Building The Future: Freedom, Prosperity, And Foreign Policy With Dan Runde

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan is joined by Allan J. “Alonzo” Wind, former USAID Foreign Service Officer as they discuss his career and new book “Andean Adventures: An Unexpected Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Discovery Across Three Countries”. They begin with his early career in South America with the peace corps and NGO work. This conversation is framed in a larger discussion over the idea of national service in America. They then discuss his work with USAID, which took him around the world, from central America, to Africa, to the Middle East. Lastly, they discuss the importance of modern foreign aid, and the necessary changes needed to the system due to both its own shortcomings and challenges from other global powers.

CSIS Americas Deputy Director, Maggie Seminario, guest hosts this week's Building the Future episode on Gender Equity and Financial Inclusion. In this episode, we talk with Mia Mitchell (from the U.S. Department of State) and Sonja Kelly (from the Women's World Banking) to understand the barriers we face to enabling inclusive access to finance to women around the world while discussing the various opportunities that the U.S. government has in overcoming such hurdles. This is the second part of the two-part series on Digital ID-enabled Financial Inclusion and has been produced thanks to the generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan is joined by Ambassador Javier Rupérez, former Spanish Ambassador to the United States for the second part of their conversation. They begin by discussing the diminishing role of Christian Democratic Parties within Europe. They then shift into the importance of NATO, the differing views on China and Russia within Europe, and the cooperation needed in dealing with the competitors’ rising power. They then discuss Covid-19 and their views on the increased connectivity and the economic struggles that followed in its wake. The conversation concludes with a discussion of how the Biden administration can reset U.S. engagement and leadership on the global stage.

In this episode, Dan is joined by Ambassador Javier Rupérez, former Spanish Ambassador to the United States. They begin by discussing Rupérez's experiences growing up under the Franco regime and his initial political experiences in organizations that opposed the dictator. After university, Rupérez joined the Spanish foreign service where he was exposed to the international system. Rupérez then describes his involvement in Spain's successful democratic transition. Once Spain became a democracy, he played a critical role in guiding the country's new foreign policy. Rupérez recounts his successful campaign for Spain's membership in the NATO, despite political opposition. This is the first in a series of two episodes from Dan's conversation with Ambassador Rupérez.

In this episode Dan is joined by Dr. Bill Steiger, former Chief of Staff at USAID. Previously, Dr. Steiger was successively Managing Director and Chief Program Officer at Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon and worked as a Senior Advisor at the Global Fund. He was also Special Assistant for International Affairs to the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the George W. Bush Administration. Dan and Dr. Steiger begin their conversation by discussing how Dr. Steiger began his long-term career in public service. The two then go on to discuss some of the challenges that Dr. Steiger observed during his time as Chief of Staff at USAID and the ways in which these challenges influenced the agency’s relationships within different government branches. Afterward, they speak about some of ongoing successes and “wins” that Dr. Steiger witnessed at the agency, including an entire structural change. Dr. Steiger goes on to specifically highlight a shift in culture at the agency and outlines the immense progress it has made with respe

Dan's colleague and long-time friend John Simon guest hosts this week's episode to talk about how the developing world can develop and adopt a functional, reliable, and secure digital ID. Achieving universal financial inclusion requires a reliable and inclusive identification document –– a digital one, given the modern world. John, who was the former US Ambassador to the African Union, sits down with Kate Wilson (CEO of the Digital Impact Alliance) and Paul Lekas (who is with the National Security Commission on AI) to discuss how to approach the legal, structural, and design barriers to realizing a Universal Digital ID and how the U.S. can play a constructive role. This is the first in a series of two episodes on Digital ID-enabled Financial Inclusion and has been produced thanks to the generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In this episode, Dan speaks with his colleague and director of the CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project, Jonathan E. Hillman, who is the author of a new book on the Belt and Road Initiative, The Emperor's New Road: China and the Project of the Century. This conversation comes at an interesting time as the United States is mapping out its own infrastructure investment needs. Jon and Dan have worked closely on the issue of increasing influence of the People’s Republic of China in global infrastructure development and have produced dozens of analysis for U.S. officials and lawmakers on the geopolitical stakes of China’s multi trillion dollar global infrastructure development project that spans across the world. In this podcast, Jon chronicles some of his key takeaways from writing this book and discuss among other things the true cost of BRI investments for the developing countries, the U.S. role in enabling an alternative globally, and even the best travel destinations in Central Asia.

In this episode Dan speaks with Nicolás Massot, a politician, who currently serves on the Board of Directors of Banco Ciudad, the third largest bank in Argentina. Nicolás was also the former majority leader of Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies, the youngest leader in the Chamber’s history, and is a member of Republican Proposal, one of the most prominent parties in Argentina. In addition, he had a leading role in the Argentinian presidential campaign in 2015. The two begin their conversation by talking through why Nicolás was motivated to enter politics and discuss the first position he held when he began his career. Nicolás and Dan then talk about Nicolás’s role in the 2015 presidential election and his experience running for the House of Deputies the same year. Then they discuss some of the reasons behind the successful 2015 election of former Argentinian president, Mauricio Macri and some of the political changes the country has seen in recent years. Finally, they delve into a discussion surrounding Argentin

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan speaks with Jack Hamilton who is the Hopkins P. Breazeale Professor at Louisiana State University for the Manship School of Mass Communication and a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center. Jack and Dan begin this podcast by discussing Jack’s most recent book Manipulating the Masses: Woodrow Wilson and the Birth of American Propaganda.” They talk about why Jack chose to write the book and the ways in which he conducted its necessary historical research. Jack and Dan then talk through the Presidency of Woodrow Wilson and analyze both the backgrounds and important roles played by some of the individuals in the book. Furthermore, they consider the ways in which the book is relevant to debates today about misinformation and how news will be spread and consumed in the future.

In this episode, Dan Runde sits down with Dr. Diana Negroponte who is a current Global Fellow at the Wilson Center. Dan and Dr. Negroponte begin their conversation by discussing her new book, Master Negotiator: the Role of James A. Baker, III at the End of the Cold War. They talk about why Dr. Negroponte wrote the book and in particular, how she decided to write about his legacy during the end of the Cold War. Dan and Dr. Negroponte discuss Baker’s open-mindedness, intellect, and determination, and how these personal attributes, in addition to his close friendship with President George H.W. Bush, ultimately shaped his success as Secretary of State. They move on and talk through the landmark events that occurred during the Cold War era as well as the history of the U.S. relationship with the Soviet Union. Finally, they discuss the important legacy that Baker will leave behind.

In this episode, Dan Runde is joined by Paul O’Brien. When this episode was recorded, Paul was the Vice President of OXFAM America and on secondment to OXFAM International to co-lead the Global Corona Virus Advocacy Task Force. He has since been hired as the Executive Director at Amnesty International USA. Dan and Paul start off their conversation by talking about Paul’s recent book Power Switch- How We Can Reverse Extreme Inequality. Dan and Paul go on to discuss why and how power switches occur during moments of deep disruption, and some of the implications of not addressing the global challenges the world is facing today. Finally, they discuss how power competition could shape the future of economics, technology, supply chains, and ultimately the way the Covid-19 pandemic is addressed. 

In this episode, Dan Runde is joined by Michael Jarvis, Executive Director of the Transparency and Accountability Initiative, a donor collaborative working to expand the impact and scale of transparency, accountability, and participation interventions. Dan and Michael kick-off their conversation by talking about the importance of transparency and accountability at both the national and sub-national levels in a variety of sectors. They also discuss the role that Covid-19 has played in the global transparency agenda and further, how it will be critical in the vaccine rollout and providing economic relief to those dealing with the consequences of the pandemic. This episode also features Michael and Dan discussing debt transparency and the future role the Biden Administration can play in international engagement. Finally, they discuss Michael’s upcoming objectives at the Transparency and Accountability Initiative and the importance of incorporating transparency into a variety of different agendas as the world tra

In this episode, Dan Runde is joined by Christos Makridis, a Digital Fellow with the Initiative on the Digital Economy at MIT and a Research Assistant Professor at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. Dan and Christos sit down to discuss Christos’ article, “New Research Shows Religious Liberty Drives Human Flourishing — And Why This Matters Now More Than Ever.” They explore the concept of religious liberty and its two central components, the first being the freedom to choose what to believe, and the second being the freedom to worship as one sees fit. They go on to discuss the history of religious liberty and how it can reduce the likelihood of public and political corruption, foster women’s empowerment, and bolster democratic governance. Furthermore, Dan and Christos talk through the reasons why those who are not religious should care about religious liberty, and the ways in which religion is rooted in the freedom to express one’s beliefs and worldview. 

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde is joined by Doreen Bogdan-Martin, the Director of the Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to discuss the ITU’s critical role in increasing access to global digital connectivity. Dan and Doreen first provide an overview of the history of the ITU and outline the specific mandates of the BDT and other bureaus.   They go on to discuss the ITU’s targeted work and how the BDT aims to connect the world through six main focus areas: bolstering digital infrastructure, capacity building, digital inclusion, measuring impact, forming key partnerships worldwide, and policy regulation that emboldens an enabling environment. The conversation shifts to a discussion about global modernity as well as the future of digital infrastructure, specifically how both Covid-19 and distance learning have had varying degrees of negative impacts on many schoolchildren, especially those in the developing world. 

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde is joined by Leo Li, the Director of the Content Lab at the Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA). They discuss how Taiwan’s creative industries have adapted in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, the increasing importance of 5G and digital technology, and potential avenues of collaboration between Taiwan and Latin American countries who are working to build their creative sectors.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde is joined by Gloria Steele, Acting Administrator for USAID, to discuss the future of global development strategies in the Indo-Pacific region. Dan and Gloria start off by discussing Gloria’s time spent in the Philippines and the specific challenges the country continues to face in its development trajectory. They focus on the future of U.S. development assistance to countries in Asia and the ways in which overall growth can be made more inclusive, specifically highlighting education as an important equalizer. Dan and Gloria go on to discuss the pressing development issues that have been transformed by Covid-19 such as supply chain resiliency, concerns with increased digital connectivity, and stark inequalities in global internet access. Furthermore, they discuss the emerging intersection between the environment and human health as well as the future of aging societies, and how both will impact the future of development in the Indo-Pacific. 

Digital authoritarianism presents overlapping and expanding challenges within autocracies and democracies. In the past year, CSIS produced a policy brief that examined this ever-evolving challenge and determined a new, strategic approach to confront authoritarian actors who seek to use digital tools to subvert human rights and democratic principles. How does this strategy - which is grounded in fundamental principles and framed around promoting resilience while building affirmative alternatives - fit with the policy priorities of the Biden administration? To answer this, we go to the co-authors of this brief, Erol Yayboke (Dan's deputy and guest host for this episode) and Sam Brannen (who leads the Risk and Foresight Group at CSIS). Together, they walk us through the salient points of the brief, key tools that authoritarians use to advance digital interests, and map out how the U.S. (under the leadership of President Biden) can take specific policy actions to combat this growing menace. Check out the policy

In this episode, Dan speaks with Ambassador Bob Zoellick, an American public official who most recently served as the 11th President of the World Bank. He is the author of a fascinating new book, America in the World: A History of U.S. Diplomacy and Foreign Policy. In the tradition of the 1994 Diplomacy (by Henry Kissinger), this book was written to bring a practitioner’s perspective on history and to describe the lessons Ambassador Zoellick learned while navigating Washington’s circles while in public service.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde is joined by Romina Bandura, Senior Fellow on the Project on Prosperity at CSIS, to discuss the new PPD report Sustainable Infrastructure in the Amazon. Dan and Romina discuss how better governance in the Amazon can improve the security conditions, as well as opportunities for the U.S. private sector and bilateral agencies like USAID and the DFC to play a role in the sustainable development of the Amazon. They also discuss how a potential Peru and Brazil accession to the OECD could result in better governance and corruption standards that could help the Amazon Basin, in addition to how the incoming Biden administration should approach the region.  

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde is joined by Nicole Aandahl, the Director of the Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Program at the CSIS, to discuss diversity and inclusion in the international affairs and foreign policy community. The podcast examines the state of diversity and inclusion in international affairs following the Cold War, identifies how the United States should leverage its uniquely diverse population for global innovation and leadership, and emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences for the U.S. diplomatic corps and in national security and foreign policy decision-making processes.