World War II: Whose story is being told?

As the saying goes: History is written by the victors. In the West, World War II was the good war; the defeat of fascism; a story about survival, liberation and sacrifice. But across Africa and Asia, the millions who fought returned to new forms of rule—not all of them favorable. As the generation that lived through the war fades away, the battle over its meaning continues on.  In this episode, we ask: How and why does the story of World War II differ across nations and generations? Have our memories and takeaways changed over time? Who’s missing from the global narrative? And did we learn the right lessons, or are we doomed to repeat history? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  Tariq Ali: Author and historian Carol Gluck: Professor of history, Columbia University Patrick Porter: Professor of international security, University of Birmingham Daqing Yang: Associate professor of history, George Washington University Moderated by award-winning journalist and writer Mohamed Hassan

Today, a number of major companies have bigger balance sheets than the GDPs of entire nations. With that money comes an extraordinary amount of power. At the same time, across almost every country, governmental laws and regulations have insinuated their way into nearly every element of our lives. So who’s really running the world—governments or corporations? Or is the global power structure far more complex, changeable and interdependent? This episode asks where the true power lies, and what the answer means for all of us.  💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  - Antara Haldar: Professor of law and economics, University of Cambridge - Mark Littlewood: Director, Popular Conservatism - Sophie Scott-Brown: Political philosopher, University of St. Andrews - Henry Wang: Founder and president, Center for China and Globalization Moderated by international journalist and media executive Soraya Salam

Most of us spend our lives thinking about money—how we’re earning it, how we’re spending it, how much we have and how to get more. But we rarely think about the bigger picture: What is money? How did we agree on the concept in the first place? How is it regulated, and who are those regulatory systems built to serve? This episode asks one of the most fundamental questions in economics and politics: Who controls your money? Is it the government? The ultra-rich? The free market? And should any of these organizations or individuals have that much power, or should our economic systems be totally democratic? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  Saifedean Ammous: Economist and author Jason Hickel: Professor of political economy, Autonomous University of Barcelona Pavlina R. Tcherneva: President, Levy Economics Institute Moderated by award-winning journalist and writer Mohamed Hassan

We usually think of language as a tool to express who we are and what we believe. But what if it’s the other way around? What if language actually shapes us? In this episode, we explore whether the language(s) we speak can influence our culture, our values and even our perceptions of the world. Two pivotal questions run through the conversation: Can language actually determine the way we think? And, as the English language becomes more and more global, is it spreading cultural influence along with it? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  Lera Boroditsky: Professor of cognitive science, University of California Safwan Masri: Author, “They Told Us We Were Arab” (forthcoming) Helen Pluckrose: Author; political and cultural commentator David Shariatmadari: Journalist and author Moderated by presenter, filmmaker and producer Nadir Nahdi

Work has long been tied to social value and identity. We are told it builds character and is essential to a functional society. But in an age of hustle culture, economic insecurity and burnout, many are asking whether work is meaningful or just a means of survival. This episode explores the meaning, value and future of work. Has its soul been lost to corporate profit and relentless productivity, or has social and economic innovation made it better? And as AI expands and evolves, will work need to be redefined altogether? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  Hoda Alkhzaimi: Professor of engineering, New York University Abu Dhabi Federico Campagna: Philosopher; lecturer, Royal College of Art Yanis Varoufakis: Professor of economics, University of Athens Robert C. Wolcott: Cofounder and chair, The World Innovation Network Moderated by award-winning journalist and writer Mohamed Hassan

Journalism was built on a promise: uncover the truth and hold the powerful to account. Today, media company ownership is in flux, news goes global—and viral—at the touch of a screen and everyone has a platform to tell their version of events. Is that promise becoming more or less possible to keep? In this episode, we ask: Is the journalism industry in a necessary evolution or is it in crisis? Has social media democratized the news, or made it harder to trust? How has the role and responsibilities of a journalist changed over the years, and how do they capture the respect (and attention) of the next generation? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  Dima Khatib: Managing director of digital projects, Al Jazeera Media Network Marc Owen Jones: Associate professor of media analytics, Northwestern University in Qatar Peter Oborne: Associate editor, Middle East Eye Richard Sambrook: Emeritus professor of journalism, Cardiff University Moderated by award-winning journalist and writer Mohamed Hassan

International law was built on a simple idea that even the most powerful nation-states should be bound by the same rules. But today, that idea is being challenged: Rulings go unenforced, institutions are unable or unwilling to act, and some are questioning whether the rules were truly globally applicable to begin with. This episode asks what's left of international law, and whether it still holds significance. Does it still matter when the rules are broken? Is there consensus on what the rules mean in the first place? And what sort of system do we want the next generation to inherit? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  - Charli Carpenter: Professor of political science, University of Massachusetts Amherst - Victor Gao: Vice president, Center for China and Globalization - Balakrishnan Rajagopal: Associate professor of law and development, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Curtis Yarvin: Political philosopher Moderated by international presenter and host Dareen Abughaida

For years, Western vision and values have shaped the global order. Now, China is on the rise, championing a different model. Who will lead us into the future? In this episode, we explore these competing visions of the world and ask which one will end up on top. Is the West actually losing influence, or is something more complicated happening? Does China's rise offer a real alternative to the Western order, or a new kind of dependency? And as tensions simmer over Taiwan, Ukraine and the global AI race, can the world’s major powers find a way to coexist, or are we headed toward deeper division? 💬 Join the conversation in the comments.  Featuring:  - Renata Ávila: CEO, Open Knowledge Foundation - Arnaud Bertrand: Entrepreneur - Isabel Hilton: Visiting professor, Lau China Institute, King’s College London - Henry Wang: Founder and president, Center for China and Globalization Moderated by international journalist and media executive Soraya Salam

Who controls our money? Will China or the West lead us into the future? Is work even meaningful anymore? We’re back with a new season of the Doha Debates Podcast, featuring global experts tackling some of the world’s most complex questions. Guests include Yanis Varoufakis, Saifedean Ammous, Jason Hickel, Tariq Ali, Dima Khatib and many more. Watch or listen to the first episode September 22.

Football (or soccer) is more than just a game; it's a global phenomenon. Today, as football club ownership, team talent and the fandom all evolve, have the meaning and merits of the sport also changed? What can we learn about ourselves and our world by examining the current state of the “beautiful game”? This episode uses football as a lens to explore questions of capitalism, nationalism, power and identity. 💬 Join the conversation in the comments. Featuring: - David Goldblatt: Sociologist, sports writer, broadcaster and author - Tony Karon: Editorial lead, AJ+ - Honey Thaljieh: Co-founder, women’s football in Palestine Moderated by international journalist Imran Garda