In this episode, Annelise Riles speaks with Felecia Maxfield-Barrett, CEO of Utah Global Diplomacy, about how global diplomacy is taking root far beyond embassies and government offices—right in communities like Utah. From her upbringing in American Fork to her leadership in international exchange programs, Felecia shares how shared humanity and storytelling can build bridges across cultures and borders.

To learn more about Utah Global Diplomacy and how you can get involved in citizen diplomacy, visit utahdiplomacy.org. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com

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I am a scholar of private international law. I weigh in here.

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This year's Nobel Peace Prize prize went to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization founded by survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear attacks. Their mission is to rid the world of nuclear weapons and make sure they are the last to ever experience the horror of an atomic attack.
Member Mitamura Shizuko joins Everyday Ambassador to share her experiences from her activism as well as her hopes for the future with host Annelise Riles. Annelise then speaks to Yamaguchi Yukino about her efforts to lead the next generation of Japanese activists. Finally, Annelise talks to Santa Fe's Archbishop John Wester to learn more about his decades-long work in advocating for nuclear disarmament.
Listeners can also reach out to Annelise at [email protected]. And be sure to check out www.everydayambassador.net for more information about this series and forthcoming book.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com

In this season, we’re looking at what we can each do to strengthen our democracy and repair our communities. Rebuilding trust in our institutions is a critical piece of that. And today, we’re going to share some practical how-tos on what you can do to help get us there.
First, we turn to Poland to hear how civil society actors there were able to take back their country’s democracy and rebuild the rule of law. Host Annelise Riles speaks with Adam Bodnar, a human rights lawyer and Poland’s current justice minister.
Later, she talks with John Bisognano, the president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC). The NDRC was founded by Eric Holder and Barack Obama to stop gerrymandering and restore faith in the fairness of U.S. elections.

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According to a 2024 Gallup poll, 36 percent of U.S. adults have no trust at all in the media. And another 33 percent of Americans say they have “not very much” confidence in the media. In this era of mistrust and disinformation, there’s an onus on all of us to understand how social media actually works.
On this episode of Everyday Ambassador, host Annelise Riles is joined by experts working on mis-and disinformation from two different angles. Carlos Espina is a content creator and community activist who creates informative videos for his Spanish-speaking audience. And V.S. Subrahmanian is a professor at Northwestern University and the head of a lab that uses artificial intelligence to model deepfakes and other online threats, to learn how to improve security against foreign actors.

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On today's episode, we look at the Good Friday Agreement and how leaders "willing to take a risk for peace" were able to put an end to decades of conflict. Former Special Envoy to Northern Ireland Richard Haass shares his experiences facilitating the implementation of the agreement with host Annelise Riles.
Plus Annelise connects with longtime friend Lois Anderson, Executive Director of Oregon Right to Life, about getting along with people with different political perspectives.

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The recent U.S. election demonstrated once again a high degree of political polarization and the severe lack of trust both sides have for each other. How can we bridge these differences?
Host Annelise Riles kicks off this season of Everyday Ambassador with climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe. Hayhoe has dedicated her career to talking across political divides. The core of her strategy is simple: She listens.

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The U.S. presidential election illuminated just how divided Americans are. It’s not just the political rhetoric. They are consuming different media, having different conversations, even living different realities. So across these divides, how can Americans really hear and understand one another? What can be done to start repairing trust between people of differing opinions? How about trying a little diplomacy?
Join host Annelise Riles for Season 2 of Everyday Ambassador, where we talk to experts and geopolitical thinkers from around the world to show you the small moves that make big change. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com

On this episode of Everyday Ambassador, host Annelise Riles sits down with corporate guru Christian Madsjberg, to hear how he employs an amateur's mindset when consulting for top companies. Journalist and open source investigator Natalia Antonova also shares how harnessing the 'hive mind' on the internet can lead to better outcomes when online dating. And finally, students from Northwestern share their own stories on how they turn to others to broaden their perspectives.
As always, we want to hear how you're using these moves in your life as an Everyday Ambassador. Share your story by leaving us an audio message via SpeakPipe.Listeners can also reach out to Annelise at [email protected]. And be sure to check out EverydayAmbassador.net for more information about this series and a forthcoming book.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com

On this episode of Everyday Ambassador, host Annelise Riles sits down with Christine Chinkin, former judge at the Tokyo Women's Tribunal. Chinkin shares how this people's tribunal was set up as a fictional continuation of a previous war crimes tribunal, in order to bring victims justice.
Foreign Policy's Mayesha Alam also joins the podcast to share how FP uses a crisis simulation called Peace Games to push participants towards more innovation solutions.Finally, students from Northwestern University share their personal stories on how they use fictions to overcome challenges in their daily lives.
Next week’s Everyday Ambassador challenge: Tell us about a time where you brought in an outsider to help problem solve or innovate? How did that outsider perspective help bring about a solution?Share your story by leaving us an audio message via SpeakPipe.
Listeners can also reach out to Annelise at [email protected]. And be sure to check out www.everydayambassador.net for more information about this series and forthcoming book.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com