The Global Podcast

With all the hype on emerging markets, we forget there is one additional realm which very few impact investors have considered until now - frontier markets. On this episode, we speak with Gavin Serkin of New Markets Media and Intelligence to discuss what they are, why impact investors should be considering them and why they matter for a sustainable future.

In early June, US President Donald Trump announced a plan to implement tariffs on all Mexican goods until the Mexican government solves the current migrant crisis along the US border. But is this an appropriate solution? More importantly, is this even sustainable? We discuss the root cause of the migrant crisis, the current dynamics and propose a real solution, which businesses, NGOS and investors can also be on board for, which leads to real action and a positive solution.

On this inaugural series of Hot Talks, where we invite experts to discuss key themes pertinent to diplomacy in international development, we sit down with Chiara Soletti of the Italian Climate Network to discuss recent threats made by the Bolsonaro administration in Brazil against both the Amazon and the indigenous populations. We discuss the potential threat to the global climate that this move could have and highlight the opportunity that is present for both businesses and NGOs in taking up the role where government may be missing.

Religion is a delicate subject but it is crucial to understand in order to ensure development and humanitarian aid is evenly distributed to all stakeholders in many conflict zones. On this podcast, we speak with Prof Mark Juergensmeyer of University of California Santa Barbara to discuss religion and diplomacy in international development - what is the need to understand religious dynamics in post-conflict zones in order to effectively deliver development and aid?

The Dominican Republic has witnessed unprecedented growth and an economic boom since the mid-2000's, rendering this island nation as the top receiver of FDI in Latin America and the fastest growing economy in the region. But apart from business and trade opportunities, what lies for sustainable development? While it is an emerging economy, it is still a developing one. So what are they key gaps present and what can be done for greater social impact? We explore more on today's episode.

Since the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back in 2015, the word ‘sustainable development’ has become the most important word for global development. It is also one of the primary terms used by us at The Global Podcast. But what does it mean? We sit down with Charlotte Osterman, Director of Sustainable Development at Pax Tecum Global to explain what it means, where it came from and why it matters.

Venezuela has been in an economic crisis for years but the situation heightened when the President of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Juan Guaido, was declared interim president by the assembly as a response to current President Nicolas Maduro's management of the country. Since then, the country has been the scene of a dire humanitarian crisis and the pawn of a geopolitical hand at play. Yet while the country's politics goes on, millions flee the country and basic human needs aren't being met. Can diplomacy in international development save Venezuela? Is there a role for NGOs and either state or non-state actors to engage to provide relief and aid for the Venezuelan people? On this episode, we invite Temir Porras Ponceleon (former Foreign Affairs Advisor to Hugo Chavez and former Chief of Staff to Nicolas Maduro), Daniel Lansburg-Rodriguez (Director of Latin America for Greenmantle LLC and Adjunct Lecturer at Northwestern Kellogg), and Ryan Lloyd (Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Sao Paulo) to discuss this crucial question - is diplomacy in international development still possible in Venezuela?

NB: This episode was recorded on Monday, 29 April. On 30 April, Juan Guaido declared to have military personnel switch loyalty to declare an end to Maduro. Maduro retains the majority of the Venezuelan army’s backing. However, the situation is still ongoing and still remains unclear. Much of the uncertain and potential for what could occur was forecasted in this podcast.

The Economist labelled Africa as the "Hopeless Continent" in the early 2000's. Fast forward to the present and it has now published a cover on how Africa is "rising". Businesses and governments are flooding to the continent to do business and Africa is now the scene of a rising amount of startups and entrepreneurs. So what is fuelling this? And what is this new kind of African innovation? We speak with Simon Duchatelet of the World Bank's Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation Global Practice to find out more on why this decade is indeed the 'African decade'.

Click here to find out information on the World Bank’s launch of XL Africa.

On 17 April 2019, Indonesians went to the polls and voted in current President Joko Widodo (commonly called Jokowi) back into office for a second term. But with underachieving on certain developmental promises and a sudden alliance with the more conservative right wing, what political implications will this have for both development and sustainability for the country in the coming years? We provide the overview and analysis on this episode.

With the launch of the SDGs back in 2015, there was an opportunity for businesses and the private sector to come on board in supporting the global goals. But the pick up has been with mixed results. In this episode, we speak with Matt Loose of SustainAbility to discuss the opportunities available for businesses in supporting the SDGS and why it makes financial and commercial sense in saving the world.