Humanitarian Conversations

May 21 2024 4

Humanitarian Conversations Podcast artwork

Humanitarian Conversations is a RedR Australia podcast exploring what it means to be a humanitarian in today’s world, hosted by Sally Cunningham and produced by Jill Farrar. Through interviews with notable humanitarians who have worked all over the globe, we learn about the surprising twists and turns in their careers and delve into the big issues facing the humanitarian sector. Tune in to a new episode every month.

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Simione Bula is empowering inclusion in the Pacific

May 21 2024 27 mins

In Pacific Island countries such as Fiji, the first education for a young child is often learning traditional knowledge. And for humanitarian Simione Bula, preserving and protecting this valuable knowledge is vital to navigating future disasters in the region. Simione is a highly experienced disaster management and disability inclusion specialist, with nearly two decades of experie

For Richard Simpson, leadership starts with listening

Apr 18 2024 26 mins

From taking cover in bomb shelters in Ukraine, to herding donkeys in Afghanistan, to drinking kava in Fiji, Richard Simpson has many rich insights from 25 years as a humanitarian leader, innovator and educator. After a serendipitous meeting with a United Nations official in Turkey in the 90s, followed by a degree in anthropology and Latin American studies, Richard found a path into

For Vuli Gauna, we are connected by the ocean

Mar 17 2024 27 mins

Hailing from ‘a tiny drop in the ocean’ in eastern Fiji, Vuli Gauna survived a cyclone when he was just two years old. Observing the growing intensity of storms as he grew up, he was inspired to volunteer and eventually work for a wide range of Red Cross societies across the Pacific, as well as the IFRC. Now, with nearly 30 years’ experience in disaster preparedness, response

Hannah Jay’s hope for gender equality

Feb 08 2024 23 mins

For Hannah Jay, the inspiring power of women and girls has fueled her life’s work. As a gender expert in the humanitarian sector for more than a decade, Hannah has dedicated her career to addressing gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts. She’s worked extensively across Asia and the Pacific, supporting a wide range of organisations including the United Nations, the Worl

Kathryn Harries is sharing the power of clean water

Nov 15 2023 19 mins

It’s not a glamorous job working with toilets. But having access to clean water, sanitation and good hygiene is lifesaving stuff, and thankfully for us it’s Kathryn Harries’ dream job. A highly experienced water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) engineer and humanitarian leader, Kathryn worked for Sydney Water Corporation for a decade before transitioning to the international hu

Dr. Helen Durham is balancing courage and compassion

Oct 16 2023 24 mins

Passionate, persistent, patient—these are three qualities Dr. Helen Durham AO says are essential for humanitarians. And whether she’s addressing the UN Security Council in New York or mediating with the military in times of conflict, Helen embodies them all—while staying true to her humanitarian imperative. A trailblazer in international humanitarian law, RedR Australia’s C

Mel Bencik’s superpower is empathy

Sep 18 2023 25 mins

Growing up as the child of migrants, Melissa Bencik always knew she wanted to work with people from diverse backgrounds. Now a deeply experienced humanitarian, Melissa has worked across Asia, Africa, the Pacific and Australia, predominantly in protection and inclusion. She is also a RedR Australia roster member. In this episode, Mel chats with Sally about a wide array of topics—f

For Peter Grzic, mum knows best

Sep 18 2023 25 mins

When Peter Grzic’s mum returned from a trip and handed him a business card from a disaster responder she met on the plane, he never suspected his life would end up how she envisioned. Years later, Grzic is an experienced humanitarian, as well as a trainer on RedR Australia courses. For the very first episode of Humanitarian Conversations, Grzic sat down with Sally to talk about w

Introducing Humanitarian Conversations

Sep 11 2023 1 mins

Humanitarian Conversations is a RedR Australia podcast about what it means to be a humanitarian in today's world, hosted by Sally Cunningham and produced by Jill Farrar. Through interviews with notable and experienced humanitarians from across the globe, we’ll delve into the big issues facing the humanitarian sector and we’ll learn about the surprising twists and turns in their