In many ways, the fear of ebola is more deadly and consequential than the virus itself. Jina Moore of BuzzFeed just returned from a reporting trip to Liberia where she detailed how the outbreak is transfixing Liberian society and politics. Moore is one of the best global beat reports in the game and her dispatches from Liberia are must-reads for anyone who wants a deeper texture and analysis of ebola’s toll on a frontline state. Have a listen.
Archives for August 2014
An Update for All You Global Dispatchers
Hi all-
No interview this week. Rather, after 30 longform interviews I thought it was a good time to take a quick break and update you all on where I want to take this podcast.
South Sudan’s Looming Famine
South Sudan is quite possibly on the verge of famine. The conflict that erupted in December shows little signs of abating. The peace process is halting and in the meantime the humanitarian situation is growing precipitously worse. Mark speaks with Tariq Riebl, Oxfam’s South Sudan country director about the humanitarian situation in South Sudan and what can be done to avert a possible famine.
Episode 30: Jeffrey Sachs
Jeff Sachs is on the line this week! The famed economist and anti-poverty activist talks to Mark about his up-bringing in turbulent Detroit, why he gravitated towards economics in college, his experience helping countries transition from communism to market economies, and how he become devoted to global health and development.
They recorded the conversation at the 500 day mark until the Millennium Development Goals are due. These are set of eight international development targets agreed to in 2000 that countries around the word committed to acheive by 2015. At the top of the interview, Jeff Sachs discusses how the MDGs were a game changer for the international community. It’s a great conversation. Have a listen!
Sex Slaves in Iraq
The United Nations released a grave warning this week that some 1,500 women have been captured as sex slaves by the Sunni extremist group that is rampaging through parts of Iraq and Syria. Mark speaks with Zainab Hawa Bangura the UN Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict about the situation in Northern Iraq and what can be done to help these women.
Episode 29: Chris Hill
Chris Hill was born into the foreign service…and he stayed there. He has served as Ambassador to Iraq and as the lead American negotiator in the six party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program. Ambassador Hill sits down with Mark to discuss managing US relations with key allies as the iron curtain fell, facing down Slobodan Milosevic, negotiating with North Korea and the current problems facing Iraq.
These stories are all fresh in his mind. Ambassador Hill just completed his highly anticipated memoir, to be published this fall. Have a listen!
The International Criminal Court’s Palestine Problem
The Palestinian Authority may ask to join the International Criminal Court, potentially paving the way for war crimes charges to be brought against both Israelis and Palestinians. Mark speaks with international law expert Kevin Jon Heller about the legal and political consequences of a potential ICC investigation into alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Episode 28: Nancy Birdsall
The international development pioneer and founder of the Center for Global Development is on the line this week. Nancy Birdsall tells Mark about how she got her start in international development in the 1960s and how the field has changed since then. Her career includes long stints at the the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank before founding her own cutting edge research institution. It’s an interesting conversation with great digressions and diversions about the history of the American approach to international development. The conversation kicks off with a discussion of the African Leaders summit underway in DC.
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