Archives for December 2021

Is the Energy Transition an Opportunity or Risk for Climate Security? | Climate Security Series

Today’s episode was recorded live in front of a virtual audience in partnership with CGIAR, the world’s largest agricultural innovation network. It is part of a series of episodes examining the relationship between climate and security.

Today’s episode takes a deep dive into how the transition to low carbon energy economies impacts security. The episode kicks off with introductory remarks by Jesús Quintana-Garcia ()
Director General, CIAT, Managing Director of the Americas, Alliance Bioversity International and
CIAT, CGIAR

I then moderate a panel discussion featuring a diverse group of experts on this issue, whom I introduce I the top of the moderated session. 

Professor Doctor Karen Smith-Stegen, is Professor at Jacobs University in Bremen; and  Chair of the International Relations, Politics and History Department 

Claudia Ringler, is Deputy Director of Environment and Production Technology at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)

Bessma Mourad, is Operations and Planning Lead at Energy Peace Partners

Is Myanmar Sliding Towards Civil War?

On December 6, Aung San Suu Kyi was handed down a prison sentence by a court loyal to Myanmar’s military junta.

Until February of this year, Suu Kyi was the de-facto civilian leader of Myanmar. Her party, the National League for Democracy, had just won re-election in a landslide victory — the results of which were rejected by the military, which mounted a coup.

The military junta were not swayed massive protests throughout the country and began violently suppressing dissent. Now, violence seems to be escalating, prompting the UN’s top human rights official to warn that Myanmar may be sliding into a civil war.

My guest today, Matthew Smith, is the co-founder and CEO of Fortify Rights, a human rights organization long active in Myanmar. We kick off discussing the circumstances of Aung San Suu Kyi’s criminal conviction before having a broader conversation about the escalating crisis in Myanmar.

Our conversation was recorded live on Twitter using the new Twitter Spaces platform. Twitter is partnering with the podcast to produce episodes recorded as Twitter Spaces. If you would like to participate in one of these live recordings, the best thing to do is follow me on Twitter @MarkLGoldberg.

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Putting Gender at the Heart of Climate Security | Climate Security Series

Today’s episode was recorded live in front of a virtual audience in partnership with CGIAR, the world’s largest agricultural innovation network. It is part of a series of episodes examining the relationship between climate and security.

Today’s episode takes a deep dive into how gender impacts and is impacted by climate-security. The episode kicks off with introductory remarks by Nicoline de Haan, director of CGIAR GENDER platform.  

I moderate a panel discussion featuring a diverse group of experts on this issue, whom I introduce I the top of the moderated session. 

Panelists:

Adenike Oladosu, Founder, I Lead Climate

Adriana Erthal Abdenur, Executive Director, Plataforma CIPÓ and  Senior Policy Fellow at the United Nations University Center for Policy Research

Sophia Huyer, Gender and Social Inclusion Leader for the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) as well as Director of Women in Global Science and Technology (WISAT)

Dr. Jessica Smith Research and Policy Director at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS)

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Could a New Pandemic Treaty Stop the Next Terrible COVID Variant?

For only the second time ever,  the governing body of the World Health Organization met in a special session. WHO, the World Health Assembly, gathered for a special session. The question at hand: Should member states of the WHO seek to create a new treaty, convention, accord or some sort of international instrument on pandemic preparedness and response? 

The meetings occurred just as the new Omicron variant of COVID-19, was popping up in countries around the world, prompting travel bans focused on Southern Africa.

On the line to help us understand what happened at this special session of the World Health Assembly and what it means for progress towards an international agreement of some sort on pandemic preparedness and response is Kate Dodson, Vice President for Global Health at the United Nations Foundation.

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