Global Dispatches -- World News That Matters

South Sudan is quite possibly on the verge of famine. The conflict that erupted in December shows little signs of abating. The peace process is halting and in the meantime the humanitarian situation is growing precipitously worse. Mark speaks with Tariq Riebl, Oxfam's South Sudan country director about the humanitarian situation in South Sudan and what can be done to avert a possible famine.

The United Nations released a grave warning this week that some 1,500 women have been captured as sex slaves by the Sunni extremist group that is rampaging through parts of Iraq and Syria. Mark speaks with Zainab Hawa Bangura the UN Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict about the situation in Northern Iraq and what can be done to help these women.

Chris Hill was born into the foreign service...and he stayed there. He has served as Ambassador to Iraq and as the lead American negotiator in the six party talks on North Korea's nuclear program. Ambassador Hill sits down with Mark to discuss managing US relations with key allies as the iron curtain fell, facing down Slobodan Milosevic, negotiating with North Korea and the current problems facing Iraq. These stories are all fresh in his mind. Ambassador Hill just completed his highly anticipated memoir, to be published this fall. Have a listen!

The Palestinian Authority may ask to join the International Criminal Court, potentially paving the way for war crimes charges to be brought against both Israelis and Palestinians. Mark speaks with international law expert Kevin Jon Heller about the legal and political consequences of a potential ICC investigation into alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The international development pioneer and founder of the Center for Global Development is on the line this week. Nancy Birdsall tells Mark about how she got her start in international development in the 1960s and how the field has changed since then. Her career includes long stints at the the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank before founding her own cutting edge research institution. It's an interesting conversation with great digressions and diversions about the history of the American approach to international development. The conversation kicks off with a discussion of the African Leaders summit underway in DC. If you like what you hear, subscribe on iTunes. It's free!

An Ebola outbreak in west Africa has claimed more than 600 lives. Mark Leon Goldberg speaks with Gregory Hartl of the World Health Organization who explains why the international community has had such difficultly containing this outbreak. Why is this outbreak different from previous ones? What are local and international health workers doing to contain the outbreak? Why is it spreading? And what needs to be done to put it under control? Have a listen!

As the conflict in Gaza drags on, there's a renewed diplomatic effort to secure a ceasefire. Mark speaks with Michael Hanna of the Century Foundation about the complex diplomatic efforts underway, the critical role that Egypt is playing, in all of this, and why things may get worse before it gets better. Hanna also offers one possible solution in which both sides can save face as they lay down their arms. Have a listen. This is an important and timely conversation.

CARE CEO Helene Gayle is on the line this week. The medical doctor from upstate New York tells Mark how she became the head of one of the largest international humanitarian relief NGOs on the planet. And prior to her work at CARE, Dr. Gayle had a twenty year career at the Centers for Disease Control where was at the front line of the fight against AIDS since the 1980s. She discusses how the fight against AIDS has changed over time and describes the origins of US policy to tackle AIDS internationally. Have a listen.

In the fight between humanity and the AIDS virus, humanity is winning. That is the top line conclusion you can draw from the newest global data about HIV/AIDS from the United Nations. Erin Hofhelder of the ONE Campaign is on the line to discuss this report, preview the big International AIDS Conference in Australia, and explain why new laws against LGBT communities in some African countries may undermine the progress we've made against HIV/AIDS. Have a listen!

There is a refugee crisis in the USA. Since October over 50,000 children and tens of thousands of families have streamed across the southern border of the United States. What is compelling this surge in migration, particularly of unaccompanied minors? Who are these children and families? And what is their journey like? I speak with Gary Shaye of Save the Children, which is running a relief operation in Texas for children and families that have made it across the border. He answers these questions and more.