Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives

Send us Fan Mail How can academic research shape humanitarian action? This is the question at the heart of today's insightful discussion between two Education in Emergencies (EiE) colleagues from Save the Children International.  Casey Pearson (EiE Technical Learning Specialist) sits down with Rafka Daoud (EiE Professional Development Programme Manager) to explore the critical connections bet...

Send us Fan Mail In this thought-provoking episode, Ka Man Parkinson speaks to Dr Cornelia C. Walther to hear her expert take on the implications of AI for humanitarians - and the actions we can take today to keep abreast of developments. Cornelia's experience positions her as an insightful and authoritative thought leader in this space: a former humanitarian leader with over 20 years of expe...

Send us Fan Mail How can you shape a meaningful and purpose-driven career in the humanitarian sector and beyond?  Tune in to this episode to glean insights from Ana Lucia Villagran , a Learning Solutions Specialist at HLA’s Latin America and Caribbean Regional Centre from Guatemala, and Selim Uysal , an independent humanitarian consultant and trainer from Türkiye, now based in Germany.  Ana Lucia...

Send us Fan Mail To celebrate World Poetry Day 2025, we explore the power of creative expression for forging connections and inspiring action within our communities and beyond. The HLA's Ka Man Parkinson connects with two inspiring members of Poetic Unity , Tariq Brown and Blaize Alexis-Anglin , who performed powerful pieces at the inaugural Humanitarian Xchange event in London in February 20...

Send us Fan Mail "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek." When Natasha Nishimwe (Save the Children International) stepped into a new role in a global team, she felt like an imposter. But by taking action through coaching, she unlocked her confidence, overcame self-doubt and stepped into new professional opportunities.  Guided by Charlotte Balfour-Poole, Head of Coaching...

Send us Fan Mail In this two-part podcast, join coaching expert Charlotte Balfour-Poole to explore the transformative power of coaching in the humanitarian sector. In the first episode, together with host Ka Man Parkinson, discover key coaching tools for managing wellbeing, building resilience, and unlocking personal and professional growth. Gain insights into the process through a flash coaching...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we continue talking about youth participation in humanitarian and civic action.  We discuss how youth can and should be involved in crisis response, humanitarian action, and development.  Hear from participants of the Youth Leadership for Emerging Future programme Miro Béreš and Maria Andruchiw, as well as Kacper Rynio, the HLA's Programme Officer in Eastern...

Send us Fan Mail 24 February 2025 marks the third anniversary of the escalation of the armed conflict in Ukraine. In this conversation, we focus on lessons learnt from these three years of delivering humanitarian response with the goal to support and strengthen locally-led action. Oksana Dobrovolska, Communications Officer at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (the HLA), talks with Kamila Wujec,...

Send us Fan Mail As we mark the second anniversary of the Türkiye-Syria earthquake response, this podcast episode is dedicated to reflections, lessons learnt, and remaining challenges. Oksana Dobrovolska, Communications Officer at the HLA, hosts a conversation with Bdour Ghousheh, the HLA Regional Lead in the Middle East and North Africa, and Samantha Davis, the HLA Deputy Director for Learning an...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to build a career that spans continents, sectors, and some of the world’s most pressing challenges?   In this episode, the HLA’s Ka Man Parkinson is joined by Kate Beale , Managing Director at Crowell Global Advisors, who shares her extraordinary journey from grassroots work in Paraguay to influencing global policy in Washington DC.  In this exclusive interview f...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we take you on a deep dive exploration of a transformative programme designed to address the unique challenges faced by women working in the education context in crisis affected communities across Pakistan. We published the initial story of the training as it happened, and in this episode we present an audio journey of this initiative by sharing voices from the tr...

Send us Fan Mail A principios de octubre de 2024, el equipo de HLA en América Latina y el Caribe, junto con 4 organizaciones locales y Save the Children International, se embarcaron en un emocionante viaje: empoderar a los jóvenes en Perú. Ir más allá del fortalecimiento de capacidades para ofrecer una oportunidad que potencialmente pueda cambiar la vida de ocho jóvenes graduados de diversos campo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we focus on Youth Leadership and talk about the importance of youth participation. On the Youth Leadership for Emerging Future programme example, we discuss how youth can and should be involved in crisis response, humanitarian action, and development. The participants shared about the challenges they identified and how they addressed them while working on their pr...

Send us Fan Mail With the global mental health crisis affecting one in four people – and nearly everyone within communities impacted by crisis including conflict and disasters – the need for mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) is more urgent than ever. In this episode, Ka Man Parkinson holds a candid conversation with Marie Dahl and Dr Victor Ugo from The MHPSS Collaborative. Marie and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode - part two of our deep dive exploration of humanitarian learning in 2024 - we continue the insightful conversation with passionate learning advocates Janet Nyaoro, Eleonora Aralla and Neba Ambe Azinui. In the first instalment of this conversation, Humanitarian learning in 2024: perspectives from Africa , the trio discuss the nature of and trends in humanitarian lea...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode - the first instalment of our two-part series - we explore current trends in humanitarian learning with a special focus on Africa. We sit down with three passionate advocates of learning in all forms: Janet Nyaoro (HLA East and Southern Africa Regional Centre) , Eleonora Aralla (CAFOD Zimbabwe and Eswatini) and Neba Ambe Azinui (Grace Charitable and Rehabilitation...

Send us Fan Mail Feminist Leadership - a not-so-widely known or understood term.   What is Feminist Leadership? What does it actually mean? Is its meaning simply implied in its name? Listen to this insightful conversation led by Rachel O'Brien , Director of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy (HLA). Rachel is joined by two mavens on this topic: Srilatha Batliwala , Feminist Activist and Archi...

Send us Fan Mail Hear Bidjan Nashat , tech entrepreneur and seasoned humanitarian leader, speak candidly on the challenges and opportunities in advancing localisation within the humanitarian sector. In this open and informative conversation with the HLA's Ka Man Parkinson, Bidjan critiques current localisation debates and advocates for practical, actionable steps to drive meaningful change. ...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we are focusing on locally-led humanitarian research.  On the SHIFT programme example and reflecting on our partnerships with researchers in Ukraine and Poland, we discuss how local specialists are and should be involved in data collection, analysis, and research design. Tune in to hear from Maryana Zaviyska , Chief of Project Portfolio at Open Space Works, a Ukra...

Send us Fan Mail Dans cet épisode de podcast, Anne Garcon mène une discussion approfondie avec deux spécialistes de l'éducation en situation d'urgence en Afrique de l'Ouest et Centrale: Mathilde Lemaire , Responsable du programme de développement professionnel de l’éducation en situation d’urgence pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest et Centrale à HLA et Yaya Diarrassouba , Conseiller régional...

Send us Fan Mail What are the biggest challenges refugees and migrants from the LGBTQ+ community face in Poland, and how do locally-led organisations create networks and structures to support them?   In this episode, we are talking about the Ukraine crisis response in Poland with a focus on strengthening the capacity of local organisations and advocacy for LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees.     Hear th...

Send us Fan Mail Este es el primer episodio en español de la serie del podcast: 'Nuevas Perspectivas Humanitarias' de HLA. En este episodio, Ana Lucía Villagran , Especialista en Soluciones de Aprendizaje en América Latina y el Caribe; obtiene ideas significativas de Mercedes García , líder de HLA para la región y Dan Stothart , Director Humanitario Regional de Save the Children en Améri...

Send us Fan Mail How can we harness the power of communities and networks as tools for humanitarian learning? In this podcast episode, Esther Grieder (the HLA's Global Communities and Partnerships Lead), leads a deep dive discussion with three seasoned community builders from Ghana, Nigeria and the UK to share and compare professional experiences. Tune in to hear insightful learnings and refl...

Send us Fan Mail Are you curious about coaching and mentoring - but not sure if it’s right for you, or how to get started?  Charlotte Balfour-Poole, Head of Coaching at the HLA, provides her expert overview of coaching and mentoring, and highlights how they can be used as powerful tools to support every humanitarian. In conversation with Ka Man Parkinson, Charlotte helps to demystify the concepts,...

Send us Fan Mail The delivery of high quality humanitarian learning - face-to-face or online is not devoid of unique challenges. As crises occur, it becomes increasingly important to carefully analyse capacity strengthening experiences and then introduce simple yet innovative methods to counter challenges faced so that training can get to the people who need it most. In this second part podcast ep...