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In this episode, we sat down with Maria de la Paz Gonzalez and Sophia Rathleff to delve into the groundbreaking work of Sonam Phuntsho Wangdi, Bhutan's Secretary of the National Environment Commission, as he spearheads efforts to keep Bhutan carbon-neutral and globally recognized for its environmental strategies. We explore Wangdi's rapid rise in climate policy, his efforts to balance economic growth with sustainability, and his drive to increase international climate responsibility.
This episode is the first in a series of six as part of the IExRAIA Summer Research Program of 2024. RAIA has invited twelve IE University students to join our think tank and spend 9 weeks researching a figure from around the world to try to answer a simple question: Are they a climate leader?
Don't forget to read Maria and Sophia's article (https://raiagroup.org/wangdis-efforts-to-modernise-bhutans-environment) and report (https://raiagroup.org/ie-university-x-raia-research-program-2024).
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In this episode, we sat down with Roxane de Bergevin to explore the intensifying conflict between DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame as the M23 rebels advance in Eastern DRC. Tshisekedi accuses Kagame of supporting the M23, leading to destabilization and resource exploitation in the region. We discuss the recent attacks in North Kivu, the displacement of civilians, and the strategic importance of regaining control over valuable resources.
Please don't forget to read Roxane's article here: https://raiagroup.org/hostilities-between-tshisekedi-and-kagame-persist-as
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We sat down with Cova Moreno to talk about the transformation of RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo from a notorious warlord to a recognized diplomatic figure. As Sudan faces escalating tensions between Hemedti and SAF leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, we discuss how Hemedti's regional diplomacy, international engagements, and strategic maneuvers are reshaping the political landscape. Discover the implications of this power struggle on Sudan’s future and the potential fallout for the European refugee crisis.
Please don't forget to read Cova's article here: https://raiagroup.org/hemedti-african-tour-blazes-support
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We sat down with Réka Baranyai to discuss the political and historical context of the Nagorno Karabakh region, focusing on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's recent military takeover. We talked about thehistory of the region, the dynamics of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, and the international implications of Aliyev's actions. The discussion also touches on the geopolitical reactions from major regional powers and the challenges ahead for peace negotiations.
Please don’t forget to read Réka's article here: https://raiagroup.org/ilhalm-aliyev-blazing-after-declaring-final-victory-in-nagorno-karabakh
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We sat down with Chiara Leorato to talk about the upcoming Indian elections taking place from 19 April 2024 to 1 June 2024. We talked about Modi’s strategy both domestically and internationally, the role of the INDIA Alliance (opposition coalition against the Bharatiya Janata Party) in Modi’s strategies, and how the structure of the voting system plays a role in the election’s results.
Please don’t forget to read Chiara’s article here: https://raiagroup.org/narendra-modis-hot-strategy-for-a-more-hindu-india
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We sat down with Michele Testoni, professor of International Relations at IE University and a member of both the Asociación Española de Ciencia Política y de la Administración (AECPA) and the Transatlantic Studies Association (TSA) to talk about Rishi Sunak and his role in US-UK intelligence sharing. We talked about Sunak’s creation of the safety institute for artificial intelligence and what it means not only for UK transnational relations with the US and EU, but also the increasing role of government regulation and ethical concerns in AI development.
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As Lula positions Brazil as a willing and active participant in international efforts, he aims to demonstrate the country's commitment to environmental protection and its pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future. In this episode of our 2023 Climate Leaders 101, we discuss Brazilian President Lula with IE students, Lana and Maxima. We not only discuss Lula’s current political status, but his previous involvement in Brazilian politics and particularly his stance on workers’ rights. The students delve into the pressures exerted on Brazil due to climate change, listing this as one of the reasons Lula wishes to enact climate policies on the national level, but also why he campaigns for action at the global stage. When discussing Lula’s climate action, the Amazon Fund is both praised and criticized by our analysis. Lastly, we refer to Lula’s involvement in the biggest corruption scandal in the country, the “Operation Car Wash”, and how this has tainted his credibility. Finally, Lana and Maxima explain why Lula IS to be considered a climate leader and discuss Lula’s view on the difference between developed and less developed countries regarding climate action. The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs. Ten IE students have researched five climate leaders under RAIA supervision and with RAIA’s methodology ahead of the COP28. This is the second year we have conducted this research program fully financed by our partners from IE University.Check out the report on Lula written by Lana and Maxima: https://raiagroup.org/ie-university-x-raia-research-program-2023Check out Lana Francella’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanafrancella/Check out Maxima Yasmin Riep’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxima-yasmin-riep/
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Teresa Ribera is a relevant climate leader because she is in the spotlight in the Europeanfight against climate change as the minister for the Ecological Transition of Spainsince 2018. In this episode of our 2023 Climate Leaders 101, we discuss climate leader Teresa Ribera with IE student Ajinkya. We look at her environmental interest due to her background in academia and her rise in ministerial ranks in Spain. We then compare how this differed from her leadership experience as director of the IDDRI (Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations) and lessons learned to be implemented back into the European policy dimension regarding climate action. By helping us understand Spain’s four environmental challenges, Ajinkya goes into detail regarding her policies, such as Spain’s Hydrogen Roadmap and the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan for 2030. To end the discussion, Ajinkya goes into the obstacles facing Teresa, including bureaucratic, agri-food, and political party blocks. He then agrees that Teresa IS a climate leader, especially due to her consistency, genuine concern for climate change, and determination. The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs. Ten IE students have researched five climate leaders under RAIA supervision and with RAIA’s methodology ahead of the COP28. This is the second year we have conducted this research program fully financed by our partners from IE University. Check out the report on Teresa written by Ajinkya Deshpande & Valeria Eggers: https://raiagroup.org/ie-university-x-raia-research-program-2023. Check out Ajinka ’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajinkya-deshpande-578850203/
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MBS’s commitment to renewable energy has been seen by some as a way to secure long-term economic stability and reduce the Saudi reliance on oil revenue. In this episode of our 2023 Climate Leaders 101, we discuss climate leader Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud (MBS) with IE students, Alisa and Sofia. We begin by the basics, looking at the role of the royal family in Saudi politics and how this has affected MBS’s leadership style. This episode focuses on Saudi Arabia’s oil dependence and the extent to which this dependence both consolidates MBS’s power and funds his attempts at diversifying Saudi economic activity. We comment on the main policy MBS has launched to combat climate change, his Vision 2030, of which includes NEOM City. While the impacts are yet to be measured, Alisa and Sofia discuss whether Mohamed bin Salama Al Saud IS a climate leader given criticism of his ambitious projects and given ulterior economic motives.
The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs. Ten IE students have researched five climate leaders under RAIA supervision and with RAIA’s methodology ahead of the COP28. This is the second year we have conducted this research program fully financed by our partners from IE University. Check out the report on MBS written by Alisa Lazurenko and Sofia Platonova: (Insert Link). Check out Alisa Lazurenko’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisa-lazurenko/. Check out Sofia Platonova’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofiaplatonova/.
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Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has swiftly risen to prominence as a formidable political force, captivating the nation's attention with her advocacy for combating climate change and rectifying social injustice. Both her policies and ideology have shaped her identity as a climate leader.. In this episode of our 2023 Climate Leaders 101, we discuss climate leader AOC with IE students, Felipa and Maria. We look at her humble working class beginnings and her rise to becoming the youngest Congresswoman in the US. The discussion delves into her progressive ideological policies, particularly her political outlook on the concept of social, education and climate “justice.” This includes her main policy, consisting of a 10-year transition plan for the US economy through renewable energy and green jobs. While this particular Deal has not yet passed in Congress, our guests discuss other bills which AOC has helped pass regarding climate action. At the end of our discussion, Felipa and Maria argue as to why their analysis concludes AOC IS a climate leader and how the public has reacted to her Green New Deal. The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs. Ten IE students have researched five climate leaders under RAIA supervision and with RAIA’s methodology ahead of the COP28. This is the second year we have conducted this research program fully financed by our partners from IE University. Check out the report on AOC written by Felipa Regine Eichel and Maria Romero: https://raiagroup.org/ie-university-x-raia-research-program-2023 Check out Felipa Regine Eichel’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/feichel
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H.E. Dr William Samoei Ruto is Kenya’s 5th President, whose commitment toclimate change advocacy permeates the political sphere, developing initiativesthat use climate policy as a development tool. In this episode of our 2023 Climate Leaders 101, we discuss climate leader William Ruto with IE students, Ruby and Chiara. We look at his “outsider” political persona and his motivations behind enacting climate policies, closely tied to his goal of incentivizing outside nations to invest in Kenya. Before getting into the details of his policies, such as the African Carbon Markets Initiative, and their respective impact assessment, we also gain some insight into how he positioned himself and other African nations at the COP27, pointing out the unethical actions of European nations. Overall, Ruby and Chiara help us discover why and how William Ruto IS a climate leader. The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs. Ten IE students have researched five climate leaders under RAIA supervision and with RAIA’s methodology ahead of the COP28. This is the second year we have conducted this research program fully financed by our partners from IE University.Check out the report on William Ruto written by Ruby Gachara and Chiara Cassina: https://raiagroup.org/ie-university-x-raia-research-program-2023Check out Ruby Gachara’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruby-wanjiku-gachara-43911626bCheck out Chiara Cassina’s Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiara-cassina/
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The end of a cease-fire between the Islamist militant group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Pakistani government has led to a series of security challenges for General Asim Munir. Tune into this episode with RAIA writer Ksenia Kumanina where we discuss Pakistani politics, focusing on the growth of the TTP under the leadership of Noor Wali and the strength of the network within the country’s tribal areas. We further explore how General Asim Munir’s interests will be tackled given the country’s current economic situation and given the lack of resources to fight the TTP. Lastly, we look into how the TTP’s resurgence is connected to the current Taliban-controlled Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US troops. Check out the article written by Ksenia: https://raiagroup.org/general-munir-hostile-ttp-mehsud-broken-ceasefire Check out Ksenia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ksenia-kumanina/
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The agreement was a decades-long attempt to solve the dispute over the EEZs , and therefore drilling rights, of each country. It has become the official agreement delineating each country’s jurisdiction in the Mediterranean Sea. Tune into this episode with RAIA writer and editor Arielle Combrick to discuss the maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon. We explore the leaders of the nation who presided at the time the agreement was signed. Thus, the interests of Lapid and Aoun are explained, and a brief history of the gas resources at the heart of the arrangement is discussed. The domestic interests and international interests are highlighted throughout the podcast. If you want to know the reasons behind why a maritime agreement was made and signed, listen to this episode!Check out the article written by Arielle: https://raiagroup.org/lapid-frenemies-with-aoun-a-maritime-story Check out Arielle’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielle-combrinck-548272159/
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Both Kyrgyzstan's President Japarov and Tajikistan’s President Rahmon had agreed to a border ceasefire during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting. After what seemed to be a de-escalation, the hostilities continued on the 17th of September. Tune into this episode with RAIA writer Roxane De Bergevin, to discuss the tensions along the border between Central Asian countries, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. We explore each leader’s pressure points and domestic interests, as well as a historical overview of their Soviet past to explain the tensions between them. Lastly, we discuss the rise of China in supporting Kyrgyzstan’s Japarov and the lack of the country’s dependence on Russia. Check out the article written by Roxane: https://raiagroup.org/rahmon-hostile-towards-japarov Check out Roxane’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roxane-de-bergevin-56a441203/
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Trudeau seeks to be a primary exporter of hydrogen as a rising competitor in clean energy markets, while Scholz wants to ensure Germany’s energy security and transition to cleaner energy sources for the long-term. Tune into this episode, with RAIA writer and Chief editor Francia Morales, to discuss the new German-Canadian Hydrogen Alliance along with the domestic and international implications this partnership entails. Check out the article written by Francia Morales: https://raiagroup.org/trudeau-and-scholz-get-romantic-with-hydrogenCheck out Francia’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francia-morales-melladop/
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Annalena Baerbock’s childhood was one marked by a collaborative household and by attending the Green Party protests with her family. This has influenced her two central political stances: she emphasizes the importance of having a radical attitude when it comes to climate action, and the importance of togetherness whilst doing so. In this episode of our Climate Leaders 101, we discuss the German climate leader’s rise in the Green party with RAIA summer program intern and IE student, E. Püren San. We discuss the significance of her candidacy speech in 2018 as a defining moment for her leadership, as her plans for Germany’s coal phase-out and transition to renewables. We attempt to understand how Baerbock consolidates national climate action with social policy, and how she has also dealt with climate action at an international level during her time as a Minister for Foreign Affairs. Furthermore, we look at Germany’s dependence on Russian natural gas and how Baerbock’s approach to climate advocacy has changed with the Ukraine-Russian war. Particularly, Püren answers our key question: has the war compromised the promises made by the climate leader?The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Global and Public Affairs as part of the EU Commission’s Initiative 1Planet4All. 1Planet4All is a project that seeks to promote the active participation and commitment of European youth in the fight against the climate emergency. It is part of the DEAR program of Education for Development and Awareness, an initiative of the European Commission Commission and with the support of 14 development and humanitarian aid NGOs, including Ayuda en Acción (Aid in Action). The 1Planet4All project seeks to bring together young individuals to help achieve the 2023 objectives.Check out the report on Annalena Baerboack written by E. Püren San: https://raiagroup.org/ie-gpa-x-raia-summer-research-programCheck out E. Püren’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-p%C3%BCren-san-ieu/
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Abiy Ahmed became Prime Minister at the age of 41. His categorization as a “young” leader has helped his profile: a Modernist leader planning to build a resilient green economy. Listen to our Climate Leaders 101 Podcast and learn about Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed with our RAIA summer program intern and IE student, Martina Volman. Throughout this episode we will be discussing the role of Abiy’s Meedemer philosophy when it comes to policy making, his personal motives, and the main climate action projects that have been implemented. We attempt to truly understand why climate action is relevant for Abiy Ahmed, and whether he fits into our “Western” perspective of environmentalism. Furthermore, we discuss how the Tigray war has impacted policy making in Ethiopia.The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Global and Public Affairs as part of the EU Commission’s Initiative 1Planet4All. 1Planet4All is a project that seeks to promote the active participation and commitment of European youth in the fight against the climate emergency. It is part of the DEAR program of Education for Development and Awareness, an initiative of the European Commission Commission and with the support of 14 development and humanitarian aid NGOs, including Ayuda en Acción (Aid in Action). The 1Planet4All project seeks to bring together young individuals to help achieve the 2023 objectives.Check out the report on Abiy Ahmed written by Martina Volman: https://raiagroup.org/ie-gpa-x-raia-summer-research-programCheck out Martina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinavolman/
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The moment fifteen year-old Greta Thunberg decided not to return to class after her summer break to protest in front of the Swedish parliament in 2018, she was not only breaking the law, she was also breaking the silence that had settled around the topic of global warming. Tune into our second Climate Leaders 101 Podcast to discuss climate activists Greta Thunberg and Luisa Neubauer with Covadonga Gafo, a RAIA summer program intern and writer. We will be analyzing the origins of their activism, their criticisms and the impact of their Fridays For Future movement. We will also look into the victories, failures, reach, and visibility of their climate activism amid Covid-19. The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Global and Public Affairs as part of the EU Commission’s Initiative 1Planet4All. 1Planet4All is a project that seeks to promote the active participation and commitment of European youth in the fight against the climate emergency. It is part of the DEAR program of Education for Development and Awareness, an initiative of the European Commission Commission and with the support of 14 development and humanitarian aid NGOs, including Ayuda en Acción (Aid in Action). The 1Planet4All project seeks to bring together young individuals to help achieve the 2023 objectives.Check out the report on Greta Thunberg and Luisa Neubauer written by Covadonga Gafo: https://raiagroup.org/ie-gpa-x-raia-summer-research-program
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MBZ is aware of the UAE’s dependence on the crude oil sector, yet is concerned about the UAE’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change. Tune into our first Climate Leaders 101 Podcast to discuss UAE’s President Mohamed Bin Zayed and his climate agenda with Quynh Dinh, a RAIA summer program intern. We will be analyzing MBZ’s motives, the impact of UAE’s ratification of the Paris Agreement, and finally assess MBZ’s policies and the extent of which he has accomplished his promises to make the UAE more carbon neutral. The Climate Leaders 101 series is brought to you as a collaboration between RAIA and IE University’s School of Global and Public Affairs as part of the EU Commission’s Initiative 1Planet4All. 1Planet4All is a project that seeks to promote the active participation and commitment of European youth in the fight against the climate emergency. It is part of the DEAR program of Education for Development and Awareness, an initiative of the European Commission Commission and with the support of 14 development and humanitarian aid NGOs, including Ayuda en Acción (Aid in Action). The 1Planet4All project seeks to bring together young individuals to help achieve the 2023 objectives.Check out the report on MBZ written by Quynh Dinh: https://raiagroup.org/ie-gpa-x-raia-summer-research-programCheck out Quynh’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quynh-dinhdaxuan/
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Tsai Ing-wen’s ability to integrate Taiwan with its regional economy will affect global security and economy. Tune into this episode alongside RAIA writer Jack Gasdia, to discuss Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and her economic foreign policy, the NSP. We open up the floor to analyze Tsai’s motivations, the NSP’s success and under performance, as well as Chinese interests when it comes to Taiwan. Check out the article written by Jack Gasdia: https://raiagroup.org/tsai-ing-wen-cold-in-south-asia-despite-indian-tiesCheck out Jack’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-gasdia-a112b91ab/
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