17 episodes
The Civilian Protection Podcast CIVIC & PAX
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- Society & Culture
Every day, 100 civilians are killed in conflict and countless more are harmed, often without recognition, recourse, or justice. Yet their perspectives are repeatedly missing from the stories we tell about war and the way we think about war’s costs.
The Civilian Protection Podcast, brought to you by CIVIC and PAX, shares the voices of people affected by war, the dangers they face, the choices they make, and what can be done to better protect them -- because we believe it’s time to put them at the center of the discussion.
Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) envisions a world in which no civilian is harmed in conflict. We support communities affected by conflict in their quest for protection and strengthen the resolve and capacity of armed actors to prevent and respond to civilian harm.
PAX works to protect civilians living in conflict. Our purpose is to reduce civilian harm, end armed violence and build sustainable peace around the world. To achieve this, we work closely with civil society and authorities at local and international levels to put civilian perspectives first.
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#16: The State of Protection: A Conversation with CIVIC and PAX Leadership
This episode records a conversation between Rolien and Udo, the Executive Directors of PAX and CIVIC respectively. With Annie, they discuss the landscape and main challenges of civilian protection (work) today, the worrying trends they see, as well as what keeps them going. This is the last episode in the Civilian Protection series.
Guests: Udo Jude Ilo, Interim Executive Director at CIVIC, and Rolien Sasse, Executive Director at PAX
This podcast is brought to you by CIVIC and PAX.
You can find a full transcript of this episode here.
This episode includes clips from previous Civilian Protection Podcast episodes, specifically episodes 1 and 6 (season 1), 7 (season 2), and 13, 14 and 15 (season 3).
To learn more about the work of CIVIC or PAX, see:
CIVIC websitePAX websitePAX Protection of Civilians website -
#15: Counting the Death Toll in Gaza
On October 7, Hamas attacks in Israel killed an estimated 1,200 people and took over 200 people hostage. The Israeli response, including intense bombardments and a ground offensive in Gaza, has been extremely destructive, reportedly killing over 13,000 Palestinians including 5,500 children as of the time of this episode’s recording. In this episode, Emily Tripp, Director of the casualty counting organization Airwars, joins us to make sense of these numbers and explain the process and importance of casualty recording.
Guest: Emily Tripp, Director of Airwars
This podcast is brought to you by CIVIC and PAX.
You can find a full transcript of this episode here.
This episode includes clips from FOX 26 Houston, France 24, ABC News, US Defense Department, NPR, and Al Arabiya English.
To learn more about civilian harm in Gaza, see:
Airwars, Israel and Gaza 2023CIVIC, Civilians in Gaza Running out of Self-Protection OptionsPAX: Dutch Government, Don’t Give Israel Carte BlancheJust Security, Law and Policy Guide to US Arms Transfers to IsraelEvery Casualty Counts, Casualty Recorders Network -
#14: Conflict and Displacement in Nagorno-Karabakh
On September 19, in a 24-hour lightning military operation, Azerbaijan seized Nagorno-Karabakh, the disputed region that has been an epicenter of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. In the days and weeks that followed, tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians – nearly the entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh – have fled. In this episode, Alissa de Carbonnel, Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia at the International Crisis Group, joins us to discuss the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and the humanitarian crisis that has resulted.
Guest: Alissa de Carbonnel, Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia, International Crisis Group
This podcast is brought to you by CIVIC and PAX.
You can find a full transcript of this episode here.
To learn more about the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, see:
International Crisis Group: Responding to the Humanitarian Catastrophe in Nagorno-Karabakh -
#13: War in Sudan
In Season 3 of the Civilian Protection Podcast, we’re exploring civilian protection issues in the news – as well as what the headlines might be missing. This episode brings us to the conflict in Sudan, which, since April 2023, has continued to exact a horrifying toll on civilians. Kholood Khair, Founder and Director of the Sudanese think-and-do tank Confluence Advisory, discusses what is happening in Sudan and why, the resulting attacks on civilians and civic space, and what communities are doing about it.
Guest: Kholood Khair, Founder and Director, Confluence Advisory
This podcast is brought to you by CIVIC and PAX.
You can find a full transcript of this episode here.
To learn more about the conflict in Sudan and its impact on civilians, see:
Bonus Clips: Hear from an Emergency Committee CoordinatorAl Jazeera: Sudan ‘Resistance’ Activists Mobilise as Crisis EscalatesAmnesty International: “Death Came to Our Home": War Crimes and Civilian Suffering in SudanHuman Rights Watch: New Attacks in Darfur Joint US-UK Civil Society Letter on Sudan -
#12: Community-Based Protection in Nigeria
Civilians are not simply victims of armed conflict, but people with agency and expertise about the conflicts they are living in. In this episode, guest host Bulus Mungopark of CIVIC brings us to northeast Nigeria, where we explore successful community-led efforts to advocate for their own protection needs amid ongoing violence.
Guests:
Bulus Mungopark, Nigeria Community Engagement Manager, CIVICQueen, Community Protection Committee MemberHabib, Community Protection Committee MemberAlhaji Abba, District HeadThis podcast is brought to you by CIVIC and PAX. This episode was written by Annie Shiel and Bulus Mungopark with assistance from Erin Bijl, Marc Garlasco, and Hajer Naili.
You can find a full transcript of this episode here.
To learn more about community-based protection and civilian harm in Nigeria, see:
CIVIC, “Barriers and Bridges to Protection: Civil-Military Engagement in Northeast Nigeria,” October 2020. CIVIC, “Civilian Protection Snapshot: Gwoza, Nigeria,” December 2021. CIVIC, “Civilian Protection Snapshot: Monguno, Nigeria,” March 2022. -
#11: Police Performance in South Sudan: The Law Enforcement Gap
In this episode, Annie and Marc take us to South Sudan where they interview people about civilian perceptions of local police performance, the challenges people face in seeking effective police assistance, and what may happen when people start looking for alternative sources of protection.
Guests:
John Malith Mabor, Senior Project Officer, PAXA former community surveyor (anonymous)This podcast is brought to you by CIVIC and PAX. This episode was written by Erin Bijl with assistance from Anton Quist, Hans Rouw, Lauren Spink, Annie Shiel, and Marc Garlasco.
You can find a full transcript of this episode here.
To learn more about the protection of civilians and police performance in South Sudan, see:
PAX website ‘Human Security Survey: South Sudan’.PAX event video ‘Bridging the law enforcement gap in South Sudan’, 2021.This episode included a clip from Al Jazeera.