A Life Lived in Conflict (ALLIC) Podcast

In this episode, we hear from Arwa Alzraiy, an UNRWA teacher from Gaza and PhD scholar at Durham University, who travelled to Gaza for her fieldwork but had to interrupt it when the 2023 war began and she returned to her UNRWA duties. Still trapped in Gaza, she is now slowly returning to her research. Arwa is researching peace while living through war. Her story raises urgent questions about the responsibility and power of international universities to support students and researchers from conflict zones. She reflects on the challenges and contradictions she faced, how she does not feel she has “survived,” and how she draws on her faith and her commitment to be useful to her community, and to the research she believes can serve it. --Join Mona Jebril in Conversation with Arwa Alzraiy

This episode delves into the fierce determination of learners in Gaza amid the gravest times. What drove them to keep learning when everything around them was collapsing? Were there singular forces of motivation, or many, and which proved strongest in such a harsh reality? How can motivation survive, or even rise, under conditions this extreme? We explore what these insights mean for policymakers, the far-reaching implications they carry, and how they challenge the global pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). (Mona Jebril talks to Tahani Al-Dahdouh)

Foreign aid to higher education in conflict zones often bypasses local priorities, even when universities are crucial for rebuilding and recovery after violent conflict. New research reveals the limitations of aid where it is most needed, showing that much of it is directed toward scholarships rather than strengthening local institutions. This episode explores the latest findings on this issue, highlighting the need to rethink that balance so aid can truly support the reconstruction of higher education, and the future of the people it is meant to serve.

In Gaza, people with hearing loss are experiencing a crisis within a crisis. Already navigating a world that demands extra resilience, they now face bombardment, displacement, and the destruction of the institutions that once supported them. Blast injuries and trauma are creating new cases every day, leaving more people isolated in silence. This episode shines a light on their daily struggles — and on the urgent protection gap for Gaza’s community living with hearing loss. Mona Jebril talks to Fady Abed (Director of Gaza Atfaluna for Deaf Children)

In this episode, we explore the situation for women in Afghanistan under the Taliban, comparing the present to their previous rule. We discuss the severe restrictions imposed on women, the reasons behind these measures, and how women are responding to these challenges. The role of men in supporting or resisting these changes is also examined. Additionally, we consider the impact of the U.S. invasion and withdrawal, whether online education can offer temporary relief, and the potential pathways for Afghan women to reclaim their rights and freedoms. (Mona talks to Weeda Mehran)

Coding Hope: Digital Economy in the OPT for Post-War Revival Amid the economic devastation caused by the Israeli occupation, war and blockade in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including the Gaza Strip, a spark of resilience emerged: the digital economy. One standout initiative driving this transformation is Gaza Sky Geeks—a dynamic force breaking through barriers and creating global opportunities. This episode explores Gaza Sky Geeks' important work: how they empower Palestinian youth, navigate the immense challenges posed by Israel’s war on Gaza, and address the unique realities of working across different parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territories—Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. The episode also discuss how Gaza Sky Geeks' efforts are making an impact on the ground, challenging stereotypes about Palestinian talent, and enabling them to compete in the global digital economy. Finally, it examines the vital role of the international community and how digital innovation can drive post-war recovery and economic resilience, supporting Palestinian youth, coding hope for a better tomorrow..

Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip since 7th October 2023 has caused devastating consequences to Gaza's universities including their students. I speak to one of the Gaza students, who was studying for her second year of the undergraduate degree at the medical school of the Islamic University of Gaza, with high interest and expectations, and yet her study was violently interrupted by the war. She later had to evacuate the Gaza Strip to Egypt, but she missed a whole academic year of study, and currently struggling to start her undergraduate level, all over again. Between dreams and despair, the student speaks about her experience.

Welcome to A Life Lived in Conflict (ALLIC) Podcast, where we delve deep into the realities of conflict through the eyes of those who live it, study it, and work to change it. Our guests are students, researchers, academics, practitioners, and policy makers -individuals with insight and experience from different disciplines and backgrounds. Our mission is to give voice, raise awareness, foster understanding, and reshape perspectives on these regions by bridging local, regional, and international viewpoints. Engage with us, and be part of the conversation.

We keep wondering how people who live under occupation in Gaza, West Bank and East Jerusalem are able to survive all the political, economic and social stressors of their everyday lives. Covid-19 pandemic has increased the vulnerability of people who live in conflict affected settings including the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This episode explores the situation of mental health in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the support available for people, the healing mechanisms that they...

"One politician asked me: Is there a culture in Gaza at all? I was surprised and said: Yes of course, there is art and culture wherever people are!" (Guest 2). This episode aims to explore Art in Gaza and whether Art can live in conflict. For this purpose, Dr Mona Jebril, University of Cambridge, interviews Artist Mohamed Abusal from Eltiqa' Group for Contemporary Art in Gaza (Guest 1); and Ms Mona Kriegler, the Director of Goethe-Institut in Ramallah (Guest 2). Combining both real-life and...

In this episode, you will hear about the experience of the differently abled persons in Gaza, and the extent to which this experience relates to the context for people with disability in other Arab countries, and affected by the conflict. Episode Guests: Ms Dalal Al-Taji (Red Crescent Society- Gaza); Dr Farida Larry (Dar AL Hikma University- Jeddah); and Dr Valerie Karr, University of Massachusetts -Boston)/ Host & Director: Dr Mona Jebril - University of Cambridge-UK).

This is an interdisciplinary podcast which discusses different aspects of life in conflict, such as health, education, Covid-19, employment and others. I will begin with a focus on the Palestinian experience. It is an informative, interesting, and meaningful podcast which aims to engage people who live in conflict-affected areas, and give them a voice to talk about their own life.