SONIA FALEIRO, AWARD-WINNING INDIAN AUTHOR

In the aftermath of the brutal rape and murder of a 23-year old physical therapy student in India, which sparked an international outcry, host Carol Castiel along with VOA Bangla Service reporters Anis Ahmed and Shegoftah Nasreen Queen, speak with award-winning Indian writer, Sonia Faleiro, author of the New York Times op-ed piece “The Unspeakable Truth about Rape in India,” about the underlying causes of widespread sexual harassment and violence against women in India and whether or not this case is a turning point for positive change.

DAVID SMOCK, VICE PRESIDENT AT U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE

Host Carol Castiel and VOA Daybreak Africa Reporter, Peter Clottey, talk with David Smock, Senior Vice President and Director of the Center for Religion and Peace-making at the US Institute of Peace, about US plans to build a drone base in Niger and the need to address the root causes of conflicts in Mali and Nigeria, which have been exploited by al Qaida linked militants and criminal networks. Smock says Bamako must enter into a dialogue with the Tuareg people in North and accommodate their need for limited autonomy. He is cautiously optimistic about the future of Somalia.

ALLAN LICHTMAN, PROFESSOR AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY

Distinguished professor of modern American history and political analyst, Allan Lichtman, tells host Carol Castiel and VOA Senior National Correspondent, Jim Malone, that President Obama’s second inaugural address was “resolutely liberal” in tone and that “he threw down the gauntlet to American conservatives, not the olive branch,” by stressing the issues of immigration reform, the need for a strong social safety net and catastrophic climate change. Lichtman also previews President Obama’s second term agenda and assesses the potential legacy of America’s 44th and first African-American president.

RABBI EPHRAIM GABBAI, FOUNDER OF ASLALYAHUD.ORG

The son of an Iraqi Jewish mother and Egyptian Jewish father, Ephraim Gabbai conceived and created AslalYahud.org, an Arabic language website, under the auspices of the American Jewish Committee, to make Jewish history and culture more accessible to Arabic-speakers. It builds bridges of understanding and underscores common values between Jews and Arabs around the world. Rabbi Gabbai tells host Carol Castiel that aslalyahud.org, which means “origins of the Jews,” is attracting interest from Morocco to Saudi Arabia.

LEILA AHMED, PROFESSOR AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY & AUTHOR

Host Sarah Zaman, Urdu TV Reporter and VOA Middle East Correspondent Mohamed Elshinnawi talk with Leila Ahmed, Professor at Harvard University’s Divinity School, and a prolific writer. In her latest book: “A Quiet Revolution: The Veil’s Resurgence from the Middle East to America” Dr. Ahmed explains why the many forms of hijab (Islamic veil or covering) are on the rise in both the Muslim world and the West.

DANIEL BRUMBERG, SENIOR ADVISOR AT U.S. INSTITUTE OF PEACE

Host Carol Castiel and VOA Middle East Correspondent Mohamed Elshinnawi talk with Daniel Brumberg, senior advisor on political reform in the Middle East and wider Islamic world at the US Institute of Peace, about the ramifications of the various uprisings throughout North Africa and the Arab world. Brumberg remains cautiously optimistic about Tunisia but says that questions of national identity, which surfaced as a result of the upheavals, will pose major challenges for all states in the years to come.

TIMOTHY MACK, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD FUTURE SOCIETY

On this annual year-end edition of the program, host Carol Castiel and Sarah Zaman, TV reporter and producer in VOA’s Urdu Service, talk with Tim Mack, President of the World Future Society, about the economic, political and technological trends for 2013 and beyond.