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The West and many analysts predicted that Russia was bluffing when it said it would invade Ukraine. Which comes as no surprise that everyone was surprised when Russian President Vladimir Putin actually did invade. As the war continues, it’s becoming without a doubt a defining conflict. With the help of our team, we provide key predictions on what we predict will happen in the coming weeks and how this conflict will impact the world order. 

Following the popular uprising in Sudan which saw the overthrow of the Sudanese Dictator Omar Al-Bashir and the launch of the democratic transition in the country, the prospects for democracy have been in question i the lead up to elections. After the imprisionment of Sudanese PM Abdallah Hamdok and the military take over, thousands of Sudanese are declaring the transition over and calling for immediate democratic rule. With the uniqueness and fragility of these dynamics, it's surprising the US is not stepping up in its actions to ensuring sustainable peace and democratic processes being upheld. Is the US missing an opportunity to prove Biden's statement that "America is back"? Should the US get more involved and what should it do? We speak with Democratic and Electoral Transitions Professional Sherif Alaa in Khartoum and Dr Sharath Srinivasan of Cambridge University and author of When Peace Kills Politics to discuss more.

New Year, New Podcast! We're starting the first episode of the year, with our host Gesu Antonio Baez bringing you the top three things to watch out for in International affairs, which will affect diplomacy, development and business.

WWe’re back! After a very long pause, we’re introducing to you our new season of episodes which are focusing on a key and crucial theme for global affairs - understanding China. Mainly, what is Chinese diplomacy like? What are we getting wrong about China? What is China’s role in sustainable development? And more importantly, how can we engage better with China? Joining us for our first episode is our own China Political Consultant, Dr Su Yun Woo as we discuss the common misconceptions we are having around China and how we can expand our knowledge around this fascinating (yet polarising) world power.

We're going to be taking a pause to prep for the launch of our brand new season starting in September! With exciting new content and speakers on diplomacy and international development, it’s going to be amazing! Stay tuned!

The Sex Trade is among the biggest - yet most unknown - challenges to the United States. With millions of Americans being trafficked due to porous social systems and general societal neglect, it has become one of the greatest issues facing sustainable development within the United States. In a series of episodes dedicated to development in the US, we speak with American Journalist and host of the documentary "Sold in America" Noor Tagouri about the challenges, the dynamics and what could potentially be done.

In March, a group of developed countries including the UK, EU nations and the USA voted to block a waiver on trade regulations to copyright, petitioned by more than 100 developing countries in order to speed up COVID19 vaccine productions. This move has left a lingering scar that could prove to be a permeant shift in diplomacy going forward. This episode analyses the latest development and its implication for years to come.

COVID-19 has forced many policy makers to have key issues on gender equality and women’s health take a backseat. But just because there is a pandemic, does not mean that these issues will be on hold. What are the key global priorities for 2021 for gender equality and women’s health? And what can both policymakers and businesses do to progress them further? On this episode, we speak with Susan Markham of Smash Strategies and former USAID Women’s Empowerment Coordinator and Matt Jackson, UNFPA UK Director to discuss further.

With the incoming presidency of US President Elect Joe Biden due this month, there will be a slew of foreign policy priorities, especially when considering diplomacy and development. Joining us to discuss this are Paul O’Brien, Vice President of Oxfam America and Author of “The Power Switch” (available here) and Dr Steven Heydemann of Smith College to discuss what Biden has to work with and what challenges are at hand.

The COVID-19 outbreak has put a strain on those working in the third and public sector and they struggle to keep aid programs afloat while their lives remain suspended. Yet at the same time, aid workers, humanitarians, charity workers and development professionals are expected work overtime and go above and beyond under straining conditions of lockdown and COVID-19. For this, leadership needs to step up and be more compassionate. On this episode, we speak to Lemonade Media CEO Jessica Cordova Kramer, Sustainability expert Richard Smith and TED Speaker Amel Murphy on the importance of compassionate leadership in the public sector. WARNING: Explicit language used during conversation.

The conflict surfacing in Ethiopia's northern region of Tigray is intensifying as the government in Addis Ababa respond to local TPLF (Tigray Party Liberation Force) endeavours to secure autonomy with a military response. With an information blackout and muddle communication, understanding what is going on is a challenge. Even more so is how this conflict can threaten both the unity of the country and the diplomatic dynamics in the African horn. William Davison, Senior Analyst at International Crises Group speaks with us on The Global Podcast to understand what is going on as well as the implications for diplomacy in the region and development in Ethiopia.

Despite the harking of some foreign policy wonks on the end of globalisation, the greater interconnectedness of global affairs and business beckons to differ. And with a great connected world, even during a pandemic, means greater need for diplomacy. On this episode, we discuss the new diplomacy and emergence of diplomatic divisions in both businesses and tech.

With consistent discussion on the impact of COVID 19 on the global economy and geopolitics, we forget about the impact of those who work with the most vulnerable. On this episode, we speak with Katie Rickard of Impact Initiatives to discuss the situation on the ground, the gravity of the pandemic and the affect it is having on an already fragile humanitarian situation globally.

The Global Podcast will be on a summer break until mid-September. In the meantime, revisit past episodes while we work on bringing you amazing new ones.

The arrival of COVID-19 has led to global economic crisis with the halt of the global economy. But while leaders are focusing on economic stimulus packages, a recent report shows that they should be focusing on a more sustainable solution - green stimulus. We speak with UK Sustainability Expert Richard Smith to discuss more about this potential for both a sustainable economy and environment.

Lebanon is on the verge of bursting. With an ineffective government, high inflation, overwhelming numbers of refugees from both Syria and Palestine, as weak as dwindling opportunities for its youth, the Lebanese people have been protesting since late last year for change. But with COVID19 now added to the mix, Lebanon is now on the verge of complete collapse and burst, taking a toll on its most vulnerable populations. We are joined by Halim Shebaya, Interim Executive Director of the Arab Association of Constitutional Law and Christophe Martin, the Head of Delegation at the International Community of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Lebanon to discuss more about both the political and economic explosion in the country and the effect it is having on the most vulnerable of the Lebanese community.

Italy and Greece both have relatively weak economies prior to being hit by the COVID-19 health pandemic. News coverage of the virus plaguing Italy was rampid, but while Italy struggled to keep it at bay, Greece managed to contain the virus relatively swiftly. But with shutdowns and low tourism this summer, what will Italy and Greece look like post-COVID19? We speak to former Milan Correspondent for The Economist Alexandra Fattal and Nick Malkoutzis of MarcoPolis to discuss this further.

The COVID-19 virus has plunged the world into a high level of uncertainty and without a doubt, many developing countries are feeling that brunt. With The Economist having hailed this the African decade and many looking to the promises of Frontier Markets as “the next big thing”, what are their outlooks in a post-coronavirus world now that a deep recession is likely? Joining us to discuss more are Gavin Serkins (Managing Editor of New Markets Media and Intelligence), Andres Alma (Congressional Candidate and Professor of Law at Universidad APEC in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) and Michael Nderitu (Chief Risk Officer at AZA in Kenya) to discuss the African, Latin American and Frontier Market perspective.

In February of 2020, the USA had 3.5% unemployment in the entire country - a 50 year low. But then came COVID-19 and 20.6 million job losses. This has left many wondering - what happened to the plentiful jobs of Trump? Truth be told, they were plentiful - just not sustainable. On this episode, we explore how COVID-19 revealed a critical in sustainable jobs in the USA and what this could mean for its economic future.

While COVID 19 has been primarily ravaging Western and Developed Nations such as China, Italy and the USA, the developing world has not been immune to the coronavirus - or COVID 19 - either In fact, many experts fear it will be worst in Africa, Asia and Latin America due to the poor medical infrastructure and general social dynamics. But as the weeks progress, the reality has been different than what the media is portraying. But what are the repercussions of COVID 19 in this part of the world? Whether on its economy and socio cultural dynamics that will cause it to suffer more than what the virus can do? We speak with Dr Theodora Pepera (a British-Ghanaian OBGYN based in Accra), Dr Ryan Lloyd  of Centre College in the USA who specialised in Latin American affairs, and Lauren Anders Brown (award winning humanitarian film maker) to discuss COVID 19 in Africa, Latin America and the vulnerable communities in the refugee camps around the world to discuss the reality on the ground.