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Nicholas Vargas Podcasts
Hosts Nick, John and Kevin talking all things pop culture related. Just a group of friends trying to bring our unique and different points of views to a larger audience, and most the time we have no idea what we are doing. Follow on Twitter @grosslyinacc Email @ [email protected]
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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 thei ...
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On life’s journey, make each step count, with Amina J. Mohammed - UN Deputy Secretary-General
41:21
41:21
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How does one out of five sisters from rural Nigeria grow up to be UN Deputy Secretary-General? Blessed with tenacity, determination and grit, Amina Mohammed has always been driven to improve the lives of her fellow human beings and our planet. Rising to the top of the United Nations, her vision has helped shape the world’s blueprint for a brighter …
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A ray of hope for cancer patients, with Dr. May Abdel-Wahab - Director of the Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
35:29
35:29
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Whenever a new cancer patient entered her office in the U.S., Dr. May Abdel-Wahab knew she could help by palliating their pain and working towards a cure. Now, as Director of the Division of Human Health at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), she delivers hope to patients in places where treatment has until now been unavailable. “So much…
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Nothing keeps me awake, everything keeps me going, with Peter Hawkins - UNICEF Representative in Yemen
39:44
39:44
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Every day, Peter Hawkins wakes up filled with determination to make a difference. As the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Yemen, he puts that boundless energy into helping young people survive one of the world’s most intractable humanitarian crises. “Despite serving in some of the most challenging and difficult places, I've…
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Working for peace in the DR Congo, with Vivian van de Perre - Deputy head of peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
42:44
42:44
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Vivian van de Perre’s calling is to help nations transition from conflict to peace. Now the deputy head of peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), she leads a life-saving operation in the rebel-held city of Goma. “It's tragic and it's unimaginable, but at the same time, people live their lives and they do the best they can, and …
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When war comes home, with Yacoub El Hillo - Regional Director for Africa at the UN Development Coordination Office
39:08
39:08
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Yacoub El Hillo spent more than thirty years serving refugees and displaced people in some of the world’s worst conflict zones. But when cataclysmic war erupted in his hometown of Khartoum, Sudan, the Regional Director for Africa at the United Nations Development Coordination Office (DCO) had to help his own family flee the violence. “I don't think…
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Why I’ll always champion Afghan women, with Georgette Gagnon - the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan
31:39
31:39
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With her background in human rights law, Georgette Gagnon was once said to represent the conscience of war. Currently serving as the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, she has been devastated by the sweeping loss of rights for women and girls there. “You used to see across the country hundreds of girls going to schoo…
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Do not take Democracy for granted, with Nicholas Haysom - Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of UNMISS
33:42
33:42
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As a young white activist in South Africa, Nicholas Haysom risked detention to oppose the apartheid regime, later working alongside Nelson Mandela. Now Special Representative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of the United Nations Mission there, he is still striving tirelessly in pursuit of peace and human rights. “The lesson of [Ne…
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What next for Syria’s refugees, with Gonzalo Vargas Llosa - UNHCR Representative to Syria
36:53
36:53
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Rather than follow in the footsteps of his late father, a Nobel-prize winning writer, Gonzalo Vargas Llosa opted instead to serve humanity. Now the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ Representative to Syria, he just witnessed a historic end to 14 years of conflict and crisis. “There were these long, long lines of cars of Syrian refugees coming back…
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Our troubled world can be a source of great joy, and great suffering. United Nations staff witness both, day in day out, as they serve humanity in some of the toughest places on earth. They do so at considerable risk, and with shrinking resources. Yet despite all the challenges, dedicated UN staff around the world continue to find the strength to k…
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Women’s rights are human rights, with Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda - ASG and Deputy Exec. Director of UN Women
30:38
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Having grown up in war-torn rural Zimbabwe, Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda overcame extreme hardship to pursue a career at the highest levels of the United Nations. Now UN Assistant Secretary-General, and one of two deputy executive directors of UN Women, she wants little girls everywhere to aspire to the same heights. “Peace is a prerequisite. It's so cr…
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Protecting children in crisis, with Catherine Russell - Executive Director of UNICEF
34:58
34:58
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Catherine Russell never forgets the children she meets. As Executive Director of UNICEF, she bears witness to the stories of tens of millions of children and young people suffering around the world, and shares causes for optimism and hope wherever she finds it. “Children just want to be children. No matter what, the bleakest situation, the most ter…
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The battle to protect children from online abuse, with Carmen Corbin - UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
40:24
40:24
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Carmen Corbin dreamt of serving with the United Nations from an early age. Now head of transnational organized crime, illicit trafficking and terrorism prevention programs at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in East Africa, she is dedicated to protecting children from shocking online exploitation. “We won't know who is real and …
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How to save humanity from climate breakdown with Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the UN's World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
37:51
37:51
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Celeste Saulo has always been fascinated by the weather. Now Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), she is seeing climate breakdown warp global weather systems beyond recognition, with devastating impacts on countless lives and livelihoods. “We can see how many people are suffering…We can see that people are running out o…
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Love Is the One Thing that Solves Everything - Benjamin Perks - Head of Campaigns and Advocacy - UNICEF
39:49
39:49
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Having overcome a childhood marked by violence, abuse and neglect, Benjamin Perks has always drawn strength from an innate sense of optimism. Now Head of Campaigns and Advocacy at UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, he helps protect young people in similar situations all over the world. “I think it was very clear that we were in a bad spot,…
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Love in the time of terrorism - Laura Dolci - Secretary of the Universal Periodic Review, Human Rights Council
44:50
44:50
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UN official Laura Dolci was feeding her baby son when she heard the devastating news that her husband Jean-Sélim Kanaan had been killed in a suicide bomb attack on the UN Headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq. It was August 19, 2003: the darkest day in UN history, and the darkest day in her life. Just days before, she recalled, “he kissed us goodbye, and I…
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Peace is the Most Urgent Medicine - Hans Kluge - World Health Organization Regional Director for Europe
39:00
39:00
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39:00
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 medicin…
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How Much Does it Cost to Feed the World? - Arif Husain - Chief Economist, World Food Programme WFP
35:12
35:12
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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…
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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 ar…
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Why Actor Edward Norton Champions Biodiversity
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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 1…
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I promised I will tell the story - Muhannad Hadi - UN Deputy Special Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory
43:54
43:54
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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 unti…
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Keeping hope alive - Juliette Murekeyisoni - UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
39:45
39:45
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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 los…
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Racing to prevent famine in Gaza - Matthew Hollingworth - World Food Programme (WFP)
38:04
38:04
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38:04
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 t…
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To fight global hunger, farmers know best - Beth Bechdol - Deputy Director-General - UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO)
35:40
35:40
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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 fo…
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Breaking barriers to progress - Achim Steiner - Head of United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
29:52
29:52
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Born in Brazil to German parents, Achim Steiner knows first hand the power of cultural exchange to drive international cooperation. Now head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), he leads global efforts to secure a better future for our planet and its people. “The clearest lesson from 50 years of modern development thinking is don't try…
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Human rights is our strongest tool - Volker Türk - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
40:28
40:28
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Volker Türk has the greatest respect for those able to hold onto hope when all appears to be lost. As United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, he has devoted his life and career to helping the world’s most vulnerable people. “What has always struck me was encounters with people who are extremely resilient … who actually see hope, includin…
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