Can Technology Unlock Youth Political Agency? | The Futures Summit
The CSIS Future Summit panel examined how digital tools can expand political agency for young people, especially in the Global South. Panelists—Saji Prellis of Search for Common Ground, Pauline Dunabu of UNDP, and Cynthia Bamalu of Yaga Africa—defined civic tech versus gov‑tech, emphasizing that true participation requires co‑creation rather than symbolic polls. Key insights highlighted that civic platforms can gather data, map community challenges, and close feedback loops, allowing youth to influence decisions directly. UNDP cited participatory‑mapping apps, accountability dashboards, and AI‑driven monitoring tools like e‑monitor plus, which have been deployed in Zambia, Honduras, DRC, and Pakistan to track disinformation and hate speech during elections. Panelists stressed the need for media‑literacy, AI literacy, and youth‑led design to mitigate risks of harassment, misinformation, and algorithmic bias. Cynthia argued that peer‑to‑peer education and involving young people in platform design are essential for building trust and ensuring equitable access to digital participation. The discussion concluded that institutional mandates—such as UN Security Council Resolution 2250—now recognize youth as partners in peace and governance. When governments adopt two‑way engagement models and invest in co‑design, digital tools can become bridges that amplify youth voices, improve service delivery, and strengthen democratic resilience.
A Country-Led Cooperation Approach to Development | The Futures Summit
The CSIS Futures Summit featured a conversation between Noam Anger and George Morira Dilva, executive director of UNOPS, about a new era of development cooperation built around a country‑led, demand‑driven approach. UNOPS positions itself as the UN’s operational arm, delivering infrastructure,...
Ukraine’s Economy: Current Realities and Future Prospects | The Futures Summit
The CSIS Futures Summit panel examined Ukraine’s economy after four years of war, highlighting a modest 1.8% GDP growth in 2025 despite massive disruption. Speakers stressed that the war‑driven shock, combined with a 48% spike in energy prices, has strained...
Talking Export Control Alignment, New 232s, and Trump's Budget Request with Kate Koren
The Trade Guys podcast featured CSIS economist Kate Corin discussing two pending export‑control bills—the MATCH Act and the STRIDE Act—aimed at tightening U.S. coordination with allies on semiconductor equipment. The MATCH Act, the newer proposal, addresses two core problems: U.S....
The Next Generation of Global Infrastructure Partnerships | The Futures Summit
The Futures Summit panel examined how the United States can sharpen its economic toolkit to back critical infrastructure projects abroad. Speakers highlighted the need to align public and private capital with allied governments, scaling development finance and strategic capital. Emphasis...
Golden Insights: Creating Value From Commercial Earth Observation Data
The CSIS Aerospace Security Project unveiled its "Golden Insights" report, shifting focus from satellite collection performance to the downstream value of commercial Earth‑observation data. Panelists examined how customers actually use geospatial products, who provides them, and how to assess their...
Investing in Post Conflict Reconstruction | Futures Summit
Post‑conflict reconstruction is shifting from short‑term humanitarian relief to integrated, long‑term strategies that blend peacebuilding, economic recovery, and institutional development. The CSIS Futures Summit underscored a growing role for governments, multilateral institutions, private investors, and philanthropies, with investment targeting infrastructure,...
U.S. Commercial Diplomacy Through the Lens of the Private Sector | Futures Summit
The United States has revamped its foreign‑policy toolkit, elevating economic statecraft and commercial diplomacy to support American firms abroad, especially in the Global South. Recent reforms give agencies greater authority to use development finance, trade incentives, and diplomatic outreach as...
Funding for Basic Research | Betting On America
The discussion centers on the United States’ dwindling investment in basic research at its leading universities, with lawmakers questioning recent funding cuts and debating how to sustain the scientific enterprise. Panelists note that the share of Gross Domestic Product devoted to...
Adapting Under Fire: Ukraine's Race to Reinvent Modern Defense
The panel discussion centered on Ukraine’s urgent transformation of its defense architecture in response to an unprecedented wave of low‑cost, AI‑enabled drones. Speakers highlighted how the battlefield has shifted from conventional artillery to a dense, contested airspace where Iranian‑made...
How the Iran War and the Price of Oil Impact the Kremlin's Calculus
The episode examines how the ongoing U.S.-led war against Iran reshapes Moscow’s strategic calculus, linking the conflict to Russia’s broader Middle‑East posture and its precarious fiscal situation. Host Max Bergman and guests Hana Naeem and Giannis Kuga argue that the Iranian war,...
Rising Prices of Bread in Egypt I The High Top
The video examines Egypt’s escalating bread prices and the strain on its long‑standing wheat subsidy, a program that costs billions each year as the country remains the world’s largest wheat importer and the highest per‑capita bread consumer. Rising global wheat costs—exacerbated...
U.S. Navy Fighting Instructions with the Chief of Naval Operations
The video features Admiral Daryl Codell, the Chief of Naval Operations, outlining his newly released “fighting instructions,” a strategic framework that reshapes how the U.S. Navy generates and fields forces. Codell stresses a shift from the legacy 36‑month force‑generation conveyor...
Testify with Gracelin Baskaran: Unleashing America’s Mineral Potential
Gracelin Baskaran testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee, warning that China’s 2025 decision to cut off rare‑earth exports would reverberate across U.S. manufacturing and defense sectors. She framed the hearing as a call to unleash America’s mineral potential by...
What If the U.S. “Wins” In Iran? | The High Top
The High Top panel examined what a U.S. "victory" in Iran might actually entail, focusing on the uncertain outcomes of regime change. Experts Jon B. Alterman and Joseph Majkut argued that a new government could either stabilize the Gulf or...