If You Were In Charge

With Richard Gowan and María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés

What would have happened, if the US had heeded Afghan women's warnings about the Taliban, and supported their solutions before 2021? What if the international community supported  Afghan women's strategies for ending violence and building peace - then and now?  This week on #IfYouWereInCharge, Sanam speaks with Wazhma Frogh, Afghan woman peacebuilder and lawyer specializing in international human rights law and Afghanistan, and recipient of the International Women of Courage Award.  Despite the Taliban's oppressive rule, Wazhma speaks of her vital work in educating, advocating, and offering hope to Afghan women and girls, living day to day under the Taliban's oppressive rule. Where many feel despair, Wazhma still sees resilience, courage and inspiration, and shows how much could be done, if women like her, were in charge.  As always, Sanam is joined by her daughter Soleh, a PhD student at Cambridge, to reflect on the main interview and offer a different generational perspective. Welcome to If You Were in Charge Season 2, a podcast featuring global peace strategist Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. Each week, Sanam tackles a major global challenge and hosts leading practitioners and innovators to share their work and solutions—if they were in charge with the necessary political and financial resources. If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/ Original Music, Little Monster Media  Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch This is an Africa Digital Audio Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to If You Were in Charge Season 2, a podcast featuring global peace strategist Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. This week, Sanam speaks with Chris Worman, Chief Global Strategy & Partnership Officer at GivingTuesday. Together, they discuss the critical role of civil society and philanthropy at a time when the sector is facing significant funding challenges. Their conversation explores the importance of generosity, civic engagement, and the impact of initiatives like GivingTuesday in fostering community resilience and a shared future. At the end of the episode, Sanam is joined by her daughter, Soleh, a PhD student at Cambridge, to discuss this week's topic and how these themes resonate with her and her friends' experiences. The podcast reframes global challenges as global solutions in these extraordinary times of turbulence. What would the world look like if those living through and working on today’s toughest crises were given the power and resources to lead real change? That’s the driving question behind the podcast, hosted by renowned peacebuilder and ICAN founder Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. Each episode features frontline doers and imaginers—activists, organizers, and peacebuilders—whose lived experience, courage, and ideas are reshaping what’s possible. Sanam explores what they’re already achieving, what they could do with greater power and support, and what gives them hope. If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/ Original Music, Little Monster Media  Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch This is an Africa Digital Audio Production Chapters 00:00 The Importance of Civil Society 05:05 Chris Wurman's Journey into Philanthropy 10:14 The Role of Philanthropy in Global Development 15:20 Understanding Generosity and Civic Engagement 20:25 The Impact of Giving Tuesday on Global Generosity 25:42 The Role of Civil Society in Generosity 27:07 Reassessing Aid and Institutional Failures 29:01 Building Local Infrastructure for Giving 30:28 Challenges in International Giving 32:00 Investing in Local Development 35:05 Hope for Civil Society in a Changing World Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to If You Were in Charge Season 2, a podcast featuring global peace strategist Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. This week, Sanam speaks with Ece Temelkuran, renowned author of How to Lose a Country: The 7 Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship, which explores the mechanisms of autocracy and the decline of democratic principles. Each week, Sanam tackles a major global challenge and hosts leading practitioners and innovators to share their work and solutions—if they were in charge with the necessary political and financial resources. To bring in the perspective of a younger generation, Sanam is joined each week by one of her twin daughters. This episode features Soleh, a PhD student at Cambridge. If You Were In Charge is brought to you by the Bjian Ghaisar Foundation And ICAN International Civil Society Action Network ICAN’s newsletter: https://icanpeacework.org/2025/03/sign-up-to-icans-newsletter/ Original Music, Little Monster Media  Executive Producer: Pearse Lynch This is an Africa Digital Audio Production Chapters00:00 The Rise of Fascism: A Global Concern 03:07 Personal Reflections on Civic Engagement 05:56 Understanding the Steps to Fascism 08:57 The Role of Language and Political Discourse 11:51 Shamelessness in Politics: A Dangerous Trend 15:10 The Complicity of the Progressive Left 18:08 Dignity vs. Freedom: A New Political Narrative 21:09 The Importance of Historical Awareness 24:00 Reclaiming Dignity in Political Discourse 32:04 Radical Love in Politics 33:28 The Need for Honesty in Leadership 36:07 Wealth and Power Dynamics 38:28 The Impact of Inequality on Migration 40:21 Faith in Humanity as Resistance 42:58 Empathy and Human Exchange 43:52 Finding Hope in Community 45:50 The Importance of Giving 49:05 Reflections on Political Discourse 55:21 The Urgency of Political Action Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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