American Diplomat

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Professional Peacemaker Apr 11, 2024

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Meghan Stewart, head of the Negotiations Support Unit in State's Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, knows the peace process – its structures, its history, the perspectives of combatants. Her team uses its specialized knowledge to help diplomats get peace agreements over the line, saving thousands and thousands of lives each time. Who knew you could devote your legal career exclusively to ending global conflict?

Will Biden Listen to His Base? Apr 04, 2024

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Many diplomats urge what the vast majority of voters, including American Jews, want – a restrained Israel and a place for Palestinians. Former Assistant Secretary Eric Schwartz discusses the letter that he and 67 senior foreign policy professionals recently sent to the White House. Now in the aftermath of the killing of the World Central Kitchen volunteers, will Biden get tough or will the tail continue to wag the dog?

The Next Thousand Years Mar 28, 2024

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Our climate: What we do during this decade will determine our climate for a millennium to come. Diplomats not only negotiate multilateral agreements that protect the earth but, even more so, work with nations to follow through on their commitments. But what is the surprising dynamic of domestic politics and global climate policy? And by what mechanisms do market forces impact global action? How does human justice figure in? Ambassador Bob Blake shares the insider view as a climate diplomat.

Inked Mar 21, 2024

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Pete unpacks the antecedents of modern-day gangsterism, going back to his days as Assistant Secretary. What were the unintended consequences of sending Central American gangsters back "home" to a country they did not know, where their best chance of fitting in was with ex-guerillas? Boom. Not even the tattoo removal machines can save this combustible mix.

The Fire Was Even Hotter Mar 14, 2024

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General and Ambassador Doug Lute puts Sweden's recent NATO membership in context: Has Putin accomplished his goals, or has it all backfired? What is the diplomatic solution to this war? And what should we expect at this year's 75th NATO anniversary in the US?

Never in My Parents' Wildest Dreams Mar 07, 2024

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For Women's History Month, young diplomat Mary Vargas joins us to share her story as the daughter of an immigrant family of farm workers in Fontana, CA, to life as an American diplomat. How did she achieve her lifelong dream, and why does she seek assignments working with refugees, the incarcerated, and Gazans?

One Million!!! Mar 04, 2024

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We just cleared our millionth download! Or, you did! Pete and Laura reflect on early days and share their favorite episodes of the 350 that they have broadcast over the years – the tomfoolery of cybercriminals, the economic party at the border, the astonishing takeover of an African nation by bunch of Wagner guys in flip flops, and the redemption of a family blackballed by McCarthyism, plus a little bonus insight on the continued life after death of Roy Cohn. Enjoy and THANK YOU!

Out To Get Us Feb 29, 2024

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Tribalism: Who is "other"? Ambassador Bob Beecroft recalls the atrocities in the Balkans of the late '90s, after which DNA tests revealed that the victims and the perpetrators of "ethnic cleansing" were no different from one another genetically. The question then becomes, who do we see as "other", and why do we see them as threats? Does any of this apply to the US?

Crowing about President Crow Feb 22, 2024

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A Million Downloads! Yes, you did it for us. Here to celebrate with us is ASU President Michael Crow. Think vision meets design meets global reach. The goal? Access and energize the full level of human potential.

"You're Calling Us Global Terrorists? Oooh, Scare Me." Feb 15, 2024

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The Houthis: Who actually are these people? And Yemen: What is this place? Is it really a country? Yemen is engaged in a two-fronted, 10-year civil war, and this began long before the war in Gaza. Does Iran control the Houthis? (Hint: far from it.) And why this business with the shipping lanes? Join us as Ambassador Jerry Feierstein brings us up to speed on this deceptively simple maelstrom of forces at play affecting our diplomacy in a region where the stakes are higher now than they have been in years.

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