Everyday Ambassador

We treat "amateur" as an insult — someone not quite serious, not quite qualified. But the word comes from the Latin amator: lover. An amateur is someone who does a thing for love, not for a credential or a paycheck. In this episode, Annelise Riles explores how amateurs solve problems that stump the experts — and how borrowing an amateur's mindset can help even the pros think again. Open-source investigator Natalia explains how amateur online detectives — "some guy named Bob in Florida" — crack cases that overwhelm even Interpol, from locating trafficked children to keeping people safe while dating. Consultant and philosopher Christian Madsbjerg describes the "amateur mindset" he uses to advise some of the world's largest companies: showing up knowing nothing, observing, and truly listening — what he calls epistemological humility, and the approach that helped move Ford toward electric vehicles. And Northwestern students share how an outsider's perspective creates room not just for innovation, but for kindness.GuestsChristian Madsbjerg — author, consultant, and philosopher; founder of ReD Associates, which advises major global companies using the social sciences rather than standard management-consulting methods. Natalia Antnova — open-source investigator, formerly with the collective Bellingcat; founder of the Safer Dating project. "Your Turn" voices — Northwestern University students, gathered by on-campus producer Mia Perkins.More from Annelise Riles at Everyday Ambassador: anneliseriles.substack.comChapters(00:00) The amateur detectives who crack what the professionals can't(03:44) This episode: the power of the amateur(04:12) Christian Madsbjerg on the amateur mindset(06:15) Why Ford studied people's relationship to nature instead of a spreadsheet(11:02) What "amateur" really means: epistemological humility(12:35) The costs — slow work, and not being taken seriously(14:52) Why insight travels on its own, regardless of credentials(15:47) Curiosity, joy, and the "juicy" question(17:14) Your Turn: students on the outsider's perspective(20:32) Closing reflection: the outsider as a source of kindnessCredits: This episode was produced by FP Studios with support from the Humboldt Foundation. Our on-campus producer was Mia Perkins. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

Seth Shelden is General Counsel and United Nations Liaison for ICAN (the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons), the Nobel Peace Prize-winning organization spearheading efforts to abolish nuclear weapons through the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). This episode is in two parts. The first was recorded live during the NPT Review Conference. The second is a retrospective conversation recorded after the conference ended without agreement for the third consecutive time.What we cover:What ICAN does and how Seth got there What the NPT is, why it matters, and what three consecutive failures mean for the non-proliferation architectureThe final days of the conference: the atmosphere in the hallways, what the TPNW bloc achieved, and what they couldn't holdThe US arguing — in open session — that there is no norm against nuclear testing, and what that signalsWhy AI risk language was deleted from the final documentHow Seth actually spends his days at these conferences — including meetings with the Trump administrationThe TPNW review conference coming in November 2026, and why it mattersA play about nuclear weapons being workshopped across New England (Seth is performing in it)Seth’s honest five-year bet on where this is all heading This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

This month, we’re exploring listening as a form of peace-building. So I’m re-releasing an episode from the archives that changed how I think about this work.I recorded this before Everyday Ambassadors existed as a Substack, which means a lot of you haven’t heard it. But it might be the most essential conversation I’ve ever had about listening as a superpower.Katharine Hayhoe is a climate scientist who has spent her career talking across political divides about climate change. And when I asked her how she actually reaches people who distrust her, who come in skeptical, who are defensive—her answer was disarmingly simple:She listens.Not as a tactic. Not to be nice. But because listening is how you learn what matters to the person in front of you. It’s how you understand what they care about. It’s how you find common ground that leads to positive change.In this conversation, Katharine shares exactly how she does it. What she listens for. How she stays grounded when someone disagrees with her. How she begins every conversation about climate change by asking people about what they value.Katharine’s approach isn’t complicated. But it requires something we rarely offer each other anymore—genuine curiosity. Real attention. The willingness to listen longer than we talk.It’s a beautiful gift we can give one another, and one of the most important ways we build real peace.If you’re thinking about how to listen—to your family, your community, people who see the world differently—this conversation is for you.So have a listen! Then share it with someone who needs to hear that their listening actually works. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

Thank you Betina Cunado, Beverly Kohler, R Slone, and many others for tuning into my live video with Julien Hoez! We covered a lot of ground! Iran, NATO, the UN, the future of the Transatlantic Alliance, France’s plans for a European nuclear umbrella, and much more. Have any questions? Ask them here and we’ll be sure to get back to you. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

Hey Friends,This month, we’re exploring friendship as a tool for rebuilding democracy and peace. So I’m dusting off something from our archives—an episode I recorded before Everyday Ambassador existed as a Substack. A lot of you have never heard it, and honestly? It might be one of the most practical conversations I’ve ever had about what friendship actually requires.In this episode, I sit down with two remarkable people: Richard Haass, the former Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, talks about the Good Friday Agreement—and how personal relationships between former adversaries changed the course of history. He shares the risks people took, the trust they built when it would have been easier to stay apart.Lois Anderson, my longtime friend and Executive Director of Oregon Right to Life, talks about our own friendship—and what we have learned from each other despite having very different political perspectives.The conversation is a masterclass in what it takes and why it matters.If you’re thinking about your own relationships across divides right now, this one’s for you.Listen above. Shout out to Toby Susan Goldbach who has recruited three friends to the Everyday Ambassador community! Thank you so much Toby! I am so grateful for all your support.Did you know you can earn an opportunity to join the Everyday Ambassador Salons at no cost when ten of your friends subscribe? All you have to do is to click on the share button below or forward or restack a post. Substack will credit you for those subscriptions.So if this interview lands for you, share it with your friends. And thank you for all you do! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

For the first time in nuclear history, 7 of 9 nuclear-armed states have authoritarian leaders. Meanwhile, Democrats and Republicans agree: we must build more nuclear weapons. A veteran policy insider and an international law professor ask the uncomfortable questions—How did we get here? Why is the nuclear priesthood silent? And what can everyday citizens do when democracy itself is under threat? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Frank von Hippel—physicist, diplomat, policy-maker, architect of disarmament treaties, and co-founder of Princeton’s Program on Science and Global Security. One of the most influential voices in the history of nuclear arms control, von Hippel worked hand-in-hand with Soviet scientists to reduce the nuclear arsenals of both countries. He’s sounding the alarm about the state of nuclear diplomacy today. Von Hippel explains what’s at stake when policymaking loses its scientific foundation—and how to rebuild.Von Hippel reflects on a career spent navigating the space between scientific expertise and geopolitical brinkmanship: from citizen-driven movements that helped shift U.S. nuclear posture in the 1980s, to negotiating with Gorbachev, to the ongoing dangers posed by nuclear modernization and renewed great-power rivalry. Von Hippel shows us not only how policy changes happen, but how fragile progress can be.The conversation touches on the great questions of today’s nuclear landscape. What does deterrence theory assume about human behavior? How do weapons labs think about nuclear testing? Why has China altered its long-held posture of nuclear minimalism? And what does it mean to rebuild a knowledge-based policy system in an era of deep political polarization?Von Hippel also discusses the vulnerabilities of civilian nuclear power systems, lessons from Fukushima, and the long, troubled legacy of plutonium reprocessing—an issue that continues to shape global nuclear security debates far beyond the weapons complex.This episode is a reminder that experts, citizens, and institutions all play a role in reducing nuclear dangers. Progress has never been inevitable—but neither is backsliding. As von Hippel notes, periods of cynicism and misinformation have historically been followed by stronger public engagement and reform. The task now is to stay engaged long enough for that next turn.Don’t miss an episode! Subscribe now to get perspectives and analysis on peace, security and disarmament you won’t find elsewhere, plus bonus interviews like the one below. Timestamps00:00 – The return of Cold War–era tensions and the shrinking space for science-based policymaking02:18 – Indiscriminate deregulation and the challenge for the next generation of scientist-advocates05:22 – Star Wars, ballistic missile defense, and how scientists reshaped U.S.–Soviet perceptions of nuclear war09:54 – Behind the scenes: von Hippel’s advisory role with Gorbachev and the push for a nuclear test moratorium13:39 – The road to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and why testing still matters today16:40 – Deterrence theory, risks of accidental war, and whether nuclear weapons are truly necessary for stability20:57 – China’s evolving nuclear posture and the complexities of three-way deterrence25:55 – No-first-use policy debates and how U.S. allies shape American nuclear doctrine27:46 – Civilian nuclear power: Fukushima lessons, regulatory capture, and spent-fuel vulnerabilities33:35 – Plutonium reprocessing, proliferation risks, and the political economy of nuclear wasteBonus Content for All Subscribers: Frank von Hippel on Family Legacy, the Manhattan Project, and Becoming a Citizen-ScientistIn this extended conversation, von Hippel shares a personal account of his grandfather’s role in the Manhattan Project—and how earlier experience with chemical weapons shaped his views on the moral obligations of scientists. He reflects on his own path from particle physics to public policy during the Vietnam War, and the rise of student-driven scientific activism that helped reshape congressional and executive science advising. These stories offer a rare, intimate look at how individual scientists navigate the responsibilities that come with knowledge and influence. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

Dear Friends,Are you one of kind? Seeking to connect with brilliant, engaged people around the world for inspiration, new ideas, and a whole-hearted approach to issues like the economy and trade, disarmament and borders, or the impact of AI and digital platforms? Join us at Everyday Ambassador Salons! Every first Friday of the month, we’re building a “cohort that thinks otherwise” and having fun doing it…Off-the-record conversation with thought leaders about the state of the world outside the silos and beyond the usual political divides. It’s an intellectual shot in the arm to keep you going all month.Hope you can join us!AnnelisePS: Bring a friend and get a 20% discount on membership! Use this code: https://anneliseriles.substack.com/3e18d318More info here: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

Annelise Riles speaks with Brazilian scholar Fernando Brancoli about the October 2025 police raid in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas—the deadliest in Brazil’s history. Brancoli explains how global arms markets, political dynamics, and historical inequalities have blurred the lines between policing and warfare. They explore how local and global struggles for peace are increasingly intertwined. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

On the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Mayor Shiro Suzuki joins Everyday Ambassador to share his personal story as the son of Hibakusha and his mission to create a world without nuclear weapons. He discusses the work of Mayors for Peace, the power of cultural connection, and why even the smallest steps toward peace matter. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe

Journalist and NewsGuard Executive Editor Jim Warren joins Everyday Ambassador to explain how misinformation spreads online—and what’s being done to stop it. From fake health cures to AI-generated propaganda, Jim shares what NewsGuard’s team of reporters has uncovered across thousands of websites, podcasts, and social media posts. He also discusses the challenges of media literacy and what schools, journalists, and citizens can do to better evaluate the information they consume.To learn more about how you can access NewsGuard’s browser extension or use it in your classroom, visit newsguardtech.com. You can also check out their Substack newsletter, Reality Check, for weekly updates on the state of online information. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit anneliseriles.substack.com/subscribe