In this podcast, Janice and Rudyard discuss the two-year anniversary of Taliban rule in Afghanistan and whether it's time to normalize relations. They also explore the upcoming summit where President Biden will host leaders of Korea and Japan to oppose China. Topics include the challenges faced by the Afghan people, the rejection of the Taliban, comparing North Korea and the Taliban, negotiating with the Taliban, and countering Chinese authority.

War between Russia and Ukraine continues with surprising developments and potential for prolonged conflict. Comparison made between the situation in Ukraine and the contest over Taiwan. Discussion on China's position and potential reactions. Exploration of an emerging coalition challenging American interests and Canada's role.

Janice Gross Stein, founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs, discusses climate anxiety, Niger coup, and the limitations of Large Language Learning models. Topics include coping strategies for climate-induced anxiety, the effectiveness of democracy promotion in Africa, and the challenges facing machine learning.

We’ve come a long way since DNA was first discovered in the mid 19th century. Today’s scientists are using powerful engineering techniques to edit genes in human eggs and sperm, curing diseases and repairing defective genes before a child is even born. Some scientists are excited about these therapies, championing them as an exciting opportunity to create immunity to viruses, eliminate serious illnesses like AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and cancer, and possibly reverse aging. Like prior innovations in medicine and technology, why wouldn’t we embrace a science that allows people to live longer, healthier, and happier lives? Others are alarmed. They are worried that these new techniques raise a host of profound ethical issues. While eliminating genetic diseases is a worthwhile endeavor, many parents might be inclined to use this science to create designer babies: children who are smarter, taller, or have other supposedly desirable traits. And these tools aren’t cheap. They will surely be available to the rich first, creating a terrifying new dimension to the growing economic inequality crisis. Scientists also point out that ‘playing god’ and editing genes will alter our DNA code forever, and one mistake could inadvertently introduce new diseases into the human gene pool. While the desire to cure genetic diseases is a noble one, the manipulation of our DNA is more likely than not to push humanity towards a dangerous and dystopian future no one wants.  Arguing for the motion is George Church, Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Health Sciences and Technology at Harvard and MIT Arguing against the motion is Joyce Harper, Professor of Reproductive Science at the Institute for Women's Health, University College London.   Sources:  ABC News, France24, Today Show, NBC News, VICE, PBS, Gattaca, Critical Past The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ The Munk Debates podcast is produced by Antica, Canada’s largest private audio production company - https://www.anticaproductions.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Reza Dahya  

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard take advantage of the so-called Dog Days of Summer and a break in hectic international news to provide a master class on the concept of deterrence in international affairs. What is it? How does it function? How has it changed over time? And, what do the latest theories of deterrence say about how the next phase of the Ukraine War? To access a copy of Janice’s recent paper on deterrence and the Ukraine War click here. Send us your feedback on this program to podcast@munkdebates.com. To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

It’s a $97 billion global industry that has made its way into mobile phones, video games and laptops. Never before has porn been more accessible, and offered more variety, than the present day. And yet, some feminists want to revisit the question of whether it should exist at all. They say pornography exploits young women and creates unrealistic expectations in the bedroom. So many of society’s worst problems – from pedophilia, to sexual assault, to gender inequality – are amplified by porn use. And with the advent of the internet and video streaming, children are able to access hardcore porn with few guardrails, leading to a generation of young men who are getting their sex education from unrealistic and exploitative sexual relationships portrayed onscreen. On the other side of the debate are those who see value in porn: research shows that men who watch porn value female pleasure more, couples who watch porn together have better sexual relationships, and LGBT folk report a greater sense of community acceptance. Porn, its defenders argue, is being used as a distraction when many of the problems related to the industry are already systemic in our everyday lives. And finally, attempting to ban porn would only drive it underground and increase the risk of exploitation. In their view, it’s time to put the decades long debate over porn to bed, once and for all. Arguing for the motion is Meghan Murphy, she’s a writer, journalist, and founder of Feminist Current, a feminist website and podcast Arguing against the motion is David Ley, clinical psychologist and sex therapist, and author of The Myth of Sex Addiction SOURCES:  3 GIRLS 1 KITCHEN The host of this Munk Debates podcast is Ricki Gurwitz Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus. On this edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of the week’s remarkable events in Israel. After months of protests, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu passed the first in a series of sweeping “judicial reform” laws aimed at curbing the power of Israel’s supreme court. Is this the beginning of the end of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state? On the back half of the program, Janice shares her suggestion for a great summer read in the form of the new book Radical Uncertainty: Decision Making Beyond Numbers. Enjoy! To access full-length editions of the Friday Focus podcast consider becoming a donor to the Munk Debates for as little as $25 annually, or $.50 per episode. Canadian donors receive a charitable tax receipt. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

Chaos is unfolding on the streets of Israel as protesters face off against riot police and water cannons. Millions of Israelis are expressing their anger and frustration at the right wing coalition government - led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - for a series of judicial reforms that they argue will dismantle the country’s liberal institutions and its ability to function as a thriving democracy. On this Munk Dialogue, we’re joined by one of the government’s fiercest and most outspoken critics. Yossi Klein Halevi is a best-selling author, a senior fellow at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem, and a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch

Friday Focus provides listeners with a focused, half-hour masterclass on the big issues, events and trends driving the news and current events. The show features Janice Gross Stein, the founding director of the Munk School of Global Affairs and bestselling author, in conversation with Rudyard Griffiths, Chair and moderator of the Munk Debates. The following is a sample of the Munk Debates’ weekly current affairs podcast, Friday Focus.   On this week’s edition of the Friday Focus podcast, Janice and Rudyard start the show with a discussion of the heatwaves affecting China, the Middle East, Europe and the Southern U.S. What do these events tell us about the future of climate change? And, what is China’s role in curbing global emissions going forward as the U.S. continues to pressure Beijing on Taiwan, technology transfers and military supremacy in Asia Pacific? The back half of the program explores Trump’s ever-expanding federal and state felony charges. How will U.S. democracy cope with not only the extreme partisan rancour of the 2024 election cycle but multiple criminal trials of the presumptive Republican nominee for President? This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue. More information at www.munkdebates.com.

On this Munk Debate podcast, we're talking about the clash of generations: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z.  How are these age groups - with vastly different life experiences and upbringings - interacting and competing with each other at home, at school, and in the workforce? Author and psychologist Jean Twenge, often referred to as the “reigning expert on generational change”, argues that evolving technology, more so than major historical events like the great recession of 2008 or the terrorist attacks of September 11th, has had a greater impact on how generations have come to see themselves, and what they want for the future. She joins us for a wide ranging discussion to dispel common misconceptions about certain generations (IE/ millennials aren’t as doomed as they believe to be) and why the young are postponing adult milestones for longer than any previous generation.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths - @rudyardg.   Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 10+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch