PETER EISNER ON POPE FRANCIS

Host Carol Castiel and VOA’s Latin American Division broadcaster Ramon Taylor talk with author of the recently published book “The Pope’s Last Crusade,” and long-time foreign-correspondent and Latin American Bureau chief Peter Eisner, about how the first pontiff from Latin America might tackle the many challenges facing the Catholic Church in the years to come.

VICKI HUDDLESTON, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO MALI

Host Carol Castiel and VOA French to Africa broadcaster Idriss Fall speak with the former top envoy to Mali about the continuing turmoil in the divided nation and what concrete steps must be taken by a variety of actors from the UN to Algeria to the African Union to the United States to prevent Mali from becoming a breeding ground for al-Qaeda and criminal networks.

AL-MONITOR'S EDITOR ANDREW PARASILITI

Host Carol Castiel and Negar Mohammadi an anchor with VOA’s Persian News Network speak with Andrew Parasiliti, the editor of al-Monitor.com, and former advisor to US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, about the new media website al Monitor.com, the ten-year anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq, Iran’s role in the region, the conflict in Syria, and regional expectations for President Obama’s upcoming trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

STEVEN HEYDEMANN, SR. ADVISOR AT U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE

Host Carol Castiel and VOA broadcaster Pamela Dockins speak with Steven Heydemann, the Senior Advisor for Middle East Initiatives at the U.S. Institute of Peace about the international community’s response to Syria’s anti-government uprising, the U.S. decision to provide assistance to Syrian rebels, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s support base and his potential future, and the regional implications of the conflict.

UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE TARA SONENSHINE

Host Carol Castiel and VOA State Department Correspondent Scott Stearns interview Tara Sonenshine, the Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. In a wide-ranging interview, Sonenshine speaks about the role of public diplomacy within U.S. foreign policy and responds to a series of questions from PCUSA listeners including how the U.S. combats violent extremism in Africa, how the U.S. engages the Muslim world, and how the U.S. encourages and bolsters civil societies around the world. She also addresses how the U.S. engages with people in Iran and what the U.S. is doing to compete with China’s growing soft power, particularly in Africa.

PRINCESS BASMAH BINT SAUD

Host Carol Castiel and VOA Urdu Service Reporter Sarah Zaman speak with a member of the Saudi Royal family who says Saudi women are “entrapped in a modern form of slavery.” Princess Basmah Bint Saud, businesswoman and blogger based in London and the daughter of the late King Saud, argues that economic diversification leading to job creation must replace dependency on oil revenues if Saudi Arabia is to grow and to stave off further social and political unrest.

NORMAN ORNSTEIN, AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE

Host Carol Castiel and VOA Senior National Correspondent Jim Malone talk with leading expert on US politics, Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, about the tone and substance of President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address and the Republican reaction.