World Questions

Iceland is known for its rugged wilderness, booming tourist industry and a high standard of living. But this small nation in the North Atlantic is not immune from the challenges facing the rest of the world. Rising inflation is making it harder for young people to afford a home of their own. And as the globe warms, glaciers are melting and the landscape that draws so many visitors is changing.

Jonny Dymond is in Reykjavik with a public audience and panel of leading politicians and commentators to debate the big issues facing this ancient democracy, including whale hunting, immigration, sustainable tourism and how to protect Iceland’s unique culture from increasing globalisation.

On the panel:

Producer: Steven Williams

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: Hallgrimskirkja, Reykjavik. Credit: Raimund Franken/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

The rights of indigenous peoples, the practicalities of imposing a ban on sex outside marriage, public education and how Indonesia can boost its economy to reach its full potential are some of the issues brought up for discussion by the Indonesian public.

Indonesia, which is made up of over 17,000 islands stretching from Asia to Australia, faces many challenges including demands for independence in several provinces, environmental degradation, food insecurity and a capital city that is slowly sinking into the ground. In this virtual edition of World Questions, Jonny Dymond asks Indonesians how they see the future of their country.

The panel:

Producers: Steven Williams and Helen Towner

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: A crowd watches the ceremony commemorating Indonesian Independence Day on a screen outside the Presidential Palace in Jakarta. Credit: Aditya Irawan/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Georgia Meloni has been sworn in as Italy’s first female Prime Minister and leader of a new right-wing government. She has committed to reducing immigration, helping families in difficulty with high energy prices and supporting Ukraine with arms and aid.

On 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: Italy’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, speaks to the media at the Quirinale Palace in Rome; Credit: Reuters/Guglielmo Mangiapane)

Fuel shortages, electricity cuts, food security, climate change and corruption: Jonny Dymond presents a public debate in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, on these issues of national importance.

Malawi is one of the poorest nations on earth with over half the population living on less than a dollar a day. How to move the country forward?

A panel which includes some of Malawi’s senior politicians and campaigners answer questions posed directly by the audience.

(Photo: Women and Children in Lilongwe, Malawi; Credit Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

China’s claims that the ‘breakaway’ island of Taiwan has always been part of its territory, has led some to believe that Beijing will be emboldened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and will move to annex the island. With President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on freedoms and democracy in Hong Kong, the Taiwanese are becoming more nervous - particularly as President Putin proclaimed Russia is building a new "democratic world order" with China. But if China were to invade Taiwan how would the West respond – particularly the USA?

An assassination attempt on the Vice President, the impact of legalising abortion, sky-high inflation and the Falkland/Malvinas question: the big issues in Argentina are debated by an enthusiastic audience firing challenging questions at a panel of experts and political insiders in the capital.

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: People in Argentina wave the national flag outside the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Buenos Aires. Credit: Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty Images)

Devastating floods, political instability, economic turmoil… as Pakistan grapples with enormous challenges, Jonny Dymond hears from a young panel of activists, academics and politicians debating questions raised by under 30s across the country. They discuss the government’s reaction to the floods, climate change, the role of women, relations with India, the role of the army in politics and what their future vision is for Pakistan, a country with the fifth largest population in the world.

The panel:

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: Pakistani students in Karachi attend a march on the run up to Independence Day. Credit: Sabir Mazhar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

A local audience from the city of Birmingham in the UK - soon to host the Commonwealth Games - and an audience joining via video link from across the Commonwealth put their questions to an expert panel. Anita Anand presents the debate which ranges from issues around reparations for slavery and the role of the monarchy to human rights, the environment and economic development.

The panel:

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: Flag bearers carry flags of the Commonwealth at Westminster Abbey during The Commonwealth Day Service in March 2022. Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Jonny Dymond debates the future of Taiwan with a panel of leading politicians and questioners from across the region discussing relations with China, migrant workers, the legalisation of cannabis and the low birth rate. He us joined by Jason Hsu, senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and former Kuomintang Party (KMT) legislator; Wen Lii, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) County Director, Matsu Islands; Emily Wu, podcaster and journalist; professor Kerry Brown, director, Lau China Institute at King's College London.

Producer: Helen Towner

(Photo: Taipei skyline featuring the 101 Building, Credit: Prisma by Dukas/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

The war in Ukraine has proved a turning point for German policy makers who have pledged to increase defence spending and wean themselves off their dependence on Russian gas and oil. But at what cost to the German public? How deep is the new consensus in Berlin? How will Germany face these new challenges in foreign policy – and energy and inflation problems at home?

The panel:

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.

Producer: Helen Towner

(Photo: Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Credit: Sylvain Sonnet/Getty Images)