Trumanitarian

Humanitarian tech initiatives fail when they start with a "shiny object" rather than a defined problem. Solutions are imposed rather than developed based on actual needs. A ‘graveyard of bad tech’ is expanding. Should humanitarians just admit they’re bad with technology? During the International Red Cross Movement Conference in Geneva in October 2024, Host Lars Peter Nissen found a quiet corner to discuss pitfalls and opportunities in humanitarian tech with Heather Leson (Digital Innovation Lead at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) and Omar Abou Samra (Director of the Global Disaster Preparedness Center at the American Red Cross). Heather and Omar believe in technology’s usefulness to the industry, but stress that it must be integrated into humanitarian work with the same rigor applied to non-digital interventions.This conversation is a call for better co-design between humanitarians and technologists to ensure impact measurement goes beyond vanity metrics like downloads. Heather and Omar pitch an approach similar to venture capital, where ineffective projects are shut down rather than endlessly sustained, and where human-centered design and cross-disciplinary collaboration are embraced. They discuss the secret sauce for better humanitarian tech, and that maybe it's time humanitarians to rethink their role—not as central actors, but as collaborators in a larger system.

Join experts Michael Barnett, a humanitarianism professor, Harpinder Collacott, director of Foresight Social Ventures, and Meg Sattler, CEO of Ground to Solution, as they dissect the recent U.S. aid freeze and its long-term impacts on humanitarian efforts. They argue that the current crisis will resonate for years and that communities must build resilience independently. The discussion also tackles the need for innovative funding models, ethical dilemmas in aid distribution, and the emergence of new power dynamics within the sector.

Dr. Rola Hallam - a doctor, humanitarian, and Syrian advocate - joins host Lars Peter Nissen for a personal conversation on the resilience of humanity amidst chaos. Against the backdrop of Syria’s profound suffering and the fall of the Assad regime, Dr. Rola shares her journey of healing, hope, and service.She dismantles the idea of the untouchable hero humanitarian, laying bare the fragility and vulnerability of frontline workers. She recounts her burnout and her path to rebuilding through healing, spirituality, and psychedelics - moving from clever to wise.Dr. Rola envisions a healing-centred approach for Syria (and beyond), one that empowers its people to dream and rebuild. And she calls for all of us to help make such futures realities. It's about embodying the change we want to see. Listen in – its deeply vulnerable and we hope you will love it as much as we do.

What happens when you mix cyber warfare, climate collapse, and humanitarian action with a dash of whiskey? You get Emerson Tan - a man who started as a hacker, turned humanitarian, and now designs fintech for the apocalypse.Dive into chaos: how disasters, misinformation, and the climate crisis are forcing us to rethink everything from technology to social systems. Emerson explains why the difference between a war zone and a flood is six feet of water and how mutual aid and grassroots are bubbling up as antidotes to our crumbling centralised structures.Along the way, we explore the dark and occasionally hopeful lessons learned from decades of edge-case disasters. What can the humanitarian sector learn from Bellingcat or AA meetings? Lots, Emerson thinks.Grab a whiskey and join us for a convo that’s terrifying, fascinating, and oddly uplifting.Listen now. Share widely. Embrace the chaos. Brace yourself for our dear friend, Emerson, just don’t expect him to sugarcoat the challenges ahead.

In an early episode this year, Dr. Hugo Slim warned that he would challenge the most fundamental humanitarian principle: humanity. This week, he does just that. As a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford and a policy advisor specializing in the ethics of war and humanitarian aid, Hugo brings a unique philosophical lens to the conversation, drawing on his doctorate in theology.In this conversation, host Lars Peter challenges Hugo to assess the practicality and effectiveness of his landscape-based approach. Could it disrupt the established Western liberal framework of human rights—and might that disruption be exactly what we need to confront impending climate-related humanitarian crises?Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at trumanitarianpod@gmail.com

This episode discusses 'community engagement': recent wins, as well as the continued struggle to move beyond tokenism to achieve meaningful change – and whether 'bureaucracy engagement' might better reflect the complexities of the engagement.In this episode, Kristin Vestrheim (Moderator), Eminenur Çınar (Board Member), and Yakzan Shishakly (Board Member) discuss their network – the Interagency Community of Practice on Community Engagement in Displacement Response. They explore the consequences of treating community engagement as a narrow, technical problem –rather than a political one — and suggest more radical and integrative solutions to help shift power back to the people.The forum is part of the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster and you can check it out here.

In his 2021 book, Night on Earth, Davide Rodongo, professor of international history and politics at the Geneva Graduate Institute, writes about humanitarian action during the 20th century interwar period. “What they aimed to do was delusional”, he told Lars Peter. “The reality is they did a few little good things in a few places…And they aimed to civilize the entire Near East.”According to Davide, historians often argue that the past teaches us nothing. And yet, his recounting of the humanitarian sector’s inter-war period rhymes with the major themes we talk about on this podcast: localization, professionalism, paternalism and technology. Together, he and Lars Peter talk about what (and who) has changed, cracks in the humanitarian narrative, and how to tell the story right.Davide’s book: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/night-on-earth/2BB5FC4E3AAE925C0AD6875F519BFD4BThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at trumanitarianpod@gmail.com

The Humanitarian Club - members only!Is the humanitarian sector run by an elite network that controls the vast majority of resources and power within the sector, a closed circle that excludes outsiders? This week Trumanitarian welcomes Michael N. Barnett, Professor of international affairs and a leading scholar on humanitarianism. In one of his pieces ‘The Humanitarian Club’ (we love it), Barnett uses sociological and economic theory to describe humanitarianism as a club where the few hold the economic, symbolic, social, and cultural capital. It leaves outsiders in the cold and permits members to control pooled funds, influence, and decision-making.If you're ready to confront the harsh realities of the humanitarian sector, tune in and let Michael Barnett guide you through the systemic barriers that define the sector. It’s time to ask ourselves who really benefits, and who’s left outside the gates of the Humanitarian Club.Don't forget to explore Michael’s chapter in the 2021 book “Global Governance in a World of Change” here - chapter 5.

Simon Western, founder of the Eco-Leadership Institute, joins host Lars Peter Nissen, to explore how to bring some soul into the humanitarian space as they know it. And how the “helpless helping” tendency currently plagues it. Simon draws on his experience from psychiatric nursing to corporate leadership, and explains how his eco-leadership model - rooted in ecosystemic thinking and mutualism - could re-enchant individuals and organisations, helping to break free from outdated, bureaucratic structures. Simon argues that real transformation won’t come from top-down reforms but from the fringes - through leadership that disrupts and dismantles the bloated machinery from the edge. You’ll leave questioning the systems you work within and inspired by the potential of a more connected and dynamic energy. He inspires us to get to work, all of us, to push, alone but collectively, from the edges of our individual realities. Tune in for more insights and check out Simon’s podcast Edgy Ideas, as well as his blog on Helpless Helping.

Neil Smyth, the founder of tech startup, Alkemio, challenges the dominance of major digital platforms. Alkemio seeks to create safe spaces for collaboration, offering an open-source platform that serves societal interests, rather than shareholders. It is based on a steward ownership model which puts purpose before profit and ensures that control remains with the mission of the platform rather than external investors. Neil explains the significant challenges of scaling a platform that aims to fundamentally change how society works together and compete against well-established tech giants. This conversation unpacks the potential to address some of the most pressing problems in the digital age, where Neil’s answers might just inspire you to rethink the digital tools you use every day. For example, Neil challenges how society has allowed major platforms to control the very infrastructure of our space today, comparing it to building a house where someone else controls the plumbing, layout (and who is ultimately allowed as tenants)?Check out Alkemio here.Also, if you're interested, Pierrick Devidal from ICRC brings additional perspective to the discussion in episode 76. The Technophobe