Awake At Night

Jan 11 2024 1.2k
Awake At Night Podcast artwork

What 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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Rebuilding Lives in Ukraine - Karolina Lindholm Billing - UNHCR Representative in Ukraine

Jan 11 2024 34 mins  
Karolina 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

Help and Hope for the Hungry - Cindy H. McCain - WFP Executive Director

Jan 04 2024 31 mins  
Cindy 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 w

Pursuing Justice in ISIL’s Wake - Christian Ritscher - UN Special Adviser

Dec 28 2023 32 mins  
Christian 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 up

Unleashing Hidden Talent - Gordon Brown - UN Special Envoy for Global Education

Dec 21 2023 36 mins  
A 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

Haunted by Tales of Torture - Alice Jill Edwards - UN Special Rapporteur on Torture

Dec 15 2023 36 mins  
Dr. 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

A Painstaking Quest for Justice - Catherine Marchi-Uhel - Head of IIIM

Dec 08 2023 32 mins  
A 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.

Saving Seas, One Swim at a Time - Lewis Pugh - Ocean Advocate for the UN Environment Programme

Nov 28 2023 34 mins  
Lewis 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

Sorrow and relief on the shores of Greece - Erasmia Roumana - Protection associate, UNHCR

Nov 24 2023 36 mins  
Erasmia 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

Invigorated by Africa - Stephen Jackson - UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya

Nov 17 2023 40 mins  
Stephen 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

Feeding the Forgotten - Reena Ghelani - UN ASG Famine Prevention and Response Coordinator

Nov 10 2023 35 mins  
Reena 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 f