Global

The last 59 years of Cuban history have seen the Castro brothers consolidate their brand of communism, resulting in an economic and human rights tragedy. The new Cuban President will likely continue the Castro status quo. Despite the efforts of brave dissidents, democracy remains a distant dream, and Cubans struggle against a deteriorating state-run economy. How did Cuba get here? What is the future of the country? And, what is it like to live on the island? Our hosts interview Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the first Cuban-American elected to Congress; Cuban activist Rosa María Payá; and IRI’s in-house Cuba expert Casey Cagley.

Since 2015, Sri Lanka has been in the midst of a democratic transition that has created opportunities for political reform and reconciliation following decades of civil war. While Sri Lanka has become more stable, other countries have begun to see strategic importance of the island nation as it sits at the halfway point between China and the Middle East. In this seventeenth episode, our hosts learn how Sri Lanka's unique history shapes their foreign policy through conversations with Constantino Xavier of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States Devinda Subasinghe and IRI's Resident Program Director in Sri Lanka Steve Cima.

When Ambassador Yalowitz completed his tour of duty in Belarus, he told President Lukashenko, “You can be known as the father of your country or Belarus can be known as a living museum of the former Soviet Union. The choice is yours.” Our hosts decide which direction President Lukashenko chose and explore “Europe’s last dictatorship” in the sixteenth episode of Global featuring, former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Belarus, Kenneth Yalowitz; Belarussian Member of Parliament and the first opposition party member to win a seat in the country’s parliament in two decades, Anna Konapatskaya; and IRI’s own Belarus expert, Ryte Vaiciuliene.

2018 is a banner year for Mexican citizens. On July 1, more than 3,400 positions for federal, state and local offices will be contested against a backdrop of corruption and violence. How did Mexico get to this critical juncture? This fifteenth episode of Global features renown journalist Dolia Estevez, Richard Miles of CSIS and IRI’s Mexico Resident Program Director Tony Garrastazu.

Once known as "the worst dictatorship you’ve never heard of," the Gambia peacefully removed its autocratic ruler in late 2016. A little more than a year later, what is happening in this small African country? This fourteenth episode of Global features Gambian Minister of Trade Dr. Isatou Touray, Jeffrey Smith of Vanguard Africa and IRI Program Officer Roger Mitchell.

Season Two kicks off with a deep dive into the post-2003 modern history of the Republic of Iraq, including the recent Kurdish Independence referendum and the post-ISIS political situation. For this thirteenth episode of Global, our hosts interview Iraq veteran Congressman Adam Kinzinger, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad, and IRI’s own Iraq Program Manager Brian Zupruk.

In the season finale of Global, our hosts decipher the complex country of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it’s tripartite presidency. This twelfth episode features former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO General Wesley Clark, Bosnian actress and Member of Parliament Zana Marjanović, and IRI’s Resident Program Director in Sarajevo Borislav Spasojevic.

In episode eleven of Global, our hosts go island-hopping across Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country and the fourth most populous country in the world. This eleventh episode features Edward Aspinall of the Australian National Univeristy, Philips Vermonte of CSIS Indonesia and IRI’s own Rhonda Mays, Deputy Director for Asia.

In episode ten of "Global" our hosts learn about the Western Hemisphere's newest dictatorship: Venezuela. How has the most resource-rich country in South America suffered an economic collapse? Our hosts talk to Dr. Ricardo Hausmann of Harvard's JFK School of Government, Alexandra Ulmer of Reuters, and Miriam Kornblith of the National Endowment for Democracy to learn more.

Why is Tunisia the only success story of the 2011 Arab Spring? Find out on episode nine of Global, featuring conversations with Monica Marks of the University of Oxford, pan-African activist Aya Chebbi and IRI’s Director of the Middle East and North Africa Division Scott Mastic.

In episode eight of Global, our hosts head back to Africa to analyze the upcoming election in Kenya and how devolution is redefining politics in the country. This episode features former U.S. Ambassador to Kenya William Bellamy, Kenyan anti-corruption warrior John Githongo, and IRI alumnus Lauren Ploch Blanchard of the Congressional Research Service.

In episode seven of Global, our hosts explore the history of Ukraine and how the country changed after the EuroMaidan. This episode features conversations with Senator John McCain, Ukrainian Member of Parliament Hanna Hopko, and IRI's Director of Eurasia Stephen Nix.

For this special, sixth episode of Global, our hosts are paying tribute to the 30th anniversary of President Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech, delivered on June 12, 1987 in Berlin. Only two years later, the wall fell and Germany began the process of reunification. In this episode we explore Reagan's lasting legacy and how it has affected modern Germany. Our hosts are joined by Gahl Burt of the American Academy in Berlin who was on stage during Reagan's speech and IRI's resident Germany expert and Europe Director Jan Surotchak.

In episode five of Global, our hosts explore the East African country of Tanzania, a union of two nations: Tanganyika and Zanzibar. This episode is also a tale of two ambassadors, featuring former Tanzanian Ambassador to the U.S. Liberata Mulamula and former U.S. Ambassador Mark Green.

In episode four of Global, our hosts tell the story of the small island nation of Timor-Leste, a country very much "off the beaten path." This fourth episode features Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former President of Timor-Leste Jose Ramos Horta, author of East Timor: The Price of Liberty Damien Kingsbury, and IRI’s Senior Advisor for Asia Johanna Kao.

In episode three of Global, our hosts unpack the complex situation in Syria and how the nation’s history effects the brutal conflict today. This third episode features New York Times best-selling author Hassan Hassan, co-founder and international spokesperson for Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently Abdalaziz Alhamza, and IRI’s own Djordje Todorovic.

For IRI's second episode of Global, our hosts explore Colombia to discover how a state once on the brink of collapse has transformed itself into a cultural superpower. This second episode features interviews with the 30th President of Colombia, Andres Pastrana, Nick Miroff of the Washington Post, and IRI's own Gabriela Serrano.

Global by IRI: For our first episode, the team explores the Russian Federation and the Kremlin's recent disinformation campaigns. This episode features conversations with Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Andrew Kramer of the New York Times, and IRI's Deputy Director of Eurasia Bakhtiyor Nishanov.

Learn more about Global! Meet our hosts and listen to a preview of episodes to come.