Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

The crisis in Syria is at a crossroads. Millions of displaced people trapped in northern Syria may soon face a near complete cutoff of the humanitarian aid upon which they rely. This is because Security Council must vote to keep this aid flowing, but Russia is threatening a veto. On the line to explain how we got to this point and the implications of restricting aid access is Vanessa Jackson, UN Representative and Head of Office for CARE International at the United Nations. 

On June 18th, Antonio Guterres was re-appointed United Nations Secretary General for a second and final five year term.  Richard Gowan, the UN Director of the International Crisis Group, looks back at the highlights and lowlights of Guterres' first term and discusses some of the key challenges and opportunities that will present themselves over the next five years.  Global Dispatches debut book: For The Love of Hong Kong

Climate variability can cause the mass movement of people -- but does the mass movement of people fleeing climate shocks undermine political and human security?  A diverse panel of experts who explores the relationship between security challenges and climate induced migration -- both across and within borders. This episode was recorded live in front of a virtual audience and produced in partnership with CGIAR, the world's largest agricultural innovation network.   

The government of Sri Lanka is using COVID-19 as a pre-text to assert control over ethnic minority populations. This is particularly troubling because the government has a history of atrocity crime. The leaders of the country today are they very same people responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against ethnic tamils 11 years ago.   Journalist JS Tissainaygam explains how Sri Lanka's history of atrocity crimes is plaguing its response to COVID-19 and puts it at risk for a return to atrocity.  Red Flags or Resilience? 

By all accounts, the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia is extremely grim and about to get much worse. The United Nations now says that famine has struct parts of the region. The civil war in Ethiopia continues without and end in sight. Meanwhile, fraught national elections are scheduled for June 21.  Ethiopian journalist Zecharias Zelalem explains how we got to this point and where the conflict may be headed next.  

Ban Ki-moon served as the eighth Secretary General of the United Nations from 2007 to 2016.  He is out with a new memoir titled Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World. We cover quite a bit of ground in this interview, including his perspective on what the covid crisis revealed about the strengths and weaknesses of the United Nations, what can be done to bolster multilateralism today, his frustrations with the Security Council and what advice he might offer to his successor Antonio Guterres. We also spend a good deal of time talking climate change diplomacy, which was Ban's signature issue as Secretary General.  Resolved: Uniting Nations in a Divided World, by Ban Ki-moon For The Love Of Hong Kong: A Memoir From My City Under Siege, by Hana Meihan Davis  

President Biden has nominated Sarah Margon as Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.  This is the top American global human rights watchdog and the most important human rights position in the US foreign policy bureaucracy.   In 2015, Sarah Margon came on the podcast for a long conversation about her life and career in human rights. Listen back to this conversation to learn the events that shaped the worldview of Biden's pick for top human rights official.  Unlock premium episodes and more!  https://www.patreon.com/GlobalDispatches  Our Debut Book: For The Love Of Hong Kong https://www.amazon.com/Love-Hong-Kong-Memoir-Under-ebook/dp/B09645ZRZQ 

Hana Meihan Davis comes from a long line of democracy activists in Hong Kong. Today, they are all either in exile, facing arrest, or somewhere in between. Hana Meihan Davis is the author of the new book For The Love of Hong Kong: A Memoir From My City Under Siege, which tells the story of Hana's family and friends who have been on the frontlines of an epic struggle to defend democracy, freedom of speech and human rights in the face of increasing repression by Chinese government authorities. This is the first book under the new Global Dispatches publishing imprint.    

On Sunday May 23rd a Belarusian fighter jet intercepted a civilian Ryan Air flight and forced it land in Minsk, Belarus. Authorities promptly arrested a dissident journalist onboard and his girlfriend.  Often described as "Europe's Last Dictator," this incident was an audacious example of the lengths that the regime of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko would go to silence opposition voices and dissidents. Guest: Sofya Orlosky, senior program manager for Europe and Eurasia at Freedom House.      

As the world turns towards greener economies there will be a surge in demand for natural resources that enable a less carbon intensive future. This includes the mineral cobalt, which is key component of batteries.  Most of the world's supply of Cobalt is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This raises the prospect that increasing demand for Cobalt might contribute to insecurity in the DRC.  On the line to explain the link between mineral extraction and conflict in the DRC and how cobalt mining can lead to peace and sustainable development is Laurent Kasindi, Program Quality Specialist at Search for Common Ground.