Awake At Night

United Nations, Melissa Fleming
  • 5.0 (2)
  • NEWS COMMENTARY
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS
Awake At Night

What does it take to be a United Nations worker in some of the world’s most complex and dangerous places? How are UN humanitarians, human rights advocates, prosecutors, development experts, climate leaders and peacekeepers improving our world? 
Stationed in all reaches of the world and witness to suffering and atrocities, how are they helping people and coping themselves?
 To find out, Melissa Fleming meets them. Here you will discover extraordinary personal stories from people who devote their lives to helping others.

  1. 5 DAYS AGO

    Peace is the Most Urgent Medicine - Hans Kluge - World Health Organization Regional Director for Europe

    As a doctor, Dr. Hans Kluge helped save lives in some of the toughest places on Earth. Now the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Europe, he is working to improve the health of hundreds of millions of people - in a region stretching from Vladivostok to Lisbon.     “We cannot have health without peace. Peace is the most urgent medicine.”   Stepping into his European role just as a global pandemic swept the earth, Dr. Kluge never dreamed that his previous experience in crisis-hit sub-Saharan Africa would prove so useful. In this episode, Dr. Kluge reflects on lessons learned during COVID, the mental health crisis, and on some surprising methods to build trust with remote communities.   “My dream and my vision is that we have a culture of health. It means that, independent of your financial means, your sexual orientation, whether you are documented or an undocumented migrant, that you are empowered to live a healthy life, and this means that we have to have universal health coverage.”

    39 min

  2. 29 NOV

    How Much Does it Cost to Feed the World? - Arif Husain - Chief Economist, World Food Programme WFP

    Arif Husain has spent the past decade raising his voice on behalf of those struggling to get enough to eat. Now Chief Economist at the World Food Programme (WFP), he is calling for the world to put a stop to mass hunger.   “We want people to scream at the top of their lungs saying enough is enough […] We as humanity will not tolerate this, regardless of what and where it is happening. It's just not right if you are hurting women, children, innocent people.”   There is no shortage of food in the world, yet the WFP says the number of people going hungry has more than doubled in the past five years. In this episode, Arif Husain reflects on how the deadly trio of conflict, climate change and economics conspire to breed hunger, and offers listeners hope from a surprising source.   “I tell my colleagues … as humanitarians, our jobs are bigger than us… We don't do our job, we lose people. So every time you feel like you don't have to do 100 plus percent, just think about that.”

    35 min

  3. SEASON 10 TRAILER

    Season 10

    Conflict, famine, humanitarian disasters, climate change. Our world and its peoples are facing huge challenges. Wherever and whenever crisis hits, United Nations staff are on the ground saving lives and negotiating at the highest levels to alleviate suffering. This work is only possible due to the personal sacrifices made every day by UN workers around the world. So, what motivates someone to lead the global fight for human rights, equality, or justice? Join UN chief communicator Melissa Fleming as she gets to know the extraordinary people behind the Organization. Coming soon from the United Nations, Season 10 of the podcast Awake at Night.

    1 min

  4. 24 OCT

    Why Actor Edward Norton Champions Biodiversity

    Acclaimed actor, filmmaker and three-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton has long been raising his voice on behalf of the planet and its most vulnerable communities. As a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, he is championing the protection of biodiversity for the well-being of all.   “It’s quite heartbreaking. I started diving, when I was 14, in the Caribbean. The change to the reef environments in the Caribbean in my adult lifetime is staggering and really upsetting. Reefs are in just terrible shape, terrible shape. Bleached, covered with algae, fish a fraction of what they were. What was vibrant and colorful and rich is just sort of denuded. It looks like a burnt forest or something. It’s just not, it’s not as alive.”   Working closely with communities in East Africa and around the world, Edward Norton is pushing for conservation that also tackles poverty by providing sustainable sources of income for local communities.   In this special episode, the Hollywood star reflects on his activist upbringing, his hopes for his children, and on balancing a successful acting career with a rich, varied and meaningful life.

    36 min

  5. 2 AUG

    I promised I will tell the story - Muhannad Hadi - UN Deputy Special Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory

    Muhannad Hadi knew that humanitarian work was his calling from an early age. Now UN Deputy Special Coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, he is devoting himself to helping to alleviate the unimaginable suffering in Gaza.  “They told me that agony, 24/7. They told me what they go through from the morning until they drop asleep, out of exhaustion. And I promised that I will tell the story.” The UN estimates that the ongoing conflict in Gaza has displaced up to 1.9 million people – 90% of the population - many of whom have fled multiple times. In this episode, Muhannad Hadi reflects on the horrendous conditions in Gaza, the importance of having a supportive family, and how his time volunteering in Jordan led to a lifelong humanitarian career.

    44 min

  6. 26 JUL

    Keeping hope alive - Juliette Murekeyisoni - UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

    Growing up as a refugee in Burundi, Juliette Murekeyisoni dedicated herself to helping others from an early age. In her recent role as UNHCR’s deputy representative in South Sudan, she continued to keep hope alive by encouraging refugees to focus on their education and long-term perspectives. “For me, every time I meet them, I tell them: “Don't lose hope, you are not going to be a refugee forever. One day you'll go home, and you can use the skills you have learned here. So, any opportunity you have, learn.”  South Sudan hosts around 330,000 refugees as well as 2 million others internally displaced due to conflict, insecurity and the impact of climate change. In this episode, Juliette Murekeyisoni reflects on improving prospects of those forced to flee, on her own traumatic experiences during the Rwandan genocide, and on a life touched by the kindness of strangers.

    40 min

  7. 19 JUL

    Racing to prevent famine in Gaza - Matthew Hollingworth - World Food Programme (WFP)

    Matthew Hollingworth has worked in conflict zones around the world, from Ukraine to South Sudan and Syria. Previously in charge of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) emergency operations in the West Bank and Gaza, Matthew was responsible for delivering life-saving aid to desperate people. “People ask me every single day when I'm in Gaza: “When will the bombs stop? When will the fighting stop? When will they stop blowing things up? When can I go home?” We don't have the answers. But we do know that that is what's needed.” WFP delivers food relief to more than 120 countries across the world suffering the impacts of conflicts, disasters and climate change. In this episode (recorded on 21 June 2024), Matthew Hollingworth reflects on his daily struggle to prevent famine in Gaza, on the apocalyptic scale of the destruction there, and on the morale boost he gets from working with extraordinary colleagues on the ground.

    38 min

  8. 3 JUL

    To fight global hunger, farmers know best - Beth Bechdol - Deputy Director-General - UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO)

    Growing up on a farm, Beth Bechdol never dreamed of following in her agricultural family’s footsteps. Now Deputy Director-General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she has not only returned to her roots, but is now fighting the corner of farmers the world over. “I know what it takes to grow a crop and to provide enough support for your animals. And if you don't have access to any of that, it's crushing. These are the things that on a regular basis keep me up at night.” The United Nations works to defeat hunger and achieve food security around the world, providing emergency agricultural aid to help mitigate food crises. In this episode, Beth Bechdol reflects on the perils of donor fatigue, on the devastation wrought on agriculture by war and climate change, and on what the world can learn from the wisdom of farmers.

    36 min
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About

What does it take to be a United Nations worker in some of the world’s most complex and dangerous places? How are UN humanitarians, human rights advocates, prosecutors, development experts, climate leaders and peacekeepers improving our world? 
Stationed in all reaches of the world and witness to suffering and atrocities, how are they helping people and coping themselves?
 To find out, Melissa Fleming meets them. Here you will discover extraordinary personal stories from people who devote their lives to helping others.

Information

  • Creator
    United Nations, Melissa Fleming
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    113
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © United Nations
  • Show Website
    Awake At Night

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