The New Humanitarian

Does it really matter whether a journalist is a local or a foreigner? The distinction between "local" or "international" journalists raises questions about trust, credibility, and control in global news. In this episode of Decolonise How? Patrick Gathara sits down with The New Humanitarian's Ali Latifi and Ahmer Khan to discuss power dynamics in crisis reporting, and why it matters. Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises.

In the latest Decolonise How? podcast, we ask whether ethical journalism is possible when individual ideals collide with institutional realities. "In school, we are taught: Don't be too close to the story, because then how do you maintain objectivity?" says Kenyan journalist Njoki Chege. "But on the ground, things are very different." Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises.

In this episode of Decolonise How?, host Patrick Gathara sits down with journalist Jane Ferguson to debate what role foreign correspondents should have in telling stories from crises, and why she now describes herself as a "recovering war reporter". "I had grown up with this sense of what a foreign correspondent was… but what I learned early on was that my impression was very self-absorbed," Ferguson says. Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises.

There's more than one way to cover crises, says Professor Martin Scott. In the second episode of Decolonise How?, host Patrick Gathara sits down with Scott, who studies media and global development, to discuss the ethics, practice, and impact of media coverage of crises. Scott popularised the term "humanitarian journalism". He explains what makes it different from mainstream journalism, and why the labels matter. Decolonise How? is a new podcast by The New Humanitarian that examines the stories we tell about humanitarian crises.

Is it problematic to call human suffering a "tragedy"? Even well-intentioned humanitarian language can harm, says Heidi Mogstad, senior researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway. She argues that the language humanitarians use can perpetuate systems of violence that cause crises. In this episode, Mogstad gives examples of counter-productive language, and discusses ways to improve. Guests: Heidi Mogstad, senior researcher at the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway. Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism. Show Notes: Oppressive Language and Humanitarian Complicity: Reflections on Gaza and European Border Violence

AI and new tech in crises: When is technology a force for good, and when are we piling on the problems in humanitarian response? In this episode, experts unpack why technology is never neutral, the fallback on "techno-utopian" solutions, and the risk of "techno-colonialism" and why it matters. Guests: Mirca Madianou, professor in the School of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, and author of "Technocolonialism: When Technology for Good is Harmful". Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health. Rana F. Sweis, journalist and founder and managing director of WishBox Media. Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya community are waiting for justice. A landmark genocide case at the International Court of Justice is a major step. In this episode, Noor Azizah, a survivor who heads a Rohingya civil society group, tells her family's story of being driven from their homeland. She explains why today's Rohingya trial paved the way for other atrocity crime cases, and discusses humanitarians' complex role delivering aid in Myanmar. Guests: Noor Azizah, co-executive director of the Rohingya Maìyafuìnor Collaborative Network Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism. Show notes: The Rohingya: The exodus isn't over

The crisis of illiberalism. The global gender backlash. Aid blind spots. Gaza and the failure of international law. Our guests have taken on difficult topics, but they've also come up with ideas on how to move forward. In this episode: Key takeaways to navigate today's challenges, and the issues driving conversations in 2026. Guests: Anjali Dayal, assistant professor of international politics at Fordham University Saskia Brechenmacher, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program Sana Bég, executive director, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada Hourie Tafech, director for refugee leadership and partnerships at Refugees International Tammam Aloudat, CEO of The New Humanitarian Levi Sharpe, Rethinking Humanitarianism producer Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

When countries can commit genocide or invade neighbours with few repercussions, it's clear that international norms and laws are not working. On the podcast, three legal experts discuss the problems and some steps forward, from decentralised ways of enforcing criminal law, to including non-state actors, to erasing the legal loopholes used to justify violence. Guests: Neve Gordon, professor of international law and human rights at Queen Mary University of London and a fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences. He has written extensively about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the bombing of healthcare facilities, and coined the term "medical lawfare." Oona Hathaway, professor of international law at Yale Law School who has been a member of the Advisory Committee on International Law for the legal adviser at the US Department of State since 2005 and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations since 2011. She is working on a book titled "War Unbound: Gaza, Ukraine, and the Breakdown of International Law". Michael Addo, law professor at the University of Notre Dame and lawyer with expertise in international human rights law and international business policy. The UN Human Rights Council appointed him in 2011 to join its Working Group on Business and Human Rights, which he currently chairs. Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution backing US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. It authorises an "international stabilisation force", and approves a "board of peace". Essentially, this would govern Gaza, and oversee reconstruction and humanitarian aid. It also follows a playbook similar to the occupation of Iraq, warns international law expert Shahd Hammouri: "The US using international legal mechanisms to normalise an unlawful occupation." Guests: Shahd Hammouri, lecturer in International Law and Legal Theory at the University of Kent, and an international legal consultant Nour ElAssy, poet and writer from Gaza, Palestine Riley Sparks, reporter covering migration and human rights

The UN climate summit, COP30, is getting under way in Brazil, with global temperatures rising – and global cooperation under deep strain. Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, the UN Secretary-General warns that the world has missed its targets to limit global temperature rise. The stakes are high. But do COP discussions match the urgency? The New Humanitarian journalists unpack what happens behind the scenes at COP, and what humanitarians and everyday citizens can do while negotiators wrestle over targets and funding. Guests: Will Worley, staff reporter and editor for policy at The New Humanitarian Namukabo Werungah, staff editor and reporter for breaking news and social at The New Humanitarian Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

The backlash against women's and LGBTIQI+ rights is growing – part of an organised movement that goes beyond one country or one president. But as Saskia Brechenmacher says on the latest episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism, concerned people – including civil society and non-governmental organisations – can take steps to counter the threats. Guests: Saskia Brechenmacher, senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ____ Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism. ____ SHOW NOTES The New Global Struggle Over Gender, Rights, and Family Values Rethinking Humanitarianism | The aid sector's LGBTQI+ blindspot

Remaking humanitarianism: Dispatches from the future How can we reimagine the international humanitarian system so that it builds on – rather than undermines – the response communities are already creating? What would it take to align funding and infrastructure? And what is standing in the way? The New Humanitarian and Refugees International have taken these questions around the globe, producing a series of dispatches from the future that highlight the strategies, values, and visions guiding community-driven responses to crisis – and show what's possible. We brought these dispatches to the heart of UNGA to grapple with what it will take to remake humanitarianism – and what must change for the system to have any future at all.