New Thinking for a New World - a Tallberg Foundation Podcast Tällberg Foundation

Many countries create ways to seal their borders from migrants or force them to leave. However, Europe funding countries like Tunisia, Morocco, and Mauritania to dump refugees in the Sahara is newsworthy. On paper, European deals with North African countries to stop migrants seem humane, but are they? How are the funds used, and how are refugees treated? May Bulman and a collaboration of journalists led by Lighthouse Reports published their findings under the headline "Desert Dump."

Politics in Mexico is fiercely competitive and violent. Last month’s elections saw Claudia Sheinbaum become the first female president with record votes, while her Morena party achieved significant victories. However, over 100 political assassinations and various acts of violence by drug cartels marred the campaign.

This political violence is spreading across Latin America. Can the cartels be stopped? Is Mexico becoming a narco-state? Chris Dalby, an expert on cartel violence and founder of World of Crime, explores the cartels’ objectives and methods.

France's President Macron's decision to hold elections this year resulted in a major shift: Marine Le Pen’s National Rally won over 33%, the leftist New Popular Front got 28%, and Macron's party came in third with 22%.
With speculation that the RN might win a majority in the July 7th runoff, French politics is now highly unpredictable.
Fear of the populist far-right defines French politics. Alice Barbe, a leftist political and social activist, shares her concerns and expectations for the second round and beyond.

The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the planet, serving as a critical climate indicator. The 2023 Arctic Report Card documented the hottest summer in centuries, with severe impacts like wildfires, ice melt, and high sea temperatures, trends continuing in 2024.

Are we locked into continuous warming? Are there tipping points? Can we act now? Despite bleak prospects, large-scale adaptation initiatives in the Arctic and Antarctica are essential. Tero Mustonen, a Finnish environmental leader, scientist, fisherman and Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize recipient, is dedicated to these efforts. Fresh from the Arctic, he provides a rare firsthand account.

India's recent elections saw 640 million voters and a mixed outcome. Prime Minister Modi's BJP won a third term but lost its majority, needing coalition partners. Meanwhile, the political opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, gained strength. Did Modi win or lose? Did voters reject his Hindu nationalism? What was this election really about?

It’s India, so definitive answers are elusive. But our guest today on New Thinking for a New World, can surely point us in the right direction. Vishakha Desai is a widely respected Asian scholar focused on art, culture, policy, and women's rights. Listen as she unpacks the election and its consequences — and then tell us what you think.

The past eight months in the Middle East have been marked by significant turmoil, including the horror of October 7th, ongoing violence in Gaza, civilian casualties across the region, and rising tensions between Iran and Israel. Amidst this chaos, American diplomats are pursuing a bold diplomatic solution: a three-way agreement where the U.S. provides a defense guarantee for Saudi Arabia, which would sign a peace treaty with Israel, leading to the end of the Gaza war and a commitment to the two-state solution. This episode of New Thinking for a New World features Neil Quilliam, a British expert on Saudi Arabia, discussing the potential and challenges of this ambitious plan.