<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms">Send us a text</a>The world is changing fast. Are democracy and human rights under threat? Our Inside Geneva podcast takes a deep dive.“Donald Trump is unravelling the constitution, where I believe we could describe this as a coup d&apos;état,” says human rights lawyer Reed Brody.What happens when Big Tech gets involved in politics?“It is fine for Instagram or TikTok to realise that I am into biking and then try to sell me bikes. That’s fine. That’s a product. Manipulate me to sell me that. But that’s not fine with political ideas,” continues Alberto Fernandez Gibaja, Head of Digitalisation and Democracy at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).What about free speech?“For the first time in my life, I am listening to Americans on the radio and TV, talking to the press and refusing to use their names because they are afraid of retaliation,” says Brody.Is it still possible to have a democratic, fact-based debate?“For those of us who believe that we share a reality based on facts and science, we are on the losing side,” says Fernandez Gibaja.Are we losing the fundamental freedoms set out in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Join host Imogen Foulkes on Inside Geneva to find out.Get in touch! <ul> <li>Email us at <a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'>insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch</a> </li> <li>Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en</li> </ul> Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the<a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'> international Geneva </a>please visit <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'>www.swissinfo.ch/</a> Host: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'>Imogen Foulkes </a>Production assitant: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'>Claire-Marie Germain</a> Distribution: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'>Sara Pasino</a> Marketing: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'>Xin Zhang</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The world is changing fast. Are democracy and human rights under threat? Our Inside Geneva podcast takes a deep dive.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Donald Trump is unravelling the constitution, where I believe we could describe this as a coup d&amp;apos;état,” says human rights lawyer Reed Brody.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What happens when Big Tech gets involved in politics?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“It is fine for Instagram or TikTok to realise that I am into biking and then try to sell me bikes. That’s fine. That’s a product. Manipulate me to sell me that. But that’s not fine with political ideas,” continues Alberto Fernandez Gibaja, Head of Digitalisation and Democracy at the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What about free speech?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“For the first time in my life, I am listening to Americans on the radio and TV, talking to the press and refusing to use their names because they are afraid of retaliation,” says Brody.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Is it still possible to have a democratic, fact-based debate?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“For those of us who believe that we share a reality based on facts and science, we are on the losing side,” says Fernandez Gibaja.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are we losing the fundamental freedoms set out in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Join host Imogen Foulkes on Inside Geneva to find out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Get in touch!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Email us at &lt;a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'&gt;insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/em&gt;For more stories on the&lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'&gt; international Geneva &lt;/a&gt;please visit &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'&gt;www.swissinfo.ch/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Host: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'&gt;Imogen Foulkes&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Production assitant: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'&gt;Claire-Marie Germain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Distribution: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'&gt;Sara Pasino&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Marketing: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'&gt;Xin Zhang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text The world is changing fast. Are democracy and human rights under threat? Our Inside Geneva podcast takes a deep dive. “Donald Trump is unravelling the constitution, where I believe we could describe this as a coup d'état,” says human rights lawyer Reed Brody. What happens when Big Tech gets involved in politics? “It is fine for Instagram or TikTok to realise that I am into biking and then try to sell me bikes. That’s fine. That’s a product. Manipulate me to sell me that. But th...

Democratic rights and freedoms at a crossroads?

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms">Send us a text</a>In Ukraine, and in the Middle East, men say they are negotiating peace. But are they?“Ending war is necessary to peace without a doubt, but ending war does not mean peace. So, whenever these men use the word ‘peace’ in order to say ‘ceasefire’ and ‘stop the guns’, this is not peace,” says Deborah Schibler from PeaceWomen across the Globe (PWAG).“What the US is doing right now is an extractivist assertion of power, arguably even a second imperial ambition that we are seeing now alongside Russia. Democracy, peace and gender equality mutually reinforce each other,” adds Leandra Bias from the Universtiy of Bern.So, where are the women in these “peace” negotiations? Our guests tell Inside Geneva that they should be everywhere... not nowhere.“Women, women’s perspectives, gender perspectives and human security perspectives have to be in every process and every structure of armed forces,” says Mahide Aslan, head of women and diversity at Swiss Armed Forces.“There are so many women who are really keen to get involved in these formal peace negotiations and who are ready for it, but it is made very difficult for them,” says Larissa Lee, from PWAG.How can women’s voices be heard in peace talks? Join host Imogen Foulkes on our Inside Geneva podcast.Get in touch! <ul> <li>Email us at <a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'>insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch</a> </li> <li>Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en</li> </ul> Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the<a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'> international Geneva </a>please visit <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'>www.swissinfo.ch/</a> Host: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'>Imogen Foulkes </a>Production assitant: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'>Claire-Marie Germain</a> Distribution: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'>Sara Pasino</a> Marketing: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'>Xin Zhang</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In Ukraine, and in the Middle East, men say they are negotiating peace. But are they?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Ending war is necessary to peace without a doubt, but ending war does not mean peace. So, whenever these men use the word ‘peace’ in order to say ‘ceasefire’ and ‘stop the guns’, this is not peace,” says Deborah Schibler from PeaceWomen across the Globe (PWAG).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“What the US is doing right now is an extractivist assertion of power, arguably even a second imperial ambition that we are seeing now alongside Russia. Democracy, peace and gender equality mutually reinforce each other,” adds Leandra Bias from the Universtiy of Bern.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, where are the women in these “peace” negotiations? Our guests tell Inside Geneva that they should be everywhere... not nowhere.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Women, women’s perspectives, gender perspectives and human security perspectives have to be in every process and every structure of armed forces,” says Mahide Aslan, head of women and diversity at Swiss Armed Forces.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“There are so many women who are really keen to get involved in these formal peace negotiations and who are ready for it, but it is made very difficult for them,” says Larissa Lee, from PWAG.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;How can women’s voices be heard in peace talks? Join host Imogen Foulkes on our Inside Geneva podcast.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Get in touch!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Email us at &lt;a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'&gt;insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/em&gt;For more stories on the&lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'&gt; international Geneva &lt;/a&gt;please visit &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'&gt;www.swissinfo.ch/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Host: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'&gt;Imogen Foulkes&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Production assitant: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'&gt;Claire-Marie Germain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Distribution: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'&gt;Sara Pasino&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Marketing: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'&gt;Xin Zhang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text In Ukraine, and in the Middle East, men say they are negotiating peace. But are they? “Ending war is necessary to peace without a doubt, but ending war does not mean peace. So, whenever these men use the word ‘peace’ in order to say ‘ceasefire’ and ‘stop the guns’, this is not peace,” says Deborah Schibler from PeaceWomen across the Globe (PWAG). “What the US is doing right now is an extractivist assertion of power, arguably even a second imperial ambition that we are seeing no...

Inside Geneva: where are women's voices in peace talks?

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms">Send us a text</a>On Inside Geneva this week, we take a step back from the breaking news and talk to the authors of two books about the better side of humanity.“The defence of human rights is not a matter of holding a candle and singing Kumbaya. The defence of human rights is about playing hardball. It&apos;s about putting pressure on governments, making them realise that repression isn&apos;t paying because the consequences are so severe,” says Kenneth Roth, author of Righting Wrongs.Those consequences apply to violations of the laws of war – laws that are much stricter than you might think.“One can speak about the leaders of a war of aggression as having individual criminal responsibility. If it’s illegal for the leader, maybe it’s illegal also for the soldiers who participate in it. And maybe it’s a violation not just to kill civilians on the other side, but Ukrainian soldiers,” continues Andrew Clapham, author of War.Defending human rights doesn’t always make you popular.“I made sure that Human Rights Watch was bringing facts to the table that the governments didn’t know. That was part of my job. My father fled the Nazis as a young boy. I grew up Jewish. I am Jewish. So I feel a certain responsibility to take on not just the duty of criticising Israeli abuses, but also to address the misuse of anti-Semitism,” says Roth.And while some governments are pushing back, international law is robust.“You might think that by changing the lawyers or creating facts on the ground, you’re going to get away with it. But those war crimes allegations stick to you for life. There’s no statute of limitations on war crimes, and you could easily find yourself prosecuted in ten or 20 years’ time,” says Clapham.Join host Imogen Foulkes for in-depth interviews on two thought-provoking books.Get in touch! <ul> <li>Email us at <a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'>insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch</a> </li> <li>Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en</li> </ul> Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the<a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'> international Geneva </a>please visit <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'>www.swissinfo.ch/</a> Host: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'>Imogen Foulkes </a>Production assitant: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'>Claire-Marie Germain</a> Distribution: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'>Sara Pasino</a> Marketing: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'>Xin Zhang</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On Inside Geneva this week, we take a step back from the breaking news and talk to the authors of two books about the better side of humanity.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“The defence of human rights is not a matter of holding a candle and singing Kumbaya. The defence of human rights is about playing hardball. It&amp;apos;s about putting pressure on governments, making them realise that repression isn&amp;apos;t paying because the consequences are so severe,” says Kenneth Roth, author of &lt;em&gt;Righting Wrongs&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Those consequences apply to violations of the laws of war – laws that are much stricter than you might think.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“One can speak about the leaders of a war of aggression as having individual criminal responsibility. If it’s illegal for the leader, maybe it’s illegal also for the soldiers who participate in it. And maybe it’s a violation not just to kill civilians on the other side, but Ukrainian soldiers,” continues Andrew Clapham, author of &lt;em&gt;War.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Defending human rights doesn’t always make you popular.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“I made sure that Human Rights Watch was bringing facts to the table that the governments didn’t know. That was part of my job. My father fled the Nazis as a young boy. I grew up Jewish. I am Jewish. So I feel a certain responsibility to take on not just the duty of criticising Israeli abuses, but also to address the misuse of anti-Semitism,” says Roth.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And while some governments are pushing back, international law is robust.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“You might think that by changing the lawyers or creating facts on the ground, you’re going to get away with it. But those war crimes allegations stick to you for life. There’s no statute of limitations on war crimes, and you could easily find yourself prosecuted in ten or 20 years’ time,” says Clapham.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join host Imogen Foulkes for in-depth interviews on two thought-provoking books.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Get in touch!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Email us at &lt;a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'&gt;insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/em&gt;For more stories on the&lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'&gt; international Geneva &lt;/a&gt;please visit &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'&gt;www.swissinfo.ch/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Host: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'&gt;Imogen Foulkes&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Production assitant: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'&gt;Claire-Marie Germain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Distribution: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'&gt;Sara Pasino&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Marketing: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'&gt;Xin Zhang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text On Inside Geneva this week, we take a step back from the breaking news and talk to the authors of two books about the better side of humanity. “The defence of human rights is not a matter of holding a candle and singing Kumbaya. The defence of human rights is about playing hardball. It's about putting pressure on governments, making them realise that repression isn't paying because the consequences are so severe,” says Kenneth Roth, author of Righting Wrongs. Those consequences...

Books to make you think 2025: Are Human Rights Being Ripped Away?

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms">Send us a text</a>On the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Inside Geneva has some big questions about the US-Russia talks this week on ending the war in Ukraine.“Is this really a peace deal or is it just a deal about money? Or is it even some kind of capitulation or a power grab?” asks Inside Geneva host Imogen Foulkes.What does US President Donald Trump want?“Do you want to just stop the war, or do you want to win it? We don’t know what President Trump would consider a win. One suspects it’s a win that would be purely transactional in US interests,” says Nick Cumming-Bruce, contributor for the New York Times.Who will have to make sure that peace is sustainable?“The US will take the decisions together with Russia, with Putin, but who is going to do the real work afterwards? It is Europe,” adds Gunilla von Hall, correspondent for Svenska Dagbladet. How can negotiations even take place without Ukraine?“We will never be able to talk about peace and sustainable peace as long as the Ukrainians are not involved, because the grievances will remain,” says Laurent Sierro, journalist at the Swiss News Agency Keystone-ATS. These are tough questions for the US, Europe and Ukraine. And what about the United Nations – does it have a role at all? Join us on Inside Geneva to find out.Get in touch! <ul> <li>Email us at <a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'>insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch</a> </li> <li>Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en</li> </ul> Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the<a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'> international Geneva </a>please visit <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'>www.swissinfo.ch/</a> Host: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'>Imogen Foulkes </a>Production assitant: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'>Claire-Marie Germain</a> Distribution: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'>Sara Pasino</a> Marketing: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'>Xin Zhang</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Inside Geneva has some big questions about the US-Russia talks this week on ending the war in Ukraine.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Is this really a peace deal or is it just a deal about money? Or is it even some kind of capitulation or a power grab?” asks Inside Geneva host Imogen Foulkes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What does US President Donald Trump want?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“Do you want to just stop the war, or do you want to win it? We don’t know what President Trump would consider a win. One suspects it’s a win that would be purely transactional in US interests,” says Nick Cumming-Bruce, contributor for the &lt;em&gt;New York Times.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Who will have to make sure that peace is sustainable?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“The US will take the decisions together with Russia, with Putin, but who is going to do the real work afterwards? It is Europe,” adds Gunilla von Hall, correspondent for &lt;em&gt;Svenska Dagbladet&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;How can negotiations even take place without Ukraine?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“We will never be able to talk about peace and sustainable peace as long as the Ukrainians are not involved, because the grievances will remain,” says Laurent Sierro, journalist at the Swiss News Agency &lt;em&gt;Keystone-ATS&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;These are tough questions for the US, Europe and Ukraine. And what about the United Nations – does it have a role at all? Join us on Inside Geneva to find out.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Get in touch!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Email us at &lt;a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'&gt;insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/em&gt;For more stories on the&lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'&gt; international Geneva &lt;/a&gt;please visit &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'&gt;www.swissinfo.ch/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Host: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'&gt;Imogen Foulkes&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Production assitant: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'&gt;Claire-Marie Germain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Distribution: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'&gt;Sara Pasino&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Marketing: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'&gt;Xin Zhang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text On the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Inside Geneva has some big questions about the US-Russia talks this week on ending the war in Ukraine. “Is this really a peace deal or is it just a deal about money? Or is it even some kind of capitulation or a power grab?” asks Inside Geneva host Imogen Foulkes. What does US President Donald Trump want? “Do you want to just stop the war, or do you want to win it? We don’t know what President Trump would consider a win. ...

US-Russia talks on Ukraine: peace or appeasement?

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms">Send us a text</a>On Inside Geneva, we take a deep dive into the United States’ cuts in foreign aid.“In Colombia, they’ve just had to lay off 200 staff who were doing the demining in the south of the country. So, all of a sudden, these families have no work. And the alternative in the area, you know what it is: coca plants. So how is that in the US interest?” asks Tamar Gabelnick, director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.“The freezing is not democratic. Congress has voted for some of these programmes and it&apos;s Mr. Trump, Mr. Musk, etc. who are cutting them out without the approval of Congress. So, legally, I don&apos;t see how they can do this,” says analyst Daniel Warner.Why is Washington cutting something that is a lifesaver for vulnerable people worldwide, but costs just 0.2% of the US gross national product?“President Trump and Musk will say that these cuts to USAID are about shrinking a bloated bureaucracy and getting rid of waste and fraud. But I&apos;d say that this whole thing has more to do with ideology and politics,” continues Dawn Clancy, a journalist based in New York.What happens when ideology cuts humanitarian aid?“It&apos;s not just American isolationism. It&apos;s not just America first. There seems to be a quite deliberate undermining of fundamental freedoms,” says Imogen Foulkes, host of the Inside Geneva podcast.“We don&apos;t have four years. The international legal framework and universal human rights are at a critical juncture and are being eroded, threatened and instrumentalised in unprecedented ways. Now is the time to step up,” says Phil Lynch, Executive Director of the International Service for Human Rights.  Search for Inside Geneva wherever you get your podcasts.Get in touch! <ul> <li>Email us at <a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'>insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch</a> </li> <li>Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en</li> </ul> Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the<a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'> international Geneva </a>please visit <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'>www.swissinfo.ch/</a> Host: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'>Imogen Foulkes </a>Production assitant: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'>Claire-Marie Germain</a> Distribution: <a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'>Sara Pasino</a> Marketing: <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'>Xin Zhang</a>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/twilio/text_messages/915097/open_sms"&gt;Send us a text&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On Inside Geneva, we take a deep dive into the United States’ cuts in foreign aid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“In Colombia, they’ve just had to lay off 200 staff who were doing the demining in the south of the country. So, all of a sudden, these families have no work. And the alternative in the area, you know what it is: coca plants. So how is that in the US interest?” asks Tamar Gabelnick, director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“The freezing is not democratic. Congress has voted for some of these programmes and it&amp;apos;s Mr. Trump, Mr. Musk, etc. who are cutting them out without the approval of Congress. So, legally, I don&amp;apos;t see how they can do this,” says analyst Daniel Warner.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Why is Washington cutting something that is a lifesaver for vulnerable people worldwide, but costs just 0.2% of the US gross national product?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“President Trump and Musk will say that these cuts to USAID are about shrinking a bloated bureaucracy and getting rid of waste and fraud. But I&amp;apos;d say that this whole thing has more to do with ideology and politics,” continues Dawn Clancy, a journalist based in New York.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What happens when ideology cuts humanitarian aid?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“It&amp;apos;s not just American isolationism. It&amp;apos;s not just America first. There seems to be a quite deliberate undermining of fundamental freedoms,” says Imogen Foulkes, host of the Inside Geneva podcast.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;“We don&amp;apos;t have four years. The international legal framework and universal human rights are at a critical juncture and are being eroded, threatened and instrumentalised in unprecedented ways. Now is the time to step up,” says Phil Lynch, Executive Director of the International Service for Human Rights.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Search for Inside Geneva wherever you get your podcasts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Get in touch!&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Email us at &lt;a href='mailto:insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch'&gt;insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/em&gt;For more stories on the&lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/topic/international-geneva/'&gt; international Geneva &lt;/a&gt;please visit &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/'&gt;www.swissinfo.ch/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Host: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/imogen-foulkes/'&gt;Imogen Foulkes&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/a&gt;Production assitant: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairemarie4ba1ab16a/'&gt;Claire-Marie Germain&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Distribution: &lt;a href='https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/author/sara-pasino/'&gt;Sara Pasino&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Marketing: &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/xin-zhang-70327481/'&gt;Xin Zhang&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us a text On Inside Geneva, we take a deep dive into the United States’ cuts in foreign aid. “In Colombia, they’ve just had to lay off 200 staff who were doing the demining in the south of the country. So, all of a sudden, these families have no work. And the alternative in the area, you know what it is: coca plants. So how is that in the US interest?” asks Tamar Gabelnick, director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. “The freezing is not democratic. Congress has voted for so...

Aid, cuts and consequences

Inside Geneva is a podcast about global politics, humanitarian issues, and international aid, hosted by journalist Imogen Foulkes. It is produced by SWI swissinfo.ch, a multilingual international public service media company from Switzerland.

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