Craig Storti, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, is an author and a trainer/consultant in the field of intercultural communications and cross-cultural adaptation. Eight of his books are on intercultural topics, while the two most recent—Why Travel Matters and especially The Hunt for Mount Everest—are for general audiences. He was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, which offered a unique experience that was crucial in promoting the concept that there are several world views and expanding his love of travel and the intercultural field. When President Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, he had three goals to provide technical assistance, discuss America with your host country nationals and bring the experience home and share it. Main themes in intercultural training include your values, beliefs and assumptions, which may be different from someone else’s, being more aware of your own culture when you travel and always being open minded.

Dr. Justin Quinn Olmstead is a historian for Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His most recent book “From Nuclear Weapons to Global Security: 75 Years of Research and Development at Sandia National Laboratories.” Dr. Robert Oppenheimer helped launch the Sandia Labs, which is an engineering laboratory for the nation’s nuclear deterrence. President Harry Truman was directly involved in setting up the Lab, whereas President Eisenhower initiated the Plowshare Program to explore the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and the Atoms for Peace program in 1957. Sandia supports global security by working with US agencies, the UN’s IAEA, and several of the United Nations treaties, such as the Non-Proliferation Treaty that focuses on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to avoid nuclear proliferation. Sandia has been “ hands-on” in helping mitigate the BP Oil Spill, Fukushima Disaster, Challenger explosion, the rapidly devastating climate crisis and the 9-11 destruction.

Skyler Badenoch, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, is Executive Director for the Hope for Haiti organization. Hope for Haiti is a developmental organization focusing on poverty alleviation with an emphasis on women and children. It has 150-full time staff working on education, health care, clean water, and economic development programs in the southern region. Haiti, the size of Maryland, shares the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Although the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and the first free Black Republic, Haiti is culturally rich but has a tragic history of natural, economic and political disasters. Various Rotary International Clubs have assisted with clean water projects, whereas the United Nations UNICEF agency has collaborated in implementing nutrition and water sanitation programs. Haiti has several challenges, and often is depicted as a failing country, the reality is that many successful programs operate to improve the peoples’ quality of life.

SRSG Pramila Patten, originally from Mauritius, was appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict with the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. Her office was established by Security Council Resolution 1888 and introduced by Hillary Clinton. USG Patten succeeded Margot Wallström and Zainab Bangura, both of whom have been guests on Global Connections Television. The United Nations Sexual Violence in Conflict Office confronts some of the most horrendous and complex acts during wartime: violence against women, which is a very underreported crime. The Secretary General’s Annual Report on Conflict Related Sexual Violence has very specific, feasible and logical suggestions how to reduce this problem. A few examples include: need for member states to comply with Arms Treaties; provide access to the reports and documentation of crimes; adopt time-bound commitments; predictable funding levels; enhance accountability. Every war has shown an increase in sexual violence.

Dr. John Barkdull, Texas Tech University Emeritus, taught Political Science at Texas Tech University, established the Global Studies program, taught two years as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the US Air Force Academy and was a Fulbright scholar in Bangladesh and Southeast Asia. His most recent book is “Confronting Climate Change.” The United Nations has been in the forefront of combating the climate crisis in a multitude of ways, such as the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, the IPCC, the UN Paris Agreement, the SDGs and the UNFCC, just as examples. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres is warning the globe is suffering from global boiling.” Scientists and governments proffered they might control the rapidly rising temperatures through adaptation, mitigation and transformation. If the world is unable to adapt more quickly, it may have to confront Deep Adaptation which is the collapse of the global civilization.

Jerry Glenn is a futurist who serves as the executive director of the Millennium Project. He authors an annual publication titled, “State of the Future.” He was the executive director of the American Council for the United Nations University and the deputy director of Partnership for Productivity International. He was also a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1968 to 1970. The Millennium Project is focused on the future and the myriad of challenges and resources available to deal with these challenges. A key challenge is to manage expectations of the Artificial General Intelligence, which is different from the narrow AI of today. AGI can address novel problems with unique solutions and act immediately. The third type of AI is the Super AI . As it has done in mobilizing the world to battle climate change, The UN will be a major player in understanding and regulating this unknown Super AI resource.

Thom Hartmann is an American radio personality, author, former psychotherapist, businessman, and progressive political commentator, whose talk show has been rated in the top 10 shows for over a decade by Talkers Magazine. His most recent book is “The Hidden History of the American Dream?” America, primarily thanks to FDR and unionization, was a catapult for the middle class until the early 1980s. The Reagan influence of Neoliberal economics contributed to the decentralization of regulations, race to the bottom, union busting and globalization for cheaper wages. The National Relations Labor Act legalizing unions was some of the most substantive legislation supported by FDR. Five suggestions to reactivate the American Dream: 1) encourage unionization and National Labor Relations Act; 2: raise top income bracket for the rich; 3) raise top corporate income tax to reduce bogus tax deductions; 4) reestablish inheritance tax; and, 5) guarantee social safety movement with health insurance.

Glenn Blumhorst is a leader in the Peace Corps community and is currently heading the Peace Corps Foundation in its flagship initiative to establish the Peace Corps Park on the National Park Service site near Capitol Hill and the National Mall in D.C. Blumhorst, formerly president and CEO of the National Peace Corps Association from 2013-2022, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala. He highlighted how President John F. Kennedy was a visionary by launching the US Peace Corps in 1961 to lend a hand to developing countries to enhance their infrastructure. Peace Corps’ mission is to promote world peace and achieve the three goals which are to: train professionals to provide technical assistance in developing countries, help people overseas understand America better and to bring the unique Peace Corps experience back to the US, incorporate it into their lives and share it with policymakers, media and the public.

Kevin Cassidy is currently a Managing Partner at iC One Global which is an international development consultancy providing support in addressing integrated social, economic and environmental challenges. Mr. Cassidy has 40 years of international experience across the UN system, most recently with the United Nations International Labor Organization. He discusses how the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) is already having a tremendous impact on the global economy and is deeply integrated into the daily activities of societies everywhere. It also has the potential to transform the workforce of the future in ways policymakers, including the UN, governments and businesses, are still trying to understand better as AI rapidly flows through our lives in complex ways. Mr. Cassidy emphasizes how AI impacts our working lives, what can be done to ensure that countries are prepared for its impact on jobs and how youth can “future-proof” their opportunities in a transformed world of work.

Professor Barry Zellen is a research scholar in the Department of Geography at the University of Connecticut and is a Senior Fellow (Arctic Security) of the Institute of the North. His recent book is: “Arctic Exceptionalism: Cooperation in a Contested World.” The Antarctic Treaty System convened the states that have an interest in the area but no legal claims. The United Nations, through its treaties, has been instrumental in setting up international laws that have provided stability for both areas at polar opposites. Treaties on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Law of the Sea and the IMO Polar Code are the linchpins. Arctic Exceptionalism is a reflection of inherently cooperating and warfare was the exception. The eight states in the Arctic Council include the US, Russia, Canada, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland and Greenland. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia upended this delicate balance and challenged the stability of Arctic Exceptionalism.

Dr. Joe Young, Director of the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, discusses some of the causes of violence in the US and worldwide. Violence should never be tolerated; however, a democracy depends upon the peaceful transfer of power, which was not recognized during the illegal insurgency to overthrow the free election and US Government on January 6, 2021. Tragically, two of the major areas of extreme violence are in Gaza and Ukraine. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine could lead to a larger international conflict if it is not neutralized. Through the support of scores of countries, NATO, and the United Nations agencies, the Ukrainians were much more resilient in confronting Russian aggression. Although the United Nations Security Council has been partially paralyzed, due to the Russian Veto, other UN agencies such as the WHO, UNICEF, and WFP are on the front lines to assist Ukrainians.

Rebecca Shoot, Executive Director of Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS), is an international lawyer and democracy and governance practitioner with extensive experience supporting human rights, democratic processes, and the rule of law on five continents. She explains how global governance is NOT global control over a country, but is defined loosely as a framework of institutions, rules, norms, and procedures that facilitate collective action and co-operation among countries and other actors. Global institutions, such as the United Nations, need to be strengthened to be more effective, promote democracy and the rule of law. Global cooperation is essential to resolve problems such as climate change. The upcoming Summit of the Future, sponsored by the UN, is critical to strengthen action oriented global decision making to achieve the 17-Sustainable Development Goals to abolish hunger and poverty, combat the climate crisis, empower women and more. The UN is more relevant today than ever.

Mark D. Walker, a Returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer from Guatemala, is an award-winning writer and President of Million Mile Walker. His recent book is “The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives & Amazing Stories”. Prior to that he wrote, “My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road.” His Peace Corps experience totally changed his life. His publications include features of Guatemalan cultural and political leaders, as well as focus on the crisis of democracy which was spearheaded by the quest for cheap labor and to enrich the wealthy, which has been destructive for the majority of Indigenous Guatemalans. It is critical to learn more about countries in South and Central America, especially given their geo-political proximity to the US. In both Guatemala and the US, there has been a frontal assault on the freedom of expression, especially with books being banned by elected officials in states such as Florida and Texas.

Felix Dodds is an Adjunct Professor at the Water Institute University of North Carolina and Associate Fellow, Tellus Institute, Boston, and is an International Ambassador for the City of Bonn. His latest books are “Heroes in Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage” and” Tomorrow’s People and New Technology: Changing How We Live Our Lives." Felix recently attended the United Nations COP28 conference in Dubai and the previous two COPs to that in Egypt and the UK. The United Nations has been one of the most significant players in the battle to confront the environmental crisis. To lay the groundwork for the myriad of UN Conferences, various UN agencies had key roles in focusing the spotlight on climate change and sustainability: in 1979, the First World Climate Conference was sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); in 1988 the WMO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Dr Gardner Thompson, a UK scholar, has written two interesting books on countries located in culturally and geographically diverse areas of the world: Israel and Zimbabwe. His first book is: Legacy of Empire. Britain, Zionism and the Creation of Israel in which he defines Zionism, why the United Nations established Israel and Palestine in 1948, the role of Britain and the Balfour Declaration in the area and suggestions on how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The second book is “A Critical History of Southern Rhodesia” which focuses on the situation that existed before it became Zimbabwe. It was a moral debate as to whether the country would be an Apartheid System such as South Africa’s. Robert Mugabe emerged in 1980 as a leader of the independent state. Two lessons from the books: statesmen should realize that decisions will have major repercussions for decades and both sides should not be automatically condemned.

Judge Thomas G. Moukawsher is a retired Connecticut complex litigation judge and former lawyer, legislator and lobbyist. He is the author of “The Common Flaw: Needless Complexity in the Courts and 50 Ways to Reduce It. It is critical that the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) have a strong Code of Ethics with enforcement penalties. Recent SCOTUS decisions, especially the absolute immunity, have made it more confusing and difficult to prosecute a corrupt US President. For decades the US has been a beacon for justice and democracy; however, with an attack on our Rule of Law and democratic institutions many nations are alarmed. The US should strongly support the UN’s International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to maintain our moral authority internationally. The US Constitution and other legal mechanisms played a critical role in developing the United Nations Charter in 1945 and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights in 1948.

Steve Schlesinger is a Fellow at the Century Foundation in New York City. Mr. Schlesinger authored "Act of Creation: Founding of the United Nations," and is an expert on the UN and international issues. The UN was created out of the ashes of WW2. Initially, the UN dealt with security and war challenges, but now helps move aircraft, ships, mail, and weather information globally, as well as combats the climate crisis and diseases, assists refugees, migration issues and confronts every major international problem. In September, the UN will conduct a Summit of the Future to address 5 areas: financial structure for the world; international peace and security to prevent wars; digital arena with AI, Bitcoin, and cyberspace; assisting children around the world; and, reorganizing the UN structure to be more agile and effective. The UN is still the epicenter of the world that assists all 8 billion people on Earth.

Abiodun Williams is Professor of the Practice of International Politics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and The Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. He was Director of Strategic Planning to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon and is past Chair of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS). His latest book is “Kofi Annan and Global Leadership at the United Nations.” Annan was a proactive leader who launched monumental programs that improved the UN, such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Global Compact and the Millennium Development Goals, which were the precursors to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Annan was also a transformational visionary who strengthened UN peacekeeping and involved academia, NGOs and the private sector in helping overcome many international problems. Annan was quite accurate in his critique of President Bush’s illegal invasion of Iraq.

Dr. Shao-cheng (Michael) Sun is an Associate Professor at the Citadel. He is a veteran of the Taiwanese army, retiring as a full colonel. Dr. Sun is the author of “Hedging China Threat: US-Taiwan Relations Since 1949.“ His research interests are East Asian security and politics, U.S.-China relations, and U.S. security policy in Asia. He teaches East Asian Affairs and International Politics. He explained the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act between the US and Taiwan, and the One-China Policy, which the US has supported since the Carter Administration. Is it feasible to turn Taiwan into a relationship similar to Hong Kong’s in the 1997 Agreement, which is different from the Taiwanese situation? If there were an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait, it could radically upend the economic systems around the world, create physical devastation, plus a simulated war exercise showed the US Navy would suffer severe losses.

Somaya Faruqi is the former Captain of the Afghan Girls’ Robotic Team – nicknamed the ‘Afghan Dreamers’.  She and her team made international headlines when they built a ventilator from used car parts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan. Faruqi was born in Herat, Afghanistan in 2002. She cultivated her love of engineering in her father’s mechanic shop. Her high school career was cut short by the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. She and the rest of her teammates had to flee the country in August 2021.Currently an engineering student, Faruqi has received several awards over her career, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2021, BBC’s 100 Women in 2020, and the 2017 Silver Medal for Courageous Achievement at the FIRST Global Challenge – in recognition of science and technology in the US. She is a Global Champion in the UN’s Education Cannot Wait Program.