World Footprints

Life as an undercover DEA agent, surviving child trafficking

Today we will share the legacies of two individuals who have put themselves on the frontlines in the fight against the crimes of drug and human trafficking. Robert Mazur served 27 years as a Federal Special Agent for the IRS, Customs Service and Drug Enforcement Administration. Five of those years were spent under-cover as Bob Musella, a high-rolling mob-connected big shot who infiltrated the criminal hierarchy of Colombia’s drug cartels. Bob’s under-cover stings proved critical in the conviction of General Manuel Noriega and helped cripple an international multi-billion money laundering outfit that served drug lords like Pablo Escobar. His book, The Infiltrator, provides vivid and nail-biting details about his life in the criminal under-world, including events that led to a $500,000 contract being placed on his head.
More than three decades after India won freedom and independence from Great Britain, a little girl from the southern region of India was stolen from her family and became a slave. She was seven years old. She lost her home and her identity. She kept only her first name – Rani. When Rani lost her value to her slave owner, he sold her to an American woman who thought she was legally adopting an orphan. This adoption saved Rani’s life and the love and support she received in her new home has cultivated a commitment to become an advocate for the voiceless victims of human trafficking and a leader in the movement to end modern slavery.

LEGACY SHOW: Daniel & Nathan Boone’s Missouri

This broadcast is a favorite legacy show that we produced prior to rebranding our show from Travel'n On to WORLD FOOTPRINTS.
Today will explore the legacy of one of America’s great frontier families, Daniel Boone and his son Nathan, who helped settle the American frontier in Missouri. Dr. David Knolls and Grady Manus of Lindenwood University will introduce the historic home of Daniel Boone and Boonesfield Village, the place Daniel Boone launched America’s early exploration into the West. Then, David Roggensees of the Nathan Boone Homestead in Southwest Missouri—the Ozarks—will offer a glimpse into the life of Nathan Boone.

White House Travel Summit

Study abroad and global citizenship were front and center at a recent White House Travel Summit. The White House invited the most influential travel journalists and bloggers to join Administration officials, policymakers and thought-leaders here in Washington, D.C. to discuss how the U.S can build stronger relationships to the rest of the world with the help of young Americans, especially through study abroad programs. World Footprints was there and today we will bring you some of the highlights from the speakers and panelists who spoke.
The White House Travel Bloggers Summit on study abroad and global citizenship sought to build on President Barack Obama's vision of studying, learning and working together as a way to bring prosperity to the United States and the world. On today's show you'll hear from policy makers and thought-leaders like (in order of appearance): Benjamin Rhodes (Dep., National Security Advisor), Evan Ryan (Assistant Secretary of State), Bernadette Meehan (National Security Council), Patrick Dowd (Millenials Trains Project), Paula Froelich (Yahoo Travel), Johathan Greenblatt (Special Asst. to Pres. Obama), Daniela Kaisth (Inst. of International Education), Penny Pritzker (Secretary of Commerce), Tina Tchen (Michelle Obama's Chief of Staff), Robert Reid (National Geographic), Robin Goldberg (Minerva Project), James Howard (iHeart Radio) and Don Wildman (Travel Channel).

Beyond New Orleans’ French Quarter

In remembrance of the spirit of New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, World Footprints will explore a sample of the multiple treasures that can be found in New Orleans. We will share a wonderful conversation with Chef Leah Chase of Dokie Chase restaurant fame. Chef Leah is an iconic figure in New Orleans. She was the inspiration behind Tiana, the principle character in the Disney Animated Picture Princess and the Frog. Then World Footprints will take listeners through two little known museums, the Free People of Color museum and the African-American museum. Other stops on this audio trip include a tour through Treme and a visit to the famed Carosel bar in the Hotel Monteleone. New Orleans is a treasure trove of wonderful museums, rich history and cultural gumbo and today’s show will explore just a few of the treasure today.

Indycar racer Simona de Silvestro, exploring Catholicism and Panther Conservation

On today’s show World Footprints explores the plight of the endangered Panther, we chat with one of the rising IZOD Indycar stars Simona de Silvestro, and we also view Catholicism through the lens with Father Robert Barron. As a special bonus, we added some sound bytes and interviews from the DC Stop Modern Slavery walk to end human trafficking.
Panthers once roamed the entire southeastern United States; from Florida to South Carolina and Louisiana. However, the panther was added to the Endangered Species List in 1967 and today the remaining population is isolated in South Florida. The Panther population has dramatically decreased but many efforts are being made to save this beautiful animal from extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is at the forefront of the Panther conservation efforts and Park Ranger Sandy Mickey from the Florida Panther & Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuges joins us today to talk about some of these initiatives.
Then, we enjoyed a chat with one of the IZOD Indycar series rising stars, Simona de Silvestro. Simona is one of a handful of female Indycar racers and she is one of the most prominent racecar drivers on the track. Simona hails from a country where auto racing is banned but she has made a name for herself as one of racing’s brightest young stars. She is the first woman in Atlantic Series history to have earned the most wins and pole positions, and the IZOD Indycar Rising Star Award.
Finally, we will talk to Father Robert Barron, the Francis Cardinal George Professor of Faith and Culture at Mundelein Seminary and a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, about his new PBS series Catholicism. This documentary illustrates the history and treasures of a global religion shared by more than one billion people around the world by exploring art, architecture, literature, music and all the riches of the Catholic tradition. Father Barron was joined on his two-year around the world journey by acclaimed filmmaker Mike Leonard, a veteran correspondent for NBC‘s Today show and producer. To learn more about the Florida Panther visit: http://www.fws.gov/floridapanther or http://www.floridapanther.org

Montana - In search of dinosaur fossils and gold from Missouri River to Zortman

World Footprints takes you on a unique journey as we explore the life and work of a paleontologist. We'll travel through Montana’s Missouri River Country to search for dinosaur bones and we'll spend time to pan for gold. First, we’ll go in search of Carl the Dinosaur with the help of Dave Trexler and Sue Frary of the Great Plains Dinosaur Museum and Field Station as they take us digging for dinosaur bones. We’ll introduce you to Brenda Koss, whose family-owned ranch has produced some major dinosaur fossils, including one discovered by her daughter Kennedy. Then it’s off to Zortman, an interesting gold rush era town nestled in Montana’s Little Rocky Mountains that’s filled with lot of character and characters alike, and we’ll learn about this quirky place from one of the town’s resident entrepreneurs, John Kalal.

Cultural Immersion, Diplomacy and Flavors of Malaysia

Peter Vogel, founder and managing director of CulturePrep Inc., is a noted speaker on advancing cross-cultural relations and a philanthropist. Peter joins World Footprints to talk about how CulturePrep has been empowering individuals and groups from around the world to overcome the obstacles that threaten meaningful and productive cross-cultural relationships. He will also talk about the volunteer work his organization is spearheading in Uganda.
Then, David Morey, co-chair of The Fund for Peace and former chair of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Task Force on Public Diplomacy, sits down with World Footprints to talk about the current events in Northern Africa and the Middle East and how the insurgent strategy he has developed will help the U.S. to re-boot its foreign policy as . David is one of America’s leading strategic consultants. He has advised some of the world’s top business leaders, five Nobel Peace Prize winners and twelve successful global presidential campaigns, including President Barack Obama. David is also an award-winning co-author of The Underdog Advantage, a book that outlines a powerful insurgent strategy to put business on top.
Finally, prepare your taste buds as Malaysian Chef Susheela Raghavan cooks up the Flavors of Malaysia from her new cookbook with World Footprints. Flavors of Malaysia: a Journey through Time, Tastes, and Traditions, will take you on a wonderful sensory journey as Susheela serves up more than 150 amazing recipes, touching family stories, and fascinating notes about the multi-cultural origins of Malaysian food in this wonderful collection.

Gettysburg beyond the battle field

World Footprints is pleased share this GOLD Award winning show which was recognized by the North American Travel Journalist Association. In celebration of Black History Month and the 150 Anniversary Commemoration of the American Civil War and Gettysburg Address, you will see a very compelling side of Gettysburg as told through our guests. In 2013 the city of Gettysburg, the nation and the world reflected upon the Battle of Gettysburg, which took place from July 1 to July 3 1863, and President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863. We showcased what visitors can expect to see and experience following the Commemorations and beyond the battlefield with Stacey Fox, Vice President of Marketing and Sales of the Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau. Then, Scott Hancock, PhD, Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies at Gettysburg College joins us to discuss the role of the Underground Railroad in the war, the African-American struggle for freedom--from President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address to Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and the seminal events that took place in Gettysburg in 1863 that forever changed America. Finally, Debra Sandoe McCauslin of For the Cause/Gettysburg Histories takes us along the Underground Railroad in Adams County, Pennsylvania where we visit Yellow Hill and the Quaker Valley to uncover the African-American families who settled in the area and the role of Quakers in the Abolitionist Movement there.

LEGACY SHOW: United Nations Girl Up! Foundation

On today’s World Footprints radio show we will showcase some remarkable young women who are doing extraordinary things. World Footprints was invited to attend the Girl Up Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. Girl Up is an innovative campaign of the United Nations Foundation that gives American girls the opportunity to become global leaders and channel their energy and compassion to raise awareness and funds for United Nations programs that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls. We are pleased to share highlights from this first Girl Up Leadership Summit which included remarks from actress Monique Coleman from High School Musical; Sarah Hurwitz, Speechwriter for President Obama; and moments between Girl Up teen advisors and young girls from the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Also, we are delighted to introduce a dynamic teenager who is making waves on the air with her weekly radio show—Pavlina’s Kids Place. Pavlina Osta shares interviews with celebrities, politicians and newsmakers. In addition to her radio show, Pavlina is an honor-roll student and an accomplished steel drum musician. Truly a wonderful role model.

Inside the Calgary Stampede and the Siksika Nation

World Footprints will take you inside “The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth”—the Calgary Stampede. Cowboy up and hitch your horse to a chuck wagon as the Stampede’s Keith Rutherford shares the heritage of one of the signature events, the chuck wagon race. Then meet the young Canadians who charm their way into the hearts of all during the Stampede evening extravaganzas. They will share what it takes to be a member of this Broadway style glee club. Finally, World Footprints will visit the Siksika Nation, east of Calgary on the Blackfoot Reservation. Tribal elder, Bernard Bear Shirt, will share the history of the Tribe through stories and members of his family will continue the tradition of music and dance.