Mark Leon Goldberg

An Ebola Outbreak In The Democratic Republic of the Congo Has Been Contained With Astonishing Speed A lesson in the value and utility of multilateralism

This was an example of public health and multilateralism done right!

www.globaldispatches.org/p/an-ebola-o...

It's niche, to be sure. But I lean into it, because if not me, who? (There ain't many of us doing this kind of work!)

To that end, today's edition of my Global Dispatches newsletter was inspired by a lack of coverage of a successful global effort to very rapidly contain an ebola outbreak in DRC.

I love "solutions journalism."

This is a style of journalism that focuses on what worked to solve a problem. I often combine it with a global focus, leading to what @martinscott2010.bsky.social dubbed "humanitarian journalism."

An Ebola Outbreak In The Democratic Republic of the Congo Has Been Contained With Astonishing Speed A lesson in the value and utility of multilateralism

This is what a successful international response to a deadly disease outbreak should look like! Credit first goes to Congolese health authorities, but also to the multilateral health system that the Trump admin is trying to tear down!

www.globaldispatches.org/p/an-ebola-o...

The Last of Syria's Political Prisoners are Still Languishing in Lebanese Jails A political prisoner speaks to me on a smuggled phone from a jail in Lebanon

Syria has been liberated from the brutal Assad regime and his dungeons emptied. But in Lebanon, Assad's former ally Hezbollah is holding hundreds of Syrian political prisoners.

One of them spoke to me from a smuggled phone inside a Hezbollah jail.

www.globaldispatches.org/p/the-last-o...

Like eight years ago, I asked a similar question on Twitter--and Chris responded by recommending Killers of the Flower Moon!

LIVE SOON: What Do We Think About that Gaza Resolution at the Security Council? Starting Nov 18 at 1:00 PM EST

@anjalikdayal.bsky.social and I will discuss!

open.substack.com/live-stream/...

Lots of caveats here, but the Gaza resolution written by the Trump admin backs the idea of Palestinian self-determination and statehood. That's certainly a positive development, at least considering where the starting point was. And it puts them at odds w/ the Israeli gov

There’s a long history of international troops successfully stepping in after a conflict to help stabilize the peace. But in Gaza, there’s very little reason to think this force will actually deploy anytime soon — if ever.

More here --> www.globaldispatches.org/p/why-an-int...

Second: Without clarity about what larger political project this force would be supporting, it is hard to imagine that many Arab or Muslim-majority countries are going to sign up. None of them want their troops to look like occupation forces!

First: there is no peace to keep in Gaza. The situation on the ground today suggests that international troops would be with fighting Hamas while avoided being targeted or harassed by the IDF -- not a situation to which countries would be willing to send their troops.

The thing is: Even if a resolution passes, it is really hard to imagine countries actually deploying their soldiers to Gaza as part of a mission. The concept has two fundamental flaws that the resolution does not attempt to address.

The US Mission to the UN just posted an odd statement decrying those who "sow discord" over a Security Council resolution to authorize an International Stabilization Force for Gaza.

I guess I'm guilty of this?!

www.globaldispatches.org/p/why-an-int...

Why An "International Stabilization Force" for Gaza is Probably Doomed Even if the UN authorizes it, no country wants to fight — or occupy — Gaza.

At the UN, Trump administration officials are scrambling to pass a Security Council resolution to authorize an "International Stabilization Force" for Gaza.

I explain why it's unlikely that such a force would deploy anytime soon--if ever.

www.globaldispatches.org/p/why-an-int...

What political science teaches us about fraudulent elections and mass protests in Tanzania
Full ep -->

www.globaldispatches.org/p/what-polit...

Dick Cheney’s lasting geopolitical legacy was showing the world that the United States was not as powerful as it assumed itself to be, hastening the pace of American relative decline.

A Genocidal Massacre Is Unfolding in El Fasher, Sudan The fall of El Fasher marks the beginning of another genocidal campaign in Darfur — one that was both predicted and preventable.

As always, the way to stop the genocidal Rapid Support Forces in Sudan is to press their main backers, the UAE. But that hasn't happened, so these massacres are accelerating

www.globaldispatches.org/p/a-genocida...

There's a communication blackout in El Fasher, Sudan. But we know what is happening there because a genocidal militia is gleefully publishing snuff videos on social media and bragging about their body counts as they rampage through a major city

Please take a moment to understand the gravity of what is unfolding in Darfur right now.

www.globaldispatches.org/p/a-genocida...

A Genocidal Massacre Is Unfolding in El Fasher, Sudan The fall of El Fasher marks the beginning of another genocidal campaign in Darfur — one that was both predicted and preventable.

Please take a moment to absorb the enormity of what is unfolding in Darfur right now.

open.substack.com/pub/globaldi...

I'm one of those millions of Americans who buy health care through the exchange and whose premiums are about to skyrocket. I'll find out just how much on Monday...oof.

LIVE SOON: A Genocidal Massacre Is Unfolding in El Fasher, Sudan Starting Oct 30 at 2:00 PM EDT

A genocidal militia is rampaging through El Fasher, a city in Darfur. The nightmare scenario so many people have predicted is suddenly unfolding. Please join me for this urgent conversation. My intv guest is a human rights scholar from El Fasher.

open.substack.com/live-stream/...

When Treaties Work: The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty The CTBT is why there's been so few nuclear tests

This limited number of tests since 1996 stands in stark contrast to the more than 2,000 nuclear tests conducted in the preceding five decades, highlighting the CTBT's significant role in establishing a global norm against nuclear testing

www.globaldispatches.org/p/when-treat...

Since the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was opened for signature in 1996, there have been ten nuclear tests conducted worldwide. These include two tests by India and two by Pakistan in 1998, and six tests by North Korea between 2006 and 2017.​

Sudan's Civil War Takes an Even Deadlier Turn What El Fasher’s Crisis Reveals About Sudan’s War — and the World’s Failure to Respond

I've removed the paywall from this interview about the battle for El Fasher, in Darfur. Please share. All the bad things we discuss are now unfolding

www.globaldispatches.org/p/sudans-civ...

I published this on October 3 and have removed the paywall. www.globaldispatches.org/p/sudans-civ...

LIVE SOON: Live From Cameroon: What’s Driving Political Unrest Starting Oct 28 at 12:30 PM EDT

I’ll be speaking with a Cameroonian writer about the post-election chaos. What do you want to learn?

open.substack.com/live-stream/...

LIVE SOON: North Korea is Getting Even More Repressive Starting Oct 23 at 12:30 PM EDT

I'll be speaking with The Economist's Patrick Foulis at half past the the hour!

open.substack.com/live-stream/...

far be it for me to tell the vice president he doesn't know what he's talking about, but I'm here to tell you that if we consider how other, similar international forces have worked, the vice president doesn't know what he's talking about

Can a UN-Backed International Security Force Rescue the Gaza Ceasefire? Plus: Drama at the International Maritime Organization and a new push to revise the UN Charter

"Vance Says International Security Force Will Lead on Disarming Hamas"

@anjalikdayal.bsky.social and I have our doubts!

www.globaldispatches.org/p/can-a-un-b...