Public Affairs (Audio)

Canada and the United States enjoy a truly unique relationship with deeply intertwined economic and cultural ties. The two countries also happen to share the biggest bilateral trading partnership in the world. The four-person panel of Eric Miller, Colin Robertson, Ian Saunders and Kirstine Stewart discusses several topics that include the importance of trade between the two countries, shared environmental interests along our common border, and the aftermath that the COVID-19 pandemic is causing to the economies of both the Canada and the U.S. Series: "Hemisphere in Transition" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37202]

Canada's Deputy Head of Mission and the CEO of the Canadian American Business Council deliver keynote addresses during the "Build Back Better Together" webinar discussing how to restore international trade between Canada and the U.S. in a post-pandemic era. Series: "Hemisphere in Transition" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37082]

This forum examines the binational Canada-United States relationship and explores new possibilities in the post-pandemic era to build back better together as both nations grapple with the emerging regional and global challenges of the 21st century, including future public health crises, regional security threats, climate change as well as our shared interests on the global stage. Series: "Hemisphere in Transition" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37249]

David Beckmann reviews what we've learned from the Poverty, God & Politics series, talks about the students in his UC Berkeley class, and thanks the people—about 3,000 a week—who have watched webcasts and read the companion blog posts. He stresses the importance of advocacy with Congress this year and active participation in next year's elections.

Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36998]

Eugene Cho, president of Bread for the World, explains how this nationwide Christian citizens' movement repeatedly wins large-scale change for people struggling with hunger in this country and around the world. He concludes with Bread's current campaign to strengthen U.S. support for progress against child malnutrition worldwide. 

Eugene is introduced by David Beckmann, who served as president until a year ago. These two leaders are different in many ways and Eugene is leading Bread for the World in new directions. But they are clearly united in faith and in deep appreciation for the people and congregations across the country who persistently urge their members of Congress to help hungry people. Eugene spoke to David's class in March 2021, an intense period of anti-Asian hate crimes. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36997]

John Carr provides a witty and incisive assessment of the liabilities and strengths of the Catholic community and its role in the politics of poverty. Its strengths include the leadership of Pope Francis and the rich tradition of Catholic social teaching. Carr is director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Teaching and Public Life at Georgetown University. Their educational programs are influential among Catholics in the United States and extend to thousands of people around the world. John previously served for more than two decades as director of the department that works on issues of peace, justice, and international development for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. John and David Beckmann have worked together for many years and are close friends. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36996]

Tom Hart, acting CEO and North American Executive Director of the ONE Campaign, explains how a strong advocacy community, including people of faith and faith-based organizations, have helped to reduce poverty, hunger, and disease around the world over the last generation. David Beckmann and Tom Hart open and close with lively discussions of two advocacy campaigns—debt relief for poor countries in the year 2000 and global child nutrition right now. Tom concludes with ambitious proposals to address the still-raging COVID pandemic and its consequences in low-income countries. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36995]

Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador (The Northern Triangle) are experiencing a historic Diaspora to the US southern border. The precipitants of this migration are an unprecedented economic contraction occurring after back-to-back major hurricanes compounded by a pandemic and further complicated by heightened crime, violence and corruption.

Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), Co-Chair of the Congressional Central America Caucus and a native of Guatemala, shares her perspective on the importance of addressing corruption and promoting good governance as key preconditions of future direct foreign assistance by the United States.

Then, Congress members Juan Vargas (CA-51) and Scott Peters (CA-52) discuss the Biden Administration’s proposed four-year, $4 billion regional strategy for the Northern Triangle region to address security and economic factors driving migration from Central America to the US. Series: "Hemisphere in Transition" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 37083]

Many faith bodies and faith-related groups organize legislative advocacy. Amy Reumann, director of Witness and Society for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), explains how the ELCA's legislative advocacy is rooted in faith and theology, collective study of policy concerns, and ELCA ministries at the local, national, and international levels. The ELCA, its churches, and people are active in advocacy with state governments, the United Nations, and corporations as well as with the federal government. Whenever possible, they bring powerful decision-makers into conversations with the people and organizations that the ELCA and its people know through their on-the-ground ministries—homeless people, for example, or local churches in Central America. ELCA congregations bring people from all across the political spectrum together in worship, fellowship, and study. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36994]

Anna Eng, a senior organizer for the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), explains from experience how faith-based community organizing works. David Beckmann argues that the faith-based community organizing movement has contributed to increasing political participation among low-income Americans. He also talks about the Poor People's Campaign and the positive impact of social media. Series: "Richard and Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 36993]