Watch Talk to Al Jazeera

Name: Talk to Al Jazeera
Genre: News
Released: 2013-08-25

2013
4 Seasons

Talk to Al Jazeera is a current affairs program hosted by Al Jazeera America. It focuses on conversations with influential personalities, such as politicians, business leaders, social activists, and artists, to provide in-depth and authentic insights into relevant and pressing global issues.

The program's core value is to allow its guests to speak freely and openly, encouraging an honest and genuine dialogue about the challenges facing society today. Many of the guests are often from the underrepresented communities, providing unique perspectives that are often left unheard by traditional media outlets.

Each episode is tightly focused on a specific topic, ranging from climate change, healthcare, and politics to human rights, technology, and arts. The program's format is a one-on-one interview, during which the host, Al Jazeera English's senior presenter, Folly Bah Thibault, asks thought-provoking questions that inspire in-depth discussions. Every interview seeks to explore both personal and professional elements of the guest's life, seeking to provide its viewers with a more comprehensive understanding of the topic at hand.

What sets Talk to Al Jazeera apart from other current affairs programs is its focus on humanizing news. The program's mission is not simply to inform and educate its viewers, but also to engage them, fostering a personal connection.

The show has been praised for its unique format, which provides an opportunity for viewers to gain new insights, understand different perspectives, and learn about different cultures. The guests are often people from different parts of the world, which makes the show an excellent resource to learn about international issues.

Talk to Al Jazeera is essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand the world's current affairs better. It presents an opportunity to learn about different cultures, different approaches to issues, and different solutions. This program is not just informative but also engaging and thought-provoking, making it a must-watch for anyone who wants to stay informed about the world around them.

The show's guests have included Bill Gates, Kofi Annan, Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong'o, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, among others. The guests speak candidly about their lives, experiences, and their opinions on the key issues affecting their respective industries.

One of the most memorable episodes was with Malala Yousafzai, a young woman who survived a brutal attack by the Taliban and went on to become a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The conversation covered her early years in Pakistan, her views on education and women's rights, and her plans for the future. The episode was a moving and powerful reminder of the importance of education and the fight for equality.

Another powerful episode was with Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist, and activist who has been imprisoned and harassed by the Chinese government. During the interview, Ai Weiwei discussed his art's role in society, his activism, and his experiences with the Chinese authorities. The episode was a stark reminder of the oppressive forces that exist in many parts of the world and the importance of standing up for one's beliefs.

Talk to Al Jazeera consistently produces fascinating and illuminating interviews that provide a unique perspective on pressing global issues. The program's commitment to highlighting underrepresented voices and fostering personal connections makes it an essential part of any viewer's media diet. It's an excellent program for anyone who wants to stay informed and engaged with the world around them.

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Seasons

4 3 2 1

18. Abdirahman Mahdi: 'Ethiopia Is Now Boiling'

May 7, 2016

The senior leader of Ethiopia's Somali rebel group discusses a growing alliance of groups seeking self-determination.

17. Julius Malema: Ready To Remove Zuma Government By Force

April 23, 2016

Julius Malema is never far from the spotlight. In 2012, his aggressive and divisive brand of rhetoric led to expulsion from South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC). As head of the influential ANC youth league he had earlier helped Jacob Zuma become president.

16. Mmusi Maimane: 'Fighting A System, Not A Race'

April 23, 2016

He rose quickly from political obscurity, emerging first as a mayoral candidate in Johannesburg and soon after becoming leader of South Africa's main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), in 2015.Mmusi Maimane thinks he has got the answers to South Africa's problems. At a time of economic and political turmoil, the ruling African National Congress (ANC), he says, is focused less on the needs of the people, and more on the enrichment of its ruling elite.When he called for a vote in parliament recently to impeach President Jacob Zuma for breaching the constitution, Maimane struck a heavy blow in an opposition campaign to overtake the party that he accuses of betraying the ideals of Nelson Mandela.But the vote failed and the ANC is fighting back, using the rhetoric of race to discredit Maimane. They call him a sellout, a puppet of the rich, the black face of a white party.'The true test was whether or not the ANC would defend the constitution or defend Jacob Zuma. I found that as the leader of the opposition it was important to put that test before them. When they took the test and made the decision to defend Jacob Zuma it made us realise, and it made South Africans realise, that project Zuma is not an anomaly to the ANC, it is the ANC itself,' says Maimane.The politician believes that 'one of the things the ANC has departed from is the basic freedom that is the freedom of association. They fail to recognise the fact that it is possible that black South Africans can join any party that they so choose, they have departed from that. The second thing the ANC has departed from is what I believe the generation on 1956 that was led by President Nelson Mandela that said that they were fighting a system not a race. And if you are fighting a system you recognise the fact that black and white can join together to fight a system that oppresses black people even though the same white people were benefitting they can join arms with black people and fight against it.... I am not building a party that is black. I am building a party for all South Africans regardless of race who recognise the fact that their fundamental job is to fight for the marginalised who in this instance are black.'Maimane points to his party's successful record in governing the western Cape province, with Cape Town, the jewel, at its heart. With local elections due next year, he believes the Democratic Alliance will make its mark in the country's other big cities as well.But in the townships outside Cape Town the poor are getting poorer, much as they are everywhere else in South Africa. What does Mmusi Maimane have to offer them Talk to Al Jazeera spoke to him in Cape Town about the ANC, the DA, Jacob Zuma, and his vision for the country.More from Talk To Al Jazeera on:YouTube - http://aje.io/ttajYTFacebook - http://facebook.com/talktoajTwitter - http://twitter.com/talktoaljazeeraWebsite - http://www.aljazeera.com/talktojazeera/

15. Sweden's backlash: Why the tide is turning for refugees - Talk to Al Jazeera In The Field

April 9, 2016

South Sudan's peace agreement signed in August was meant to end a 21-month-old civil war that has left thousands dead and many more displaced in the wake of the country's historic declaration of independence in 2011.Hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes after experiencing horrible crimes. Last month, a previously secret report by the African Union was finally made public. It contains shocking details of human rights abuses in South Sudan, committed not only by government troops but by opposition militia as well.It paints a grim picture of what is happening in the country.Talk to Al Jazeera In The Field goes deep inside the country to find out the truth about a failed state, a country letting its people slip into despair. We meet South Sudanese women and listen to their stories of broken dreams and a stolen future.

14. Joshua Oppenheimer: Indonesia's 'regime of fear'

March 26, 2016

It is one of history's greatest unknown crimes: More than a million people were brutally killed after Indonesia's military coup in 1965.The victims were accused of being communists, an umbrella that included not only members of the country's Communist Party, but all those who opposed General Suharto's new military regime.The killers were often members of paramilitary groups or death squads that carried out the executions with the approval of the military government and killed with impunity.The perpetrators have stayed in power, living alongside the survivors and the victims' families who were threatened into silence. Fear and anti-communist rhetoric persist in Indonesia today.For nearly 10 years, American filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer researched and documented the atrocities.He spoke to victims and their families as well as the perpetrators of the crimes, shedding light on Indonesia's dark past and today's impunity in his two films, The Look of Silence (2014) and The Act of Killing (2012).His first film tells the story from the point of view of the killers - some of whom are celebrated as heroes in Indonesia today. The Look of Silence follows an optometrist, born two years after his brother was killed, as he meets those responsible for his brother's death.'Neither film is a historical documentary about events 50 years ago. Both films are about a present-day regime of fear that subsists because everybody knows who the perpetrators are and knows what the perpetrators did,' Oppenheimer tells Al Jazeera.He says the perpetrators in his films are performing - rather than reenacting the past - 'the present-day fantasies, lies, stories they tell themselves so they can live with what they've done.'Oppenheimer says that the films are fundamentally about impunity, but as he dug deeper, he realised it wasn't unique to Indonesia.'What I was really finding there was an allegory for an impunity that defines so many of our societies.'The filmmaker explains how his films have helped spark a movement for truth, justice and reconciliation in Indonesia. 'I think my two films have prompted a fundamental transformation in how Indonesia talks about its past. So The Act of Killing had kind of catalysed this shift in the media. Where the media before was either silent or even celebratory of the genocide, now the media talks about the genocide as a crime against humanity. And more importantly, [the media] talks about the genocide, talks about the criminal regime that's been in power in some form or another ever since 1965.'Oscar nominee Joshua Oppenheimer talks to Al Jazeera about his experiences documenting the Indonesian massacre of 1965 through the eyes on victims and perpetrators.

13. Ammar Abd Rabbo: Daily life in the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo

March 19, 2016

Five years after the Syrian civil war began, images of bombings, destruction and suffering continue to dominate the coverage on television screens.Before the war, the ancient city of Aleppo was Syria's largest city and the country's financial heart.Anti-government fighters partially controlled the city for some time, but have lost much of it after intense Russian airstrikes in support of Syrian government forces.Once a bustling city of two million, Aleppo is now a war zone, mortared and shelled into oblivion - a city under attack and under siege. Many have been killed and many more have fled. But what about those who have stayed Those who are trapped inside Away from the battlefront, what has life become for the people of AleppoThis is what renowned Syrian photographer Ammar Abd Rabbo has tried to capture in his latest exhibition. Rabbo is one of the Arab world's most prominent photographers.For the past 20 years, he has witnessed some of the most profound political changes in the Middle East and made intimate portraits of heads of states.From Libya, to Iraq, to Lebanon, his works have been published in the world's most widely-circulated publications, earning him numerous awards and accolades.Over the last few years, Ammar Abd Rabbo has travelled to Aleppo several times to bring back images - snapshots of everyday life that not only remind us of the impact of the ongoing Syrian war, but also show the strength and resilience of the people of Aleppo. His photos show that live still goes on in war-torn Aleppo despite the war, destruction and devastation.'It [Aleppo] used to be once a city where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived together, not always in love and harmony, but at least [they] lived together and built and created an amazing city. Today, it [the city] is wounded, it's bleeding, but it's still very lively,' says Rabbo.'It's shelling, it's under terrible moments and violence, and still people send their kids to school. It says a lot about the resilience and the resistance of the people - it's a form of resistance to say 'school is important'...,' says Rabbo and adds, 'the mindset has changed, the people have changed, but there is still hope. None of them think 'we wish we didn't do that, we wish we didn't shout, we wish we didn't demonstrate'. You don't hear that at all.'Syrian photographer Ammar Abd Rabbo talks to Al Jazeera about his work as war photographer, the challenges of documenting the Syrian war, and what everyday life is like for the children, merchants and soldiers of Aleppo.

12. UN envoy Staffan de Mistura: 'No plan B for Syria'

March 12, 2016

It's been five years since pro-democracy protests started challenging the rule of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. After years of ongoing bloodshed and multiple failed attempts to resolve the conflict, no one is counting the dead anymore, but it is estimated that the Syrian crisis has killed 300,000 people and displaced millions.Ahead of the resumption of peace talks in Geneva on March 14, Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, says there is a higher chance than ever of achieving a political solution.'Five years [ago], no one would have ever imagined this conflict would have gone there. But perhaps now we have a chance to try and put an end to it,' says de Mistura.So, as the bloody conflict enters its sixth year, what are the prospects for peace for Syria And after so many failed attempts, what does it take to end the ongoing violenceAl Jazeera's James Bays talks to Staffan de Mistura, about his challenging mission to bring peace to Syria.

11. Muhammadu Buhari: I haven't failed' against Boko Haram

March 5, 2016

Nine months after he came to power, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari received an official welcome from Qatar's Emir on Buhari's latest trip of many to boost Nigeria's standing abroad.The Nigerian president is seeking support for his crackdown on corruption and to encourage much-needed investment in his country's ailing economy.Qatar is the current president of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer.Low oil prices have a devastating impact on the Nigerian economy, which has long depended on the export of oil. 'We were unable to diversify our economy, hence we are much more disadvantaged by the lower oil prices,' Buhari says.Buhari tells us he values the institution of OPEC and that 'Nigeria will make the necessary sacrifice to remain in OPEC.'With a chorus of voices, including from the IMF, calling for the Nigerian government to devalue the naira, Buhari says he will not reconsider his insistence on freezing the currency. Buhari says as Nigeria 'virtually imports everything, from rice to toothpicks', it cannot afford to devalue its currency.'If it is against our national interest, why can't we go against the IMF advice' Buhari asks.Buhari's election campaign rode on pledges to root out corruption and quash Boko Haram. Yet, Boko Haram remains active in many areas of Nigeria, seemingly able to strike at will.And many questions are being asked about whether Buhari's anti-corruption drive is yielding results and if newer forms of corruption are emerging with a freeze on the naira.President Buhari talks to Al Jazeera about his campaign against graft and why he is adamant he hasn't failed in the fight against Boko Haram. He also explains why he believes the security of his country is best served by being part of the Saudi-led Islamic anti-terrorism coalition announced in December 2015.

10. Thaksin: Let Thailand return to democracy

February 28, 2016

Despite living in self-imposed exile for the best part of ten years, Thailand's former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, continues to shape and influence Thai politics.Elected to power in 2001, he was the first democratically elected prime minister to serve a full term in office, before being re-elected in a 2005 landslide victory.A former telecommunications billionaire, the business tycoon turned politician drew his support from Thailand's rural poor, with his populist healthcare programmes and assistance for farmers schemes winning him great levels of support.But loathed by the elite who saw him as a threat to the monarchy, Thaksin would face increasing allegations of corruption, with attention soon turning towards his tremendous wealth.Coupled with accusations that he insulted the revered monarchy, protests would pave the way for the military to launch a bloodless coup in September 2006 while he was in the US.Apart from a brief return to Thailand in 2008, Thaksin has based himself in self-imposed exile in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, ever since.He has since been found guilty by Thai courts of abusing his power over a land deal whilst also being stripped of around $1.4 billion for concealing ownership of shares in a telecommunications company and for amending government policies to benefit it.Thaksin told Al Jazeera that fears over his safety were stopping him from returning to the country.'If I was there, who could guarantee my safety,' he said. When asked if his life was in danger Thaksin replied: 'definitely,' pausing before adding that while Prime Minister there were 14 attempts on his life including a 2006 foiled car-bomb assassination near his residence.Thaksin's younger sister Yingluck Shinawatra would later become the country's first female prime minister in 2011, but when her government tried to push through a bill that would have granted amnesty to those found guilty of political crimes, protests gripped the country.Yingluck was removed from office in a coup in May 2014 when a military government - headed by General Prayuth Chan-ocha came to power.With the military continuing to run the country under the so-called National Council for Peace and Order, elections have repeatedly been delayed with rights groups accusing the junta of trying to solidify its hold on power.'The draft constitution is [a] bad constitution, I don't even know if we can compare [it] to North Korea,' Thaksin said.In this episode of Talk to Al Jazeera, Thaksin Shinawatra, who has largely remained silent since the coup forced him from office, talks to Wayne Hay about the challenges facing the country and what lies ahead.

9. Davutoglu on ISIL, Syrian refugees, and Ankara bombing

February 25, 2016

Ahmet Davutoglu discusses the recent attacks in Turkey, the downed Russian military jet, and the refugee situation.

8. Episode 8

February 22, 2016

Summary not available

7. Natalie Merchant

February 15, 2016

Summary not available

6. Episode 6

February 8, 2016

Summary not available

5. Cassandra Wilson

February 1, 2016

Summary not available

4. Episode 4

January 25, 2016

Summary not available

3. Chef Marcus Samuelsson

January 18, 2016

Summary not available

2. Bryan Stevenson on Racial Terrorism

January 11, 2016

Summary not available

1. Best of Talk to Al Jazeera 2015

January 4, 2016

Highlights from interviews with ballerina Misty Copeland, the B-52s' Kate Pierson, civil rights leader Julian Bond, pianist Lang Lang, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Grammy winner David Foster.

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