Nabil Fahmy advocates for immediate peace efforts between Palestinians and Israelis. Both of the following statements are true: The surprise October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel was brutal, outrageous, inhumane, and far outside the boundaries of behavior even remotely “acceptable” in war. The ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza has terrorized Palestinia…

Pashtana Durrani, an Afghan woman dedicated to advancing her country by empowering women and educating girls, one at a time Terrorists and Afghanistan were back in the headlines because of the recent murderous ISIS-K attack on a concert in Moscow. No one should be surprised, since terrorism seems to be one of that benighted country’s few reliable e…

Clionadh Raleigh, expert in political violence, unveils global conflict's forms and dire impacts on civilians. Philosopher George Santayana wrote those words 100 years ago, between two massively destructive world wars. Unfortunately, they continue to ring true today amidst a growing global epidemic of political and civil conflict. That epidemic tak…

Andrew Selee of the Migration Policy Institute advocates for rational migration policies benefiting all. Mass migration is once again in the headlines around the world. This is less because of the numbers of people on the move than because it is an intensely political year—and fear of migrants is grist for politicians’ fear-mongering. The United St…

Amid Ukraine's conflict, George Beebe of the Quincy Institute emphasizes Western support to prevent defeat while advocating crucial negotiations. As Ukraine’s war enters its third year, it’s past time to dampen the rhetoric and tune up the reality. The war has shifted from failed Russian blitzkrieg, to valiant Ukrainian defense and then recovery, t…

Guest host Michael Niconchuk explores the global rise of violent extremism with experts Juncal Fernandez-Garayzabal and Noah Tucker. Violent extremism is growing globally. It doesn't know religion or creed. Where once it was confined to specific ideology or identity groups, at least in public discourse and discussion, now it appears across societie…

Amid Ukraine's conflict, George Beebe of the Quincy Institute emphasizes Western support to prevent defeat while advocating crucial negotiations. As Ukraine’s war enters its third year, it’s past time to dampen the rhetoric and tune up the reality. The war has shifted from failed Russian blitzkrieg, to valiant Ukrainian defense and then recovery, t…

Andrew Bastawrous, recipient of the 2023 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, discusses the transformative power of innovative thinking in eye care. Andrew Bastawrous solves problems. As a well-trained, highly skilled ophthalmologist he was devoted to treating as many patients as possible, in Kenya and elsewhere in Africa. But even gifted…

Meg Lowman talks about her passion for the health of the global forests that are essential components of the natural systems that keep us all alive. Winners of the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize typically have several things in common. They look at the big challenges confronting society as opportunities for innovation. They don’t cel…

A thought piece where Alan Stoga, Chairman of the Tällberg Foundation, shares how the foundation supports global leadership We live at a unique moment in human history. We—and, by “we” I mean practically all of civilization—have experienced roughly 70 years of widely shared prosperity, human development and even peace. Almost everyone alive today i…

Dr. Christian Ntizimira delves into the social, psychological, cultural, and spiritual aspects shaping the final days of someone who is dying. The Greek philosopher, Epicurus, wrote “The art of living well and dying well are one.” However, most of us spend our lives desperately trying to avoid even thinking about dying, never mind preparing for it.…

Uncover U.S. education challenges and solutions with Shawn Benjamin, principal of a successful Bay area charter school. One of the many challenges facing the United States today is an education system that seems to be rotting from the bottom: while graduate and professional schools are still world-class, elementary, middle and high schools are wide…

Migration expert Sergio Carrera critiques European policies, urging reflection on a more welcoming approach. European politicians talk endlessly about the rule of law, justice, human dignity and freedom of movement. But those words fade fast when the issue of migration pops up, replaced by endless efforts to stop migrants and refugees at the border…

Isabel Aninat offers her reflections on the implications of what happened on her country’s search for a more perfect democracy. During 2024 more than 50 countries, including seven of the world’s most populous nations, will vote in national elections. While many thousands of names will appear on ballots, what’s really at stake is the future of democ…

Lars Trägårdh does a deep dive into the social and political challenges confronting America. The United States seems to be on the verge of some kind of Judgement Day. Extreme partisanship, a past (and future?) president facing seemingly endless indictments and legal entanglements, a profound loss of trust in institutions and leaders, citizens who t…

Elisabeth Braw explores the potential consequences of being too tolerant. "If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.” Karl Popper in The Open Society and Its Enemies Fina…

Tero Mustonen discusses the urgent need to rewild the Far North to counteract climate change. The Arctic is warming at least twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet. All the vital signs—sea and land surface temperatures, terrestrial snow cover, the melting rate of the Greenland Ice Sheet, the extent and timing of sea ice—are all flashing red. …

Eduardo Amadeo discusses whether Argentina can finally escape the mess it has made for itself Why not? The country's inflation rate is approaching 150%. 40% of its people live in poverty. The currency is practically worthless. And Argentina is the IMF’s largest debtor because practically no one else will lend it money. By any definition, the countr…

Zelensky must be honest about the state of the war. Listen as we discuss with Svitlana Morenets what an honest assessment might mean. On January 1st Ukraine’s President Zelensky welcomed 2023 with the words, "Happy New Year! The year of our victory!’ Instead, as we approach year’s end, the conflict seems to have settled into a war of attrition whic…

Thomas Graham on how to cope with Russia today as well as tomorrow. Winston Churchill famously said that Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. After the end of the Cold War, many in the West thought the puzzle was solved. The Soviet Union had collapsed. Russians would embrace free markets and even liberal democracy. And Presiden…

Allyson Maynard-Gibson discusses a new way of thinking about how people can find the justice they deserve. It’s commonplace today to bemoan the erosion of democracy almost everywhere. Seemingly endless polls document citizens’ complaints; even more academic books and papers seek to explain the problem. But maybe we are overthinking this. Maybe the …

Guest host Michael Niconchuk explores the global rise of violent extremism with experts Juncal Fernandez-Garayzabal and Noah Tucker. Violent extremism is growing globally. It doesn't know religion or creed. Where once it was confined to specific ideology or identity groups, at least in public discourse and discussion, now it appears across societie…

In this SPOTLIGHT piece by Alan Stoga, he offers a glimmer of hope in the war between Israel and Hamas. The war between Israel and Hamas is a classic “lose/lose” proposition: there can be no winners, with a range of outcomes that stretch from bad towards disastrous. Is this just one more awful conflict in a region whose history is pockmarked by war…

Dr. Ruth Faden explains what happened during COVID and how we can do better. According to the WHO, the COVID pandemic killed almost seven million people. The full bill was undoubtedly far greater, not only in terms of lives lost, but of liberties suspended, economies disrupted, educations interrupted, economic development foregone. All in all, the …

Lars Trägårdh does a deep dive into the social and political challenges confronting America. The United States seems to be on the verge of some kind of Judgement Day. Extreme partisanship, a past (and future?) president facing seemingly endless indictments and legal entanglements, a profound loss of trust in institutions and leaders, citizens who t…

Luke Iseman and Andrew Song explain how they think they can cool the planet. Supposedly, Herodotus wrote that when the Greeks were told that the Persian archers at the Battle of Thermopylae would blot out the sun with their arrows, they responded: “Good, then we shall have our battle in the shade.” Fast forward to the early 21st century and the iss…

Listen to Ambassador Mirpuri's reflections on what he learned about America during his service in Washington. "There is nothing dramatic in the success of a diplomatist. His victories are made up of a series of microscopic advantages: of a judicious suggestion here, of an opportune civility there, of a wise concession at one moment and a far-sighte…

Elisabeth Braw explores the potential consequences of being too tolerant. "If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.” Karl Popper in The Open Society and Its Enemies Fina…

Will India continue to evolve and become a global power? Milan Vaishnav shares some answers in this episode. India's backstory is largely unknown in the West. Between the 1st and 17th centuries AD, the country had the world's largest economy, controlling as much as one-third of global wealth. But that seemingly endless prosperity was followed by al…

Shahidul Alam’s words and pictures force one—sometimes gently, sometimes less so—to confront reality Shahidul Alam is many things: world-class photographer, Bangladeshi human rights activist, teacher, and author. He is also a provocateur, whose words and pictures force one—sometimes gently, sometimes less so—to confront reality. Alam is also part o…

Paula DiPerna on solving the climate crisis and valuing our most precious assets. Humanity is hardwired to value the valuable, to conserve even to hoard treasure. The atmosphere, the oceans, earth’s ecosystem are vital to life, yet we essentially view them as free goods. The inevitable result is overconsumption, waste and pollution. Paula DiPerna’s…

Former acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim delves into the unprecedented legal challenges surrounding Donald Trump. Donald Trump continues to make history: he is the only American president (serving or former) ever to have been criminally indicted. He already faces two separate indictments and trials, with the strong possibility of one or two more before…

Asha de Vos has done pioneering work on blue whales and joined this week for a conversation about her work in Sri Lanka. The planet “Earth” should probably be called “Water” since 70% of it is ocean. Of course, that also means any discussion of climate issues should start with the oceans. Increasing temperatures, rising sea levels, declining biodiv…

Yevgenia Albats, a journalist in forced exile from Russia, thinks that Prigozhin is a “dead man walking.” Maybe Putin, too. A few days ago the world watched in amazement as Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the infamous paramilitary Wagner Group, turned his ambition from defeating Ukraine to challenging the Russian army and—although he continues to deny i…

Rebecca Finlay delves into the questions surrounding the regulation of a AI, its limitless potential, and the challenges faced in controlling its impact on society. Although inflection points are better judged in retrospect, OpenAI's release of ChatGPT late last year may have touched off a new era in how mankind relates to machines—perhaps in how c…

Nino Evgenidze on the impact of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its potential consequences for Georgia's future. Russia's invasion of Ukraine seems likely to be one of those seminal events that will divide our future histories: BI and AI. That's obviously true for the combatants, but for many others as well. Consider the small country of Georgia, …

Join us as we revisit our conversation with Johan Rockström as he shed light on the gravity of our situation, stating that "for the first time in human history, we face a planetary emergency." Join us as we revisit our conversation with Johan Rockström, renowned earth scientist and Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. A ye…

Gilles Kepel discusses the recent developments in the Middle East that could reshape the global order. Over the last several months, there have been a series of extraordinary developments in the Middle East that could have almost as big an impact on the shape of the new global order as Russia’s war on Ukraine. Consider even a partial list: China's …

Will India continue to evolve and become a global power? Milan Vaishnav shares some answers in this episode. India's backstory is largely unknown in the West. Between the 1st and 17th centuries AD, the country had the world's largest economy, controlling as much as one-third of global wealth. But that seemingly endless prosperity was followed by al…

Samah Salman, a Sudanese businesswoman and civil society leader shares her insights on the situation and efforts for peace. Sudan is at war with itself. The revolution that drove Omar al-Bashir from office after 30 years produced coups, conflict and military rule rather than peace, democracy and prosperity. Today two generals—Abdel Fattah al-Burhan…

Sam Muller believes that you can make justice systems work for people. 2023 has become a year of recession, inflation, social and labor unrest, war, the ravages of climate, food insecurity, and rising inequality. One casualty of that mess is the rule of law; justice seems to take a beating when times are bad. Why is that? The demand for justice is …

Yasmine Farouk discusses the impact of China’s mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the Middle East and beyond. Early last month, there was an extraordinary announcement. Saudi Arabia and Iran had agreed to resume diplomatic relations after seven years of more or less open hostility. Even more extraordinary was the person standing between the…

Pierre Lellouche is deeply worried about what he sees as Macron’s strategic and political mistakes and the consequences for his country. French President, Emmanuel Macron, has had a complicated few weeks. On the one hand, China's President Xi gave him red-carpet treatment in Beijing, where Macron, again, made his case for European strategic soverei…

Anthropologist Amelia Frank-Vitale discusses what it takes to walk from Honduras to Texas, and the tragedies along the way. Human history is a long and continuing story of migration. People have always moved out of fear or out of opportunity—and other people have always resisted them. That story continues today: as more people try to flee war, clim…

Anna Wieslander has had the temerity to point out that the West has no strategy to end the Ukraine war. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has settled into a grueling, vicious war of attrition with no end in sight. However, there is a growing consensus in NATO capitals that a long war not only favors Russia but has the potential for nasty, unintended con…

Bright Simons advocates for a new approach, arguing against debt cancellation as the solution for Africa's current financial challenges. Africa might finally be on the verge of realizing its enormous potential. A booming, young, optimistic population. Vast reserves of the metals needed to power the clean energy transition worldwide. Widespread popu…

Journalist Neri Zilber talks about a situation that seems destined to go from bad to worse. Israel seems to be on the verge of exploding. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s pursuit of radical judicial reform has been met with massive and growing street demonstrations. The country’s President, Isaac Herzog, has publicly warned of a political "point of no re…

Isabel Aninat is fundamentally optimistic that Chilean democracy is headed in a good direction. What do you think? After the tragedy of the Pinochet years, Chile had evolved into one of the most successful countries in the Americas in economic terms, but perhaps more importantly, in terms of the health of its democracy. Right and left-wing parties …

Francesco Svelto, Rector of University of Pavia, shares his vision for Pavia and, more broadly, education at a time of transformation At times of rapid societal change, like those we are now living through, the academy can be a radical platform for experimentation and new thinking or a bastion of conservatism — or a combination of both. Whether dur…

Dr. Undraa Agvaanluvsan recently explained her country’s challenges in coping with a changing global order. Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed how global politics works. Instead of peace, prosperity and globalization, the scenario became war, recession and “near shore.” Suddenly, the world was separated into a conflict between the US and Europe o…