Best American Ambassadors Live Podcast Podcasts (2024)

1
AI - Demon Taking Over, or Tool for Diplomacy? 36:32

2h ago36:32

36:32

What does expertise look like in diplomacy with recent rapid changes in technology? Will AI replace diplomats? What is AI good at, and where is it dangerous? Large language models are great for brainstorming but can they replace relationships and judgment? Tune into Dan Spokojny, former diplomat, now Ph.D. and CEO of the nonprofit FP21, while he br…

1
FUTURE 400: Finding Family in Fashion 19:41

1d ago19:41

19:41

Design your look, design your life. Rambler Studios is a creative platform for raw talent. It offers young people a safe space where they can discover what they’re good at and find a sense of belonging – and maybe a career in street fashion. Started by Carmen van der Vecht in Amsterdam in 2010, it has branched out to New York’s Lower East Side. It …

1
Global Fragility Act 44:47

8d ago44:47

44:47

Finally, a home at State for what we have learned about global conflicts. Will it make us smarter? Will we demand deeper buy in from Allies and friends? Or do we continue to treat each conflict as a “one-off”? Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Mark Iozzi joins us from State's Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations to share his story from…

1
Geopolitics Thrills! 40:21

15d ago40:21

40:21

We talk about cultural diplomacy, but what about diplomacy in culture? Laura (MFA, Film and Television, NYU) loves movies and TV, and best of all, Laura loves movies and TV about geopolitics. What do the last fifty years of diplomacy in media tell us about diplomacy in society? About society more broadly? And why do so many movies about diplomats t…

1
FUTURE 400: From the Streets to the Heart 19:12

16d ago19:12

19:12

This second episode of the Future 400 podcast looks at work by Dutch and American photographers who are part of the annual international photo festival Photoville in Lower Manhattan. Dutch photographer Ernst Coppejans delves deep into the lives of LGBTQIA+ people living on the streets in New York. Kennedi Carter, a young Black photographer from the…

1
From Harlem Hellfighters to the Jazz Ambassadors, A Leap of Faith 50:05

22d ago50:05

50:05

State Department lawyer Mike Peay traces how, during a time of deep racial conflict, black American jazz artists went overseas to promote the American experiment, winning the hearts of millions with their music and personas, but would it improve race relations at home?By Amb. (Ret.) Pete Romero & Writer/Producer Laura Bennett

1
Will Mexico Dodge the Bullet? 45:25

30d ago45:25

45:25

“Hugs, not bullets”, that is AMLO’s mantra for the cartels. This, while homicides have risen to historic highs. Our man in Mexico, retired Ambassador Tony Wayne, is back to discuss the good fight. Will democracy or autocracy win in the June 2 elections?By Amb. (Ret.) Pete Romero & Writer/Producer Laura Bennett

1
FUTURE 400: New York Before New York 26:02

1M ago26:02

26:02

Future 400 is a bi-weekly four-part podcast series from the Dutch Consulate in New York. It is part of the two-year cultural program of the same name, marking the 400th anniversary of the founding of New Amsterdam, the city that became New York. Each episode highlights a selection of the creative collaborations between artists, communities and inst…

1
Two State Solution - Is the Perfect the Enemy of the Good? 46:14

1M ago46:14

46:14

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Fred Rudesheim unpacks the complexities of Gaza. Much is said of the very real moral outrages committed by Israel and Hamas. But what now? In the near term, how viable is a two-state solution? First let's look at what is and how we got here. Hint: what exactly does Biden mean when he speaks of a "revitalized Palestinian Au…

1
Russian Mercenaries' Regime Survival Kit 49:30

1M ago49:30

49:30

Out with Wagner, in with the Africa Corps. What will happen as mercenaries continue to offer attractive alternatives to vulnerable democracies like Niger, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso and Mali? Ambassador Hank Cohen, whose new book "Africa, You Have a Friend in Washington", offers a vision of hope via economic self-determination. For …

1
100 Years old and Still Kicking It: The US Foreign Service 36:39

2M ago36:39

36:39

Tom Yazdgerdi, President of the American Foreign Service Association reaches back to illustrate how far the Foreign Service has come in the last 100 years and charts how it will meet the complex challenges of the next decades.By Amb. (Ret.) Pete Romero & Writer/Producer Laura Bennett

1
Shakespearean Tragedy: Cuba 37:43

2M ago37:43

37:43

Ambassador Vicki Huddleston, author of “Our Woman in Havana”, unpacks the dire circumstances in Cuba driving hundreds of thousands to flee the island and parses the impacts of South Florida exile politics on US diplomacy: the hammer is the only tool left in the box.By Amb. (Ret.) Pete Romero & Writer/Producer Laura Bennett

1
Mexico and Migration, Most Important Diplomatic Issue of the 21st Century 37:19

2M ago37:19

37:19

"Migration issues are going be some of the most important diplomatic issues of the 21st century, whether we agree or disagree on them, I think we just have to at least start by acknowledging that they really are important, and that and it's going to be hard to talk about foreign policy without talking about these issues." ~ Ambassador Chris Landau …

1
Data Saves Lives 38:56

2M ago38:56

38:56

What does it mean when open-source data show that huge populations have moved? Natural disaster? An attack? Relocation of children, forced passportization? Non-classified satellite imagery, cell phone photos, video, GPS and other puiblicly available information is critical to modern diplomacy and democracy. Susan Wolfinbarger, geographer, data scie…

1
Assessment: Middle East Outlook 27:43

2M ago27:43

27:43

Ambassador Ryan Crocker presents a frank assessment of the situation in the Middle East after the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. He served as US Ambassador to 6 nations, (Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and Lebanon). He serves today on the Afghanistan War Commission. Former President George W. Bush called him “America’s Lawrence of A…

1
Professional Peacemaker 29:54

2M ago29:54

29:54

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 …

1
Andrea Elliott: Family Homelessness in the US 50:35

2M ago50:35

50:35

Andrea Elliot’s 2022 Pulitzer winning book, Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City, follows eight dramatic years in the life of a young woman named Dasani Coates, a child with an imagination as soaring as the skyscrapers near her Brooklyn homeless shelter. Born at the turn of a new century, Dasani is named for the bottled wat…

1
Will Biden Listen to His Base? 39:54

3M ago39:54

39:54

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 vo…

1
The Next Thousand Years 37:39

3M ago37:39

37:39

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 mechan…

1
Inked 34:20

3M ago34:20

34:20

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 combustib…

1
The Fire Was Even Hotter 37:17

3M ago37:17

37:17

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?By Amb. (Ret.) Pete Romero & Writer/Producer Laura Bennett

1
George Packer: America in Crisis and Renewal 1:02:51

3M ago1:02:51

1:02:51

2024 is an election year. And in his book Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal', George Packer makes the case for why this may be the most important election since the civil war. Packer accepts that America may be “a failed state”. A state that is in a “cold civil war” between four incompatible versions of the US: the Free America of liber…

1
Never in My Parents’ Wildest Dreams 26:33

4M ago26:33

26:33

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?…

1
One Million!!! 24:12

4M ago24:12

24:12

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 o…

1
Out To Get Us 51:41

4M ago51:41

51:41

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…

1
Ep.17: Islamically Inspired Solutions on Food System & Food Justice Issues, Dr. Tammara Soma, Research Director of the Food Systems Lab 45:50

4M ago45:50

45:50

In this important conversation, Dr. Tammara Soma, Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University & Research Director of the Food Systems Lab, speaks about her own personal journey towards the study of food, food systems and food waste from multiple dimensions. Dr. Soma explains terms such as food resiliency, food systems mapping, food justice issue…

1
Crowing about President Crow 30:17

4M ago30:17

30:17

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.By Amb. (Ret.) Pete Romero & Writer/Producer Laura Bennett

1
"You're Calling Us Global Terrorists? Oooh, Scare Me." 45:41

4M ago45:41

45:41

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…

1
Nikole Hannah-Jones: A New American Origin Story 1:08:40

4M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones’s 1619 project has inspired both throngs of like-minded people as well as a severe backlash. This hasn’t stopped her from devoting her career to exposing systemic and institutional racism in the United States. The 1619 Project WAS published in New York Times Magazine—and is now a successful podc…

1
A Rangel Fellow’s Journey to Service - BHM 46:45

5M ago46:45

46:45

Young foreign service officer Hermanoschy Bernard joins us in honor of Black History Month to share his story of flight from his native Haiti as a child to life in the US as a political asylee, where he turned obstacles into opportunities and achieved his dream of becoming a public servant, inspired originally by the consular officer who listened t…

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