ForumFedCast

Exploring the World of Federalism and Multilevel Governance

Examining the principles and practice of federal and multilevel governance systems with a comparative international perspective. Each episode we address a key federalism governance issue with world-leading practitioners and scholars from the Forum of Federations’ international expert network.

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Episode Summaries
What have federations in different parts of the world been doing to address climate change? What strategies are governments using to cultivate change? And what about the other players involved in the climate equation – how do they fit in?

In our second and final episode on federalism and climate change, we’re asking big questions and perusing the practical. We’re taking a look at the intricacies of climate governance in federations on four continents to explore the current state of play in 2023 and ask: what can federalism contribute to averting climate catastrophe?

Joining us on this episode:

Alan Fenna, Professor of Politics, Curtin University, Western Australia.

Kathryn Harrison, Professor of Political Science, University of British Columbia.

Carsten Sieling, Former Mayor of the City of Bremen.

Warathida Chaiyapa, Lecturer and Assistant Director at the School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University.

The Forum’s comparative book on climate and federalism is out now! Check out Climate Governance and Federalism – A Forum of Federations Comparative Policy Analysis, available open access!

Professor Harrison’s paper on climate governance in Canada is also available now! Download The Challenge of Federalism for Canadian Climate Policy for free from the Forum website!

If you're looking for more cutting-edge multilevel governance content, check out our Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channels.

Don’t forget to stay in touch! Send us your thoughts on this and other episodes as well as ideas for future topics you’d like to hear discussed to podcast@forumfed.org.

Written and hosted by Jamie Thomas and Liam Whittington.

Produced by Liam Whittington and Zeeniya Waseem. https://forumfedcast.podbean.com/e/episode-9/

How can federations tackle the critical issue of climate change? What are the opportunities and challenges of making progress toward the goals of the Paris Agreement in federal countries?

In the first part of our series on federalism and climate change, we explore the sometimes complicated dynamics of climate governance in federal countries, including how a multilevel governance structure can support or block progressive policy, and what is more effective in terms of fostering change: a big carrot or an even bigger stick?

Joining us on this episode:

Alan Fenna, Professor of Politics, Curtin University, Western Australia.

Kathryn Harrison, Professor or Political Science, University of British Columbia.

Carsten Sieling, Former Mayor of the City of Bremen.

Warathida Chaiyapa, Lecturer and Assistant Director at the School of Public Policy, Chiang Mai University.

Stay tuned to our website - forumfed.org - for our forthcoming Canada policy paper and comparative volume on climate change and federalism, coming May 2023!

If you're looking for more cutting-edge multilevel governance content, check out our Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube channels.

Don’t forget to stay in touch! Send us your thoughts on this and other episodes as well as ideas for future topics you’d like to hear discussed to podcast@forumfed.org.

Written and hosted by Jamie Thomas and Liam Whittington

Produced by Liam Whittington and Zeeniya Waseem

What has the changing nature of COVID-19 taught us about governance dynamics in federations? And in what ways has federalism been effective and ineffective in various responses to the pandemic over time?

In this episode we explore how federal responses to COVID-19 have changed over the course of the crisis in Latin American, European, African, and Asian federations.

Joining us on this episode:
Laura Flamand, Research Professor and Coordinator of the Network for the Study of Inequalities, El Colegio de Mexico.
Eva Maria Belser, Professor and Chair of Constitutional and Administrative Law, University of Fribourg.
Zemalek Ayele, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Federalism and Governance Studies, Addis Ababa University.
Rekha Saxena, Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi.
Nico Steytler, South African Research Chair in Multilevel Government, University of the Western Cape.
Felix Knüpling, Vice President of Programs, Forum of Federations.

Written and hosted by Jamie Thomas and Liam Whittington.
Produced by Liam Whittington with production support from Jamie Thomas.

Be sure to check out the Forum’s book Federalism and the Response to COVID-19 – A Comparative Analysis and IACFS’s book Comparative Federalism and COVID-19: Combating the Pandemic for free online.
Is federalism a solution to the challenges of building sustainable peace in fragile and conflict-affected states? Can a federal peacebuilding approach be codified into a federalism ‘pathway for peace’?

We explore the application of federalism as a peacebuilding mechanism, including opportunities, limitations, and how we can achieve more sustainable results, drawing on the experiences of three fragile states: Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen.

Joining us on this episode:
Muna Luqman, Yemeni activist, peace builder, and founder of Food4Humanity.
Marie-Joëlle Zahar, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Research Network on Peace Operations at the Université de Montréal.
Abdi Aynte, co-founder and Managing Director of Laasfort Consulting Group.
Mai Amir, Sudanese governance consultant and technical specialist.

This episode is brought to you by the Forum of Federations in partnership with Food4Humanity. It appeared in the Geneva Peace Week 2021 digital series.

Written and hosted by Liam Whittington.
Produced by Asma Zribi, Emilie Tremblay and Liam Whittington.
To get in touch with the podcast, email podcast@forumfed.org.
With gender equality now a priority in international development, how are donors and development practitioners supporting the empowerment women and girls around the world? What is the connection between gender equality, governance and development? How can we build a more equal world?

In the final episode of our series on gender equality and federal & decentralized governance, we explore Canada and Switzerland’s gender equality and governance development assistance approaches, and the work being done on the ground to improve the lives of women and girls. We’ll also consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global gender equality.

Joining us on this episode:
Ursula Keller, Senior Policy Advisor and Head of the Governance Unit, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Marc Banzet, Director, Natural Resources and Governance, Global Affairs Canada.
Ilana Trombka, Director General, Federal Senate of Brazil.
Sosena Mulatu, Gender Specialist, Forum of Federations.
Dr. Christine Forster, Associate Professor and Associate Dean International, University of New South Wales.

Written and hosted by Diana Chebenova and Liam Whittington.
Produced by Asma Zribi and Liam Whittington.

Download the full Gender Equality and Federalism report. Get in touch with the show at: podcast@forumfed.org
What are the opportunities and challenges experienced by women to engage and participate in politics in federal countries?

In the second in our three-part series on gender equality and federal & decentralized governance, we examine the factors that affect women's representation and participation in public office in federal countries. We also explore the role of men in fostering gender quality, and consider the links between women's economic empowerment and gender equality.

Joining us on this episode:
Dr. Christine Forster, Associate Professor and Associate Dean International, University of New South Wales.
Sosena Mulatu, Gender Specialist, Forum of Federations.
Ursula Keller, Senior Policy Advisor and Head of the Governance Unit, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Marc Banzet, Director, Natural Resources and Governance, Global Affairs Canada.
Ilana Trombka, Director General, Federal Senate of Brazil.

Written and hosted by Diana Chebenova and Liam Whittington.
Produced by Asma Zribi and Liam Whittington.
Download the full Gender Equality and Federalism report.
For more on federalism and multilevel governance, check out forumfed.org.

You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.
What impact does federal and decentralized governance have on gender equality?
In the first in a three part series, we explore the relationship between federal and decentralized systems and gender equality. How do these dynamics affect women and girls, and what opportunities and limitations are there for advancing gender equality in these systems?

Joining us on this episode:
Dr. Christine Forster, Associate Professor and Associate Dean International, University of New South Wales.
Sosena Mulatu, Gender Specialist, Forum of Federations.
Ursula Keller, Senior Policy Advisor and Head of the Governance Unit, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Marc Banzet, Director, Natural Resources and Governance, Global Affairs Canada.
Ilana Trombka, Director General, Federal Senate of Brazil.
Written and hosted by Diana Chebenova and Liam Whittington.
Produced by Asma Zribi and Liam Whittington.
Download the full Gender Equality and Federalism report.

Federalism is seen by some in the international community as an important tool to support peacebuilding and reconciliation processes in divided societies. But how and in what contexts can it be used most effectively? We examine how federalism has been used, or proposed, as mechanism to support sustainable peace and development in three countries: Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Cyprus.

Joining us on this episode:
Almaze Mekonnen, Former State Minister of Peacebuilding and National Consensus, Government of Ethiopia. Derya Beyatli, Peace Activist and Founding Member of the Third Community Forum. Htet Min Lwin, Senior Advisor, Forum of Federations.
The discussion is moderated by Rupak Chattopadhyay, President and CEO, Forum of Federations.
This conversation appeared as part of the Geneva Peace Week 2020 Digital Series.
Written, hosted and produced by Liam Whittington.

How do governments in federations coordinate responses to emergency situations like COVID-19?
We examine the intergovernmental coordination practices used in Germany and Australia - two countries that received international attention for their success in controlling the first wave of Coronavirus - and assess what lessons might be learned from these experiences.

Joining us on this episode:
Professor Nathalie Behnke, Professor of Public Administration and Policy at the Institute of Political Science of the Technical University Darmstadt, Germany.
Professor Alan Fenna, Professor of Politics at Curtin University, Western Australia
Written, hosted and produced by Liam Whittington.

We explore how the Coronavirus pandemic has impacted federal governance dynamics in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and assess the implications of the crisis on the federations in North America.

Joining us on this episode:
The Honourable Bob Rae, Former Premier of Ontario.
Professor John Kincaid, Robert B. and Helen S. Meyner Professor of Government and Public Service, President of the Center for the Study of Federalism, Lafayette College, Pennsylvania.
Professor Laura Flamand, Research Professor at the Center for International Studies and Founding Director of the Network for the Study of Inequalities, El Colegio de Mexico, Ciudad de México.
Written, hosted and produced by Liam Whittington.