Matters of State - Underreported Issues in World News & International Relations

Sporting events such as the Olympics or the FIFA World Cup never fail to capture the world’s attention, no matter what other international events are going on. Governments have noticed sports as a global attention-getter and for decades have been using sports as a means to achieve higher global standing or other foreign policy objectives. In this episode, we discuss soft power in the form of “sports diplomacy.”

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* “The Mixed Record of Sports Diplomacy.” Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/interview/mixed-record-sports-diplomacy* “Thing Again: Soft Power.” Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2006/02/23/think-again-soft-power/* “Soft Power and the Public Diplomacy Revisited.” The Hague Journal of Diplomacy. https://www.hks.harvard.edu/publications/soft-power-and-public-diplomacy-revisited

Featured photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs

In this episode, we focus on Mongolia, one of the least densely populated countries in the world at 2 people per square kilometer. We outline the history of the country, its domestic politics, where it sits in relation to the rest of the world, and what that means for its future.

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Take a look at some of our favorite articles that we came across while researching this topic:

* Mongolia’s President Is Slicing Away Its Hard-Won Democracy, Foreign Policy, Anand Tumurtogoo* Mongolia: Bridge or Buffer in Northeast Asia?, The Diplomat, Elizabeth Wishnick* History of Mongolia, Embassy of Mongolia to the United States

In this episode, we speak with Mark Hofberg from the International Fund for Animal Welfare to talk about human-wildlife conflict. We discuss the inherent challenges that both humans and wildlife face while trying to simply exist in an increasingly hungry and crowded world.

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Take a look at some of our favorite articles that we came across while researching this topic:

* 1995 Reintroduction of Wolves in Yellowstone, Yellowstone Park, Tori Peglar* Human-wildlife conflict in Africa, Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN

Photo Credit: Doug Smith

In this episode, we discuss the origins, successes, and challenges of the East African Community, a political and economic bloc comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

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Take a look at some of our favorite articles that we came across while researching this topic:

* EAC Webpage* Headwinds toward East African regional integration: Will this time be different?, Brookings Institute, Aloysius Uche Ordu* DR Congo applies for admission to East African Community, The East African, Aggrey Mutambo

In this episode, we explore the history of compromised infrastructure, which countries are engaged in this kind of behavior, and what sort of advantages they seek to gain.

Over the past ten years, the world has seen a strong resurgence of piracy, particularly around the Horn of Africa. While international coalitions have largely succeeded in reducing the presence of piracy in that region, the activity has most recently emerged in other locations like Latin America and pockets of Asia. In this episode, we discuss the phenomenon of contemporary piracy and look into ways to alleviate the problem.

As we become more and more dependent on the internet, basic notions such a person’s country of residence are shifting. Estonia is the first country in the world to introduce an eResidency program, which allows people living anywhere in the world the ability to enjoy the same opportunities and services as people who physically live in Estonia.

In this episode, we are joined by Ott Vatter, Managing Director of the Estonia’s eResidency, to talk more about this program.

You can learn more about eResidency at the following links:

* eResidency Site* Ott Vatter appointed director of Estonia’s e-Residency programme, ERR

In this episode, we discuss the impact of video games on international security and international relations. Video games have had a significant impact on critical topics in global affairs, such as anti-terrorism, cultural relations, and military training. Check out our conversation!

Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis represents the interests of the European Union in Washington, DC. Ambassador Lambrinidis has held previous positions as the EU Special Representative for Human Rights, the Greek Foreign Minister, and Vice-President of the European Parliament. In our discussion, Ambassador Lambrinidis provides insights into the EU’s relationship with the US, the positive contributions of the EU to European prosperity, and some of the challenges of “dual citizenship” within EU member states.

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Take a look at some of our favorite articles that we came across while researching this topic:

* Delegation of the European Union to the United States, EU* The European Union: Ongoing Challenges and Future Prospects, Congressional Research Service* The European Union: A Guide for Americans, Delegation of the European Union to the United States

In this episode, we speak with author, Elisabeth Asbrink, who discussed her new book, Made in Sweden. Born and raised in Sweden to English and Hungarian parents, Elisabeth is an internationally renowned journalist, author, and playwright whose work has been translated into 19 languages. In her latest book, Elisabeth examines some of the unknown or forgotten aspects of Swedish culture and history that contribute to the foundation upon which Swedish society and identity are built.

You can find more information about her book here.

Photo Credit: Tove Falk-Olsson