Fresh back from the West Coast attending the Summit of the Americas, we go over the highs and lows with our Latin America Program Acting Director Benjamin Gedan!

Since Russia launched its war against Ukraine in February, hundreds of journalists have left their country because they felt threatened by the Kremlin's crackdown on free speech. In the latest KennanX, Jill Dougherty presents the first in a two-part series profiling Russian journalists who have fled. She is joined by The Insider Founder Roman Dobrokhotov and Riddle Russia Co-Founder Anton Barbashin as they discuss how the war in Ukraine has affected their coverage, how to report investigative journalism in a country dominated by censorship and propaganda, and why they continue to stay connected to Russia despite it all.

Fresh back from the West Coast attending the Summit of the Americas, we go over the highs and lows with our Latin America Program Acting Director Benjamin Gedan

Dr. Yazan Hijazi joined the Riyada podcast to share his insight as the Director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Excellence at Al Hussein Technical University (HTU) in Amman, Jordan. Yazan has spent over 20 years working across sectors in the role of scientist, professor, executive director, entrepreneur and consultant across industries from academia and design to financial services. He discussed HTU’s efforts to reform, modernize, and upgrade technical and vocational education to be more in sync with labor market demands.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, host Merissa Khurma spoke with Tala Al Kurd, a psychotherapist in Jordan and host of the podcast ‘Yalla Nehki’, translating to “let’s talk”.

According to a 2018 global study, the Middle East region suffers from one of the highest rates of depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and suicide. Adding to this is a lack of awareness, limited services, and stigma around speaking opening or addressing mental health concerns. This conversation delves into Tala’s efforts to increase awareness and demystify concepts around mental health.

There's a lot of talk about Cold Wars lately, lessons from the first Cold War, maybe a new one with Russia. Perhaps China too? Robert Daly drops by the pod to let us know his thinking on whether we are in a new Cold War with China as an adversary. And how will this Cold War be the same or different from the first Cold War with the USSR? Well you will just have to listen and find out.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted Russian propaganda and the way it weaponizes the memory of World War II for political purposes—in this case, to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, Izabella Tabarovsky digs deep into Russia’s myths about the war and considers how the invasion of Ukraine is causing that entire symbolic universe to crumble. Guest: Dr. David Hoffmann. Commentators: Dr. Ivan Kurilla and Maxim Trudolyubov.

For show notes and additional information, visit our website here: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/crumbling-memory-russian-propaganda-world-war-ii-and-invasion-ukraine

The U.S. will host the Ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles from June 6-10, 2022. A number of Latin American and Caribbean presidents have said they won’t attend, protesting the exclusion of Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Others have criticized the Biden administration’s lack of ambition and concrete proposals to achieve the Summit's broad goals. In this episode, Latin American Program fellow Dr. Richard Feinberg joins us to discuss what we should expect at this Summit of the Americas.

U.S. Ambassador Clint Williamson draws on an unparalleled career investigating alleged war crimes and criminal activity from Cambodia to Kosovo, investigating cases on behalf of the European Union, the United Nations, and the Hague. Ambassador Williamson now leads a major U.S.- and EU-backed effort to respond to suspected war crimes in Ukraine. As we mark the third month of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ambassador Williamson and Wilson Center President and CEO Ambassador Mark Green discuss holding war criminals to account.

Merissa Khurma speaks with Jordan’s former Minister of Youth, Dr. Fares Braizat. Dr. Braizat, now the Founder & Chairman of NAMA Strategic Intelligence Solutions, is a leading expert on MENA’s socioeconomic and sociopolitical issues, with a particular focus on Jordan. He is author of many articles and most recently a piece titled "Radical education reform" in Jordan News.