To Save Us From Hell
Global Dispatches
“The United Nations was not created in order to bring us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell,” Dag Hammersjkold told us some 60 years ago. To Save Us From Hell is a podcast that discusses the players and debates raging at the UN to keep us from that fiery furnace.
Each week, UN Dispatch editor-in-chief Mark Leon Goldberg and International Relations Scholar Anjali Dayal give critical analysis of the United Nations, as well as break down the latest news from Turtle Bay. From shenanigans at the Security Council to the UN’s life saving humanitarian work around the world, two veteran UN watchers dissect the key debates driving the agenda at the UN and uncover geopolitical intrigues along the way.
To Save Us from Hell provides in-depth, accessible, and timely takes on the United Nations and its activities around the world. Whether you work for the UN, adjacent to the UN, or are simply curious about how the United Nations operates in this chaotic world our expert co-hosts will keep you up-to-date about all things United Nations. www.globaldispatches.org
Each week, UN Dispatch editor-in-chief Mark Leon Goldberg and International Relations Scholar Anjali Dayal give critical analysis of the United Nations, as well as break down the latest news from Turtle Bay. From shenanigans at the Security Council to the UN’s life saving humanitarian work around the world, two veteran UN watchers dissect the key debates driving the agenda at the UN and uncover geopolitical intrigues along the way.
To Save Us from Hell provides in-depth, accessible, and timely takes on the United Nations and its activities around the world. Whether you work for the UN, adjacent to the UN, or are simply curious about how the United Nations operates in this chaotic world our expert co-hosts will keep you up-to-date about all things United Nations. www.globaldispatches.org
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 5, 2025 • 14min
New Faces at the UN—and a Horse Fight at the General Assembly
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe General Assembly selected five new members of the Security Council and one new President of the General Assembly this week in not-so-hotly contested elections. These new Security Council members will take their seats in January, and former German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will assume the PGA gavel at UNGA in September. So what can we expect…
May 22, 2025 • 16min
Will the UN Set Up Shop in Rwanda?
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgDiscount subscription link for 40% Off --> https://www.globaldispatches.org/40PercentOff The UN is facing a major budget crunch. So how is it responding? One answer is UN80—a reform effort championed by the Secretary-General aimed at reducing the cost of operating the world body. Some proposals are beginning to take shape, including staff cuts, merging certain agencies, and—more controversially—shifting operations out of expensive cities li…
May 9, 2025 • 31min
Who Will Be the Next UN Secretary-General? | With Richard Gowan
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe race to succeed António Guterres is unofficially underway. His term as UN Secretary-General ends in December 2026, but the backroom jockeying has already begun. In this episode, Mark and Anjali are joined by Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group to break down the early contenders, how shifting geopolitics could shake up the selection proc…
Apr 10, 2025 • 19min
Trump’s Tariffs Are Making a Mess at the UN
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.org"Nobody wins in trade wars," said António Guterres as he left a UN Security Council meeting this week. But it’s clear there’s at least one big loser: American diplomacy. This week, Anjali and Mark break down how the Trump tariffs are rippling through the UN — and how they’re complicating diplomacy on issues that have nothing to do with trade. We also speculate on who Trump might tap as his next envoy now that Elise Stefanik is out. Plus, we dig into the UN’s role in Gaza as both diplomacy and humanitarian aid grind to a halt, and what’s next for the World Food Program after a stunning announcement — and sudden retraction — from a senior DOGE official.
Mar 26, 2025 • 25min
Crisis at the UN Refugee Agency and International Organization for Migration
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration are two entities now squarely in the crosshairs of their once-strongest backer. Both agencies rely heavily on American funding—but with that funding now cut, they’re laying off staff by the thousands. Anjali and Mark discuss the impact of these cuts on the agencies themselves, as wel…
Mar 12, 2025 • 34min
Trump's War on Women Comes to the UN
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe Trump administration has turned the United Nations into a battleground in its war on gender equality. At the Commission on the Status of Women this week, the U.S. sought to block references to gender equality…in a conference dedicated to that very cause! Meanwhile, at the Security Council, the U.S. refused to join a statement condemning the Taliban’…
Feb 27, 2025 • 13min
Seismic Shift At The UN Following a Jaw Dropping Vote On Ukraine
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgOn Monday February 24, the General Assembly convened for a long-scheduled vote marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a stunning shift, the United States abandoned its European allies and abruptly sided with Russia in an attempt to block any condemnation of Russia’s aggression and any affirmation of Ukrainian sovereignty.This …
Feb 20, 2025 • 28min
Trump's Anti-DEI Crusade Comes to the UN
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe Trump administration’s fight against DEI has come for the United Nations. In this episode of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and Mark Leon Goldberg discuss what we are seeing unfold at the UN in terms of Trump’s push against inclusion and gender equity. These moves are already disrupting the regular order of business at the UN, and we explore wha…
Feb 4, 2025 • 23min
Can the UN Stop the Violence in DR Congo? | How The US Foreign Aid Freeze Impacts the UN
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.globaldispatches.orgThe major city of Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, is now under the control of a Rwanda-backed rebel group. UN peacekeepers in the area were unable to repel the assault but continue to play a key role in protecting civilians from violence. Meanwhile, the Security Council has held emergency meetings to address this growing crisis, w…
Jan 23, 2025 • 47min
What We Learned From Elise Stefanik's Confirmation Hearing
In this special live recording of To Save Us From Hell, Anjali Dayal and I break down the highlights (and lowlights) from the confirmation hearing for Donald Trump’s pick as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.Elise Stefanik, a member of Congress from New York and a staunch Donald Trump loyalist, did not project the hardcore MAGA vibes one might expect during her confirmation hearing. As Anjali and I discuss, she came across as a fairly conventional Republican—hitting many familiar GOP talking points about the United Nations but avoiding any indication that she believes the U.S. should withdraw from the UN or pursue anything particularly radical.Our conversation was recorded live using Substack’s new livestream platform and is available wherever you listen to To Save Us From Hell, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and right here in the Substack app. The video of our recording is below! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.globaldispatches.org/subscribe
