Diplomatic Immunity

Season 4, Episode 7--Part 2: In the current series of Diplomatic Immunity, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next.  In the second episode of a three-part series, Kelly continues his conversation with Wendy Cutler, Carolyn Brehm, and Francine Lamoriello to discuss how the Biden administration has approached trade with allies including the European Union, and the administration's engagement with the business community. Wendy Cutler joined the Asia Society Policy Institute as Vice President and Managing Director of the Washington DC Office in November 2015. She focuses on building ASPI’s presence in Washington — strengthening its outreach as a think/do tank — and on leading initiatives that address challenges related to trade and women’s empowerment in Asia. She served for nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Most recently she served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, working on a range of U.S. trade negotiations and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. In that capacity, she was responsible for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, including the bilateral negotiations with Japan. She is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service. Carolyn Brehm retired from The Procter & Gamble Company as Vice President for Global Government Relations and Public Policy where she created and led P&G’s team of sixty government relations practitioners based in key markets across the globe. She was responsible for public policy and legislative advocacy to protect and grow P&G’s business, advising three Company CEOs over her seventeen years at P&G. She also oversaw a $24 million P&G Fund supporting initiatives in the communities where P&G operates. During a 13-year stint with General Motors Corporation, Ms. Brehm served as Director of International Trade and Investment Policy, supporting GM’s international operations. During two overseas assignments with GM, she established an office in Shanghai in 1984 to conduct countertrade deals and returned to the region in 1996 as Director of Asia-Pacific Trade Policies and Strategy, supporting joint venture projects. She too is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service. Francine Lamoriello is Executive Vice President of Global Strategies for the Personal Care Products Council and directs all international activities and issues. Prior, Francine served as Senior International and Business Strategy Advisor at Baker, Donelson, PC, where she counseled clients on international business strategy and regulatory affairs, and international trade policy. Previously, she served for seven years as Director of International Trade and Investment Services at KPMG Peat Marwick where she led international strategy and marketing studies for a wide variety of U.S. companies. Lamoriello has also held positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce as Director of the European Community Single Market Program and specialized in US-EU trade policy affecting technology companies. And she too, is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service.  Episode recorded: February 10, 2022 Image: USTR Ambassador Tai gives keynote in Geneva on the future role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the global economy and how it can deliver broad-based inclusive growth with the U.S. Mission in Geneva on October 14th, 2021. [U.S. Mission photo/ Eric Bridiers] Hosted by Kelly McFarland. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans and Eleanor Shiori Hughes.  Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 4, Episode 7--Part 1: In the current series of Diplomatic Immunity, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next.  In the first episode of a three-part series, Kelly is joined by Wendy Cutler, Carolyn Brehm, and Francine Lamoriello to discuss how the Biden administration has approached international trade in the broader framework of its foreign policy for the middle class, technology, and China. Wendy Cutler joined the Asia Society Policy Institute as Vice President and Managing Director of the Washington DC Office in November 2015. She focuses on building ASPI’s presence in Washington—strengthening its outreach as a think/do tank—and on leading initiatives that address challenges related to trade and women’s empowerment in Asia. She served for nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Most recently she served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, working on a range of U.S. trade negotiations and initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region. In that capacity, she was responsible for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, including the bilateral negotiations with Japan. She is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service. Carolyn Brehm retired from The Procter & Gamble Company as Vice President for Global Government Relations and Public Policy where she created and led P&G’s team of sixty government relations practitioners based in key markets across the globe. She was responsible for public policy and legislative advocacy to protect and grow P&G’s business, advising three Company CEOs over her seventeen years at P&G. She also oversaw a $24 million P&G Fund supporting initiatives in the communities where P&G operates. During a 13-year stint with General Motors Corporation, Ms. Brehm served as Director of International Trade and Investment Policy, supporting GM’s international operations. During two overseas assignments with GM, she established an office in Shanghai in 1984 to conduct countertrade deals and returned to the region in 1996 as Director of Asia-Pacific Trade Policies and Strategy, supporting joint venture projects. She too is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service. Francine Lamoriello is Executive Vice President of Global Strategies for the Personal Care Products Council and directs all international activities and issues. Prior, Francine served as Senior International and Business Strategy Advisor at Baker, Donelson, PC, where she counseled clients on international business strategy and regulatory affairs, and international trade policy. Previously, she served for seven years as Director of International Trade and Investment Services at KPMG Peat Marwick where she led international strategy and marketing studies for a wide variety of U.S. companies. Lamoriello has also held positions at the U.S. Department of Commerce as Director of the European Community Single Market Program and specialized in US-EU trade policy affecting technology companies. And she too, is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service.  Episode recorded: February 10, 2022 Image: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, along with Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, and EU officials, participates in the inaugural U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Ministerial in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 29, 2021. [State Department Photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain] [State Department photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain] Hosted by Kelly McFarland. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans and Eleanor Shiori Hughes.  Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 4, Episode 6: In the current series of Diplomatic Immunity, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next.  He is joined by Joel Hellman to discuss the Biden administration's approach to the world of development and humanitarian aid, and how scholars and practitioners of diplomacy can approach the compounding challenges of COVID-19, conflict, and climate change.  Joel Hellman is the Dean of the School of Foreign Service. As dean, he leads the research, teaching, and outreach efforts of the School. Throughout his career, he has worked on issues of governance, conflict, and the political economy of development around the world both in academia and in international organizations. Before coming to Georgetown, he spent 15 years at the World Bank, where he most recently served as Chief Institutional Economist and previously led its engagement with fragile and conflict-affected states as Director of the Center on Conflict, Security and Development in Nairobi, Kenya. Episode recorded: February 2, 2022 Image: USAID Administrator Samantha Power recognizes Dulles Operation Allies Welcome staff, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on October 13, 2021. [State Department photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain] Hosted by Kelly McFarland. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans and Eleanor Shiori Hughes.  Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 4, Episode 5: In the current series of Diplomatic Immunity, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next. He is joined by Jodi Vittori to discuss corruption and democratic erosion around the world, and the Biden Administration's response.  Jodi Vitorri is Professor of Practice and co-chair of the Global Politics and Security (GPS) concentration in the Master of Science in Foreign Service Program at Georgetown. She is an expert on the linkages of corruption, state fragility, illicit finance, and U.S. national security. Previously, she was a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force, and an Assistant Professor and military faculty at the US Air Force Academy and the National Defense University. Correction: Jodi referred to frequent protests for better governance and against highly corrupt individuals who had led a coup in South Sudan. These events took place in Sudan.  Episode recorded: January 28, 2022 Image: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in a virtual discussion with young democratic leaders from around the world as part of the Summit for Democracy, from the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. on December 8, 2021. [State Department photo by Freddie Everett/ Public Domain]. Hosted by Kelly McFarland. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans and Eleanor Shiori Hughes.  Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 4, Episode 4: In the current series of Diplomatic Immunity, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next.  He is joined by Ambassador Roya Rahmani to discuss America and the West's military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Their conversation covered humanitarian aid, corruption, and ways forward for Afghan women.  Roya Rahmani is a former Afghan diplomat who served as Afghanistan’s first female ambassador to the United States and non-resident ambassador to Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic from December 2018 to July 2021. She is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security. Before entering government, she worked for several nonprofits that primarily focused on women’s rights and education.  Episode recorded: February 8, 2022 Image: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in a meet and greet with U.S. Mission Afghanistan personnel in Kabul, Afghanistan on April 15, 2021. [Photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain] Hosted by Kelly McFarland. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans and Eleanor Shiori Hughes.  Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 4, Episode 3: In the current series of Diplomatic Immunity, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next.  He is joined by Ambassador Eunice Reddick to talk about U.S. policy towards Africa. They discuss the important role the continent plays in global affairs, the impact of COVID-19 and vaccine rollout across Africa, political instability and the opportunities presented by a rapidly growing population of young people across the continent. During her more than 35 years of diplomatic service, Ambassador Reddick held ambassadorial assignments representing the U.S. in Niger, Sao Tome and Principe, and Gabon. She also served as Charge d’Affaires -- the acting chief of mission -- at the U.S. Embassies in Mauritania and Burundi. At the State Department, she served as director of the offices responsible for U.S. relations with countries in East and West Africa and Southeast Asia. Ambassador Reddick also held positions covering U.S. cooperation with development-focused international organizations and U.S. assistance for refugees in Africa. In addition to Africa diplomatic assignments, Ambassador Reddick covered political issues at the American Institute in Taiwan and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.  Ambassador Reddick was previously a Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy and Diplomat-in-Residence at Howard University, advising students and career-seekers in Washington, DC, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia on State Department careers and foreign policy issues. Episode recorded: February 10, 2022. Image: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in the U.S.-Kenya Strategic Dialogue with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Raychelle Omamo, in Nairobi, Kenya, on November 17, 2021. [State Department Photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public]  Hosted by Kelly McFarland. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans and Eleanor Shiori Hughes.  Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 4, Episode 2: In the second episode of a new series, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next.  He is joined by Ambassador (ret.) John Heffern to discuss U.S. policy toward Europe, including the Ukraine-Russia crisis. Ambassador Heffern is a former senior Foreign Service Officer who served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasian Affairs, and was U.S. Ambassador to Armenia from 2011-2014. He is now the Distinguished Resident Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship and Diplomacy, whose work includes connecting U.S.-based organizations and their fellows with partners overseas in the governmental and non-governmental sectors.  Episode recorded: February 3, 2022 Image: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Brussels, Belgium, on April 13, 2021. [State Department Photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain]. Hosted by Kelly McFarland. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans and Eleanor Shiori Hughes.  Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Season 4, Episode 1: In the first episode of a new series, ISD Director of Programs and Research Dr. Kelly McFarland looks back at the first year of the Biden administration's foreign policy and looks forward to the next.  He is joined by Ambassador Lino Gutierrez to discuss U.S. policy toward Latin America. Ambassador Gutierrez is a former senior Foreign Service Officer whose final assignment was as U.S. ambassador to Argentina. During his tenure in Argentina, Ambassador Gutiérrez signed agreements on container security, narcotics cooperation, counter-terrorism, money laundering, proliferation security, and environmental cooperation. He is now a member of the ISD Board of Advisers, and until recently was the Executive Director of the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, which funds one of our flagship programs, the Diverse Diplomacy Leaders Speaker Series.  Episode recorded: January 25, 2022 Image: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken participates in an Embassy Meet and Greet at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico, on October 8, 2021. [Photo by Ron Przysucha/ Public Domain] Hosted by Kelly McFarland. Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Audio editing by Aaron Jones. Production assistance by Kit Evans and Eleanor Shiori Hughes.  Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Bonus epsiode: Jason Steinhauer, global fellow at the Wilson Center and senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, joins Kelly McFarland, ISD Director of Programs and Research, to discuss his new book, History, Disrupted: How Social Media and the World Wide Web Have Changed the Past.  The book takes a deep dive into how the Web has changed what type of history we view online, and how we view it as users. He also takes a look at what might lie ahead.  What does all of this mean for historians and historical studies? Is it creating a world full of students and citizens with a greater historical knowledge? What possible connection does it have to future foreign policy making?  In addition to his work at the Wilson Center and the Foreign Policy Research Institute, Jason is a contributor to TIME and CNN; a past editorial board member of the Washington Post's "Made By History" section; and a presidential counselor of the National WWII Museum.  ​ In 2020, he founded the History Club on Clubhouse, which he hosts regularly. The club has more than 100,000 members and averages 2,500 participants per week.  Episode recorded: January 19, 2022.  Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland.  Episode image: Watching Darkness Fall cover [MacMillan Publishers] Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.

Bonus episode: David McKean, senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, joins Kelly McFarland, ISD Director of Programs and Research, to discuss his recent book, Watching Darkness Fall: FDR, His Ambassadors, and the Rise of Adolf Hitler. The book tells the story of U.S. diplomacy in the 1930s through a historical examination of 4 U.S. ambassadors to European countries during the 1930s, and their respective experiences, perspectives, reports to Washington, and relationships with President Roosevelt: William Dodd, U.S. Ambassador to Adolf Hitler’s Germany from 1933 to 1937; William Bullitt, ambassador to the Soviet Union and France during this period; Breckinridge Long, ambassador to Italy from 33 to 36; and Joseph Kennedy, ambassador to  the United Kingdom) from 1938 to 1940.  David has been an author, attorney, political advisor and diplomat who served as U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg from 2016 to 2017. He was previously Director of Policy Planning at the State Department from 2013 to 2016 under Secretary of State John Kerry, and before that as the Director of Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review under Secretary Hillary Clinton.  He is a recipient of multiple high level awards from the Department of State, and spent many years working in the U.S. Senate.  Episode recorded: December 10, 2021.  Produced by Alistair Somerville and Kelly McFarland. Editing support by Optimum Audio. Episode image: Watching Darkness Fall cover [MacMillan Publishers] Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world.  Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.  For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to diplomacy@georgetown.edu.