Unlocking the Power of Youth - Jayathma Wickramanayake - Sr. policy advisor, UN Women
Release Date: 05/24/2024
Season 10
Awake At Night
Conflict, famine, humanitarian disasters, climate change. Our world and its peoples are facing huge challenges. Wherever and whenever crisis hits, United Nations staff are on the ground saving lives and negotiating at the highest levels to alleviate suffering. This work is only possible due to the personal sacrifices made every day by UN workers around the world. So, what motivates someone to lead the global fight for human rights, equality, or justice? Join UN chief communicator Melissa Fleming as she gets to know the extraordinary people behind the Organization. Coming soon from the United...
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Why Actor Edward Norton Champions Biodiversity
Awake At Night
Acclaimed actor, filmmaker and three-time Academy Award nominee Edward Norton has long been raising his voice on behalf of the planet and its most vulnerable communities. As a UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, he is championing the protection of biodiversity for the well-being of all. “It’s quite heartbreaking. I started diving, when I was 14, in the Caribbean. The change to the reef environments in the Caribbean in my adult lifetime is staggering and really upsetting. Reefs are in just terrible shape, terrible shape. Bleached, covered with algae, fish a fraction of what...
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I promised I will tell the story - Muhannad Hadi - UN Deputy Special Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Awake At Night
Muhannad Hadi knew that humanitarian work was his calling from an early age. Now UN Deputy Special Coordinator and humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, he is devoting himself to helping to alleviate the unimaginable suffering in Gaza. “They told me that agony, 24/7. They told me what they go through from the morning until they drop asleep, out of exhaustion. And I promised that I will tell the story.” The UN estimates that the ongoing conflict in Gaza has displaced up to 1.9 million people – 90% of the population - many of whom have fled multiple...
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Keeping hope alive - Juliette Murekeyisoni - UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
Awake At Night
Growing up as a refugee in Burundi, Juliette Murekeyisoni dedicated herself to helping others from an early age. In her recent role as UNHCR’s deputy representative in South Sudan, she continued to keep hope alive by encouraging refugees to focus on their education and long-term perspectives. “For me, every time I meet them, I tell them: “Don't lose hope, you are not going to be a refugee forever. One day you'll go home, and you can use the skills you have learned here. So, any opportunity you have, learn.” South Sudan hosts around 330,000 refugees as well as 2 million others...
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Racing to prevent famine in Gaza - Matthew Hollingworth - World Food Programme (WFP)
Awake At Night
Matthew Hollingworth has worked in conflict zones around the world, from Ukraine to South Sudan and Syria. Previously in charge of the World Food Programme’s (WFP) emergency operations in the West Bank and Gaza, Matthew was responsible for delivering life-saving aid to desperate people. “People ask me every single day when I'm in Gaza: “When will the bombs stop? When will the fighting stop? When will they stop blowing things up? When can I go home?” We don't have the answers. But we do know that that is what's needed.” WFP delivers food relief to more than 120 countries across the...
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To fight global hunger, farmers know best - Beth Bechdol - Deputy Director-General - UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO)
Awake At Night
Growing up on a farm, Beth Bechdol never dreamed of following in her agricultural family’s footsteps. Now Deputy Director-General of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she has not only returned to her roots, but is now fighting the corner of farmers the world over. “I know what it takes to grow a crop and to provide enough support for your animals. And if you don't have access to any of that, it's crushing. These are the things that on a regular basis keep me up at night.” The United Nations works to defeat hunger and achieve food security around the world, providing...
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Breaking barriers to progress - Achim Steiner - Head of United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
Awake At Night
Born in Brazil to German parents, Achim Steiner knows first hand the power of cultural exchange to drive international cooperation. Now head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), he leads global efforts to secure a better future for our planet and its people. “The clearest lesson from 50 years of modern development thinking is don't try and just pick one aspect and put all your eggs in that basket. Society is complex, development is about choices. And you will either get them right and succeed or you will fall apart.” Across the world, the UN supports efforts to end poverty,...
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Human rights is our strongest tool - Volker Türk - UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Awake At Night
Volker Türk has the greatest respect for those able to hold onto hope when all appears to be lost. As United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, he has devoted his life and career to helping the world’s most vulnerable people. “What has always struck me was encounters with people who are extremely resilient … who actually see hope, including in the most atrocious circumstances, and who just keep doing the right thing.” The Office he leads works around the world to uphold human rights, speaking out against all abuses and empowering people to claim their rights. In this...
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Everybody has Purpose - Amy Pope - Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Awake At Night
Amy Pope has always championed humane and orderly migration as an opportunity for societies, not a problem. Now the first female Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) she is campaigning for a fundamental shift in attitudes towards newcomers. “You just give somebody a little space. Everybody has purpose. Everybody has dreams, everybody wants to be seen.” Human migration is likely to rise over the coming decades, with the IOM predicting that hundreds of millions of people could be displaced due to climate change alone. In this episode, Amy Pope reflects on...
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A Privilege to Serve Humanity - Joyce Msuya - OCHA - Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Awake At Night
Big or small, Joyce Msuya has always found ways to give back. Now Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, she oversees the global response to the world’s worst crises. “For me, personally, it's a privilege to serve humanity. I wake up every morning and think about how I can shift the needle in someone's life.” From Gaza to Ukraine, Haiti to Sudan, the UN estimates 300 million people around the world are in need of life-saving assistance and protection. In this episode, Joyce...
info_outlineAppointed to a senior UN role aged just 26, Jayathma Wickramanayake’s career trajectory testifies to the power of education. Now senior policy advisor at UN Women, she is working to empower all women and girls to fulfill their potential – whatever their background.
“I was never told that because I was a girl, I couldn't do X, Y or Z. [My parents] always encouraged us to explore our passions … as long as we put education first, because that was non-negotiable.”
Despite significant progress on gender parity, too many girls and women still miss out on quality education, with women making up about two-thirds of the world’s 776 million illiterate adults. In this episode, Jayathma Wickramanayake reflects on the global hunger for learning, her beginnings in conflict-ridden Sri-Lanka, and her hopes for her own baby son.
“I would always say, don't wait for advice. Don't wait for invitations. Just look around, you will find ways to contribute to change in your own family, in your own community, in your college, in your university and in your country.”