Eastern Europe: Their Pride, Their Struggle, Their Success

Segment 1: Hiking the Balkans.

In this edition of The Doug Noll Show we speak with Francis Tapon (http://francistapon.com/), who has traveled to over 75 countries. Francis has hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail and in 2007 became the first person to do a round trip hike on the Continental Divide Trail. In this hour we will be discussing his travels in Eastern and Southeastern Europe, specifically throughout the Balkans. Francis found the Balkans fascinating and perplexing. He had very little understanding of the area until he visited, and discovered it was not as dangerous as one might think.

 

Segment 2: Religion is a Flag to Rally Behind.

Francis visited every single country in Eastern Europe. He spent the majority of his time in Slovenia and Croatia, the most modern and developed of all ex-Yugoslav countries. There are basically three ethnic groups in Bosnia: Serbs (who tend to be orthodox), Croatians (who tend to be Catholic) and Bosnians (who tend to be Muslim). We have a propensity to inextricably link them to these religions, but in reality, none of them are so serious about religion. They use their religion as a flag to rally behind rather than some deep, meaningful guiding purpose. The issues in the Balkans surround ethnicity, not religion.

 

Francis found warm welcomes in Serbia, Kosovo and Albania, which was a surprise. These areas are struggling with high unemployment and corruption, and their politics are a mess. There are three fractions, no one has control, and the EU has absolute veto power over all the Balkans. The Serbs who live in Bosnia don’t WANT to be part of Bosnia; they want to be part of Serbia. There are still strong nationalistic tendencies throughout the regions. The good news is that they are solving their disputes in the political or court arena instead of picking up a gun.

 

Segment 3: Albania and the Balkans: Still the Loose Cannons.

So what are prospects for continued peace in Eastern Europe? Francis thinks that there is an advantage to having an aging population in Eastern Europe (ie in Russia) because the older generation is not as quick to go to war. The depopulation is mainly due to an increased death rate (alcoholism and poor health habits), emigration (to the West) and decreased birth rate (people are choosing to have fewer children).There is also a Westward migration to join the EU. Although Francis believes tensions are lower than they have been in the last 100 years, the big risk in the region is still Albania and the Balkans.

 

Segment 4: Admittance to the EU?

In regards to the prospect of the Balkan countries gaining admittance into the EU, Croatia is joining in July of 2013 and Serbia has applied as well. Francis thinks the solution is for all of them to join the EU as one, despite the fact that they are all economically behind the other EU countries. In that way the playing field would be even.

 

To listen to the complete interview:

 

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Foreign Policy and Espionage

Segment 1: “We’re going to war.”

Our guest on this edition of The Doug Noll Show is no stranger to war and espionage. Art Keller is a former CIA officer who served in the Counter-Proliferation Division, a unit responsible for spying on and sabotaging Weapons of Mass Destruction programs. He also has worked on terrorism cases and his last assignment was as acting Chief of Base in the tribal areas of Pakistan.

 

Art’s personal journey began after high school, when he joined the army and then studied foreign affairs in college. His interest in foreign affairs led him to apply to the CIA and after an arduous selection process (he applied multiple times, and later found out that was the norm) he was accepted into the CIA organization. He wound up in the Counter-Proliferation Division with instructions to keep an eye on weapons of mass destruction. It was Art’s job to cover Iran’s missile program, and he does not believe that Saddam Hussein ever had weapons of mass destruction (WMD). However, his Chief of Station returned from headquarters and announced that “the decision had already been made: we’re going to war.” It was shocking.

 

Segment 2: A Corrupted Process.

In order to make the best policies, the policy makers need to know what’s really happening in a particular area. If we shape our intelligence around our policy objective (instead of the other way around) the process will be corrupted. Art spent a few months in 2003 and 2004 near Baghdad in 140 degree weather looking for weapons in the desert. By August 2003 it was clear to him that he was just going through the motions, but he had his marching orders and dutifully followed them out. He became certain there were no WMDs to be found. No one came forward with any viable information.

 

Segment 3: The Slow and Meticulous Dance.

The negotiations have resumed with Iran and the West over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Historically, peacemaking arms control has been a very slow and meticulous dance. There is a lot of distrust. From the viewpoint of the U.S., Iran hasn’t wanted to negotiate in good faith. Art says Iranians think very differently from us, but they do think. They have a very keenly developed sense of their own self-interest, which does not include having their whole country destroyed. A lot of it has to do with national pride. For example, they can’t believe Pakistan has a nuclear weapon and they don’t.

 

Art is greatly concerned about Israel and how they take actions without considering American interest. They have a proven record of bombing other people’s nuclear facilities (Iraq and Syria) as well as assassinating weapon scientists. It is an established pattern.

 

Segment 4: It’s Not About the Gadgets.

The CIA’s definition of assassination is killing someone - usually for political reasons - from a country with whom you are not at war. Art’s book, Hollow Strength, is about assassinations, secrets and espionage. It’s technically fiction but is based on his real life experiences. Human Intelligence is not about gadgets; it’s about relationships with people. Ask yourself this question: How bad would it have to be in your own country for you to be a spy for another country?  

 

To listen to the complete interview:

 

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Finding Peace through Multicultural Relationships

Segment 1: The Globalization of Love.

On this edition of The Doug Noll Show we speak with Wendy Williams, author of The Globalisation of Love, a book about multicultural romance and marriage. Wendy has lived in 6 different countries and has worked internationally for 18 years. She is Canadian, married to an Austrian, and lives in Vienna, Austria with their daughter. Wendy’s book is based on dozens of interviews with multicultural couples from around the world and includes chapters on multicultural weddings, religion, race, food, language and children.

 

Segment 2: The Increase in Multicultural Relationships.

Wendy was born into a multicultural environment and grew up in a multicultural family. At an early age she recognized cultural differences. She says there is no specific “formula” for what makes a multicultural relationship work. It’s all about the individuals involved. Her advice for young people getting into multicultural relationships is to start asking questions very early in the relationship and become educated about your partner’s culture and his or her reactions to certain situations. That way, instead of assuming your partner is stubborn and big-headed, you realize they are just acting according to the cultural norm for the society from which they come. Sit together and ask questions. Listen. Don’t make assumptions.

 

So why are there so many multicultural relationships these days? Wendy believes the increase is due to having more opportunities to meet. People are traveling more for business and pleasure. The internet is also a big factor, as technology has enabled people to stay in contact cheaply and conveniently. With ongoing globalization, society is becoming much more accepting of multi-cultural relationships.

 

Segment 3: Meeting the Parents.

Imagine meeting the parents for the first time: you are jet-lagged from flying to a new country, you don’t speak the language, there’s the issue of accommodations, and you go from being complete strangers to sharing a bathroom together very quickly. Often the native family wants to impress the incoming person and goes overboard with local activities and celebrations, which just adds to the pressure. Family relationships can be quite intense, and you can imagine the conflict that can arise when a family is not educated about other cultures and lifestyles.

 

Segment 4: The Path to Peace.

Multicultural children usually go through a period of questioning, “Who am I? What am I? Where do I belong in the world?” Wendy has found that they usually gravitate toward one parent or the other, which can be difficult. On the other hand, these children grow up knowing a world of differences which enables them to be very open and accepting of different people and ways of doing things. The globalization of love is the path to peace. Multicultural families prove every day that their families are “ambassadors for world peace.” They promote acceptance and tolerance. The modern multicultural relationship is defined by the individuals within it, not by society.

 

To listen to the complete interview: 

 

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Book Review for Elusive Peace: How Modern Diplomatic Strategies Could Better Resolve World Conflicts

http://www.elusivepeace.com

Foreign Policies, Examined and Illuminated

Segment 1: The Complexities of Foreign Policies.

Our guest on this edition of The Doug Noll Show is Kathleen Brush, an author, senior executive and global business consultant. Kathleen’s articles have been published by CNBC, Fox Business, The Washington Post, Financial Times China, Business Week and Entrepreneur. Her book, The World Made Easy, is designed to help us understand the complexities of foreign policies throughout the world.

 

Kathleen studied the regions of the world (194 countries) and evaluated their different political systems, economic systems, social cultural systems and significant events in history. Her goal was to simplify the systems to achieve easier understanding as well as answer questions like, “Why are there uprisings in the middle east and North Africa?” and “Why do people do things differently in China?” for example. Kathleen believes if a country is running fine with their current systems and their people are not revolting, the U.S. shouldn’t get involved. However, there are many brutal regimes in the world. There are still labor camps and places where people get shot for opposing the government. The solution is continuing to foster education so that people can self-determine what type of government is best for their own country.

 

Segment 2: Africa Divided.

The division of Africa in the late 1890s has caused more misery and conflict on that continent than we can even imagine. The map was formed without any consideration or concern for ethno-linguistic groups. It’s a source of a great number of tribal conflicts to this day. The continent has been deprived of effective leadership as well. Again, education is one of the keys.

 

Segment 3: Afghanistan’s Struggle Continues.

The Afghani people have been fighting for centuries. Kathleen believes they might not even WANT to live in peace. Fighting is what they do well. This is a country with many tribal groups and that has been geopolitically strategic for the last 1,000 years. A destabilized Afghanistan is of political interest to the Pakistani military, and China is now investing millions of dollars into Afghanistan to extract the mineral resources. The unemployment rate is 75%. Add to that the geopolitical problems (it has one of the most corrupt governments on the planet), an extremely high literacy rate and one of the lowest per capita incomes in the world and it is clear they need a lot of help (i.e. economic development and education) to be able to move forward.

 

Segment 4: Held to a Higher Standard.

Throughout history, when women became educated and established themselves professionally, they were able to make a bigger impact. However, even in the U.S. we still have challenges with equality. Kathleen found when she conducted business internationally she was seen as an AMERICAN first and a WOMAN second, which made it easier for her to work in foreign countries. Because the U.S. is #1 economically and militarily, we are held to a higher standard and need to step up to the plate.

 

To listen to the entire interview: 

 

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Mediator Teaches Couples How to Listen on TV Segment

http://www.aleyadao.com

Universal Human Rights: A Call to Action

Segment 1: Human Rights Education.

Here in the U.S. we generally take many of our basic rights for granted. In many countries, however, tyranny, power, greed and corruption act to deny basic human rights. Even in countries where human rights are respected, the average citizen has little knowledge of what those rights are. Schools do not teach human rights concepts and students who are ignorant of their basic rights do not step up to assert them. Our guest on this edition of The Doug Noll Show is Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, founder and president of Youth for Human Rights International. Dr. Suttleworth will discuss her amazing organization as well as her passion for human rights education around the globe.

 

Dr. Shuttleworth was born and raised in apartheid South Africa, and even as a young child was intensely aware of the devastating effects of discrimination. As an adult she found that discrimination is not only a South African issue, but a global issue that needs to be addressed at an international level. The mission of Youth for Human Rights International (YFHRI) is to teach youth about human rights and inspire them to become advocates for tolerance and peace. The education is based around the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was signed into being in 1948 after the abuses of WWII.

 

Segment 2: Human Rights, Tolerance and Peace.

There is a direct relationship between human rights, tolerance and peace. When we teach human rights, we are also teaching responsibility. We need to ask ourselves, “What is MY responsibility?” We all want basic human rights for ourselves, but the trick is to want them for others. Discrimination is not born in the heart of a child. It stems from learned lessons - not always overt - from culture, genetics, and environment.

 

Segment 3: Radical Reevaluation Needed.

Youth for Human Rights International works with youth of all ages. They can teach the concept of human rights to kids at a very young age (i.e. sharing, working together, etc.). It is essential that we teach human rights in our schools. We have “zero tolerance policies” in schools but we need a radical reevaluation of the use of power and coercion to control our own fears and anxieties about our environment. Parents need to spend more time with their kids to development good communication skills and deep empathic connections.

 

Segment 4: A Global Concept.

YFHRI does not have a problem keeping their teachings culturally appropriate as they travel from culture to culture. Basic human rights is a global concept. The declaration is a universal document and the material they use to teach human rights applies to all cultures. It’s imperative that the youth understand the concept that these human rights belong to EVERYONE. In order to make this happen, it takes money, support and volunteers. To get involved or find out more about the Dr. Shuttleworth’s organization, go to www.youthforhumanrights.org.

 

To listen to the compete interview:

 

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