World Questions

World Questions focusses on the future of Norway. What next for this oil rich country which is experiencing a cost of living crisis and debate over its high levels of public spending? Jonny Dymond is joined online by a panel of leading Norwegian politicians and activists taking questions from the public across the country.

The panel:

Producer: Helen Towner

(Photo: Norway flag in front of Oslo city hall and marina. Credit: Didier Marti/Getty Images)

It is rich in emeralds and copper, and home to Mosi oa Tunya, or Victoria Falls. It has a youthful population and one of the most stable democracies in Africa, but Zambia faces big challenges: High food prices, persistent poverty and claims that political rights are under threat. What are the country’s priorities in a fast-changing world? And what does the success of the women’s football team mean for Zambian women’s rights? Jonny Dymond chairs as leading politicians and thinkers debate questions suggested by an audience on location in Lusaka.

The panel:

Presenter: Jonny Dymond

Photo: Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya). Credit: Alf/Getty Images

Ecuador was once a relatively peaceful country, perhaps best known for its rich biodiverse landscapes, Amazonian rainforests and the world-famous Galapagos Islands. But the murder rate has quadrupled between 2018 and 2022 – an increase caused largely by the drug trade and the violence it brings. Now the country is in the grip of an unprecedented crimewave which has seen a rise in not just murders, but also kidnappings, extortion and widespread corruption.

The panel:

(Photo: Amazon rainforest, Ecuador. Credit: Mark Fox/Getty Images)

The Republic of Korea is one of the twentieth century’s economic miracles. Poor at the time it split from its neighbour to the north, it now has the fastest internet on the planet and is a world-leading exporter of electronics, cars and culture.

(Photo: Women take part in a march for gender equality on International Women's Day 2022 in Seoul. Credit: Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

World Questions is in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Leading politicians and academics take questions from a public audience. Membership of the European Union, relations with neighbouring Russia and the environment are all up for discussion in a unique debate chaired by Anu Anand.

The panel:

Producer: Helen Towner

Photo: Panoramic view of Tbilisi. Credit: vvvita via Getty Images)

The genocide of 1994 left 800,000 Rwandans dead. Since then the country has been remarkably stable, millions have been brought out of poverty and it is currently one of the least corrupt countries in Africa. But there are claims by some that freedom is the price that has been paid, and a recent UN report has detailed Rwandan involvement in fighting in neighbouring DRC.

Open elections, freedom of speech, international meddling, and national reconciliation all come up in a wide-ranging debate with questions raised by Rwandans around the world.

The panel:

Presenter: Jonny Dymond

(Photo: The President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, speaks to students at Harvard University in 2016. Credit: Paul Marotta/Getty Images)

It is the most prosperous country in the Caribbean with a rich culture, a tropical island environment, a stable democracy, and an economy based on rich resources of oil and gas. But Trinidad and Tobago is facing a surge in violent crime. The near collapse of its big neighbour Venezuela, a porous border, tens of thousands of refugees, sex trafficking and piracy have contributed to it reaching sixth place in the crime rates of the world. What can be done? How does this two island oil-rich state see its place in a changing world? Jonny Dymond chairs a panel of politicians and thinkers debating challenging questions from the public in the capital, Port of Spain.

The panel:

Producer: Charlie Taylor

BBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council, which connects the UK and the world through arts, culture, education and the English language.

(Photo: Singer Evalina Palotta taking part in the Trinidad & Tobago Carnival. Credit: Sean Drakes/LatinContent via Getty Images)

Bangladesh is now something of a global development poster child. Born out of war more than 50 years ago, it has hauled itself out of poverty to become one of the fastest growing economies in the Asia Pacific region. But the nation still faces many challenges - climate change threatens to overwhelm its low lying lands, corruption is endemic and many critics complain that democracy and freedom of speech are under pressure.

Four prominent politicians and analysts face questions from listeners about the future of their country: Dr Salim Mahmud, the Secretary for Information and Research, Central Executive Committee, Awami League party; Shama Obaed Islam, Organising Secretary Bangladesh Nationalist Party; Shahidul Alam, photographer and social activist; Tania Amir, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court in Bangladesh.

Presenter: Jonny Dymond

BBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council, which connects the UK and the world through arts, culture, education and the English language.

(Photo: Celebrating Bangladesh Independence Day in Dhaka. Credit: Mamunur Rashid/NurPhoto/Getty Images)

World Questions is in Chile with a public audience and a panel of politicians and thinkers to debate the future of the country. They address the big issues such as the rewriting of the nation’s constitution, immigration, crime and policing, economic growth, social justice – and the legacy of the Pinochet era.

The panel includes Lorena Fries, member of the governing coalition; Ignacio Briones, former Minister of Finance; Alejandra Matus, author and academic; Jose de Gregorio, Dean of Economics and Business at the University of Chile.

Presenter: Jonny Dymond

BBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council, which connects the UK and the world through arts, culture, education and the English language.

(Photo: Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font takes a selfie with the audience after a press conference. Credit: Cristobal Basaure Araya/Getty Images)

Saddam Hussein was toppled as Iraq’s head of state in 2003 after US-led forces invaded the country. World Questions is in Iraq with a public audience and a panel of politicians and thinkers to mark the 20th anniversary. They address today’s issues and there is passion and excitement as Iraqis debate openly whether life is better now than it was under Saddam. Foreign influence, corruption, the rights of women and Iraq’s potential as a tourist destination are all discussed by a panel facing questions from the public.

The panel:

Presenter: Jonny Dymond

BBC World Questions is a series of international events created in partnership with the British Council, which connects the UK and the world through arts, culture, education and the English language.

(Photo: Iraqi men beat a bust of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad, December 2003. Credit: Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images)