Democracy, authoritarianism, communism, socialism, monarchy, diarchy. Some of these you may know well, some you might have heard of, while others you have not (I am looking at you diarchy). What forms of government are out there, what shapes to they take, and is there any overlap? In this episode we talk with Djimet Dogo, Director of Africa House in Portland Oregon, who walks us through the various types of governments we see around the world. He has a unique lived experience that informs his understanding of these types of government, as he has fought hard against authoritarian governments, specifically in his home country of Chad.

It is important to understand what these forms of government are and what they really mean, as many of these terms are talked about in a way that does not reflect their true nature. As you listen to this episode, you will gain insights in to these forms of government, some of the key features to look for, and how you can talk about them in an accurate way.

Every day, people from around the world are visiting the United States through various exchange programs. From high school students visiting for a semester to working professionals coming for three-week tour for meetings with their counterparts, there is a wide range of opportunities for unique experiences. However, we know that it is not just these international visitors who benefit from cross-cultural engagements.

In this episode, we talk with Janine Branch, Senior Program Officer for the International Visitor Leadership Program at FHI 360, about how she has seen, firsthand, the power of exchanges to build connections and shape the world. We also share stories of impact, providing insights into the ways in which exchanges have affected the local communities we all live in.

Janine Branch is a servant leader on a mission to foster purposeful global engagement by uplifting and nurturing civic-minded leaders to persevere and be resilient. Currently, Janine is a Senior Program Officer implementing the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program at FHI360, a nonprofit human development organization, and is the Onboarding Champion for the Global Connections department.

Janine spent more than a decade developing professional exchange programs at the World Trade Center Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. She uses her unique combination of over 13 years of international exchange program management and talent management experience to engage across cultures and create shared understanding through meaningful person-to-person interactions. In addition to the U.S. Department of State, Janine has worked with a variety of clients, including the Open World Leadership Center, U.S. Agency for International Development, Korea International Trade Association, the Embassy of the United States to the United Kingdom, and the University of Jos in Nigeria.

Janine is passionate about using professional development as a driving force to promote mutual understanding between the U.S. and other nations around the world. Janine is dedicated to building practical training programs to provide young leaders with opportunities to explore the international exchange industry and apply their academic knowledge to the “real world.” In doing so, Janine hopes to increase the network of citizen diplomats who have the individual willingness to build relationships to help sustain a secure, economically sound, and socially interconnected world.

Climate change is one of the most contentious international issues of our time. With various groups claiming it as the largest existential threat to humanity, while others claiming that humans have no impact, and everything in-between, this issue continues to challenge the world in new and unique ways. This is an issue that is both global and local, requiring individual, community, and global action to effect change and protect the natural resources of the globe. It is also not just about carbon emissions, as overfishing, development, and destruction of habitat are all changing the ways in which humans interact with the earth.

In this episode we speak with Gerard Rodriguez, formerly of the Willamette Falls Trust in Oregon City, OR, who's indigenous background informs his work on environmental protection and climate change prevention. Infusing modern solutions with ancestral knowledge, Gerard guides us through the ways in which we can live more harmoniously with the earth and its systems.

This is not your traditional look at climate change from a Western scientific method, but rather a look at how humans have impacted the natural systems we rely on and ways in which community and international action can bring about needed changes. Our conversation brings a different perspective, which will assist the audience in gaining a deeper understanding of the issues at stake.

Gerard Rodriguez was the Associate Director and Director of Tribal Affairs for the Willamette Falls Trust in Oregon City, OR. In this role he worked to bring together a coalition of local tribes, governments, and interested parties to help restore the land of the Willamette Falls, the second largest waterfall in the U.S. by volume. He has an extensive history in environmental and indigenous advocacy, having started his interest in high school, working as a legal assistant, and in various indigenous outreach roles. He is Yaqui/Nahua and has a deep connection to the broader Portland region.

As with many of these conversations, there is a tendency to include a litany of issues as a part of Human Rights. Following the horrors of the Second World War, the world came together and created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provides the foundation of Human Rights laws, which was ratified by all but eight member states (they abstained rather that rejecting it). Outlining what governments can and cannot do to you as a person, these laws help the world come together and avoid the worst of human nature, this episode will help you to understand what it is meant when the conversation turns to Human Rights and the need to uphold them.

Speaking with Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, your hosts bring together a wide range of conversations to help you better understand how these Human Rights are implemented and what happens when they are not followed. In addition, what happens when the idea of Human Rights gets caught up in geo-political debates that minimize some rights, while amplifying others. Don't worry, there is even a conversation on how countries and leaders can be held accountable in real life for their violations of Human Rights.

Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett serves as President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, established in 2008 to continue the legacy of her father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos. Under her leadership, The Lantos Foundation has rapidly become a distinguished and respected voice on key human rights concerns.

Dr. Lantos Swett is the former Chair and Vice-Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and teaches Human Rights and American Foreign Policy at Tufts University. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) and the Budapest based Tom Lantos Institute. Dr. Lantos Swett also serves on the Advisory Board of UN Watch, the annual Anne Frank Award and Lecture, and The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, and Public Policy.

With over 95% of consumers living outside of the United States, there is a strong incentive for businesses, big and small, to go global. However, it can sometimes feel daunting to understand how international trade works, what tripping points there are, and where to even start. In this episode your fearless hosts dive right into a conversation about the power of imports and exports to improve lives and make global connections.

In addition, the conversation covers why "Free Trade" gets a bad wrap, as it should really be looked at as "Free and Fair Trade" to open up new markets and allow for new technologies to cross borders and pushes down costs. On the other hand, where tariffs and controls do exist, this creates competitive disadvantages for companies trying to price their products competitively. By listening to this episode you will come away with a better understanding of the power of international trade, the pitfalls, and opportunities to hear about some of the more unique tariff evasion schemes!

Justin Oslowski has been with the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Commercial Service, since 2000. During this time, he has worked in the Nashville, Tennessee and in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania offices as an International Trade Specialist. In June 2007, Justin joined the office in New Hampshire as its new director.

Justin currently specializes in assisting safety and security, defense, aerospace and environmental technologies companies in expanding international sales. As an International Trade Specialist, he has worked extensively with many U.S. Embassies and Consulates in order to aid local companies in achieving success in export sales. Temporary assignments have included writing market research at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, Philippines and acting as a Commercial Attaché for the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece.

Justin attended the University of Pittsburgh for his undergraduate studies in Political Science and History. Justin graduated Magna Cum Laude and received membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society. Justin pursued and received a master's degree in Public and International Affairs from Pitt before joining the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Prior to joining the U.S. Department of Commerce, Justin was an intern for Congressman Mike Doyle (PA-12) and worked in Mellon Financials' Global Security Services.

https://www.trade.gov/global-diversity-export-initiative

Can everything really be considered a national security threat? Should national security include things beyond just threats of war and terrorism? Does dumping your water before going through a TSA Security Checkpoint really make our National Security stronger? Join your amazing team as they discuss this and more with Dr. Melinda Negron-Gonzales of the University of New Hampshire to untangle what really constitutes National Security and who decides what that looks like.

From the National Security Council, to the President, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Security Agency, and others, there are a lot of hands in this pot. It is important to understand how strategies are created, where lines should be drawn, and whether this is limited to simply foreign threats. By listening to this conversation you will have a better understanding of the key decision makers, the necessity of a flexible strategy, and balancing proactive with reactive tools that can accomplish different goals. Remember, everything that your government does in the name of national security is done in your name and reflects on your country globally.

Dr. Melinda Negrón-Gonzales teaches courses on peace and conflict studies, international development, and global affairs at the University of New Hampshire. She is a Faculty Fellow in the Carsey School of Public Policy, the Chair of the Department of Security Studies, and the Founding Program Director of the Global Conflict and Human Security master's program.

Her research covers counter-terrorism and human rights, contentious politics (non-violent and violent social movements), rebel diplomacy, international norms that promote human security (especially the responsibility to protect/R2P), and Turkish and Middle East politics.

Dr. Negrón-Gonzales was a Fulbright Scholar (Turkey, 2006-7). She was the recipient of UNHM's Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award (2013), a Silver UNH Sustainability Award (2021) for developing the master's program in Global Conflict and Human Security, and UNHM's Faculty Excellence in Service Award (2023). She serves on the Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire.

Whenever a new conflict arises, or a country does something the United States doesn't like, the first thing done is to slap on some sanctions. With the number of sanctioned countries, entities, people, and industries seemingly increasing every day (Russia at the start of 2024 had over 18,000 individual sanctions levied against them) it is important to ask the questions about what are sanctions, how do the function, and are they effective.

Through this conversation with Dr. Bruce Jentleson of Duke University this episodes explores these key questions to help the audience better understand why sanctions tend to be viewed as a Swiss-army knife, or weapon of first resort, for reacting to a whole range of global issues. The conversation also dives into the preeminent role the United States has carved out for itself in utilizing this global tool, but is not the only government or institution to reach for sanctions as a way to modify other's behavior.

Bruce W. Jentleson is the William Preston Few Professor of Public Policy and Professor of Political Science at Duke University. Other positions include Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (also a 2022 Distinguished Fellow in residence) and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. He was the longtime Co-Director and now Senior Advisor for the Bridging the Gap project promoting greater policy engagement among academics.

Career awards include the 2018 American Political Science Association (APSA) International Security Section Joseph J. Kruzel Award for Distinguished Public Service; the 2020 Duke University Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award; and the 1985 APSA Harold D. Lasswell Award for his doctoral dissertation. He holds a Ph.D. from Cornell University.

His most recent books are Economic Sanctions: What Everyone Needs to Know (Oxford University Press, 2022) and The Peacemakers: Leadership Lessons from 20th Century Statesmanship (W.W. Norton, 2018). Recent articles include “Beyond the Rhetoric: A Globally Credible U.S. Role for a ‘Rules-Based Order’,” The Washington Quarterly  (Fall 2023); “American Consensus on Ukraine Has Fractured” ForeignPolicy.com, March 29, 2023; “Who’s Winning the Sanctions War?” ForeignPolicy.com, August 18, 2022; “Refocusing U.S. Grand Strategy on Pandemic and Environmental Mass Destruction,” The Washington Quarterly (Fall 2020); and “Be Wary of China Threat Inflation,” ForeignPolicy.com (7/29/21).

He has served in a number of US foreign policy positions including Senior Advisor to the State Department Policy Planning Director (2009-11), a senior foreign policy advisor to the 2000 Gore presidential campaign, in the Clinton administration State Department (1993-94), and as a foreign policy aide to Senators Gore (1987-88) and Dave Durenberger (1978-79).

The United Nations has been lauded as the most successful project for peace in human history and decried as a bunch of blowhards talking and getting nothing done. The truth ends up somewhere in-between, but it is important for people to have a better understanding of what this international organization does, what its limitations are, and why it is the favorite punching bag of people of all stripes.

Speaking with former Ambassador to Denmark, Dick Swett, this episode will help you to wrap your head around this massive project that emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War. While there are real challenges to the effectiveness of the United Nations, especially in this time of increased geopolitical conflict, many of the individual institutions under the umbrella of the UN have achieved major improvements in their individual areas of interest.

Whether you have a positive, negative, or ambivalent view of this global institution, there is no denying the fact that it does bring together the key players in foreign policy to allow for a forum of exchange, collaboration, and burden sharing. While there certainly is room for improvement in its overall functioning, it is interesting to think about what shape the world would be in today if not for this institution, especially after seeing the failure of the League of Nations in the wake of the First World War.

Richard N. Swett was nominated as ambassador to Denmark in 1998. In 1990, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served on the U.S. Congressional Delegation for Relations with the European Parliament; the Congressional Human Rights Caucus; and the Committees on Public Works and Transportation, and Science, Space and Technology.

Ambassador Swett’s business experience encompasses architectural design, corporate management, project development and finance.

He previously served as managing principal of the Washington, D.C., office for the eighth largest architecture and engineering firm in the United States, and currently is developing alternative energy and socio-economic enterprises in developing countries around the world, through his own company Climate Prosperity Enterprise Solutions. His activity is primarily in real estate, alternative energy, energy conservation, industrial development and international export promotion. He has consulted on energy technology projects and assisted with financing through the World Bank and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development in Eastern and Central Europe. He also worked with U.S. government organizations, such as USAID and the United States Trade and Development Agency.

Who makes foreign policy, what organizations drive relations between countries, do we as citizens have any say in all of this? Join your intrepid hosts as they talk with Bill Clifford, current Director of the Scowcroft Strategy Initiative at the Atlantic Council and former Executive Director of the World Affairs Councils of America, about why foreign policy matters and how you can actually help shape the conduct of the world.

While there is a complex web of actors involved in the creation of foreign policy, it is not shrouded in secrecy all the time. Living in a democracy, public opinion does constrain the actions of the government and can, at times, force the government's hand in making a decision (look at the various examples of hasty retreats from different global conflicts that have not always gone well).

However, going beyond the people and institutions who shape foreign policy, this conversation covers the ways in which norms, policies, and even social media can impact the ways countries interact with each other. By listening to this episode you will come away with a strong sense of who the key players in foreign policy creation are and how this can help you better understand how the world works.

Bill Clifford is a Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Director of the Scowcroft Strategy Initiative at the Atlantic Council. He previously served as the President and CEO of the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA) in Washington, D.C., where he led WACA's national office and represented its nonpartisan nonprofit network of more than 90 World Affairs Councils across the United States. Before his September 2013 appointment, he spearheaded the revitalization and growth of WorldBoston, a WACA member Council known for innovative programming, access to leaders, and a tradition of advancing public learning about critical international issues.

Previously, Clifford served as Asia Bureau Chief for the pioneering multimedia venture CBS MarketWatch, where he launched and directed news bureaus in Japan and Hong Kong. He got his start in broadcast news with Asia Business News TV and was senior correspondent in Tokyo for CNBC Asia after its merger with ABN. Bill began his work in journalism while earning his M.A. at SAIS and went on to cover international economics, finance, and politics for several newspapers.

Do you have any idea what the terms "Realism", "Liberal Institutionalism", and "Constructivism" mean when it comes to International Relations? Why should you even care? These terms outline the three main ways that people try to make sense of the world, how decisions are shaped, and what constraints are placed on countries, institutions, and other actors.

From "Realism's" brutish world where might makes right, to "Liberal Internationalism" which relies on institutions like the United Nations and the ideas of collective security, and "Constructivism's" lens that recognizes everything on the international stage is a manmade system and relations are what we make of them, these schools of thought allow us to better understand and make sense of the world. In this masterclass with Katherine Brown, President and CEO of Global Ties US, this episode dives into these framework and helps you recognize the ways these ideas shape the world today.

By gaining broader insights into how leaders, policymakers, academics, journalists, and others are utilizing these frameworks, you will come away with stronger insights into why policies are enacted, how countries make the decisions to go to war or make peace, and how you can work to influence your own government. This is also helpful for looking at candidates for Federal offices to ensure that their worldview fits your own ways in which you want your government to engage the world (note: this is a nonpartisan conversation).