Advertise on podcast: Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention

The Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect’s Expert Voices on Atrocity Prevention podcast features one-on-one conversations with practitioners in the fields of human rights protection and atrocity prevention. In this episode, we sat down with Nicole Namwezi Batumike, Policy and Advocacy Lead at the Panzi Foundation. Nicole explains how the exploitation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) vast mineral wealth fuels harm and directly intersects with the experiences of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. She also reflects on the limitations of due diligence alone and the need for stronger protections, reparations and meaningful participation by Congolese civil society in decisions that affect their future. The episode closes with Nicole emphasizing the urgent need to rethink systems that continue to perpetuate inequality, exploitation and conflict.

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Sarah Teitt, Director of the Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect and Senior Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. During the episode Sarah discusses the critical connections between peacebuilding and atrocity prevention. Drawing on examples from Myanmar (Burma) and Bangladesh, she explores how integrating an atrocity prevention lens into peacebuilding initiatives can broaden those efforts. The episode concludes with reflections on the importance of locally-led prevention efforts and continued creative action at a time when the multilateral system is under significant political and financial strain.

In this episode, we sat down with Daniel Akech, Senior Analyst for South Sudan at the International Crisis Group. Daniel examines the unraveling of South Sudan’s 2018 revitalized peace agreement, including its power-sharing arrangement between President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar, and the risks surrounding the country’s elections tentatively scheduled for December. He also discusses the role of the UN and regional actors in preventing further atrocities. Throughout the conversation, Daniel challenges common assumptions about how power and conflict operate in South Sudan and reflects on why sustainable peace will ultimately depend on South Sudanese leadership and a shared political vision.

In this episode we sat down with Mai El-Sadany, Executive Director of the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy, to discuss the escalating crisis in Lebanon and its implications for civilian protection and international law. Drawing on her experience as a human rights lawyer, Mai examines the humanitarian consequences of repeated military escalation, the erosion of ceasefire agreements and the urgent need to center Lebanese voices in discussions about the country’s future. The conversation also explores the relationship between accountability, reconstruction and long-term peace, as well as the broader consequences of the erosion of international legal norms. This episode was recorded on 23 June 2026 and does not reflect subsequent developments or the most recent casualty figures in Lebanon. his episode was recorded on 23 June 2026 and does not reflect subsequent developments or the most recent casualty figures in Lebanon. For more information see this article co-authored by Mai here: What Does the Trilateral Framework Mean for Lebanon? https://timep.org/2026/07/01/what-does-the-trilateral-framework-mean-for-lebanon/

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 Sudan and the Great Lakes region, emphasizing the need for early action and stronger international cooperation. Special Adviser Beyani also reflects on the Office’s engagement with civil society and the importance of adapting existing frameworks to address emerging threats to human rights.

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. She discusses the qualities needed in a Secretary-General who can navigate geopolitical constraints, address systemic issues and effectively leverage the UN’s role. Natalie also explores the importance of visionary leadership that can balance peace and security with development and humanitarian efforts, while proposing reforms to strengthen the UN’s efficiency and legitimacy.

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 warning and structural prevention, with a particular emphasis on the role of city leaders in addressing identity-based harm. They also underscore the need for stronger collaboration between global and local actors to enhance prevention efforts and improve community safety.

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 Council’s unique tools for atrocity prevention, the gap between Geneva and New York and what reforms could strengthen the HRC’s effectiveness in an increasingly polarized international system.

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. Together, Feliciano and Elisabeth provide insight on how Venezuela's human rights situation has – and has not – changed since the United States removed Nicolás Maduro from power on 3 January. The episode concludes with a discussion on how the international community can support Venezuelans in realizing their human rights and shaping the country’s future.

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 coup has shaped the ongoing crises across the country. Tom also discusses how he has leveraged his role as Special Rapporteur to highlight enablers of atrocities and explore avenues for justice, among other issues. He also addresses the critical role of civil society and discusses what the international community must do differently to respond more effectively to the myriad crises in Myanmar today.

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 protection – and where opportunities for effective action still exist. Shamala ends by reflecting on the evolving role of elected members in strengthening the Council’s capacity to respond when it matters most.

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 experience and work with communities targeted by surveillance and profiling, Meetali offers insights into corporate accountability, the limits of soft law and how to approach meaningful regulation.

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 witnessing. Bushra also discusses how the the dehumanization and dispossession of Palestinians in Israel and in global media and policy spaces has fueled longstanding impunity for Israel's violations of international law. In this regard, she emphasizes the need for breaking paternalistic patterns and for meaningfully including Palestinians in decisions on their future.

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 discusses how grassroots organizations in the region continue their work amid political pressure and conflict, and describes how these challenges have shaped efforts to protect women and girls in Sudan over the last two decades. The episode ends with a powerful call to action for accountability for abuses against women and girls in the Horn.

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 with Alexander Bellamy, Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at The University of Queensland, Australia. During the episode, Alex shares insights from his extensive scholarship on R2P, including his collaboration with Edward Luck, the first UN Special Adviser on R2P. The conversation also explores the role of regional organizations in advancing R2P, the consequences of its uneven implementation and concludes with a message to the next generation of atrocity prevention scholars and practitioners.