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World Questions

Latest episodes

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Sep 17, 2021 • 49min

World Questions: Disability

More than a billion people are disabled - that’s 15 percent of the world’s population. With a panel of leading disabled academics, campaigners and politicians, World Questions examines the challenges and opportunities facing disabled people across the globe right now. Presenter: Scout Bassett, US Paralympic athlete Panel: Ambassador Catalina Devandas: Costa Rican ambassador to the United Nations (Geneva) Yetnebersh Nigussie: Ethiopian disability rights campaigner (Kenya) Baroness (Tanni) Grey-Thompson: Former Paralympic athlete (UK) Judy Heumann: Campaigner and former advisor to President Obama (USA) Producers: Helen Towner, Steven Williams and Victoria Brignell BBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council. (Image: Disability rights protesters at a rally outside a New York courthouse, Credit: Erik McGregor/Getty Images)
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Jun 13, 2021 • 49min

World Questions: G7 Summit

As G7 wealthiest democracies gather in the UK to discuss the world’s big issues, World Questions convenes its parallel ‘summit’ tackling questions from the public all around the world. A powerful panel representing each of the seven countries discusses the threat to democracy, climate change, and whether China is a challenge to a rule-based world order. Jonny Dymond presents. The panel: Senator Rui Matsukawa: Vice-Minister for Defence and for the Cabinet Office, Japan Bob Rae: Canada’s Ambassador to the United Nations Nathalie Tocci: Director of the Italian Institute for International Affairs Christian Makarian: Former Foreign Affairs Editor of the French newspaper L’Express Christopher Hill: US Former Ambassador to Iraq Daniela Schwarzer: Executive Director of Open Society Foundations for Europe and Eurasia, based in Germany Tom Tugendhat, MP: Chair of the UK’s Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Producers: Charlie Taylor and Helen Towner Assistant Producer Steven Williams Sound Engineers: Darren Wardrobe, Mark MacDonald and Bob Nettles BBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council. (Photo: G7 flags in circle on world map background, Credit: Kachura Oleg / Getty Images)
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May 16, 2021 • 49min

World Questions: Young Turkey

World Questions discusses the future of Turkey with young people from across the country. Jonny Dymond chairs a debate featuring a youthful panel of academics, lawyers and campaigners. The questioners come from across the country to debate the big issues of the day – unemployment and insecurity, student unrest on university campuses, the rights of women and the LGBT community, foreign policy and freedom of speech. Producers: Helen Towner and Charlie Taylor Sound Engineers: Chris Weightman and Ronan Loftus (Photo: Three young women wear their protective face masks while shopping in Ankara, Credit: Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images)
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Apr 19, 2021 • 50min

World Questions: The future of work

Life has changed in many ways in the year since the pandemic hit. Countless millions have been forced to work from home, offices have closed, livelihoods have disappeared and videoconferencing and online shopping have made huge inroads into everyday life. What will be the long term impact on the world of work?Katya Adler explores the future of work with a high level panel facing questions from the public around the world. What will stay changed, what will happen next and what will we miss from the way things were?The panel: Nicolas Schmit: EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights Molly Kinder: David M. Rubenstein Fellow at the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Programme Manish Bahl: Senior Director, Centre for the Future of Work at Cognizant, Asia Pacific Ivan Petrella: Former Director of Argentina 2030. Fellow of the Center for Internet and Society – Harvard UniversityProducers: Charlie Taylor and Helen Towner Sound Engineers: Ian Mitchell and Mark MacDonaldBBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council.
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Mar 25, 2021 • 49min

World Questions: Covid-19 and information

World Questions tackles the global issue of Covid-19: not just the disease itself but the information surrounding the pandemic. What should we have known and what questions should have been asked? Sharing information - and understanding the basis of the decisions of the scientists and the politicians - has never been more important or more difficult. So, do we always get the best information? How do we interpret the science and the policies that goes with it? And how does the world’s media respond to a pandemic? How have any of us - politicians, health experts and journalists - communicated with the public?As we try and get to grips with the best way to share information about what is really happening, what’s the best way to deal with “fake news” – is it a major force or a distraction from the crisis? And what’s the best counter to it? Attack it, understand it, or ignore it? In our digital world, can it ever be eradicated or regulated?The BBC’s Media Editor, Amol Rajan, is joined by four leading experts from around the world and members of the public with their questions.The panel:Nick Pickles: Senior Director, Public Policy Strategy and Development, Twitter. Zeynep Tufekci: Sociologist and writer Eliot Higgins: Investigative journalist, founder of Bellingcat Margaret Harris: Spokesperson for the World Health OrganisationProducers: Helen Towner and Charlie Taylor Studio Engineers: Ronan Loftus and Duncan HannantBBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council.
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Feb 14, 2021 • 49min

World Questions: The politics of Covid-19

What works - and at what cost - in the fight against Covid? Jonny Dymond brings together top flight decision-makers with the public feeling the brunt of those decisions around the world. How some countries get ahead with vaccines, what the world has learned about preventing the next pandemic and whether vaccine passports are an assault on human rights - a few of the political questions on which a global panel from Singapore, USA, Kenya, South Korea and the United Kingdom, compare notes.On the panel: Nadhim Zahawi, MP: UK Minister for Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment Sabina Chege, MP: Chair of Parliamentary Committee on Health, Kenya Prof Kenneth Mac: Director of Medical Services, Singapore Jennifer Nuzzo: Director of The Outbreak Observatory, Johns Hopkins University, USA Jie-Ae Sohn: Former CNN Bureau Chief in Seoul and Advisor to the World BankBBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council.Producers: Charlie Taylor and Helen Towner Assistant Producer: Steven Williams Studio Engineers: Chris Weightman, Ian Mitchell and Giles Aspen
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Jan 16, 2021 • 49min

World Questions: The European Union

Europe Editor, Katya Adler, presents a debate focusing on the European Union post Brexit. Politicians from across the region and the political spectrum discuss tough questions put to them by the public on issues such as the EU's environmental record, migration, Brexit, bailouts, the handling of the pandemic and the future of the Union.
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Oct 24, 2020 • 28min

Global Questions: Who’s winning the USA-China tech wars?

Rivalry between Trump’s United States and Xi’s China is rampant: from disagreements on trade tariffs, on Hong Kong and the Uighurs and, of course, the source of Covid-19. But underlying it all is the growing tech war between these two economic superpowers, with giants like Huawei on the battlefield. For its part, China denies access to Google, Facebook, Twitter and many other American firms. Central to this growing tech war are semiconductors - the cornerstone technology of the information age and key to the US-China tech war. Semiconductors are crucial for microchips which in turn are needed for making everything from smart phones to satellite weapons systems. Zeinab Badawi and a panel of experts answer question from listeners around the world.
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Jul 18, 2020 • 50min

World Questions: Coronavirus and Africa

The terrible choice between hunger and infection, police imposing lockdowns with brutality and the unexpected positives to come out of the pandemic in Africa. Presenter Toyosi Ogunseye in Lagos examines these issues with panellists Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa; Bright Simons, social entrepreneur based in Congo and president of mPedigree, Ghana; Sabina Chege MP, Health Select Committee Chair, Kenya; Ralph Mathekga, political analyst and writer, South Africa.
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Jun 15, 2020 • 50min

World Questions: Coronavirus and Latin America

How has Latin America dealt with the pandemic? The lockdown, the needs of the economy, cash pay-outs to the poor, culture, tradition and safety in a time of crisis are all discussed with an expert panel and questions from the public across the region. Presenter Jonny Dymond is joined by Dr Denise Dresser, political scientist, Mexico; Luiz Philippe de Orleans e Braganca, Chamber of Representatives, Social Liberal Party, Brazil; Laura Alonso, former head of Argentina's Anti-Corruption office; Margarita Lopez Maya, Venezuelan historian; Dr Marcus Espinal, Pan American Health Organisation.

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