The Wire with Caeden

New Zealand has declined its's invitation to join US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace after saying it will give due consideration to the invitation. The Co-Convenor of human rights group Justice for Palestine, Samira Zaitoon, has welcomed the move, but has expressed concern over the government's wording around declining the invitation. 

She also talks about what the Board of Peace means for traditional global bodies like the UN, and what New Zealand can do in terms of policy-making on the issue. 

For Dear Science this week, our expert, Dr Cushla McGoverin chats with us about how light could be used as a painkiller, research on early signs of dementia, and the ‘mental trap’ that leads to indecision.
For our weekly catchup with the National Party, Wire Host Sara spoke to National MP Ryan Hamlilton about New Zealand’s foreign affairs stance amidst a changing global world order.
For Green World, Sara spoke to Director of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa Gareth Hughes, about ‘Reclaim the Economy Week’.
Producer Vihan spoke to Justice for Palestine’s Co-Convenor Samira Zaitoon about New Zealand declining it's invitation to the Board of Peace and what it all means. 
Producer Toby spoke to University of Auckland Global Studies Director Chris Ogden about Donald Trump’s vision of a ‘new form of diplomacy based on threats and coercion’.

We are now more than a year into Donald Trump’s second term as president. Over the past twelve months, we’ve seen the United States flex its military muscles both within the Western Hemisphere and beyond, launching a military operation in Venezuela and capturing president Nicolas Maduro, making further threats to take over Greenland, and provoking Iran by sending a fleet of warships to the Persian Gulf.

Last year, President Trump even signed an executive order, renaming the ‘Department of Defence’ to the ‘Department of War’ on the basis that the former name was too “woke.”

This morning, Producer Toby spoke with University of Auckland professor Chris Ogden about the assertion of hard power in American diplomacy, and how this can be understood through the theory of ‘political realism.

Last week, Social Media Companies began to face a Jury Trial for the first time. The claims being made are that social media is addictive and harmful for young people’s mental health; and that this is by design.

While this unfolds, experts have pointed to significant links between this trial, and those faced by the Tobacco Industry. Similar arguments are being made, on both sides, and there are lessons that can be taken from the decades long fight to hold tobacco and smoking accountable for its health harms.

Monday Wire Producer Alex spoke to Senior Research Fellow in General Practice and Primary Care at the school of Population health at the University of Auckland, Dr Samantha Marsh, about these links, and what more we need to see about social media based harms domestically.