Root of Conflict

In the final episode of the season, we sat down with UChicago's Samuel Fury Childs Daily, who studies militarism and military rule in Africa. We discuss how conflict and military rule shaped post-colonial Nigeria, and the factors that have contributed to more recent coups in West Africa.  Podcast Production Credits: Interviewing: Sabrina Beaver Editing: Sabrina Beaver Production: Sabrina Beaver Mu...

In this episode, we speak with Katie Tobin, who worked in the NSC in the Biden Administration and the UNHCR before that on a range of migration, refugee and cross-border security issues. We discuss how conflict impacts migration flows to the US and the different tools the US has to address migration resulting from conflict, natural disasters, and violence. Podcast Production Credits: Interviewing:...

In this episode, we speak with Chidi Blyden, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs and former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium Challenge Corporation on security and development in Africa. We discuss the importance of understanding culture in development and security work on the continent and how natural resources can complicate both conflict and develop...

In this episode, we share a recent panel at the Harris School of Public Policy on the U.S. intervention in Iran with former White house official and current Cyber Policy Initiative Executive Director, Jake Braun, and University of Chicago professors Ryan Kellogg and Paul Poast. This discussion touches on U.S. policy goals in Iran and the impact energy markets.  Podcast Production Credits: Intervie...

In this episode, we speak with Kennette Benedict, a senior advisor to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and lecturer at the Harris School of Public Policy on nuclear policy and threats after the expiration of the New START Treaty in February. We explore what how changes in global politics could incentivize countries to proliferate and discuss other existential threats that inform the Bulletin'...

In this episode, we speak with activist and journalist Emma Ashford from the Stimson Center on international security and US foreign policy. We explore what a realist internationalist view of foreign policy might look like, and how Trump's foreign policy may be perceived by allies and adversaries. Podcast Production Credits: Interviewing: Sabrina Beaver and Wyatt Hartwig Editing: Sabrina Beaver Pr...

In this episode, we speak with activist and journalist Emma DeSouza on peacebuilding in Northern Ireland 28 years after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. We explore what work remains to be done in implementing the agreement, and how to make the process an inclusive one that brings in the voices of the youth and women. Podcast Production Credits: Interviewing: Sabrina Beaver and Erik Tierst...

In this episode, we share a recent panel at the Harris School of Public Policy on the what comes next for Venezuela with University of Chicago professors Chris Blattman, Ryan Kellogg, and Paul Poast. This discussion touches on plans for the transition in Venezuela, the impact energy markets, and what this means for U.S. policy more broadly.  Podcast Production Credits: Interviewing: Rebecca Wolfe...

In this brief, we speak with Pegah Banihashemi about recent protests in Iran. We discuss how this wave of protests differs from those of prior years and what conditions detainees likely face.   Podcast Production Credits: Interviewing: Sabrina Beaver Editing: Sabrina Beaver Production: Sabrina Beaver Music from #Uppbeat: https://uppbeat.io/t/tim-schaufert/it-doesnt-have-to-end

In this episode, we speak with Foreign Policy staff writer John Haltiwanger about his experiences reporting on conflict and national security matters. We explore how current conflicts, such as those in Ukraine and Gaza, may conclude, as well as the obstacles to peace. This conversation touches on conflict resolution, the importance of expertise, and the role of the US in these discussions. Podcast...

In this episode, we speak with Professor Anjali Adukia from the University of Chicago about her research on restorative practices in schools and how they can reduce suspensions, arrests, and racial disparities without harming academic performance. We explore what restorative practices look like, why they matter, and how they may impact not only students but also teachers and families. The conversa...

In this episode, Professor Benjamin Lessing unpacks the dynamics of organized crime and informal governance in Brazil. He discusses how extra-legal organizations operate as alternative authority structures—stepping into the vacuum left by weak state presence. Traditional law enforcement often fails to dismantle them, requiring innovations in policymaking aimed at reducing violence in the country....

This episode explores the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo through the lens of historical legacies, regional dynamics, and international interests. Our guest, Professor Eduardo Montero, introduces the current crisis and its deep roots in colonial exploitation, institutional fragility, and unresolved tensions from past conflicts. By the end of the episode, you will also understa...

This episode features Professor Roger Myerson, Nobel Laureate (2007) and Professor at the University of Chicago. We discuss the war in Ukraine through his on-the-ground experience and academic expertise. Professor Myerson reflects on the political, social, and technological shifts he has witnessed since the war began. The conversation examines how Ukraine is adapting to the change in U.S. foreign...

This episode features Professor Rebecca J. Wolfe, senior lecturer and Executive Director of International Policy & Development at the Harris School of Public Policy. Drawing on her extensive experience designing conflict prevention and violence reduction programs worldwide, Dr. Wolfe explores how behavioral science can be leveraged to mitigate conflict. She discusses the role of trusted author...

This episode explores strategies for finding consensus between the government and rebel insurgencies. We spoke with Sergio Jaramillo Caro, former High Commissioner for Peace in Colombia, who led the secret negotiations between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas, culminating in the Final Agreement in 2016. He discusses strategies for peace negotiations, potential challenges, and how t...

How can social entrepreneurship help end violent conflict? In this episode, John Marks, founder of “Search for Common Ground”, an international NGO dedicated to resolving global conflicts, shares insights from over 40 years of experience in peacebuilding. Marks discusses key lessons from his extensive career, highlights core concepts from his latest book, “From Vision to Action”, and offers practi...

Karl Popper once said, “Open societies are their own worst enemies.” In this episode, Michèle Duvivier Pierre-Louis, former prime minister of Haiti and president of the Knowledge and Freedom Foundation, reflects on this idea. She shares her perspective on Haiti’s development challenges and paths to peace. Michèle emphasizes the importance of negotiating with opponents to advance the public good an...

Defining successful antiterrorism strategies is challenging. With groundbreaking research in the history of political violence, terrorism, and nationalism, Professor Richard English guides us through the main concepts and structures to understand valid approaches for countering terror. Richard English is a Professor of Politics at Queen's University Belfast, where he is also Director of the Senato...

How can the West learn from Africa? Professor James Robinson, director of The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts, highlights the richness of development in the African region. Robinson has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Africa, and Zimbabwe, and is a Fellow at the Institute for African Studies at t...

What are the key legal principles that govern the conduct of war and protect human rights? In this episode, we speak with Professor Kathleen Cavanaugh, the Executive Director of the Pozen Family Center for Human Rights, and Senior Instructional Professor in the College at UChicago. Professor Cavanaugh’s scholarship, like her academic training, is interdisciplinary and seeks to interrogate question...

How is law understood and used by different actors during political transitions to achieve peace? In this episode, we speak with Professor Louise Mallinder, a Professor in the School of Law at Queen's University Belfast and Faculty Affiliate of the Pearson Institute. She has a longstanding and internationally recognized expertise in amnesty laws through extensive writing and the creation of the Am...

How does the United States coordinate with regional partners to promote human rights in North Korea? In this episode, we speak with Ambassador Julie Turner, the U.S. Special Envoy for North Korean Human Rights at the Department of State. Ambassador Turner is globally recognized as an expert in human rights and democracy and has worked over the past 20 years to strengthen democratic institutions an...

How do stories give new perspectives to conflict and peace? In this episode, we speak with Juanita Vélez, a journalist and political scientist. She was the editor of La Silla Sur, a regional subsidiary of Colombian news website La Silla Vacía, focused on covering the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement in southern Colombia. She researches and writes journalistic stories on illegal armed gro...

What is the role of narratives within the political economy of development? In this episode, we speak with Professor Raul Sanchez de la Sierra, an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy and Faculty Affiliate of the Pearson Institute. His research tackles problems in the economics of development, political economy, and conflict. He conducts most of his res...