Trending Globally: Politics and Policy

Observers in the West too often have a one-dimensional view of women in Muslim-majority countries; as subjugated, and in need of help in their liberation. On this episode, Sarah sits down with three leading experts on gender politics in the Middle East and South Asia to break down that myth. Anthropologist and Professor at Watson's Center for Middle East Studies Nadje Al-Ali, along with her colleagues Deniz Kandiyoti and Kathryn Poots, coedited the anthology 'Gender, Governance, and Islam,' which explores the complex politics of gender in the Middle East and South Asia. Their conversation with Sarah -- and even more so, their book -- will change how you view the lives of women in this part of the world. You can learn more about and purchase 'Gender, Governance, and Islam' here: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-gender-governance-and-islam.html You can read more about their visit to the Watson Institute, and find links to their lectures, here: https://watson.brown.edu/events/2019/gender-governance-and-islam You can learn more about Watson's Center for Middle East Studies here: [https://watson.brown.edu/cmes/] You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ThHrqJZGFqVgp8kG12AT9sy_JGP1YNEL/view?usp=sharing]

This episode is a co-production between Watson's China Initiative and the Center for Middle East Studies at Brown University. This fall, the Center brought to Watson Adeeb Khalid, Director of Middle East Studies at Carleton College, to discuss the history and future of the Uyghurs in Northwest China. Adeeb and Sarah discuss how this minority group ended up as part of China in the first place, and how China’s economic development plan -- known as the ‘Belt and Road initiative’ -- might be connected to renewed tensions we're seeing today. You can watch the presentation Adeeb Khalid gave at Watson here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGWOoaePJZg&feature=youtu.be] You can learn more about the China Initiative here: [https://watson.brown.edu/china/] You can learn more about the Center for Middle East Studies here: [https://watson.brown.edu/cmes/] You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bc6dHNv_ZgRyBDZNPb1wQJns5KBxRrSW/view?usp=sharing]

On this episode, public health scientist and Brown Associate Dean Caroline Kuo talks with Watson Fellow Matthew Gutmann about his newest book ‘Are Men Animals? How Modern Masculinity Sells Men Short.’ They explore how what we think of as ‘male behavior’ -- from displays of aggression to mansplaining -- can only be explained by understanding the complex relationship between our culture and our biology. You can learn more about and purchase Matthew's book here: [https://www.amazon.com/Are-Men-Animals-Modern-Masculinity/dp/1541699580] You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q-KtxqQuWWoJ4dHTIir6VuW1ofvlNiu7/view?usp=sharing]

On Trending Globally's 100th episode, Sarah talks with author and Watson Senior Fellow Stephen Kinzer about secret agents, the Cold War, and mind-altering drugs. Stephen's newest book, 'Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control', pulls back the curtain on MK-Ultra, a top-secret CIA project that tried to learn how to control the human mind. Gottlieb ran sinister experiments on human subjects across the globe, and in the process helped spread the use of psychedelic drugs like LSD. It’s one of those stories that if it wasn’t true, you’d never believe it. But it is. You can learn more about and purchase 'Poisoner in Chief' here: [https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250140432] You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZcfdnJce5Zb6A9cM4HRmoFFFlTYjbha3/view?usp=sharing]

In 1979 a group of young rebels, calling themselves the Sandinista National Liberation Front, overthrew a brutal dictatorship in Nicaragua. 40 years later, Nicaraguans are again living under an oppressive authoritarian regime. The current leader? Sandinista Daniel Ortega. In the Spring of 2019, the Watson Institute held an unprecedented conference exploring the history and legacy of this unfinished revolution. Out of that conference came this four-part special series from Trending Globally, telling the story of the Sandinista Revolution from the people who lived it. Part IV: How a country that went through a revolution, a civil war, and a miraculous transition to democracy...found itself under the control of a dictator again today. But like in 1979, young people are taking to the streets, and the world is watching. For more information about the conference this podcast was based on, including recorded lectures and a short film featuring many of the voices from this podcast, visit [watson.brown.edu/nicaragua].

November 11 was Veterans Day, a time to honor and turn our attention to the veterans and service members in our community at Watson. On this special episode, guest host Carrie Nordlund talks with three of them: Aileen Teague is a former Marine Officer and currently a postdoctoral fellow at Watson; Bryan Brown is an active duty Special Forces Officer in the U.S. Army, and currently getting his MPA at Watson; Michael Muir is a prior enlisted Officer in the Marines, and a senior at Brown. It’s a candid and enlightening conversation, and whether you have personal connections to the military or not, we think you’ll learn a lot from what these folks have to say. You can read a transcript of this episode here: [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VgsQW1NWQ_lLaRkHjpyTvK-Mnx8g53Mw/view?usp=sharing]

In 1979 a group of young rebels, calling themselves the Sandinista National Liberation Front, overthrew a brutal dictatorship in Nicaragua. 40 years later, Nicaraguans are again living under an oppressive authoritarian regime. The current leader? Sandinista Daniel Ortega. In the Spring of 2019, the Watson Institute held an unprecedented conference exploring the history and legacy of this unfinished revolution. Out of that conference came this four-part special series from Trending Globally, telling the story of the Sandinista Revolution from the people who lived it. Part III: The Contra War. How a CIA-led insurrection against the Sandinista government turned into a genuine, massive civil war by the mid 1980s. We hear from people on different sides of the struggle, as well as from those involved in it's surprising resolution.  For more information about the conference this podcast was based on, including recorded lectures and a short film featuring many of the voices from this podcast, visit [watson.brown.edu/nicaragua].

At a moment when it feels like there’s an endless stream of breaking news, it’s worth stepping back sometimes, and thinking about things on a longer time scale. On this episode, Sarah spoke with artist and writer Pam Petro '82 about her other-worldly photography exhibit, 'The Blink of Our Lifetimes: The Ecology of Dusk,' which is currently on view at the Watson Institute. They talk art, ecology, memory, history, and impossible-to-translate (but oh-so-useful) Welsh concept of ‘hiraeth.’ It might make you look at the next breaking headline a little differently. Pam Petro’s exhibit 'The Blink of Our Lifetimes: the Ecology of Dusk,' is open to the public and runs through December 20 at Watson, located in the lobby of 280 Brook Street, Providence. You can learn more about the exhibit here: [https://watson.brown.edu/events/2019/blink-our-lifetimes-ecology-dusk]

In 1979 a group of young rebels, calling themselves the Sandinista National Liberation Front, overthrew a brutal dictatorship in Nicaragua. 40 years later, Nicaraguans are again living under an oppressive authoritarian regime. The current leader? Sandinista Daniel Ortega. In the Spring of 2019, the Watson Institute held an unprecedented conference exploring the history and legacy of this unfinished revolution. Out of that conference came this four-part special series from Trending Globally, telling the story of the Sandinista Revolution from the people who lived it. Part II: Trouble in Paradise. In July 1979, with widespread support at home and abroad, the Sandinista-led Junta of National Reconstruction took over Nicaragua's government. Within a few short years the Junta would crumble, a Civil War would begin, and Nicaragua would find itself the newest front in the Cold War. On this episode we hear from people who led Nicaragua during this transition, as well as from a US diplomat who tried to convince President Reagan to hold off on funding the Contras(spoiler: he didn't succeed). For more information about the conference this podcast was based on, including recorded lectures and a short film featuring many of the voices from this podcast, visit [watson.brown.edu/nicaragua].

In 1979 a group of young rebels, calling themselves the Sandinista National Liberation Front, overthrew a brutal dictatorship in Nicaragua. 40 years later, Nicaraguans are again living under an oppressive authoritarian regime. The current leader? Sandinista Daniel Ortega. In the Spring of 2019, the Watson Institute held an unprecedented conference exploring the history and legacy of this unfinished revolution. Out of that conference came this four-part special series from Trending Globally, telling the story of the Sandinista Revolution from the people who lived it. Part 1: Who are the Sandinistas? How did they grow from a rag-tag army to an unstoppable revolutionary force? What was their appeal? On this episode we get answers -- from former Sandinista’s themselves. For more information about the conference this podcast was based on, including recorded lectures and a short film featuring many of the voices in this podcast, visit [watson.brown.edu/nicaragua].