World Policy On Air
World Policy On Air is a podcast from the pages and website of World Policy Journal featuring former Newsweek On Air host David Alpern and conversations with experts and journalists from around the globe.
World Policy On Air, 96: The Death of Fidel Castro
The passing of revolutionary Fidel Castro this week triggered public mourning on the streets of Havana, marking a milestone in Cuba's transition to a younger generation of political leaders. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, World Policy Institute fellow Lissa Weinmann considers the future of the island nation…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 95: "The Currency of History"
From bartering to coins, paper, and virtual currency, economic transfers have taken many forms over the centuries to facilitate finance and trade. Yet, as historian Rebecca L. Spang explains on today's episode of World Policy On Air, the narrative tying changes in money to technological progress obscures the political aspects…
World Policy On Air, 94: Challenges and Opportunities in the Arctic
As the effects of climate change pose new challenges in the Arctic, melting ice and warmer temperatures also present economic opportunities. On the latest episode of World Policy On Air, Inuuteq Holm Olsen, the first Greenland representative at the Danish embassy in Washington, explains how the semi-autonomous nation is working…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 93: The "Unthinkable"
From TPP to NAFTA, President-elect Donald Trump’s stated positions on free trade will directly and negatively impact many of those who voted for him in Tuesday’s election. On today’s episode of World Policy On Air, World Policy Institute fellow Jonathan Cristol assesses the implications of Trump’s policies for the global…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 92: "Ethiopia's Original Sin"
The current protests by members of the marginalized Oromo ethnic group in Ethiopia have origins in the fight to expel Italian colonialists from the country in the late 19th century. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, Mohammed Ademo, founding editor of Opride.com, discusses why history books must be…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 91: "When the Shooting Stops.."
As Colombia grapples with the legacy of its 50-year conflict with the FARC, examples from Argentina to South Africa offer lessons for moving forward from a violent past. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, human rights expert Robin Kirk of Duke University examines the strengths and weaknesses of…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 90: "The Citizen and the State"
Several authoritarian states in the Middle East fail to listen to the demands of their citizens. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, Beirut-based journalist Rami Khouri explains why governments continue to breach their social contracts five years after the Arab Spring uprisings.
World Policy On Air, Ep. 89: "Kill the Indian, Save the Man"
For more than 100 years, Canada’s Indian Residential Schools separated indigenous children from their families in an effort to eradicate their culture and language. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, documentary photographer Daniella Zalcman explores the painful history and legacy of these schools and similar institutions across…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 88: Theater of War
The ancient Greek tragedy Philoctetes by Sophocles tells the story of a wounded soldier left behind by his comrades. On this week's episode of World Policy On Air, director of the “Theater of War” series Bryan Doerries explains how performances like Philoctetes can provide a forum for veterans of all…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 87: Revisiting Tiananmen
The Chinese government has worked tirelessly to erase the 1989 protest in Tiananmen Square from the country's historical memory. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, former BBC and NPR China correspondent Louisa Lim explains how this campaign reflects the state's emphasis on preserving political stability over other national…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 86: "History's Ghosts"
Despite signing the Arusha Accords in 1993, Burundi is still struggling to move past its history, one marked by violence and division between its largest ethnic groups. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, World Policy Journal Managing Editor Yaffa Fredrick explores the contributions from Burundi and other countries…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 85: "Casablanca Calling"
Following terror attacks in Casablanca, Morocco’s Ministry of Islamic Affairs began enrolling women in training programs to serve as religious guides against extremism, or "morchidats." On today's episode of World Policy On Air, British filmmaker Rosa Rogers discusses her documentary, Casablanca Calling, where she follows these women around streets, schools,…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 84: The Upstairs Wife
Increased urbanization and the spread of social media have facilitated unprecedented political awareness and workforce participation among Pakistani women, but these shifts have been accompanied by growing acceptance of polygamy and a recent rise in honor killings like that of web star Qandeel Baloch. On this week’s episode of World…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 83: Weaponized Information
Social media has become an essential weapon in the war of narratives that plays an ever-greater role in global conflict, from Russian disinformation about NATO to ISIS recruitment and intimidation strategies. Following last week’s conversation on the blurring lines between war and peace, WPI Advisory Council member Anja Kaspersen, former…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 82: Eyes In the Skies
The distinction between peace and war is being blurred by proxy forces, militant extremist groups, and lone attackers empowered by increasingly deadly and available technology. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, Anja Kaspersen, member of the WPI Advisory Council and former head of international security at the World…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 81: Global Responses to the U.S. Elections
Breaking with World Policy Institute's tradition of staying out of U.S. politics, Joseph A Cari Jr, chairman of the Board of Directors, launched a weekly series of comments from around the world on this year's U.S. presidential race. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, Cari comments on views…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 80: "Honor Killings"
Coverage of honor killings in Muslim societies has increased in Western media in recent years, but so have the numbers of incidents and victims. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, activist attorney, author, and columnist Rafia Zakaria argues that the Western media model of "naming-and-shaming" in cases of…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 79: Double Trouble
Waves of anti-immigrant, anti-globalist, and anti-elitist sentiment buoyed the success of both Brexit in the U.K. and Donald Trump in the United States' Republican primary. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, British political blogger Jonathan Stubbs discusses these two campaigns and why post-Brexit Britain could find it difficult…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 78: "The West's Democratic Distemper"
Much of the Western world is experiencing a right-wing resurgence, from Donald Trump's popularity in the U.S. to Brexit in the U.K. and angry Euroscepticism across the continent. On today's episode of World Policy On Air, Michael Genovese of Loyola Marymount University explores social divisions and the roots of these…
World Policy On Air, Ep. 77: The Coup That Wasn't
After military units failed to unseat Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he began a massive purge of opponents in and out of uniform. On today’s episode of World Policy On Air, Ahmet S. Yayla of George Mason University and former chief of counterterrorism and operations in the Turkish National Police…