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Humanitarian Horizons

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I Think You’re On Mute explores how we build a better, more locally led humanitarian sector.

Melbourne, Australia

I Think You're On Mute

During emergencies, local actors often struggle to be heard. They have a lot to say, but they’re just on mute, with the voices of international actors drowning them out.

Fortunately, this is changing – this past decade has seen an increase in humanitarian emergencies, and with it, the growing realisation that local actors are best placed to lead local responses.

Now in its fifth season, our podcast, I Think You’re On Mute, explores how we build a better, more locally led humanitarian sector.

Your host, Beth Eggleston, HAG Co-Founder and Director, brings you the latest research, ideas and stories from the people shaping a better humanitarian future.

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Explore the episodes below and listen anywhere you stream your podcasts

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Season five

 

Listen now on: Spotify | SoundCloud | Apple | YouTube

Episode 01

At the heart of the response: Vanuatu and the path to localisation

Co-hosts Beth Eggleston and Pamela Combinido-Elfa speak to:

  • Linda Kenni, Independent Research Consultant – Vanuatu
  • Shirley Abrham, Secretary General of Vanuatu Non-Government Organizations (VANGO)

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

 

 

Episode 02

At the heart of the response: Sustaining locally led humanitarian action in Vanuatu

Co-hosts Beth Eggleston and Pamela Combinido-Elfa speak to:

  • Emeline Siale Ilolahia, Executive Director of Pacific Islands Association of Non-governmental Organisations (PIANGO)
  • Johnson Simon Mahitmaur, Secretary General of Vanuatu Non-Government Organizations (VANGO)
  • Sarah Doyle, Global Solidarity Coordinator at Act for Peace

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

Season four

 

Listen now on: Spotify | SoundCloud | Apple | YouTube

Special Episode 01

A window of opportunity for humanitarians in Bangladesh

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Ehsanur Rahman an Adviser of National Alliance of Humanitarian Actors in Bangladesh and a Convening Committee member of CSO Alliance
  • Farah Kabir, the Country Director for ActionAid Bangladesh

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

 

 

Special Episode 02

Humanitarian system reform in Syria

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Aya Yagan, Technical Director at NSDation Consultancy Services
  • Mazen Alhousseiny, Capacity Strengthening Adviser at HelpAge International

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

Season three

 

Listen now on: Spotify | SoundCloud | Apple | YouTube

Episode 01

Protection through early action

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Director Rhodora G. Alday, Department of Social Welfare and Development, about anticipatory action and existing social protection systems in the Philippines
  • Ruth Georget from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), explores anticipatory action interventions in the Philippines

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

 

 

Episode 02

Anticipatory technology

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Vlad Cozma, CashCap Regional Expert for Asia & Pacific at NORCAP – a part of the Norwegian Refugee Council, on anticipatory action, cash transfers and social protection
  • Sandra Uwantege Hart, a specialist in community inclusion and adoption of blockchain and DeFi applications in emerging markets, on how the use of blockchain technology improves the delivery of FAO’s anticipatory action programs

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

Episode 03

Irreversible impacts – exploring non-economic loss

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Dr Moleen Nand, a leading expert in climate change with a special focus on loss and damage, about non-economic loss and damage in the Pacific

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

 

 

Episode 04

Measuring what matters

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Aaftab Ullah, a Manager of M&E with GLOW Consultants, talks to the development of the model and the approach in Pakistan to measure and understand the impact of localisation at the community level
  • Zaki Ullah, the CEO of GLOW Consultants, discusses his hopes for what the framework can achieve and how it can be disseminated to humanitarian actors and organisations

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

Episode 05

At the heart of the response: Vanuatu and the path to localisation

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Pamela Cajilig, an independent consultant who has undertaken the evaluation of HAG’s Humanitarian Horizons research programme, about her findings and lessons learned.  
  • Eranda Wijewickrama, an Executive at HAG, about the Humanitarian Horizons research programme and his key highlights of the seven-year programme of work.

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

 

 

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Listen to I Think You’re On Mute anywhere you get your pods

Season two

 

Listen now on: Spotify | SoundCloud | Apple | YouTube

Episode 01

Protracted crises – In for the long haul

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Jess Lees, Humanitarian Advisory Group, on the nature of protracted crises and how humanitarian response differs
  • Ahmad Shuja Jamal, author, academic and advisor, discusses the challenges to international aid in Afghanistan and an emerging strain of diaspora aid

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

 

 

Episode 02

COP28 – A climate for humanitarian change

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Jessica Van Son, climate change expert and researcher, about COP28, why it’s crucial the humanitarian sector is engaged, and loss and damage
  •  Jesse McCommon, Humanitarian Advisory Group, on humanitarian and climate policies and Humanitarian Advisory Group’s research stream, Greening the System
  • Te’o Lau Dr Viliamu (Vili) Iese, Victoria Drought Resilience and Innovation Hub, discusses humanitarian and climate action in the Pacific, and the Greening the System Framework

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

Episode 03

Our Voices, Our Choices, Our Pacific Way – Supporting locally led action in the Pacific

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Catherine Jones, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, on how anticipatory action differs from disaster preparedness and what other regions can learn from the Pacific
  • Akmal Ali, Facility Aiding Locally-Led Engagement (FALE) Pacific, PIANGO, about localisation in the Pacific and the importance of leveraging traditional knowledge

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

 

 

Episode 04

Delivering humanitarian response differently

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Kate Sutton, Humanitarian Advisory Group, on the impact of staff mobility in humanitarian response and the need for respectful recruitment practices 
  • Nanette Salvador-Antequisa, ECOWEB, on locally led action in the Philippines and a new Flagship Initiative

 

EP TRANSCRIPT

Season one

 

Listen now on: Spotify | SoundCloud | Apple | YouTube

Episode 01

Reforming the humanitarian system

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Shirley Abraham, Vanuatu Association of NGOs, on the response to Cyclone Pam in 2015
  • Kate Sutton, Co-Founder of the Humanitarian Advisory Group (or HAG) on the early days of the organisation, and her background in the humanitarian sector
  • James Gilling, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on Australia’s support for humanitarian sector reform
  • Dr Puji Pujiono, from Indonesia’s Pujiono Centre, on localisation and humanitarian reform in Indonesia

 

 

Episode 02

Real time analysis

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Emeline Siale Illolahia, Executive Director of Pacific Islands Association of Non-Government Organisations (PIANGO) on the Cyclone Harold response
  • Dr Puji Pujiono, on the work of national and local actors in response to the 2018 tsunami and earthquake in Palu, Indonesia
  • Jessica Lees, from HAG, on the private sector response to the 2018 earthquake in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea
  • Fanny Coussy, also from HAG, on the impact of real time analysis in a humanitarian response

Episode 03

People, power and local leadership

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Pam Combinidio, from HAG on the production of knowledge in the humanitarian sector
  • Leaine Robinson and Iris Low from CoLAB in Fiji about their work to advance localisation
  • Suman Ahsanul from the Institute of Innovation for Gender and Humanitarian Transformation (InSights) in Bangladesh

 

 

Episode 04

Greening the system

In this episode, host Beth Eggleston speaks to:

  • Sesimani Lokoutui, National Coordinator at the Civil Society Forum of Tonga about the aftermath of the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption
  • Zaki Ullah from GLOW Pakistan about the environmental impact of humanitarian responses in the country
  • Emeline Siale Illolahia from PIANGO about the outlook for localisation in the Pacific

Now streaming

Listen to I Think You’re On Mute anywhere you get your pods!

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