Chatham House

In this episode of Smart Peace, we explore the recent history of peacebuilding in Myanmar through the experience of the Smart Peace project.  Smart Peace is a global initiative led by Conciliation Resources, which combines the varied expertise of different consortium partners to address the challenges of building peace – focusing on the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Myanmar. In this final episode of a three-part series, Ben speaks to Adam Burke from the Asia Foundation about the political and historical context to the ongoing conflicts in Myanmar, and finds out about attempts to develop local mediation and peacebuilding processes throughout the country.  Find out more about Smart Peace: Credits: Speaker: Adam Burke Host: Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Smart Peace is a new podcast mini-series on the Undercurrents podcast feed. Over three episodes Ben Horton explores new approaches to peacebuilding and conflict resolution with experts from the Smart Peace project.  Smart Peace is a global initiative led by Conciliation Resources, which combines the varied expertise of different consortium partners to address the challenges of building peace – focusing on the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Myanmar. This second episode focuses on conflict in northern Nigeria. Ben is joined by Vincent Foucher from International Crisis Group, Professor Abubakar Monguno from the University of Maiduguri and Saadgi Rajani from Conciliation Resources to discuss the security context in Borno state, the emergence of Boko Haram, ISWAP and other armed groups, the impact on civilians and efforts to support the reintegration of fighters into local communities. Find out more about Smart Peace: Credits: Speaker: Vincent Foucher, Abubakar Monguno, Saadgi Rajani Host: Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House

For the last two weeks the latest UNFCCC climate summit has taken place in Glasgow, UK. Policymakers from all over the world have gathered at COP26 to attempt to agree on increasingly ambitious plans to tackle the climate crisis.  In this episode, Ben shares some interviews from the fringes of COP26. Simon Mundy, Moral Money Editor at the Financial Times, shares his reflections on what business want from the COP process. He also explains some of the key lessons from his new book, The Race for Tomorrow, which tells the stories of people on the front lines of the climate crisis, showing how the struggle to respond is already reshaping the modern world.  Then Ben is joined by Bela Watler, a youth climate activist and conservationist from the Cayman Islands who is representing the Protect Our Future network at COP26. Protect Our Future is an environmental campaign working to raise awareness of how climate change is affecting habitats in the Cayman Islands.  Finally, Ben heard from Chloe Campbell from the 2050 Climate Group, a Scottish youth network campaigning for climate justice and a faster transition to a net zero world.  Here more analysis from COP26 in our sister podcast, The Climate Briefing: Find Simon Mundy's book, The Race for Tomorrow:   Credits: Speakers: Chloe Campbell, Simon Mundy, Bela Watler Host: Ben Horton Editor: James Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House

Overlooked for too long, the unequal impacts of climate change are increasingly being recognised by the scientific and policy communities. In particular attention has been drawn towards the gendered implications. For the first time at a COP summit, gender is an official agenda item in Glasgow.  In this episode, Nina Jeffs (Schwartzman Academy Fellow in the Environment and Society Programme) explores the relationship between gender and climate change. First she speaks with two young climate justice activists - Renata Koch Alvarenga and Zainab Yunusa - to find out more about how climate change is affecting women and girls in Brazil and Nigeria. Then she is joined by Gotelind Alber (Co-founder of Gender CC) to discover how gender-responsive policies are being embedded within the UNFCCC negotiations. Read more: Glasgow Womens Leadership Statement on gender equality and climate change: Credits: Speakers: Gotelind Alber, Renata Koch Alvarenga, Zainab Yunusa Host: Nina Jeffs Editor: James Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House

COP26 is finally upon us, and The Climate Briefing team are on the ground in Glasgow to bring you all of the latest updates and developments from the summit.  In this episode, Ben introduces a round-up of the first week of the negotiations. Antony Froggatt (Deputy Director, Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House) provides an overview of the key agenda items at COP26, including the updated NDCs and progress on adaptation, finance and the Paris Rulebook.  Then Nina Jeffs (Academy Fellow, Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House) explains some new developments on the interrelationship between gender and climate action, including the newly announced Glasgow Women's Leadership Statement.  These interviews are followed by conversations with two youth activists. Calling from Botswana, Pato Kelesitse (Host of the Sustain 267 podcast) shares her perspective on how to amplify African expertise and priorities within the climate negotations. Finally, UN Youth Delegate for Iceland Finnur Ricart Andrason joins Ben on the fringes of the conference to discuss how far youth voices are being meaningfully engaged with at COP26.  Read the Chatham House Expert Comments: Explore Chatham House's activities at COP26: Credits: Speakers: Finnur Ricart Andrason, Antony Froggatt, Nina Jeffs, Pato Kelesitse Host: Ben Horton Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House Please note: this episode was recorded on Friday 5 November.

As the first week of the UN climate change summit, COP26, takes place in Glasgow, Ben and Mariana return with two contrasting interviews on the climate crisis.  Ben speaks to Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister of Australia and President of the Asia Society, about the geopolitics of climate action. They discuss China's role in the climate negotiations, how great power competition with the United States is influencing the COP process, and why Australia remains reluctant to increase its ambitions for emissions reduction.  Then Mariana is joined by Julia Olson, Executive Director and Chief Legal Counsel of Our Children’s Trust, a non-profit public interest law firm at the heart of legal cases on behalf of children which seek compensation from governments for their historic role in causing global warming. Read The World Today article: Follow Chatham House's work on climate change: https://www.chathamhouse.org/topics/climate-policy Credits: Speakers: Julia Olson, Kevin Rudd Hosts: Ben Horton, Mariana Vieira Editor: Jamie Reed Sound Services Recorded and produced by Chatham House

The crises of climate change and biodiversity destruction are closely linked. In this episode, Anna speaks to Sam Geall (CEO of China Dialogue, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Associate Faculty at the University of Sussex) about ongoing efforts within the UN to agree a new international biodiversity framework. The interview also zooms in on China’s evolving role in international climate and environmental politics. Kindly note that this interview was recorded on the 26th of October - before China announced its new nationally determined contribution.

It’s been over a year since George Floyd’s murder made the Black Lives Matter movement globally recognised. Since then, the struggle for racial justice and equality has permeated organisations and communities, including Chatham House. In recognition of its advocacy and campaigning, and as part of its centenary celebrations, Chatham House staff awarded the Black Lives Matter movement its Centenary Diversity Champion Award. Melina Abdullah, co-founder of the BLM Los Angeles chapter came to Chatham House to accept it. In this episode we bring you Melina Abdullah’s acceptance speech in full. Then, Chatham House’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group talk about how far we’ve come in our understanding of race and international affairs and the importance of organisations like Chatham House reckoning with its past. Read Ben’s interview with Melina Abdullah here: https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2021-10/qa-melina-abdullah Watch the Chatham House Centenary Diversity Award event: https://www.chathamhouse.org/events/all/special-event/chatham-house-centenary-diversity-champion-award Credits: Speakers: Melina Abdullah, Binni Brynolf, Leah de Haan, Yusuf Hassan, Joseph Osayande, Nina van der Mark Host: Amrit Swali Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced by Chatham House.

A series of recent scientific studies have found that the world is on course for global warming far exceeding the 1.5 degree goal enshrined in the Paris Agreement. Meanwhile across the globe communities are grappling with extreme weather events and natural disasters related to the climate crisis. But beyond the obvious impacts of climate change, a whole host of further risks are emerging, exacerbated by the interconnectedness of the global economy. To find out more about these 'cascading' climate risks, Ben speaks to Professor Tim Benton, Director of the Environment & Society Programme at Chatham House. Read the Chatham House research papers:

On this special episode of Africa Aware, we speak to Honorable Minister Dr Lee White, The Republic of Gabon’s Minister of Water, Forests, the Sea, and Environment. With COP26 around the corner, we discuss the immediate impacts of climate change in Gabon, how infrastructure development can factor in sustainability, the role of the private sector in conservation and the voice of local populations in the decision-making process around environmental issues.