What happens when ordinary people try to build a democracy from scratch in the middle of a civil war — and what happens when it falls apart?

In this episode, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with journalist and author Anand Gopal, a three-time Pulitzer finalist, to discuss his new book Days of Love and Rage: A Story of Ordinary People Forging a Revolution. The book follows six individuals in the northern Syrian city of Manbij, where residents overthrew the Assad regime in 2012 and launched a remarkable 18-month experiment in participatory democracy, before inequality, economic crisis, and the rise of ISIS tore it apart.

In this conversation:

• How 50 protesters grew into a citywide movement that toppled a dictatorship
• The assemblies, newspapers, and civic organizations that emerged from 40 years of authoritarian silence
• Why economic inequality — not just tyranny — proved to be democracy's greatest threat
• How ISIS recruited ordinary, secular Syrians through populist rhetoric, not just ideology
• The role of women in the revolution and the double battle against both the regime and patriarchal norms
• What Syria's story tells us about radicalization, democratic fragility, and the long arc of revolution
• Lessons from comparing Syria's struggle to the French Revolution

About the Guest: Anand Gopal is a journalist and author who has covered Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria for over a decade. His new book Days of Love and Rage is based on eight years of reporting and nearly 2,000 interviews. It was published on March 3rd.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Mislav Majcan. Recorded on March 9, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy

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In this episode, we break down the major takeaways from the Munich Security Conference, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a notably softer speech than last year's JD Vance address—but the underlying message remains the same. We analyze speeches from Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Scholz, and others as Europe grapples with its "vacation from history" and debates its future role on the world stage.

We also discuss the first Board of Peace meeting in Washington, Trump's claim that it will "look over the United Nations," and what this means for international institutions. Finally, we examine the US military buildup in the Persian Gulf as a potential strike on Iran looms—is this a negotiating tactic or the prelude to regime change?

Topics Covered:

• Munich Security Conference: Rubio, Macron, Scholz & the future of Europe

• Board of Peace: Gaza reconstruction or UN replacement?

• Iran: Analyzing the armada and what comes next

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 24, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy

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In this episode, our host Kelly McFarland sits down with Ambassador Robert Blackwill, a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who previously served on the National Security Council and as U.S. Ambassador to India, to discuss his new report "America Revived: A Grand Strategy of Resolute Global Leadership."

What We Cover: The five historical schools of American grand strategy: primacy, liberal internationalism, restraint, American nationalism, and Trumpism Why Ambassador Blackwill proposes a sixth approach: "Resolute Global Leadership" The rise of China as a peer competitor and what it means for U.S. strategy The critical importance of alliances in an increasingly dangerous world Defense spending, military superiority, and procurement reform The risks of withdrawal and security vacuums in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East Why values matter in American foreign policy What should the next administration prioritize to restore American leadership

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 18, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @gudiplomacy

📚 Featured article: https://www.cfr.org/reports/america-r...

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#diplomacy #foreignpolicy #GrandStrategy #USChinaRelations #InternationalRelations #Geopolitics

This week, Kelly talks with former US Diplomat Joel Wit, author of the new book Fallout: The Inside Story of America's Failure to Disarm North Korea. Joel was a diplomat negotiating with North Korea in the 1990s and 2000s, and has researched and published on the DPRK ever since.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 12, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This year, Kelly takes you on a road to 250 in American Diplomacy. First up is Professor Kathryn Statler, University of San Diego Professor and expert on early American foreign policy. She takes Kelly through the Revolutionary War and America's earliest days. How did Americans think of their role in the world? How did they juggle their alliance with France while seeking national autonomy? Most importantly, what did "entangling alliances" really mean?

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on February 2, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly and Tristen dissect Trump's Board of Peace: who's in, who's out, and who has declined. Can the board supersede the United Nations' peacebuilding efforts?

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 28, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

This week, Kelly talks with Jimmy Story, the last US Ambassador to Venezuela. Prospects for democracy look bleak, but what does 2026 hold for the country?

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 16, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown

For the first episode of 2026, Kelly and Tristen dive deep into the Trump administration's renewed efforts to acquire Greenland.

The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity.

Produced by Freddie Mallinson. Recorded on January 15, 2026.

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown