Welcome back to our special “If You Were in Charge” summer series with Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. Each week, we’re thematically pairing some of our favorite conversations and this time, we’ve brought together two powerful voices on wealth and generosity.

First, filmmaker and activist Abby Disney shares what it was like to grow up as an heiress to the Disney fortune, and why she’s urging the ultra-wealthy to give more, and give boldly.

Then, Chris Worman from Giving Tuesday explores how philanthropy can be reclaimed by ordinary people as a force for good, personal fulfillment, and even joy.

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the⁠ ⁠⁠Bjian Ghaisar Foundation⁠

And ICAN⁠ International Civil Society Action Network⁠

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an ⁠Africa Digital Audio Production⁠

ICAN’s newsletter: ⁠https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/

00:00 Exploring Wealth Inequality and Philanthropy

07:27 The Impact of Extreme Capitalism

12:05 Fundamentalist Capitalism and Its Consequences

17:50 Political Power and Wealth Dynamics

25:28 Racial Justice and Economic Inequality

32:06 Philanthropy vs. Systemic Change

45:25 The Role of Civil Society in Crisis

57:06 Building Local Infrastructure for Generosity

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As we gear up for Season 3 of If You Were in Charge, we’re revisiting some of Sanam’s most compelling conversations, curated into thematic pairings to offer deeper insights into the complex issues we explore.

This week, we bring you two powerful perspectives on building peace between Israelis and Palestinians—even in these dark and challenging times.

First, Sanam speaks with Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger about the surge in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. They discuss the urgent need for lasting peace and the difficult path to achieving it.

Then, she sits down with Mohammad Darawshe, a leading political analyst and expert on Jewish-Arab relations inside Israel. Darawshe unpacks the intricate realities of coexistence, the struggles faced by Palestinian citizens, and the transformative power of education in forging a shared future.

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation

And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network

You can find out more information or how to get in touch following the link to our homepage - 

https://shows.acast.com/if-you-were-in-charge

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an Africa Digital Audio Production

ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/

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Sir Richard Dalton, former British ambassador to Iran, joins Sanam Naraghi Anderlini on this week's episode of If You Were In Charge. They discuss the collapse of diplomacy following recent U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, examining how Trump's withdrawal from the JCPOA, Netanyahu's hardline policies, and the Ayatollah's defiance have escalated regional tensions. Dalton argues that without renewed multilateral engagement, lasting peace will remain elusive, criticizing Britain's failure to lead in condemning Gaza atrocities. Despite these challenges, he maintains that dialogue and diplomacy offer the best path toward a collective future.

As Iran is Sanam's childhood home, she also speaks with her daughter Soleh before and after the main interview, both to hear how Soleh's college community has responded to recent events and to reflect on loved ones directly impacted by the conflict in Iran, as well as those watching from afar.

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the⁠ ⁠⁠Bjian Ghaisar Foundation⁠

And ICAN⁠ International Civil Society Action Network⁠

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an ⁠Africa Digital Audio Production⁠

ICAN’s newsletter: ⁠https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A personal reflection from Sanam on two weeks of war in Iran. What it is like watching the bombardment of her childhood neighborhood from afar. —

We also wanted to celebrate our former guests, Women of the Sun from Palestine, who won the 2025 Vigdís Prize for Women’s Empowerment.

So we re-uploaded our conversation with Marwa Hammad of Women of the Sun in Palestine and Yael Braudo-Bahat of Women Wage Peace in Israel two remarkable women who refuse to give in to despair, and who refuse to give up on the future.

Women of the Sun - https://womensun.org/

Women Wage Peace - https://www.womenwagepeace.org.il/en/

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bjian Ghaisar Foundation⁠⁠

And ICAN⁠⁠ International Civil Society Action Network⁠⁠

ICAN’s newsletter: ⁠⁠https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/⁠⁠

Original Music, Little Monster Media

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an ⁠⁠Africa Digital Audio Production⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Jessie Stone, a six-time U.S. freestyle team member, shares her journey of how an illness to one of her team during a kayaking trip led her to establish a health clinic in Uganda. Now she is on the front line as USAID cuts mean millions can no longer access life-saving care.

Welcome to If You Were In Charge with Sanam Naraghi Anderlini.

In the last ten years, Dr. Jessie Stone's clinic has served hundreds of thousands of patients and helped address critical health issues like malaria and community health. Speaking to Sanam, she stresses the importance of community education and describes the challenges faced in providing healthcare in a country with one doctor for every 25,000 patients. She highlights the extraordinary resilience of local communities and the need for grassroots solutions in healthcare.

And as always, listen to the end for news on upcoming episodes and words of wisdom from Soleh!

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation

And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network

You can find out more information or how to get in touch following the link to our homepage - 

https://shows.acast.com/if-you-were-in-charge

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an Africa Digital Audio Production

ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fall of the Assad regime came swiftly in the end, with far less violence than anyone imagined. How did this happen? Can Syria emerge from its decades of brutality and bloodshed to become a bastion of hope in the Middle East?

Sanam talks to Abir Hajibrahim, co-founder of Mobaderoon and one of Syria’s leading peacebuilders, who has built a network of dedicated peacebuilders and volunteers—preventing violence, reconciling communities, and mobilizing people to be active, engaged citizens determining their own futures.

This conversation explores the untold stories of Syria’s peacebuilders—individuals from all walks of life who stepped into the chaos of conflict to rebuild trust, heal communities, and drive reconciliation from the ground up.

This episode dives into the human cost of violence, the power of grassroots engagement, the unique role of women in peace efforts, and what sets peacebuilding apart from humanitarian work—all against the backdrop of a shifting political landscape.

It’s a candid, hopeful look at the future of Syria, shaped by the courage and determination of its people.

Mobaderoon https://mobaderoon.org

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation

And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network

You can find out more information or how to get in touch following the link to our homepage - 

https://shows.acast.com/if-you-were-in-charge

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an Africa Digital Audio Production

ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Politics and poetry may seem like an odd couple. But throughout history, and across cultures, through symbolism and story telling, writers and poets have captured the spirit of their age and shared them with us through time and geography - helping us make sense of human foibles, and the events of our our own world.

In Episode 6 of If You were in Charge

Sanam takes a different tack in her conversation with Christine Van Ruymbeke, The Soudavar Professor of Persian literature and culture at Cambridge University.

It is said that the key to understanding Iran is through poetry, with Iranians often turning to verse to express their hopes and frustrations in everyday life. Familiarity with Persian poetry and the study of its rich, deep history in the West has suffered due to the Western world’s antagonism toward the Iranian regime.

Yet these works hold profound cultural significance, particularly through Sufism and its global philosophical resonance. During an uncertain time in the world what wisdom to the poets of the past have for us about how navigate our modern world. 

Sanam also speaks with her daughter, Soleh, a PhD student at Cambridge, to reflect on the conversation and the role poetry played in their family life—with a few laughs along the way.

So join us to hear about the enduring cultural power of classical poets such as Rumi and Saadi, and how these centuries-old verses continue to resonate with contemporary challenges. The episode also highlights the role of women in literature, showcasing their intellectual force and strategic insight in navigating cultural and social currents.

Guest. 

Head of Middle Eastern Studies at Cambridge University

Ali Reza & Mohamed Soudavar Professor of Persian Studies

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation

And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network

You can find out more information or how to get in touch following the link to our homepage - 

https://shows.acast.com/if-you-were-in-charge

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an Africa Digital Audio Production

ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/

Chapters

00:00

The Power of Poetry and Literature

05:00

Exploring Persian Literature

10:10

The Significance of Rumi and Saadi

20:13

Lessons from Persian Fables

30:04

Women in Persian Literature and Their Power

37:23

Reviving Literature in Education

42:12

The Importance of Humanities

45:38

Funding and Institutional Support for Literature

47:48

Hope for the Future of Literature

49:23

Connecting Poetry to Society and Governance

58:35

The Role of Literature in Understanding Human Nature

ProfessorChristine van Ruymbeke

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With the war on Gaza raging and violence escalating in the West Bank, few see hope for peace in the Middle East. 

But Marwa Hammad of Woman of the Sun in Palestine and Yael Braudo-Bahat of Women Wage Peace of Israel, refuse to give in to such despair, and they refuse to give up on the future.

In Episode 5 of If You Were in Charge, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini takes on the toughest conflict of our times, offering a slice of hope and a glimpse into the resilience and courage of the women Peacebuilders who persist in waging peace.

Stressing the urgent need to shift investment from conflict to peace, advocating for a future where women play a central role in forging a sustainable resolution. They also explore the challenges posed by funding cuts to civil society initiatives and the vital role of personal narratives in humanizing the cost of war.

Despite mounting obstacles, the conversation finds hope in the tenacity of women working at the grassroots to foster understanding and drive meaningful change.

At the end of the podcast Sanam is joined by her daughter to Soleh to reflect, get her views on what she made of the conversation and catch up on her news.

Women of the Sun - https://womensun.org/

Women Wage Peace - https://www.womenwagepeace.org.il/en/

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bjian Ghaisar Foundation⁠⁠

And ICAN⁠⁠ International Civil Society Action Network⁠⁠

ICAN’s newsletter: ⁠⁠https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/⁠⁠

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an ⁠⁠Africa Digital Audio Production⁠

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast, Sanam Naraghi Anderlini is joined by two distinguished voices in global diplomacy to examine the United Nations at a critical juncture.



Richard Gowan, Director for UN and Multilateral Diplomacy at the International Crisis Group, and María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, former President of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister of Ecuador, and poet, delve into the mounting pressures facing the UN amid intensifying great power rivalries.

Their conversation explores the urgent need for institutional reform, the vital importance of gender parity in global leadership, and the UN’s responsibility in advancing preventive diplomacy to sustain peace and security. The guests call for a renewed commitment to multilateralism, accountability in implementing resolutions, and the long-overdue appointment of a female Secretary-General.

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation

And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network

ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an Africa Digital Audio Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What would have happened, if the US had heeded Afghan women's warnings about the Taliban, and supported their solutions before 2021? What if the international community supported  Afghan women's strategies for ending violence and building peace - then and now? 

This week on #IfYouWereInCharge, Sanam speaks with Wazhma Frogh, Afghan woman peacebuilder and lawyer specializing in international human rights law and Afghanistan, and recipient of the International Women of Courage Award. 

Despite the Taliban's oppressive rule, Wazhma speaks of her vital work in educating, advocating, and offering hope to Afghan women and girls, living day to day under the Taliban's oppressive rule. Where many feel despair, Wazhma still sees resilience, courage

and inspiration, and shows how much could be done, if women like her, were in charge. 

As always, Sanam is joined by her daughter Soleh, a PhD student at Cambridge, to reflect on the main interview and offer a different generational perspective.

Welcome to If You Were in Charge Season 2, a podcast featuring global peace strategist Sanam Naraghi Anderlini.

Each week, Sanam tackles a major global challenge and hosts leading practitioners and innovators to share their work and solutions—if they were in charge with the necessary political and financial resources.

If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation

And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network

ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/

Original Music, Little Monster Media 

Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch

This is an Africa Digital Audio Production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices