Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

Victor Ochen grew up in displaced persons camps in Northern Uganda, fleeing from the Lord's Resistance Army. He emerged from that difficult situation to become a civic leader and peacemaker. And this year, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on behalf of war crimes victims in Uganda. Victor and Mark are old friends, and Victor opens up about growing up in a war zone, losing a brother, and becoming a self-taught social entrepreneur. This is one of the best episodes of Global Dispatches yet.

Nigerians go to the polls on March 28 in consequential elections that could decide the future of Africa's largest democracy. Incumbent Goodluck Jonathan is facing a tight race with Muhammdu Buhari. Security, Boko Haram and a slugging economy are all dominating the campaigns. Meanwhile, Boko Haram and fear of election related violence abounds. Mark speaks with journalist Dayo Olopade about the significance of the elections, what ordinary Nigerians are thinking when they go to the polls, and why fears of violence may be overblown. If you have 15 minutes and want a sophisticated take on elections in one of the world's largest democracies, have a listen.

Jessica Stern was a mid level National Security Council staffer when Hollywood literally came calling. Nicole Kidman portrayed a fictionalized version of her work as a nuclear security analyst in the Clinton White House in the film "The Peacemaker" (also starring George Clooney). Stern's academic and professional life have taken some interesting turns. In the 2000s she published groundbreaking research on what motivates individuals to commit violent acts of terror, and she did so by speaking to actual terrorists. Stern recently published a new book called ISIS: State of Terror that takes a deep dive into the historic origins of the so-called Islamic State. This is a great episode with fun and fascinating stories from a long time national security wonk. Enjoy.

Benjamin Netanyahu secured a substantial victory in the Israel's elections this week. The consequences of this right wing victory will be profound both for Israeli politics and the prospects for a negotiated two state solution (which just became much dimmer). On the line to discuss what happened in Israel and how it will affect Israel's future and the peace process is Joel Brunold of the Alliance for Middle East Peace. Brunold is an astute observer of Knesset politics and a powerful voice for an enduring peace between Palestinians and Israelis. He breaks down the election results and explains precisely how this will damage the Two State Solution. With the peace process stalled, Brunold offers one idea imported from Northern Ireland that supporters of the Two State Solution may rally around. If you have 15 minutes and want to understand what happened in Israel and what it means for the peace process, have a listen

Todd Moss is a true international development wonk. He's also the author of a critically acclaimed novel--a thriller called The Golden Hour that examines the dysfunction of the American foreign policy bureaucracy through riveting storytelling. In this episode, Moss discusses how fiction can be a useful tool for examining real-world truths about how US foreign policy is made. Moss also discusses his unique path from studying stock markets in West Africa to becoming a novelist, which includes stints at the World Bank and State Department. He has not quit his day job, though. Todd studies trade and economics of west Africa from his perch at the Center for Global Development while writing sequels to his novel. This is a fun episode that will satisfy policy nerds and fiction lovers a-like.

Guinea Worm eradication is near. Guinea Worm is a waterborne disease that affects only the poorest of the poor people on the planet. But after millennia of inflicting pain and suffering in Asia and Africa, the disease is tantalizingly close to being wiped off the face of the earth. 30 years ago there were millions of cases worldwide. In 2014, there were just 126. This decline is thanks in large part to Jimmy Carter and the the work of the Carter Center, which launched a Global Eradication Program in the 1980s. On the line today is Adam Weiss of the Carter Center who discusses Guinea Worm Disease, how its transmitted, how this amazing decline has occurred, and what needs to be done to eradicate it once and for all.

The ebola crisis demonstrated that countries with very weak health care systems are extremely vulnerable to a preventable disease outbreak. Now that the crisis is on the wane, organizations are taking stock of how to build better health systems--the nuts and bolts of how people access the care they need. To that end, Save the Children released a new report this week that ranks 72 poor countries based on the relative strength of their overall health system. Mark speaks with CEO Carolyn Miles about the new Health Access Index, what countries can do to move up it, and why universal healthcare for people in the developing world is a perfectly achievable goal. This is Miles' second appearance on the podcast. In episode 16 she tells Mark about her remarkable life story and career path that lead her to Save the Children.

Sarah Margon is the Washington director of Human Rights Watch. She's spent her career fighting for human rights in Africa and beyond, but took a somewhat circuitous path to get there. In this episode, Margon recounts a recent trip to Iraq to investigate abuses by militias aligned with the Iraqi Army; discusses her relationship with her former boss, Senator Russ Feingold; and describes how she landed a key post with Human Rights Watch.

How good are the data that drives international development policies? It turns out, not that great. This week's episode comes in two parts. In part 1, Mark speaks with Morten Jerven, author of "Poor Numbers: How We Are Misled by African Development Statistics and What to Do about it?" who offers an excellent overview of the situation. Next, Mark speaks with one person who is actively trying to solve this problem in one discreet way. Mayra Buvinich is a senior fellow with the United Nations Foundation who helped start Data2X, which is a collaboration that seeks to improve the quality of data and statistics about women and girls in the developing world.

Sri Lankans stunned the world--and probably themselves--when they voted to oust a quasi-autocrat from power. In January, a politician named Maithripali Sirisena engineered a surprise electoral upset against Mahinda Rajapaksa, an authoritarian and probable war criminal whose family long held a tight grip on power. In this episode, human rights lawyer and political scientist Kate Cronin-Furman explains how this upset occurred, what it might mean for other quasi-dictators around the world, and how this move might effect ethnic Tamils' long quest for justice and accountability for crimes against humanity.