As multilateralism gives way to a more authoritarian world order, Mary Robinson says the fight for human rights needs to focus on the grassroots. The former Irish president and United Nations human rights commissioner joins Piya Chattopadhyay to discuss what her time as a lawyer and politician fighting for women's rights in Ireland taught her, the importance of holding on to visions for a better world, and why smaller countries need to band together to take politics out of human rights.

• Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with The Globe and Mail's Stephanie Levitz and Joël-Denis Bellavance from La Presse about the politics of Canada's new trade deal with China

• Iranian-Canadian historian Arash Azizi and The Economist's Middle East correspondent Gregg Carlstrom unpack the anti-government protests in Iran, and the deadly ensuing crackdown

• Former Irish President and United Nations human rights commissioner Mary Robinson shares her vision for preserving human rights in a fractured world

• Crossword constructor Natan Last explores the puzzle's history, and how culture and creators are pushing it forward

In our monthly challenge That's Puzzling!, Piya Chattopadhyay competes against one familiar voice and one clever listener in a battle of brain games devised by puzzle master Peter Brown. Playing this week are Andi Petrillo, host of CBC's daytime coverage of the Milan-Cortina Olympics, and Annapolis Royal, N.S. listener Jennifer Goddard.

• Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with Canada's former NATO ambassador Kerry Buck and international politics professor Mark Webber about the future of NATO

• Reporter Jacob Soboroff explores what last year's L.A. fires reveal about the politics of disaster

• Canadian Nobel Prize laureate Peter Howitt unpacks the economic theory of "creative destruction"

• Our monthly challenge That’s Puzzling! returns with special guest Andi Petrillo

To kick off a new year of Word Processing, our ongoing look at language, Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with lexicographer Susie Dent about the old words you didn't know you needed to sum up our modern times, and her pitch to get "recombobulation" – the opposite of discombobulation – properly in the dictionary.

So, nevermind the "snollygosters," just gather round your "copemates" and head on a "coddiwomple" with us as we ring in 2026.

• Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with reporter Ana Vanessa Herrero, Lulu Garcia-Navarro from The New York Times, and University of Ottawa's Roland Paris about the bigger implications of U.S. strikes on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro

• Lexicographer Susie Dent resurfaces old words you didn't know you needed to sum up our modern times

• Actor, author and director Stephen Fry reimagines ancient Greek myths

• Psychology professor Dacher Keltner and workplace culture strategist Jennifer Moss discuss the benefits of cultivating awe

In October, the legendary naturalist Jane Goodall died at age 91. During her life, Goodall not only saw a lot of change in the world, but made a lot of it too.

Her field work with chimpanzees transformed how both science and the general public view our fellow primates. In later years, as an activist and conservationist, she inspired countless young people to follow her lead and change the world. And despite political leaders recently seeming to prioritize the economy over the environment, Goodall always found reasons to remain hopeful.

In September, Piya Chattopadhyay spoke with Goodall about her journey and her desire to keep sparking positive change.

• Host Piya Chattopadhyay speaks with The New York Times' Stephanie Nolen, Council on Foreign Relations fellow Ebenezer Obadare and international affairs expert Suparna Chaudhry about the consequences of recent cuts to foreign aid

• We revisit our conversation with the late conservation icon Jane Goodall about keeping hope for our planet alive

• Chef and cookbook author Samin Nosrat shares how grief reframed her relationship with food