American Diplomat

American Diplomat goes behind the scenes to hear real stories from diplomats who lived newsworthy events overseas. Experience the Cuban revolution, Central American insurgencies, the end of apartheid and more through the eyes of those who were there. A project of Arizona State University.

Shakespearean Tragedy: Cuba 04/25/2024

Shakespearean Tragedy: Cuba 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. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30977678

Data Saves Lives 04/19/2024

Data Saves Lives 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 scientist and the vision behind the Conflict Observatory at State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, walks us through her dream: big data saves lives. Welcome to 21st Century diplomacy's newest tool. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30879213

Professional Peacemaker 04/11/2024

Professional Peacemaker 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? /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30770258

Will Biden Listen to His Base? 04/04/2024

Will Biden Listen to His Base? 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? /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30672293

The Next Thousand Years 03/28/2024

The Next Thousand Years 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. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30578403

Inked 03/21/2024

Inked 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. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30469393

The Fire Was Even Hotter 03/14/2024

The Fire Was Even Hotter 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? /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30371368

Never in My Parents’ Wildest Dreams 03/07/2024

Never in My Parents’ Wildest Dreams 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? /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30263363

One Million!!! 03/04/2024

One Million!!! 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 , the , the , and the , plus a little bonus insight on the continued life after death of Roy Cohn. Enjoy and THANK YOU! /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30221023

Out To Get Us 02/29/2024

Out To Get Us 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? /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30160113

Crowing about President Crow 02/22/2024

Crowing about President Crow 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. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/30059903

"You're Calling Us Global Terrorists? Oooh, Scare Me." 02/15/2024

"You're Calling Us Global Terrorists? Oooh, Scare Me." 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. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29969588

A Rangel Fellow’s Journey to Service - BHM 02/08/2024

A Rangel Fellow’s Journey to Service - BHM 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 to his case with empathy and helped him and his family emigrate to safety. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29849438

Don't Poke the Panda - Taiwan's Election 02/01/2024

Don't Poke the Panda - Taiwan's Election Ambassador Richard Boucher joins us to contextualize Taiwan's recent election in its deliberately ambiguous relationship with mainland China. No big news is good news as Taiwan preserves its integrity by not declaring its overt independence, a lesson learned in Hong Kong. The wild card? Xi Jinping. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29756283

No More Funny Business in Guatemala (For Now) 01/25/2024

No More Funny Business in Guatemala (For Now) Frank Mora, US Ambassador to the Organization of American States, helps us understand a diplomatic win: the (barely) peaceful transfer of power following Guatemala’s election of an outsider who is a threat to the corrupt establishment. Expectations are high, that the new president will both confront those who resist change - who have done much to thwart the transfer of power - and promote inclusive governance. Que viva la democracia! /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29638563

The Border, Part 2: This is North America’s Moment 01/18/2024

The Border, Part 2: This is North America’s Moment Amb. Tony Wayne is back to go into depth on the US-Mexico border’s two greatest challenges. How did drug trafficking become even more sinister than it was before? And can we improve the immigration crisis ahead of the upcoming US election? What is at stake and what will it take, diplomatically and otherwise, to solve these issues? /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29531478

Zone of Opportunity: Trust at the Border 01/11/2024

Zone of Opportunity: Trust at the Border Did you know that $1.5M dollars in trade cross the US/Mexico border every single minute? Did you know that 5 million US jobs depend on the trade that takes place there? Ambassador Tony Wayne explains that the border is a living membrane and trust is the crux of managing conflicting interests and mutual challenges. Lethal synthetic drugs are very small! How do you intercept them on their way north? And how do you stop the transfer of deadly weapons to the south? And human lives – people around the entire world are on the move, and where do many land? On the US/Mexico border. Ambassador Wayne helps us understand this complex place. Part one of two. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29427008

Cybercrime: Everybody’s a Target 01/04/2024

Cybercrime: Everybody’s a Target Cybercrime has many names but what, actually, is it? Jim Lewis, former Foreign Service Officer, now Senior Vice President and Director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, gives us a candid description of cybercrime's mechanics: who does it, why, how, and what is the impact of these activities on global democracy and security? What is the role of diplomacy in managing these unprecedented military, intelligence, economic and political threats? Join us for an close look under the hood of cybercrime. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29339628

It Wasn't All Bad, Was It? 12/28/2023

It Wasn't All Bad, Was It? Pete and Laura close the year with reflections on the diplomatic successes in 2023 that helped create a more peaceful and sustainable world. Global events have offered up a lot to fear recently, but it wasn't all bad! Happy New Year from American Diplomat. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29258123

You Are Stuck and Trapped 12/20/2023

You Are Stuck and Trapped Psychiatrists David Charney and Ken Dekleva are back to discuss in depth what makes a person into a traitor. Start with an intolerable sense of personal failure. Then think of parties in Santiago with music, liquor, cigarettes, beautiful women and dancing (a happy hunting ground for spy recruiters). Then, one mistake and you are in for life. There is no escape. Staying alive is now more important than anything else. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29166803

Betrayal and Treason - Why? 12/14/2023

Betrayal and Treason - Why? Pete's old friend Manuel Rocha is in the news - but in jail as a spy for the Cubans! Imagine the shock. You trust someone, and wow. Psychiatrists David Charney and Ken Dekleva help us understand the mind of the turncoat: the greatest threat of them all is the male ego. We are gobsmacked. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/29081798

How Corruption Destroys Democracy 12/07/2023

How Corruption Destroys Democracy Ambassador Mark Schneider, former director of the Peace Corps and an expert on corruption in the Western Hemisphere unpacks the August election in Guatemala. Juan José Arévalo was elected on an anti-corruption platform in a 61-39 percent win – bad news for the ruling elites who now seek to overturn the election results before inauguration in January. Why do we in the US care? Corruption in Guatemala drives Guatemalans to flee extreme poverty and emigrate to the US and also allows cartels to bring violence and drugs into our country. So, what will happen when Arévalo is scheduled to take office in January? /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28976333

A Win for Democracy in Poland! 11/30/2023

A Win for Democracy in Poland! The authoritarian government of Poland has just been voted out through free and fair elections. Dan Fried, former US Ambassador to Poland and Assistant Secretary of State for Europe, has met with the highest officials of both incoming and outgoing governments and helps us understand how it is that Poles view democracy and nationalism as two parts of their fundamental identity. The separate factions of politics work together, because after all, "politics is not a love affair." /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28861573

Thanksgiving with Thievery Corporation: Unity, Love, Positivity 11/23/2023

Thanksgiving with Thievery Corporation: Unity, Love, Positivity Jeffrey Franca, the drummer for DC's own world music icon Thievery Corporation - the band that generously allows us to use its music to open our show each week - shares with us the value of unity, love and positivity in his work, which is influenced by musical styles found worldwide. Franca also discusses his work outside of Thievery, in the band Congo Sanchez and in his independent project Ethno. This is one of our favorite episodes, originally posted in 2020, and it sets the tone for a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. May your day be filled with unity, love, and positivity. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28761518

Dissent and Its Consequences 11/15/2023

Dissent and Its Consequences What do you do if you have a severe crisis of conscience over a policy that you cannot support? Do you speak up? Or do you keep your head down and do your job? If you use State's established Dissent Channel, are you bound by its rules to keep your views in that channel? Do you go public? What is the patriotic thing to do? What is the morally right thing to do? Our very own Pete Romero is our guest today, on the topic as recently brought to the fore over the war in Gaza. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28656708

Barbados Agreement - Venezuela and the US 11/09/2023

Barbados Agreement - Venezuela and the US Ambassador Larry Gambiner joins us to discuss a new deal in which President Maduro of Venezuela agreed to democratic reforms, including free and fair elections, in exchange for a reduction in US sanctions. But when opposition party candidate Maria Corina Machado won 93% of the primary vote, she was immediately barred from running for public office for 15 years. So now what will the US do? And will the people of Venezuela rebel? Unfortunately, if you’re hungry enough, it’s hard to overturn the government. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28565393

What's Your Exit Strategy? 11/02/2023

What's Your Exit Strategy? Admiral Mike LeFever and Roderick Jones's new book End Game First talks about collaborating with diplomats to rebuild Pakistan after the 2005 earthquake. Effective strategy means having a vision for a successful end result, no matter the crisis. What, for example, is Israel's exit plan in Gaza? We are in a geopolitical moment where global security, militarily and economically, depends on diplomacy. Says Roderick, “If you start defunding diplomacy, well, be careful.” /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28497611

Problems Without Passports 10/27/2023

Problems Without Passports Says Richard Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, his job is to help create "the most effective, capable, inclusive, diverse department so that we can deliver for the American people," and so that we can, together with the rest of the world, solve borderless, urgent problems such as climate and cybersecurity. Verma, also former US Ambassador to India, explores our ties with the world's largest democracy. Did you know that India's constitution, like ours, begins: "We the people..."? /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28440380

Permanent Rage: Palestine and Israel 10/19/2023

Permanent Rage: Palestine and Israel The atrocities are breathtaking. But once Israel starts picking up the bodies in the smoking rubble of whatever is left of Gaza, then what? Will Gaza return to Israeli occupation? Will there be some form of UN occupation? The Arab League? So much of diplomacy is one bad choice or another bad choice. Ambassador Ron Neumann weighs in with a rich and penetrating understanding of the intractable conflict in Gaza and in the region more broadly. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28365902

Señor Menendez Goes to Washington 10/12/2023

Señor Menendez Goes to Washington How did Robert Menendez fall so hard? A suspected foreign agent? Hiding gold bullion? Pete and John Feeley knew a different man decades ago. A champion of Latinos in government at the start, a nasty, vindictive, corrupt politician by the end. Did he change or could you see the germ of his demise from the beginning? John's view: Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Pete's? An evolution of personality he has never seen anywhere else. /episode/index/show/americandiplomat/id/28302143

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