The FT’s foreign editor Alec Russell has been reporting on crises around the world for more than 30 years. He was in Romania during the fall of the Ceaușescu regime, in South Africa for the fall of apartheid, and in 1994 he reported on the genocide in Rwanda. So when we recently felt ourselves losing hope at the news from Gaza and Ukraine, we decided to ask him: is this an especially tough time in history, or does it just feel that way? And what has he learned from being present for so much of history? Today, Alec gives us tips for finding perspective, and tells us where he finds hope.
-------
We love hearing from you. Lilah is on Instagram @lilahrap and we’re on X @lifeandartpod. You can email us at lifeandart@ft.com. We are grateful for reviews, on Apple, Spotify, etc.
-------
Links (all FT links get you past the paywall):
– Alec’s piece commemorating 30 years since Rwanda’s genocide is here: https://on.ft.com/3QnQbfx
– You may also be interested in Alec Russell’s book After Mandela: the Battle for the Soul of South Africa
– Alec is on X @AlecuRussell
-----
The FT Weekend Festival is coming back, and will be in Washington, DC, on May 4! Speakers include Nancy Pelosi, Alec and Lilah! To book tickets, go to ft.com/festival-us and use our exclusive discount code: weekendpodcast.
Special FT subscription offers for Life and Art podcast listeners, from 50% off a digital subscription to a $1/£1/€1 trial, are here: http://ft.com/lifeandart
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How to develop your taste in art, with critic Ariella Budick
‘La chimera’: everything you’d want in an Italian film
Introducing Untold: Power for Sale
Viet Thanh Nguyen on adapting 'The Sympathizer' for TV
Coming soon: China, the new tech superpower
Using AI as a tool for creativity
Life as a chef in the West Bank right now
‘Challengers’: Zendaya serves up tennis and sexual tension
Why Olivia Rodrigo might be our last pop superstar
Culture chat: Is Taylor Swift’s new album too much?
Spring cooking tips with chef Ayesha Nurdjaja
Culture chat: ‘Civil War’ is not the film you think it is
Design series: Debbie Millman on how brands impact culture
Design Series: The fashion of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’
Design series: Jonathan Adler on making your home your own
‘Love Lies Bleeding’ with director Rose Glass
Culture chat: Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter
Design series: the hidden meaning in our benches and lampposts
Travel chat: planning a trip this spring? We have tips
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
FT News Briefing
Money Clinic with Claer Barrett
FT World Weekly
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
FT News in Focus
FT Banking Weekly