What we've learned so far: Key takeaways for 2026 | Rethinking Humanitarianism

The crisis of illiberalism. The global gender backlash. Aid blind spots. Gaza and the failure of international law. Our guests have taken on difficult topics, but they've also come up with ideas on how to move forward. In this episode: Key takeaways to navigate today's challenges, and the issues driving conversations in 2026.   Guests:  Anjali Dayal, assistant professor of international politics at Fordham University Saskia Brechenmacher, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program Sana Bég, executive director, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada Hourie Tafech, director for refugee leadership and partnerships at Refugees International  Tammam Aloudat, CEO of The New Humanitarian Levi Sharpe, Rethinking Humanitarianism producer   Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.  

The UN has a new refugee chief: Barham Salih is the former president of Iraq. He takes over as high commissioner for refugees in January 2026. Salih may be a surprise pick. The head of UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency, has almost always been a European. Just as rare: The new refugee chief has actually been a refugee. But does a change at the top really address the power imbalances refugees face in the aid sector? Revisit our series, Power Shift, which puts decision-makers – and those affected by their choices – at the same table.  In this episode, Hafsar Tameesuddin, a Rohingya activist and refugee, speaks to Raouf Mazou, a senior UNHCR official. They talk about passports and privilege, and try to find common ground. ––– Power Shift is an experiment in dialogue that puts decision-makers in aid and philanthropy and those affected by their decisions in honest, one-on-one conversations about the aid sector's inequalities. ___ Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube, or search "The New Humanitarian" in your favourite podcast app.   You can find transcripts of all podcasts on our website. Are you or anyone you know interested in participating in future Power Shift conversations? Email us with the subject line 'POWER SHIFT".  

When countries can commit genocide or invade neighbours with few repercussions, it's clear that international norms and laws are not working. On the podcast, three legal experts discuss the problems and some steps forward, from decentralised ways of enforcing criminal law, to including non-state actors, to erasing the legal loopholes used to justify violence. Guests:  Neve Gordon, professor of international law and human rights at Queen Mary University of London and a fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences. He has written extensively about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the bombing of healthcare facilities, and coined the term "medical lawfare." Oona Hathaway, professor of international law at Yale Law School who has been a member of the Advisory Committee on International Law for the legal adviser at the US Department of State since 2005 and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations since 2011. She is working on a book titled "War Unbound: Gaza, Ukraine, and the Breakdown of International Law". Michael Addo, law professor at the University of Notre Dame and lawyer with expertise in international human rights law and international business policy. The UN Human Rights Council appointed him in 2011 to join its Working Group on Business and Human Rights, which he currently chairs. Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

The UN's high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, finishes his term at the end of the year. As with most top UN roles, picking the next UN refugee chief is far from transparent. What's different this time around? Refugee-led organisations held rare public forums with some of the candidates. Co-organiser Hourie Tafech joins host Tammam Aloudat to talk about the race to lead the UN refugee agency, how to make the selection more transparent, and what refugees want from a new UNHCR boss. Guests:  Hourie Tafech, director for refugee leadership and partnerships at Refugees International Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

The UN Security Council has passed a resolution backing US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza. It authorises an "international stabilisation force", and approves a "board of peace". Essentially, this would govern Gaza, and oversee reconstruction and humanitarian aid. It also follows a playbook similar to the occupation of Iraq, warns international law expert Shahd Hammouri: "The US using international legal mechanisms to normalise an unlawful occupation." Guests:  Shahd Hammouri, lecturer in International Law and Legal Theory at the University of Kent, and an international legal consultant Nour ElAssy, poet and writer from Gaza, Palestine Riley Sparks, reporter covering migration and human rights

When aid funding is tight, education is often cut first. But schools offer more than just learning, and communities say education is their priority. "We have to believe that survival means more than just breathing," says emergency education expert Faiza Hassan. On this episode: Why disrupted schooling is the norm as climate change worsens, and the argument for prioritising education in an era of aid cuts.  Guests:  Faiza Hassan, director of the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

The UN climate summit, COP30, is getting under way in Brazil, with global temperatures rising – and global cooperation under deep strain. Ten years on from the Paris Agreement, the UN Secretary-General warns that the world has missed its targets to limit global temperature rise. The stakes are high. But do COP discussions match the urgency? The New Humanitarian journalists unpack what happens behind the scenes at COP, and what humanitarians and everyday citizens can do while negotiators wrestle over targets and funding. Guests:  Will Worley, staff reporter and editor for policy at The New Humanitarian   Namukabo Werungah, staff editor and reporter for breaking news and social at The New Humanitarian Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

Global polls show citizens in many countries want their governments to fund humanitarian aid. But the US and other nations have gutted aid departments or shrunk budgets – with little public pushback. Has the aid sector gotten too wonky to connect with the public? On the podcast: Emergency aid's marketing problem, and ideas to win the battle for attention. Guests:  Sana Bég, executive director, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Canada Dr. Polly Pallister-Wilkins, political geographer and associate professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam ____ Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism.

The backlash against women's and LGBTIQI+ rights is growing – part of an organised movement that goes beyond one country or one president. But as Saskia Brechenmacher says on the latest episode of Rethinking Humanitarianism, concerned people – including civil society and non-governmental organisations – can take steps to counter the threats. Guests:  Saskia Brechenmacher, senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. ____ Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism. ____ SHOW NOTES The New Global Struggle Over Gender, Rights, and Family Values Rethinking Humanitarianism | The aid sector's LGBTQI+ blindspot

Global funding cuts are worsening emergency aid's weaknesses when it comes to the LGBTQI+ community. The Trump administration is explicitly targeting trans people. And gender-related programming is among the first to be cut as humanitarian groups scale back. But there are steps humanitarians can take today – even amid widespread budget cuts – to better respond to the needs of LGBTQI+ people in emergencies. Guests:  Emily Dwyer, co-founder of the humanitarian and development organisation, Edge Effect. Jasmin Lilian Diab, director of the Institute for Migration Studies at the Lebanese American University. ____ Got a question or feedback? Email [email protected] or post on social media using the hashtag #RethinkingHumanitarianism. ____ SHOW NOTES Edge Effect The moral imperative to protect Lebanon's LGBTIQ+ displaced Institute for Migration Studies