Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention

In this episode we sat down with Chaloka Beyani, the Special Adviser of the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide. During the episode, Special Adviser Beyani explores the role of the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect in early warning and the prevention of atrocities. He examines the international community’s response to ongoing crises in Sudan, South S...

In this episode we sat down with Natalie Samarasinghe, Executive Director of the Public Engagement Platform for Climate Action and co-founder of the 1 for 8 Billion campaign. During the episode, Natalie discusses her career in human rights and the UN system, and how those experiences shaped her advocacy for greater transparency and public engagement in the UN Secretary-General selection process. S...

In this episode we sat down with Jai-Ayla Sutherland and Kelsey Paul Shantz, Program Officers for Mass Violence and Atrocities at the Stanley Center for Peace and Security. Jai and Kelsey discuss their work on preventing mass violence, including their recently published co-edited volume, Identity-Based Mass Violence in Urban Contexts: Uncovered. The conversation highlights the importance of early...

In this episode, we sat down with Eric Tistounet, founder of the Lake Room Initiative and former Chief of the Human Rights Branch at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. During the discussion, Eric reflects on 20 years since the establishment of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and how it has responded to human rights crises across the globe. The conversation also explores the...

In this special episode, we sat down with Feliciano Reyna, founder of Acción Solidaria and a Venezuelan humanitarian and human rights defender, alongside Elisabeth Pramendorfer, the Global Centre’s Geneva Director and Venezuela expert. During the discussion Feliciano reflects on the evolution of Venezuela’s multidimensional crisis and its impact on the human rights of populations in the country. T...

In this episode, we sat down with Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar and Director of the Asia Center and the Southeast Asia Human Rights Project at Harvard University. Marking the fifth anniversary of the 2021 military coup in Myanmar (Burma), Tom examines the escalating atrocity risks for populations amidst the junta's ongoing "elections" and how the co...

In our first episode of 2026, we sat down with Shamala Kandiah Thompson, Executive Director of Security Council Report. During the episode Shamala offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the UN Security Council functions, particularly during moments of crisis. She explores how Council dynamics, working methods and political divisions shape decisions on conflict, humanitarian access and civilian pro...

In our last episode of 2025, we sat down with Meetali Jain, Director of the Tech Justice Law Project. During the episode Meetali reflects on her unexpected path into tech reform and how it was shaped by the alarming rise of online disinformation and hate speech. She explores how weak global data protections and unregulated algorithms can fuel real-world violence. Drawing on her litigation experien...

In this episode, we sat down with Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s Policy Lead in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Bushra reflects on her dual identities as a Palestinian and a humanitarian, and how this has shaped her approach to her work. She speaks to the critical role that humanitarian actors have played in not just providing physical aid, but also in highlighting the truth of abuses they are witnes...

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...

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 wit...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 Cent...

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 ar...

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...

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 civilia...

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...

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 ho...

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 communit...

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...