From the murder of Charlie Kirk to the fatal shooting at a Colorado high school this week, political violence is front and center in the news and today’s conversation. In this two-part show, host Esty Dinur discusses the state of the US with Leader Stacey Abrams and reflects on the life of the peacemaker U Thant with his grandson Thant Myint-U. 

Stacey Abrams says that “violence has become a tool of communication for too many” and in this “faltering democracy” we need to reject the use of violence toward political ends. Her recent work shines light on the rise of autocracy in the US, by naming the 10 steps that lead to authoritarianism. Those steps include the normalization of violence, the expansion of executive power, and attacks on the media. Abrams also shares her 10 Steps to Freedom and Power which you can learn more about on her website. 

Our second guest, Thant Myint-U grew up knowing that his grandfather, U Thant, served as the Secretary-General of the UN. In Myint-U’s new book, he uncovers his grandfather’s peacemaking legacy. When U Thant was almost 40, he made a major career change from being a small-town school teacher in Burma to becoming an ambassador and then the leader of the United Nations. 

As the world came out of an age of empire, young nations had hope that the world could be better and were full of faith in the UN, says Myint-U. But that is not the case today. He discusses how Congo was a litmus test for independence, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and what role the UN could take in the years to come, saying “ we can’t throw away the only global body of peace.”

Stacey Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, business owner and political leader whose innovative approach has continued to break barriers and support transformational progress. A prolific author, she has written award-winning political thrillers, children’s books, romantic suspense novels, and non-fiction books. She previously served as Minority Leader in the Georgia House of Representatives, and she was the first Black woman to become the gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history. Abrams has launched multiple nonprofit organizations devoted to democracy protection, voting rights, tackling policy issues and building a more equitable future. She is also a serial entrepreneur and business advisor. In 2020, Abrams founded Sage Works Productions, Inc., a media company dedicated to leveraging the power of storytelling to craft creative solutions and engage. 

Thant Myint-U is an acclaimed historian, author, and former diplomat, educated at Harvard, Johns Hopkins SAIS, and Cambridge University, where he earned his PhD in History. A veteran of three UN peacekeeping missions in Cambodia and the former Yugoslavia, he also served in senior roles at the UN Secretariat in New York, including as Chief of the Policy Planning Unit in the Department of Political Affairs. He has been a visiting fellow at Harvard, Cambridge, and leading international institutes, and has advised the Myanmar government, the Myanmar Peace Center, and global organizations on peace processes, humanitarian issues, and development. He is the author of four books. 

Featured image: of “LIBERACIÓN A TRAVÉS DEL CONOCIMIENTO” (LIBERATION THROUGH KNOWLEDGE) by Aurelio Diaz Tekpankalli via UCCS Kraemer Family Library (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).

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