Chatham House

In the latest episode Ben speaks to Hussein Kesvani about the impact of the internet on British Muslim society.  What does it mean to be Muslim in Britain today? If the media is anything to go by, it has something to do with mosques, community leaders, whether you wear a veil, and your views on religious extremists. But as all our lives become increasingly entwined with our online presence, British Islam has evolved into a multidimensional cultural identity that goes well beyond the confines of the mosque.  Ben discusses this transition with author and journalist Hussein Kesvani, whose latest book Follow Me, Akhi reveals how a new generation of young Muslims who have grown up with the internet are using social media to determine their religious identity on their own terms.  Find the book: Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims Credits: Speaker: Hussein Kesvani Host: Ben Horton Editor: Ben Horton Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded and produced at Chatham House, London

This week the team explore the changed political landscape in Europe after the European Parliamentary Elections, and discover the obstacles to sustainable development in Colombia.  Average voter turnout across the continent in the recent European elections was higher than at any time since the turn of the century. Agnes meets Tom Raines, Head of the Europe Programme at Chatham House, to discuss the implications of the vote for the UK and beyond.  In 2016 the Colombian government agreed a peace deal with revolutionary armed group the FARC, ending a civil war that lasted more than 50 years. The aftermath of the deal has seen rapid economic development, but at a cost to the environment. Ben finds out more from Melissa MacEwen from the Energy, Environment and Resources Department at Chatham House.  Read the Chatham House Expert Comment: May Leaves, but Brexit Remains Read the article: Colombia's Struggle for Sustainable Development

Every sixth child on earth is now affected by armed conflict. The nature of warfare is changing – with devastating impact on children. At the See Me Safe Centenary Symposium, organised by Save the Children and Chatham House, experts and campaigners gathered to discuss how to protect children living through conflict.   In this episode Ben and Agnes speak to three participants at the event to find out more. Kirsty McNeill, Executive Director of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns at Save the Children, provides an overview of the scale of the challenges facing children in war.  Abdulkarim Albrem, Youth Ambassador for the UNHCR's Global Youth Advisory Council, explains how the international community can do more to improve the lives of child refugees, drawing on his own experiences of the Syrian civil war.  Shaheed Fatima QC, Barrister at Blackstone Chambers, assesses the current state of international law regarding the protection of children in conflict and suggests some improvements.  Read the Save the Children report: Stop the War on Children: Protecting Children in 21st Century Conflict Credits: Speakers: Patricia Lewis, Kirsty McNeill, Abdulkarim Albrem, Shaheed Fatima Hosts: Ben Horton, Agnes Frimston Editor: Ben Horton Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Recorded at Church House, Westminster Produced at Chatham House   

To mark the 2019 European parliamentary elections the Undercurrents team speak to Elisabeth von Hammerstein, Programme Director for International Affairs at the Körber-Stiftung, about the political outlook in Germany.  They discuss among other things the rise of the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland, Germany's stance on European integration and the foreign policy legacy of Chancellor Merkel. Read the Chatham House blogpost: What to Expect From the EU Elections Credits: Speakers: Elisabeth von Hammerstein, Agnes Frimston, Ben Horton Editor: Ben Horton Recorded and produced at Chatham House, London

In a bonus episode of Undercurrents, Chatham House Director Robin Niblett travels to California to discuss the linkages between technology and international affairs with Casper Klynge, Denmark's Tech Ambassador.  This podcast is a collaboration with Techplomacy Talk. Listen to more from that series here.  Credits: Speakers: Casper Klynge and Robin Niblett Editor: Ben Horton Recorded in Silicon Valley, Palo Alto Produced at Chatham House, London

Undercurrents returns with two new interviews this week; on life as a Chinese millennial, and how targeted attacks on infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza affect the lives of civilians. Karoline Kan, author of Under Red Skies, speaks to Agnes Frimston about being a second daughter under China’s one-child policy and what Brexit looks like from the East.  Next Ben Horton meets Erika Weinthal, a recent contributor to International Affairs, at the International Studies Association conference in Toronto. They discuss the problem of targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza, and what the international community can do in response.   Read the interview in The World Today: Karoline Kan on being a Chinese millennial Read the article in International Affairs: Targeting infrastructure and livelihoods in the West Bank and Gaza Credits: Hosts: Ben Horton and Agnes Frimston Editors: Ben Horton and Agnes Frimston Sound Editor: Jamie Reed Record and produced at Chatham House, London

This week marks the anniversary of the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2286, which calls for the protection of healthcare workers in areas of conflict. Three years since its adoption medical professionals are some of the most targeted civilians in warzones across the world.    In this episode Ben discusses the Resolution with Rita Dayoub from the Centre on Global Health Security at Chatham House.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will elect a new director-general in June. The FAO is a central plank of the UN system. Its leader frames the thinking on food and agriculture globally and influences policy on almost any issue to do with what food we produce and eat. This week Ben and Agnes meet up with Tim Benton, Distinguished Visiting Fellow in the Energy, Environment and Resources Department at Chatham House, to discuss the future of the global food system. Tim explains the challenges involved in providing sufficient and sustainable food in a globalised world, and why the new director-general of the FAO will have such a pivotal role to play.  Read the Expert Comment: A Better UK Food Policy Requires Better Government

Undercurrents is back this week with interviews on India-Pakistan relations and how to regulate cyberspace.  Ben speaks to us from the International Studies Association conference in Toronto, where he discussed the recent crisis in Kashmir with Rajesh Basrur from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Then Agnes meets Emily Taylor, from the International Security Department at Chatham House, to discuss how policymakers should approach the regulation of big tech giants such as Facebook and Google.  Jacob Parakilas from the US & Americas Programme is our surprise guest host this week - thanks Jacob! Read the article: 'Modi's Foreign Policy Fundamentals: a Trajectory Unchanged' Read the Expert Comment: Even Without Cambridge Analytica, the Trump Campaign Already Had Everyone's Data Read the journal: Journal of Cyber Policy

Undercurrents returns this week with interviews on the ongoing trade dispute between the EU and US, and the underlying factors driving Russian foreign policy.  Agnes discusses a new Chatham House report by Marianne Schneider-Petsinger from the US & Americas Programme, assessing the future EU-US trade after the fall of TTIP.  Then Ben explores modern Russian foreign policy and how the West should respond with Keir Giles, a Senior Consulting Fellow in the Russia & Eurasia Programme. The discussion draws on Keir's new book for the Chatham House Insights series, Moscow Rules.   Read the Chatham House Research Paper: US–EU Trade Relations in the Trump Era: Which Way Forward? Find the book: Moscow Rules: What Drives Russia to Confront the West