The Munk Debates Podcast

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 allegations of Chinese election interference in Canada and why the government seems bent on downplaying the seriousness of what looks like an ongoing threat to Canadian Democracy. Next, the program dissects the outcome of the Nigerian elections. Was it effectively stolen by the ruling party? Friday Focus wraps up with a discussion of the deteriorating situation in Israel as security forces crack down on mass protests against judicial reform and Palestinian – Israeli violence escalates. 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.

In 2015, the world’s leaders attempted to address the major problems facing mankind by setting the Sustainable Development Goals, a compilation of 169 targets to be hit by 2030. On this Munk Dialogue, we’re joined by Bjorn Lomborg, President of The Copenhagen Consensus, who argues that we need a total rethink in how we tackle and overcome our biggest challenges.  This new strategy, the culmination of a partnership between several Nobel laureates and more than a hundred leading economists, aims to deliver important targets - such as ending world hunger and the eradication of disease killers like tuberculosis and malaria - thereby saving 4 million kids every year and creating economic benefits worth one trillion dollars. In our discussion, Bjorn narrows down a few high impact, low cost solutions that will deliver real world results.   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

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 what we got wrong in terms of how the Ukraine War would unfold. Next, the program takes up this weekend’s Nigerian elections. Is the vote a de facto ballot on the future of Africa? Friday Focus wraps up with a discussion of the debate over reforming Israel’s top court. What is going on in the Middle East’s only democracy, and what does it mean for the future of the state of Israel? 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.

With the death of Queen Elizabeth, one of the longest serving monarchs in world history, the commonwealth is adjusting to a new normal and a new face of the firm, Charles III.  “God Save the Queen” is back to “God Save the King”, there’s a new face on postage stamps, a new face on the pound, and a slew of other changes big and small.  But above all,  Britain is grappling with their identity, and what the monarchy means for them today.  For some, this means that the time has finally come to do away with the outdated parliamentary monarchy system in favor of a proper modern republic. They argue that the British Royal Family is out of touch with ordinary Britons, and represent an unsavory colonial history that must be left behind. The slew of scandals plaguing the Royal family hurts the country's image internationally.  They argue the Royals represent the past, and Britain must move into the future. But others argue that the royals serve an important albeit limited function.  Beyond representing a rich and storied history, the Royal family is a unifying force amid political and cultural divisions. And without the royal family, the UK loses an important piece of their cultural identity at a time when Britains are struggling to define themselves.  The Royal family may have problems, but they’re existence is necessary. Arguing for the motion is Polly Toynbee, columnist for The Guardian newspaper since 1998.Toynbee previously worked as social affairs editor for the BBC and also for The Independent newspaper.  Arguing against the motion is Richard Fitzwilliams, freelance royal commentator, film critic, and vocal monarchist.  He has covered the largest royal events of the last two decades for the BBC, Sky, CTV, CBC, and Al-Jazeera. Speaker Quotes  POLLY TOYNBEE: “ If they are the sovereign and we are the subjects, we are subject to the absurdity of this extraordinarily ordinary family, who had after all the highest education available ended up being so very little intellectually interested in anything, beyond the polo and corgis”. RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS: “There's nothing ephemeral about a reign such as the Queen, and there's nothing ephemeral about an institution that's lasted a millennia.”.   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: Jacob Lewis Editor: Adam Karch   

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 program with a debrief on the high-flying objects over North America that dominated the news. What is really at stake when it comes to air defence over the continent? For Munk Donors, the second half of the show features a discussion about Elon Musk’s disturbing tweets this week and whether Twitter has reached the point of no return in terms of having the interest, let alone the ability, to host meaningful public discourse. 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.

2022 was not a great year for the world’s so-called “strong men”. The defeat of Bolsonaro in Brazil, the political isolation of Donald Trump, the military miscalculations of Putin and the disastrous COVID policies of Xi Jinping has weakened the hold these men had over their parties and institutions. On this episode of the Munk Dialogues, we’re joined by chief foreign affairs columnist for the Financial Times, Gideon Rachman, whose latest book, The Age of the Strong Man, was named one of the top books of 2022 by The Economist and Foreign Affairs Magazine. He argues that while the trend towards autocracy has slowed, and the people living in autocratic regimes like Iran and China have shown a desire for freedom, the spread of communications technology is making overthrowing dictators much more difficult.   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

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 step back from day-to-day international events to go deeper into the futures and fates of two nations that exemplify the pressures and changes the current geopolitical environment is forcing on countries around the world. Japan and Germany share the history of being defeated WWII powers that rose in the intervening decades to become economic powerhouses. As great power tensions soar, they are being forced to choose sides and abandon longstanding policies of non-aggression and demilitarization. Where does this all lead? And what do countries like Japan and Germany say about the future of geopolitics? 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.

For the first time in almost three years, most white collar professionals are back in the office, at least some of the time.  The pandemic unleashed sweeping, societal change virtually overnight, and among the largest of those changes, was the way that we work. But now, almost three years later, we have returned to some semblance of normalcy.  But hybrid and flexible work schedules have persisted.  And for many managers, consultants, and economists, the cat may be out of the bag for good.  These folks argue that given their newfound flexibility and improved work/life balance, workers will never return to the office 5 days a week.  And that’s probably not such a bad thing. There is no demonstrable drop in productivity working from home.  The reduction in commuting time may even increase overall worker output. And given worker’s preference for greater flexibility, hybrid work is undoubtedly the future. But detractors argue that standard metrics of productivity are missing the big picture.  Perhaps what works in the short term may have serious consequences in the long term. How can companies maintain a corporate culture without a central space? How can managers develop and foster young talent without in person interaction? And how can society as a whole progress without the impromptu creative interactions that are a hallmark of functioning office spaces? In short, hybrid work may be the present, but it is not the future.    Arguing for the motion is Raj Choudhury, Associate Professor at the Harvard Business School whose research is focused on studying the Future of Work.   Arguing against the motion is Allison Schrager, Senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a columnist at Bloomberg Opinion. Speaker Quotes  RAJ CHOUDHURY: “The day of traveling to a downtown office five days a week is over. And there are different creative ways to arrange work, and why don't the teams decide what's best for them?”.   ALLISON SCHRAGER: “Technology is changing and I have no doubt the nature of work is going to change, but it still doesn't change the way humans are”. 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: Jacob Lewis Editor: Adam Karch     

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 program with a look back at a big week in financial news and markets. The U.S. Federal Reserve slowed its rate hikes to 25 points for the first time, and stocks soared while longer-duration interest rates plunged. What does this say about the future of the fight against inflation? The show wraps up with a discussion of the security and political situation in Israel and the high-stakes fight between the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and the country’s highest court. 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 the annual event that no major businessman or policy-maker dares to miss. Among the famous attendees of the most recent World Economic Forum in Davos were the CEO’s of Amazon, BlackRock, Pfizer, JPMorgan Chase, the head of the FBI, publisher of The New York Times, and heads of states from all corners of the earth.  This exclusive get together of the world’s elite has a noble mission statement: to improve the state of the world through public-private participation. Critics of the forum, however, argue that the annual event has become a rich person’s playground where out of touch corporate elites meet in private to make important decisions about global policy without scrutiny or consultation. While chief executives meet under the noble pretense of solving poverty and climate change, most attendees use the forum to further their business interests and make themselves richer. Davos’s supporters argue that the annual forum is more important now than ever before. From climate change, to food and energy inflation, to geopolitical instability, the global crises we face require collective action through cooperation and interdependence. Relationships and collaborations forged in Davos have and continue to bring about real world solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges. Davos might be elite, its supporters concede, but its also effective in working towards global prosperity and peace. Arguing for the motion is Don Tapscott, CEO of the Tapscott Group and the co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Blockchain Research Institute Arguing against the motion is Peter S. Goodman, the global economic correspondent for The New York Times and the author of DAVOS MAN: How the Billionaires Devoured the World     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