On Peace
Government
U.S. Institute of Peace experts discuss the latest foreign policy issues from around the world in this brief weekly collaboration with SiriusXM‘s POTUS Channel 124. In about 10 minutes, each episode of On Peace distills the most important aspects of a pressing peace and conflict challenge and highlights how the U.S. and international community might respond.
Location:
United States
Description:
U.S. Institute of Peace experts discuss the latest foreign policy issues from around the world in this brief weekly collaboration with SiriusXM‘s POTUS Channel 124. In about 10 minutes, each episode of On Peace distills the most important aspects of a pressing peace and conflict challenge and highlights how the U.S. and international community might respond.
Language:
English
Website:
http://www.usip.org/
Email:
podcasts@usip.org
Episodes
William Taylor on the Crisis in Ukraine
1/18/2022
While Ukraine’s military is in much better shape than when Russia first invaded in 2014, USIP’s William Taylor says it’s “not able to hold off the entire Russian military” alone, and that the United States and NATO must “make it clear to President Putin that the costs of invading will be much greater than the benefits.”
Duration:00:08:58
Billy Ford on Myanmar’s Resistance Movement
1/13/2022
Despite the military junta’s imprisonment of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, USIP’s Billy Ford says there’s an opening for more inclusive narratives within the resistance movement — and if the movement can “unify around those [narratives] … it could come together and potentially defeat this regime.”
Duration:00:10:08
Keith Mines on the Situation in Venezuela
1/6/2022
Despite a “near-total loss of faith in the political process” going into 2022, USIP’s Keith Mines says Venezuelans have not lost hope for a better future — and that underneath the polarization and dissatisfaction, you can “find a vision for the country that is shared by most Venezuelans.”
Duration:00:10:19
Donald Jensen on the 30th Anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Fall
12/27/2021
Three decades after President Mikhail Gorbachev resigned, beginning the dissolution of the Soviet Union, USIP’s Donald Jensen says, “The collapse is still continuing. It didn’t fall apart at once … and in many ways [it] shapes our relationship with Eastern Europe and Russia today.”
Duration:00:07:18
Brian Harding on Secretary Blinken’s Trip to Southeast Asia
12/20/2021
While China’s influence in Southeast Asia is inevitable, the region welcomed Secretary Blinken’s recent trip as a counterweight to Beijing, says USIP’s Brian Harding: “[The region] wants balance, which means they want the United States to be as engaged as possible.”
Duration:00:09:53
Elie Abouaoun on Libya’s Elections
12/17/2021
With the vote likely to be postponed, USIP’s Elie Abouaoun says frustrations are high over Libya’s political and economic stagnation as the international community tries to “generate a new political agreement … just to make sure the elections can happen without a major outbreak of violence.”
Duration:00:09:57
William Taylor on the Russia-Ukraine Crisis
12/14/2021
As Russia continues its military build-up along the Ukrainian border, USIP’s Ambassador William Taylor says diplomatic talks are the best path toward a peaceful resolution — but that we still don’t fully understand Putin’s intentions: “Is he bluffing? Is he trying to intimidate … or is he serious about invading?
Duration:00:08:44
Joseph Sany on President Biden’s Democracy Summit
12/6/2021
Amid a global democratic recession, USIP’s Joseph Sany says President Biden’s Summit for Democracy is an important “statement of solidarity,” but that “if [democracies] want to regain or strengthen their legitimacy,” they must deliver for their people, adding: “If you lose the citizens’ trust, you lose everything.”
Duration:00:07:09
Knox Thames on the State of Global Religious Freedom
11/29/2021
It’s been 40 years since the U.N. adopted a resolution to end persecution based on faith and defend religious minorities. USIP’s Knox Thames says decades later, “It’s a work in progress … While the situation is bleak, there is a global movement that is starting to build and trying to meet this challenge.”
Duration:00:09:41
Ambassador Makila James on Secretary Blinken’s Trip to Africa
11/23/2021
Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent trip to Kenya, Nigeria and Senegal was a major step toward re-establishing U.S. engagement on the continent, says USIP’s Makila James: “Showing up matters in Africa … it’s important to demonstrate to Africans that Africa is vital to U.S. national interests.”
Duration:00:07:58
Tegan Blaine on the COP26 Summit
11/15/2021
As the climate summit wraps up, USIP’s Tegan Blaine says the focus on net-zero commitments overshadowed immediate concerns such as addressing climate-driven migration: “We needed to commit to these things 10 years ago, 20 years ago … and we didn’t. So now the time is quite short.”
Duration:00:08:47
Susan Stigant on the Deepening Conflict in Ethiopia
11/9/2021
As rebel forces march toward Ethiopia’s capital in a bid to end the government blockade of the Tigray region, USIP’s Susan Stigant says there is a “risk that this logic of violence could tilt into a much deeper civil war.” In the meantime, Washington should keep trying to “get people to a table and agree to a pause.”
Duration:00:08:23
Scott Worden on Afghanistan’s Dire Humanitarian and Economic Crises
11/1/2021
As Afghans face mass hunger and economic collapse, USIP’s Scott Worden says it remains to be seen how the Taliban will react to internal and external pressure to address these crises: “Will they respond … by adapting, by softening policies, by being more inclusive or will they have a crackdown?”
Duration:00:06:47
Donald Jensen on Sec Austin’s Visit to Georgia, Romania and Ukraine
10/28/2021
USIP’s Donald Jensen looks at what Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s recent trip to several countries along the Black Sea means for U.S. policy, saying, “We are looking at the region in its entirety … and Romania, Ukraine and Georgia are key players in the broader effort to curb Russian influence in the region.”
Duration:00:11:43
Keith Mines on Secretary Blinken’s Trip to Colombia
10/21/2021
As Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to Colombia, USIP’s Keith Mines notes there is still work to be done in implementing and expanding the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC insurgency, saying that “consolidating the peace in a place like Colombia was almost as hard as fighting the war itself.”
Duration:00:10:19
Oge Onubogu on Democratic Concerns in West Africa
10/13/2021
While West African countries present “some of the steepest declines in democracy,” USIP’s Oge Onubogu says there is “still an overwhelming support” for democratic governance among citizens in the region, which “presents a key opportunity for engagement between African leaders and this administration.”
Duration:00:09:09
Sarhang Hamasaeed on Iraq’s Elections
10/5/2021
“All the energy of the country is focused on October 10” as Iraq prepares for crucial parliamentary elections, says USIP’s Sarhang Hamasaeed. “We’ll see if it will produce a government and a parliament that [is] closer to what the people expect … and restore some of the faith of the voters in the process.”
Duration:00:08:58
Dan Markey on the Quad Leaders’ Summit
9/30/2021
USIP’s Dan Markey says the growth of the Quad — a partnership between the United States, Australia, India and Japan — can be seen as a counter to China, but “instead of being principally a military organization, the Quad … will focus on more positive ventures” such as vaccine diplomacy, climate change and technology.
Duration:00:09:49
Corinne Graff on the U.N. General Assembly’s Theme of Resilience
9/21/2021
As the 2021 U.N. General Assembly begins amid a host of global crises, USIP’s Corinne Graff says this year’s theme of resilience must “deal not just with the symptoms of these emergencies, but the root causes as well” and that effective governance is “key to building resilience against many of the global challenges we face today.”
Duration:00:10:00
William Byrd on Afghanistan’s Economic Crisis
9/13/2021
Amid the fallout from the Taliban’s sudden takeover, USIP’s William Byrd warns that Afghanistan’s economy faces a catastrophic outlook if action isn’t taken — adding that “the Afghan people and the economy have a lot farther to fall than they did the previous time the Taliban were in charge.”
Duration:00:10:00