Conversation Changers

In this episode, we’re continuing our conversation on disability rights, but this time shifting the focus to the South Caucasus. Georgia, a post-Soviet candidate for European Union membership, finds itself navigating a critical transitional period. While European integration promises social reforms, growing democratic backsliding, authoritarian legislation, and a lingering Soviet mindset continue to leave disabled Georgians excluded from civic, economic, and daily life.

Joining the conversation from Tbilisi, Salzburg Global Fellow Esma Gumberidze explores the frontlines of grassroots activism in Georgia. As a blind activist and legal scholar, Gumberidze details how structural barriers, from inaccessible court systems and public infrastructure to retaliatory fines and anti-protest measures, are actively used to disenfranchise vulnerable populations and strip disabled citizens of their political agency.

From the medicalised approach to disability status to the criminalisation of civil assembly, this episode provides a candid look at the brave fight for accessibility, representation, and basic human rights at the intersection of a nation’s democratic future.

Chapters 

00:00 EU Ambitions, Soviet Legacies, and Georgia’s Crossroads 

02:22 The Medical Model: How the State Determines Disability 

05:12 Democratic Backsliding and its Impact on Disability Activism 

09:14 Weaponised Stigma, Legal Aid, and Loss of Agency 

11:00 Fines, Safety, and the Risks Facing Activists on the Streets 

13:12 Physical and Institutional Barriers: The Fight for Accessible Courts 

16:19 Why Accessibility Progress Remains Stalled in 2026 

20:51 From Infantilisation to Political Agency: Changing the Narrative 

22:14 Gender, Quotas, and the Invisibility of Disabled Women 

25:33 Media Representation and Challenging Ableist Assumptions

About The Guest: Esma Gumberidze 

Esma Gumberidze is a Salzburg Global Fellow, human rights defender, disability rights activist, citizen journalist, and blogger based in Tbilisi, Georgia. Holding a degree in law, Esma is at the forefront of the movement uniting accessibility campaigns with the broader struggle for democracy and human rights in the South Caucasus. Through strategic litigation, grassroots organising, and public advocacy, she works forcefully to challenge societal ableism, dismantle systemic barriers, and ensure disabled citizens, particularly disabled women, are recognised as equal actors in shaping their nation's future.

Follow Esma Gumberidze below to find out more about her work with civil society initiatives in Georgia: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esma-gumberidze-408955306/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esma.gumberidze/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@esmagumberidze833 

About The Host: Eric Olander

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Follow Eric Olander on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olander/

Find out more about Salzburg Global: https://www.salzburgglobal.org/

What does it truly mean to be recognised by the state, and what are the perilous consequences for minority populations when they are left out of the data that shapes public policy?

In this episode of Conversation Changers, host Eric Olander explores the urgent intersection of technology, data, and human rights. As big data, AI, and machine learning increasingly dictate who holds power, marginalised communities, particularly people with disabilities, face a growing risk of digital and systemic exclusion.

Joining the conversation from New Delhi is Shameer Rishad, a Salzburg Global Fellow and the founder of the Javed Abidi Foundation. Rishad is leading vital initiatives to challenge societal perceptions of disability in India, advocating for a shift from a historical model of charity and sympathy to one rooted firmly in human rights and empathy.

From the structural hurdles of the upcoming 2027 Indian census to the political mechanics of "vote banks," this episode offers a striking look at the battle for visibility. Rishad reveals how a lack of localised data directly translates into a denial of healthcare, education, and basic infrastructure, explaining why being counted is the first essential step toward real political representation.

Chapters

00:00 Technology, Power, and the Arbiters of Data

01:42 What It Means to Be Counted by the State

02:55 The Mechanics and History of the Indian Census

07:12 The Missing Budgets and Training Manuals

09:22 Political "Vote Banks" and the Power of Collectivisation

13:09 The Compounding Consequences of Data Exclusion

17:41 Civil Society, Bureaucracy, and Public Interest Litigations

22:05 Looking Ahead to 2027: Realism vs. Optimism

24:41 Shifting the Narrative: From Sympathy to Empathy

About The Guest: Shameer Rishad 

Shameer Rishad is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the founder of the Javed Abidi Foundation based in New Delhi, India. Inspired by the legacy of his late uncle, the pioneering disability rights activist Javed Abidi, Shameer leads grassroots and national-level initiatives dedicated to challenging societal perceptions of disability. Through advocacy, media engagement, and legal action, he works tirelessly to transition disability narratives from a framework of charity to one of human rights, ensuring that marginalised populations are accurately enumerated, politically represented, and legally protected.

Follow Shameer Rishad on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shameer-rishad-7594ab1b3/ 

Find out more about https://www.linkedin.com/company/javed-abidi-foundation/ 

About The Host: Eric Olander 

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Follow Eric Olander on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olander/ 

Find out more about Salzburg Global: https://www.salzburgglobal.org/ 

How can the international community navigate the deeply fractured relationship between the United States and Iran amidst a backdrop of historic mistrust, regional conflicts, and shifting geopolitical alliances?

In this episode of Conversation Changers, host and Salzburg Global President and CEO Martin Weiss explores the evolving landscape of US-Iran diplomacy following years of volatile engagements. While both nations face severe internal and external pressures, the path forward remains highly complex, balanced on the fragile floor of temporary agreements and regional necessities.

Joining the conversation is Ali Vaez, the Director of the Iran Project at Crisis Group. A former nuclear physicist turned international relations expert, Ali provides a unique perspective on the modern history of the conflict, from his childhood during the Iran-Iraq War to his behind-the-scenes mediation work during the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiations.

Together, they discuss why a return to full-scale hot warfare is unlikely, yet why a comprehensive final agreement remains seemingly out of reach. From analysing the critical challenges of monitoring Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile to examining the financial calculations of Gulf neighbours funding a proposed reconstruction channel, this episode investigates how the Middle East is navigating a highly plastic, pivotal moment.

Chapters:

00:00 From Nuclear Physics to Conflict Prevention

04:05 The Rise and Fall of the 2015 Nuclear Deal

09:21 Humanitarian Channels and the Anatomy of Mistrust

13:54 The Technical Realities of Uranium Dilution

18:33 The Case for Staggered, Incremental Agreements

21:39 Rebuilding Better: The New Gulf-Iran Dynamics

29:55 Regional Spoilers and Domestic Tight Spots

35:44 Inside the Militarised State: The Trajectory of Tehran’s Leadership

About the Guest: Ali Vaez 

Ali Vaez is the Director of the Iran Project at Crisis Group, where he leads the organisation's research and advocacy efforts concerning relations between Iran and the international community. Before joining Crisis Group in 2012, he served as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University and worked as a Senior Analyst at the Federation of American Scientists. He holds a PhD in Nuclear Physics and Medicine from the University of Geneva and a Master's degree in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies SAIS. 

Follow Ali Vaez on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-vaez-8b647a12/ 

Learn more about Ali's work at Crisis Group here: https://www.crisisgroup.org/who-we-are/people/ali-vaez

About the Host: Martin Weiss 

Martin Weiss is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Salzburg Global. Prior to this role, Martin spent more than 30 years in the Austrian diplomatic corps, serving as Austria’s ambassador to the United States, Israel, and Cyprus. During his career, he also served as the Director of the Press and Information Department at the Austrian Embassy in Washington. 

Find out more about Salzburg Global Seminar here: https://www.salzburgglobal.org

How can we empower the next generation to shape their future amidst a backdrop of global uncertainty, rapid technological change, and shifting educational paradigms?

In this episode of Conversation Changers, host Eric Olander explores the evolving landscape of student activism and the urgent need for a new intergenerational dialogue. While today’s youth face unprecedented pressures, from climate change to the rise of artificial intelligence, they are also demonstrating remarkable agency, critical thinking, and a desire to build a better world.

Joining the conversation are Salzburg Global Fellows Gloria Figueroa, General Director of the San José de las Vegas School in Colombia, and Alison Bellwood, Founder of World’s Largest Lesson and Executive Director at Project Everyone, a UK-based creative communications agency dedicated to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Together, they discuss why listening to young people is essential for our collective future and how we can move beyond tokenistic engagement to true power-sharing. From debating the role of AI in the classroom to reimagining the purpose of education, this episode investigates how educators, policymakers, and young people can collaborate to navigate these turbulent times.

Chapters: 

00:00 The State of Youth Employment and Activism

03:02 Defining Activism in the Modern Context

06:01 The Importance of Listening to Young Voices

09:05 Generational Perspectives on Change

11:56 The Role of AI in Education

17:57 Navigating the AI Era in Learning

24:01 Changing the Conversation on Education

About The Guests: Alison Bellwood & Gloria Figueroa

Alison Bellwood is the founder of the World's Largest Lesson. She developed the idea in 2014 and works alongside partner UNICEF to encourage the inclusion of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in K-12 learning as a means of weaving sustainability and social action throughout students' school experience. She is also Executive Director of Youth and Education at Project Everyone. Her work includes supporting educators with creative resources for learning that give both educators and students insight into new ways of learning, providing a platform for student voice and advocating for educational transformation. Alison has brought her previous creative and communications background at Unilever, PepsiCo and Interpublic Group together with experience of engaging education projects to develop a program that has engaged millions of teachers and students in understanding the SDGs and applying them to their own local context. She has a degree in Economics and Social History from the University of York, UK.

Follow Alison on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-bellwood-65503ab/  

About The Guests: Gloria Figueroa

Gloria Mercedes Figueroa Ortiz is the General Director at San José de Las Vegas Corporation in Colombia. She is passionate about education as one of the great solutions for the world's problems and a visionary of the future of learning through ICT and Sustainability, to enhance opportunities for students and citizens of the world. Mrs Figueroa Ortiz holds a Master of Education, specialising in Pedagogy and Human Management.

Follow Gloria Figueroa on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gfigueroao  

About The Host: Eric Olander 

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations, including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Follow Eric Olander here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olander

Find out more about Salzburg Global: https://www.salzburgglobal.org

What happens to the human heart when economic migration forces a choice between supporting your family and actually seeing them grow up?

In this episode of Conversation Changers, host Eric Olander dives into a poorly understood aspect of the global migration debate: the steep emotional and mental toll of social isolation. While political headlines focus on border policies and economic metrics, millions of migrants are quietly navigating intense loneliness, separated from their support networks and families by thousands of miles and rigid visa restrictions.

Joining the conversation are Salzburg Global Fellows Shizuka "Zucca" Nagahama, project lead and founding member of the communication startup Tonari, and Sanchari Chandra, an independent Indian researcher and social scientist. Together, they share how the Japan-India Transformative Technology Network is pioneering the use of immersive, "always-on" technology to bridge the physical gap between Indian healthcare workers in Japan and their loved ones back home.

From the technical hurdles of creating life-sized digital portals to the systematic cultural barriers surrounding mental health, this episode explores how innovative design can transform human connection across vast distances.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Migration Challenges

03:03 The Japan-India Transformative Technology Network

05:57 Understanding Migrant Well-Being

08:50 Technology as a Solution for Isolation

12:05 Pilot Projects and Future Potential

14:55 Scaling Challenges and Opportunities

17:54 The Importance of Belonging

20:57 Concluding Thoughts on Migration and Technology

About The Guests: Shizuka 'Zucca' Nagahama & Sanchari Chandra 

Shizuka Nagahama is a Salzburg Global Fellow and a project lead with the Japan-India Transformative Technology Network. She is a founding member of Tonari, a startup that builds cutting-edge, space-connecting technologies. Shizuka leads the non-profit side of the enterprise, focusing on impact-driven projects that utilise recycled units to support critical social use cases, including migration and human connection. Having moved across different countries her whole life, she is deeply passionate about creating a world without the barrier of distance, ensuring people feel a true sense of belonging wherever they live.

Follow Shizuka 'Zucca' Nagahama on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shizuka-zucca-nagahama-52364489/ 

Sanchari Chandra 

Sanchari Chandra is a Salzburg Global Fellow, an independent Indian researcher and social scientist. Working on the research side of the Japan-India Transformative Technology Network, her work focuses on evaluating the mental health, anxiety, and social stability of first-generation migrant workers. Sanchari is dedicated to exploring how structural isolation impacts human health and how immersive communication tools can build trust, foster cultural assimilation, and provide essential emotional stability.

Follow Sanchari Chandra on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanchari-c-b9778788/ 

About The Host: Eric Olander 

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations, including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Follow Eric Olander here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olander

Find out more about Salzburg Global: https://www.salzburgglobal.org/

What happens when a community decides to stand between their neighbours and a federal crackdown?

In this episode of Conversation Changers, host Eric Olander explores the aftermath of an unprecedented immigration crackdown in the United States, where aggressive raids and mass deportations have become a daily reality. While the administration aimed for a swift, large-scale operation, they met a wall of resistance in an unexpected place: Minneapolis.

Joining the conversation are Salzburg Global Fellows Amanda Lovelee, a Parks Ambassador and artist who works as a "translator" between government and communities, and Carl Atiya Swanson, an organisational strategist and founder of Cast Consulting. Together, they reflect on the "violent puncturing" of the American self-image and how a city built on a history of organising turned "neighbouring" into a life-saving act of defiance.

From the front lines of the Twin Cities to the intersection of climate anxiety and community care, this episode examines how collective memory and local relationships can dismantle systemic aggression.

Chapters: 

00:00 The 2025-2026 Crackdown and the Minneapolis Turning Point

03:20 Making the Invisible Visible: Witnessing Dystopia on a Tuesday

06:00 Why Minneapolis? Diversity, Political Targets, and Block-by-Block Care

09:00 Cycles of Trauma: From George Floyd to the 2026 Occupation

11:20 Resilience Through Neighbouring: Insights from Climate Anxiety Research

15:00 Race and Privilege: Puncturing the "Normative State"

20:40 The Power of "Doing Your Part": Nappies, Costco Runs, and Collective Momentum

25:10 Changing the Conversation: Relationship-Building as the Ultimate Power

About The Guests: Amanda Lovelee & Carl Swanson 

Amanda Lovelee is an artist who works in civic systems as a translator between government and community with the goal of building places where everyone belongs. She currently works as the Parks Ambassador for the Metropolitan Council, based in the Twin Cities, where her job is to connect people to the outdoors with a focus on equity. The creative tools Amanda has created for community engagement and connection have been used and replicated across the US. She is interested in how people connect and the spaces in which they do. Amanda holds an MFA in Visual Studies from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and a BFA in Photography from the University of Hartford. Amanda is a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar.

Follow Amanda here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandalovelee/ 

Carl Atiya Swanson is a creative with an MBA, a third-culture kid, and a practical optimist. Swanson is the founder of Cast Consulting, an organizational facilitation and strategy practice working with clients in the civic, cultural, and entrepreneurship sectors. Swanson is a nonprofit leader, artist, and advocate with 20 years of professional experience, including as Executive Director of the National Independent Venue Foundation and Associate Director of Springboard for the Arts. He is a Cultural Innovator Fellow with Salzburg Global and trained in Facilitation for Racial Justice by the Interaction Institute for Social Change. Swanson holds a BA in Studio Art from the University of Southern California and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. He is based in Minneapolis with his wife, two boys, and two cats.

Follow Carl here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlatiyaswanson/ 

About The Host: 

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations, including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Follow Eric here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olander 

Find out more about Salzburg Global: https://www.salzburgglobal.org

Is the traditional education system preparing young people for a world of work that no longer exists, or is it causing harm to the most vulnerable?

In this episode of Conversation Changers, host Eric Olander explores the shifting landscape of global education and the workforce. As the economy transitions from a traditional "triangle" model to a "diamond" shape, entry-level opportunities for young people are shrinking, and the rise of artificial intelligence is rendering rote-based learning antiquated.

Joining the conversation is Vishal Talreja, a Salzburg Global Fellow and the co-founder of Dream a Dream, a charitable trust in India that has impacted over three million children. Talreja argues that current systems—particularly in highly competitive environments like India—fail to account for the "adverse circumstances" faced by children from disadvantaged backgrounds, often leading to a "failure to thrive".

From the "Creative Life Skills" approach to the necessity of compassionate adults in a child's life, this episode offers a profound look at how we can redefine success to focus on human flourishing and societal well-being.

In this episode we’ll delve into: 

• The Diamond Economy: Why the traditional entry points into the workforce are disappearing and what this means for the next generation.

• Developmental Milestones and Adversity: Understanding how poverty, neglect, and violence prevent children from reaching critical milestones before they even enter the classroom.

• The Creative Life Skills Approach: How play, the arts, and experiential learning build the resilience and adaptability needed for an uncertain future.

• The Power of a Caring Adult: Why the presence of one non-judgemental mentor can be the ultimate "game changer" for a child’s trajectory.

• Shifting the Mindset of Success: A call to move the goalposts of education away from mere financial gain towards "human flourishing" and "planetary thriving".

• Systemic Reform and Advocacy: The challenges of convincing tradition-bound governments and competitive parents to embrace more compassionate, holistic educational models.

About The Guest: Vishal Talreja

Vishal Talreja co-founded Dream a Dream along with 11 others. Vishal is an Ashoka Fellow, an Eisenhower Fellow, a Salzburg Global Seminar Fellow and a board member at PYE Global and Goonj. He has previously been a founding director of Unltd India and a board member of India Cares Foundation. He is the co-founder of Karanga - a Global Alliance on Life Skills and SEL. Vishal has been recognized as an "Architect of the Future" by the Waldzell Institut in Austria. He is also an advisor and mentor to Reap Benefit and is deeply committed to mentoring start-up NGOs and young social entrepreneurs. He is a TEDx Speaker, active writer on development challenges and human-interest stories and a poet. In 2018, he was awarded the 'Heroes of Bengaluru' award. Vishal believes that if we can re-imagine learning to develop empathy, creative thinking, problem solving and collaborative working skills amongst young people, they will be able to overcome adversity and flourish in this fast-changing world.

Follow Vishal Talreja on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishaltalreja/

Find out more about Dream a Dream here: https://dreamadream.org/ 

About The Host: Eric Olander

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Follow Eric Olander on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olander

Find out more about Salzburg Global: https://www.salzburgglobal.org

Is China an expansionist threat to the global order, or a misunderstood civilisational state focused on internal harmony and stability?

In this episode of Conversation Changers, host Eric Olander explores the meteoric rise of China—a country that has transformed from a state where food was rationed with coupons to the world’s largest economy by purchasing power parity in just four decades. Joining the conversation is Chandran Nair, a Salzburg Global Fellow, Founder and CEO of the Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT) and the principal author of the provocative new book, Understanding China: Governance, Socio-Economics, Global Influence.

Nair challenges the prevailing Western narrative that China is a "tyranny" run by autocrats. 

Drawing on his lived experience in Southeast Asia and China, he argues that the current friction between the East and West stems less from Chinese aggression and more from a deep-seated Western fear of losing four centuries of global privilege. From the "China Formula" of meritocracy and anti-corruption to the unique challenges of rural revitalisation, this episode offers a vital perspective from the Global South on how to navigate a multipolar 21st century.

In this episode, we delve into: 

The Civilisational State: Why viewing China through a Western political lens leads to profound misunderstandings of its goals and governance.

The Fear of Lost Privilege: An analysis of why the US and Europe perceive China’s growth as a threat to their historical dominance.

The China Formula: The three pillars of China’s success: meritocracy, a communitarian view of service, and a hardline stance on corruption.

Economic Re-imagination: Why China is holding onto low-end manufacturing while pivoting toward food security and rural revitalisation.

The Risk of Miscalculation: The danger of "hot wars" and why the world needs enlightened leadership to move beyond a "number one" mindset.

Trust and Partnership: A roadmap for how Africa, Southeast Asia, and the West can engage with China as a peer rather than a proxy.

Chapters: 

00:00 China's Transformation: A Personal Reflection

03:06 Understanding China: Key Misunderstandings

06:02 China's Global Role: Perceptions and Realities

12:13 China's Economic Aspirations and Challenges

18:08 Lessons for the Global South: The China Model

24:02 Navigating US-China Relations: Risks and Opportunities

29:56 Changing the Narrative: A Call for Understanding

About The Guest: Chandran Nair

Chandran Nair is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Founder and CEO of the Global Institute For Tomorrow (GIFT). A prolific author and advocate, his work focuses on re-evaluating the role of the state and challenging neoliberal economic models. He is the principal author of Understanding China: Governance, Socio-Economics, Global Influence and the author of The Sustainable State. Born in Malaysia and of Indian descent, Nair brings a unique vantage point on the shifting dynamics between the West and the Global South.

Follow Chandran Nair on LinkedIn HERE

The Book ‘Understanding China: Governance, Socio-Economics, Global Influence’ is available HERE

About The Host: Eric Olander

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Follow Eric Olander on LinkedIn HERE

Find out more about Salzburg Global at https://www.salzburgglobal.org

Is the war in Iran truly shifting from the battlefield to the negotiating table, or are we witnessing a sophisticated diplomatic ruse?

In this episode of Conversation Changers, our co-hosts Eric Olander and Martin Weiss (President and CEO of Salzburg Global) are joined by a true heavyweight of international diplomacy, Aaron David Miller.

Aaron is a veteran US State Department advisor who spent 24 years at the department and served six Secretaries of State as an advisor on Arab-Israeli negotiations. He is also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington.

As whispers of settlement proposals emerge from intermediaries in Pakistan and Egypt, Aaron, Eric and Martin provide a sobering reality check. They explore the deep-seated trust deficit following recent decapitation strikes and the rise of a new, hardened leadership in Tehran. From the prospect of 200-dollar-a-barrel oil to the complex power dynamics between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, this conversation unpicks the broad contours of a conflict that is reshaping the global order.

In this episode, we delve into:

The Scepticism of Negotiations: Why the current talk about talks may be more performative than substantive.

The Three Pillars of Diplomacy: The essential elements—willing parties, mutual urgency, and an agreed end state—that are currently missing from the conflict.

A Leadership in Transition: The impact of the February 28th strikes on the Iranian regime and the emergence of Mojtaba Khamenei. 

The Pain Threshold and Regime Preservation: How the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) views survival, deterrence, and the cost of war.

The Global Economic Fallout: The skyrocketing energy prices affecting everyone from Austrian commuters to Sri Lankan workers.

The Trump-Netanyahu Exit Strategy: Whether the US President’s domestic re-election priorities in 2026 will eventually force a conclusion to the hostilities.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Conversation Changers

02:30 War or Diplomacy: Where are we on the spectrum?

03:24 The three prerequisites for serious negotiations 

08:07 The crisis of trust and decapitation strikes

10:45 Regime preservation and the pain threshold

12:51 The feasibility of ground troops

14:55 Differing calculations: The US vs Israel

16:41 Netanyahu, Trump, and the path to an exit

20:09 Economic fallout: 200-dollar oil and global consequences

22:02 Strategic defeat or victory? Finding a way out

About the Guest: Aaron David Miller

Aaron David Miller is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. Previously, he spent 24 years at the US State Department, where he served six Secretaries of State as an advisor on Arab-Israeli negotiations. He is a frequent commentator on US foreign policy and Middle East affairs.

Find out more about Aaron David Miller HERE

About the Co-Host: Martin Weiss

Martin Weiss is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Salzburg Global. Prior to this role, Martin spent more than 30 years in the Austrian diplomatic corps, serving as Austria’s ambassador to the United States, Israel, and Cyprus. During his career, he also served as the Director of the Press and Information Department at the Austrian Embassy in Washington. 

Find out more about Martin Weiss HERE

About the Host: Eric Olander

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Follow Eric on LinkedIn HERE

Find out more about Salzburg Global at https://www.salzburgglobal.org/

In this episode of Conversation Changers, host Eric Olander is joined by Lukas Haynes, a Salzburg Global Fellow and author of the provocative new book ‘Peace Through Power: FDR’s Military Leaders and the Pragmatism of the UN Charter’.

As the UN faces what Secretary General Antonio Guterres calls a risk of imminent financial collapse and a deepening crisis of legitimacy, Haynes argues that we must look back to the organisation’s founding to understand its future.

Far from being a project of world government, Haynes reveals how the UN was meticulously designed by Franklin Roosevelt and his top military brass as a pragmatic framework to manage great power relations and prevent World War III in the atomic age.

In this episode, we delve into:

The Myth of Idealism: Why the UN was built on Realpolitik and national security interests rather than pure international law.

The Military Architects: The overlooked role of US generals and admirals in negotiating a charter that protected American sovereignty.

The China Foresight: How Roosevelt and his team anticipated China’s rise as a global power 80 years ago.

The Veto and Reform: Why the design flaws of the Security Council are so difficult to change, and whether the organisation can survive without full US engagement.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Conversation Changers

02:05 The UN’s Financial Crisis and Legitimacy

03:48 Pragmatism vs Idealism: The Founders’ Intent

08:23 Anticipating the Rise of China

11:12 The Veto, Inclusivity, and the Need for Reform

16:39 The Myth of the Standing Army and Blue Helmets

19:46 Relocating the UN: A Future Beyond New York?

24:04 Changing the Conversation on the UN’s Purpose

About the Guest: Lukas Haynes

Lukas Haynes is a donor advisor to families and a visiting scholar at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, CUNY Graduate Center. From 2015-22, he led the David Rockefeller Fund, a family foundation in the United States where he focused on climate change solutions, justice system reform and protecting U.S. democracy. Previously, Haynes was New York director of the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a visiting distinguished fellow at Stanford University Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. During the Clinton Administration, he served at the U.S. State Department as a speechwriter for Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. He has also held positions at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the International Crisis Group and Oxfam GB. In 1993, Lukas had the pleasure of returning to the city where he was born and serving as a summer intern of Salzburg Global Seminar. He is a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar and serves on the governing boards of the Clara Lionel Foundation and Protect Our Winters Action Fund.

Find out more about Lukas Haynes HERE

Follow Lukas Haynes on LinkedIn HERE

The Book ‘Peace Through Power: FDR’s Military Leaders and the Pragmatism of the UN Charter’ By Lukas Haynes is available HERE

About The Host: Eric Olander 

Eric Olander is a veteran journalist and media executive with over 30 years of experience reporting for world-leading organisations including CNN, France 24, and the BBC World Service. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow and the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The China-Global South Project, an independent media initiative exploring global engagement with the developing world.

Find out more about Eric Olander HERE

Follow Eric Olander on LinkedIn HERE

Find out more about Salzburg Global at salzburgglobal.org