The World Unpacked

During the past several years, large-scale protests by citizens against their governments have erupted all over the world. Jen talks to Kai Thaler about what drives protest movements, the methods they employ, and how governments respond.  As protests continue to evolve, what should we watch for?

In her recent book, Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East, Emmy-winning journalist and New York Times bestseller Kim Ghattas examines the unraveling of the modern Middle East and why it started with the pivotal year of 1979.Kim joins Jen to discuss how the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran has changed over the last forty years, how it has impacted other states in the region, and how the U.S. killing of Qasem Soleimani may impact regional tensions.The World Unpacked will return soon with new episodes breaking down the biggest topics in foreign policy. In the meantime, we’ll continue releasing pre-recorded episodes every two weeks. Stay safe and healthy!

Guest host Jarrett Blanc talks to Carnegie President Bill Burns. They discuss how the coronavirus pandemic will impact foreign affairs and how to deploy disciplined American diplomacy to mitigate its impacts. They also discuss the new afterword in the paperback edition of Bill's memoir, The Back Channel: A Memoir of American Diplomacy and the Case for Its Renewal.

In October 2018, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced she would not run again. Since then, her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has struggled to find a successor to lead the party and the country. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel's preferred successor, won a party leadership election in 2018, but has since failed to establish her authority. In February 2020, Kramp-Karrenbauer  announced her resignation as CDU leader, leaving the party in a familiar crisis of leadership. Jen talks to Judy Dempsey about what differentiated Angela Merkel from other German leaders and where the country will go next.

This week, we're saying goodbye to Jen and our executive producer, Lauren, as they both move on to exciting new opportunities. But don't worry—the show will go on! We'll be releasing an episode every two weeks for the next couple of months, and then will be back with an exciting new season after that. Stay tuned for more! If there's a topic in foreign policy you'd like us to unpack, tweet @CarnegieEndow with #WorldUnpacked.

Our executive producer Lauren Dueck turns the tables on Jen, and puts her in the hot seat to talk about the state of the 2020 democratic primary race, the major foreign policy topics that might factor into the presidential election, and the relative strengths and weaknesses of President Trump. 

In a shocking move during his annual state address, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced sweeping reforms to the Russian constitution, giving power to the parliament and taking it away from the presidency. Afterwards, his entire cabinet resigned, including long time ally Dmitri Medvedev. Commentators have speculated about Putin's objectives, but no one yet knows what comes next. Jen talks to Washington Post Moscow Correspondent Isabelle Khurshudyan about what these changes might mean for the Kremlin. 

The Coronavirus outbreak has sparked fear around the world, leading to quarantines, transportation shut downs, and disrupting trade, travel, and more. Reports are now emerging that the Chinese government initially tried to cover up the outbreak, threatening doctors and forcing whistleblowers to recant their statements. How has the initial response changed? And what does Coronavirus mean for China going forward? Jen talks to James Palmer about the domestic and international reaction, and what it means for Chinese citizens.

Waad al-Kateab was a college student in Aleppo when she picked up a video camera to document the Syrian revolution. She kept filming when she met and married her husband and had her first child. She kept filming when the Assad regime laid siege to her city, and when the Russian Air Force started bombing hospitals. Waad's husband, Hamza al-Kateab, became the last doctor running the last hospital in Aleppo. Waad's footage became the Oscar nominated film, For Sama, which tells the harrowing story of the siege of Aleppo in the form of a letter from mother to daughter. Jen talked with Waad about why she started filming, and why she and her husband chose to stay. To learn more about Waad al-Kateab's advocacy, visit ActionforSama.com. For more information about the film visit ForSamaFilm.com

President Trump's recently announced peace deal might be dead on arrival, but it may still create facts on the ground that make the two-state solution impossible. Jen talks to Marwan Muasher about what Jared Kushner's "deal of the century" means for Israel, Palestine, and the United States.