Everyday Ambassador

Everyday Ambassador welcomes cultural anthropologist Miranda Hallett for a deep dive into El Salvador’s past and present. She explains the legacy of dispossession, U.S. intervention, the rise of MS-13, and President Bukele’s authoritarian turn. Hallett also shares stories of Salvadoran migrants in the U.S. building community and practicing “fugitive citizenship,” finding hope and democracy in the margins.

In this episode of Everyday Ambassador, Annelise Riles speaks with historian Naoko Shimazu about the 1955 Bandung Conference. The gathering of newly independent Asian and African nations marked the rise of the non-aligned movement and showed how informal diplomacy—conversations, relationships, and pageantry—can reshape the world. Their discussion explores what Bandung teaches us about building bridges in a divided world today.

On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Mayor Shiro Suzuki joins Everyday Ambassador to share his personal story as the son of Hibakusha and his mission to create a world without nuclear weapons. He discusses the work of Mayors for Peace, the power of cultural connection, and why even the smallest steps toward peace matter.

To mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing, the St. Paul Civic Symphony traveled to Nagasaki for a powerful joint concert with their sister orchestra. Host Annelise Riles speaks with conductor Jeff Stirling and composer Steve Heitzeg about Green Hope After Black Rain—a new symphony that honors survivors, confronts injustice, and plants seeds of peace through music.

Nagasaki, July 14, 2025.

Trump Tariffs hit Japan, and beating the heat, Japan style…

When a 1970s cultural exchange between St. Paul and its Sister City, Nagasaki, sparked the idea for a Japanese garden, no one could have predicted the decades-long journey that would follow. In this episode, Bill Pasek shares how he and the original designer, Mr. Masami Matsuda, worked across languages, cultures, and continents to restore the garden's true vision—with the help of passionate volunteers and a community united by peace and purpose.

From pruning trees to shaping hills with sand, this is the story of how a garden became a living symbol of diplomacy, beauty, and friendship.

This week on Everyday Ambassador, I had the honor of speaking with Tomihisa Taue, the former mayor of Nagasaki, as the city prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing. Mayor Taue served from 2007 to 2023 and has spent his life bridging the memory of devastation with the work of building peace—locally and globally.

In our conversation, Mayor Taue reflected on the events of August 9, 1945, and the lasting impact on Nagasaki’s people. He shared what the city looks like today and described how peace-building is not only a matter of international diplomacy, but something that begins in neighborhoods, communities, and everyday relationships. We also explored how to pass the message of the Hibakusha—atomic bomb survivors—to the next generation in ways that resonate and empower.

Mayor Taue spoke candidly about the difficulty of building peace in the face of short-term political and economic pressures and offered examples of how citizens can still take action. He also reflected on life after public office and the importance of balancing “output” with “input”—making time for learning, renewal, and listening.

Join me this summer for an intimate journey through Nagasaki—interviews with officials and artists, live discussions, expert analysis, and personal reflections as we mark 80 years since the bombing. The full schedule, available to all subscribers, is here:

Episode Timestamps:

* [2:17] What happened in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945

* [3:43] What Nagasaki is like today

* [4:36] How the people of Nagasaki think about the 80th anniversary

* [6:10] How to pass on the memory of the atomic bomb to new generations

* [8:38] Revising the Peace Declaration to reflect both survivor and youth perspectives

* [10:55] From memory to message: reframing how Nagasaki tells its story

* [12:18] Connecting local peace-building and global activism

* [14:54] What it means to build peace at the local level

* [17:19] What gets in the way of peace

* [20:03] What ordinary citizens can do

* [23:05] Why learning and reflection matter in peace activism

* [25:04] Life after public office: finding a balance between input and output

Journalist and NewsGuard Executive Editor Jim Warren joins Everyday Ambassador to explain how misinformation spreads online—and what’s being done to stop it. From fake health cures to AI-generated propaganda, Jim shares what NewsGuard’s team of reporters has uncovered across thousands of websites, podcasts, and social media posts. He also discusses the challenges of media literacy and what schools, journalists, and citizens can do to better evaluate the information they consume.

To learn more about how you can access NewsGuard’s browser extension or use it in your classroom, visit newsguardtech.com. You can also check out their Substack newsletter, Reality Check, for weekly updates on the state of online information.