North Korea is often called “The Hermit Kingdom” because of its isolation from the rest of the world, but is it really completely isolated? How much interaction does North Korea have with outsiders, and who does it interact with? What forms does this interaction take, and what does it accomplish? Can we see clearly enough into the country to assess the impact of this diverse spectrum of creative engagement? Join us as we chat with our guest Daniel Wertz, of the National Institute on North Korea (NCNK), about the realities of engaging North Korea.

Engaging North Korea

Young professionals in Washington, DC get together weekly to discuss underreported global issues over drinks.

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Sporting events such as the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup never fail to capture the world’s attention, no matter what other international events are going on. Governments have noticed sports as a global attention-getter and for decades have been using sports as a means to achieve higher global standing or other foreign policy objectives. In this episode, we discuss soft power in the form of “sports diplomacy.”



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* “The Mixed Record of Sports Diplomacy.” Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/interview/mixed-record-sports-diplomacy* “Thing Again: Soft Power.” Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2006/02/23/think-again-soft-power/* “Soft Power and the Public Diplomacy Revisited.” The Hague Journal of Diplomacy. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/soft-power-and-public-diplomacy-revisited



Featured photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs





Sports Diplomacy


In this episode, we focus on Mongolia, one of the least densely populated countries in the world at 2 people per square kilometer. We outline the history of the country, its domestic politics, where it sits in relation to the rest of the world, and what that means for its future.



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Take a look at some of our favorite articles that we came across while researching this topic:



* Mongolia’s President Is Slicing Away Its Hard-Won Democracy, Foreign Policy, Anand Tumurtogoo* Mongolia: Bridge or Buffer in Northeast Asia?, The Diplomat, Elizabeth Wishnick* History of Mongolia, Embassy of Mongolia to the United States

Spotlight: Mongolia


In this episode, we speak with Mark Hofberg from the International Fund for Animal Welfare to talk about human-wildlife conflict. We discuss the inherent challenges that both humans and wildlife face while trying to simply exist in an increasingly hungry and crowded world.



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Take a look at some of our favorite articles that we came across while researching this topic:



* 1995 Reintroduction of Wolves in Yellowstone, Yellowstone Park, Tori  Peglar* Human-wildlife conflict in Africa, Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN



Photo Credit: Doug Smith

Human-Wildlife Conflict


In this episode, we discuss the origins, successes, and challenges of the East African Community, a political and economic bloc comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.



Dig Deeper



Take a look at some of our favorite articles that we came across while researching this topic:



* EAC Webpage* Headwinds toward East African regional integration: Will this time be different?, Brookings Institute, Aloysius Uche Ordu* DR Congo applies for admission to East African Community, The East African,  Aggrey Mutambo





The East African Community


In this episode, we explore the history of compromised infrastructure, which countries are engaged in this kind of behavior, and what sort of advantages they seek to gain. 

Engaging North Korea

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