Mickey Bergman: podcast appearances and interviews

Michael Mickey Bergman is a strategic diplomat affiliated with the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, where he serves as vice president and executive director. He is also the CEO of Global Reach and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service. In his academic role, he teaches graduate courses that emphasize the art of emotional intelligence in international relations and negotiations. Bergman has previously held the position of executive director of the Global Alliances Program at the Aspen Institute and is the founder of the Solel Strategic Group. Throughout his career, he has been an advocate for political prisoners and hostages from various countries, including Russia, Myanmar, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and Iraq. Notable cases he has supported include Paul Whelan, Brittney Griner, Trevor Reed, Taylor Dudley, Danny Fenster, Otto Warmbier, Kenneth Bae, Xiyue Wang, Michael R. White, Robert Levinson, the Citgo Six, Eyvin Hernandez, Savoi Wright, and Elizabeth Tsurkov. His efforts alongside Bill Richardson led to nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 and 2023. In 2023, he received the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation American Hostage Freedom Award. Bergman is a pioneer in Fringe Diplomacy, developing approaches that connect individuals in regions often neglected by traditional channels. He aims to generate political capital through professional exchange programs to frontier countries such as North Korea, Myanmar, Cuba, and Lebanon. As an author and commentator, he wrote In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad and frequently provides media commentary on hostage cases, hostage diplomacy, and international relations, with expertise in Cuba, North Korea, and Myanmar.