Episodes
-
In this episode, we explore the role of the European Union in the research, development and joint production of arms and military equipment.
Unlike other industrial policy areas such as commercial trade, decisions around arms production and export have traditionally been held solely by individual EU member states â linked closely to their sovereignty and national defence ambitions. However, in recent years and especially since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, we have started to see this dynamic shift, with the ramping up of joint research and development projects and collective efforts to provide military equipment to Ukraine. With this shift accelerating, can the EUâs oversight and accountability mechanisms keep up?
To unpack this question, we speak to Hannah Neumann, a Member of the European Parliament who sits on the Security and Defence Committee and chairs the delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula, where the issue of arms exports is often debated.
-
In this second part of our discussion with Lord Peter Ricketts and Nargis Kassenova, we take a deeper look at some of the security policy change weâve seen in recent years, and at wider patterns of geopolitical competition and alliances. We also discuss how interventions by some major players in the region have created unreliable and inconsistent security partnerships, which in some cases has eroded trust and undermined their broader strategic aims.
Lord Peter Ricketts is a former British diplomat of 40 years who was the UKâs first National Security Adviser and who now chairs the European Affairs Committee in the House of Lords. Nargis Kassenova is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Programme on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University.
If youâve not listened to part one of this discussion, you can find it here.
-
Missing episodes?
-
The world is more dangerous now than ever, with worrying upward trends in the estimated number of civilians being killed in conflicts around the world, and rising challenges posed by climate change, new technologies, disinformation and upcoming elections.
To open our new series of Warpod, we look at the trends shaping contemporary security policy, at whatâs changed and what hasnât since our last episodes, and at some of the different approaches being taken to address the challenges facing the world today.
To help us do this, we've interviewed two experts:
Lord Peter Ricketts, a former British diplomat of 40 years who was the UKâs first national security adviser and who now chairs the European Affairs Committee in the House of Lords. Nargis Kassenova, a Senior Fellow and Director of the Programme on Central Asia at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University.The discussion with our guests has been split into two parts. In this first episode our guests identify the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a key moment driving security trends. We explore rising defence spending and military build-ups in Europe and Central Asia, and discuss the risks of these approaches. In episode 2, we will look at the wider patterns of geopolitical competition and alliances, and we discuss some of the impacts of unreliable and inconsistent approaches to partnerships.
Please note â the views, perspectives and opinions expressed in this podcast episode are those of the guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Saferworld as an organisation.
-
Every day, civilians suffer in violent conflicts attacked by armed forces, militias and rebel groups. These attacks have left many dead or injured, and caused millions to be forcibly displaced. However, most attempts to address these issues are done by influencing conflict parties to cease attacks on civilians, instead of enhancing the protection of civilians in places affected by violent conflict.
Julia Steets, Director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, Germany. Zmkan Ali, Research Director at the Institute of Regional and International Studies at the American University in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq.
In this episode, we discuss the Global Public Policy Instituteâs report on preventive protection efforts that hinder future harms rather than mitigating the effects of past violations, âThe logic of protection approaches: Four models to safeguard civilians from harmâ, and what can be done to increase protection of civilian, using examples from Iraq.
We are joined by:Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
-
Before Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, violent conflict had been ongoing since 2014 in part of Ukraineâs eastern regions, the Donbas.
In this episode, we discuss Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi)âs study on Ukrainian perspectives on peace, specifically the two groups that have been severely impacted by the conflict: veterans of the Donbas and internally displaced people residing in eastern Ukraine. We also talk about how the lessons and recommendations from this study stand up to the realities of the current conflict in Ukraine.
To discuss this, our hosts are joined by:
Julia Friedrich, a research fellow at the GPPi in Berlin and author of the study ââWhat should we have to say about it?â Perspectives on Peace in Eastern Ukraineâ. Oleksiy Malnyk, Co-Director of Foreign Relations and International Security Programmes at the Razumkov Centre, Kiev.Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld. Please note this podcast was recorded in May 2022.
-
In this episode of Warpod, we discuss the biggest challenge that feminist and women's rights organisations and movements face: funding.
With 99 per cent of gender-related aid failing to reach them directly, there is a critical need for flexible, core and direct funding for women's rights organisations in places affected by conflict. To discuss the issue, our hosts Jessica Summers and Delina Goxho are joined by:
Anna Tazita Samuel, Executive Director at Women for Change in South Sudan Mfreke Nziba, Project Manager from the Coalition for the Promotion of Gender Justice in Nigeria Buthaina Al-Selwi, Programme Manager from Hodeidah Girls Foundation in YemenPlease note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
#womensrights #feminism #aid #donor
-
In this Warpod episode, we look at the concept of stabilisation. What does it mean? What challenges does it bring? And how should we tackle these challenges?
Philipp Rotmann, Director of the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin Jordan Kane, an analyst specializing in policy and aid effectiveness, governance, conflict, and military assistance
To answer these questions and discuss âdoingâ stabilitation strategies in places such as Afghanistan and the Sahel, our hosts Abigail Watson and Delina Goxho are joined by two experts:Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
#stabilisation #Sahel #Afghanistan #militarystrategies
-
âPeace is not a technical process. Peace is deeply political.â
In this episode, we explore new perspectives about what works when trying to stabilise countries troubled by long-lasting violence, crime and terrorism. What happens to societies when theyâre affected by extreme violence and proscribed groups? What leads to (relative) success when building pathways to peace and security? What role do people, governments and civil society play? Using examples such as Colombia, Iraq, and Northern Ireland â our guests explore these hard questions and share lessons for what works in complex conflicts with difficult stabilisation dynamics.
We are joined by:
Larry Attree, independent researcher on peace and conflict issues
Andrei Gomez-Suarez, Senior Research Fellow, the Centre for Religion, Reconciliation and Peace
Rachel Kleinfeld, Senior Fellow, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; author, 'A Savage Order: How the worldâs deadliest countries can forge a path to security'
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
-
Many might not have heard a troubling story about 300 civilians massacred in Maliâs Moura village in early April 2022. Human Rights Watch called it "the worst single atrocity reported in Mali's decade-long armed conflict".
Who carried out the attack? The answer appears to be Malian forces had help from private foreign soldiers from the Russian private-security firm Wagner. Reports of shadowy groups of mercenaries operating under the rubric of the Russian private military contractor Wagner operating around the world have trickled out for years but we still don't really know who Wagner are.
In this episode we discuss Wagner and the rise of private military contractors. We look at how they operate and their impacts on peacebuilding efforts in conflict-affected areas. Our hosts are joined by:
Andreas Krieg, Associate Professor at the School of Security Studies at King's College London, Royal College of Defence Studies. Adam Sandor, Post-Doctoral Researcher in Postcolonial Hierarchies in Peace and Conflict at the University of Bayreuth. Helene Olsen, a Doctoral Candidate in the Department of War Studies and a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Defence Studies Department and in the Department of War Studies at Kingâs College London.Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions ofâŻSaferworld.
#PMSC #military #conflict #defence #counterterrorism
-
Throughout 30 years of the previous regime in Sudan, women faced more oppression than ever before. During the 2018â2019 revolution, women and young people were the driving force of protests demanding freedom, peace and justice. After the military coup in October 2021, women were on the frontlines, protesting military rule. In addition to the current political complexity, Sudanese women are also facing economic and social challenges that make their journey to gender equality more difficult. This needs specific consideration from women's coalitions and organisations that work to make womenâs voices heard and advocate for their rights.
In this Warpod episode we talk to Reem Amr, a researcher focusing on women, peace and security, cyber bullying and feminism in Sudan, and an MA candidate at SOAS University of London. In this interview she reflects on Saferworldâs research on Sudanese women's coalitions in Eastern Sudan and Darfur. She also shares some practical ideas on how international organisations and donors can better support Sudanese women's coalitions and movements.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions ofâŻSaferworld.
#Sudan #feminism #women #peace #revolution #women-agenda #sudan_revoultion
-
At the end of last year, US President Joe Biden hosted the virtual Summit for Democracy. It convened more than 100 countries to draw attention to rising authoritarianism. The summit looked at three themes: defending against authoritarianism, addressing and fighting corruption, and advancing respect for human rights.
How well has the summit, and Bidenâs democracy strategy more generally, prepared the US and its allies for tackling the most pressing threats to democracy today? And how has the USâ own two-decade fixation on countering-terrorism and violent extremist groups impacted global democracy?
To ask these questions, and many more, we are joined by:
Jason S. Calder, Head of Saferworldâs Washington office Derek Mitchel, President of the National Democratic Institute Dr Leslie Vinjamuri, Director, US and the Americas Programme; Dean, Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham HousePlease note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions ofâŻSaferworld.âŻThis podcast was recorded before Russiaâs invasion of Ukraine and therefore does not reference the latest developments.
#democracy #US #military #conflict #defence #counterterrorism
-
Over the last seven years, fighting between Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatist groups has been responsible for substantial civilian harm in the region. As well as the use of conventional forces, there has been âhybrid warfareâ. While the risks of conventional military forces on civilian populations are increasingly understood, we know much less about the risks posed by these hybrid tactics.
In this episode we are joined by two experts who have been doing extensive research on âhybrid warfareâ to help us understand more. They are:
Ewan Lawson, an independent researcher on defence and security issues Liza Baran, CIVIC Country Director for UkraineTogether we explore what hybrid threats are, what risks they pose to people in Ukraine and how Ukraine, the US and others can better respond to these threats.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions ofâŻSaferworld.
#Ukraine #HybridThreats #military #conflict #defence #Russia #futureofwar #industry
-
Looking ahead to 2022, we think about issues that will define the future of conflict â including space, the arctic, climate change, and cyber â and how policymakers and practitioners need to adapt for them. Three guests join hosts, Abigail Watson and Delina Goxho. They are:
James Rogers, Assistant Professor of War Studies at the University of Southern Denmark. Jennifer McArdle, Adjunct Senior Fellow with the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security. Anuradha Damale, Researcher at VERTIC and UK Director of Women of Colour Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS)Together we explore how future trends are misunderstood, how they will affect the future of conflict and what we should do about them.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions ofâŻSaferworld.
#arctic #space #military #conflict #defence #drones #futureofwar #industry -
In the eighth and final episode of Warpod's special series âReckoning with 9/11â, our hosts Larry Attree and Delina Goxho ask three experts whether the 9/11 paradigm is here to stay, or the world is now ready to move on.
We talk to:
Fionnuala NĂ AolĂĄin, law professor at both Queen's University in Belfast and the University of Minnesota, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering extremism. Tom Parker, is a former counter-terror officer at the British Security Service MI5 and the author of âAvoiding The Terrorist Trap: Why Respect For Human Rights Is The Key To Defeating Terrorismâ Rosa Brooks, Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Policy at Georgetown University, and author of âHow Everything Became War and the Military Became EverythingâThis special Warpod series âReckoning with 9/11â is created by Saferworld with support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and produced by the Podcast Company.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
-
In the seventh episode of Warpod's special series âReckoning with 9/11â, our hosts Larry Attree and Delina Goxho ask three experts about how 9/11 âcame homeâ and impacted on the laws, freedoms and ideals of the U.S. and other Western countries.
The three experts are:
Hina Shamsi, Director of the National Security Project at the ACLU Spencer Ackerman, a Pulitzer Prize and National Magazine Award-winning reporter, and the author of âReign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trumpâ. Josef Braml, Secretary-General of the German Group of the Trilateral Commission and the author of âAnti-Terrorism Laws and Powers: An Inventory of The G20 States 20 Years After 9/11â.This special Warpod series âReckoning with 9/11â is created by Saferworld with support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and produced by the Podcast Company.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
-
The sixth episode of Warpod's special series âReckoning with 9/11â episode explores how authoritarian governments have taken advantage of the war on terror for their own benefits. Our hosts, Larry Attree and Delina Goxho, ask three experts what effects this has had on peace and democracy, especially in the Philippines, Syria and Egypt.
Marc Batac works for Initiatives for International Dialogue in Manila and is co-author of our report on counter-terrorism âAn explosive cocktail â Counter-terrorism, militarisation and authoritarianism in the Philippinesâ. Sharif Mohy El Deen is an expert on security issues in the Middle East and North Africa region. Dr Rim Turkmani is a research fellow working on conflict issues at the London School of Economics, and Director of the Syria Conflict Research Programme.This special Warpod series âReckoning with 9/11â is created by Saferworld with support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and produced by the Podcast Company.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
-
The fifth episode of Warpod's special series âReckoning with 9/11â episode considers how the war on terror evolved as problems mounted, especially looking at the rise of Remote Warfare and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programmes. To explore the rise of remote warfare and its impact on communities in conflict-affected countries, hosts Larry Attree and Delina Goxho are joined by Dan Mahanty, Director of CIVIC's U.S. Program, Victoria Ohaeri, founder and director of Spaces For Change, and Abigail Watson, Saferworldâs Conflict and Security Policy Coordinator.
Then to discuss CVE, our hosts are joined by Graeme Simpson, Director of Interpeace USA and Lead Author of the Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security, and Jordan Street, Saferworldâs Policy and Advocacy Adviser.
This special Warpod series âReckoning with 9/11â is created by Saferworld with support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and produced by the Podcast Company.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
-
The fourth episode of Warpod's special series âReckoning with 9/11â looks at two countries that became important battlegrounds in the global war on terror: Yemen and Somalia. To discuss Yemen, Larry Attree and Delina Goxho are joined by Iona Craig, an investigative journalist focused on Yemen and a winner of the Orwell prize for journalism, and Awfa Alnami, Saferworldâs Yemen Country Manager.
Our hosts then discuss the conflict in Somalia with Mary Harper, BBC Africa editor and author of a major book on Al Shabaab titled âEverything You Have Told Me Is Trueâ, and Dr. Afyare Abdi Elmi, executive director of the Heritage Institute for Policy Studies in Mogadishu and author of âUnderstanding the Somalia Conflagrationâ.
This special Warpod series âReckoning with 9/11â is created by Saferworld with support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and produced by the Podcast Company.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
-
In the third episode of Warpod's special series âReckoning with 9/11â, hosts Larry Attree and Delina Goxho are joined by Emma Sky, author of âThe Unravelling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraqâ, who served as political advisor to General Odierno, the commander of US Forces in Iraq and Renad Mansour, senior research fellow and project director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House, to reflect on how the war on terror became connected to the push to topple Saddam Hussein and the consequences it unleashed in Iraq.
This special Warpod series âReckoning with 9/11â is created by Saferworld with support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and produced by the Podcast Company.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not necessarily the views or opinions of Saferworld.
-
In the second episode of the Warpodâs special series âReckoning with 9/11â, hosts Larry Attree and Delina Goxho are joined by Steve Coll, Dean of Columbia Journalism School and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and Huma Saeed, an affiliated researcher at the Leuven Institute of Criminology. They discuss the first country to be targeted in the war on terror, Afghanistan. We ask, why did this war become so challenging? And what were the consequences for the people who lived through it?
This special Warpod series âReckoning with 9/11â is created by Saferworld with support from Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, and produced by the Podcast Company.
Please note the views and opinions expressed during the podcast are those of the contributors featured. They are not the views or opinions of Saferworld.
- Show more
