Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives

Send us Fan Mail When we talk about co-designing humanitarian AI systems with communities, what does this look like in practice - and what happens when systems fail to address real world humanitarian complexities? The HLA's Ka Man Parkinson sits down with three practitioners who have been an integral part of the HLA/Data Friendly Space humanitarian AI research and convening journey over the p...

Send us Fan Mail How can humanitarian organisations develop responsible and ethical approaches to AI - during a time of deep funding shortfalls and structural change?   During 2025-2026, the HLA and Data Friendly Space have been leading the world's first study to track how humanitarians are using AI. We're sitting down for a mid-year conversation to take stock and discuss what the data a...

Send us Fan Mail "The real question is whether the humanitarian system is willing to distribute power fast enough to match that reality. Because ultimately, localisation is not about politics. It's about trust, decision making, resources, recognition, and whether the people closest to the crisis are also closest to the decision shaping of the response." - Julio Simancas, Head of Par...

Send us Fan Mail  In the face of profound and rapid change, how are humanitarian organisations rethinking communications in 2026?  The humanitarian landscape is changing quickly - shaped by AI, funding pressures, and shifting audience expectations, raising critical questions about how organisations communicate, connect, and build trust.  In this episode, Amanda Hinkel-Mauceri , Director of Marketi...

Send us Fan Mail كيف يمكن للقادة المحليين تجاوز الحواجز المنظومية لإحداث تغيير إنساني حقيقي؟ "نحن ليس لدينا مشكلة طموح... المشكلة هي بالفرص." – علي المقداد في هذه الحلقة باللغة العربية من بودكاست آفاق إنسانية جديدة ، يستضيف فيصل مسلط، مدير مشروع الاستجابة للأزمات في الأكاديمية الإنسانية للقيادة (HLA)، علي المقداد، القائد الاستراتيجي الأول، في حوار صريح حول معنى القيادة في السياقات الإنسا...

Send us Fan Mail How does blockchain and cryptocurrency fit into broader conversations on humanitarian sector reform? Are they a temporary 'fad' - or are there deeper applications and implications worth exploring meaningfully today?  When we hear the terms cryptocurrency and blockchain in the humanitarian context, we may consider these as deeply technical and financial domains that may n...

Send us Fan Mail "This humanitarian reset will fail if young people are not involved in the conversations" - Abdulrazak Abubakar, Co-Founder of Kaleri Youth Group Nigeria In this special segment of the podcast, Amouki Kaayou , Jocelyn Keller , Judy Mwangoma and Pure Esumei - young professionals attending and volunteering with the UNOCHA HNPW Secretariat for this year's Humanitarian...

Send us Fan Mail Tracking trends in artificial intelligence adoption across the humanitarian sector through a new pulse survey To mark the launch of the January 2026 pulse survey , Ka Man Parkinson and Lucy Hall from the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, and Madigan Johnson from Data Friendly Space discuss this next phase of their groundbreaking humanitarian AI research. Building on insights from t...

Send us Fan Mail How can solidarity transform humanitarian leadership to truly centre communities? In this candid leadership-focused conversation, Marina Kobzeva speaks with Ka Man Parkinson about the humanitarian sector at a critical juncture - and the unlearning, reflection and change required of all of us.  Drawing on her lived experience and two decades as a humanitarian leader, Marina explore...

Send us Fan Mail How can humanitarian organisations bridge the AI readiness gap through critical thinking and localised approaches? Humanitarian organisations face a critical challenge: while individual staff members are racing ahead with AI experimentation in their daily work.  According to new research from NetHope, only around 9% of nonprofit organisations report being fully ready for systemati...

Send us Fan Mail Questioning visuals in humanitarian communications and fundraising in light of localisation and AI. The use of images is crucial in the way we communicate especially in the humanitarian sector where an image is truly "worth a thousand words", many emotions, conversations and storage for historic information. In this episode Deborah Adesina (Debby) , Doctoral Scholar at t...

Send us Fan Mail How can experimentation and collaboration bridge the gap between humanitarian AI aspirations and reality?  Our recent AI research conducted in partnership with Data Friendly Space highlighted infrastructural constraints and risk tolerance as major barriers to AI adoption. In this fifth instalment of our six-part Humanitarian AI podcast series, we explore how Rwanda's innovati...

Send us Fan Mail How can indigenous knowledge systems and African philosophy reshape how we build and deploy AI for humanitarian work? Our research surfaced ethical and cultural concerns from humanitarians worldwide, particularly around the ownership and suitability of AI systems developed elsewhere for localised humanitarian action. How can communities shape AI rather than simply receive it? In t...

Send us Fan Mail How can humanitarians engage responsibly with AI tools without clear governance frameworks? Only one in five humanitarian organisations have formal AI policies despite widespread usage - creating a "governance vacuum." How can organisations develop robust AI governance when operating across diverse regulatory environments whilst AI regulation is still emerging? In the th...

Send us Fan Mail How can humanitarian organisations bridge the gap between individual AI experimentation and organisational adoption? In this second instalment of our six-part humanitarian AI podcast series, Ka Man Parkinson sits down with Michael Tjalve to explore how organisations can move from experimentation to the deployment of ethical, fit-for-purpose AI solutions - if an organisation decide...

Send us Fan Mail The humanitarian community conversation on AI continues. Tune into a companion episode where the team respond to community questions raised at the August 2025 online launch event of the report ' How are humanitarians using AI in 2025? Mapping current practice and future potential ' from the Humanitarian Leadership Academy and Data Friendly Space.  The research team Lucy...

Send us Fan Mail How can artificial intelligence research be designed with community engagement at heart? When a simple LinkedIn poll asking humanitarians how often they use AI was scaled into a global survey attracting 2,500+ responses, it revealed something unexpected: practitioners are hungry to discuss AI adoption but lack the community space to air views and experiences.  The team behind the...

Send us Fan Mail “Do not look at refugees solely as vulnerable people in need of aid. Recognise them as skilled capable and resilient individuals who have been displaced by the conflict. We believe that refugees should be seen as partners not just as beneficiaries and that’s what Women Refugees for Peace and Development are currently doing.” – Amira Some call it the 'forgotten crisis' bu...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when someone who anticipated the sector's funding freezes looks ahead to what's coming next? 💭 "Chaos is part of this ecosystem we are operating, and we've been operating on the edge of that chaos... So it's very important when you are rethinking your models right now you have an opportunity. Please don't waste a serious crisis." -...

Send us Fan Mail “Being a leader, especially in this sector right now - it's not clear. We are all struggling and trying to find answers to big questions…I think the main important part is to try to sit and think and reflect…it's important to keep your eyes on the North Star, on the long-term goal, but also look at the present - how to deal with what's happening now while rememberin...

Send us Fan Mail على المائدة ام على القائمة؟ المستجيبون الاوائل في طليعة العمل الانساني البراء البشير و نهال الزاكي في محادثة مع مصعب الهادي و مقدمة قصيرة من نانسي تُسلّط هذه الحلقة، "على المائدة ام على القائمة؟" ، الضوء على العاملين في المجال الإنساني الذين كانوا في الخطوط الأمامية للاستجابة في السودان. "لا تأتي إليّ بنهجك الفوقي. بصفتي مُستجيبًا أوليًا أو متطوعًا ميدانيًا، وبصفتي...

Send us Fan Mail How can you stay connected to your 'why' as a humanitarian leader during these challenging times? 💬 " Whatever it is that you do, if you're not doing it with a full heart... something needs to change." - Foutoun Khalil Tune in to an inspiring conversation with two remarkable women navigating leadership in today's challenging humanitarian landscape. K...

Send us Fan Mail A mini episode of Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives from Humanitarian Xchange Kampala. Communications and Marketing Specialist Nwabundo Okoh speaks with Joyce Nyaboga , Senior Network Development Advisor - Start Network; Dr. Atif Shdad , Emergency Response Rooms - Sudan; Huseyin Arslan , Consultant - Save the Children International and Nancy Mureti , Head of Regional Centers - Human...

Send us Fan Mail How can technology support dignified, community-led humanitarian action? Continuing a thematic exploration of humanitarian tech, Ka Man Parkinson speaks with Layma Murtaza and Safi Noorzai from Aseel – a social enterprise reimagining how aid can work through digital innovation, local leadership and global connection. This is a conversation about systems change from the ground up:...

Send us Fan Mail Ka Man Parkinson is joined by Lucy Hall from the Humanitarian Leadership Academy and Madigan Johnson from Data Friendly Space to discuss a landmark joint survey on AI adoption in the humanitarian sector. Together, they explore how artificial intelligence is currently being used, what future potential it holds, and why this research is so vital. No matter where you are in the human...