Awake At Night
104 episodes - English - Latest episode: 16 days ago - ★★★★★ - 122 ratingsWhat does it take to be a United Nations worker in some of the world’s most complex and dangerous places? How are UN humanitarians, human rights advocates, prosecutors, development experts, climate leaders and peacekeepers improving our world? Stationed in all reaches of the world and witness to suffering and atrocities, how are they helping people and coping themselves? To find out, Melissa Fleming meets them.
Here you will discover extraordinary personal stories from people who devote their lives to helping others.
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Episodes
Breaking Barriers to Progress - Achim Steiner - Head of United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
June 27, 2024 02:19 - 29 minutes - 41.1 MBBorn in Brazil to German parents, Achim Steiner knows first hand the power of cultural exchange to drive international cooperation. Now head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), he leads global efforts to secure a better future for our planet and its people. “The clearest lesson from 50 years of modern development thinking is don't try and just pick one aspect and put all your eggs in that basket. Society is complex, development is about choices. And you will either get them r...
Human rights is our strongest tool - Volker Türk - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
June 20, 2024 04:35 - 40 minutes - 55.7 MBVolker Türk has the greatest respect for those able to hold onto hope when all appears to be lost. As United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, he has devoted his life and career to helping the world’s most vulnerable people. “What has always struck me was encounters with people who are extremely resilient … who actually see hope, including in the most atrocious circumstances, and who just keep doing the right thing.” The Office he leads works around the world to uphold human ri...
Everybody has Purpose - Amy Pope - Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
June 13, 2024 17:32 - 38 minutes - 53.3 MBAmy Pope has always championed humane and orderly migration as an opportunity for societies, not a problem. Now the first female Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) she is campaigning for a fundamental shift in attitudes towards newcomers. “You just give somebody a little space. Everybody has purpose. Everybody has dreams, everybody wants to be seen.” Human migration is likely to rise over the coming decades, with the IOM predicting that hundreds of mil...
A Privilege to Serve Humanity - Joyce Msuya - OCHA - Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
June 07, 2024 11:49 - 37 minutes - 51.8 MBBig or small, Joyce Msuya has always found ways to give back. Now Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, she oversees the global response to the world’s worst crises. “For me, personally, it's a privilege to serve humanity. I wake up every morning and think about how I can shift the needle in someone's life.” From Gaza to Ukraine, Haiti to Sudan, the UN estimates 300 million ...
With AI, We’re Building the Plane Mid-Flight - Doreen Bogdan-Martin - International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Secretary-General
May 30, 2024 18:40 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MBDoreen Bogdan-Martin’s fascinating career handed her a front row seat for the digital revolution. Now Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), she’s among those leading global efforts to set guardrails on the use of Artificial Intelligence. “I think we've never seen anything like this before … the plane is in flight and we're building it while we're flying - it's tremendous.” AI presents huge opportunities for humanity, but also poses great risks. In t...
Unlocking the Power of Youth - Jayathma Wickramanayake - Sr. policy advisor, UN Women
May 24, 2024 06:42 - 38 minutes - 53 MBAppointed to a senior UN role aged just 26, Jayathma Wickramanayake’s career trajectory testifies to the power of education. Now senior policy advisor at UN Women, she is working to empower all women and girls to fulfill their potential – whatever their background. “I was never told that because I was a girl, I couldn't do X, Y or Z. [My parents] always encouraged us to explore our passions … as long as we put education first, because that was non-negotiable.” Despite significant progres...
No Place Like Home - Mohamed Yahya - UN Resident Coordinator, Pakistan
May 16, 2024 22:42 - 39 minutes - 53.8 MBA former child refugee, Mohamed Yahya knows the life-long pain of yearning for a lost home. That’s why some of his most emotional experiences with the United Nations have involved helping displaced people return to their towns years after they fled a brutal conflict. “A little bit of me was, I must say, envious of them, that they're able to go back home. I always imagine how I'll feel when I go back home without fear.” Until recently working with internally displaced communities in...
The Human Cost of War - Philippe Lazzarini - Head of UNRWA
May 10, 2024 16:59 - 32 minutes - 44.4 MBPhilippe Lazzarini holds one of the most challenging positions in the whole of the United Nations. As head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), he is leading the backbone of the humanitarian operation in Gaza. “Ceasefire, ceasefire, ceasefire. If we have a ceasefire and the opening of the crossing, and we can flood assistance to the Gaza Strip, we would be able to prevent this catastrophe.” Following the devastating terror attacks...
Season 9
May 03, 2024 13:37 - 1 minute - 1.62 MBConflict, humanitarian disasters, climate change. Our world and its people are facing huge challenges. Wherever and whenever crisis hits, the United Nations staff are both on the ground saving lives and negotiating at the highest levels to alleviate suffering. This work is only possible due to the personal sacrifices made every day by UN staff around the world. So, what motivates someone to lead the global fight for human rights, equality, or justice? Join UN chief communicator Melissa Fle...
Rebuilding Lives in Ukraine - Karolina Lindholm Billing - UNHCR Representative in Ukraine
January 12, 2024 05:11 - 34 minutes - 48.3 MBKarolina Lindholm Billing was posted to Ukraine less than a year before the full-scale Russian invasion. As the UNHCR Representative in the country, she draws hope from witnessing the power of community volunteer networks in supporting displaced people in their hour of need. “Volunteers from all areas of society have helped people who have been directly impacted by the war. They're cooking meals, giving clothing, giving money, opening their homes.” War has forced around one-third of Ukra...
Help and Hope for the Hungry - Cindy H. McCain - WFP Executive Director
January 05, 2024 04:49 - 31 minutes - 43.4 MBCindy McCain has many pressing reasons to lie awake at night. As Head of the World Food Programme, it is her job to make sure the millions of vulnerable people around the world who are relying on United Nations food assistance – from Gaza to Sudan to Afghanistan – don’t starve. “Our job is to give hope and help by giving food to those who really need it most. And that's what we do.” Hunger is still one the biggest – and most solvable – problems globally, causing 783 million people arou...
Pursuing Justice in ISIL’s Wake - Christian Ritscher - UN Special Adviser
December 28, 2023 20:13 - 32 minutes - 45.5 MBChristian Ritscher’s work brings him into contact with some of humanity’s worst outrages. As head of the United Nations investigative team to promote accountability for the crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq, he seeks justice for victims of the notoriously violent terror group. “Justice gives relief not only to the victims, but to a prosecutor as well. That is what keeps you upright and keeps you going on and says it is meaningful what you're doing.” Islamic State, or ISIL, stands accused ...
Unleashing Hidden Talent - Gordon Brown - UN Special Envoy for Global Education
December 21, 2023 23:30 - 36 minutes - 50.9 MBA committed public servant, Gordon Brown has a strong sense of social responsibility. Now United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is working towards a powerful vision: giving every child the chance to go to school. “There is talent, there is potential, there is brilliance in all parts of the world. There's a new Einstein, there's a new Malala, you name the brilliant people around the world. But some of them have been denied the cha...
Haunted by Tales of Torture - Alice Jill Edwards - UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
December 15, 2023 12:12 - 36 minutes - 50.6 MBDr. Alice Jill Edwards spends many of her days listening to the testimonies of torture victims. Now the UN’s Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, she works towards a world in which torture is finally a thing of the past. “I do remember the faces of most of the people I've met, and in fact, they keep me going in this work. And at the same time, of course, their stories haunt me.” The United Nations Convention on Torture bans...
A Painstaking Quest for Justice - Catherine Marchi-Uhel - Head of IIIM
December 08, 2023 09:00 - 32 minutes - 44.3 MBA former judge, Catherine Marchi-Uhel has spent a lifetime pursuing justice. Now, leading the quest for accountability for atrocities and war crimes committed in the Syrian civil war, she finds comfort in survivors’ resilience and their determination to move on with their lives. “In Syria, I was really struck by this lack of revenge. I haven't seen many people wanting revenge. They want justice. And that's really a very powerful attitude.” Since 2016, the UN’s IIIM (International, Impart...
Saving Seas, One Swim at a Time - Lewis Pugh - Ocean Advocate for the UN Environment Programme
November 28, 2023 21:07 - 34 minutes - 47.4 MBLewis Pugh was never afraid to take the plunge. Now ocean advocate for the United Nations Environment Programme, the record-breaking cold-water swimmer has completed long distance swims at both of the earth’s Poles, in the Red Sea, and along the length of the Hudson River, to spread a message of habitat renewal and conservation. “The first thing that happens is I can't breathe and I’m gasping for air. And the cold just grips its way around you. And you just got to try and control your mind...
Sorrow and relief on the shores of Greece - Erasmia Roumana - Protection associate, UNHCR
November 24, 2023 13:52 - 36 minutes - 50.3 MBErasmia Roumana’s job requires extraordinary strength. Working in Greece as a protection associate with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, she interviews refugees who have survived devastating shipwrecks at sea after embarking on desperate journeys in search of a better life. “I have seen some very horrible situations. And I always wonder at that moment, how can people survive this? How can people move on after this?” One tragic story stood out over the years. In 2014, Syrian refugee Doaa sur...
Invigorated by Africa - Stephen Jackson - UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya
November 17, 2023 13:59 - 40 minutes - 55.5 MBStephen Jackson fell hard for Africa three decades ago, and never looked back. Now the UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, he channels his passion into his work, bringing together UN agencies to support the continent in its drive for sustainable development. “Sometimes in this job, you just end up falling in love with the country where you work. Kenya is a very special place, and I think is a country on an extraordinary upwards curve, a very rapid one. You meet incredibly inspiring people h...
Feeding the Forgotten - Reena Ghelani - UN ASG Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator
November 10, 2023 14:08 - 35 minutes - 48.5 MBReena Ghelani knows all too well the jarring silence of a crowded malnutrition ward. Now United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator, she spends every day working on the frontlines of the global fight against hunger. “You expect children to cry if they're suffering, but they don't even have the energy to cry. And the other thing is, I found that the mothers or the fathers are also silent. You know, luckily, many children survive when they get trea...
Season 8 - There to help
October 06, 2023 11:31 - 1 minute - 1.59 MBWhat does it take to be a United Nations worker in some of the world’s most complex and dangerous places? How are UN humanitarians, human rights advocates, prosecutors, development experts, climate leaders and peacekeepers improving our world? Stationed in all reaches of the world and witness to suffering and atrocities, how are they helping people and coping themselves? To find out, Melissa Fleming meets them. Coming soon: from the United Nations, season 8 of Awake at Night.
My Heart Was Crying - Sara Beysolow Nyanti - Former Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan
July 07, 2023 06:00 - 33 minutes - 46.2 MBGrowing up in Liberia, Sara Beysolow Nyanti is no stranger to the lasting pain of a country ravaged by recurring violence. As Former Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, she often encountered the anguish of those bearing the psychological scars of war. “This woman [told me] we have nightmares … And she talked about losing her four children and she said it without crying. My heart was crying while she was speaking … I couldn't bear it.” Reeling from decades of conflict, S...
The Last Best Hope Humanity Has - Ramiz Alakbarov - former UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan
June 30, 2023 01:02 - 37 minutes - 51.3 MB“It's not just food and assistance, you need to give these children a life, a life of full opportunities… So, I think we're so far from where we need to go, to make the difference.” When thousands fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, Dr. Ramiz Alakbarov, fearing the loss of millions of lives, stayed on. Every day since, the former UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in the country has fought to ease the acute suffering of its people. “I believe we are the last, b...
The Africa the World Needs - Cristina Duarte - UN Under-Secretary-General & Special Adviser on Africa
June 16, 2023 06:37 - 33 minutes - 46.5 MBCristina Duarte always brings great passion to any task she takes on. Now Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, she works tirelessly to help the continent imagine a better tomorrow, one which not only meets its people’s needs, but also fulfills their dreams. “The Africa we want is the Africa the world needs … [one that gives Africans] the social space to fully exercise all the entitlements of a human being.” Born to an activist father who was integral to independence mov...
The Light in Their Eyes - Najat Maalla M'jid - UN Special Representative on Violence against Children
June 09, 2023 04:22 - 23 minutes - 32.7 MBA pediatrician by training, Najat Maalla M'jid has always been dedicated to rescuing children from suffering. Now United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, she works tirelessly to protect young people around the world. “What I learned in my life, it's the eyes. […] When you are speaking with children, when you have light in their eyes, it's still possible. When the light switches off, it’s too late.” Half of the world’s children are expo...
Bringing Health to the World - Dr. David Nabarro - Special Envoy of the WHO Director-General on COVID-19
June 02, 2023 15:04 - 36 minutes - 50.3 MBDr. David Nabarro has dedicated his life to global health. After a long career that’s taken him from the horrors of war torn Iraq, to the devastating aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami, he is still spurred to action by the tremendous inequalities in global access to medical care. “The thing that keeps me awake most at night is the rampant inequities in our world…We see an awful lot of needless suffering.” A passionate advocate for sustainable development, David Nabarro has seen in his...
The Missiles Don’t Stop Us - Denise Brown - UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine
May 26, 2023 07:00 - 38 minutes - 53 MBDenise Brown knows what it takes to work under the shadow of war. As UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, she and her team must brave considerable risks as they strive to meet the colossal humanitarian needs of the Ukrainian people in the midst of a brutal war. “The missiles slow us down, but they don’t stop us. That's testament to the courage, determination, and experience of the people we have there.” Close to 18 million Ukrainians are now in need of humanitarian aid an...
Haunted by Syria’s Suffering - Sajjad Malik - Syria UNHCR - bitesize special
January 20, 2023 07:00 - 11 minutes - 16.5 MBSajjad Malik witnessed terrible suffering during the Syrian crisis. As UNHCR’s former representative in the country, he oversaw one of the UN Refugee Agency’s toughest and most dangerous operations. “There are certain images that will stay with me for a very long time. Because those are the images that cannot be forgotten overnight.” Since the war in Syria started in 2011 more than 5.7 million people have fled the country. Another 6.9 million are internally displaced. In this special bi...
But Where Are You Really From? - Amanda Khozi Mukwashi - UN Resident Coordinator in Lesotho
January 13, 2023 07:03 - 30 minutes - 42.5 MBWith her writing, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi wants to change the conversation on race, gender, and identity. Now United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lesotho, she has written a book exploring the struggle for equity and the historical baggage of slavery and colonization. “Let's talk about it a little more freely, not for it to hold our hands and tie them, but for it to liberate us to think differently.” Moving back to the UK after leaving a high-level development post in Zambia, Amanda Khoz...
Expanding your heart - Ulrika Richardson - UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti
January 06, 2023 10:00 - 37 minutes - 52.1 MBUlrika Richardson has dedicated her life to the UN. As resident and humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, her belief in the organization’s idealistic values drives her to brave significant dangers in her mission to alleviate the suffering she has witnessed there. “When you see people suffer, those images stay with you … that keeps you awake, and it should keep you awake.” Life in Haiti remains precarious. Armed gangs, cholera, and fuel and food shortages mean violence, hunger, disease, and ...
Giving Voice to Victims in Ukraine - Matilda Bogner - Head of UN Human Rights mission in Ukraine
December 16, 2022 12:31 - 34 minutes - 47.9 MBMatilda Bogner’s job is to bear witness to unspeakable crimes. As head of the United Nations Human Rights mission in Ukraine, she and her team record accounts of horrific abuses and rights violations in a bid to bring the perpetrators to justice and ease the victims’ suffering. “It's a very complicated job, but it is meeting people and finding out their stories. It's giving voices to victims. That's what motivates me.” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has devastated millions of lives. Civil...
Fighting Disinformation to Survive - Irene Khan - UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression
December 09, 2022 14:30 - 39 minutes - 54.1 MBGrowing up at a time of war in Bangladesh, Irene Khan learned first-hand how access to trustworthy information can save lives. Now UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, she advocates for reliable information for all, especially during conflict. “Access to information from outside the conflict from a source that we felt was verifiable and trustworthy, was so important for us as a family to know whether we flee, whether we ...
My Story Gives Other Child Soldiers Hope -Alfred Orono - Chief of Child Protection at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS)
December 02, 2022 16:02 - 43 minutes - 59.6 MBAlfred Orono’s childhood came to an abrupt end when he was recruited as a soldier in Uganda, when he was just 11 years old. Now Chief of Child Protection at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), he draws on his own experience as a child soldier to help young people find a peaceful way forward. “I work with children who, when I look at them, I know exactly what's going on in their minds. I know how they feel. And I'm part of the solution to their problems.” Every year, thous...
Harnessing constructive outrage - Staffan de Mistura - UN Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara
November 25, 2022 16:41 - 39 minutes - 53.7 MBStaffan de Mistura has dedicated his life to making a difference. Now the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, he spent a large part of his 48-year career at the UN striving for an end to some of the most intractable conflicts of modern times. “I have no regrets. I would have never chosen another type of job. I think you can [make a difference] even in the worst-case scenario - always.” From Syria and Afghanistan to Sudan and Iraq, the seasoned diplomat is known for b...
The Power of One Small Act - Chris Mburu - UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Congo
November 18, 2022 07:51 - 42 minutes - 59.2 MBChris Mburu’s life was transformed by a small act of kindness. Now the UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Congo, he grew up in a Kenyan family struggling to afford his education. That was until a stranger in Sweden offered to pay for him to go to school. “When I look at poverty, it evokes memories of my own childhood. What keeps me going is the desire to keep as many people as possible out of poverty, because I remember my past, and where I was, I really do not want to see anybody ...
Leading in Tragic Times - Deborah Lyons - UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
August 26, 2022 04:17 - 35 minutes - 48.9 MBDeborah Lyons knows how to keep a cool head in a crisis. In August 2021, when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, Deborah, in her former role as Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), was responsible for ensuring the safety of staff across the country, among them many women. “I don't think anyone expected the chaos, the sadness, the carnage, the enormous shock of what happened in August.” Since returning to power, the Taliban have severely curtailed ...
Life After Islamic State - Bitesize special - Adiba Qasim - Yazidi refugee and humanitarian
August 19, 2022 05:41 - 12 minutes - 17.7 MBAdiba Qasim has shown extraordinary courage and resilience. She narrowly escaped when her village was stormed by Islamic State militants who killed and enslaved thousands of Yazidis. This is her story. “We were surrounded by the Islamic State. And we had no weapons even to fight. We had nothing. We were left alone.” Returning to northern Iraq in 2015, Adiba threw herself into humanitarian work, aiding survivors who had been enslaved by the militants. In this special bitesize e...
Knowing the Pain of the Displaced - Ugochi Daniels - IOM
August 05, 2022 10:00 - 35 minutes - 49 MBUgochi Daniels was just six years old when her family fled the civil war in Nigeria. Now the International Organization for Migration’s Deputy Director General for Operations, she is often struck by the pain of uprooted children, most recently those escaping from Ukraine. “I noticed this woman with a 10-year-old boy. He never looked up, his eyes were down, and he never blinked. And I just kept on thinking, what has this boy seen on his journey here?” Women and children are partic...
It Wasn't My Day To Die - Bitesize Special - Giles Duley
July 29, 2022 04:51 - 14 minutes - 19.8 MBGiles Duley used to live the rock’n’roll life of a fashion photographer, but now travels the world’s war zones documenting the lives of those caught up in conflict. He stepped on a landmine while working in Afghanistan and lost three of his limbs, and very nearly his life. This is his story. “It was a miracle I survived that day. I was just lucky, it just wasn’t my day to go.” Incredibly fortunate to be alive, few of Giles’ family and friends believed that he would work again aft...
A Life-long Quest for Justice - Serge Brammertz
July 22, 2022 10:04 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MBSerge Brammertz is one of the world's leading international prosecutors. As Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, he leads the process of tracking down fugitive criminals from wars in the former Yugoslavia, and the genocide in Rwanda. “Every single person indicted is exactly the opposite of a hero. And the only heroes in fact are the survivors and victims.” Decades on from the brutal Balkan wars of the 1990s, genocide denial and glorification of...
Believe in the Power of Change - Rebeca Grynspan
July 01, 2022 06:00 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MBDespite monitoring multiple global crises, Rebeca Grynspan has never lost her faith in the power of change. As Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), she is assessing the impact of the war in Ukraine on cash-strapped countries still reeling from the pandemic. “We don't have to be naive, but we have to believe in change, because change has happened. And we can make it happen again.” A trio of crises – climate change, COVID-19, and the war in ...
Not Here to Judge You - Bitesize Special - Monique Sokhan
June 24, 2022 06:00 - 15 minutes - 20.6 MBMonique Sokhan survived the Cambodian genocide, having fled the Khmer Rouge terror when she was just a small child. Now, working as Senior Protection Coordinator, at UNHCR’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, she is still searching for answers about the atrocities that killed many of her family members. “It’s difficult because you’re wondering why others have died and you’re alive. And for those who did not survive […] I felt like having a responsibility somehow to do something that...
The heartbreaking struggle to help Ukraine - Osnat Lubrani
June 17, 2022 04:55 - 26 minutes - 36.7 MBOsnat Lubrani knows first-hand the horrors of war. As UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, she has witnessed the dramatic changes since the Russian invasion and rapidly mounting needs as the war tears lives apart across the country. “What is keeping me awake at night is the horror of knowing that it hasn't ended yet and that there are more people alive today that are very likely to be dead tomorrow.” At least 15.7 million Ukrainians are now in urgent need of h...
Climate Action in the Shadow of War - Vladislav Kaim
June 10, 2022 18:10 - 30 minutes - 42.4 MBVladislav Kaim is dedicated to protecting the environment. A member of the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, he promotes green jobs, the energy transition, and generous climate finance - urgent priorities for our rapidly warming world. Yet the war in Ukraine has blown apart regional and global networks working towards a livable future. “The war is affecting the sustainable development of every single country in our region.” As a Moldovan, Vladislav Kaim has seen how the devastati...
Risking Your Life For Peace - Unaisi Vuniwaqa
June 03, 2022 06:00 - 14 minutes - 19.8 MBWhat does it take to stay calm in the crossfire? Unaisi Vuniwaqa has witnessed terrible suffering. As the Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, she has worked as a UN peacekeeper in some of the world’s most dangerous places. “Sometimes it can be very overwhelming, you really feel for the people and the suffering that they're going through.” Peacekeepers have one of the toughest roles in the United Nations. Serving in brutal conflicts such as that in South Sudan can mean ...
Even children of war find hope - Bo Viktor Nylund
May 27, 2022 06:00 - 29 minutes - 40.5 MBWhat would it take to make that happen? Bo Viktor Nylund has always been drawn to complex, difficult places. As the Representative of UNICEF in Syria, he is a passionate advocate for the rights of children growing up in one of the world’s most thorny and protracted crises. “When I meet with children, I just see that there's always that glimpse of hope in their eyes and that drive to make a future for themselves.” Children continue to bear the brunt of Syria’s decade-old conflict, with mil...
Sitting face to face with the Taliban - Mary-Ellen McGroarty
May 20, 2022 06:00 - 29 minutes - 40.3 MBWhat is it like living and working in Afghanistan as a woman leader of a UN Agency? Mary-Ellen McGroarty witnessed the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in August 2021. As Head of the World Food Programme in the country, she has seen first hand the seismic shift in the economic, political and cultural landscape. “Some days, I sometimes wish I hadn't been here before the 15th of August, because then I wouldn't have seen the hope and the promise and the potential.” Now, over 50% of Afghans are ...
New Season Coming Soon
May 13, 2022 15:45 - 1 minute - 1.54 MBWhen war and catastrophe hit, the United Nations is there. Hear from more of the extraordinary people working at the frontlines of the world's most pressing crises in the new season of Awake at Night, coming on 20 May.
I Refuse to Give Up
December 17, 2021 17:00 - 34 minutes - 78.9 MBHow did a boy raised in a small village in Barbados become one of the top United Nations officials tackling climate change? In this episode of Awake at Night, Selwin Hart takes us on his inspiring life journey -- from growing up in a home without electricity to being at the centre of global negotiations to tackle the climate emergency. The first person in his family to attend university, Selwin talks about the transformative power of education. He also explains how determination ...
Rays of Hope
December 10, 2021 13:25 - 34 minutes - 78.8 MB“How obscene it would be for a country…that still has poverty, that still has all these problems, to spend billions in nuclear weapons. What for?” IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi has specialized in non-proliferation and disarmament issues for more than 35 years – ever since he began his career as a diplomat in his native Argentina, when the country's then military dictatorship announced that it had mastered uranium enrichment. For many, nuclear is a feared technology....
So Much More that We Can Do to Save Lives Right Now
November 05, 2021 20:23 - 43 minutes - 100 MBWhat is a day like in the life of the epidemiologist heading the global response to COVID-19? For the past 21 months, WHO COVID-19 Technical Lead Maria Van Kerkhove has been working around the clock with thousands of scientists to try to keep all of us safe. In this personal and insightful episode, Maria shares her memories of the first moment she became aware of COVID-19 – before most of the world knew it existed – and then she takes us behind the scenes of WHO’s early steps to tackle ...