Humanitarian Conversations

When given the chance to live in Tanzania as a uni student, John Tipper jumped at the opportunity.  Not only did he discover a culture very different to his experiences growing up, but he also witnessed the compounding impacts of the Rwandan genocide at much closer quarters. The experience spurred John to move from his work supporting at-risk youth in New Zealand, to the international humanitarian sector.  Now with 20 years’ experience working across the world—from South Sudan to Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, the Balkans, the Philippines and Indonesia—John is a crisis management expert. He’s also the author of two books on decision-making in disaster response, with the latest one just released. Billed as ‘choose your own adventure’-style books, they’ve been described by senior managers in the sector as the closest thing to working in a humanitarian response without having to be there.  In this episode, John chats with Sally about how to make better decisions when under intense pressure, as well as the importance of training and cross-cultural communication when working in international crisis settings.  Host: Sally Cunningham  Guest: John Tipper  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar   You can find John’s books here.  You can join our conversations on LinkedIn and Facebook.   You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. 

What happens when humanitarians turn a critical eye to their own work? Not the work they do for communities—but the way they do it?  Operational research is a branch of humanitarian inquiry dedicated to exactly that: investigating how aid is delivered, whether it's working, and how it can be done better. It asks hard questions. And it sits with uncomfortable answers.  In this special episode of Humanitarian Conversations, RedR Australia CEO Dr Helen Durham is joined by three leading voices in the field—Dr Fiona Terry, Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland and long-time aid practitioner; Beth Eggleston, Co-Founder and Director of the Humanitarian Advisory Group; and Dr Josh Hallwright, RedR Australia's Director of Training and Strategy.  Together, they draw on careers spanning some of the world's most complex crises—from the moral dilemmas facing aid workers in Myanmar's Rohingya camps, to understanding what drives armed groups to show restraint in conflict, to the political economy of aid in Somalia.  They explore what operational research really is, why it matters, and what it looks like in practice. And they wrestle with the ethical challenges that come with asking difficult questions in high-stakes environments—and perhaps more critically, what humanitarians are obligated to do with the answers.  Host: Dr Helen Durham  Guests: Dr Fiona Terry, Beth Eggleston and Dr Josh Hallwright  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar   Producer and series host: Sally Cunningham Read the transcript here. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn and Facebook.   You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. 

After 30 years as a humanitarian, Josephine Hutton is an optimist.   From her first job in the humanitarian and development sector in the 90s working for AusAID (the former Australian government agency for international aid and development), Jo went on to work in humanitarian leadership roles across the globe.  From Iraq and Kosovo to Palestine and Sri Lanka, she has worked in conflict zones, a tsunami response and everything in between, and currently leads Oxfam Australia’s international programs.   And despite the challenges, her optimism for positive change has only grown.  Jo is a valued member of the RedR Australia family. She joined us as an associate trainer in 2002, and she has served on our board twice—first from 2011-2012, and again from 2024 to the present.  In this episode, Jo chats with Sally about the challenges of working in conflict zones, the dangers of decision paralysis, and the importance of having difficult conversations.  She explains why she’s continued to train on RedR Australia’s courses for more than two decades, and she shares wise counsel on when to give advice—and when to simply listen.  Host: Sally Cunningham  Guest: Josephine Hutton  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar  Read the transcript here. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn and Facebook.  You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. 

When the Indian Ocean tsunami hit in 2004, hundreds of thousands lost their lives—and millions more were forever altered.   For Tai-Ring Teh, a civil engineer, the tsunami recovery set him on an unexpected path as a humanitarian. Using his engineering skills to help provide clean water for communities who had lost everything in Aceh, Indonesia, he has since devoted his career to supporting people affected by crisis.   From the Solomon Islands to Rwanda, from Nepal to South Sudan and beyond—Tai-Ring has used his engineering skills to help communities gain or regain access to safe water and improved sanitation.  Today, Tai-Ring shares this wealth of experience as a RedR Australia roster member and associate trainer, where he is passionate about mentoring the next generation of humanitarian engineers.  In this episode, Tai-Ring chats with Sally about his formative experiences in the humanitarian sector, the life-sustaining value of water, and why mentoring is essential to developing our next generation of humanitarian and development leaders.  You can read the episode transcript here. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn and Facebook.   You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. Host: Sally Cunningham  Guest: Tai-Ring Teh Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

If you’ve worked in the humanitarian sector, it’s likely you’ve supported refugee communities—either directly or indirectly. And with humanitarian emergencies growing around the world, it’s never been more important to discuss the families and communities who suffer most during crises.  In this special episode of Humanitarian Conversations, Sally talks with RedR Australia roster members Ozlem and Greg about their journeys into the humanitarian sector and their experiences supporting refugees.   Originally recorded as a webinar to mark World Refugee Day in June, these two experienced humanitarians share wisdom about working with refugee communities and why quality training is essential when operating in dangerous contexts—from civil wars to cyclones.  You can read the transcript here. You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here.  Host: Sally Cunningham   Guests: Ozlem and Greg  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar 

Jess Letch is a humanitarian dynamo. From connecting families torn apart by war in Angola, to supporting people to evacuate disputed territories in South Ossetia, to writing a billion-dollar plan to support Ukrainian refugees throughout Europe, Jess has had some challenging and rewarding roles during her humanitarian career.  Growing up in Melbourne Australia, Jess started her career with a social work degree, then soon landed a role working with refugees through the Australian Red Cross.  Now, with 25 years’ experience in the humanitarian and development sectors, she has worked in diverse contexts all over the globe, including across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific.  In this episode, Sally and Jess chat about the challenges of working in conflict zones, the uniqueness of the humanitarian skillset, the importance of building a strong home base when constantly travelling abroad, and the power of strong institutions to protect societies when disaster strikes.  You can join our conversations on LinkedIn and Facebook.   You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. You can read the transcript and view the photo Jess mentioned here. Host: Sally Cunningham  Guest: Jess Letch  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar 

In the midst of a raging conflict, how can you tell the difference between a civilian and a combatant? In this extra-special episode of Humanitarian Conversations, RedR Australia’s CEO Dr. Helen Durham sits down with international lawyer, Firouzeh, to discuss the power and complexities of international humanitarian law (IHL). Firouzeh is an expert in IHL and human rights law. She’s worked for Swiss NGO Geneva Call since 2018 and is currently their country director for Myanmar. Geneva Call is a unique organisation which works with non-state armed groups to help protect civilians in times of armed conflicts. In this thought-provoking chat, Firouzeh and Helen discuss the challenges of the current crisis in Myanmar and how difficult it is to define a ‘civilian’ in this conflict. Firouzeh also explains why Myanmar is one of the most intense conflicts in the world today, and how promoting international humanitarian law with defacto armed groups can protect vulnerable civilians who are caught in the crossfire—saving lives and restoring some humaneness to armed conflicts. Following this, Helen and Sally also chat more broadly about the state of IHL during today’s conflicts, and what all humanitarian and development workers should know about IHL before heading out into the field.  You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, X and Facebook.  Read the transcript here. Hosts: Sally Cunningham and Dr. Helen Durham  Guest: Firouzeh  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar 

When Ulf accidentally found himself in the middle of the Kashmir Crisis in 1989, he was moved by the suffering of civilians affected by the conflict. Six years later, after trying his hand as a bike mechanic, wedding photographer and some time on a Viking ship, he resolved to study law and devote his life to protecting communities affected by crisis.  Now a life-long humanitarian and protection expert, Ulf holds more than two decades’ experience across Europe, Asia, the Pacific and the Americas. He has worked with notable humanitarian organisations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Australian and Swedish Red Cross societies, the International Federation of the Red Cross and, most recently, the AHA Centre in Indonesia.    He is also a much-loved RedR Australia associate trainer, and in this episode he chats with Sally about the transformations he’s seen in RedR Australia’s training participants, what it takes to work in a conflict zone, and how, at the heart of protection work, there is the desire to ensure no one is forgotten, left behind or ‘disappeared’.  You can find out more about RedR Australia’s training courses here. Join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.  Read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham      Guest: Ulf  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

Growing up around the buzz of the Radio Fiji studios, Talei Tora is a born storyteller. As the daughter of a radio announcer, Talei learnt from an early age the importance of how a story is told—and for whom.  Fast forward to today and Talei is an extensively experienced communications expert, with more than two decades under her belt as a television and film producer, journalist and communications specialist. From her early experiences in the Fijian military, Talei transitioned her career to tell the unheard stories of her community through roles in the development sector, including as a roster member for RedR Australia.  In this episode, Sally and Talei delve into two mammoth topics affecting the Pacific—colonialism and localisation. They discuss the role of storytelling in development and the importance of silence in Pacific culture. And we get a glimpse into Talei’s not-so-secret life—as a brewer and scientist for her ginger beer business, GingerLei.  You can find out more about RedR Australia’s roster here.  You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham  Guest: Talei Tora  Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar

In Pacific Island countries such as Fiji, the first education for a young child is often learning traditional knowledge. And for humanitarian Simione Bula, preserving and protecting this valuable knowledge is vital to navigating future disasters in the region.  Simione is a highly experienced disaster management and disability inclusion specialist, with nearly two decades of experience across organisations like the Pacific Disability Forum, Samoa’s Disaster Management Office and CBM Australia.  In this episode, Simione shares his experiences growing up on a remote island of Fiji and learning the traditional warning signs of approaching disaster. He chats with Sally about the intimate connection between people, land and sea, how he transitioned from being a school teacher to becoming a humanitarian, and how the best place to start with disability inclusion is to put disability aside—and see people with disabilities as people first.  You can find out more about RedR Australia’s roster here. You can join our conversations on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.  You can read the transcript here. Host: Sally Cunningham Guest: Simione Bula Producer, engineer and composer: Jill Farrar