大象传媒

Season Six

Sajjad Malik and Melissa Fleming are seated across each other in a sound recording studio.

"There are certain images that will stay with me for a very long time. Because those are the images that cannot be forgotten overnight."

Sajjad Malik witnessed terrible suffering during the Syrian crisis. As UNHCR鈥檚 former representative in the country, he oversaw one of the UN Refugee Agency鈥檚 toughest and most dangerous operations.

Since the war in Syria started in 2011 more than 5.7 million people have fled the country. Another 6.9 million are internally displaced.

In this special bitesize episode, Sajjad Malik reflected on the catastrophic conditions he witnessed there and the lasting impact of those memories.

"You have to maintain your mental strength and courage. It鈥檚 fine to say it and reflect and cry if need be."

:: Sajjad Malik interviewed by Melissa Fleming
Portrait of Amanda Khozi Mukwashi at her desk in Lesotho

鈥淚 realized I'm a black person and that people see the color of my skin first, before they see who I am and what I'm capable of doing鈥hat was the rude awakening.鈥

With her writing, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi wants to change the conversation on race, gender, and identity. Now United Nations Resident Coordinator in Lesotho, she has written a book exploring the struggle for equity and the historical baggage of slavery and colonization.

鈥淟et's talk about it a little more freely, not for it to hold our hands and tie them, but for it to liberate us to think differently.鈥

Moving back to the UK after leaving a high-level development post in Zambia, Amanda Khozi Mukwashi got tired of being asked where she was really from. In this episode, she reflects on the discrimination she has faced, on the rich family history she inherited from her grandmother, and on discovering her own multifaceted identity.

鈥淚f we keep to our two corners as if this is a boxing match, black and white, the victim and the victimized, it's such an unhealthy and unhelpful polarization of who we are as human beings.鈥

:: Amanda Khozi Mukwashi interviewed by Melissa Fleming
Ulrika Richardson is seated at a table as she shares a meal with schoolchildren

"There are so many good people at the UN, all trying to make the world a bit better. It sounds idealistic, but we are idealistic. It is an idealistic organization."

Ulrika Richardson has dedicated her life to the UN. As Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, her belief in the organization鈥檚 idealistic values drives her to brave dangers in her mission to alleviate the suffering she has witnessed. 鈥淲hen you see people suffer, those images stay with you 鈥 that keeps you awake, and it *should* keep you awake.鈥

Life in Haiti remains precarious. Armed gangs, cholera, and fuel and food shortages mean violence, hunger, disease, deprivation are everyday hurdles for millions of Haitians. Ulrika reflects on the scale of suffering, on preserving the dignity of those in need, and on the importance of saying goodbye.

鈥淚 always think back on countries where I've worked with a smile. Instead of your heart shrinking after every piece that you've left behind, you just feel it expanding.鈥

:: Ulrika Richardson interviewed by Melissa Fleming
Matilda is pictured at her desk with the world map in the background

鈥淚t's a very complicated job, but it is meeting people and finding out their stories. It's giving voices to victims. That's what motivates me.鈥

Matilda Bogner鈥檚 job is to bear witness to unspeakable crimes. As head of the United Nations Human Rights mission in Ukraine, she and her team record accounts of horrific abuses and rights violations in a bid to bring the perpetrators to justice and ease the victims鈥 suffering.

Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine has devastated millions of lives. Civilians have been subjected to summary executions, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and mass rape. In this episode, Matilda Bogner reflects on the scale of these horrors, the mental health impact of documenting them, and on her urgent quest to raise the alarm with the rest of the world.

鈥淚 still find it difficult to understand that people can treat each other in these ways. It never makes sense to me.鈥

:: Matilda Bogner interviewed by Melissa Fleming
Irene Khan at a press conference

鈥淲hen systems break down 鈥 during war, that is when trustworthy, verifiable information becomes even more important.鈥

Growing up at a time of war in Bangladesh, Irene Khan learned first-hand how access to trustworthy information can save lives. Now , she advocates for reliable information for all, especially during conflict.  

鈥淎ccess to information from outside the conflict from a source that we felt was verifiable and trustworthy, was so important for us as a family to know whether we flee, whether we stay, should we go east or west. That's why I call it a survivor right.鈥

Social media has connected, informed, and empowered our world like never before. Yet malicious lies and hate speech spread online are causing real harm to our societies. In this episode, Irene Khan reflects on curbing harm while preserving vital freedoms, on the responsibilities of states and platforms, and reveals how she lets off steam in the kitchen.

:: Irene Khan interviewed by Melissa Fleming
Alfred Orono among former child soldiers

鈥淣ow as a father with two girls, I just can't imagine the anguish that my mother went through 鈥 I wonder how many sleepless nights she had.鈥

Alfred Orono鈥檚 childhood came to an abrupt end when he was recruited as a soldier in Uganda, when he was just 11 years old. Now Chief of Child Protection at the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), he draws on his own experience as a child soldier to help young people find a peaceful way forward.

鈥淚 work with children who, when I look at them, I know exactly what's going on in their minds. I know how they feel. And I'm part of the solution to their problems.鈥

Every year, thousands of children are recruited by warring parties around the world. Yet their troubles rarely end after the conflict is over. Having suffered violence, abuse, and exploitation, many struggle to rebuild their lives. In this episode, Alfred Orono reflects on his own experience, the hope it gives to former child soldiers, and on living life without regrets.

:: Alfred Orono interviewed by Melissa Fleming
Staffan de Mistura in a helicopter

鈥淚 got such a feeling of outrage, healthy outrage, proactive outrage, which I still feel now.鈥

Staffan de Mistura has dedicated his life to making a difference. Now the Secretary-General鈥檚 Personal Envoy for Western Sahara, he spent a large part of his 48-year career at the UN striving for an end to some of the most intractable conflicts of modern times.  

鈥淚 have no regrets. I would have never chosen another type of job. I think you can [make a difference] even in the worst-case scenario - always.鈥

From Syria and Afghanistan to Sudan and Iraq, the seasoned diplomat is known for bringing creative thinking to the negotiating table even when others have lost hope. In this episode, Staffan de Mistura reflects on harnessing constructive outrage as a driving force, on his determination in the face of despair, and why at 75, he isn鈥檛 ready to retire just yet.

:: Staffan de Mistura interviewed by Melissa Fleming
Chris poses for a photo surrounded by children

How is the life of a young child in Kenya interlinked with the life of a Swedish man who'd lost his son in a road accident? And also linked to the life of a woman who had lost her parents in the Holocaust, though she herself survived? In this episode of Awake at Night, we hear from Chris Mburu, UN Resident Coordinator in the Republic of Congo, as he reflects on his path out of poverty, the transformational power of development, and the ripple effect of small acts of kindness.

From a barefoot child barely affording school, to a young graduate of Harvard Law, Chris, now a human rights lawyer, did not forget the act of kindness that set him on his path. He is working on giving back.

Chris Mburu speaks about the story of his life, the role that key figures such as his mother, Hilde Back and Sven Magnusson played in his journey, and the surprising revelation that Hollywood uncovered for him by way of the 2010 acclaimed Emmy-winning documentary "A Small Act".

:: Chris Mburu interviewed by Melissa Fleming