Deep Cuts

Public Health and a Lost Future with Siham Ahmed (Payne Fellowship)

When a Federal Agency disappears, so do the futures it was trying to build. This episode features Siham Ahmed, a 2024 Payne Fellow who was halfway through her graduate program on public health - funded by USAID - when her scholarship and future as a Foreign Service Officer was cut short. Join me as I speak with Siham about the importance of representation, community, public health, and her hopes for a bright future.

Humanitarian Assistance and Food Aid with Luis Figueroa (USAID)

Humanitarian Aid expert Luis Figueroa tells us about coordinating the fight against hunger on the world stage, his journey working for vulnerable communities in several countries, and what the future of aid looks like. Tune in the learn more about what makes humanitarian assistance work and how USAID was the leader in global food aid.

LGBTQI+ Rights Around the World with Jessica Morrison (USAID)

Learn about the ways USAID Foreign Service Officer Jessica Morrison and the LGBTQI+ team at USAID supported queer communities around the globe and represented the United States as a beacon of hope in a world of uncertainty for marginalized populations. This episode delves into the story of one of the many members of the Foreign Service who dedicate their lives to fostering understanding between peoples and how America's place in and impact on the world should not be taken for granted.

Promoting Democracy in Belarus with Dayan Reynolds (IRI)

Dayan Reynolds, an expert on Eastern European democracy and lead for Belarus at the International Republican Institute, speaks with me about about how USAID implementing partners like IRI work with locals in Belarus to foster democracy in an authoritarian regime; background on geopolitics and culture in Eastern Europe; America's relationship with democracy as a global concept; and what people get wrong about American support for democratic activism abroad. Tune in to learn more about an often overlooked part of Europe and Putin's only ally in the region. Special thank to Open Gov Hub [https://www.opengovhub.org/] in Washington, DC for providing the studio for us to record in!

Democracy, Rights, and Governance with Taly Lind (USAID)

USAID Foreign Service Officer Taly Lind shares her story promoting democracy and human rights; preventing violent extremism; fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; and her plan to continue helping people in need here in the United States in a post-USAID world. Listen in to hear about the merits of spreading democracy through peace and learn more about how USAID promoted positive values across the world.