Wilson Center Now's Podcast

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with Nader Nadery, Senior Fellow with the Wilson Center’s Indo-Pacific Program.  He discusses the new report, “Human Rights Under Siege Salvaging the International Rights Regime in a Turbulent World Order.” The report examines how, 75 years after the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “the past two decades have witnessed a dramatic shift in the geopolitical landscape, characterized by the erosion of multilateralism, the rise of nationalism, the resurgence of authoritarian regimes, and the discernable retreat of US leadership in global human rights advocacy.” The report outlines a concise set of recommendations to bolster international accountability for rights violations, reviving US leadership in human rights advocacy, enhancing multilateral collaboration, and boosting the effectiveness of global institutions such as the UN.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we focus on the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly, Understanding Russia, with the help of editor Stephanie Bowen and contributor Izabella Tobarovsky.   Tobarovsky’s article, Antisemitic Propaganda and Disinformation in Putin’s War Against Democracies, examines how “Russia’s long history of exploiting antisemitism for political purposes is benefiting its larger strategy to destabilize democratic societies and the West.”  

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with Robert Daly, Director of the Wilson Center’s Kissinger Institute. He highlights Secretary Blinken’s recent trip to China and examines whether a new Cold War has developed between the two nations.  Daly also discusses how the Biden administration’s goal of “managed competition” with Beijing is playing out with continued tensions over the South China Sea, Ukraine conflict, and China’s attempts to leverage the ongoing Israel-Hamas War for improved relations with the global south. 

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we highlight the Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative (RAFDI) Working Group Report, “US Leadership Matters in Addressing Forced Displacement Crisis,” with co-authors, John Thon Majok, James Hollifield, and Susan F Martin.  The report “seeks to provide guidance and actionable recommendations for the US government and other actors on ways to protect, assist, and find sustainable solutions for refugees and other displaced people.” The report identifies six major policy and programming issues that require effective US leadership, consistent global response, and multilateral collaboration.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Ambassador Kristie Kenney, former senior US diplomat who served as the 32nd Counselor of the US Department of State and Ambassador to the Republic of Ecuador, the Philippines, and Thailand.  She discusses the first-ever US-Japan-Philippines trilateral summit held in Washington on April 11th.  Kenney explains how the summit highlights the importance of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy and could change the military and economic security dynamic in the region going forward.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by David Sanger, former Wilson Center Distinguished Fellow and White House and National Security Correspondent for the New York Times, and Mary Brooks, researcher, writer, documentarian, and former Wilson Center Public Policy Fellow. They discuss their new book, “New Cold Wars: China's Rise, Russia's Invasion, and America's Struggle to Defend the West.” The book is “an insider account of what happened as five presidents grappled with new foreign policy realities and moves rapidly through 30 years of Washington's dawning awareness of Vladimir Putin's and Xi Jinping's ambitions, cultivating in the Biden Administration's efforts to contain China's technological progress and push back on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we highlight the 5th anniversary of the Middle East Program's blog, Enheduanna with Merissa Khurma and Faria Nasruddin.  The blog seeks to “inspire diverse women contributors from the Middle East to voice their thoughts and express their ideas about the state of women in their countries and their often ignored yet important work to advance women’s issues across the region.” 

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with Jacqueline Charles, Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy Award-winning foreign correspondent for the Miami Herald.  She discusses the ongoing political and security crisis in Haiti. With gangs reportedly controlling large areas of the capital and the resignation of acting Prime Minister Ariel Henry, Charles examines the current efforts by the international community to create a multinational force to support Haiti’s security forces in their effort to reestablish rule of law. 

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with Steve Coll, editor at the Economist, author, and a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize. He discusses his latest book, “The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq.” The author uncovered unpublished and underreported sources, conducted interviews with surviving participants, and obtained Saddam’s own transcripts and audio files, to create "the definitive account of how corruptions of power, lies of diplomacy, and vanity—on both sides—led to avoidable errors of statecraft, ones that would enact immeasurable human suffering and forever change the political landscape as we know it." The author has donated many of the assets he used to research the book to the Wilson Center Digital Archive. 

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we speak with William Pomeranz, Director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute. He discusses the anniversaries of Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent invasion of Ukraine in 2022.  Pomeranz also explains what the death of Russian activist Alexei Navalny may mean for the Putin regime, Russia, and the West.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we focus on the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly, The New Multilateralism, with the help of editor Stephanie Bowen.  Also joining us are contributors Robin Quinville and Philip Reeker.   Their article, Reinventing Security and Cooperation in Europe, examines how “by taking lessons from NATO, the OSCE could be more effective in responding to today's complex challenges.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Wilson Center Distinguished Fellow Robin Wright.  She discusses the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas war and assesses the impact of regional escalation which has drawn the US deeper into the crisis.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Jennifer Turner, Director of the Wilson Center's China Environment Forum, and Karen Mancl, Wilson Center Fellow and Professor in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University.  They discuss a new Wilson Center and Ohio State University joint project, Cultivating US and Chinese Climate Leadership on Food and Agriculture. The project “engages with US and Chinese agriculture, food system, and climate experts with two goals in mind: illustrate the complex climate footprint from US and Chinese agriculture and highlight opportunities for bilateral cooperation on policies, projects, and strategies to reduce agriculture’s climate footprint.”

When Wilson Center NOW launched almost 10 years and more than 500 episodes ago, our topic was the Sochi Olympics and our guest was then Kennan Institute Director Matthew Rojansky. Matt, now President and CEO of the U.S. Russia Foundation and a Distinguished Fellow with Kennan, is back to mark the program’s anniversary and also help us explore how Russia’s role in the world and Vladimir Putin’s ambitions have changed during the past decade. In addition to taking a look back at that first episode focused on the 2014 Winter Olympics, Rojansky also discusses Russia’s rapidly deteriorating relationship with the West, beginning with the invasion of Crimea and continuing through its ongoing attack on Ukraine. This will be the final episode of NOW in calendar year 2023. We’ll see you in 2024 and until then wish you and yours a most happy and healthy holiday season.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by the Mexico Institute’s Andrew Rudman and Lila Abed. The discuss the upcoming 2024 presidential election in Mexico and highlight the program’s new publication, Mexico's Next President | Challenges and Recommendations.  This booklet “offers recommendations on six of the most salient issues for consideration by the presidential candidates and their campaign teams including energy, migration, USMCA and North America, security, water, and nearshoring.”

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Southern Voices Network for Peacebuildingscholars Kgalalelo Nganje, Adane Tadesse, and Marie Grace Kagoyire Gasinzigwa.  They discuss their projects, “Toward Greater Synergy Between International and Domestic Election Observation,” “Simmering Inte

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Merissa Khurma of the Wilson Center’s Middle East Program, and Izabella Tabarovsky, Kennan Institute Senior Advisor on Regional Partnerships and Programming. They discuss the latest developments in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the threat of the war expanding to neighboring states, and the Biden administration’s shuttle diplomacy in the region.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we discuss the record-breaking heat of the summer of 2023 and the high number of extreme weather events experienced around the globe. Can a direct line be drawn between such events and climate change? And what are the implications of this emerging new normal as it relates to climate projections, resilience, and adaptation? Joining us are Matthew Huber, a professor at Purdue University where he directs the Institute for a Sustainable Future, and Lauren Herzer Risi, program director for the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program.  

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we focus on the latest edition of the Wilson Quarterly, Africa Matters, with the help of editor Stephanie Bowen.  Also joining us are contributors Akunna Cook and Amarachi Nwosu. Their articles, Africa Is Ready For Its Next Narrative and Culture in Motion highlight the rapidly growing creative economy throughout the continent.

In this edition of Wilson Center NOW, we are joined by Peter Zwack, Former U.S. Army Brigadier General and Global Fellow with the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute. He provides an update on the ongoing Ukrainian counter offensive against Russia, the mood among the Ukrainian population and leadership, and the continued focus on increasing supplies of military equipment and diplomatic support from western nations.