Everyday Ambassador

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.

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.

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.

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.

On this episode of Everyday Ambassador, host Annelise Riles is joined by Felipe Rey, a law professor and the co-founder of iDeemos, a Democratic Innovation lab. Rey explains how he crafts citizen assemblies to encourage greater civic participation in policymaking.

Escape room designer Juliana Moreno also shares how leaving space for others to shine leads to better problem-solving.

Finally, listeners and students from Northwestern University share their personal stories on how they use "gaps" to bridge divides.

Next week’s Everyday Ambassador challenge: Name a time where role-playing or visualization helped you get through an impasse. How did imagining yourself going through that scenario help you think differently?

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.

On this episode of Everyday Ambassador, host Annelise Riles is joined by former National Security Council staff Ryan Hass to hear how gift-giving is integral to the U.S.-China relationship.

Former White House Chief Protocol officer Peter Selfridge also shares how being intentional and taking the recipient into account can improve relationships.

Finally, listeners and students from Northwestern University share their personal stories on how gifts have impacted their lives as well.

Next week’s Everyday Ambassador Challenge:

Tell us a time when bringing different perspectives together helped solve a problem. What was the benefit of gathering differing points of view?

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.

On this episode of Everyday Ambassador, host Annelise Riles sits down with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Beatrice Fihn to hear how taking a playful approach to fostering relationships, and building trust, helped pass a nuclear weapons treaty. We also hear how The Police Athletic League of Philadelphia as well as students from Northwestern University use fun to solve problems and work through relationship barriers.

Next week's Everyday Ambassador Challenge:

Tell us a time when giving or receiving a gift helped build or mend a relationship. What was it about that gift that made it so effective?

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.

The strategies global leaders use to negotiate impasses and bridge divides may seem complicated. But when you break them down, they can turn out to be quite simple. From giving gifts to encouraging play to creating space for collaboration, Northwestern University law professor Annelise Riles shares surprising stories of how seemingly small gestures can bring about big change. Follow Everyday Ambassador to hear how you can use these tools to shape your community and your world. Everyday Ambassador is produced by FP Studios with support from the Humboldt Foundation.