Carnegie Council Podcasts

Women are underrepresented at all levels of decision-making worldwide. According to the latest United Nations data, only 11.3 percent of countries have women heads of state, and 9.8 percent have women heads of government. Representation at ministerial and local levels is higher but nowhere near parity leading to missing voices in national policymaking. With the globe enflamed in multiple crises from wars to climate disasters, new frameworks for cooperation are needed. In the new English translation of her book on feminist foreign policy, activist and political scientist Kristina Lunz seeks to define what an innovative approach to global diplomacy looks like. How can this inclusive, visionary policy become a reality? In this virtual book talk, Lunz and Doorstep co-hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev discuss a new paradigm for foreign policy, which re-envisions a country’s national interests by prioritizing equality and shifting the focus from the state to the individual. For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

This special episode features Senior Fellow Anja Kaspersen in conversation with University College London's Professor Geoff Mulgan. They reflect on the year 2023, delve into trends shaping technology's impact on society, and discuss the critical interplay between science, governance, and power dynamics. Mulgan, renowned for his work on technology's societal implications, shares insights from his varied career in policy, academia, and technology. They explore the evolving landscape of AI and its broader societal implications and the "billionaire problem," which underscores the urgent need for informed leadership and innovative institutional design in navigating these transformative times. For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

In this Ethical Article, Visiting Fellow Zhanna L. Malekos Smith writes that quantum technology could usher in a "new era of computation." How can states, international institutions, and industries prepare? To read this article, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

Editor-in-chief of World Politics Review, Judah Grunstein, discusses the fracturing of nation-states, the potential impacts of migration and extreme weather on electorate demands, the shift in economic paradigms due to organized labor, and the increasing influence of the Global South against the Global North in international politics in 2024.

Many objections to solar radiation modification (SRM)--such as the fear it could undermine other forms of climate action--have been overtaken by events, says The Ministry of the Future author Kim Stanley Robinson in this C2GTalk. The world is in a growing crisis, and cutting and removing emissions is taking too long. It’s time to learn whether SRM can help, and how to govern it. Kim Stanley Robinson is an American science fiction writer. His books include the best-selling Mars trilogy, Red Moon, New York 2140, and The Ministry for the Future. He was part of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers’ Program in 1995 and 2016, and a featured speaker at COP-26 in Glasgow, as a guest of the UK government and the UN. For more, please go to C2G's website.

More research is needed to explore all aspects of solar radiation modification, including the technology and its impact on society, says UNESCO's Assistant Director-General Gabriela Ramos. It is important to build public trust in the research by engaging a wide and inclusive cross-section of society, including people from the arts and humanities. Gabriela Ramos is the assistant director-general for the social and human sciences of UNESCO, where she oversees the institution's contributions to building inclusive societies. Her mandate includes tackling economic inequalities of income and opportunity, and promoting social inclusion and gender equality For more, please go to C2G's website.

Celebrity and social media are changing the political game globally. Next year, 2024, will see more than 40 national elections from the U.S. to Mexico, India, Russia, and Taiwan; meanwhile 27 European Union nations will vote for 720 European Parliament seats. Seton Hall University's Dr. Brandon Valeriano joins Doorstep co-hosts Tatiana Serafin and Nikolas Gvosdev to discuss the resurgence of soft power and what that means on the global stage. How will Taylor Swift, BTS, and Bad Bunny reshape our discussion of international affairs and social issues? What cybersecurity threats do we need to address as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok take over the information space? For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

The world is due to exceed 1.5°C warming, and countries will face more extreme consequences in the near-term, warns Andy Reisinger in a C2GTalk. Significant levels of carbon dioxide removal will be required, and policies are needed to reduce adverse consequences. Solar radiation modification is more uncertain, and would reflect a failure of global governance to cut emissions. Andy Reisinger is an independent consultant specializing in the science-policy interface of climate change, with particular expertise in livestock agriculture and the role of methane as part of mitigation strategies. He was vice-chair of Working Group III (Mitigation) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) during its 6th Assessment cycle completed in 2023, and previously served as coordinating lead author in the IPCC focusing on impacts and adaptation for Australia and New Zealand. For more, please go to C2G's website.

In this discussion with Senior Fellow Arthur Holland Michel, researcher and author Stephanie Hare describes the fundamental dimensions of technology ethics. She explains the importance of keeping the AI ethics discourse grounded in the needs and rights of those who will ultimately be most affected by the technology, and offers a few thoughts on how to brace—and empower—ourselves for the work that lies ahead. For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org. 

While there are certainly benefits, the breadth of concerns that AI, and particularly generative AI, pose for consumers is broad. And beyond privacy, governments are not doing much in the way of consumer protection. Furthermore, real protections will require worldwide standards and enforceable regulations. In this far-reaching conversation, Helena Laurent, director general of Consumers International, and Senior Fellow Wendell Wallach outline the challenges. For more, please go to carnegiecouncil.org.