#65 - Paul Neville

Paul Neville started his first business when he was still a kid—so when he later joined the Peace Corps, serving in remote Tonga, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that, despite local conditions, he would get another enterprise up and running. In this case, it was the country’s first internet café. But what did come as a surprise—to someone who had his successful business career already charted out—was the allure ofthe wider world. It was the beginning of an expat life that continues to this day. 'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, business people, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

This is the story of a life interrupted—by war in Somalia. It’s also the story of a life on hold, without opportunity for formal education—for years in refugee camps. It’s the story of opportunity elsewhere. It’s the story of welcome and finding one’s feet. It’s a success story. It’s a family story. It’s a story unfolding. Sahra Noor’s story is of how helping others most decidedly helps all of us. Note: SoftPower/FulStories strives to be a human-centered program that, from the beginning—regardless of the outside political climate—has sought to be non-partisan and non-political. But this story, guest Sahra Noor (whose younger sister is Congresswoman Ilhan Omar), and Somali-Americans in general, unwittingly find themselves the subjects of base, ignorant, and wildly racist rhetoric coming from the President of the United States. SP/FS will always advocate for immigrants, refugees, and for any cause that embraces inclusivity, kindness, and empathy. In that way, I think we are aligning ourselves with the vast majority of people in the United States.(Congresswoman Omar was re-elected for a fourth term on November 3, 2026. She received 76% of the ballots cast—the highest percentage for a member of Congress in Minnesota.)'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

This episode is less about soft power, and more about diplomacy and the incredible power of relationships--and how the time to cultivate those relationships is before something catastrophic happens. Robert Gerber was the first economic officer in the newly reopened U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan in 2005. Because of the situation, there was a lot of on-the-job learning. And--because the Civil Aviation responsibility fell within the economic portfolio--there was even more to learn. It was, in fact, a literal crash course.'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

Did you ever have to book a particularly complicated trip? Was it hard? Was it frustrating? Now imagine Carol Spahn's predicament. She returned from her service as Country Director in Malawi just 4 months before the Peace Corps' first-ever global evacuation due to COVID-19. She was part of a team that evacuated almost 7,000 volunteers from 64 countries in just 8 days--as borders were closing and flights were canceled. It was a massive effort. Oh, and two years later, she had nearly the same challenge again, only the other way around. This is her remarkable story...'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

In 2003, President George W. Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, which the world would come to know as PEPFAR—arguably the most successful foreign assistance program in history. How did that happen? Journalist John Donnelly has covered global health and HIV and AIDS in particular for decades—and has had a front-row seat for much of that time. His brand-new book, 'Lifeline: The Story of PEPFAR, the Greatest Humanitarian Initiative of Our Time,' is a fascinating, deeply researched look at the challenges, heroic characters, and unprecedented worldwide engagement that has, until now, saved tens of millions of lives.'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

Usually, on SoftPower/FulStories, our storytellers find themselves overseas, in situations foreign and frequently life-changing. Their stories remind us about our common humanity and our need to engage with others worldwide. This week, however, hits a little closer to home. Wesley Warshawer does have stories about living in India or being a Fulbright scholar in Korea, but his main journey—the one we will concern ourselves with this week—takes place within the US border, when—in the words of Paul Simon—he “walked off to look for America.”'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

When Hannah Peterson’s college friends were going off to jobs in business and finance, she chose a slightly different path. That is to say, she chose to go to work in a garbage dump—a literal garbage dump—in Nicaragua. And later, when she couldn’t find accurate stories about the lives of the people she was getting to know, she took it upon herself to write them. And, as USAID was being fed into a wood chipper, she was finishing her play. And when numerous colleagues found themselves suddenly jobless, her play suddenly had a cast.'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

When Derek Lowstuter joined the Peace Corps, he found the transition from Colorado to Ethiopia very easy... at least as far as the altitude went. Everything else? Way different. Becoming part of a community there came loaded with lessons. By learning to accept help, or reach beyond community, he strengthened his own place within it.'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

Lisa Cazacu may have waited a long time to follow her Peace Corps dream, but once she started, there was zero hesitation. She jumped right into life in Romania. She was a regular at the nearby outdoor market, weaving her way through the towering mountains of cabbage, and only occasionally carrying a big bunch of bananas.'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.

Karl Stoltz continues to bring people together, after nearly four decades as a public diplomacy expert. As Co-President of the Public Diplomacy Council of America, he pays close attention to the many soft power tools the United States uses to win hearts and minds (which used to be a priority). As a diplomat, starting with the U.S. Information Agency, he deployed these tools, not least in Moscow, where his overseas career began and ended.'SoftPower/FulStories' uses first-person stories to explore why U.S. engagement in the world matters. Through conversations with diplomats, aid workers, Peace Corps volunteers, authors and artists, influencers, businesspeople, and more, SP/FS highlights how soft power and foreign aid and assistance strengthen America's security, prosperity, and global standing. But forget politics, policy, or punditry; this is all about the stories.