Tallberg Foundation Podcast

Even amid optimism about vaccines and declining infection rates, there is mounting evidence that the pandemic is generating a global mental health crisis. How do we cope with the results? Could rising levels of child abuse, spousal abuse, drug abuse, homicide and suicide leave even deeper marks than COVID itself? Dr. Jonathan DePierro, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai and Michael Niconchuk, neuroscience researcher in Zaatari, try to answer these questions.

The pandemic has forced most of us to move from real life to virtual life and we are mostly unhappy about the results. Is there a cure for Zoom fatigue? For answers, we turned to a magician. Magic used to be fundamentally physical, requiring a lot of interaction between the magician and his audience. Mark Mitton, a world class magician, whose performances produced Springsteen-like enthusiasm explores how magical thinking (or, at least, a magician’s thinking) can help us through this crisis.

Worth Repeating: What are some of the challenges Africa faces in its future? At least so far, what plagues Africa is less Covid-19, than its consequences: collapsed economies, an industrial world that is closing to Africa, a deceleration (if not reversal) in globalization, a new “Cold War”, severe climate change, and the need to develop faster to serve its young population. Alan Stoga talks to Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, mayor of Sierra Leone’s Freetown, and Carole Wainaina, a leader of Africa50.

We live at a time of pandemic, recession, challenges to democracy, shifts in global power. The response of many organizations, is to hunker down and survive. But some are embracing the challenges and opportunities of change. The Robert Bosch Stiftung, under the leadership of Sandra Breka and others, recently rethought, rebooted and relaunched its operations. Listen as she discusses how they fared and what kind of world she and her colleagues hope to help shape.

The amazing events of recent weeks—Donald Trump’s efforts to undo an electoral outcome, the assault on the Capitol, and the impeachment of the former President —caused many Americans to worry about the stability of their government. Congressman Dick Gephardt, believes America needs bipartisanship to cope with the divisive spirits that are tearing at the country. He talks about some of the things that urgently need to be done, not just in the United States, but everywhere that democracy is under pr

History is replete with leaders drawing real or metaphorical lines in the sand, challenging opponents to cross only if they dare. David Andelman, an American journalist and author, believes that one way to understand global risks and challenges is to explore the nexus of red lines that define global politics. Indeed, Andelman argues that never before have global affairs been so entangled by red lines. Moreover, he says that Donald Trump made everything worse. Can we recover without a catastrophe?

Since the onset of the pandemic, much of life has shifted from the real world to the virtual world. For many, it has been a painful, frustrating experience. For others, it has been liberating and highly productive. For all, we will inevitably emerge changed by the experience. We explore living online with a woman whose job it is to make the experience as productive and pleasant as possible. Jaime Teevan is Microsoft’s Chief Scientist for Experiences and Devices.

Pascal Lamy, former Director General of the World Trade Organization, is arguably one of the most prominent, thoughtful and enthusiastic supporters of a global leadership role for Europe. But is the Europe that seems more divided—north versus south, east versus west—than united really ready to lead?  If so, how?  If so, who?  In this episode of New Thinking for a New World, Lamy offers some intriguing answers, further developed in his Strange New World: Geoeconomics vs. Geopolitics

2020 will probably be remembered as the year of COVID. But more importantly, to our collective futures, it's the year that saw the emergence of the scientist as an accepted, necessary player in public policymaking. Probably not since Sputnik and the space race have scientists and science been so visible in the halls of power. Our guest has long worked at the intersection of science, politics, and policy. Dr. Ali Nouri, a molecular biologist, is the President of the Federation of American Scientists.

2020 will be remembered as the Pandemic Year, when a deadly pathogen somehow moved from bat to human—and the rest is history still being written. Six out of 10 infectious diseases are zoonotic: everything from COVID and the other coronaviruses to rabies, West Nile, even the plague. Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka has a better idea, she believes that zoonotic disease is controllable by simultaneously working to improve the health of humans and animals, at the points where they meet.

The U.S. election has come, but not quite gone as President Trump continues to resist the otherwise apparent victory of Joe Biden. Notwithstanding that drama, what did the voting tell us about America, Americans, and democracy? Scott Miller, political and business consultant, and Josh Steiner, investor and adviser to Bloomberg LP, are deeply immersed in U.S. politics, from significantly different perspectives.

Once again, the Amazon is burning—and deforestation may be approaching a tipping point that could turn the world’s largest rain forest into dry savanna or even dessert.  What are the potential consequences?  Why aren’t we terrified?  Who should be doing what? André Guimarães, executive director of IPAM Amazonia, one of the premier research organizations studying the Amazon, has answers in this episode of New Thinking for a New World.

The competition between China and the United States is the defining geopolitical reality of the 21st century. The evolution of its new Great Game will determine whether our collective future will be one of prosperity or disaster. This week, we talk to Kishore Mahbubani, the renowned Singaporean global strategist. He knows both super powers, understand the risks of a potential collision and has ideas about how to avoid one. His most recent book—as well as this conversation—asks, Has China Won?

The United Nations turned 75 this year—but the pandemic overwhelmed its birthday party. The UN, built in a different world, has succeeded in its core mission: preventing World War III. But is the UN, as it is now constructed, relevant to the problems of the 21st century? In this episode Alan Stoga talks to Jan Eliasson, a Swedish and global diplomat who served as Deputy Secretary-General, about a world that seems unwilling to embrace global solutions for global problems.

Do you think we live in a world that is increasingly dangerous, full of not just Great Power competitors, but potential enemies? Such a world is described by General H.R. McMaster, a highly decorated U.S. military officer, former national security advisor and historian in his book, Battlegrounds. In this episode he discusses with Alan Stoga how he believes the U. S. and like-minded countries can maneuver through today’s complicated global realities to produce peace and prosperity for their citizens.

Like a great magician, the pandemic has drawn our attention away from things that are hiding in plain sight. One of those has been the plight of millions of refugees and migrants who are in camps or trying to escape from war, violence or poverty. Myrto Xanthopoulou who recently was on Lesbos, Greece, Mike Niconchuk, neuroscientist and conflict researcher based in Jordan, and Megan Lopéz head of the International Rescue Committee's work in Latin America, describe the realities on the ground.

The world's a mess. The great powers today, the Chinese and the Americans, seem to disagree on most things. The UK has left the EU and the Europeans are split. China's pushing its neighbors. Russia's pecking at Europe's borders. Although each of those has its own story, is there something more fundamental going on? Are the geopolitical tectonic plates shifting? Alan Stoga looks for answers from Robin Niblett, director at Chatham House, and an expert on British, European and American foreign policies.

South Sudan celebrated its hard-won independence in 2011, but today is considered one of the most fragile, even failed states in the world.  What went wrong?  Why are democratic governance and prosperity so elusive for the people of Sudan and much of the rest of the Horn of Africa?   Peter Biar Ajak has answers and ideas for a better future. Ajak—a South Sudanese political activist, economist and former political prisoner—recently fled to asylum in the United States and spoke with Alan Stoga.

Closed borders, hoarded medical equipment, confused policies. By any measures, the pandemic has not been EU's finest hour. But could it been bad enough that Europe's leaders now know that they must do better? Might the failures of the last months produce a more successful future for Europe? Ana Palacio, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain, Magnus Schöldtz, former Ambassador at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, talk about Europes challenges with Alan Stoga in this week's podcast.

Turkey and Greece are locked in a struggle in the Eastern Mediterranean that feels like it belongs more in 1920 than in 2020.  Is war possible?  Will Greece’s European allies come to its rescue?  What happens if Turkey’s aggressive president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan miscalculates how far he can push the Greeks? In this New Thinking for a New World podcast, Alan Stoga looks for answers from Constantinos Filis, Executive Director at the Institute of International Relations of Panteion University in At