World Affairs Report

Angelica talks to Kate Brick from New American Economy about their new report: New Americans – The Role of Immigrants in Reviving the Great Lakes Region.   

 New American Economy (NAE) brings together more than 500 Republican, Democratic, and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms that will help create jobs for Americans today. Coalition members include mayors of more than 35 million people nationwide and business leaders of companies that generate more than $1.5 trillion and employ more than 4 million people across all sectors of the economy, from Agriculture to Aerospace, Hospitality to High Tech and Media to Manufacturing.

In this 30 minute conversation, Kate talks about data-driven results on fact checking the economic impact of immigrants in our country, particularly the impact on working-class Americans.  She shares specific highlights and statistics about the Pittsburgh area as well.

Show Resources:

THANK YOU:

Thank you to our supporter,  Federated Investors, for making our work possible.

Dale Giovengo joined us to discuss his experience leaving a successful 36-year career with Giant Eagle to join the Foreign Service.  Motivated by the events of September 11, 2001, he wanted to serve his country and was not able to join the military so he decided to join the Foreign Service in 2006 as a second career.  Dale explains the difference between a Foreign Service specialist and generalist. If you want to be a specialist, which is the career track Dale chose, you will work behind the scenes in the day-to-day life at an Embassy and do not take the Foreign Service written exam like consular/political officers do.

Dale emphasizes that many careers at the State Department with the Foreign Service are designed for experienced professionals coming from the private sector – the average age of a new hire at the Foreign Service is 32 years old, and there are many instances of professionals of Dale’s age joining at a later date in their careers.   Dale walks us through the application process, the day to day life living at overseas embassies, advice for those looking to join the Foreign Service, and shares anecdotes from his career. Find out what shocked him about ordering pizza in Switzerland and why he received a goat as a gift in Mali!

Official job postings at the State Department website: www.careers.state.gov

Ambassador Ryan Crocker visited Pittsburgh in April 2018 for a series of Council programs engaging students and the greater Pittsburgh community in a dialogue addressing the current state of affairs in the Middle East.  Here, he continues the discussion with Angélica, offering his unique insight as a diplomat with nearly four decades of experience in the region. Ambassador Crocker gives a first-hand account of the recent history of the Middle East, starting with his initial impressions during his first assignment in Iran. He speaks on the causes of an unprecedented time in the region characterized by total state failure and chaos replacing governments, while providing perspective on the rise of non-state actors. Ambassador Crocker further discusses the  potential outcome of a decreased American presence in Syria, as well as the continued influence of Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. He illustrates the challenges and progress of the war in Afghanistan, detailing the vulnerability to the strides made in the empowerment of women in the country.

Ambassador Crocker is a career ambassador within the U.S. Foreign Service. He was in the Foreign Service for 37 years and, after retiring, was recalled to active duty by President Obama in 2011 to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan.  His previous appointments included service as the U.S. Ambassador to Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Mr. Crocker became dean of Texas A&M University’s George Bush School of Government and Public Service in 2010; he is currently a Diplomat in Residence at the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University, for the academic year 2017-2018. Mr.  Crocker has received many of the nation’s highest honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.

VIDEOS OF INTEREST:

Thank you to our supporter, EQT, for making this episode possible.

Our CEO Angélica Ocampo sits down with the British Consul General in NY to discuss Brexit and what’s next for the United Kingdom, with an emphasis on trade opportunities and the UK’s perspective about the special relationship between the USA and the UK.

Antony Phillipson is Her Majesty’s Consul General in New York and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for North America (HMTC).  As Consul General, Antony leads the government’s work promoting UK economic, commercial, political and consular interests in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Fairfield County, Connecticut. As Trade Commissioner, Antony champions British trade as the UK prepares for future trade agreements with countries around the world and leads the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) in North America.

SHOW LINKS:

–  UK – US Trade and Investment Highlights – District Reports :   https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-us-trade-investment-highlights

– Consulate General NY Website:  https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-consulate-general-new-york

–Antony Phillipson’s biography::  https://www.gov.uk/government/people/antony-phillipson

–Follow Antony Phillipson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJPhillipson

THANK YOU

Thank you to our supporter, EQT,  for making this episode possible.

The Ambassador of Pakistan to the USA, H.E. Mr Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, visited Pittsburgh in February 2018 for an armchair discussion on the future of US-Pakistan relations. While he was here, Angélica had the chance to sit down with him and discuss areas of both cooperation and tension between our two countries.  He discusses current anti-terror strategies and his viewpoints on why the United States does not agree with Pakistan, as well as  Pakistan’s national security interests,  increased economic ties with China,  and his view on the India-Pakistan conflict.

THANK YOU

Thank you to our supporter, EQT,  for making this episode possible.

Lieutenant Colonel Lisa Lamb talks with Anna about her career as a female military officer. LTC Lamb grew up in Pittsburgh, PA, and has served in the US Airforce and the US Army, with a Master’s of Business Administration and a Master’s of Public Administration. She shares with us the history of women in the military, noting that historically, women have served in combat since the Revolutionary War. She discusses the challenges, triumphs,  and still-existing barriers for women in leadership positions, noting that mentorship and role models are imperative as one rises through the ranks. LTC Lamb also discusses the military’s focus on special programs such as the Sexual Harassment and Assault Response Prevention (SHARP) program, and provides advice on how to be an empowering leader.

Please note LTC Lamb’s opinions are her own and do not represent official US policy of any agency.

THANK YOU

Thank you to our supporter, BNY Mellon,  for making this episode possible.

Commander Brett W.  Holdiman, US Navy, joins us from the US Army War College to share his expertise on the South China Sea conflict. Commander Holdiman has over 2,300 flight hours and over 450 arrested landings. He is entitled to wear numerous military medals and has received various campaign, unit, personal, and service awards, and recently completed a deployment in the Western Pacific.

In this podcast, he discusses the implications for US foreign policy for the current land and sea disputes in this region, calling the South China Sea “vital to US national interests”.  China is currently claiming all the waters inside “The 9 Dash Line” to gain fishing and oil rights, which is against the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.  The US Navy’s mission is to protect the global commons (oceans that are not subject to a country’s sovereignty) and as Commander Holdiman explains,  an economic conflict in the South China Sea has far-reaching consequences.

Please note Commander  Holdiman’s opinions are his own and do not represent official US policy of any agency.

THANK YOU

Thank you to our supporter, BNY Mellon,  for making this episode possible.

Tom Sanderson and Seth Jones sit down with Anna to discuss the dynamic threat of ISIS, the presence of foreign fighters in overseas conflicts,  and the risks of “home grown” terrorism.

Seth G. Jones holds the Harold Brown Chair, is director of the Transnational Threats Project, and is a senior adviser to the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).  Thomas Sanderson is a senior associate and the co-founder and former director of the CSIS Transnational Threats Project. He investigates terrorism, insurgency, criminal networks, global trends, and intelligence issues.

Jaime Turek, Senior Reception and Placement Program Coordinator at the Northern Area Multi-Services Center, joined us to discuss resources for immigrants and refugees in Pittsburgh. She describes the logistics brefugee placement,  her personal stories of meeting new families,  and the upcoming Immigrant & Refugee Health and Wellness Resource Fair.

Jaime is currently the Senior Reception and Placement Program Coordinator at the Northern Area Multi-Service Center (NAMSC). She manages and coordinates the Reception and Placement program for all newly arrived refugees who are resettled through the agency, including assuring that these clients receive adequate and intensive case management from staff for the first three to six months that they are in the country.  She has a master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in International Development and has also previously held positions at the Project to End Human Trafficking.

What is NAMSC? 

NAMS (the Northern Area Multi Service Center) provides a range of community service programs throughout the Pittsburgh region in partnership with other area organizations, including state and local government. Together, these groups help senior citizens, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and refugees build and maintain their independence and an improved quality of life.

Each year families and individuals from all parts of the world, who have fled their homes in fear of persecution, call Pittsburgh their home. As the largest resettlement program in Pittsburgh, CARR welcomes and assists these refugees as they arrive and resettle in our city.  With the support of the U.S. Department of State’s Reception and Placement (R&P) Program and the United State Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) we provide newly arrived refugees with the basic services and support they need to rebuild their lives.  Basic services include, but are not limited to: Decent, safe, sanitary, and affordable housing,  Essential furnishings, Assistance in applying for social security cards, Assistance in registering children in school & adults in English classes, Transportation to job interviews and job training, Assistance in obtaining health screening and mental health services, Obtaining employment services, Airport pickup, Cultural Orientation classes.

Show Links:

NAMSC: http://buildingindependence.org/nams/community-assistance-and-refugee-resettlement/

Save the Date – 3rd Annual Immigrant and Refugee Health and Wellness Resource Fair, May 12, 2018:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2043353999267616/

Linda Robinson, Senior International and Defense Researcher at the RAND Corporation,  joined us to discuss how to make victory count after defeating ISIS. In this podcast,  she discusses the importance of good governance and reconciliation in the region after the fall of ISIS and expands on her recommended steps to take during the next year in Iraq:

Linda Robinson is a senior international and defense researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her current research centers on assessing the U.S. national security strategy, strategy and campaign to counter the Islamic State in Iraq and the Syria (ISIS), political warfare by state and non-state actors, and special operations forces.

She conducted eight months of field research in the Middle East in 2016-17, testified before the U.S. Congress on ISIS and US counterterrorism strategy, Ms. Robinson was a Nieman fellow at Harvard University, senior consulting fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a media fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, and author in residence at John Hopkins SAIS Merrill Center for Strategic Studies. She received the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Reporting on National Defense and other awards.

Ms. Robinson was senior adviser to U.S. Central Command’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Center and has provided strategic analysis, studies and concepts on defense, diplomacy, and counterinsurgency as an expert consultant. She is serving a three-year appointment to the U.S. Army War College Board of Visitors and is a frequent lecturer domestically and internationally at civilian and military educational institutions and policy conferences.

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