Iowa City Foreign Relations Council

Since 2010, Viktor Orban has consolidated power as prime minister of Hungary, a central European country whose democratic institutions he has weakened primarily through a form of governance he terms "illiberal democracy" as well as through the nationwide advancement of Christian nationalism.

Iowa City Foreign Relations Council Executive Director Peter Gerlach talks with guest Ben Novak, a former reporter for the New York Times (2018-2022) who was based in Budapest, Hungary, and a research affiliate at the Central European University Democracy Institute. They discuss the intersections of modern Hungarian politics and religion, how the people there are impacted by Orban's autocratic policies, and why some here in America view Orban's leadership as a model for the United States in 2025 and beyond.

The Iowa City Foreign Relations Council presents this event as part of its Democracy Series. Watch other programs from this series along with over 250 other ICFRC programs at citychannel4.com/icfrc.

The Iowa City Foreign Relations Council is a community passionate about learning, connecting, and engaging with international issues that promotes understanding by hosting forums with diverse, global voices and perspectives. For more information, please visit icfrc.org.

Expectations for democracy in South Africa have been shaped by a longer history of citizenship linked to white supremacy. The concept of relational citizenship is an important way of thinking about political belonging which requires reflection on the different kind of political imagination people in places like South Africa have who have experienced sustained oppression and how we might learn from it in the United States.

Presented by Brady G'sell, Ph.D., and Thuto Thipe, Ph.D., and hosted by Sunday Goshit.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org. To watch other ICFRC programs, please view our extensive collection at citychannel4.com/icfrc.

Europe still lacks a "European" public sphere and a media system that serves it. As was the case during the 2019 EU parliamentary election, the 2024 contest exhibited regional differences in the themes covered by national media and their emphasis on European-wide issues. Most voters' choices of representative MPEs reflected national politics and perceived interests, and relatedly, the ideological divides that positively or negatively assessed European-wide problems. The dominant reliance on social media for news contributed both to reinforcing and enhancing the existing political and ideological polarization in most EU member nations. As such, unevenly across the continent, they also further splintered the national public spheres, diminishing the prospects of "manufacturing of consent" on several issues important to the European Union.

Peter Gross is professor emeritus and former Director of the University of Tennessee's School of Journalism and Electronic Media (2006-2016). His research focus is East and Central Europe society, media and journalism.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org. To watch other ICFRC programs, please view our extensive collection at citychannel4.com/icfrc.

A compelling discussion featuring the 2024 WPI international journalists as they share their experiences covering elections in various political environments. The panel explores the critical role of the media during tense electoral periods and how these journalists navigate political pressures and the ethical challenges they encounter while reporting on elections worldwide.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org. To watch other ICFRC programs, please view our extensive collection at citychannel4.com/icfrc.

Palestinian and Jewish Iowans share their personal stories and experiences of identity, oppression, solidarity, and hope from inside Palestine and in the US. The speaker panel includes Palestinians who grew up in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and from the diaspora. They are; Dr. Deema Tota, Yaser Abadagga, Mona Odeh, Dani Love Misyuk, and Samanth Brotman.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org. To watch other ICFRC programs, please view our extensive collection at citychannel4.com/icfrc.

The root of the Russo-Ukrainian War is not geopolitical competition, but the multifaceted divergence between Ukraine and Russia over the past 30 years. In February 2022, Russian missiles rained on Ukrainian cities, and tanks rolled towards Kyiv to end Ukrainian independent statehood. What are the roots of this war, which has upended the international legal order and brought back the specter of nuclear escalation? How did these supposedly "brotherly peoples" become each other's worst nightmare?

Maria Popova is an Associate Professor of Political Science at McGill University, Scientific Director of the Jean Monnet Centre Montreal, and Editor of the Cambridge Elements Series on Politics and Society from Central Europe to Central Asia. Her work explores the rule of law and democracy in Eastern Europe.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a humanitarian nonprofit organization supporting individuals impacted by conflict and displacement. The IRC operates in 52 countries internationally and 30 offices in the United States. Sarah Terlouw, IRC's Executive Director in Iowa, will speak about her 15-year career supporting refugees and other conflict-affected populations. She will share her experiences overseas and the transition to working domestically, focusing on the opening of the IRC in Iowa in 2022 and the organization's expansion into Iowa City in October 2023. Aimerance Makunda, originally from the DRC and an Iowa City resident since 2012, also speaks.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org.

Digital democracy uses digital technologies to promote and strengthen democracy, including accessing information, participating in political discussions, and holding elected officials accountable. Young people increasingly use digital technologies to participate in democracy, using social media to organize protests, raise awareness, and contact their elected officials.

Jean-Desire Kouassi is a digital communications professional passionate about using technology to promote positive change. He has a bachelor's degree in English literature and linguistics from the University Alassane Ouattara in Bouake, Cote d'Ivoire, and a professional certification in social media marketing from Kirkwood Community College in the United States.

Kouassi also has experience developing and implementing effective digital communication strategies in various sectors, including health, the press, international relations, family planning, technology, and civil society. He deeply advocates for internet access, quality digital education, and democracy, actively participates in policy initiatives, and leads digital literacy projects to promote positive change in these areas. Kouassi has earned me numerous national and international awards and is a firm believer in the power of digital technologies to connect people, create change, and build a better future.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org.

In honor of this year's Hispanic Heritage Month theme, Elizabeth Bernal, Marcela Hurtado, and Paola Jaramillo will speak to the progress Latinos and Hispanics have made over the last fifteen years in the Iowa City Area their personal experience as Latinas in lowa, organizing wins, and recent work empowering Latinos through entrepreneurship and the power of social capital.

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org.

Climate change is at the forefront of both foreign and domestic policy. While often discussed as an environmental issue, there are profound consequences for our national security, the military, and international relations. From an increase in severe weather events to food security and migration -- the complexities of climate have far-reaching implications for both Iowans and the nation.

Panelists:
Mike Franken, retired Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy
Rob Hogg, former Iowa State Senator, District 33
Sara McLaughlin Mitchell, Professor & Collegiate Fellow, University of Iowa

Moderated by:
Jessica Yllemo, Director, Climate Security Programs - The American Security Project

For more information about the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, visit icfrc.org.