Powerful images of migrants drowned at sea, crossing over razor-wire fences or arriving on shore after a shipwreck have propelled the current migration phenomenon to the forefront of public consciousness in Europe in the past year. The photos of the infant Aylan Kurdi, who was washed up on the shore in Turkey, were perhaps the most heart-stopping for many. But other, equally tragic, dramas are unfolding for migrants as they embark on dangerous journeys across oceans, deserts, and heavily patrolled borders and lands controlled by gangs or rival armed groups. This collection of photos, from Africa, the Americas and Asia, tell part of the migration story that has received less attention than the crisis in the Mediterranean.
It’s the stuff of science fiction: machines that make decisions about who and when to kill. Referred to as “autonomous weapons”, they’re already in use to some degree. But as more sophisticated systems are being developed we wanted to an expert in the field about whether such systems comply with international humanitarian law and what it means for humanity to give machines the power over human life and death.
In this episode, we talk with humanitarian communicator Kathy Mueller who produced our first magazine podcast series, The Wildfire Diaries, about massive wildfires in Northern Canada in 2017. We talk about that series, her many international missions, and the big changes in humanitarian communications since she began with the Canadian Red Cross almost 20 years ago.
In this episode, we talk about the power of storytelling to inform and inspire. “Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of human communication,” says our guest Prodip, a volunteer and multi-media storyteller for the Bangladesh Red Crescent. “It inspires us to be a hero of our own community.” We also speak with one such community hero, Dalal al-Taji, a longtime volunteer and advocate for inclusion of people with disabilities in emergencies response. “In disasters. persons with disabilities sometimes get forgotten.”
Refugees, migrants and asylum seekers often become “cultural mediators” to help other newcomers deal with challenges such as COVID-19.
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