Tallberg Foundation Podcast

In recent months, the Middle East has witnessed significant developments that could reshape the global order, rivaling the impact of Russia's war on Ukraine. These include China's efforts to reconcile Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Arab League's celebration of Syria's President Assad's return, Saudi Arabia's applications to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICs, countries like Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey distancing themselves from political Islam, and the strengthening web of diplomatic, economic, and financial ties among China, Saudi Arabia, other Arab countries, Iran, and Russia. These changes indicate the emergence of a new Middle Eastern political order, where the influence of the United States and Europe is anticipated to diminish. Gilles Kepel, a renowned Middle East expert and Al-Monitor columnist, recently discussed these transformative changes on the New Thinking for a New World podcast.

India had the world's largest economy until the 17th century but suffered almost 500 years of decline afterward. However, India is currently the world's most populous nation with one of the largest economies, growing faster this year than any other major country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought stability to India, making the country economically and geopolitically resurgent. Critics worry that Modi's democracy is too autocratic and inward-looking, rooted in Hindu nationalism. India's future is uncertain as centrifugal forces of religion, inequality, and nationalism could overwhelm the current growth. Will India continue to evolve and become a global power? Milan Vaishnav is a senior fellow and director of the South Asia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington and an accomplished India watcher. He shared some answers in this episode of the New Thinking for a New World podcast.

In this podcast episode of "New Thinking for a New World", the tragic situation in Sudan is discussed where conflict, military rule, displacement, and a crushed economy have ensued since the revolution that ousted Omar al-Bashir. The current power struggle between two generals is causing immense harm and there is a risk of broader conflict in the Horn of Africa. The podcast features Samah Salman, a Sudanese businesswoman and civil society leader who is working towards peace in her country while in Washington D.C.

2023 has become a year of recession, inflation, social and labor unrest, war, the ravages of climate etc. 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 not only a basic human right, but also a human need. Is it possible to deliver effective justice at the individual level, to actually make justice systems work for people? Sam Muller, believes the answer is an emphatic, “Yes”. He founded and today leads the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) they are in the business of building “people-centered justice” that works for everyone. This episode was originally published on January 19, 2023

This episode explores the implications of the recent diplomatic breakthrough between Saudi Arabia and Iran, brokered by China’s top diplomat Wang Yi. How will this affect the Middle East’s geopolitics, security, and relations with the US and Israel? Yasmine Farouk, a scholar of Saudi Arabian and Gulf affairs at Carnegie, offers her insights on this new thinking for a new world.

French President Emmanuel Macron faces a complicated situation at home and abroad. He’s trying to assert European sovereignty against the US, but he’s also angering his allies and his own people. Is he losing his way or playing a long game? Pierre Lellouche, a former French politician and diplomat, shares his views on Macron’s strategic and political mistakes and their consequences for France on this week's New Thinking for a New World

Migration is a long and ongoing story of human history. People move for fear or opportunity, and others resist them. This still happens today: more people flee war, climate and poverty, and more barriers are built. Don’t we have human rights and laws to protect them? Yet the long lines are still there; few make it to the safety they seek. Why? Listen to this week’s New Thinking for a New World podcast with anthropologist Amelia Frank-Vitale

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 consequences. What does not seem to exist is a strategy to do something about it. Lots of rhetoric: “Ukraine will win” and “we will do what it takes” as well as tactics galore. But define an endgame or a strategy to get there? Missing in action. Anna Wieslander, a Swedish defense and security expert, has had the temerity to point out that the West has no strategy. Listen as host Alan Stoga discusses with her what it might take to end this war, one way or the other.

In this podcast, explore the potential of Africa and the obstacles it faces, including too much debt and a history of mismanagement. With 24 out of 54 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa experiencing severe debt problems, growth and development may be impeded. Is debt cancellation still the answer, or is it time for a new approach? Join the discussion with Bright Simons, a Ghanaian researcher and policy activist, to find out.

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. Meanwhile, violence between Israelis and Palestinians is soaring, raising the possibility of another intifada and adding to the sense of looming disaster. Neri Zilber is a journalist and analyst who focus on Israel's - and more generally Middle Eastern - politics and culture. He is deeply knowledgeable, widely published and moves regularly between Tel Aviv and Washington. Listen as he joins host Alan Stoga for a conversation on a situation that seems destined to go from bad to worse.

After the Pinochet years, Chile evolved into one of the most successful countries in the Americas in terms of the health of its democracy. All of that came to a screeching halt in 2019 when protests escalated into widespread violence. Chile was suddenly at a revolutionary moment. However, instead of a civil war, the Chileans launched an inclusive political process to write a new constitution. Fast forward to September of this year, the new constitution was overwhelmingly rejected in a national referendum. What happened and what happens next? What lessons can others learn from Chile's efforts to reimagine its democracy? Isabel Aninat, Dean of the Law School of the Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, in Chile has been a keen observer of the constitution-writing process and of Chilean politics. She is fundamentally optimistic that Chilean democracy is headed in a good direction. This episode was originally published on October 27, 2022

At times of rapid societal change, the academy can be a radical platform for experimentation and new thinking or a bastion of conservatism—or a combination of both. How does a modern university navigate the space between its classrooms and labs and the rest of society? How do university leaders prepare students not just to cope with a world that is visibly changing before their eyes, but to lead in a world which is changing at an exponential pace? The University of Pavia is one of the oldest universities in the world. Francesco Svelto, a distinguished electrical engineer, is now the university's rector. He has the remarkable opportunity and challenges to build a university of the future on a centuries-old foundation. He recently shared his vision for Pavia and, more broadly, education at a time of transformation.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed how global politics works. What about Mongolia? It is geographically sandwiched between China and Russia, making it almost impossible to avoid their embrace, especially if they can’t be played off against each other. What to do? Dr. Undraa Agvaanluvsan, a former member of Mongolia’s Parliament, holds a doctorate in physics. She recently explained her country’s challenges in coping with a changing global order.

What could possibly go wrong with underlying technology that can research, write, draw, code, compose music, and possibly even think at least as well as many, if not most, human beings? Mark Abdollahian and Juan Enriquez help us understand not only what's technically called generative artificial intelligence, but to think together about the impact on jobs, on creativity, and innovation, on how we live or could live in the not-so-distant future. Juan is an entrepreneur and an expert on the impact of life sciences and brain research on society. Mark is a businessman and academic who works at the intersection of strategy, operations, and analytics.

2023 looks likely to be a year of recession, inflation, social and labor unrest, war, the ravages of climate etc. One casualty of that mess is likely to be the rule of law; justice seems to take a beating when times are bad. Why is that? The demand for justice is not only a basic human right, but also a human need. Is it possible to deliver effective justice at the individual level, to actually make justice systems work for people? Sam Muller, believes the answer is an emphatic, “Yes”. He founded and today leads the Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) they are in the business of building “people-centered justice” that works for everyone.

At least one in nine of the almost eight billion people who live on earth are undernourished. As the 18th century economist Robert Malthus forecast, we seem on a path where the planet can’t produce enough food for the projected 10 billion people who will be alive in 2050. Climate change and wars will only make the global food situation more precarious. Is large scale famine inevitable? David Kaplan, a global leader in the new field of cellular agriculture, doesn’t think so. He believes the steaks and fish fillets that he and other scientists are literally growing in their labs can eventually feed a hungry world. What do you think? This episode was originally published on August 18, 2022

We live in a complicated, conflicted world. Russia's unprovoked war in Ukraine. US and European efforts to punish Russian aggression. China's growing geopolitical and military assertiveness. What about India? Today it's the world's sixth largest economy and famously, the world's largest democracy. But it aims higher. Prime Minister Modi recently declared that the country must accelerate its growth and development However, rapid economic growth might be the easy part compared to figuring out how to live with an aggressive China. When Chinese leaders intone their mantra of “Asia for the Asians” they don’t seem to be offering co-leadership to Delhi or anyone else. It seems inevitable that India and China will butt heads again, as both countries become stronger. C Raja Mohan, senior fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute in Delhi, has a deep understanding of India’s foreign policy challenges. Listen as he explains how India can cope with a dangerous world and a dangerous neighbor. This episode was ori

What does Putin want? How far will he go in his efforts to subjugate Ukraine? Does he have limits? By the time historians can answer those questions, it will be too late. Meanwhile, one of the best places to find answers might be in a recently published biography, entitled PUTIN by Philip Short. Short is a British journalist with a long career as a foreign correspondent and an accomplished author. Listen to Short discuss how Putin looks at the world, what turned him away from a partnership with the West, and the risk that his war could go nuclear. This episode was originally published on October 06, 2022.

There is no doubt that the prevailing view of China in many European capitals has flipped from growing cooperation to feared confrontation. What happened? Did President Xi’s hardening approaches—from wolf warrior diplomacy to his “No Limits” commitment to Russia, to lecturing Western leaders—shock European leaders? Did American pressure on 5G, Huawei and microchips force a strategic rethink? Can Europe actually afford to confront China? Andrew Small has answers. A deeply experienced policy analyst, Small is a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and recently published, "No Limits: The Inside Story of China's War with the West." That book and this conversation explain how and why he thinks that the Chinese challenge is dramatically and dangerously changing.

For many, the holiday season is a time of giving, when people think a bit more about those with less, or those affected by war or other calamities. Globally, private philanthropy is big and growing. Nonprofit foundation Giving Tuesday alone is now a worldwide phenomenon that raised more than three billion dollars last month. But how to know whether your charity is impactful? Much of the non-profit world is opaque on the best of days. Our guest today, Michael Thatcher, President and CEO of Charity Navigator, regularly examines and rates 200,000 American nonprofits, aiming to provide objective criteria to guide giving. Today, the US; tomorrow, the world.