Global Connections Television Podcast

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 he is an expert on the UN and international issues.  The League of Nations was the forerunner of the UN, which was created in 1945 where over 60 million died. The UN has been vital in preventing World War 3, providing humanitarian assistance to hundreds of millions of refugees, developing partnerships with groups such as Rotary International to eliminate the scourge of polio, and sending peacekeeping troops into dangerous areas to restore stability. Other basic UN services are to develop international agreements to safely move aircraft, ships, telecommunications, mail and weather information worldwide. The Trump administration has drastically cut US donations to the world body, which is damaging the US and the world. The US benefits more from the UN than probably any other country.

Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute, discusses a myriad of issues ranging from nuclear proliferation to developing effective, peaceful coalitions and programs.  The world is in a more dangerous position today, regarding nuclear weapons than at any point in time. 13,999 nukes exist in the world, whereas only 2% are necessary to destroy the world. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the foundation for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Actions in Venezuela, attacks on US allies, and bombings of Iran upend the Rule of Law. Allies can no longer believe in the US’s umbrella of nuclear protection. The US is not living up to its national and domestic laws.  Every citizen should ask policymakers and politicians to eliminate nukes, reduce poverty, and to protect the climate. Disarmament and nuclear proliferation should be taught in the schools. Nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction are not partisan issues.

Dr. Michael Cairo is a Professor of Political Science and the Program Director of International Affairs at Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky His most recent book is  “American Presidents and Israeli Settlements since 1967.” Land and territorial claims dominate the conflict in the Middle East. The United Nations created Israel and Palestine in 1948.  In June of 1967, during the Six Day War, Israel conquered the Gaza Strip, West Bank and Jerusalem. Palestinians have worked to develop an autonomous state. Several attempts have been launched to bring peace over the past several decades. After the October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians, Israel launched a fierce counterattack against the Palestinians, where reportedly over 80,000 Palestinians were killed. Devastation applied to homes and Infrastructure, health services, clean water, sanitary services, to mention a few. US influence is weakening due to siding with Netanyahu and not being as committed to rebuilding Gaza.

Rebecca Shoot, immediate past Executive Director of Citizens for Global Solutions, 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 is a Co-Convener, Washington Working Group for the International Criminal Court. She is the Co-Convener, ImPact Coalition on Strengthening International Judicial Institutions. The UN 80th celebration operates in close coordination with the Pact for the Future. The  pact offers how to set out a broad agenda to strengthen multilateral cooperation on sustainable development, international peace and security, science and technology, digital cooperation, youth empowerment and global institutional reform.  The United Nations  has to be understood as a political and normative process, not just reformative or managerial.  To be more relevant, the UN must move from consultation to co-creation with a multistake feedback loop, reform the veto authority and possibly select a female secretary-general.

Jerry Glenn, a futurist, serves as the executive director of the Millennium Project, and authors an annual publication, “State of the Future.” He was the executive director of the American Council for the United Nations University and was deputy director of Partnership for Productivity International. The State of the Future 20.0 Report is the most comprehensive and largest document covering 15 global challenges that affect the world.  It is a tool for The UN Council of Presidents of the General Assembly which is an organization to help the 193-UN Member States determine its logical role in dealing with one of the thorniest:  AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Managing the transition to AGI is the most difficult management problem humanity has ever faced, A few other challenges to confront include Zero-Sum power geo-politics; the climate crisis; and global collective intelligence systems for water, energy, food, economics, education, gender, crime, ethics, and demographics.

Judge Thomas G. Moukawsher is a 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.”    He recently authored various articles on the Supreme Court's immunity ruling and what it means. President Trump has taken the country into full retreat of world leadership by withdrawing from several international organizations such as the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement.  Most hard hit are vital UN agencies that directly benefit the US. He wants to divide the world into fiefdom of dominance by China, Russia and the US, powered and legalized by might makes right, rather than depend on the Rule of Law. As the US voluntarily sidelines itself, China will gladly fill the void. Almost 100-years ago, similar actions occurred that destabilized the world and led to two major World Wars.   

John Seager, President and CEO of Population Connection, has authored numerous articles and op-eds on population growth and development.    Studies have shown, when given the choice, most women prefer to have smaller families and families want to make their own decisions. Soft power is critical to saving lives and free people from tyranny and disease. These efforts have been undercut by the decimation of USAID and withdrawal from the UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. Population issues should not be pollical, but bipartisan as in the past.   The educational materials fit into each state’s educational requirements to be objective and informative. Modern contraception is a transformative tool to help people plan their families. If there is a decline in population, according to a Goldman Sachs study, communities that lose population will also lose schools, hospitals and employment opportunities. The recent Republican bill will close hundreds of hospitals in the U.S.  

Chuck Collins is the Director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he co-edits Inequality.org. His newest book is “Burned By Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Ae Ruining Our Lives and Planet” Inequality is a major problem . Humans daily lives are being disrupted by people with immense power in the areas of health, wellbeing, environment, housing costs, and democracy    The Second Gilded Age and Robber Barons perpetuate the myth of the Trickle-Down Theory.  The middle Class is shrinking, and Project 2025 wants to gut labor unions, eliminate child labor laws, and decimate workplace safety.   Big money robs Americans of their vote and voice. The UN can play a critical role in convening its members to develop standards to limit corruption, money laundering, and offshore banking, along with the G-20 countries moving forward more rapidly with their Global Wealth Tax.

Dr. Jean Krasno is in the faculty of the Department of Political Science at the City College of New York and is also a lecturer at Columbia University.  The “United Nations: Policy and Practice” is her most recent book. Dr. Krasno was authorized by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to organize his papers for publication. She is now leading a campaign to elect a woman UN Secretary-General. The UN was created in 1945 to eliminate the scourge of war, promote economic and social development, and enhance human rights worldwide. The UN has had nine secretaries-general to lead the organization. Emphasis is on selecting a woman when SG Guterres’s term ends. The next UN SG must be an effective communicator with the 193-member states in the UN General Assembly and the various publics around the world. Most Americans are mostly unaware of how important UN services impact their lives every day.

Robert L. Dilenschneider, founder and CEO of The Dilenschneider Group, is one of the world's foremost communication experts and leadership
coaches. Dilenschneider is widely published, having authored 18 seminal
business and career development books. His latest book is “Character: Life Lessons in Courage, Integrity, and Leadership.” He discusses the traits of several leaders. Nelson Mandela, who was jailed for years, won the first all-race election in South Africa and created the Reconciliation Commission, as well as being a role model both at the UN and for potential young leaders worldwide. Other outstanding leaders included Eleanor Roosevelt and John McCain.  Eleanor Roosevelt used her White House platform to work on a variety of social issues such as women’s suffrage, civil rights and leadership at the United Nations through the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. All of the aforementioned exhibited courage, integrity, and dedication to being effective.