PassBlue UN Podcasts

As the world unites to help Lebanon recover from a blast that decimated parts of its capital on Aug. 4 and killed nearly 200 people, some powerful members of the Security Council in New York are arguing over the mandate renewal of the UN's peacekeeping mission in the country, UNIFIL. On today's show, we talk to Ambassador Amal Mudallali, the ambassador of Lebanon to the UN, about her hopes for the relief effort and the future of her country. We also interview Karim Makdisi, a professor at the American University of Beirut, who explains the dominating tensions between the US and France over the role of Unifil in Southern Lebanon.

Links:

PassBlue's website: www.passblue.com

Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @PassBlueUN

Instagram: @passblue

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Are you looking for a talk show featuring leading global voices? Do you want to learn more about how international issues directly affect people locally?

Global Connections Television presents the insights of global influencers at-no-cost to viewers and programmers. GCTV is independently produced, and reaches more than 70 million potential viewers worldwide each week.

The show covers everything from human rights to climate change, from peace and security to empowering women and girls. It features guests such Dr. Jane Goodall, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, and Peter Yarrow of “Peter, Paul and Mary.” The show also hosts expert voices from the private sector, academia, and labor and environmental movements.

GCTV is available to public television media outlets, universities, and service clubs for distribution. To watch the show, visit www.globalconnectionstelevision.com. For more information, contact Bill Miller, the show’s host, at [email protected].

Indonesia assumes the Security Council presidency this month, and two big items are on its agenda: burgeoning its role as a 'bridge builder' between small and large powers on the Council, and transitioning the Council to in-person voting on Council resolutions. On today's show, we hear from Indonesian Ambassador to the UN, Dian Triansyah Djani, as well as Dr. Moch Faisal Karim, Assistant Professor in International Relations at Bina Nusantara University, located in the in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Although Indonesia is a regional power in Southeast Asia and the fourth most populated country in the world, Ambassador Djani describes his country's diplomatic style in the UN Security Council as “quiet” — an approach requiring patience and tolerance of its members.

Links:

PassBlue's website: www.passblue.com

Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @PassBlueUN

Instagram: @passblue

It is no secret that the global economy has taken a major hit from Covid-19. While graduations from universities, colleges and other schools were canceled or moved online, there is still an entire class of young people entering the job market who are passionate about multilateralism, global development, human rights and sustainability. But how can they land a coveted, highly competitive entry-level job at the United Nations or a related agency, in a pandemic? On today's episode, we chat with Stephanie Playford, the founder of United Career Coalition, an organization that advises students and young professionals on their careers and how to get noticed by the UN bureaucracy. We also chat with Daniel Naujoks, the interim director of the International Organization and UN Studies specialization at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs ("SIPA"), as well as two job-seekers: Monica Olveira, a former Global Citizenship Fellow and Community Engagement Associate at Unicef USA, and Nigina Khaitova, a graduate of SIPA whose lifelong dream is to work at the UN.

Clarification: Stephanie Playford worked as a personal assistant for Mohamed ElBaradei from 2009 to 2012, after he retired as director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Links:

PassBlue's website: www.passblue.com

Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @PassBlueUN

Instagram: @passblue

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UN-Scripted is supported by Fordham University's Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies, an innovative program dedicated exclusively to the theory and practice of international humanitarian response.

Built on social justice values and humanitarian principles, this 30-credit graduate program will prepare you with the skills you need to launch or advance your career in humanitarian action. Evening and online classes are offered at Fordham's Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, New York, as well as at the Lincoln Center campus located in midtown-Manhattan. Applications for fall 2020 are being accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit fordham.edu/mshs.

Germany is regarded as one of the most powerful defenders of multilateralism in the world right now and has largely resisted the current global wave of populism and isolationism. But Chancellor Angela Merkel, the face of Germany since 2005, is retiring in 2021. What role will the country play on the world stage without her? As Germany begins its last presidency of the Security Council in its two-year term in July, Ambassador Christoph Heusgen shares his plans for the month and his vision for Germany's future, promising that its light will not fade at the UN and in Europe. We also chat with Patrick Rosenow, editor-in-chief of the German Review on the UN, who knows his facts and figures on Germany in the UN. In July, he says that Germany’s ambition for the UN to appoint a special envoy on climate change and security will be important to watch.

Links:

PassBlue's website: www.passblue.com

Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @PassBlueUN

Instagram: @passblue

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UN-Scripted is supported by Fordham University's Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies, an innovative program dedicated exclusively to the theory and practice of international humanitarian response.

Built on social justice values and humanitarian principles, this 30-credit graduate program will prepare you with the skills you need to launch or advance your career in humanitarian action. Evening and online classes are offered at Fordham's Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, New York, as well as at the Lincoln Center campus located in midtown-Manhattan. Applications for fall 2020 are being accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit fordham.edu/mshs.

Happy Birthday, UN Charter! As the United Nations turns 75, UN-Scripted looks at the past, present and future of the organization through the sharp eyes of elders and youth. In this episode, you’ll hear from former heads of states, diplomats and United Nations officials on what they believe are the UN’s greatest accomplishments and the path ahead for the organization.

In this episode, you'll hear strong, controversial opinions: disillusioned UN youth delegates, elders desperate for international cooperation and pro-Asian scholars who believe the region is bound to lead the world soon. You’ll also hear from leading UN scholars who look at the key events that have shaped the United Nations since its its inception.

For more information about our guests, in order of appearance:

• Stephen Schlesinger, United States, Senior Fellow at the Century Foundation and former Director of the World Policy Institute at the New School; author of, among other books, “Act of Creation: The Founding of The United Nations," available here: https://www.amazon.com/Act-Creation-Founding-United-Nations/dp/0813332753

• Thomas G. Weiss, United States, Presidential Professor of Political Science at The CUNY Graduate Center and former director of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at CUNY; author of numerous books on the UN. For more information: https://www.futureun.org/en/Home

• Fabrizio Hochschild, Chile, Special Adviser to Secretary-General António Guterres on the Commemoration of the UN-75th Anniversary. The United Nations worldwide survey is available at: https://www.un.org/UN75

• Mary Robinson, Ireland, Former President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and currently Chair of The Elders. Mary Robinson has also discussed human rights and multilateral cooperation in a post-pandemic world with fellow members of The Elders in special episodes of a new podcast series called “Finding Humanity”. The series also features interviews with frontline activists and human rights defenders working for change in their communities. Listen here: findinghumanitypodcast.com

• Sir Richard Jolly, United Kingdom, Former Deputy Director of Unicef and a UN Assistant Secretary-General

• Kishore Mahbubani, Singapore, Former Permanent Representative to the UN and Distinguished Fellow at the National University of Singapore. His book, "Has China Won," is available at: https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/kishore-mahbubani/has-china-won/9781541768123/

• Carol Bellamy, United States, Former Executive Director of Unicef

• Justin Yifu Lin, China, Former Chief Economist at the World Bank and Dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University.

• Edward Mortimer, United Kingdom, Former Director of Communications for Secretary-General Kofi Annan

And our youth leaders:

• Côme Girschig, France, Representative at the UN’s 2019 Youth Climate Change Summit

• Yen Ba Vu, Vietnam, Law and History Student

• Dr. Joannie M. Bewa, Benin, Sexual and Reproductive Health Advocate and UN Youth Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals

• Sophie Arsenault, Canada, delivered a speech on behalf of Canada at the UN

PassBlue’s Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @passblueUN

Instagram: @passblue

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And check out our sponsors!

• The Centre for United Nations Studies at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom offers a one-year masters degree program in United Nations and Diplomatic Studies. www.buckingham.ac.uk/humanities/ma/united-nations-and-diplomatic-studies

• Fordham University offers a Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies via online and evening classes at Fordham's campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan. fordham.edu/mshs.

• The Fletcher School at Tufts University offers a two-year Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and a one-year master’s degree program for mid-career professionals. https://fletcher.tufts.edu

Bonjour! If you want to learn a new language to add to your list of quarantine ambitions, now may be the time to learn some very basic French — at least diplomatic French. In June, France assumes the Security Council presidency and is insisting on leading its meetings in la langue de Molière. On the show, we're joined by two longtime French diplomats: France’s current ambassador to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière, who played a key role in the negotiation of the Iran nuclear deal, and a former French ambassador to the UN and to the US,Gérard Araud. Both interviews took place in New York City.

Links:

PassBlue's website: www.passblue.com

PassBlue's Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @PassBlueUN

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Support for UN-Scripted comes from the Partnership for Transparency, a group of volunteer experts working to advance good governance and fight corruption in poor countries.

Now, more than ever, health systems face major capacity challenges in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This makes many countries vulnerable to mismanagement and corruption as governments and aid agencies pursue ambitious programs to fight the disease.

PTF’s rapid response programs empower local civil society groups to monitor aid distribution, ensuring that aid efficiently reaches the people who need it most and creating long lasting improvements in public health systems.

To learn more about PTF’s work or to start a conversation about how to increase citizen engagement in your own projects, visit ptfund.org.

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UN-Scripted is supported by Fordham University's Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies, an innovative program dedicated exclusively to the theory and practice of international humanitarian response.

Built on social justice values and humanitarian principles, this 30-credit graduate program will prepare you with the skills you need to launch or advance your career in humanitarian action. Evening and online classes are offered at Fordham's Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, New York, as well as at the Lincoln Center campus located in midtown-Manhattan. Applications for fall 2020 are being accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit fordham.edu/mshs.

Dr. Jillann Farmer has managed her share of crises as United Nations medical director, such as the Ebola outbreak in 2014 in West Africa and the Syrian chemical attacks that occurred in the country soon after that epidemic. Last winter, Dr. Farmer was ready to move on to a new job after 7 years at the UN to return to her native Australia, when the coronavirus pandemic quickly incapacitated New York City, putting the thousands of UN employees working at the Headquarters at risk. In this exclusive interview, from Australia, Dr. Farmer shares her perspective on the UN's preparedness and response to the pandemic, particularly in New York City, the epicenter of the virus in the United States. As she says, the crisis forced the UN medical team to contend with the biggest emergency response they has ever known, right at home.

Links:

PassBlue's website: www.passblue.com

PassBlue's Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @PassBlueUN

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Support for UN-Scripted comes from the Partnership for Transparency, a group of volunteer experts working to advance good governance and fight corruption in poor countries.

Now, more than ever, health systems face major capacity challenges in the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This makes many countries vulnerable to mismanagement and corruption as governments and aid agencies pursue ambitious programs to fight the disease.

PTF’s rapid response programs empower local civil society groups to monitor aid distribution, ensuring that aid efficiently reaches the people who need it most and creating long lasting improvements in public health systems.

To learn more about PTF’s work or to start a conversation about how to increase citizen engagement in your own projects, visit ptfund.org.

-----

UN-Scripted is supported by Fordham University's Master of Science in Humanitarian Studies, an innovative program dedicated exclusively to the theory and practice of international humanitarian response.

Built on social justice values and humanitarian principles, this 30-credit graduate program will prepare you with the skills you need to launch or advance your career in humanitarian action. Evening and online classes are offered at Fordham's Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, New York, as well as at the Lincoln Center campus located in midtown-Manhattan. Applications for fall 2020 are being accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, visit fordham.edu/mshs.

In May, Estonia assumes the UN Security Council presidency for the first time ever, bringing with it global expertise in cybersecurity and digital governance, just when the world seems to need it most. On this episode, we are joined by Estonian Permanent Representative Sven Jorgensen, who has been representing Estonia abroad even before it gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, and Lauri Malksoo, an international law expert and professor at the University of Tartu, in Estonia.

Links:

PassBlue's live coverage of the Coronavirus pandemic at the UN: www.passblue.com/2020/03/15/the-u…s-rages-updates/

PassBlue's Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @PassBlueUN

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Are you thinking of career working for the United Nations or its agencies around the World? Is it your dream to serve in your country’s foreign ministry, but you don’t know where to start? The Centre for United Nations Studies at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom is now offering a new, one-year masters degree program: in United Nations and Diplomatic Studies. Applications for Fall 2020 and January 2021 are now open.

Graduates will gain a firm grounding in diplomacy, international and regional organizations, causes of conflict, and strategies for conflict resolution. They’ll also learn about global political communication, and have access to mentors with first hand experience in the UN system, such as program director Mark Seddon, a former speechwriter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, a former UN Deputy Secretary General.

The University of Buckingham is located in a historic English town, close to London, and is a popular choice for students from across the globe. To find out more about the program, visit:

https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/humanities/ma/united-nations-and-diplomatic-studies

The coronavirus pandemic could change dynamics in the global political landscape that seemed unchangeable only last month. Will sanctions regimes be one of its victims?

Many parties in the international community are debating whether to loosen sanctions in certain countries to help them fight the pandemic, but critics say that bad actors are using the pandemic as political opportunism to lift sanctions. On today's show, we welcome two experts: Hilal Elver, the UN special rapporteur on the right to food who is currently quarantined in the seaside Turkish town of Bodrum, and Loraine Rickard-Martin, a UN consultant specializing in international sanctions and a co-author of "The Evolution of UN Sanctions."

Editor's note: we asked Ukrainian Permanent Representative Sergiy Kyslytsya on the show to discuss his letter to the UN secretary-general criticizing the Russian-led coalition at the UN calling for loosening sanctions. He did not follow up on many requests for comment.

Links:

PassBlue's live coverage of the Coronavirus pandemic at the UN: www.passblue.com/2020/03/15/the-u…s-rages-updates/

PassBlue's Twitter: @pass_blue

Facebook: @PassBlueUN

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Are you thinking of career working for the United Nations or its agencies around the World? Is it your dream to serve in your country’s foreign ministry, but you don’t know where to start? The Centre for United Nations Studies at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom is now offering a new, one-year masters degree program: in United Nations and Diplomatic Studies. Applications for Fall 2020 and January 2021 are now open.

Graduates will gain a firm grounding in diplomacy, international and regional organizations, causes of conflict, and strategies for conflict resolution. They’ll also learn about global political communication, and have access to mentors with first hand experience in the UN system, such as program director Mark Seddon, a former speechwriter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, a former UN Deputy Secretary General.

The University of Buckingham is located in a historic English town, close to London, and is a popular choice for students from across the globe. To find out more about the program, visit:

https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/humanities/ma/united-nations-and-diplomatic-studies

As the Dominican Republic assumes the Security Council presidency in April, Special Envoy José Singer Weisinger is inheriting a body fundamentally changed by the Covid-19 pandemic. He's presiding over "informal" video teleconference meetings and a flexible schedule from his country's capital, Santo Domingo, instead of from the Security Council chambers in New York City. Still, Singer wants the world to know one thing: "the Security Council is engaged and completely transparent."

Links:

PassBlue's live coverage of the Coronavirus pandemic at the UN: www.passblue.com/2020/03/15/the-u…s-rages-updates/

PassBlue's Twitter: @pass_blue

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Are you thinking of career working for the United Nations or its agencies around the World? Is it your dream to serve in your country’s foreign ministry, but you don’t know where to start? The Centre for United Nations Studies at the University of Buckingham in the United Kingdom is now offering a new, one-year masters degree program: in United Nations and Diplomatic Studies. Applications for Fall 2020 and January 2021 are now open.

Graduates will gain a firm grounding in diplomacy, international and regional organizations, causes of conflict, and strategies for conflict resolution. They’ll also learn about global political communication, and have access to mentors with first hand experience in the UN system, such as program director Mark Seddon, a former speechwriter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, and Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, a former UN Deputy Secretary General.

The University of Buckingham is located in a historic English town, close to London, and is a popular choice for students from across the globe. To find out more about the program, visit: www.buckingham.ac.uk/humanities/ma/united-nations-and-diplomatic-studies