Intercross: The Podcast

In November 2014, the International Committee of the Red Cross' delegation in Washington DC and the American Red Cross teamed up with the world's largest oral history initiative, StoryCorps, to collect conversations between people whose lives have been touched by the Red Cross. Here is the ICRC's Regional Delegation in Washington's outgoing head of delegation Francois Stamm speaking with Brigadier...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we discuss the future of US detention in armed conflict. In May 2016, the ICRC's Washington delegation, Harvard Law School's PILAC, and the Naval War College's Stockton Center held their inaugural joint IHL workshop on the same topic. About 30 experts convened for two days to discuss, debate and explore the issue. An outcomes report was just recently rele...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with ICRC's Head of Communications in Syria, Pawel Krzsiek. Pawel has been on the frontlines in Syria both leading up to the conflict and again since 2015. What is the latest situation on the ground? The recent ICRC report on Urban Warfare, I Saw My City Die, found that nearly half of all civilian war deaths worldwide occurred in Syria, Iraq a...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, ICRC in Washington's Legal Advisor discusses the classifications of conflict. How are conflicts classified? What is the impact of classification? Are they binding according to the Geneva Conventions? What's ICRC's role in classification? A great primer conversation. Hosted by Tracey Begley.

With this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we're excited to host the third iteration in our new cultural series where we explore the intersection of conflict and culture. In this episode we sit down with Hirad Abtahi. Since 2004, he has headed the Legal and Enforcement Unit of the Presidency of the International Criminal Court and has some twenty years of experience in international criminal jus...

With this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we're excited to host the third iteration in our new cultural series where we explore the intersection of conflict and culture. In this episode we sit down with Hirad Abtahi. Since 2004, he has headed the Legal and Enforcement Unit of the Presidency of the International Criminal Court and has some twenty years of experience in international criminal jus...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we talk with the outgoing Head of Delegation for the ICRC in Libya, Katja Lorenz. Katja discusses the continually changing context for operating in Libya, the humanitarian needs on the ground and how the daily lives of Libyans have been impacted since fighting began. Hosted by Niki Clark.

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with ICRC's Regional Director for Africa Patricia Danzi. She talks about the challenges of working in a context that many perceive more as a country than a continent, the critical issues not being covered, how to make space for Africa in a crowded humanitarian landscape and the stories of hope and innovation that keep her inspired. Hosted by N...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, Sara Owens and Guest Host Trevor Keck sit down with ICRC in Washington's Policy Advisor Marcia Wong and Hugo Slim, Head of Policy. They discuss how humanitarian diplomacy helps catalyze ICRC's policy work, how the organization is using evidence, experience and expertise in moving the needle on policy and the recent urban warfare report that details what h...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, Sara Owens is joined by two delegates who have paved the way for the ICRC to adopt sport and inclusion as a priority for the physically disabled communities in conflict-affected countries. Alberto Cairo, one of the ICRC's most revered delegates, has been in Kabul, Afghanistan with the ICRC's orthopedic and physical rehabilitation program for 27 years. He...

With this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we're excited to host the second iteration in our new cultural series where we  explore the intersection of conflict and culture.  In this episode we sit down with Photographer Daniel Sonnentag, Penny Eifrig and her 17 year old daughter Saede. They are the minds behind They Have Names, a social media and photography campaign that began after the Eifregs...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with Lynn Levine, Director of Communications for the American Red Cross in Boston. With the launch of the ICRC Collaborative Platform happening on what would had been Red Cross founder Henry Dunant's 189th birthday, we took the opportunity to have a conversation about what it means to be a Red Crosser, Lynn's path to the Red Cross, the Boston...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we sit down with Christoph Harnisch, head of delegation in Bogota, Colombia. With more than 30 years working for the ICRC, Harnisch brings a rich and storied perspective of complex and protracted conflicts. We discuss how reaching a peace deal is really just the first step for the country, the ICRC's role in negotiations, the challenges Colombians still f...

With this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we're excited to launch a new cultural series where we will explore the intersection of conflict and culture. You can find a new addition to the series on the fourth Tuesday of every month. In "From Athens to Aleppo: Shakespeare and the Rules of War" host Sara Owens and ICRC Legal Advisor Andrea Harrison sit down with Stephen Ryan, a lawyer who sits on...

After 25 years with the ICRC, South Sudan Head of Delegation Jürg Eglin has experienced pretty much everything. But the famine facing the world's newest country is one of the worst in history, even to a career humanitarian. Eglin, along with ICRC in Washington's Trevor Keck sits down with Intercross the Podcast to discuss the situation on the ground, ICRC's operational response and the humanitaria...

In this episode, Intercross the Podcast speaks with Dr. Ahmed Al-Dawoody, the ICRC Legal Adviser on Islamic Law and Jurisprudence. What are the connections between Islamic law and international humanitarian law?  Who is protected under both areas of law?  And who is excluded? Join us for a discussion on the interpretation of Islamic law, its historical roots, and its similarities and differences w...

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, Sara Owens sits down with three students from Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Mary Macleod, Elena Sakelaris, and Constantine Gavrillos, to reflect on their experience preparing for and competing at the Clara Barton Competition, what they took away from the competition, and advise for future participants. The Clara Barton IHL Competition (CBC) pro...

Dale Stephens and Pete Hays discuss the intricacies of military operations and outer space. There are over a thousands satellites orbiting the earth that are used in our everyday lives. This podcast explores their military use and vulnerabilities, and the laws that govern outer space operations. Hosted by Tracey Begley.

In this episode of Intercross the Podcast, we speak with two women working in one of the most dangerous countries in the world for aid workers, South Sudan. Deepmala Mahla serves as Country Director for Mercy Corps and Alyona Synenko is the ICRC's Communications Delegate, both located in Juba.  In honor of International Women's Day, join us for a frank discussion (and our first Skype podcast!) abo...

In this, our first episode, meet our hosts Niki Clark, Tracey Begley and Sara Owens, learn about our ambitions and visions for the podcast and how you can stay up to date on the latest episodes. Look for interesting discussions about the people and places behind the work of the ICRC, operational updates, legal debates, millennial perspectives and attitudes and more.

ICRC Director of Communications Charlotte Lindsay sits down with Intercross to discuss her journey to becoming the first non-Swiss delegate with the ICRC, the changing way we communicate, and how her decades with the organization started with a simple book recommendation. Hosted by Niki Clark.

Professor Claudia Josi from the Santa Clara School of Law speaks with Intercross about transitional justice. From her own experiences growing up during conflict in Peru, Josi speaks about legal dimensions of a society transitioning from conflict to peace. Hosted by Tracey Begley.

Olivier Dubois, coordinator for the Missing Persons program and Ute Hofmeister, forensics coordinator, speak to Intercross about the ICRC's work surrounding the missing. During conflicts, thousands of people disappear. How do you find them or give their family closures, particularly when it's been decades since their disappearance? How does ICRC support the families of the missing? And what motiva...

Brian McQuinn and Jonathan Somer talk about the challenges of working with non-state armed groups. McQuinn and Somer both have extensive experience working with non-state armed groups around the world, trying to strengthen compliance with international humanitarian law. What they both conclude: humanity is at the heart of compliance. Hosted by Tracey Begley.

Researcher Andrew Bell speaks with Intercross regarding an upcoming ICRC report on the influencing behaviors of war. Bell discusses his role in the study and how his background, an interesting intersection of theology, law, political science, security and conflict, brought a unique view to the study. Hosted by Niki Clark and Tracey Begley.