Podcasts about track ii

The National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, and the Beijing Green Finance Association, under the guidance of the Institute of Energy, Environment, and Economy at Tsinghua University, convened the fourth Track II Dialogue on Climate Finance and Trade in September 2024. The teams discussed foreign direct investment in climate-related projects, carbon markets, COP29 climate finance issues, and climate-related financial disclosures. Since the dialogue, the atmosphere for climate collaboration has vastly shifted. In this conversation, recorded on March 21, 2025, Track II delegation leaders David Sandalow and Ma Jun, discussed the main takeaways from the dialogue and the future of global climate collaboration. About the speakers

This week on Sinica, I chat with Michael Swaine, Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute for the last couple of years, prior to which he spent nearly two decades as a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he led extensive work on Chinese defense and foreign policy, U.S.-China relations, and East Asian international relations more broadly. He was also a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation, where he developed a reputation for rigorous research on Asian security and crisis management. We focus on his recent report, “Avoiding the Abyss: An Urgent Need for Sino-U.S. Crisis Management,” which offers both a framework for understanding the forces driving U.S.-China crises and a roadmap to prevent or manage these crises effectively. He drew on his many decades of experience working on the security dimension of the bilateral relationship, including his participation in many Track II dialogues and simulations of crisis scenarios over the years.4:51 – Defining "crisis" and "crisis prevention" 10:13 – The possibility of a crisis in the South China Sea12:31 – Lessons from past crises 20:08 – The problematic moralistic stances and tit-for-tat escalation produced by yǒulǐ, yǒulì, yǒu jié 有理, 有利, 有节27:37 – U.S. concern over the credibility of its alliance commitments 34:50 – The problem of perception 38:16 – Examples of how each side is sometimes unable to see how its own actions are perceived by the other 41:20 – The dangers of failing to understand and making assumptions about the China's historical memory 45:42 – Problems of signaling and how best to solve them 51:17 – Mike's suggestions for a crisis toolkit and his proposal of a civilian-led two-tier dialogue structure 58:41 – Track II dialogues 1:02:47 – The importance of educating leaders up and down the system on crisis management 1:06:08 – The structural issues of the decision-making systems in China and the U.S.Recommendations:Michael: Art critic Brian Sewell's The Reviews That Caused the Rumpus; Robert Suettinger's The Conscience of the Party: Hu Yaobang, China's Communist Reformer Kaiser: The Great Transformation: China's Road from Revolution to Reform by Odd Arne Westad and Chen Jian See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Asia New Zealand Foundation recently led a delegation on a Track II diplomacy visit to Malaysia for the 16th ASEAN Australia/New Zealand Dialogue.Foundation Trustee Hone McGregor and economist Brad Olsen were on the trip, and sat down with RNZ's Colin Peacock to discuss the key takeaways from their first Track II experience in Kuala Lumpur. Tweet us at @AsiaMediaCentreWebsite asiamediacentre.org.nz Email us at media@asianz.org.nzWhakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

Juice is in the building! On this track of Vinyl-y Vol III, the NOLA native gets real about his freshman project "Be Intentional," going solo, and touring with the legendary Soul Rebels. We're talking big risks, big rewards, and the hustle it takes to make it. Tap in and get inspired!

For the past several days, the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK or POK for short) has been on the boil. What has led up to this? Watch a stunning presentation as we take you through the hardships of the PoJK residents and why they are protesting now...

This week we join University of Canterbury Professor Alex Tan to discuss a recent "Track II" delegation to Taiwan, to hold the 9th annual dialogue with the Asia New Zealand Foundation's dialogue partner, the Prospect Foundation, as well as catch up with leading think tanks, academics and journalists. Alex brings the delegates together one last time to look back on their key takeaways from the trip.   Tweet us at @AsiaMediaCentreWebsite asiamediacentre.org.nz Email us at media@asianz.org.nzWhakawhetai mo te whakarongo .. thanks for listening !

On this edition of Parallax Views, Jerusalem-based attorney Daniel Seidemann, known for his participation in in numerous Track II talks on Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians, joins the show to discuss the plight faced currently by the Old City of Jerusalem's Armenian Christian community amidst the chaos Israel has found itself in since the October 7th Hamas attack and Israel's war in Gaza. It's a strange story of suspicious activities and subterfuge that, as Daniel notes, could be write out of a movie or a mystery crime-thriller novel. A shady real estate developer and other actors have brought about an existential crisis for those living in the Armenian Quarter. It's a complex tale that we'll unravel involving real estate, Jewish and Israeli-Arabs, the extremist settler movement, the nature of life in Jerusalem, and more. In addition, Daniel and I will talk about the two-state solution, why remains a two-stater, the need to end Israel's Occupation of Palestinian territories (and how the Occupation is harmful to Israel), the one-state reality, a meeting Seidemann had with John McCain in 2015, and much, much more.

This panel was an opportunity for students to hear about different pathways into Middle East related fields. Meet the speakers: Marwa Baabbad is Director of the Yemen Policy Centre. She is a researcher and development consultant with over ten years of experience working in the fields of community engagement, gender, peace and security, and youth political inclusion. Marwa was Director of the Oxford Research Group (ORG) Strategic Peacebuilding Programme between 2018-2020. There, she led the delivery of a Track-II project that fed into the United Nations-led Yemen peace process. Arda Bilgen is a Research Officer at the LSE Middle East Centre. His work mainly focuses on water politics, transboundary water resources management, and hydraulic infrastructure development. Arda holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Bonn, an MA in International Affairs/International Security Studies from the George Washington University, and a BA in International Relations from Bilkent University. Before joining LSE, he worked as a Teaching Fellow at the University of Warwick, an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Sussex, and as a Lecturer at Clark University. Jack Sproson is a Member of Guernica 37 Chambers. He specialises in Public/Private International Law, International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law, and International Criminal Law. Jack has extensive expertise in humanitarian and legal issues pertaining to conflict- and climate-related insecurity and displacement in Africa and the Middle East, most recently as lead counsel for a major project advocating for the continuation of UN cross-border humanitarian access in Syria. Michael Mason is Director of the Middle East Centre. At LSE, he is also Professor of Environmental Geography in the Department of Geography and Environment and an Associate of the Grantham Research Institute for Climate Change and the Environment. He is interested in ecological politics and governance as applied to questions of accountability, security and sovereignty. This research addresses both global environmental politics and regional environmental change in Western Asia/the Middle East.

Darkness Radio presents The Elements of The Elements: Alchemy, Ancient Egypt, and the Templars with Grand Master of the Knights Templar/ International Lecturer/Author Timothy Hogan! Timothy Hogan is an author and international lecturer who specializes in cross cultural symbolism. He is a Past Master within several different spiritual and initiatic traditions, including many bodies in Freemasonry and of Rosicrucian lineages. He is the current Grand Master for the Order of the Temple of Secret Initiates (a Knight Templar lineage), and he runs the Templar Collegia associated with it. Timothy Hogan has lectured all over the world in both public and private venues, including several Universities and U.S. Embassies, and he has appeared on numerous television and podcast programs world wide. He has likewise done Track II diplomacy in many countries. He is author of The Alchemical Keys to Masonic Ritual; The 32 Secret Paths of Solomon; Revelation of the Holy Grail (written under the pen name of Chevalier Emerys); Entering the Chain of Union; Novo Clavis Esoterika; The Way of the Templar; Thoughts from Meditations; and Elements of the Elements, and numerous periodicals. Timothy joins Darkness Radio to talk about the origins of Alchemy, where we get the term and substance of "Manna" from, what exactly is inside some of the pyramids of Egypt (the places you and I can't go!), the secret functions of the arks (including the Ark of the Covenant) and more! See Timothy Hogan live in Las Vegas at Stairway to the Stars:  https://disclosurefest.org/ Get Timothy Hogan's Books here: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/emerys Check out Timothy Hogan's lectures here:   https://www.youtube.com/@timothyhogan5494 Follow Timothy Hogan on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062952412858 #paranormal  #supernatural  #metaphysical  #paranormalpodcasts  #darknessradio  #timdennis #timothyhogan #knightstemplar #rosicruscians  #freemasonary  #alchemy  #ancientegypt  #egypt #fridaythe13th #1307 #manna #arkofthecovenant #secretknowledge #alternatehistory #osiris #isis #pyramidsofegypt #stargates #ancienthistory #ancientaliens  #Aliens  #UFO #UAP #Extraterrestrials #alienhumanhybrid #alienabduction #alienimplant #Alienspaceships  #disclosure #timetravel

Darkness Radio presents The Elements of The Elements: Alchemy, Ancient Egypt, and the Templars with Grand Master of the Knights Templar/ International Lecturer/Author Timothy Hogan! Timothy Hogan is an author and international lecturer who specializes in cross cultural symbolism. He is a Past Master within several different spiritual and initiatic traditions, including many bodies in Freemasonry and of Rosicrucian lineages. He is the current Grand Master for the Order of the Temple of Secret Initiates (a Knight Templar lineage), and he runs the Templar Collegia associated with it. Timothy Hogan has lectured all over the world in both public and private venues, including several Universities and U.S. Embassies, and he has appeared on numerous television and podcast programs world wide. He has likewise done Track II diplomacy in many countries. He is author of The Alchemical Keys to Masonic Ritual; The 32 Secret Paths of Solomon; Revelation of the Holy Grail (written under the pen name of Chevalier Emerys); Entering the Chain of Union; Novo Clavis Esoterika; The Way of the Templar; Thoughts from Meditations; and Elements of the Elements, and numerous periodicals. Timothy joins Darkness Radio to talk about the origins of Alchemy, where we get the term and substance of "Manna" from, what exactly is inside some of the pyramids of Egypt (the places you and I can't go!), the secret functions of the arks (including the Ark of the Covenant) and more! See Timothy Hogan live in Las Vegas at Stairway to the Stars:  https://disclosurefest.org/ Get Timothy Hogan's Books here: https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/emerys Check out Timothy Hogan's lectures here:   https://www.youtube.com/@timothyhogan5494 Follow Timothy Hogan on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100062952412858 #paranormal  #supernatural  #metaphysical  #paranormalpodcasts  #darknessradio  #timdennis #timothyhogan #knightstemplar #rosicruscians  #freemasonary  #alchemy  #ancientegypt  #egypt #fridaythe13th #1307 #manna #arkofthecovenant #secretknowledge #alternatehistory #osiris #isis #pyramidsofegypt #stargates #ancienthistory #ancientaliens  #Aliens  #UFO #UAP #Extraterrestrials #alienhumanhybrid #alienabduction #alienimplant #Alienspaceships  #disclosure #timetravel

Adam and Matthew Chase from the Jazz Is PHSH stopped by to chop it up about the band, their family of artists, the Chase Brothers, their musical inspos, and our shared love of the vinyl experience.

¿Cómo dejo un trabajo que no me llena? ¿Qué pasa si tengo ganas de cambiar de carrera? ¿Y si aún no encontré lo que me apasiona? ¿Cómo descubro mi vocación? No estás perdiendo el tiempo, sólo necesitás enfocar tu energía para volver a vos. Te cuento cómo. ¿Te gusta este contenido? Suscribite a nuestro Newsletter gratis aquí. También, encontranos en: www.psimammoliti.com https://www.instagram.com/psi.mammoliti Producción: Parque Podcast

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, Russ Burgos discusses the importance of defining terms–like information itself. He offers a way of thinking about information in supply/demand and behavioral economics terminology. Russ recaps his “Seven A's of Information Success” and then projects these concepts into global influence efficacy. Research Questions: Russ offers several questions worthy of additional research: Is information a domain, an environment, or a thing? What do we mean by information?  Can information effects be isolated? Ad agents frequently define success with “ad recall;” yet, ad recall is an imperfect measure. For example, it is very possible to have great ad recall without behavioral change. Investigate and differentiate market penetration and market effect? Where is persuasion theory today? How does information processing work inside a person's heads and how is it affected by culture or education? Resources: Cognitive Crucible Podcast Episodes Mentioned #49 Matt Armstrong on the Smith-Mundt Act The Sheikh's Batmobile: In Pursuit of American Pop Culture in the Muslim World by Richard Poplak Dr. Russell Burgos bio Narrative Economics: How Stories Go Viral and Drive Major Economic Events by Robert J. Shiller Pushing Cool: Big Tobacco, Racial Marketing, and the Untold Story of the Menthol Cigarette by Keith Wailoo Russ's Information Doctrine Tweet Russ' Seven A's of Information Success: Acquisition Attendance Assessment Acceptance Approval Application Adaptation Prince Spaghetti Boston Anthony Commercial (YouTube) Hastorf, A. H., & Cantril, H. (1954). They saw a game; a case study. The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 49(1), 129–134. Howard Gardner, Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds Philip Corr and Anke Plagnol, Behavioral Economics: The Basics Todd Rose, Collective Illusions: Conformity, Complicity, and the Science of Why We Make Bad Decisions Link to full show notes and resources https://information-professionals.org/episode/cognitive-crucible-episode-115 Guest Bio:  Russell Burgos is an Associate Professor in the Joint Special Operations Master of Arts program at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. He joined NDU after more than 12 years as a professor at UCLA, the University of Southern California, Claremont McKenna College, and Pepperdine University. In addition to extensive experience teaching core courses in American and international politics, globalization, Great Power competition, and political theory, Dr. Burgos has designed and taught seminar courses on U.S. national security, homeland security, globalization and international security, American foreign relations, the economics of globalization, the Iraq War, Middle East politics, and US foreign and military policy in the Persian Gulf. At UCLA, Dr. Burgos was also employed as a research assistant to the late political scientist James Q. Wilson and to former UCLA Chancellor Al Carnesale, for whom he conducted research on arms control and weapons and technology proliferation. In addition to his classroom experience, Dr. Burgos directed a Department of Defense-funded Track II military diplomacy program for senior Middle East military and government agency officials, designing and executing two multi-day conferences each year to encourage dialog, share perspectives on current and emerging security challenges, and support U.S. confidence-building measures. With access to a wide network of think-tank subject matter experts and senior active duty and retired officers from the US and NATO allies, the program included presentations, small-group discussions, and tabletop exercises focusing on issues of regional concern, including the military balance, emerging technology and warfare, the effects of political changes on regional stability and security, border control, lawfare, military operations in urban terrain, anti-piracy and counter-terrorism operations, and pandemic disease response. Dr. Burgos has written articles and book chapters on national security policy, US Middle East policy, strategy and policy in the Persian Gulf, the effects of Special Operations Forces on regional and global stability, the teaching of international politics, and academic techniques and best practices for Professional Military Education students. He is a former Signal and Psychological Operations officer, an active wargamer, presents frequently at professional conferences, has appeared on radio, television, and podcasts and before community and service organizations in the U.S. and abroad to offer expert commentary on U.S. national security policy and strategy, and has served as a military technology and military history consultant for television and film productions. 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.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: The Pugwash Conferences and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as a case study of Track II diplomacy, published by rani martin on September 16, 2022 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Track II (unofficial) diplomacy is potentially a useful intervention for reducing risks of great power conflict. In this post, I discuss what a paradigmatic case of track II diplomacy tells us about the value of this intervention. This case is the influence of the Pugwash Conferences on the Soviet government agreeing to place limitations on anti-ballistic missiles. I first motivate interest in track II diplomacy as an intervention. I then identify two important theories of change for track II diplomacy and claims about its effects which support these theories of change. I test these claims using the Pugwash case - largely discussing and scrutinising the evidence and narrative about the impact of Pugwash from political science Professor Matthew Evangelista's authoritative work on the subject, 'Unarmed Forces'. I argue that this case suggests high quality access to official decision makers, windows of opportunity for influence over policy, and the development of trusting communities of non-officials are important to the success of track II diplomacy. This case should make us more enthusiastic about using track II diplomacy to reduce risks of great power conflict. 1. Introduction 1.1 Risks from great power conflict Great power conflict is an existential risk factor: the probability of an existential catastrophe grows as a major conflict becomes more likely. There are several pathways by which great power conflict raises existential risk. For example, a war between great powers could cause or accelerate the deployment of weapons with catastrophic potential, including bioweapons and nuclear weapons. Tensions or war between great powers would make it harder to coordinate on the safe development of artificial intelligence and other destabilising emerging technologies.¹ If, as seems plausible,² great power conflict significantly contributes to total existential risk, interventions to reduce the probability of such conflict could significantly decrease existential risk. 1.2 Track II diplomacy and great power conflict Track II diplomacy is a potentially-effective intervention to reduce risks from great power conflict. It is unofficial policy discussion, usually between parties from different sides of an international conflict or representing groups that are in tension with each other.³ Though they are not officials themselves, Track II participants can influence official actions by sharing information and policy ideas, and by advocating for their preferred approach to their contacts back home. Their non-official status distinguishes Track II diplomacy programs from Track I (official) diplomacy. Track 1.5 dialogues are unofficial discussions which include official participants.⁴ Philanthropists have funded Track II diplomacy,⁵ suggesting that, if effective, it could be a good way to use philanthropic funding to reduce risks from great power conflict. However, few formal evaluations of the effectiveness of Track II diplomacy programs exist. In this report, I present a case study of a paradigmatic example of Track II diplomacy: the influence of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs on the Soviet government's decision to sign the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.⁶ While a case study approach raises concerns about generalisability, it can be useful when it is not feasible to conduct more systematic evaluations, such as randomised controlled trials. I use this case to test several assumptions about the effect of Track II diplomacy on relations between the countries involved. In the rest of this post, I first briefly discuss existing work on the effectiveness and theory of change of Track ...

A few classic cruise down memory lane. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/andre-murphy8/message

En este directo de tuich charlamos con nuestro amigo de Salt Lake City Francisco Vázquez y con Jacobo León (El Cartero de los Jazz) acerca de todo lo que rodea a la franquicia de Utah: la salida de Snyder, el traspaso de Gobert, los rumores sobre la más que probable salida de Mitchell... y hasta de las camisetas!! Y al final nos da tiempo a comentar las situaciones de Ayton y esa oferta que le han hecho los Pacers y la situación de Kevin Durant

On April 12, 1972, the Chinese national ping pong team arrived in Detroit, the first unofficial visitors from the People's Republic of China to the United States since the establishment of the PRC in 1949. One of the many excited people waiting on the tarmac to welcome the team was Jan Berris – at that time a program associate with the National Committee, now its vice president. Fifty years later, on April 12, 2022, Jan Berris shared stories of the historic process – from the funny to the momentous – and reflected on the enduring legacy of Ping Pong Diplomacy on U.S.-China relations. Jan Berris has been with the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations since 1971 – beginning as program associate, moving on to program director, and vice president. She is responsible for overseeing all program activities of the Committee: this includes the preparation and execution of hundreds of Chinese delegations to the United States, American delegations to China, as well as NCUSCR's Track II programs, and other flagship programs. Given her familiarity with the Chinese media at the time, the U.S. State Department asked her to coordinate Chinese press activities during Premier Deng Xiaoping's February 1979 visit to the United States, and she has been the lead for the Committee's hosting of major welcoming events for all of the most senior Chinese leaders. Prior to joining the Committee, Ms. Berris was a foreign service officer, stationed in Hong Kong and Washington, D.C. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Michigan.

In this weeks show we talk all things Artificial intelligence with Professor Barry O Sullivan.Barry  is an award-winning academic working in the fields of artificial intelligence, constraint programming, prescriptive analytics (operations research), ethics, and public policy. He contributes to global Track II diplomacy related to disruptive emerging technologies. He recently was elected as a fellow of The Association for the Advancement of Artificial intelligence and is president of the European Association for AI.We hope you enjoy the show. 

本期我们邀请到的普林斯顿大学的Edmund (Ned) Downie，中文名佟瑞。Ned不仅会说一口流利的中文，而且对中国的政治经济学和能源环境政策有很多研究。我们很高兴邀请一位非中国人来到我们的节目，并且用中文和我们聊中国碳中和的那些事儿。本期内容十分精彩，我们的讨论从广泛的政治经济发展到具体的企业碳中和目标，从我们讨论中可以看到中国碳中和事业的雄心和挑战。这一期节目录制在2021年的12月。嘉宾主页：https://cpree.princeton.edu/people/edmund-downie 【本期内容】第一部分：对中国问题的兴趣缘由02:30 为什么对中国感兴趣？中文名字的由来？04:15 北京口音从哪里来的？05:30 中国的旅游（学习）经历？06:30 为什么会研究中国的能源环境问题感兴趣？09:30 一个美国人，为什么要研究中国问题（反之）？11:45 美国和中国视角的碳中和观察有什么区别？第二部分：中国碳中和事业的发展14:40 你对中国的双碳目标感受如何？18:20 过去十年中国环境政策如何快速演变？24:31 中国高耗能企业如何回应中国的双碳目标？26:49 中国的省一级如何回应中国的双碳目标？ 27:43 为什么这些回应有快有慢？中国在政治经济学上碳中和的挑战几何？30:00 中国的政治经济学上如何处理经济发展和环境保护的关系34:42 环保督察会改变中国的环境治理吗？38:05 中国的优秀青年的职业选择：宇宙尽头是公务员？第三部分：中美关系与气候变化：沙漠中的绿洲41:32 中美关系气候竞争合作为何发生？45:12 我们能相信美国的气候承诺吗？50:25 美国政治中的行政和立法关系？51:30 这一段证明了Ned也会说英文。 55:50 美国需要政治变革吗？58:45 气候变化合作是中美关系里沙漠的绿洲，沙漠会吞噬绿洲和绿洲会征服沙漠？63:12 气候变化既深远又渺小？65:05 未来中美关系如何发展：我们能做什么（Track I vs Track II）？碳笑风生关注全球和中国的能源转型、气候变化和可持续发展问题，特别是中国实现碳达峰、碳中和的科学、技术、政策、政治、经济、社会和文化问题。大家可以在小宇宙播客、喜马拉雅、QQ音乐、Podcast等平台收听我们，我们同步更新的微信公众号“环境科学与政策”会有更多的专业讨论。大家也可以通过留言或在微信公众号“环境科学与政策”联系我们。 开场、转场、结尾音乐来自The Podcast Host and Alitu: The Podcast Maker app.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: We should consider funding well-known think tanks to do EA policy research, published by DavidZhang on February 19, 2022 on The Effective Altruism Forum. Background: I am a Research Fellow at Europe's largest foreign policy think tank. Some of the points may not translate to a non-UK context, though I hope that most do. I'm very keen to hear comments especially from others working in policy and also open to discussing bilaterally. Instead of funding EA organisations to do EA policy research, we should consider funding existing, well-known think tanks to do this work. Often this might be preferable to doing the work 'in house', through an EA-organisation such as FHI or CSER. Examples of the kind of EA policy work we could fund think tanks to do include: Assessing of the likelihood of WW3 (as per Stephen Clare's excellent post) Comparing the merits of different voting systems Researching the most effective policies to reduce air pollution in middle-income countries Making the case for greater foreign aid contributions from developed countries Promoting international, shared AI standards This is not an original idea. A recent Founders Pledge report recommended funding Carnegie Endowment for International Peace to restart their Track II dialogue between the US and China. However, I think it is pretty rare for EAs to fund non-EA think tanks to do things, and I wanted to make the case from the perspective of a current think tanker. The power of funders One thing that has surprised me since I began working in a think tank is how much influence funders have over the scope and activities of a research project. It is not unusual for funders to be involved in: Setting the parameters of the research Specifying exactly what the research is used for, or whom Recruitment for the project Which organisations/partners are involved The tone of the research, and in some cases even the conclusions/recommendations Since the EA movement is somewhat cash-rich, and most of the bottlenecks are around time, expertise and capacity, our prior should be that paying experts to do valuable things is likely to be a good use of money. Think tanks seem like a clear case of experts and time which can be bought through funding. Of course, being an active funder also takes time and some level of expertise, however it requires less of both compared to doing our own research. Benefits of working through existing think tanks Expertise The most obvious benefit of working with existing think tanks is that they are full of experts who know a lot about issues that are of interest to EAs. This is particularly beneficial if we think that a distinction can be made between technical expertise and the ability to make good decisions. While EAs are good at the latter, they are often not the best at the former. For example, when it comes to US-China conflict (an issue I work on a bit), I would generally trust a well-informed EA to make better policy decisions, because they are likely to have good aims and do cost-benefit analysis well. However, I would not rank EA China experts above other China experts at Brookings or Chatham House in terms of their subject matter or technical expertise. This distinction implies that we want to get EAs to a position where they can make decisions and do cost-benefit analysis (e.g. it would be great to have an EA-aligned US Secretary of State, or EA-aligned foreign policy advisers in Beijing), but the technical research on China's hypersonic weapons, the chances of war, Beijing's intentions for Taiwan, US public opinion towards China, etc., does not need to be done by EAs. In fact it is likely to be performed better by experts at the best foreign policy think tanks. Experts are also aware of other ideas in the space and what is already popular or politically feasible, and may possess us...

This webinar was co-organised with the Society for Algerian Studies. Historically Algeria has had its ups and downs with the Gulf states. During the Arab Spring, Algeria was at odds with the assertive and proactive approach from GCC states, most notably in Libya, where Algeria opposed interventions and involvement from Qatar and the UAE. In line with its commitment to non-interventionism, the country also rejected involvement in the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015. More recently, Algiers remained neutral throughout the intra-GCC rift, an easier accomplishment due to the lack of economic engagement and personalised ties it has with the monarchies, when compared with its neighbours. During this webinar, speakers explored this historical background, and took stock of the geo-political and economic relations between Algeria and the countries of the GCC. Arslan Chikhaoui is Chairman of Nord Sud Ventures, a consultancy company established in Algeria in 1993. He is a member of the Defense and Security Forum Advisory Board, the World Economic Forum Expert Council and the UNSCR 1540 Civil Forum. Arslan is a visiting lecturer at both the Algerian Staff Academy and Algerian Civil Defense Academy. He is active in various Track II task forces such as the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), Security in the Mediterranean Region, the Maghreb and Sahel, WMD Free Zone in MENA, and Security Sector Reform (SSR) in North Africa. He has served as Senior Advisor to the Algerian Institute for Strategy Studies (1991-1994) and as Senior Coordinator of the Development Aid and Cooperation Programs for Algeria (1982-1990). He contributed to the report Algérie, Perspective 2005 (Algeria: Forecast 2005) carried out in 1991/92, and has been involved in the development of the Algerian non-hydrocarbon export policy and the restructuring and privatization policies of Algerian SOCs. Fatiha Dazi-Héni is a Middle East researcher specializing on the GCC monarchies at L'Institut de recherche stratégique de l'École militaire (IRSEM). Fatiha also lectures at Sciences Po Lille where she teaches history and socio-political developments in the Arabian Peninsula. Fatiha is author of L'Arabie saoudite en 100 questions (Tallandier, 2020). She is also a contributor to the Arab Reform Initative's e-book A Way Out of the Inferno? Rebuilding Security in Libya, Syria, Iraq and Yemen (2017) and to Yahyia Zubir's edited book The Politics of Algeria Domestic issues and International Relations (Routledge, 2019). She recently published, The New Saudi Leadership and its Impact on Regional Policy (The International Spectator, Italian Journal of International Affairs, Nov 2021). Sebastian Sons is a researcher at the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient (CARPO-Bonn). Previously, he served as an advisor for the Regional Programme “Cooperation with Arab Donors” (CAD) of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). As a political analyst, he is consulted by German and international political institutions as well as by international journalists to provide expertise on Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Among many other articles and analyses on Saudi Arabia, he published the book Built on Sand: Saudi Arabia – A Problematic Ally (in German) in 2016. He also conducted a study with the title A new “Pivot to the Maghreb” or “more of the same”? The transformative shift of the Gulf engagement in North Africa in 2021. Sebastian holds a Ph.D. from the Humboldt University Berlin with a thesis on media discourses on labor migration from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia.

This week on the Sinica Podcast, Kaiser welcomes former Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Pacific Affairs Susan Thornton to discuss a recently published audit of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED), the annual set of high-level meetings with Chinese officials that were convened during the Obama administration by the U.S. Departments of State and the Treasury. The audit's two lead authors, representing the two organizations behind the audit, the National Committee on U.S. Foreign Policy and the American Friends Service Committee, also join the conversation. Rorry Daniels is the Deputy Project Director at the National Committee on American Foreign Policy's Forum on Asia-Pacific Security, where she organizes research and Track II discussions on security issues and conflict mediation in the Asia-Pacific. Daniel Jasper is the Public Education and Advocacy Coordinator, Asia, for the American Friends Service Committee, where his work focuses on China and North Korea. Susan, Rorry, and Dan make a strong case that, contrary to an emerging bipartisan consensus in Washington that engagement with China was a failure, the policy of engagement actually bore substantial fruit.6:12 – The SED and the S&ED — why the ampersand matters10:37 – The rationale behind the S&ED16:15 – In the room at the S&ED meetings30:12 – Critiques of the S&ED process36:47 – The mechanics of the S&ED audit44:13 – Five major accomplishments of the S&ED1:01:38 – Other surprising U.S. gains from the S&ED1:10:51 – How could the process be improved?A transcript of this interview is available on SupChina.com. Recommendations:Rorry: The Good Place (a TV show by Michael Schur) and the eponymous podcast hosted by Tara Brach.Dan: Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise, by Thich Nhat Hanh, and The China Hustle, a documentary on China-focused short sellers, by Jed Rothstein.Susan: The Incredible Dr. Pol, a reality show about a veterinarian on National Geographic; Hidden Forces, a podcast hosted by Demetri Kofinas; and China and Japan: Facing History, the last book by the great scholar Ezra Vogel.Kaiser: Wildland: The Making of America's Fury, by Evan Osnos, especially in audiobook form, read by the author, and Grand Tamasha, a podcast about current affairs in India, hosted by Milan Vaishnav.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Arunabha Ghosh is a celebrated public policy professional, adviser, author, columnist, and institution builder. In this warm conversation, we chat about Dr. Ghosh's Inflexion Points, which is also the name of his monthly Business Standard column. From making documentaries with Jay Z, and working with the United Nations in New York, to coming back to New Delhi, and starting a policy think tank from scratch, Dr. Ghosh has done it all. While his TED talk crossed over 250,000 views, this podcast episode is the only show that opens you to the person behind the genius. As founder-CEO of the Council on Energy, Environment and Water, since 2010, he has led CEEW to the top ranks among Asia's leading policy research institutions (8 years in a row); and among the world's 20 best climate think-tanks. He conceptualized and designed the International Solar Alliance. He conceptualized and is a founding board member of the Clean Energy Access Network (CLEAN). Co-author/editor of 4 books and with experience in 45 countries, he previously worked at Princeton, Oxford, UNDP (New York), and WTO (Geneva). In 2018, the UN Secretary-General nominated him to the UN's Committee for Development Policy. In 2020, Govt. of India appointed him Co-Chair of the energy, environment, and climate change track for India's Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP2020). His 2019 TED Talk on air quality (Mission 80-80-80) has crossed 240,000 views. He is co-Chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Clean Air and a member of the international high-level panel of the Environment of Peace initiative. He is the lead author of Jobs, Growth and Sustainability (CEEW, 2020). He is co-author/editor of four books: The Palgrave Handbook of the International Political Economy of Energy (2016); Energizing India (SAGE, 2016); Human Development and Global Institutions (Routledge, 2016); and Climate Change: A Risk Assessment (FCO, 2015). Arunabha's essay “Rethink India's energy strategy” in Nature was selected as one of 2015's ten most influential essays. Arunabha advises governments, industry, civil society, and international organizations around the world. This has included India's Prime Minister's Office, several ministries & state governments. He was invited by France, as a Personnalité d'Avenir, to advise on the COP21 climate negotiations. He advised extensively on HFC negotiations. He has been a member of Track II dialogues with ten countries/regions. His columns have been widely published (Business Standard, Financial Express, Forbes, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, Nikkei Asian Review, The Times of India, etc.). He has hosted a documentary on the water in Africa, featured in National Geographic and Discovery Channel documentaries on energy and climate change. He has been regularly interviewed on Al Jazeera, CNBC, CNN News 18, India Today TV, NDTV, etc. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader; & Asia Society Asia 21 Young Leader. He holds a D.Phil. from Oxford and topped Economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi. Links: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunabhaghosh/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ghosharunabha CEEW Website - https://www.ceew.in/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/manthanshah/message

In this episode, Garrison is joined by former India Ambassador and Distinguished Fellow from the prestigious Gateway House (Indian Council on Global Relations), Mr. Rajiv Bhatia. The ambassador carefully defines and contrasts Indo-Pacific as a strategic concept (apart from the now increasingly outdated Asia-Pacific). He then defines The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (The Quad), and discusses its historical formation, its current strategic nature, and its future geopolitical outlook ahead of the fall summit in the US. Contrary to China's assertions that The Quad represents an “Asian NATO”, the ambassador defines The Quad's main goal as maintaining and expanding cooperation on international law and stability in the Indo-Pacific, aimed at constraining not containing, China. He discusses four areas of coordination for The Quad; he announces a forthcoming Gateway House report on how economic and technological coordination can be deepened across The Quad; he also touches on the broader regional cooperation with ASEAN and others. The two also detail the ambassador's recent article in The Hindustan Times detailing the formation of a rival “Red Quad/China's Quad” consisting of China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran; as well as how India's transition from the former stance of the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War, to a more activist stance on guard against rivals and cooperating with democratic partners across the Indo-Pacific. They close discussing a sneak peek of the ambassador's forthcoming third book on Africa-India relations. Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia is Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies Programme at Gateway House. He is a member of CII's International Advisory Council, Trade Policy Council and Africa Committee. He is the Chair of FICCI's Task Force on Blue Economy, and served as Chair of Core Group of Experts on BIMSTEC. He is a founding member of the Kalinga International Foundation and a member of the governing council of Asian Confluence. As Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) from 2012-15, he played a key role in strengthening India's Track-II research and outreach activities. During a 37-year innings in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), he served as Ambassador to Myanmar and Mexico and as High Commissioner to Kenya, South Africa and Lesotho. He dealt with a part of South Asia, while posted as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. A prolific columnist, he is also a regular speaker on foreign policy and diplomacy in India and abroad. He was Senior Visiting Research Fellow during 2011-13 at the Institute of South East Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore. He holds a master's degree in political science from Allahabad University. His first book India in Global Affairs: Perspectives from Sapru House (KW Publishers, 2015) presented a sober and insightful view of India's contemporary foreign policy. His second book India-Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours (Routledge, 2016) received critical acclaim. He is presently working on his third book which will deal with India-Africa relations. Garrison Moratto is the founder and host of The New Diplomatist Podcast; he holds a M.S. of International Relations as well as a B.S. in Government: Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude) from Liberty University in the United States. He will be a Ph.D. candidate in Public Policy - Foreign Policy at Liberty University beginning August 2021, focusing on U.S.-Portuguese relations. All guest opinions are their own and not that of The New Diplomatist podcast formally. Join us on social media, read our blog on Medium and be sure to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review on your favorite podcast app. Thank you for listening. Episode originally recorded: July 20th, 2021. Published: July 28th, 2021

In this episode, Garrison is joined once again by Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia. Mr. Bhatia served as India's Ambassador to Myanmar from 2002-2005. The two discuss the recent military takeover in Myanmar, and spend time detailing the history leading to the recent crisis. Mr. Bhatia shares his personal perspective of his time meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi during her earlier period of house arrest in the early 2000s, applying that first hand experience to detailing Ms. Suu Kyi's political views, as well as analyzing the current outlook both for her and for democratic Burma in the coup's aftermath. The episode also assesses regional responses to the coup from various capitals, ranging from New Delhi to Beijing. In closing they discuss the rise of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and the future of India-U.S. relations. Ambassador Bhatia's acclaimed book, "India--Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours" is available for purchase here: https://www.routledge.com/India--Myanmar-Relations-Changing-contours/Bhatia/p/book/9780815376002 Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia is a Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies Programme at Gateway House. He is a member of CII's two bodies: International Trade Policy Council and Africa Committee. He served as Chair of FICCI's Core Group of Experts on BIMSTEC and continues to head its Task Force on the Blue Economy. He is a founding member of the Kalinga International Foundation. As Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) from 2012-15, he played a key role in strengthening India's Track-II research and outreach activities. During a 37-year innings in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), he served as Ambassador to Myanmar and Mexico and as High Commissioner to Kenya and South Africa. He dealt with a part of South Asia, while posted as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. A prolific columnist, who has also written a critically acclaimed book, India-Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours (Routledge), he is a frequent speaker on foreign policy issues in India and abroad. He was Senior Visiting Research Fellow during 2011-13 at the Institute of South East Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore. He holds a master's degree in political science from Allahabad University. Garrison Moratto is the founder and host of The New Diplomatist Podcast; he holds a M.S. of International Relations as well as a B.S. in Government: Public Administration (Summa Cum Laude) from Liberty University in the United States. All guest opinions are their own and not that of The New Diplomatist podcast formally. Please subscribe and leave a review for feedback; join the podcast on Patreon for bonus perks. Follow The New Diplomatist on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you for listening.

The One Take Show is honored to host Mr. Vansh Saluja. Vansh is the Co-founder and Secretary-General of the Confederation of Young Leaders, he's a noted social entrepreneur based in New Delhi, India having wide National and International experience working in the Development and Government sector. He was a distinguished WISE Learner's Fellow with Qatar Foundation from 2017-18, he has also served as a Governing Body member at Maitryei College, Delhi University. He has delivered guest lectures and workshops at both International and National Conferences and institutions on issues ranging from education, elections, governance, polity, and policy. His experience with Governance and administration is immense and he has wide experience of working with various Ministries, Government Departments, Bureaucrats, and Politicians. In the past few years, he has worked with different levels of Governments and Ministries and led several projects with Macro social impact. His current engagements and projects are largely focused on building forums for Track II diplomacy, helping Indian youth to contribute to shaping India's foreign policy with a focus on scaling up cultural diplomacy through youth dialogues, youth exchanges, youth conferences, seminars, etc.

I went out at night alone; The young blood flowing beyond the sea Seemed to have drenched my spirit's wings — I bore my sorrow heavily. But when I lifted up my head From shadows shaken on the snow, I saw Orion in the east Burn steadily as long ago. — from "Winter Stars" by Sara Teasdale Sources: "Close-micd Snow Steps.flac" by billox30 "Polar Wind" by Fission9 "DMP013016 HEAVY SNOW STORM MS.wav" by martypinso "Door Open and Close.mp3" by harrietniamh "Footsteps, Solid Wood Rug, Male Boots, Medium Pace and Scuffs.wav" by SpliceSound "Leather Sofa, Sit Down, Stand Up" by Kinoton "crackling-fire.aiff" by alienistcog "fire-crackling.wav" by jmehlferber "13_Fire in fireplace.wav" by 16FThumaF "Solitude" by Dorsey Brothers Orchestra, feat. Kay Starr "VIII. At the Fireside" from Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, by Robert Schumann, performed by Donald Betts "So Cold" by Rafael Archangel "Cliffside Prison" from fervor nullified by Swaying Smoke "Frosted Tundra - 02" by Mystified "Track II" from Isolation Loops by Frank Audiffret "Approximately Four A.M. in January - Children's Song" from We All Have Hot Chocolate Tummies and Frozen Faces by He Can Jog "595.jpg" by Adrian Pelletier

These days, China appears in the headlines A LOT! Whether in regard to its growing influence in international relations, competition with the United States, 5G and information technology rivalries with the West, or, of course, the Coronavirus pandemic, it's impossible not to notice the incredible prowess and impact of the world's most populous nation and second-largest economy. That's why we decided to meet with one of the top China experts around – Carice Witte, Founder and Executive Director of SIGNAL (Sino-Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership) - for a deep-dive into... well... everything China. We talked about China's rich history, cultural identity, and international affairs, as well as China's worldview and efforts to reshape the international order, the evolution and growth of China-Israel relations (of which Carice played a key role in fostering), and how the Chinese feel about Israelis and Jews. Carice Witte is the Founder and Executive Director of SIGNAL (Sino-Israel Global Network & Academic Leadership), an Israeli policy organization that specializes on China-Israel relations.  Ms. Witte initiated Chinese-Israeli Track-II exchanges in 2011. Having led over 1,000 briefings in China and Israel, she established a semi-annual China-Israel and annual China-Israel-U.S. Track-II dialogue in 2017.  In 2011, Ms. Witte initiated the founding of Israel Studies Programs (ISPs) at universities across China, including an annual program held in Israel for Chinese faculty on teaching Israel Studies.  An expert on China and China-Israel relations, Ms. Witte is a leading contributor to defining this field of policy research in Israel. Ms. Witte has authored articles, research and policy analysis papers on Sino-Israel relations, trade policy, strategic communications, and global Jewry. Her research focuses on Israel's perspective on Xi Jinping Thought and its potential implications for the Middle East, Israel and the BRI, China in the Middle East, and China's foreign policy.  Links: SIGNAL's http://www.sino-israel.org (website) SIGNAL's https://twitter.com/sinoisrael?lang=en (Twitter) Carice's most recent article in https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3848995,00.html (Calcalist), Israel's leading source of economic news. As always, make sure to subscribe to Jewanced on https://open.spotify.com/show/6984NiP7H1ULW9lJeVt8Ie?si=W7gbS9BmR5WDHN_eLwLV1g (Spotify), Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7r6xLC1K4Zf29i9ttxbNFg/ (channel). For more information, visit us at http://www.jewanced.com/ (http://www.jewanced.com)

On this special episode, Garrison had the honor of interviewing former India Ambassador Rajiv Bhatia on a discussion of India's international leadership during the pandemic. Mr. Bhatia is a Distinguished Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies Programme at the prestigious India think tank Gateway House. He is Chair of FICCI's Core Group of Experts on BIMSTEC and its Task Force on the Blue Economy. He is a founding member of the Kalinga International Foundation. As Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) from 2012-15, he played a key role in strengthening India's Track-II research and outreach activities. During a 37-year innings in the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), he served as Ambassador to Myanmar and Mexico and as High Commissioner to Kenya and South Africa. He dealt with a part of South Asia, while posted as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. A prolific columnist, who has also written a critically acclaimed book, India-Myanmar Relations: Changing Contours (Routledge), he is a frequent speaker on foreign policy issues in India and abroad. He was Senior Visiting Research Fellow during 2011-13 at the Institute of South East Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore. He holds a master's degree in political science from Allahabad University.

The United Nations Security Council endorsed the UN Secretary-General's call last month for warring parties in Yemen to immediately cease fighting and focus on reaching a peace agreement whilst countering the outbreak of the coronavirus. The coalition, led by Saudi Arabia, responded with a two week ceasefire which was renewed for another month. While the cross border hostilities de-escalated, the conflict fronts inside Yemen continued to boil. This event will reflect on the challenges and possibilities for a comprehensive and inclusive peace agreement in Yemen. The speakers will discuss lessons learned from previous peace talks and ceasefire initiatives. They will also shed light on the national and regional dynamics affecting the peace process in Yemen. This event is co-organised with the Peace Track Initiative, an organisation that works on localising and feminising the peace process by supporting inclusive peace processes. Their role in holding Track II consultations with women’s groups and the role of women peacemakers will also be explored. Fatima Al-Asrar is a Non-Resident Scholar at the Middle East Institute. Before joining the Institute, Al-Asrar was a Senior Analyst at the Arabia Foundation in Washington DC, MENA Director for Cure Violence, Research Associate at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, a Mason Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, and an International Policy Fellow at the Open Society Foundation. From 2006-12, she worked as an advisor for the Embassy of Yemen in Washington, DC. Earlier in her career, Al-Asrar served as a program officer for the Department for International Development (DFID) in Yemen. Rasha Jarhum is Co-Founder and Director of the Peace Track Initiative hosted at the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, at the University of Ottawa. Jarhum was invited by the UN Special Envoy to Yemen as one of seven women to support the peace talks held in Kuwait in 2016, and has briefed the UN Security Council on Yemen and Women’s Rights to push for peace. She is an affiliated scholar with the American University of Beirut. She has more than 15 years of experience working to advocate for women's, children's and refugee rights. Join the conversation on Twitter using #LSEYemen

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Julia Voo is the research director for the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center’s new China Cyber Policy Initiative. In this episode, Julia and NüVoices board member Cindy Gao talk about China's increased efforts to influence international technical standards, updates and challenges of the Digital Silk Road, how her Track II diplomatic work with the China Institute for International Strategic Studies contributes to mitigating cyber confrontation between the U.S. and China, and her time in Beijing as the head of the local Young China Watchers chapter, supporting a more diverse group of aspiring China experts.

Show Notes:Program Director: Dr. Bryan PriceChief Engineer: Audrey PenningtonStudent Director: Audrey PenningtonHead of Distribution: Will SteckHead of Strategy: Shannon MoranShow Notes Supervisor: Peter Eggerding Special thanks to WSOU 89.5 FM Pirate RadioLinks:Arava InstituteCollapse by Jared DiamondCatch-67 by Micah Goodman

Recent years have witnessed new patterns of cooperation among India, Israel, and the U.S., three key democracies that face common threats from Islamist terrorism and share common values. While Israel and the U.S. have enjoyed a steadfast partnership stretching back many decades, over the past 15 years India and the U.S. have developed an increasingly robust strategic partnership. Similarly, after decades of relative disassociation, India and Israel have begun elevating bilateral ties in a more public manner, culminating in a landmark visit to Israel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017. As Heritage hosts a Track II trilateral dialogue with India’s Vivekenanda International Foundation and Israel’s Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, please join a distinguished panel of experts from all three countries to discuss shared challenges and future opportunities for trilateral cooperation among India, Israel, and the United States. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

MEI’s Randa Slim and Paul Salem join host Alistair Taylor to discuss the Institute’s conflict resolution program and how Track II diplomacy—or unofficial meetings between adversarial groups—has supplemented state-to-state diplomacy and become a transformative experience for many of its participants.

Nuclear talks with Iran and North Korea have taken over the headlines, building on years of diplomacy that often goes unseen. Jen talks to Suzanne DiMaggio, who has been negotiating behind the scenes with the Iranians and North Koreans for twenty years.

Speakers: Salman Sheikh, The Sheikh Group and Courtney Freer, LSE Middle East Centre Salman Shaikh is a negotiations specialist with eight years of experience in running Track II diplomacy with a wide spectrum of Syrian communities and constituencies. With Syria divided into zones of influence dominated by external players, he will address the question of what options remain for a political process – and what is at stake. At a time when world and regional powers are once again attempting to negotiate a political breakthrough that would serve their interests, he will argue that a path to an inclusive political process must – and can – be found. In this regard, he will also draw on years of engagement with key regional and international capitals, including Washington, Moscow, Ankara, Riyadh and London. Recorded on 13 November 2018. --------------------------------- Salman Shaikh (@Salman_Shaikh1) is the Founder and CEO of The Shaikh Group (TSG). Courtney Freer (@courtneyfreer) joined the Kuwait Programme, LSE Middle East Centre in 2015 as a Research Officer. Image: Salman Shaikh's TED talk 'Navigating the Arab Spring' in 2012. Source: YouTube.

The crisis in international dialogue with Russia is particularly acute when it comes to Ukraine, the main locus of the breakdown’s origins. Except for the relatively narrow focus on the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, strategic dialogue about the crisis among Ukrainians, Americans, Europeans, and Russians is virtually nonexistent. This breakdown has the potential to be highly destabilizing as mistrust grows and misunderstandings multiply, creating the possibility for the conflict to escalate. To help ameliorate this challenge on the Track II level, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung's Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe brought together a select, high-level group of Russians, Europeans, Americans, and Ukrainians – a total of eight participants – to develop four long-term scenarios for Ukraine. The idea was to agree on a range of plausible outcomes of the crisis for Ukraine (in a ten-year time frame) as an analytical, rather than normative exercise. Several of the authors will present the publication that resulted. Julia Gurganus, Visiting Scholar with the Russia and Eurasia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, will provide comments. Greg Brown, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, will speak on the report's methodology. Olga Oliker, director of the CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program, will moderate. This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.