Interviews & Dialogues

Voices That Shape the World

The Mandate Journal convenes extended conversations with the diplomats, scholars, clergy, civic leaders, and policy architects whose work defines the international order. These are not press briefings — they are dialogues.

New interviews published weekly

Featured Interview

Diplomatic Dialogue

Ambassador Elena Vasquez

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations

"The Security Council Is Not Broken — It Is Being Tested": A Conversation on UN Reform, Multilateralism, and the Future of Collective Security

Ambassador Vasquez served three terms at the United Nations across two administrations, negotiating landmark resolutions on humanitarian access and peacekeeping mandates. In this extended dialogue, she speaks candidly about the structural limits of the Security Council, the veto as a geopolitical instrument, and what genuine UN reform would require from the permanent five.

The veto was never designed to be used as a shield for aggression. It was designed to prevent great-power war. We have allowed it to become something else entirely.

UN Security CouncilMultilateralismPeacekeepingVeto ReformU.S. Diplomacy

Senior Diplomatic CorrespondentJuly 7, 202628 min read

Recent Conversations

Interviews & Dialogues Archive

Extended conversations with the practitioners, scholars, and moral voices shaping the international order — published on a rolling basis throughout 2026.

Governance & DemocracyJuly 3, 2026

Professor James Okafor

Professor of Constitutional Law, Georgetown University

"Democracy Does Not Fail Overnight": On Democratic Backsliding, Institutional Resilience, and the Rule of Law

One of the foremost scholars of comparative constitutional law, Professor Okafor has spent three decades studying how democracies erode — and how they recover. His assessment of the current moment is measured but urgent.

The institutions hold until they don't. The warning signs are always visible in retrospect. The challenge is seeing them in real time.

Constitutional LawDemocratic BackslidingRule of LawComparative Politics

Governance Correspondent24 min read

Humanitarian AffairsJune 28, 2026

Dr. Amara Diallo

Director of Humanitarian Operations, International Crisis Group

"Neutrality Is Not Silence": Humanitarian Access, Armed Conflict, and the Ethics of Engagement

Dr. Diallo has coordinated humanitarian responses across four continents. In this dialogue, she addresses the growing weaponization of aid, the erosion of humanitarian space, and what the international community owes to civilian populations caught in conflict.

When we say neutrality, we do not mean indifference. We mean the principled refusal to let politics determine who receives food and medicine.

Humanitarian LawArmed ConflictAid AccessCivilian Protection

Humanitarian Affairs Correspondent20 min read

Interfaith DiplomacyJune 21, 2026

Archbishop Thomas Brennan

Archbishop Emeritus; Former Vatican Observer to the United Nations

"Faith Has Always Been a Diplomatic Actor": On the Holy See, Interfaith Dialogue, and the Moral Dimensions of Statecraft

Archbishop Brennan served as the Holy See's observer at the United Nations for eight years, participating in negotiations on human rights, migration, and the Sustainable Development Goals. He reflects on the role of religious institutions in international affairs and the moral obligations of states.

The state has interests. The church has obligations. The two are not always in conflict — but when they are, the church cannot simply defer.

Holy SeeInterfaith DialogueReligious DiplomacyHuman RightsUN Observer Status

Civic Ethics Correspondent22 min read

Foreign Policy AnalysisJune 14, 2026

Dr. Sarah Chen

Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations; Former NSC Director for Asia

"The Indo-Pacific Is Not a Theater — It Is a Civilization": On U.S. Strategy, China, and the Limits of Containment

Dr. Chen served on the National Security Council during a pivotal period in U.S.-China relations. Her analysis of the Indo-Pacific strategy is both deeply informed and sharply critical of what she sees as a failure of strategic imagination in Washington.

We keep asking how to contain China. We should be asking how to build a regional order that neither the United States nor China can dominate unilaterally.

Indo-Pacific StrategyU.S.-China RelationsNSCRegional OrderAUKUS

Asia-Pacific Correspondent26 min read

Civic LeadershipJune 7, 2026

Mayor Claudette Moreau

Mayor of New Orleans; Co-Chair, Global Parliament of Mayors

"Cities Are Governing Where States Have Retreated": On Urban Diplomacy, Climate, and the New Municipalism

Mayor Moreau has emerged as one of the most prominent voices for city-level governance on climate, migration, and public health. She argues that the future of international cooperation runs through city halls, not foreign ministries.

My city cannot wait for a treaty. My residents need clean water, resilient infrastructure, and a plan for the next hurricane — and they need it now.

Urban DiplomacyClimate GovernanceMunicipalismCity NetworksResilience

Civic Affairs Correspondent18 min read

Editorial Series

Recurring Series

The Mandate Journal's Interviews & Dialogues section runs three recurring conversation series, each with a distinct editorial focus and format.

The Diplomatic Record

Extended conversations with former and current diplomats, ambassadors, and foreign ministers — focused on the craft of statecraft, the history of specific negotiations, and the lessons of diplomatic service.

MonthlyLong-form dialogue, 25–35 min read

Voices of Conscience

Dialogues with clergy, ethicists, humanitarian workers, and civic leaders on the moral dimensions of governance, conflict, and international responsibility.

Bi-monthlyStructured dialogue, 18–25 min read

The Scholar's Perspective

Conversations with leading academics in international relations, constitutional law, political theory, and diplomatic history — translating scholarship into public discourse.

MonthlyAcademic dialogue, 20–30 min read

Nominations Open

Propose an Interview Subject

The Mandate Journal's editorial board reviews nominations for interview subjects on a rolling basis. We seek individuals whose work, experience, or perspective bears directly on diplomacy, governance, humanitarian affairs, or civic ethics. Nominations may be self-submitted or proposed by third parties.

Nominate a Subject

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