65 episodes

A biweekly debate show that bridges the divide across contentious issues. Every two weeks, Doha Debates and FP Studios bring you an important and topical debate on the world’s most pressing issues. The show brings together people with starkly different opinions for an in-depth, human conversation that looks for common ground. Each show also includes young guest voices, often participants of the Doha Debates Ambassador Program, who ask insightful questions of the guests. Show hosts include Karen Given, Afia Pokua, Mariya Karimjee, Joshua Johnson and others.

Doha Debates Podcast Doha Debates

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.8 • 168 Ratings

A biweekly debate show that bridges the divide across contentious issues. Every two weeks, Doha Debates and FP Studios bring you an important and topical debate on the world’s most pressing issues. The show brings together people with starkly different opinions for an in-depth, human conversation that looks for common ground. Each show also includes young guest voices, often participants of the Doha Debates Ambassador Program, who ask insightful questions of the guests. Show hosts include Karen Given, Afia Pokua, Mariya Karimjee, Joshua Johnson and others.

    Is obesity a choice?

    Is obesity a choice?

    Globally, 650 million people meet the threshold for obesity. With those numbers on the rise, we ask: Is obesity a matter of individual choice, or is it rooted in larger systemic problems?

    Greg Doucette, a bodybuilder and health coach, says that obesity is a choice, and argues that everyone can lose weight if they follow a healthy diet and exercise regimen. While he concedes that genetic and environmental factors should not be ignored, he maintains that it can be discouraging and ultimately disempowering to say that managing our weight is beyond our own personal control. Professor Monika Arora, a public health scientist, argues that obesity is a systemic issue. She cites many outside factors—economic, environmental and even political—that have given rise to obesity rates across the globe. As a result, she argues that addressing obesity—and related health problems like high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes—requires policy solutions like sugar taxes as well as community health campaigns to bring about healthy societal change. Listen to Doha Debates Podcast as they debate individual versus government responsibility, the dangers of junk food and what a healthier world could look like.

    Doha Debates Podcast is a production of Doha Debates and FP Studios. This episode is hosted by Karen Given. Thoughts on this conversation? Let us know! Follow us everywhere @DohaDebates and join the post-episode discussion in our YouTube comments.

    • 30 min
    ENCORE: Driving change: Is it time to ban gasoline cars?

    ENCORE: Driving change: Is it time to ban gasoline cars?

    This week, we’re airing one of our favorite past episodes. This debate is spirited, informative and centered on a question that remains intensely relevant: Is it time to ban gasoline-powered vehicles? 

    Climate activist and author Aakash Ranison says that while electric vehicles may not be a silver-bullet solution to climate change, they are an important and urgent step in the right direction. On the other side, journalist Jonathan Miltimore argues that there are actually lots of drawbacks and hidden costs to producing electric cars. Gas-powered vehicles, he says, are simply too important—to our individual lives and to the health of our economies—to ban outright, arguing that we should instead focus our time and efforts on other ways of combating climate change. Listen to Doha Debates Podcast as they debate the efficiency, affordability and viability of eliminating gas-powered vehicles, and what the future of climate change might hold.

    Doha Debates Podcast is a production of Doha Debates and FP Studios. This episode is hosted by Karen Given. Thoughts on this conversation? Let us know! Follow us everywhere @DohaDebates and join the post-episode discussion in our YouTube comments.

    • 25 min
    Equal Education: How can we ensure AI access for all?

    Equal Education: How can we ensure AI access for all?

    Let's face it. Artificial intelligence is everywhere around us—on our phones, in our homes, in our cars and in our schools. But that doesn't mean that we all have equal access to the best and most helpful learning technologies. As AI continues to develop and get smarter, how can we ensure universal access to these educational technologies so that all students can benefit? 
    Nadeem Nathoo, co-founder of The Knowledge Society, argues that the private sector would be the most effective at getting cutting-edge AI technologies into the hands of students, saying that a direct-to-user approach is the most realistic and reliable. Isabelle Hau, executive director of the Stanford Accelerator for Learning, says it’s imperative for educators to be involved in the development and dissemination of artificial intelligence in schools. She argues that while AI in classrooms can be a great equalizer, without proper oversight, there's a risk that AI could deepen inequalities between students. Louka Parry, CEO and founder of The Learning Future, says we must look at education and learning more holistically. While he agrees that AI presents a lot of opportunity for learners across the world, he reminds us that an important part of learning is cultivating curiosity in a social setting and that AI tools could potentially isolate students and deepen intellectual divides. Listen to the Doha Debates Podcast as these three education experts debate the best ways to incorporate and leverage AI in the classroom.
    Doha Debates Podcast is a production of Doha Debates. This episode is hosted by Rawaa Augé and was filmed live at the WISE Summit in Doha, Qatar, in November 2023. Thoughts on this conversation? Let us know! Follow us everywhere @DohaDebates and join the post-episode discussion in our YouTube comments.

    • 39 min
    Living to work: Is hustle culture healthy?

    Living to work: Is hustle culture healthy?

    Do you live to work, or work to live? The World Happiness Report says that factors such as social support, economic security and work-life balance all contribute to life satisfaction and overall fulfillment. But checking all those boxes is easier said than done. Can we work hard toward our professional goals without sacrificing other parts of our lives?

    Jennifer Moss, a speaker and strategist on work-life balance whose latest book tackles employee burnout,  says it’s paramount for our happiness and health that we don’t overwork ourselves. She says that instead, we should focus on striking a balance in our lives. While she agrees that deriving fulfillment from work can be rewarding, she argues that hustle culture can be a slippery slope to burnout. Chris Guillebeau, author, entrepreneur and host of the podcast Side Hustle School, says that work-life balance is a conspiracy made up by corporations to monopolize our time and energy. Instead, he argues that to achieve happiness in the long term, people should work hard to pursue projects they really care about, even if it’s sometimes at the expense of other parts of our lives. Listen to the Doha Debates Podcast as these two experts debate the merits of hustle culture and explore the best ways to find happiness in and outside the workplace.

    Doha Debates Podcast is a production of Doha Debates and FP Studios. This episode is hosted by Karen Given. Thoughts on this conversation? Let us know! Follow us everywhere @DohaDebates and join the post-episode discussion in our YouTube comments.

    • 33 min
    Peacekeeping power: Can the UN prevent wars?

    Peacekeeping power: Can the UN prevent wars?

    Since its inception in 1945, the United Nations has committed to preventing world wars. However, recent and devastating conflicts, like the wars in Gaza, Ukraine and elsewhere, have brought the UN's shortcomings on this front into high relief. Is the United Nations capable of preventing war and keeping the peace, or is the institution too antiquated to resolve modern conflicts?
    Anjali K. Dayal, political scientist at Fordham University, argues that the UN is in need of a major structural overhaul. She says that the UN is operating exactly as it was designed to, with the UN’s systematic flaws helping nations like the United States and Russia retain their power and protect their interests. Natalie Samarasinghe, global advocacy director of the Open Society Foundation, concedes that while the UN isn’t perfect, the organization remains a vital and irreplaceable lifeline for people in conflict zones around the world. Moreover, she says that the UN cannot and should not be all things to all people—instead, we must focus on and invest in the parts of the UN that do work. Listen to the Doha Debates Podcast as these experts debate the best paths toward peace, the future of the UN, the rising role of youth on the global stage and how we should hold the UN to account.
    Doha Debates Podcast is a production of Doha Debates and FP Studios. This episode is hosted by Joshua Johnson. Thoughts on this conversation? Let us know! Follow us everywhere @DohaDebates and join the post-episode discussion in our YouTube comments.

    • 34 min
    The maestro of mediation

    The maestro of mediation

    This week on the Doha Debates Podcast, we’re thrilled to share an episode from one of our other podcasts, The Negotiators. 

    William Ury is one of the most famous negotiation experts in the world. He co-wrote the classic book Getting to Yes and co-founded Harvard’s program on negotiation. In this episode, Ury shares negotiation advice and stories from famous peace talks in conversation with host Jenn Williams.

    The Negotiators brings you stories from people resolving some of the world’s most dramatic conflicts. It is a partnership between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy. Season 3 is out now, so if you enjoyed this episode, check out the full show and follow wherever you get your podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/TheNegotiators

    • 49 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
168 Ratings

168 Ratings

MoscowBureau ,

Love these bi-weekly debates!

Great resource for debate and bridge building. Really enjoy listening to these.

Wyoming-cowboy ,

Wyo

Ok until they bring on the guests.

Guapa19 ,

Great way to teach current events!

I love this show for so many reasons! First- the host, Nelafur, is genuinely interested in every topic and every guest that she talks with. Her curiosity is infectious! And second- Every episode surfaces topics and angles on the issues that I wouldn’t normally think about- so many fresh perspectives to consider. As an educator I appreciate the variety of world views that this show illuminates! So important for us to break out of our silos and listen to how others see these complex issues.
I especially appreciate the personal stories of people living as refugees- their resilience is powerful but the injustice is enraging!

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