PRIO's Peace in a Pod

How can we explain peace and conflict in the world? What do security and insecurity do to a region and its people? How do different kinds of violence affect people, and how do societies tackle crises – and the threat of crisis? The Peace Research Institute Oslo brings you expert opinions on the headlines, personal stories from the field, and cutting-edge research in this monthly podcast, hosted by Emmy-award winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

2024

Podcast episode

Tuesday, 30 Jan 2024

From war-torn Ukraine and Sudan to the Mediterranean, 2023 marked yet another year where thousands were forced to leave their homes in pursuit of a better life.

In one of the deadliest migrant boat tragedies, more than 600 people drowned on June 14 off the coast of Greece, after a fishing vessel known as the Adriana capsized and sank. A few months later, the minuscule Italian island of Lampedusa saw an influx of 10,000 individuals within days, which nearly doubled the local population. It created new urgent humanitarian needs, on an island that has already welcomed and seen thousands pass through over the years, while again fuelling a narrative by fringe political parties of an "invasion."

But beyond the gripping headlines, what were some of the key migration trends that defined 2023? What realities do those embarking on the journey to Europe face? And amidst the turmoil, are European initiatives aimed at curbing migration proving effective, and at what moral and financial costs?

In this episode, we hear from Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert, a Senior Researcher at PRIO and an expert on migration and humanitarian issues. She is joined by Nima Elbagir, CNN's multi-award-winning Chief International Investigative Correspondent, who just returned from an assignment in the West Bank. Nima is in Oslo to deliver PRIO’s Annual Peace Address.

This episode is hosted by Emmy-award winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

2023

2022

2021

Podcast episode

Friday, 1 Oct 2021

With just one week left before the Nobel Peace Prize is announced, we take a look at PRIO Director Henrik Urdal's shortlist of possible candidates.

Thank you to the many guests on this episode:

  • Henrik Urdal, PRIO Director
  • Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert, Research Director and Senior Researcher
  • Carina Strøm Smith, Research Assistant
  • Jonas Vestby, Senior Researcher
  • Jørgen Jensehaugen, Senior Researcher
  • Amalie Nilsen, Research Assistant

Podcast episode

Thursday, 15 Jul 2021

Have humans evolved psychological adaptations to war? That's what Henrikas Bartusevičius will look at in his cutting-edge research project "Adapted to War", funded by the European Research Council and hosted at PRIO.

To answer this question, he’ll have to work across disciplines, conducting lab experiments and surveys. We discuss how he became interested in this topic, and what it could mean for how we understand human behavior.

Podcast episode

Thursday, 11 Mar 2021

When we imagine artificial intelligence (AI) in warfare, we might think of films like Blade Runner and its replicants, or Terminator’s Skynet. But in reality, some artificial intelligence usage is already occurring, and contrary to the films, we should be more concerned about the humans involved. The "Warring with Machines” project at PRIO focuses on the people who serve in combat settings with AI-enabled machines. The project aims to yield moral guidelines for AI technology use in three settings: kinetic (physical) combat operations, cyber operations, and strategic planning.

Project leader Gregory Reichberg and project member Shannon French talk about the past, present, and future of AI in this episode.

2020

Podcast episode

Thursday, 3 Dec 2020

Have humans evolved psychological adaptations to war? That's what Henrikas Bartusevičius will look at in his cutting-edge research project "Adapted to War", funded by the European Research Council and hosted at PRIO.

To answer this question, he’ll have to work across disciplines, conducting lab experiments and surveys. We discuss how he became interested in this topic, and what it could mean for how we understand human behavior.

Podcast episode

Thursday, 26 Nov 2020

How do individual deeds, in times of radical uncertainty and flux, inspire collective action? That's what PRIO's TRANSFORM project wants to find out.

One of the cases TRANSFORM looks at is Myanmar. During fieldwork, an artist was brought along to talk with Daw Bawk Ja Lum Nyoi, a Kachin land rights activist from Northern Myanmar. That conversation and fieldwork was turned into a short animation. In this episode, Indigo interviews both the researcher and the artist to understand their process and unique experience together.

Podcast episode

Friday, 20 Nov 2020

On November 9, Norwegian researchers and politicians came together to celebrate UN Security Council Resolution 1325. They also discussed the way forward, especially in light of Norway’s position on the security council starting January 2021.

We're spotlighting the final session from that day: a conversation between Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide, and former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden and Minister for Nordic Cooperation Margot Wallström. Joining them were PRIOites Torunn Tryggestad and Louise Olsson.

Podcast episode

Friday, 13 Nov 2020

November 16–20 PRIO will co-organize Afghanistan Week alongside the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee, Chr. Michelsen Institute, and the Nansen Center for Peace and Dialogue. Ahead of those events featuring many speakers from Afghanistan and around the world, we get a short intro about what the last 20 years have meant for women in Afghanistan, how women are involved in the peace talks today, and whether it is feasible there will be a peace agreement that doesn't diminish women's rights.

FYI, the Afghanistan week will be livestreamed and can thus be attended from wherever. We'll hear from politicians, journalists, academics, and activists from Afghanistan, Norway and beyond. Check the event web pages for more information.

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