In this episode, we sat down with Hala Al-Karib, Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network), a coalition that builds the capacity of women’s rights organizations in the greater Horn of Africa. During the episode Hala reflects on the 25th anniversary of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, exploring its intersections with atrocity prevention. Hala discusses how grassroots organizations in the region continue their work amid political pressure and conflict, and describes how these challenges have shaped efforts to protect women and girls in Sudan over the last two decades. The episode ends with a powerful call to action for accountability for abuses against women and girls in the Horn.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics, civil society and human rights defenders who reflect on the conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Alexander Bellamy, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at The University of Queensland, Australia. During the episode, Alex shares insights from his extensive scholarship on R2P, including his collaboration with Edward Luck, the first UN Special Adviser on R2P. The conversation also explores the role of regional organizations in advancing R2P, the consequences of its uneven implementation and concludes with a message to the next generation of atrocity prevention scholars and practitioners. 

In this episode, we sit down with Pascale Solages – a renowned Haitian grassroots feminist organizer, human rights advocate and founding member and general coordinator of Nègès Mawon, one of Haiti’s most active feminist organizations. During the episode, Pascale shares her personal journey into activism and reflects on the powerful role feminist organizations play in supporting communities across Haiti. She unpacks the historical and political roots of Haiti's ongoing multidimensional crisis, highlighting its impact on women, girls and other marginalized groups. The conversation closes with a powerful call to reframe the narrative around Haiti, centering dignity, resistance and the transformative potential of grassroots solutions.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Mô Bleeker, the UN Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect. During the episode, Mô shares insights into her current work as Special Adviser, reflecting on what is at stake in ensuring states act to prevent and respond to atrocities and on the diplomatic challenges of advancing R2P. The episode concludes with an overview of the key messages from the 2025 UN Secretary-General’s report on R2P ahead of the upcoming General Assembly annual debate on 25 June.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Abiodun Williams, Professor of the Practice of International Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and the Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. As the former Director of Strategic Planning for UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-Moon, he explores Secretary-General Annan’s pivotal role in the early development and implementation of R2P, emphasizing the influence of personal commitment on these efforts. Dr. Willams also highlights the contributions of non-Western states to the promotion of R2P and shares his perspective on the future of atrocity prevention in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Adama Dieng, African Union (AU) Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities and Deputy Chair of the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking. Adama reflects on his distinguished career in the prevention of atrocities, including his time as the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. He shares insights on how he is using his role as the AU's first ever Special Envoy on the Prevention of Genocide and Other Mass Atrocities to draw attention to and mobilize response for crises across the continent. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the observance of Genocide Prevention and Awareness month and progress made in the prevention of mass atrocities over the past two decades.

In this episode, we sat down with Dirk Moses, Anne and Bernard Spitzer Professor of International Relations at the City College of New York and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Genocide Research. Dirk explores common misconceptions in contemporary discussions about atrocity crimes and examines how these misunderstandings, both intentional and unintentional, impact international response. He also discusses how these misconceptions increasingly impact both practitioners and academic discourse, particularly following the recent escalations of the crises in Gaza and Ukraine. Dirk highlights how the recognition of genocides is increasingly obscured by geopolitical interests, which in turn impacts victim communities worldwide.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), this year we are featuring a special series of interviews with experts, practitioners, academics and civil society and human rights defenders who will reflect on conceptual and operational development of R2P over the past two decades, as well as the impact of R2P and atrocity prevention on their work. In this episode, we sat down with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations since 2017. He shares insights into his evolving role and discusses R2P's influence on UN peacekeeping missions, particularly in civilian protection. Under-Secretary-General Lacroix also reflects on key challenges, lessons learned and the recent shifts in multilateralism and their impact on mission mandates.

In this episode, we sat down with Julie Dubé-Gagnon, a Canadian jurist and investigator specializing in sexual and gender-based crimes (SGBC). Julie currently works with a UN investigative mechanism and has contributed to several UN investigative bodies, including those focused on violations and abuses in Myanmar (Burma), Ukraine, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Burundi and the Central African Republic, among others. She discusses the critical role of gender advisers in these investigations and the importance of understanding the full scope of gender dynamics when assessing the impact on victims of atrocities. Julie also addresses common misconceptions about gender-based violence and explores how international accountability mechanisms are responding to SGBC.

In this episode we sat down with Nicolas Agostini, Representative to the United Nations in Geneva at DefendDefenders. Drawing on his extensive experience in Geneva, Nico shares a wealth of knowledge on the creation of UN Human Rights Council (HRC) mechanisms and the evolution of their mandates over time. Nico highlights the value of HRC investigations and the importance of ensuring the findings are accessible to the communities who have endured grave human rights abuses and atrocity risks. Nico also discusses the challenge in maintaining international scrutiny of protracted crises and what civil society organizations are doing to collectively address remaining gaps in multilateral response.

In this episode we sat down with Mehret Okubay, a Tigrayan journalist, human rights advocate and member of Omna Tigray, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about the violence committed against civilians during the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia. Mehret shares an account of life under the blockade imposed on Tigray, detailing the hardships civilians faced daily, as well as the abuses they endured throughout the conflict. She also discusses the ongoing risks to civilians in the region and examines the impact of the federal government's transitional justice policy. Mehret concludes with her insights on how the international community can more effectively support victims and survivors of atrocity crimes in Ethiopia.

In this episode we sat down with Niemat Ahmadi, Founder and President of Darfur Women Action Group, a women-led atrocity prevention organization that amplifies the voices of those most impacted by the ongoing conflict in Sudan. Niemat details how the failure to address the long lasting impacts of the genocide in Darfur two decades ago has shaped the current crisis and atrocity risks facing civilians. She also highlights the role that civil society, particularly women and youth organizations, have played in supporting populations in Sudan. Niemat ends with a call for the international community to take concerted action to halt the violence, hold perpetrators accountable and take practical steps toward achieving sustainable peace.

In this episode we sat down with Natia Navrouzov, Executive Director of Yazda. Natia details the crimes committed by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, or Da'esh) against the Yazidi population and other minorities in Iraq from 2014 to 2017. She recounts how the tireless advocacy by victims and survivors helped establish the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) and explores how UNITAD’s investigative and analytical work has been central to advancing justice for the Yazidi genocide. Natia concludes with outlining lessons learned and what the international community must do to revitalize efforts for justice and accountability following the closure of UNITAD on 17 September.

In this episode we sat down with Ardi Imseis, Professor of International Law at Queens University, legal counsel to the State of Palestine in their case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and former member of the UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen. Ardi explains the legal significance of the ICJ’s most recent advisory opinion on Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, including how and why the Court’s findings mark an important step in Palestinians’ decades-long struggle for freedom. Ardi also articulates the obligations placed on the international community and provides his perspective on what steps they must take to protect Palestinian populations.

In this episode, we sat down with Mark Kersten, Assistant Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, Senior Consultant at the Wayamo Foundation and founder and author of the Justice in Conflict website. Mark reflects on current trends in international justice, sharing analysis of recent progress in accountability as well as on the ways in which the international community has struggled to meet the demands of justice in the aftermath of atrocity crimes. He also provides recommendations on how states can better facilitate justice to affected communities.

In this episode we sat down with Jonathan Fowler, Senior Communications Manager for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Jonathan provides insight into the current situation for Palestinians in Gaza, as well as an overview of the access constraints and other challenges humanitarian actors face in delivering aid. Highlighting the vital role of UNRWA in not just aid distribution, but also the provision of medical care, education and other support, he discusses how disinformation campaigns targeting UNRWA and subsequent funding cuts have severely limited the Agency's capacity.

In this episode we sat down with Leila Sadat, James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, Former Special Adviser to the International Criminal Court Prosecutor on Crimes Against Humanity, and Director of the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative. She provides background information on the Draft Articles on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity and explains why this new proposed treaty is necessary in the current global climate. Leila also outlines how the international community can advance the process towards treaty negotiations with the aim of adopting a stand-alone treaty on Crimes Against Humanity.

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Associate for Africa and Regional Director at the National Democratic Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Washington, DC. Dr. Fomunyoh discusses how and why elections and political transitions can serve as triggers for potential atrocities, and explains the range of risks that can arise during election periods. He outlines the steps that policymakers should take to better address and prevent election-related atrocity risks, highlighting some best practices from previous situations that can and should be applied to countries with upcoming elections and these risks.

In this episode we mark three years since the military coup in Myanmar by sitting down with Yanghee Lee, former UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and Co-Founder of the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar. Yanghee reflects on her term as Special Rapporteur from 2014 to 2020, providing insights into the numerous developments that the people of Myanmar endured, and discusses the legacy of past abuses in Myanmar. She also shares her thoughts on the current crisis facing the country, as well as the steps that should be taken by the international community to better protect populations.

In this episode, we sat down with Philip Grant, Executive Director of TRIAL International. Philip shares the unique story behind the founding of TRIAL International and an overview of the organization's work in the pursuit of justice and accountability in the aftermath of atrocities across the world. He explains why all justice efforts, including criminal accountability, reparations and redress, are important to prevent recurrence and address the rights and needs of victims and survivors of atrocity crimes. *As this episode makes reference to specific trials and dates, it should be noted that the interview was recorded in November 2023.