Human stories about freedom and security across oceans, political divides, and intellectual traditions hosted by Bakhti Nishanov, senior policy advisor at the U.S. Helsinki Commission. This podcast is produced by the U.S. Helsinki Commission, a U.S. government commission that promotes human rights, military security, and economic cooperation in 57 countries in Europe, Eurasia, and North America.
Subscribe:.rss.atom.json.md.m3u.pls
Live Last read · last published · next check
Saves to your Listen queue, to pick up on another day or another device.
In this episode, Bakhti sits down with Nate Mook, an award-winning documentarian who has led organizations providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia's launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Mook offers a firsthand account at how the organizations he has led, including World Central Kitchen and All Hands & Hearts, have adapted to provide for Ukrainians' evolving needs over the course of…
The year 1968 has become synonymous with protest and upheaval around the world. On this episode of the Transatlantic, Bakhti talks with Adrian Matus, author of the book The Long 1968 in Hungary and Romania , about what this pivotal year looked like in Hungary, Romania, and elsewhere behind the Iron Curtain. Bakhti and Adrian discuss how the generation of eastern Europeans born amidst World War II…
How does the Soviet Union's approach to human rights compare to contemporary Russia? Bakhti is joined by historian Benjamin Nathans to discuss the evolution of the Soviet dissident movement, what Vladimir Putin learned from his time as a KGB agent quashing dissent in the Soviet Union, and the lessons of this period for those resisting authoritarianism today. -- Benjamin Nathans teaches and writes…
Bakhti is joined by Sarah McLaughlin, a senior scholar focused on global expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. Sarah and Bakhti discuss the difference in free speech traditions between the United States and Europe, threats to speech on both sides of the Atlantic, and why Americans apply free speech selectively along political lines . Sarah also talks through why…
Why does religious freedom matter in today's world? Ambassador Sam Brownback draws on decades of experience to explain why it is central to advancing human rights and strengthening global security. He also examines how Russia's actions and Ukraine's wartime challenges have brought new urgency and complexity to these issues. ---- Sam Brownback has spent decades in senior public service advancing…
On this week's episode, Bakhti sits down with Nastassia Rouda, director of Nasha Niva, a Belarusian media outlet operating in exile in Vilnius. Rouda discusses how she and her colleagues have used new types of content and social media to remain relevant and grow their audience inside of Belarus, even as Belarusians experience economic downturn and political repression. She talks about how she and…
On this episode of the Transatlantic, host Bakhti Nishanov talks to Georgiy Kent, who took an unusual detour after finishing his graduate program in May, biking over 4,000 miles across the United States to crowdsource funds for Ukraine. From the Oregon coast to Washington D.C., Kent interacted with hundreds of Americans along the way, engaging in dialogue about Russia's war on Ukraine. ----…
Is the United States a nation state? Does it have a national identity? On this episode of the Transatlantic, scholar Colin Woodard discusses his early career experiences as a journalist in Eastern Europe and the Balkans at the end of the Cold War and how that work informs his work on national identity in the United States. He then talks about his current research uncovering what he describes as…
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, it has also escalated a shadow war against the West. Using cyberattacks, destruction of property, arson, assassinations, and information operations, Russian agents sow chaos and fear, while probing and testing capabilities and responses in the event of a broader full-scale war. In a wide-ranging conversation, host Bakhti Nishanov talks to…
For decades Western policymakers have struggled to understand the mindset of the Russian people and their leaders. This episode of The Transatlantic brings together two Russia experts who provide unique perspectives into the challenges American leaders often face when negotiating with Russian officials. Join James Collins, former Ambassador to Russia, and Wayne Merry, the officer in Embassy Moscow…
