The Wilson Center

Brian Mulroney, who served as Canada's Prime Minister from 1984 until 1993, passed away on February 29, 2024. Tributes from world leaders have been numerous and heartfelt, especially from Americans who hailed Mulroney for his bold efforts to improve Canada's relations with the United States. In this episode, Beth and Chris speak with former Quebec Premier Jean Charest who was elected to Parliament in 1984 along with Mulroney, and named to Cabinet in 1984, Canada's youngest cabinet minister at 28, and became a lifelong friend. In this very special episode, Charest shares stories and speaks to the continued relevance of the shared values that Mulroney made the foundation of Canada's relationship with the United States.

In this episode, we delve into the findings from a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources that examined the fiscal impact of refugees and asylum seekers on the economy over a 15-year period. Many will be surprised by the overwhelmingly positive findings. John Thon Majok, Director of the Wilson Center's Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative, provides insights and analysis that could have significant implications for policy decisions. https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/28fe4e756499bdab08b4e6cb3b952e22/aspe-report-refugee-fiscal-impact.pdf

In today’s episode of “The Arc,” ECSP’s Angus Soderberg and Claire Doyle interview Nisha Singh and Kavin Mirteekhan from Women for Women International. We dive into the organization’s report, Cultivating a more enabling environment: Strengthening women’s resilience in climate-vulnerable and conflict-affected communities, hearing from them on the need for a report at this intersection, their key findings, and the report’s recommendations. Kavin, Women for Women’s Country Director in Iraq, also shares the experiences of women in climate-vulnerable and conflict affected communities there.

In today’s episode of New Security Broadcast, ECSP Program Director Lauren Risi speaks with Sarah Ladislaw, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Climate and Energy at the National Security Council (NSC). In the conversation, Special Assistant Ladislaw describes her role at the NSC and the most pressing climate security challenges facing the US. She also reflects on her recent address at the Munich Security Conference, and her vision for achieving “mutually assured resilience.”

Jill Dougherty sits down with former US Ambassador to Russia and Bulgaria John R. Beyrle to discuss their shared foundational experiences in Soviet Russia, including as US exchange students in then-Leningrad and later as American National Exhibition guides, and how they still inform their work in journalism and diplomacy today.

This is a very special episode where we welcome back original cohost Scotty Greenwood and talk with former Canadian Cabinet Minister Peter McKay. Chris and Scotty go around the world with Peter looking at how Canada fits into many of the global challenges we are seeing today.

In this episode of the Need to Know podcast from the Wilson Center, Ambassador Mark Green, President and CEO of the Wilson Center, shares his recent firsthand observations from Ukraine, marking the two-year anniversary of Russia's invasion. From the war-torn streets to underground schools in subway stations, Ambassador Green provides a vivid account of the destruction caused by Russian attacks and the courageous response of Ukrainians rebuilding their lives amidst ongoing conflict. He emphasizes the urgent need for international support, both humanitarian and military, to address the staggering displacement crisis and bolster Ukraine's efforts to resist Russian aggression.

Join our co-host for a wide-ranging conversation with Jared Ronis, digital assets analyst and advisor for SeedAI. In this episode, Jared talks about the power of using blockchain for verification, how it can close the gap on key AI problems, and why blockchain's time is now. For more, don't miss Jared breaking down the basics in our ongoing Blockchain Brief series, available online at https://www.wilsoncenter.org/collection/blockchain-briefs

Two years after Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine, Izabella Tabarovsky sat down with Maxim Trudolyubov, editor in chief of the Kennan Institute’s Russia File blog, to discuss where Russia is today. They discussed new trends in Russian emigration and the brain drain that never was, how the Russian economy has managed to defy predictions of immediate collapse, and who is actually running Russia. This is part 2 of our conversation about the second anniversary of the invasion. It was recorded on February 6. For show notes and relevant links please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/russia-second-anniversary-invasion-ukraine

Two years after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, Izabella Tabarovsky sat down with Mykhailo Minakov, the Kennan Institute’s senior advisor on Ukraine and editor in chief of its Focus Ukraine blog, to discuss where Ukraine is today militarily, politically, socially and economically; Ukrainians’ sources of resilience; and why bipartisan support for Ukraine is in the national interest of the United States. This is part 1 of our conversation about the second anniversary of the invasion. It was recorded on February 6. For show notes and relevant links please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/ukraine-second-anniversary-russian-invasion

In today’s episode of New Security Broadcast, ECSP Program Director Lauren Risi follows up with Iris Ferguson, the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Arctic and Global Resilience, on their previous conversation previewing the DoD delegation to COP28. Deputy Assistant Secretary Ferguson discusses her takeaways from COP28 and the importance of listening to stakeholders outside the Pentagon echo chamber. She also outlines some of DoD’s key energy and climate security priorities in 2024.

It's an anniversary bash along Canusa Street. In this episode, Beth and Chris chat with Wilson Center Mexico Institute director Andrew Rudman about the celebration of eighty years of diplomatic relations between Mexico and Canada.

In this episode of Need to Know, Eddy Acevedo, Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President and CEO of the Wilson Center, discusses the year ahead for the U.S. Congress. He lists other priorities Congress is juggling in addition to appropriations and supplemental funding. Acevedo shares insights from his experience working on the Hill and emphasizes the importance of bipartisan collaboration. He also touches on the role of Congress in shaping foreign policy and talks about the critical need for reliable information for those making public policy decisions.

El Salvador’s popular and controversial president, Nayib Bukele, has won a second term. Host Benjamin Gedan is joined by Noah Bullock, executive director of the human rights organization Cristosal, to discuss the future of El Salvador, including the crackdown on criminal gangs and its implications for the rule of law.

One Under Lula: Brazil's Political Landscape and the Quest for Stability In this episode, Bruna Santos and Oscar Vilhena, law professor and Wilson Center global fellow, reflect on Brazil one year after its momentous 2022 election bringing Lula back into power. They analyze early challenges confronting Lula’s administration, from political turmoil to polarization, while discussing the road ahead for institutional stability.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has highlighted some of its own domestic problems. One of them is the uneven economic development of Russian regions and another is the unfair treatment of ethnic minorities. The Republic of Buryatia, a region in East Siberia, has been under the spotlight since February 2022, because of what looks like disproportionate representation of Buryats among the ranks of Russian soldiers. In this episode of The Russia File, Nina Rozhanovskaya talks with Buryat activist and research scientist Mariya Vyushkova about Buryat history and identity, Russia’s discriminatory mobilization policies, and the effects of the war in Ukraine on indigenous groups and ethnic minorities. For show notes, please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/audio/buryatia-and-high-toll-russias-war-ukraine-ethnic-minorities

We've been hearing a lot about India and Canada lately. With so much going on in South Asia in 2024, Beth and Chris talk to Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center to get a bird's eye view of what is going on and what to expect.

Join our co-hosts for a conversation with Amazon Web Services’ Global Head for Financial Innovation and Digital Assets, Michael Greenwald. In this episode, AI Meets Blockchain, Michael Greenwald shares his predictions for Blockchain and digital currencies in 2024, the basket of currencies approach to finance, and more.

With corruption fighter Bernardo Arévalo finally in office, Latin America Program Global Fellow Catherine Osborn speaks with Guatemalan human rights lawyer Alfredo Ortega about the challenges the new president is facing as he attempts to implement his ambitious reform agenda.

Though it insists upon its status as a pacific power, Canada has found itself on the outside looking in on a network of military and economic alliances being formed in the Indo-Pacific. This week, Chris and Beth are joined by Deanna Horton, Canada Institute Global Fellow and Distinguished Fellow at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, to discuss Canada’s regional aspirations and woes.