“The United Nations was not created in order to deliver us to heaven, but in order to save us from hell.” — Former UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld
That’s long been a favorite quote about the UN — and now it is the title of our new podcast about the United Nations!
“To Save Us From Hell” is a new weekly podcast about the United Nations in which Mark Leon Goldberg and Anjali Dayal break down the latest news and happenings around the UN. From shenanigans at the Security Council to the UN’s life saving humanitarian work around the world, this is a show where two veteran UN watchers will dissect key debates driving the agenda at the UN — and uncover some geopolitical intrigues along the way.
As a journalist, Mark has covered the United Nations for 19 years — since the Kofi Annan era. It’s been his beat since before he started the Global Dispatches podcast nearly 10 years ago. Anjali is an international relations scholar at Fordham University who’s been studying the UN for nearly that long.
We’ve teamed to create this new show because we know the UN, we know podcasting— and there is absolutely nothing like this out there.
To Save Us From Hell is a podcast for both UN insiders and anyone who cares about the UN and who wants to know more about how that puzzle palace works. We are doing this for listeners who need to keep up with the latest news and would appreciate the kind of expert analysis we can provide. We’ll also occasionally invite guests who can discuss specific topics and can reveal the parts of the UN system that sometimes fly under the radar.
Ever wonder why the UN does what it does? (Or doesn’t do something it ought to be doing?) Then this is the show for you.
We are launching the first episode in a couple weeks. The show will be crowdfunded — we are going to produce this weekly chat show about the UN and we cannot do it without you. We are going to pay for this new podcast though selling subscriptions right here on Substack. A subscription will get you full access to To Save Us From Hell, including episodes that will be behind a paywall. With your paid subscription you’ll be able to listen to all of To Save Us From Hell on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts.
Please get a subscription now and we’ll see you next week when the first episode drops.