked in Bureau of African Affairs' Office for Central Africa and the International Narcotic and Law Enforcement section of U.S. Embassy, Lima. Most recently, she served as a Consular Officer at U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, she designed programs for adult education, youth development, and girls' empowerment initiatives. She also served as a Fulbright Scholar in Rwanda where she taught English at Rwanda Tourism University College. Her other overseas experience includes living in Guyana and Panama. In her spare time, she enjoys tropical vacations, African Literature, and reggae concerts. She speaks Sierra Leonean Krio, Haitian Kreyol, Spanish, and French. She is currently learning Vietnamese in preparation for her next assignment as a Public Diplomacy Officer at U.S. Consulate Ho Chi Minh City. Connect with Bintu Musa Harry on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bintu-musa-harry-ba989461/

Big Javi and Dr. D Walker welcome Bintu Nusa-Harry to Black with Blue Passports to explore what it's like to be a Black abroad while working for the U.S. Department of State. Bintu reflects upon meeting Big Javi in Panama, how she got involved with the state department and the overall impact that traveling abroad has had on her as a Black American woman, and why she thinks it's critical to engage Black youth in internationalization. Bintu Musa-Harry is a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies from Towson University and a Master's Degree in International Development from American University where she focused her research on democracy and development in post-conflict societies.  Bintu is a proud recipient of the Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship. Through this fellowship, she worked in Bureau of African Affairs' Office for Central Africa and the International Narcotic and Law Enforcement section of U.S. Embassy, Lima. Most recently, she served as a Consular Officer at U.S. Embassy Port-au-Prince.Prior to joining the Foreign Service, she designed programs for adult education, youth development, and girls' empowerment initiatives.  She also served as a Fulbright Scholar in Rwanda where she taught English at Rwanda Tourism University College. Her other overseas experience includes living in Guyana and Panama. In her spare time, she enjoys tropical vacations, African Literature, and reggae concerts. She speaks Sierra Leonean Krio, Haitian Kreyol, Spanish, and French. She is currently learning Vietnamese in preparation for her next assignment as a Public Diplomacy Officer at U.S. Consulate Ho Chi Minh City.

From July 1966 to January 1970, Nigerians fought a civil war which led to the deaths of more than half a million people. Looking back at the American attempts to understand what was happening offers an opportunity to assess how intelligence analysts responded to a foreign policy challenge. In this episode we talk with Judd Devermont about the American intelligence community's biases in its analysis of the Nigerian Civil War and its influence on American policy. Devermont is the director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has worked at the CIA, National Security Council, and in the office of the Director of National Intelligence. His article “The US intelligence community's biases during the Nigerian civil war” was published in African Affairs. Devermont is the host of the podcast “Into Africa.” The Strategy Bridge is a non-profit organization focused on the development of people in strategy, national security, & military affairs. To learn more about the strategy bridge journal, podcast, and events visit thestrategybridge.org.

The Greater Tulsa African Affairs Commission with Thomas Boxley and Orisabiyi Oyin Williams (Kristi). Dial 646 716-5525 and press the 1 button to ask question and talk on the air.