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EPISODE 9: Can We Afford Pessimism In Difficult Times? with Kul Gautam
Has the world kept its promises to children? Can the United Nations, now approaching its 80th year, reinvent itself to regain public trust? And what keeps a veteran of global service fighting for justice after decades at the heart of international diplomacy?
Host Mukesh Kapila speaks with Kul Gautam, the former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, whose path from a remote Nepali village to the highest ranks of the UN embodies both the promise and the frustrations of multilateralism.
Gautam reflects on a career spent championing children’s rights, navigating bureaucracies, and grappling with inequality across continents.
The conversation ranges from the struggles of his early life and improbable ascent to encounters with presidents, Nobel laureates and cultural icons.
But at its core lies a pressing question: in an era of fractured politics and fading faith in institutions, can the ideals that shaped Gautam’s life still inspire the world today?
Listen.