For the context of this conflict, see our earlier episode here: Revisiting Sudan’s Conflict: Context and Implications

Sudan is in the midst of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, a catastrophe that has become both a moral and political failure. More than 12 million people have been displaced and over 150,000 lives lost as violence, famine, and chaos engulf the country. Since 2010, using satellite imagery and open-source data, Nathaniel Raymond and his team have uncovered evidence of intentional village burnings, attacks on humanitarian facilities, and mass civilian displacement, and even, at times, predicted future assaults by the Sudanese Armed Forces. His work later contributed to the U.S. Department of State’s genocide determination in Sudan.

As the conflict continues, what does the situation on the ground look like now? And how is technology reshaping humanitarian response, uncovering hidden atrocities and pushing the world toward accountability when traditional diplomacy fails?

Join us for a conversation with Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University’s School of Public Health and a pioneer in using satellite and open-source intelligence to document war crimes.

Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

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The architecture of international engagement is shifting, and subnational diplomacy is taking center stage. As federal governments scale back traditional foreign policy and funded diplomacy, cities and states are emerging as more prominent actors on the global stage, forging direct international ties to address global issues such as climate change, migration, trade, and public health. As local leaders are increasingly shaping the frameworks of cooperation once reserved for national capitals, this trend raises important questions: How might cities and states recalibrate aid and international engagement to reflect their own priorities? What lessons can be drawn from U.S. cities like New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta as they assert themselves on the global stage? This panel will examine what it means for New York and other cities to be more global in this changing landscape and will explore how public-private partnerships, business engagement, and city-level climate diplomacy are giving new contours to international engagement.

Join us for a discussion with Pablo Fernández Marmissolle-Daguerre, Assistant Secretary-General for Partnerships at the United Cities and Local Governments; Kristen Edgreen Kaufman, Senior Vice President at the United States Council for International Business and former Deputy Commissioner in the NYC Mayor’s Office for International Affairs and current, and Dr. Raffaele Marchetti, Professor in International Relations at the Department of Political Science and the School of Government of LUISS and the Director of the Center for International and Strategic Studies.  

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Over the past decade, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Honduras have experienced a resurgence of authoritarian practices. Leaders have expanded executive power, undermined judicial independence, curtailed press freedom, and increased the use of mass incarceration and militarized policing—all under the banner of security and stability. These developments echo past dictatorships but take on new forms in today’s political and technological context, connecting local governance to broader global trends of democratic backsliding. What tactics are modern authoritarian regimes using, and how do they differ from past dictatorships? How can civil society and international actors push back against democratic erosion? What lessons can be learned from countries on a different trajectory, like Guatemala? And what do these trends mean for the future of democracy in the region and globally? Join us for a discussion with Noah Bullock, Executive Director of Cristosal, and Marc Edelman, Professor of Anthropology at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center where we will delve into these questions and more. 

Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

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U.S. higher education is more than just a domestic institution— it is a pillar of the country’s foreign policy and global engagement. By attracting students, scholars, and researchers from around the world, American universities have helped shape generations of leaders, built lasting international networks, and boosted the U.S. economy and labor market. Yet, recent immigration and visa policies under the Trump administration have caused a 15 percent drop in international enrollment and the U.S. is projected to lose $7 billion in revenue and 60,000 jobs as a result. This shift has also exposed questions about underlying national security concerns among critics of the international approach of U.S. higher education. How should U.S. universities balance national security concerns with attracting top talent? What are the implications for U.S. influence if students take their ambitions elsewhere? What other approaches can universities take in order to retain the U.S. edge in a rapidly evolving global education landscape?

Join us for a discussion with Dr. Madeline Zavodny, First Coast Systems Professor of Economics at the University of North Florida and Research Fellow at the Institute of Labor Economics, and Professor John Aubrey Douglass, Senior Research Fellow of Public Policy and Higher Education at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at UC Berkeley. This conversation will provide insights into higher education’s role at the intersection of U.S. global influence, its economy, and security.

Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

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The United States has long been recognized as the global leader in artificial intelligence (AI), a technology transforming trade, foreign policy, and military strategy. China, once seen as years behind, is rapidly closing the gap, most recently with the launch of DeepSeek. With competition heating up in both chip technology and AI innovation, Washington has sought to maintain its edge through export controls and a recently unveiled AI Action Plan. As the world heads into a new technological era, will the U.S. be able to sustain its AI dominance? What advantages might allow Beijing to overtake Washington? And what are the ramifications for the rest of the world, particularly if there’s a split into competing AI systems?

Join us for a discussion with Janet Egan, Senior Fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, Owen J. Daniels is the Associate Director of Analysis and an Andrew W. Marshall Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET); and Sam Winter-Levy, Fellow in the Technology and International Affairs Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 

Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

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In June, strikes by the U.S. and Israel against Iran’s nuclear facilities reignited one of the most dangerous questions in global security: how do you stop a country determined to keep its nuclear options open? What followed has tested not only Iran’s willingness to abide by international limits, but also the credibility of the entire nonproliferation system.

In this episode, Kelsey Davenport, Director for Nonproliferation Policy at the Arms Control Association, explains how Iran’s program reached this point, what the strikes may have changed inside Tehran, and why the erosion of global arms control frameworks makes this moment so precarious. She also explores what tools—old and new—might still contain the risk of a wider nuclear cascade.

Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

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Sudan’s war—between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, sparked in April 2023—has entered a deadlier phase. Recent attacks on the Abu Shouk camp near El-Fasher, a widening cholera outbreak, and aid blockages that leave much of the country in need have pushed the crisis to a breaking point. We’re re-running this episode to explain how a promised transition to civilian rule unraveled into open war, how Darfur’s past atrocities and broader questions of accountability continue to shape today’s violence, and how outside powers have amplified the fight. These headlines aren’t the focus of the original conversation—but they make its analysis newly urgent.

Hosted by Network 20/20, in conversation Mr. Sami Hamdi, an expert on the MENA region and the Managing Director of the International Interest, a global risk and intelligence company.

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The U.S. has slapped a 25% tariff on most Indian exports and threatened further measures over India’s continued oil and arms deals with Russia. India isn’t backing down—defending those ties as “time-tested” while rejecting an American offer of F‑35 fighter jets.

To make sense of this standoff, we’re revisiting a 2023 conversation on India’s foreign policy dilemma: Can the world’s largest democracy maintain strategic autonomy while deepening ties with the U.S. and other major powers? How does India balance its historic relationship with Moscow against its rivalry with Beijing? And what role will domestic politics play in shaping India’s future on the global stage?

This episode unpacks the forces driving India’s choices—and why its push for sovereignty could redefine alliances, trade, and security across the Indo-Pacific.

Music by Sergii Pavkin from Pixabay.

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The EU’s Readiness 2030 plan marks a significant shift in European defense, with €800 billion in planned spending driven by the war in Ukraine and growing doubts about U.S. security guarantees. As the bloc moves to strengthen its military capabilities and reduce reliance on external powers, key questions emerge: Could shared threats finally unify national defense strategies? Will common borrowing transform how Europe finances its security? And how might a more robust European defense industry reshape relations with Washington?

Join us on for a discussion with Dr. Rob de Wijk, founder of The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies (HCSS) and Professor of International Relations and Security at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University; and Sander Tordoir, Chief Economist at the Centre for European Reform. This conversation will provide key insights into European defense space and transatlantic security.

Music by Alex_Kizenkov from Pixabay.

Listen to part one on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your audio.

In part two of our special series on the Israel-Iran conflict, we turn our attention to the Iranian perspective—one often lost amid headlines.

Nearly two weeks have passed since Israel launched preemptive airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities, pulling the two nations into open conflict and prompting U.S. involvement. While a fragile ceasefire is now in place, its future remains uncertain. But beyond geopolitics, what does this conflict mean for the ordinary people of Iran, whose stories rarely reach the international stage?

Today, we hear directly from journalist Tara Kangarlou, author of The Heartbeat of Iran, who shares intimate perspectives from Iranians caught between their own government’s actions and external pressures. What do Iranians truly think about this war, their government, and the role of the United States?

And if you missed the first part of this discussion, where we explored Israel's strategy and U.S. involvement with Dr. Michael Koplow, you can click the link above to listen in.

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Music by Alex_Kizenkov from Pixabay.