Matter File W!ZARD Studios

In this episode, we look at the story of the heavily contested region of Nagorno Karabakh. Ms. Anush Ghavalyan served as the former advisor to the president of the national assembly of the Republic of Artsakh. With her help, we understand the conflict from the lens of the region that has faced the wrath of Azeri troops for decades and still managed to develop independently. We look at the history behind Azerbaijan's claim to this territory and get a glimpse into the devastation caused by this war. For now, the situation seems stable and we can only hope for peace and security for the citizens of Artsakh.

https://artsakhpress.am/eng/
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In our final episode of the year, we look at the international relations and economic landscape of the Republic of Armenia. The episode distills the reasons for Armenia's ties with its geographic neighbours and looks at the influence of Russia in the region. It further explores the economic history of the country through the 20th century and looks at the transition economy after independence. Finally, the episode examines the growth of the Armenian economy over the past three decades, the constraints to this growth, and the current problems that the economy needs to address. Thank you all so much for your support and we wish you all a Happy New Year!
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In this episode, we take a closer look at how the relationship of Armenia with its neighbours shaped its present political state. We cover the horrifying numbers behind the Armenian genocide and the continuous partitioning of the state. We further examine the development of Armenian nationalism in an era where large populations of Armenians were forced to migrate due to oppressive policies of ruling states. We finally look at the Nagorno-Karabakh question and understand how the conflict has progressed since the independence of the Republic of Armenia. The situation along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border is still volatile with protests in Armenia, and this episode provides the context to help understand why.
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In this episode, we explore Poland's economy with the author of the book "Europe's Growth Champion: Insights from the Economic Rise of Poland", Professor Marcin Piatkowski. We analyse Poland's economic transition post-communism in 1989 with the actions of Solidarity and Leszek Balcerowicz's Shock Therapy and trace the growth through the 21st century. We talk about the development of good institutions and how Poland managed to avoid the economic crash of 2008-09. We finally touch on the present state of the Polish economy and why it's growth is probably sustainable and what the pandemic means for the economy of Poland. The book can be found on https://global.oup.com/academic/product/europes-growth-champion-9780198789345?cc=gb&lang=en&
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We've hit 25 episodes and this one is an incredibly interesting interview on the insurgency in the south of Thailand! Mr. Shintaro Hara is an analyst and a translator who lives in Patani and has been interacting with people and communities that are affected daily by the insurgency in Thailand. The conversation talks about the concerns of individuals who inhabit the region and the importance of self-determination. We also talk about the various groups that were created to represent the interest of the Muslim population in Patani, why the struggle became armed, and how these groups might earn money to fund their struggle. We finally touch on why Thaification has adversely harmed the region and how the region is coping economically given the current pandemic.
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In this episode, we speak with Ms. Elana DeLozier on the incentives and roles of various actors involved in the Yemeni Conflict. The conversation follows on from her publication of the Yemen Matrix (https://yemen-matrix.washingtoninstitute.org/) which plots the bilateral ties between 12 key actors in the current geopolitical state of Yemen. We cover not only the Houthi movement, Hadi's regime, and Saudi Arabia but also talk about the political parties of GPC and Islah as well as the importance of historically prominent figures such as Saleh in the current conflict. Elana provides a thorough and concise tour of the complexity of the Yemeni conflict and helps understand what the bottlenecks to peace talks among the various parties involved are
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