American Diplomat Ambassador (Retired) Pete Romero and Writer/Producer Laura Bennett
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- Education
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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?
Customer Reviews
Constructive criticism
First off, I would like to say that i absolutely enjoy this podcast. Great conversations, very interesting topics, and great hosts.
The only thing I don’t like is Laura’s habit of acknowledging the interviewee a bit too much by (perhaps unconsciously) interrupting with “uhmm”, “mmhmm”, “yep”, and so on. I find it very distracting, and to be honest, a bit annoying. I hope the producers take this as constructive criticism. I think she is an excellent interviewer, she makes great points, asks great questions, and makes great contributions to the conversations.
Again, I love this podcast, congratulations, and I wish them both the best!
We’re talking ?
If your going to keep the tag line “we’re talking “ then say it like you mean it, or cut it out. It sounds like your rambling through script that you don’t care about. Please fix it.
Also, the interviews are starting to fade and become boring. Maybe time to spice up the format and content a little.
Please don’t interrupt
Love the show, but the interrupting “uh huh” is so distracting. Please try to stop. All else, is great.