These are Some of the Topics We'll Cover in "To Save Us From Hell"

A preview of our new podcast about the UN

“To Save Us From Hell” is a news-driven podcast. Each week, Anjali Dayal and I discuss key events impacting the UN system — from UN headquarters in New York to United Nations operations around the world.

There are scant media outlets dedicated to covering the United Nations. Our goal is to serve an audience that has a personal or professional interest in keeping up with what is happening at the UN — and why.

Our first episode debuts next week. You can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Crucially, we are crowdfunding “To Save Us From Hell” and are relying on selling subscriptions on Substack to pay for the cost creating this show and releasing episodes every week. By becoming a paid supporter today you will have an outsized impact on our ability to get this off the ground. Every single subscription matters—a lot! So, thank you.

While any given episode of “To Save Us From Hell” will focus on newsy events, we also plan on addressing long-term issues and trends that tend to animate discussions and debates around the UN. Over the past several weeks, Anjali and I have sketched out some topics we’d be keen to discuss in the near future.

This is a non-exhaustive list! But it should give you a sense of where our heads are at right now.

• Antonio Guterres report card. He’s halfway through his final term. What will be his legacy? What would happen if he steps down before the end of his term?

• Who should replace Martin Griffiths and why is the Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs always a Brit?

• Does the UN have a role to play in Gaza reconstruction, stabilization and security?

• As China wields more power and influence internationally, how has its approach to the United Nations changed? And how is an empowered China changing the United Nations?

• The Summit of the Future. Why is it so important around the UN and what meaningful difference can it make?

• If Trump wins in November, what does that mean for the United Nations? What parts of the UN are on his hit list? Could the US really leave the UN entirely?

• Why are countries that are overtly hostile to human rights sometimes elected to the UN Human Rights Council?

• Is the veto over-used?

• It's been ten years since the last new UN Peacekeeping Mission was authorized. Are Blue Helmet peace operations really fading away, or are they being replaced by different kinds of missions?

• Where does R2P live within the UN system now? Is it dead? Or do its underlying values still animate action? And why do so many people rotate in and out of the position of Special Advisor for the Responsibility to Protect?

• Security Council reform got a huge boost when the Biden administration proposed specific reform ideas. Where is the reform initiative now that the US has repeatedly used the veto in recent months in support of Israel?

• Can the Security Council do much of anything in an era of great power competition between the USA, China, and Russia?

• How are conceptions of gender and gender identity changing across the UN system? 

• Why, oh why, is the UN website so difficult to navigate? (There has to be a reason!)

We’d love your input! What would you like us to discuss?

We are offering our paying subscribers the opportunity to influence and shape our episodes. Please purchase a subscription and send us your pitch using this form. We would love to hear from you.

So please get your subscription! (And if you can, ask your employer to pay for it. We can offer group discounts as well. Just reach out.) Then, think about what you’d like us to cover and let us know.