Humanitarian Conversations

When the Indian Ocean tsunami hit in 2004, hundreds of thousands lost their lives—and millions more were forever altered. For Tai-Ring Teh, a civil engineer, the tsunami recovery set him on an unexpected path as a humanitarian. Using his engineering skills to help provide clean water for communities who had lost everything in Aceh, Indonesia, he has since devoted his career to supporting people affected by crisis. From the Solomon Islands to Rwanda, from Nepal to South Sudan and beyond—Tai-Ring has used his engineering skills to help communities gain or regain access to safe water and improved sanitation. Today, Tai-Ring shares this wealth of experience as a RedR Australia roster member and associate trainer, where he is passionate about mentoring the next generation of humanitarian engineers. In this episode, Tai-Ring chats with Sally about his formative experiences in the humanitarian sector, the life-sustaining value of water, and why mentoring is essential to developing our next generation of humanitarian and development leaders. You can read the episode transcript here. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Tai-Ring Teh Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

If you’ve worked in the humanitarian sector, it’s likely you’ve supported refugee communities—either directly or indirectly. And with humanitarian emergencies growing around the world, it’s never been more important to discuss the families and communities who suffer most during crises. In this special episode of Humanitarian Conversations, Sally talks with RedR Australia roster members Ozlem and Greg about their journeys into the humanitarian sector and their experiences supporting refugees. Originally recorded as a webinar to mark World Refugee Day in June, these two experienced humanitarians share wisdom about working with refugee communities and why quality training is essential when operating in dangerous contexts—from civil wars to cyclones. You can read the transcript here. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guests: Ozlem and Greg Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Jess Letch is a humanitarian dynamo. From connecting families torn apart by war in Angola, to supporting people to evacuate disputed territories in South Ossetia, to writing a billion-dollar plan to support Ukrainian refugees throughout Europe, Jess has had some challenging and rewarding roles during her humanitarian career. Growing up in Melbourne Australia, Jess started her career with a social work degree, then soon landed a role working with refugees through the Australian Red Cross. Now, with 25 years’ experience in the humanitarian and development sectors, she has worked in diverse contexts all over the globe, including across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. In this episode, Sally and Jess chat about the challenges of working in conflict zones, the uniqueness of the humanitarian skillset, the importance of building a strong home base when constantly travelling abroad, and the power of strong institutions to protect societies when disaster strikes. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Jess Letch Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

In the midst of a raging conflict, how can you tell the difference between a civilian and a combatant? In this extra-special episode of Humanitarian Conversations, RedR Australia’s CEO Dr. Helen Durham sits down with international lawyer, Firouzeh, to discuss the power and complexities of international humanitarian law (IHL). Firouzeh is an expert in IHL and human rights law. She’s worked for Swiss NGO Geneva Call since 2018 and is currently their country director for Myanmar. Geneva Call is a unique organisation which works with non-state armed groups to help protect civilians in times of armed conflicts. In this thought-provoking chat, Firouzeh and Helen discuss the challenges of the current crisis in Myanmar and how difficult it is to define a ‘civilian’ in this conflict. Firouzeh also explains why Myanmar is one of the most intense conflicts in the world today, and how promoting international humanitarian law with defacto armed groups can protect vulnerable civilians who are caught in the crossfire—saving lives and restoring some humaneness to armed conflicts. Following this, Helen and Sally also chat more broadly about the state of IHL during today’s conflicts, and what all humanitarian and development workers should know about IHL before heading out into the field. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, X and Facebook. Read the transcript here. Hosts: Sally Cunningham and Dr. Helen Durham Guest: Firouzeh Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

When Ulf accidentally found himself in the middle of the Kashmir Crisis in 1989, he was moved by the suffering of civilians affected by the conflict. Six years later, after trying his hand as a bike mechanic, wedding photographer and some time on a Viking ship, he resolved to study law and devote his life to protecting communities affected by crisis. Now a life-long humanitarian and protection expert, Ulf holds more than two decades’ experience across Europe, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas. He has worked with notable humanitarian organisations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Australian and Swedish Red Cross societies, the International Federation of the Red Cross and, most recently, the AHA Centre in Indonesia. He is also a much-loved RedR Australia associate trainer, and in this episode he chats with Sally about the transformations he’s seen in RedR Australia’s training participants, what it takes to work in a conflict zone, and how, at the heart of protection work, there is the desire to ensure no one is forgotten, left behind or ‘disappeared’. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. Join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Ulf Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Growing up around the buzz of the Radio Fiji studios, Talei Tora is a born storyteller. As the daughter of a radio announcer, Talei learnt from an early age the importance of how a story is told—and for whom. Fast forward to today and Talei is an extensively experienced communications expert, with more than two decades under her belt as a television and film producer, journalist and communications specialist. From her early experiences in the Fijian military, Talei transitioned her career to tell the unheard stories of her community through roles in the development sector, including as a roster member for RedR Australia. In this episode, Sally and Talei delve into two mammoth topics affecting the Pacific—colonialism and localisation. They discuss the role of storytelling in development and the importance of silence in Pacific culture. And we get a glimpse into Talei’s not-so-secret life—as a brewer and scientist for her ginger beer business, GingerLei. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s roster here. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Talei Tora Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

In Pacific Island countries such as Fiji, the first education for a young child is often learning traditional knowledge. And for humanitarian Simione Bula, preserving and protecting this valuable knowledge is vital to navigating future disasters in the region. Simione is a highly experienced disaster management and disability inclusion specialist, with nearly two decades of experience across organisations like the Pacific Disability Forum, Samoa’s Disaster Management Office and CBM Australia. In this episode, Simione shares his experiences growing up on a remote island of Fiji and learning the traditional warning signs of approaching disaster. He chats with Sally about the intimate connection between people, land and sea, how he transitioned from being a school teacher to becoming a humanitarian, and how the best place to start with disability inclusion is to put disability aside—and see people with disabilities as people first. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s roster here. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Simione Bula Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

From taking cover in bomb shelters in Ukraine, to herding donkeys in Afghanistan, to drinking kava in Fiji, Richard Simpson has many rich insights from 25 years as a humanitarian leader, innovator and educator. After a serendipitous meeting with a United Nations official in Turkey in the 90s, followed by a degree in anthropology and Latin American studies, Richard found a path into the humanitarian sector via a role in Timor Leste. Since then, Richard has accrued more than two decades of humanitarian experience working in 25 countries around the world. Richard’s experience spans international NGOs and United Nations agencies. In 2022, he was in Ukraine as the country director for CARE and he recently returned from Palestine where he supported Oxfam with their response to the crisis in Gaza. In this episode, Richard talks with Sally about the importance of listening—to communities, colleagues and oneself. He explains the benefit of making measured—but swift—decisions at the onset of a disaster. And he ruminates on the challenges of working in an active conflict zone, and how important supportive families are for humanitarian workers. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Richard Simpson Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Hailing from ‘a tiny drop in the ocean’ in eastern Fiji, Vuli Gauna survived a cyclone when he was just two years old. Observing the growing intensity of storms as he grew up, he was inspired to volunteer and eventually work for a wide range of Red Cross societies across the Pacific, as well as the IFRC. Now, with nearly 30 years’ experience in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, Vuli is a highly respected humanitarian leader. He is also a very experienced trainer and is well-known throughout the Pacific for his work developing and facilitating training, while also sharing his wealth of knowledge on RedR Australia’s Essentials of Humanitarian Practice course. In this episode, Vuli discusses traditional ways of living with disasters—and how that’s changing due to climate change. He also explores the importance of sovereignty during disaster responses, why relationships are central to effective disaster responses, and the deep connection Pacific Islanders have to their oceans and each other. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. You can read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Vuli Gauna Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

For Hannah Jay, the inspiring power of women and girls has fueled her life’s work. As a gender expert in the humanitarian sector for more than a decade, Hannah has dedicated her career to addressing gender-based violence in humanitarian contexts. She’s worked extensively across Asia and the Pacific, supporting a wide range of organisations including the United Nations, the World Bank and Save the Children. Hannah is also an associate trainer on RedR Australia’s courses, and a researcher and investigator for international crimes against children. In this episode, Hannah discusses the incredible power of adolescent girls and where the world is at with gender equality. She also talks frankly about the challenges of being a woman in the humanitarian sector, how to safely manage a disclosure of violence, and how she cares for her own mental health in this challenging career. If you’re in Australia and you need resources or support, please visit 1800respect.org.au or call 1800 737 732 for their free, 24-hour counselling service. For those outside Australia, please contact your national counselling and support service. Read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

It’s not a glamorous job working with toilets. But having access to clean water, sanitation and good hygiene is lifesaving stuff, and thankfully for us it’s Kathryn Harries’ dream job. A highly experienced water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) engineer and humanitarian leader, Kathryn worked for Sydney Water Corporation for a decade before transitioning to the international humanitarian sector. Since then, for nearly 20 years, Kathryn has devoted her life to helping provide clean water and sanitation for people affected by humanitarian disasters around the world. In this episode, Sally chats with Kathryn about the power of her life-saving work, the moment she realised she wanted to become a WASH engineer, her work in academia with the Centre for Humanitarian Leadership at Deakin University, and what she loves about being an associate trainer with RedR Australia. As part of her PhD, Kathryn developed a guide called the Field Team Impact Kit, which aims to help technical teams in humanitarian and development organisations to be more effective, sustainable and locally led. You can learn more about Kathryn’s Field Team Impact Kit here. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. Read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar Join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Passionate, persistent, patient—these are three qualities Dr. Helen Durham AO says are essential for humanitarians. And whether she’s addressing the UN Security Council in New York or mediating with the military in times of conflict, Helen embodies them all—while staying true to her humanitarian imperative. A trailblazer in international humanitarian law, RedR Australia’s CEO Dr. Helen Durham has devoted her 30-year career to protecting people whose lives are affected by war and conflict. She was a key player in the drafting of an historic resolution to prohibit the use of nuclear weapons; she played an important role in clarifying rape as a war crime; and she played a key role in the creation of the International Criminal Court at The Hague. In 2017, she was awarded the prestigious Officer of the Order of Australia. In this episode, Helen and Sally chat about the power and importance of humanitarian work—from the impact it can have on individual lives, to the power of law to change entire nations, to the delicate balance of courage and compassion that all humanitarians must hold. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Dr. Helen Durham AO Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Growing up as the child of migrants, Melissa Bencik always knew she wanted to work with people from diverse backgrounds. Now a deeply experienced humanitarian, Melissa has worked across Asia, Africa, the Pacific and Australia, predominantly in protection and inclusion. She is also a RedR Australia roster member. In this episode, Mel chats with Sally about a wide array of topics—from the power of empathy, to her journey from social worker to humanitarian, and what it means to be a woman working in this challenging sector. Find out more about the RedR Australia roster on the RedR Australia website. You can also join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Melissa Bencik Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

When Peter Grzic’s mum returned from a trip and handed him a business card from a disaster responder she met on the plane, he never suspected his life would end up how she envisioned. Years later, Grzic is an experienced humanitarian, as well as a trainer on RedR Australia courses. For the very first episode of Humanitarian Conversations, Grzic sat down with Sally to talk about why he loves being a humanitarian trainer, how the humanitarian landscape is changing and how his career unfolded after that advice from mum. Find out more about our training courses on the RedR Australia website. You can also join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. Read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Peter Grzic Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Humanitarian Conversations is a RedR Australia podcast about what it means to be a humanitarian in today's world, hosted by Sally Cunningham and produced by Jill Farrar. Through interviews with notable and experienced humanitarians from across the globe, we’ll delve into the big issues facing the humanitarian sector and we’ll learn about the surprising twists and turns in their careers. Tune in to a new episode every month. Coming September 19.