Global Connections Television Podcast

Mark D. Walker, a Returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer from Guatemala, is an award-winning writer and President of Million Mile Walker. His recent book is “The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives & Amazing Stories”. Prior to that he wrote, “My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road.”  His Peace Corps experience totally changed his life. His publications include features of Guatemalan cultural and political leaders, as well as focus on the crisis of democracy which was spearheaded by the quest for cheap labor and to enrich the wealthy, which has been destructive for the majority of Indigenous Guatemalans. It is critical to learn more about countries in South and Central America, especially given their geo-political proximity to the US. In both Guatemala and the US, there has been a frontal assault on the freedom of expression, especially with books being banned by elected officials in states such as Florida and Texas. 

Dr. Joe Young, Director of the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, discusses some of the causes of violence  in the US and worldwide.   Violence should never be tolerated; however, a democracy depends upon the peaceful transfer of power, which was not recognized during the illegal insurgency  to overthrow the free election and US Government on January 6, 2021.  Tragically, two of the major areas of extreme violence are in Gaza and Ukraine. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine could lead to a larger international conflict if it is not neutralized. Through the support of scores of countries, NATO,  and the United Nations agencies, the Ukrainians were much more resilient in confronting Russian aggression. Although the United Nations Security Council has been partially paralyzed, due to the Russian Veto, other UN agencies such as the WHO, UNICEF, and WFP are on the front lines to assist Ukrainians.

Rebecca Shoot, Executive Director of Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS), is an international lawyer and democracy and governance practitioner with extensive experience supporting human rights, democratic processes, and the rule of law on five continents. She explains how global governance is NOT global control over a country, but is defined loosely as a framework of institutions, rules, norms, and procedures that facilitate collective action and co-operation among countries and other actors. Global institutions, such as the United Nations, need to be strengthened to be more effective, promote democracy and the rule of law. Global cooperation is essential to resolve problems such as climate change.  The upcoming Summit of the Future, sponsored by the UN, is critical to strengthen action oriented global decision making to achieve the 17-Sustainable Development Goals to abolish hunger and poverty, combat the climate crisis, empower women and more. The UN is more relevant today than ever.

Felix Dodds is an Adjunct Professor at the Water Institute University of North Carolina and Associate Fellow, Tellus Institute, Boston, and is an International Ambassador for the City of Bonn. His latest books are “Heroes in Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage” and” Tomorrow’s People and New Technology: Changing How We Live Our Lives."

Felix recently attended the United Nations COP28 conference in Dubai and the previous two COPs to that in Egypt and the UK.  The United Nations has been one of the most significant players in the battle to confront the environmental crisis. To lay the groundwork for the myriad of UN Conferences, various UN agencies had key roles in focusing the spotlight on climate change and sustainability: in 1979, the First World Climate Conference was sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); in 1988 the WMO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Dr Gardner Thompson, a UK scholar, has written two interesting books on countries located in culturally and geographically diverse areas of the world: Israel and Zimbabwe. His first book is:  Legacy of Empire. Britain, Zionism and the Creation of Israel in which he defines Zionism, why the United Nations established Israel and Palestine in 1948, the role of Britain and the Balfour Declaration in the area and suggestions on how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The second book is “A Critical History of Southern Rhodesia” which focuses on the situation that existed before it became Zimbabwe. It was a moral debate as to whether the country would be an Apartheid System such as South Africa’s. Robert Mugabe emerged in 1980 as a leader of the independent state. Two lessons from the books: statesmen should realize that decisions will have major repercussions for decades and both sides should not be automatically condemned.

Steve Schlesinger is a Fellow at the Century Foundation in New York City. Mr. Schlesinger authored "Act of Creation: Founding of the United Nations," and is an expert on the UN and international issues. The UN was created out of the ashes of WW2. Initially, the UN dealt with security and war challenges, but now helps move aircraft, ships, mail, and weather information globally, as well as combats the climate crisis and diseases, assists refugees, migration issues and confronts every major international problem. In September, the UN will conduct a Summit of the Future to address 5 areas: financial structure for the world; international peace and security to prevent wars; digital arena with AI, Bitcoin, and cyberspace; assisting children around the world; and, reorganizing the UN structure to be more agile and effective. The UN is still the epicenter of the world that assists all 8 billion people on Earth.

Judge Thomas G. Moukawsher is a retired Connecticut complex litigation judge and former lawyer, legislator and lobbyist. He is the author of “The Common Flaw: Needless Complexity in the Courts and 50 Ways to Reduce It. It is critical that the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) have a strong Code of Ethics with enforcement penalties.   Recent SCOTUS decisions, especially the absolute immunity, have made it more confusing and difficult to prosecute a corrupt US President. For decades the US has been a beacon for justice and democracy; however, with an attack on our Rule of Law and democratic institutions many nations are alarmed. The US should strongly support the UN’s  International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to maintain our moral authority internationally. The US Constitution and other legal mechanisms played a critical role in developing the United Nations Charter in 1945 and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights in 1948

Abiodun Williams is Professor of the Practice of International Politics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and The Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University.  He was Director of Strategic Planning to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon and is past Chair of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS).  His latest book is “Kofi Annan and Global Leadership at the United Nations.” Annan was a proactive leader who launched monumental programs that improved the UN, such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Global Compact and the Millennium Development Goals, which were the precursors to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Annan was also a transformational visionary who strengthened UN peacekeeping and involved academia, NGOs and the private sector in helping overcome many international problems. Annan was quite accurate in his critique of President Bush’s illegal invasion of Iraq.

Dr. Shao-cheng (Michael) Sun is an Associate Professor at the Citadel. He is a veteran of the Taiwanese army, retiring as a full colonel.   Dr. Sun is the author of “Hedging China Threat: US-Taiwan Relations Since 1949.“ His research interests are East Asian security and politics, U.S.-China relations, and U.S. security policy in Asia. He teaches East Asian Affairs and International Politics. He explained the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act between the US and Taiwan, and the One-China Policy, which the US has supported since the Carter Administration.  Is it feasible to turn Taiwan into a relationship similar to Hong Kong’s in the 1997 Agreement, which is different from the Taiwanese situation?  If there were an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait, it could radically upend the economic systems around the world, create physical devastation, plus a simulated war exercise showed the US Navy would suffer severe losses.

Somaya Faruqi is the former Captain of the Afghan Girls’ Robotic Team – nicknamed the ‘Afghan Dreamers’.  She and her team made international headlines when they built a ventilator from used car parts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan. Faruqi was born in Herat, Afghanistan in 2002. She cultivated her love of engineering in her father’s mechanic shop. Her high school career was cut short by the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. She and the rest of her teammates had to flee the country in August 2021.Currently an engineering student, Faruqi has received several awards over her career, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2021, BBC’s 100 Women in 2020, and the 2017 Silver Medal for Courageous Achievement at the FIRST Global Challenge – in recognition of science and technology in the US. She is a Global Champion in the UN’s Education Cannot Wait Program.