

Inside Geneva
SWI swissinfo.ch
Inside Geneva is a podcast about global politics, humanitarian issues, and international aid, hosted by journalist Imogen Foulkes. It is produced by SWI swissinfo.ch, a multilingual international public service media company from Switzerland.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 24, 2021 • 35min
Afghanistan: aid agencies are staying
Send us a textThe troops have left Afghanistan but aid agencies say they’re staying. How will that work, with the Taliban back in control?Join host Imogen Foulkes and regular analyst Daniel Warner who are joined by Marie Lequin of Geneva Call, an NGO that works to protect civilians caught up in armed conflicts, Ken Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, and Irwin Loy, Asia Editor of The New Humanitarian, a non-profit newsroom that reports from conflict and crisis-hit areas. "The Taliban has had a game plan, they know how aid agencies operate, they know that they need a certain level of aid to continue," says Loy. Listen in to hear more. Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

Aug 10, 2021 • 27min
Chocolate, gold, human rights: what’s the Swiss Connection?
Send us a textIn this episode Imogen Foulkes is joined by Susan Misicka, host of sister podcast The Swiss Connection. We take a deep dive into what one country – Switzerland – is doing to honour the United Nations principles on business respecting human rights. How much child labour is used to produce Swiss chocolate? Why is so much gold refined in Switzerland? And what happens to that gold before it ends up on your finger?Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

Jul 27, 2021 • 28min
Afghanistan: The forever war?
Send us a textSome call the war in Afghanistan "the forever war". But now the US and NATO are leaving. The conflict is escalating. Inside Geneva tries to figure out what the future might look like.In this episode, host Imogen Foulkes talks to Firouzeh Mitchell, acting head of mission in Afghanistan for Geneva Call; Forozan Rasooli, Deputy Director of Equality for Peace and Democracy; and Vicki Aken, Afghanistan Country Director, International Rescue Committee.Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

Jul 13, 2021 • 32min
Human rights: Holding businesses to account
Send us a textTen years ago, the United Nations adopted a landmark set of guiding principles on business and human rights."Those who have been harmed by business activity have a right to seek effective remedy through effective process." (Lene Wendland, Chief, Business and Human Rights Section, UN Human Rights Office)But how can we make sure guiding principles are followed?"The UN cannot regulate things at an international level that states already haven’t agreed to regulate at a national level." (Arvind Ganesan, director, Business and Human Rights Division, Human Rights Watch)So how do we really ensure big businesses take responsibility for their actions?Join host Imogen Foulkes to find out who really holds big business to account: the shareholders? The consumers? The workers? Or all of us? Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

Jun 29, 2021 • 36min
War crimes: Holding perpetrators to account
Send us a textHow do we bring war criminals to justice? Who can bring prosecutions? The country where the crimes took place? The International Criminal Court? Or anyone?In this week's episode, Imogen Foulkes talks to Philip Grant, executive director of Trial International, Gerald Staberock, secretary-general of the World Organisation against Torture, and swissinfo.ch journalist, Julia Crawford.Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

Jun 14, 2021 • 32min
Biden-Putin: The Geneva summit expectations
Send us a textGeneva is welcoming two of the most powerful men in the world: US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin. What do they hope to gain? In this episode host Imogen Foulkes talks to former US ambassador to Finland Charles Adams, Professor of International Relations Jussi Hanhimaki, and analyst Daniel Warner.Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

Jun 1, 2021 • 26min
Education: Making it a priority in humanitarian emergencies
Send us a textEducation is fundamental to the life of every child. Not being in school puts children at immediate risk and it ruins their futures. So why does education seem to come a poor second during humanitarian crises? In this episode of Inside Geneva host Imogen Foulkes talks to experts on education in emergencies, including Yasmine Sherif, Director of Education Cannot Wait (ECW), Julienne Vipond, head of the Unicef-led education cluster in Sudan, and Manuel Bessler, head of Swiss Humanitarian Aid. They discuss a brand new global hub for education here in Geneva, and Imogen asks whether the Covid 19 pandemic – and the school closures in wealthy countries – have reminded us just how important education is. Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

May 18, 2021 • 27min
Finding common ground to battle future pandemics
Send us a textThe 194 members of the World Health Organisation will meet for the annual World Health Assembly from May 24. The body decides global health policy. What could be more important in this pandemic year? In this episode host Imogen Foulkes looks at the challenges that lie ahead. Her guests are Suerie Moon of Geneva’s Global Health Centre, Maria Guevara of Medecins sans Frontieres and Thomas Cueni of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers.Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

May 4, 2021 • 32min
Defending the Disappeared
Send us a textNot knowing the fate of a loved one causes unimaginable heartbreak and anxiety for families. People go missing in wars and natural disasters, but they are also forcibly disappeared. What can families do? In this episode host Imogen Foulkes looks at the United Nations Convention on Enforced Disappearances. How does it work? Does it help prevent disappearances? And why are so many countries reluctant to ratify it?Imogen is joined by Cordula Droege of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Olivier de Frouville of the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances, and Aileen Bacalso, President of the International Coalition against Enforced Disappearances.Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang

Apr 20, 2021 • 34min
Is the United Nations' top job for men only?
Send us a textThe United Nations is 75 years old – but there has never been a woman Secretary General. Now Antonio Guterres is standing for a second term, so it will likely be another five years before a woman candidate can have a chance at the UN’s top job. Why is it taking so long? Does Guterres’ record even merit a second term? And why are some senior UN positions traditionally reserved for certain countries? In this episode host Imogen Foulkes talks to Heather Barr, co-director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, Geneva journalist Nick Cumming-Bruce, and analyst Daniel Warner.Get in touch! Email us at insidegeneva@swissinfo.ch Twitter: @ImogenFoulkes and @swissinfo_en Thank you for listening! If you like what we do, please leave a review or subscribe to our newsletter. For more stories on the international Geneva please visit www.swissinfo.ch/Host: Imogen FoulkesProduction assitant: Claire-Marie GermainDistribution: Sara PasinoMarketing: Xin Zhang


