The Next Page

Our final episode of the year invites listeners into the life and legacy of U Thant, the longest‑serving Secretary‑General of the United Nations and a quiet architect of peace during some of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War. Drawing on the perspective of historian Thant Myint‑U, his grandson, the conversation revisits U Thant’s role in crises such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Congo, showing how his calm, principled diplomacy helped steer the world away from catastrophe. Grounded in Buddhist ethics and a deep belief in multilateral cooperation, U Thant’s leadership connected decolonization, social justice, and environmental concern long before these agendas were widely recognized on the global stage. Through archival stories and family memories, the episode explores how his example can inform efforts today to organize peace and renew trust in international institutions, as we reimagine the UN’s potential in a fractured world. Resources: Ask a Librarian! Myint-U, T. (2025). Peacemaker: U Thant and the Forgotten Quest for a Just World. W. W. Norton & Company.  https://www.thantmyintu.com/peacemaker  Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/UJRXUC80BSc Content    Guest: Dr. Thant Myint-U Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva   

On the launch of the latest publication in the UN Historical Series, published by the UN Library & Archives Geneva, this episode of The Next Page explores the history of intellectual cooperation around the League of Nations, tracing the creation of the International Committee in Geneva and the Paris-based International Institute for Intellectual Cooperation. Guest speakers Dr. Martin Grandjean, University of Lausanne, and Professor Daniel Laqua, University of Northumbria, discuss the Institute’s ambitions, institutional rivalries with Geneva, questions on elitism, inclusivity and the nature of the project, and examples of initiatives—from textbook debates and student exchanges to heritage and scientific cooperation—that helped shape cultural diplomacy and paved the way for later multilateral efforts like UNESCO. Resources. Ask an Archivist!  Ask a Librarian! Grandjean, M. and Laqua D. (eds). Intellectual Cooperation at the League of Nations: Shaping Cultural and Political Relations. UN Historical Series. Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/554QVVqJaew Content    Guests: Dr. Martin Grandjean (University of Lausanne) and Professor Daniel Laqua (University of Northumbria) Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva 

This is AI x Multilateralism, a mini-series on The Next Page, where experts help us unpack the many ideas and issues at the nexus of AI and international cooperation.   AI has the dual potential to transform our world for the better, while also deepening serious inequalities. In this episode we speak to Dr. Rachel Adams, Founder and CEO of the Global Center on AI Governance and author of The New Empire of AI: The Future of Global Inequality. She shares why Africa-led and Majority World-led research and policy are essential for equitable AI governance that's grounded in the realities of people everywhere.  She reflects on: why the work of the Center's flagship Global Index on Responsible AI and its African Observatory on Responsible AI are bringing much-needed research and evidence to ensure AI governance is fair and inclusive.  her thoughts on the UN General Assembly's 2025 resolutions to establish an International Scientific Panel on AI and a Global Dialogue on AI Governance, urging true inclusion of diverse voices, indigenous perspectives, and public input why we need to treat AI infrastructure as an AI Global Commons and, the power of local-language AI and public literacy in ensuring we harness the most transformative aspects of AI for our world.  Resources mentioned:  The Global Center on AI Governance The Center's Global Index on Responsible AI The Center's African Observatory on Responsible AI, and its research series Africa and the Big Debates on AI Production:    Guest: Dr. Rachel Adams Host, production and editing: Natalie Alexander Julien  Recorded & produced at the Commons, United Nations Library & Archives Geneva  Podcast Music credits: Sequence: https://uppbeat.io/track/img/sequence Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/img/sequence License code: 6ZFT9GJWASPTQZL0 #AI #Multilateralism #UN #Africa #AIGovernance

In this episode, we host Associate Professor Disa Sauter from the University of Amsterdam, and Edward Mishaud from The Beyond Lab at UN Geneva, to explore affective science and the role of hope in driving individual and collective sustainability action. They explain active versus passive hope, how different emotions shape decision-making, and why hopeful, solution-focused communication matters for sustainable development. The conversation highlights practical pathways for bringing emotion research into multilateral spaces, the secret of storytelling as a tool to cultivate hope, and real-world examples of collective impact. Listeners learn how hope can mobilize agency, bridge individual and collective action, and inform better policy, negotiations and outreach. Resources: Ask a Librarian! The Beyond Lab: https://www.thebeyondlab.org/ The International Day of Hope: https://www.un.org/en/observances/hope-day https://www.thebeyondlab.org/article/international-day-of-hope-2025  Brosch, T., & Sauter, D. (2023). Emotions and the climate crisis: A research agenda for an affective sustainability science. Emotion Review, 15(4), 253–257. https://doi.org/10.1177/17540739231193741  McKibben, B. (2025). Here comes the sun: A last chance for the climate and a fresh chance for civilization. W.W. Norton & Company. Where to listen to this episode  Apple podcasts:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id1469021154 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy YouTube: https://youtu.be/WZrWb0NbbRY Content    Guests: Disa Sauter, University of Amsterdam Edward Mishaud, UN Geneva Beyond Lab Host, production and editing: Amy Smith, UN Library & Archives Geneva Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva 

This is AI x Multilateralism, a mini-series on The Next Page, where experts help us unpack the many ideas and issues at the nexus of AI and international cooperation.   What does it mean to be AI literate, especially for the world’s diplomats leading negotiations on behalf of their countries? We’re joined by Dr. Jérôme Duberry, Senior Lecturer of International and Development Studies, Co-Director of Executive Education and the Head of the Tech Hub at the Geneva Graduate Institute. There, his research includes AI literacy across society, including among diplomats, and why this is critical to understanding the impact and potential of these technologies in our world.  Jérôme shares what AI literacy means for diplomats, and why both a technical and societal understanding of these technologies is critical for mitigating the risks of exclusion of many parts of society in AI development and deployment. He also shares the importance of culturally sensitive and accessible AI training, and the role of science and technology diplomacy to ensure all countries can participate fairly in AI governance.  Resources mentioned:    - The ITU AI Skills Coalition: https://aiforgood.itu.int/ai-skills-coalition/  - AI 2027 report, from the AI Futures Project: https://ai-2027.com/  - Elements of AI, a series of free online courses created by MinnaLearn and the University of Helsinki: https://www.elementsofai.com/ Content    Guest: Dr. Jérôme Duberry Host, production and editing: Natalie Alexander Julien  Recorded & produced at the Commons, United Nations Library & Archives Geneva  Podcast Music credits: Sequence: https://uppbeat.io/track/img/sequence Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/img/sequence License code: 6ZFT9GJWASPTQZL0 #AI #Multilateralism #UN #Diplomacy