Children born of war are found in virtually every conflict worldwide. Most are born to local women and fathered by members of enemy forces. Some of these relationships are consensual – occasionally even rooted in love. Many, however, are the result of rape.

Across contexts, these children carry the burden of a complex and often violent history, as well as stigma that frequently follows them into adulthood. For decades, societies have struggled to acknowledge their existence, let alone protect their rights.

Today, that is slowly beginning to change.

In June 2025, Ukraine took a decisive step by criminalising war crimes against children – crimes that became particularly prevalent following Russia’s invasion. Yet globally, the path to recognition and justice remains long.

In this special episode of PRIO’s Peace in a Pod, Arnaud Siad speaks with Ajna Jusić, a Bosnian human rights activist and founder of the Forgotten Children of War Association. Ajna’s advocacy helped secure a landmark moment in 2023, when Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted the Law on the Protection of Civilian Victims of War, formally recognising children born of war as a distinct social category with equal rights.

She is joined by Lejla Damon, spokesperson for the organisation, who speaks to the situation of children born of war in Bosnia and internationally.

The conversation also includes Inger Skjelsbæk, Professor at the University of Oslo and Research Professor at PRIO, and leader of the EuroWARCHILD project, which examines the experiences, rights, and needs of children born of war across Europe.

Ajna and Lejla were in Oslo to receive the University of Oslo Human Rights Award on behalf of the Forgotten Children of War Association – and to share their personal experiences, research, and ongoing fight for recognition, justice, and dignity.

PRIO’s Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

Photo: Getty Images/Derek Hudson.

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In just a few weeks, the United States has seized Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, issued threats against allies, and signalled a willingness to reshape the world order.

At the same time, international law and human rights are under unprecedented strain – from Ukraine to Sudan, from Gaza to Iran. Ceasefires fail to end the violence. Humanitarian organisations are expelled. Journalists and academics are silenced.

As 2026 begins, a fundamental question looms: are we witnessing a temporary crisis of the international system – or its steady unravelling?

In this episode, Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International and former UN Special Rapporteur, and Jørgen Jensehaugen, Research Professor at the Peace Research Institute Oslo and a leading expert on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, examine the erosion of global norms, accountability, and multilateral institutions – and ask what, if anything, can still hold the system together.

PRIO’s Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

Photo: Getty Images/Europa Press

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In this special episode of PRIO’s Peace in a Pod, host Arnaud Siad sits down with both leaders for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to steer a peace research institute in a time of global turbulence.

Henrik reflects on his years at the helm - the challenges, guiding values, and what makes PRIO unique. Nina shares her vision for the institute and the role of peace research in an era marked by resurging conflict, rising defense budgets, and shifting geopolitical alliances.

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But behind the numbers lies a deeper human toll. From Gaza to Sudan, children are among the most vulnerable in today’s wars - facing displacement, trauma, and the collapse of education and health systems.

In this episode, we speak to Inger Ashing, CEO of Save the Children, about what it means to protect childhood in the midst of war. And to Siri Aas Rustad, Research Director at PRIO and lead author of the report, who walks us through the data and its implications.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

Photo: Getty Images.

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With the United States signaling a more distant role under the Trump administration, Europe is under growing pressure to stand on its own.

Is this a turning point for NATO? Can Europe match the military and strategic weight of other global powers? And what might this shift mean for the values that have long underpinned the Western alliance?

In this episode, host Arnaud Siad is joined by Kori Schake, Director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute and former foreign policy adviser to President George W. Bush, and Bruno Oliveira Martins, Senior Researcher at PRIO, to unpack the changing transatlantic relationship and what lies ahead for Europe’s security future.

Photo: Thierry Monasse/Getty Images

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But on the ground, the fighting continues. Ukraine’s energy infrastructure remains under attack, and civilians are still caught in the crossfire.

Now, a breakthrough technology developed by the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and NORSAR—using seismic and acoustic detection to automatically identify events—could transform how war crimes are documented and how ceasefires are monitored.

Joining this episode are Sebastian Schutte, a Research Professor who leads the project at PRIO, and Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of the Center for Civil Liberties in Kyiv, who works tirelessly to document war crimes committed by Russian forces.

PRIO’s Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

Image: ChatGPT (DALL·E) / OpenAI

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This comes at a critical moment, as the fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire hangs in the balance and families await the return of hostages from Gaza. For Palestinians, the threat of another forced displacement is not only terrifying but a clear violation of international law.

So what happens next? And what are the broader consequences for the region?

In this episode, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and PRIO Senior Researcher Jørgen Jensehaugen break down the stakes, the legal implications, and the realities on the ground.

PRIO’s Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

Photo: Chedly Ben Ibrahim/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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Miles away in Europe, thousands of Syrians in the diaspora gather spontaneously to mark this historic moment. Governments react swiftly—many freezing asylum claims, while some begin drafting plans for the return of refugees.

In this two-part episode, we first hear from Alaa Same, a Syrian refugee now settled in Norway. He shares his extraordinary story of escaping Syria, finding his way to Oslo, and the moment he learned that the dictator who had ruled his country for decades was finally gone.

Then, we turn to two leading experts on migration and refugees: Marta Bivand Erdal, Research Professor at PRIO, and Pål Nesse, Senior Adviser to the Norwegian Refugee Council.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by award-winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

Photo: Getty Images/Omer Messinger

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Meanwhile, the Biden administration makes its final push to arm Kyiv before leaving office, and President-elect Donald Trump signals a potential shift in U.S. policy, raising critical questions about the future of the conflict.

In this episode of PRIO’s Peace in a Pod, host Arnaud Siad is joined by Kristian Berg Harpviken, research professor at PRIO and the future Head of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, and Dr. Sabine Fischer, a Russia expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, to discuss Ukraine’s war at this pivotal moment and what lies ahead.

Picture: Getty Images.

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His contentious victory—despite ongoing legal battles and investigations into his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election—marks one of the most polarizing comebacks in U.S. political history.

What does Trump’s presidency mean for the future of American democracy, civil resistance, and global governance?

In this episode, Harvard professor Erica Chenoweth, who delivered PRIO’s Annual Peace Address, joins PRIO Research Professor Scott Gates and Research Director Marianne Dahl to unpack the implications of this historic moment.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla

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This list, separate from the official selection by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, highlights those who have worked tirelessly for peace and merit special recognition.

In this episode, PRIO Director Henrik Urdal discusses the people and organizations who made it onto his list this year. He is joined by Berit Reiss-Andersen, Special Adviser to the Norwegian Red Cross and former member of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, where she served for over a decade. Also featured is Maria Ressa, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, honored for her courageous work alongside Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov in defending freedom of expression.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

Photo credit: © Nobel Prize Outreach. Photo: Geir Anders Rybakken Ørslien 

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His remarks echoed growing criticism from the Global South, and highlighted the risk of eroding multilateral institutions and international law.

But is there truly a double standard? And what new global alliances could emerge as the United Nations struggles with paralysis?

In this episode, Stein Tønnesson, Research Professor Emeritus and former Director of PRIO, and Gérard Araud, former French Ambassador to the UN and the United States, explore what “the West” means today and how global governance might evolve in the future.

This episode is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

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In total, 59 armed conflicts raged around the world last year.

So is our world becoming more violent? What were the most violent conflicts in 2023? And are these figures a coincidence of overlapping conflicts, some extraordinarily lethal, from artillery warfare in Ukraine to the razing of Gaza?

Siri Aas Rustad is a Research Director at PRIO and the author of the Conflict Trends Report. In this episode, she is joined by Richard Gowan, the United Nations Director for the International Crisis Group, and an Associate Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by award-winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

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But this is only part of the story. Few outside the country are aware of the thriving, lucrative, and government-owned weapons industry in this Scandinavian nation.

This creates a dilemma for Norway, as it walks a tightrope between economic interests and its commitments to international law.

In this episode, Nic Marsh, a Senior Researcher at PRIO and a specialist in arms trade, discusses the scope and significance of Norway's weapons industry and arms trade. He is joined by General Kristin Lund, a retired senior officer of the Norwegian Army and the first woman to command a UN peacekeeping operation.

The episode is hosted by award-winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

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“Women Wage Peace” is the largest grassroots peace movement in Israel, while its Palestinian counterpart, “Women of the Sun,” is a Palestinian women's organization based in Bethlehem.

They are part of a global movement to ensure women are not just represented, but also at the leadership table in peace negotiations.

Their work is supported by research showing that involving women significantly increases the chances of achieving enduring peace agreements.

In this episode, Xanthe Scharff, a gender expert, writer, and co-founder of The Fuller Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to groundbreaking reporting on women, tells us about her reporting on these two women’s organizations.

She is followed by Torunn L. Tryggestad, PRIO’s Deputy Director who heads its Centre on Gender, Peace, and Security, and Professor Azza Karam, a specialist in religion and development, and the keynote speaker at this year’s UN High-Level Seminar on Gender and Inclusive Mediation Processes, held in Oslo.

PRIO’s "Peace in a Pod" is hosted by award-winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

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On March 17th, with over 87% of the votes in his favor, Putin secured a fifth term, becoming the longest-serving leader of the Federation since Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. With most opposition candidates either dead, jailed, exiled, or barred from running, the path was clear, with no credible challenger to his rule.

Echoing this landslide victory, polls in Russia seem to indicate Putin enjoys real domestic support, with 86% approving of the President, according to the Levada Centre, a respected Russian pollster.

So beyond these official figures, what do Russians really make of their leader? And is support for the war in Ukraine as strong as the Kremlin claims?

In this episode, we talk to Aleksei Miniailo, a political activist in Moscow, who started a project with social scientists and analysts to find out how the war with Ukraine is really being perceived in Russia. Pavel Baev, a Research professor at PRIO and an expert on Russian foreign policy, also joins the conversation.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by award-winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

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Nearly 2 million people in Gaza depend on UNRWA for survival as war and displacement continue after nearly four months of war.

The allegations by Israel concern a fraction of the workforce in Gaza, but are having devastating consequences for the organization, threatening its very existence.

While an investigation into Israel’s claims is ongoing, the United States, Germany and Sweden – the largest individual donors to UNRWA - have all paused their funding, and the European Union is wavering over what to do. However, Norway, one of the largest donors to UNRWA, says it will continue its funding.

In this episode, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, Norwegian State Secretary Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, and Jørgen Jensehaugen, a PRIO expert on the Arab-Israeli conflict, discuss why the organization matters more now than ever.

The episode is hosted by Arnaud Siad.

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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.

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The facility sheltered hundreds of people: wounded civilians, children, and newborns. Soon after, the World Health Organization labeled the hospital a "death zone."

Healthcare facilities enjoy special protections under international law. However, from Gaza to Ukraine, and in many other places, evidence suggests that hospitals are routinely viewed as mere military targets.

So, how does international law safeguard healthcare facilities, and why is it often insufficient to protect hospitals and healthcare workers?

Larissa Fast, a PRIO Global Fellow and Professor of Humanitarian and Conflict Studies at the Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, University of Manchester, joins this episode as the Principal Investigator on the project 'Researching the Impact of Attacks on Healthcare.' She is accompanied by Tobias Köhler, a specialist in international humanitarian law with the Norwegian Red Cross, who has served in legal and protection roles for the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Norwegian Refugee Council.

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

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From a controversial visit by a US House Speaker to Taiwan, to a Chinese spy balloon crossing the United States – the two countries’ relations have sunk to their lowest point in decades.

And from the war in Ukraine to the conflict opposing Israel and the Palestinians, and a general election in Taiwan that could decide the fate not just of the island, but the entire region – a more assertive Beijing may be attempting to redefine the rules of the game.

As the country marks the end of its presidency of the UN Security Council this November, we ask a simple question: what does China want?

Ilaria Carrozza is a Senior Researcher at PRIO and an expert on Chinese foreign policy. She is joined from Beijing by Zichen Wang, a Chinese public intellectual with the Center for China and Globalization, and the founder and editor of newsletter Pekingnology.

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

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They rampaged through Israeli towns, killing people in their homes, attacking young rave-goers, and taking some 200 hostages.

The attacks by Hamas were horrific and gruesome, some of them live-streamed on social media for maximum impact.

These were soon followed by Israel declaring war on Gaza, announcing a complete siege and starting a relentless campaign of bombardments that has killed thousands of civilians, flattened entire neighbourhoods and unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe.

Western leaders were quick to respond to the attacks by Hamas with France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States issuing a joint statement, expressing their "steadfast and united support to Israel” and vowing to “support the country in its efforts to defend itself.”

But beyond the unified front, a number of Western countries are voicing concerns about giving Israel carte blanche in Gaza, while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres calls for a ceasefire.

PRIO Senior Researcher Jørgen Jensehaugen, a specialist on the Arab-Israeli conflict and Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council who has teams on the ground in Gaza, discuss the West’s response to the conflict, and what the situation is like for the millions of Palestinians there.

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by Emmy-award winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

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Entire villages across western Afghanistan have been destroyed and over a thousand people lost their lives. And out of the rubble and dust has emerged a shocking statistic: according to the United Nations, women and children make up the vast majority of the dead and injured.

To understand why, a new report co-published by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and the Peace Research Institute Oslo, sheds light on the plight of Afghan women.

Launched on October 24, the “Women, Peace and Security Index” measures women’s inclusion, justice and security in 177 countries, covering over 99% of the world’s population. The report provides alarming figures for Afghanistan, where women are being erased from public life, and ranks the country last on its global index.

In this episode of PRIO's Peace in a Pod, Torunn Tryggestad, PRIO’s Deputy Director and head of its Centre for Gender, Peace and Security, presents some of the Index's findings. She is joined by Fawzia Koofi, former deputy speaker of the Afghan Parliament, the first woman to hold that role, and one of the rare women to have sat at the negotiating table with the Taliban in 2021. She is also the author of a memoir, “The Favored Daughter.”

PRIO's Peace in a Pod is hosted by Emmy-award winning journalist Arnaud Siad.

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It’s easy to see why: the names of previous Nobel Peace Prize recipients include the likes of Malala Yousafzai, President Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, and the 14th Dalai Lama.

So who will be the winner this year? And what impact can it have on those who are receiving the Prize?

351 candidates were nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023, according to the Nobel committee – the second highest number ever. And this time, all bets are on figures such as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, or Uyghur scholar Ilham Toti, also serving a prison sentence, in China.

But Henrik Urdal, Director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, sees it differently. As is an annual tradition at PRIO, he has published his shortlist of who should get the Prize, with a focus on human rights defenders and activists.

Although PRIO is not part of the Nobel Committee and does not officially nominate laureates – its shortlist is independent, research-based, and widely respected.

Henrik joins host Arnaud Siad alongside David Beasley – the former Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the organization in 2020.

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Boosted by billions of dollars of military aid and state-of-the-art weaponry from its Western allies, Ukrainians have embarked on a counteroffensive aiming at regaining control of occupied territories in the East. But hundreds of kilometres of mined terrain and fortified defence lines by the Russians have crushed hopes of a swift and decisive breakthrough.

And yet, beyond the frontlines, an extraordinary summer in Russia has unfolded, with a mutiny that saw Wagner troops marching towards Moscow – and Putin promising fire and fury on those he called "traitors."

So what is really happening in the trenches of Ukraine? And is Vladimir Putin’s leadership increasingly under threat?

In this episode, joining host Arnaud Siad in Oslo is Pavel Baev, a Research Professor at PRIO and a frequent contributor to Eurasia Daily Monitor and The Jamestown Foundation.

Joining from Moscow is Nina Kruscheva, a historian and professor of International Affairs at The New School in New York, and great granddaughter of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.

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Espen Aleksander Evjenth was there dancing with his partner and his friends, when a bullet hit his head. Despite his severe wound, he miraculously survived.

Police later announced that they viewed the shooting as a terrorist attack, and Oslo Pride organisers cancelled the parade due to take place that same day.

Espen's story is one of courage and resilience in the face of unfathomable terror and violence. In this episode, he sits down with host Arnaud Siad to share his story.

For Norway, this was the latest in a series of attacks that have shaken a nation that traditionally sees itself as a bastion of peace and stability. From the July 22, 2011 horrific attacks in Oslo and Utøya, to more recent ones in Bærum and Kongsberg, acts of terror in Norway have led to some serious soul-searching – and a reflection on how those ultimately impact laws and society as a whole.

Kristin Bergtora Sandvik is a research professor at PRIO and a legal scholar at the University of Oslo. She is part of the LAW22JULY: RIPPLES project, a joint initiative by PRIO and the University of Oslo, that looks at the role of legal responses in rebuilding and strengthening societies after extremist attacks.

In this episode, she explains how Norwegian society is responding to terrorism.

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The run-off victory caps an extraordinary campaign for Erdoğan who had hoped for a swift win. However, sky-rocketing inflation, a devastating earthquake and a united opposition left him vulnerable at the ballot box.

For two decades, Erdoğan has loomed large over Turkish politics, gradually concentrating powers and cracking down on his political opponents and critics. Abroad, the election was closely followed by Turkey’s NATO allies, and in Moscow, where the Turkish president maintains close ties with Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

So what does Erdoğan’s victory mean for Turks and for the country’s foreign policy?

In this episode of PRIO’s Peace in a Pod, host Arnaud Siad talks to PRIO Senior Researcher Pinar Tank, a specialist of Turkish domestic and foreign policy. They are joined by Ilhan Uzgel, a professor of International Relations formerly at Ankara University, who lost his academic position after being dismissed by a presidential decree in 2017.

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With two heavily armed groups squaring off in one of the most populated cities on the African continent, the United Nations has now issued a stark warning that the humanitarian situation on the ground is reaching a “breaking point."

Katarzyna Grabska—or Kasia as she's known by her colleagues—is one of thousands of people who were evacuated aboard a rescue flight just a few days ago, scrambling for safety amid rapidly escalating violence. She is a Senior Researcher at PRIO, an anthropologist who researches issues of artistic practice in the context of war, gender, youth, issues of displacement and refugees, with a focus on Sudan.

On this special episode of PRIO's Peace in a Pod, we catch up with Kasia about her witnessing of the war, and her telling of how she escaped Sudan, a place she calls home.

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Recent proposals by Netanyahu's government - the most far-right in the history of the country - to weaken the Supreme Court has sent hundreds of thousands of protestors to the streets. Meanwhile, illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank continue to spread, with the open support of members of the government, including controversial figures such as Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

So, is Israel's democracy at risk? And in this context, what future is there for Palestinians and Israeli Arabs?

Hilde Henriksen Waage, professor of History at the University of Oslo, and research professor at PRIO. She has worked extensively on the role of Norway in the Oslo Accords and is a published author on the topic. Jørgen Jensehaugen is Senior Researcher at PRIO, and author of the book “Arab-Israeli Diplomacy Under Carter."

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It features a prominent investigator of academic fraud (Nick Brown), a researcher who has studied academic publishing (Lynn Parker Nygaard) and a deputy editor of a prominent journal (Sebastian Schutte).

This bonus episode is hosted by PRIO Senior Researcher Nicholas Marsh.

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One of the main conclusions of the report is that climate adaptation is proceeding too slowly
and that measures are being implemented on too small a scale to address the major climate
challenges we face.

In this episode, we discuss the findings of the report, and the work behind it, with PRIO
Research Professor Halvard Buhaug, who is a lead author in the Sixth Assessment Report.

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In this episode, we discuss the current crisis and ask if what we are seeing in Bosnia is new to the
country or part of a longer trend. We also discuss what these past few months tell us about the
successes and shortcomings of formal peace agreements.

Political scientist and migration scholar Aida Ibričević and psychologist and peace scholar Inger
Skjelsbæk join Teuta Kukleci, Communicator at PRIO, for a conversation on the topic.

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Sachs is a world-leading expert in economics and sustainable development, University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.

Watch the video of the full address and discussion here

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In the project Societal Transformation in Conflict Contexts or (TRANSFORM), animations and comics were created in collaboration between researchers, activists, artists, writers, and many others. These pieces of art not only serve to inspire possible change, but also to illustrate and highlight stories of societal transformation around the world. That work was done in collaboration with PositiveNegatives.

Today Ben Dix, PositiveNegatives Founder, and Cindy Horst, Research Professor at PRIO, talk about their work together.

Related material

• The TRANSFORM project webpage on prio.org 
• The TRANSFORM virtual exhibition
• PositiveNegatives website 
• The podcast episode with Kue Cool and Marte Nilsen
• Co-Creating Knowledge: Creative collaborations between researchers, artists, policymakers and practitioners (PRIO Policy Brief)

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Today Jacqui and Afghan scholar Parisa talk about developments in Afghanistan and the journey to Monash University.

Related material

• Listen to the ABC broadcast here  
• Read about the 16 Days of Activism here 

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In today’s podcast Mohamed Aden Hassan and Ebba Tellander discuss Uffo and how this story can inspire people around the world - especially perhaps the Somali Diaspora.

Ebba also wishes to acknowledge research assistance by Nasra Dahir Moahed and Shukri Ali (whose voice we hear in this episode as well).

Related material

• Read the comics in English or Somali on positivenegatives.org
• Watch the animated versions on youtube 
• Read Ebba's PRIO Blog post Using a Comic to Tell the True Story of the Uffo Struggle for Justice in Somaliland about her research and the comic process
• Listen to Peace in a Pod episode #60 on visual storytelling with Cindy Horst and Ben Dix
• Visit the TRANSFORM project webpage to read about more projects like this one

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For the last few years PRIO and Save the Children have collaborated on the Children in Conflict project which illuminates the number of children affected by violent conflict around the world. Updates have expanded to include children living in conflict zones where they are at risk for sexual violence.

In this episode Gudrun Østby, Ragnhild Nordås, and Roos van der Haer talk about this research collaboration.

Related material

• Stop the War on Children: A crisis of recruitment (Save the Children report)
• Children at Risk of Being Recruited for Armed Conflict, 1990–2020 (PRIO Policy Brief)
• 1 in 8 children are at risk of being recruited by armed actors (PRIO Blog post)
• Children Affected by Armed Conflict, 1990–2020 (PRIO Policy Brief)

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Johanne Rokke Elvebakken, Gender, Peace and Security Centre Coordinator at PRIO, and Kelly Fisher, Research Assistant, have both written on this topic and share their thoughts in conversation today.

Related material

• Kelly's PRIO Blog post, "The Differing Masculinities of Trump and Biden" (PRIO Blogs)
• Johanne's Centre for Gender Research piece on "Women and LGBT+ Persons in International Peace and Security Policy"

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To give context to modern-day Afghanistan and the political developments there, PRIO researcher Kristian Berg Harpviken provides a brief history of the Taliban on today’s episode.

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Marta Bivand Erdal has researched citizenship, permits, and immigration status in Norway, and today discusses some of this research and her findings.

Related material

Two of Marta's publications on this topic:

• Losing the Right to Stay: Revocation of Refugee Permits in Norway in Journal of refugee Studies (Open Access), co-authored with Jan Paul Brekke and Simon Roland Birkvad
• ‘Birthplace unknown’: on the symbolic value of the passport for identity-construction among naturalised citizens in Identities (Open Access), co-authored with Arnfinn Midtbøen

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To comment on this prize, PRIO researchers Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert and Pavel Baev join the podcast with their fresh reactions.

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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

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the project Societal Transformation in Conflict Contexts or (TRANSFORM), animations and comics were created in collaboration between researchers, activists, artists, writers, and many others. These pieces of art not only serve to inspire possible change, but also to illustrate and highlight stories of societal transformation around the world. That work was done in collaboration with PositiveNegatives.

Today Ben Dix, PositiveNegatives Founder, and Cindy Horst, Research Professor at PRIO, talk about their work together.

Related material

• The TRANSFORM project webpage on prio.org
• The TRANSFORM virtual exhibition
• PositiveNegatives website
• Peace in a Pod episode 18 with Kue Cool and Marte Nilsen, "Art, Conflict, and Land Rights in Myanmar"
• Co-Creating Knowledge: Creative collaborations between researchers, artists, policymakers and practitioners (PRIO Policy Brief)

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Related material

• Listen to last year's podcast episode on Guinea and West Africa
• Read Zahara's PRIO Blog post "Protests, Elections, and Ethnic Tensions in West Africa: What are the Driving Forces?"

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Today we’re going to hear from PRIO Cyprus Centre researcher Zenonas Tziarras on this topic: he'll explain the key players, the recent history, and what kinds of issues he thinks are worth highlighting there.

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Related material

• Hva vi snakker om når vi snakker om digitaliseringens politikk – Mareile Kaufmann i samtale med Jan Grue in Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift (in Norwegian)
• Predictive Policing and the Politics of Patterns in The British Journal of Criminology (Open Access), co-authored by Mareile Kaufmann, Simon Egbert and Matthias Leese
• Lisa Hajjar's article The Counterterrorism War Paradigm versus International Humanitarian Law: The Legal Contradictions and Global Consequences of the US “War on Terror" in Law & Social Inquiry

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Related material

• Read Marte's PRIO Blog post "The politics of humanitarian aid to Myanmar"
• Visit Myanmar Bazaar on Instagram
• Thank you to Sophie for reading her poem
• Thank you also to Rap Against Junta and 882021 for permission to play the song – you can watch 882021's video for "Lee Coup" here 

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How could this have happened? Was it foreseeable – and preventable? Research Professor Kristian Berg Harpviken shares some initial thoughts on today’s episode.

Related material

• Kristian's PRIO Blog post "What happened to Afghanistan's security forces" 

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Related material

• Jørgen has made an overview of mixed methods examples in his own work, available on his personal website
• Mario Luis Small's overview on recent trends "How to Conduct a Mixed Methods Study: Recent Trends in a Rapidly Growing Literature", published in Annual Review of Sociology
• The article "Gender and the Meanings of Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Focus on Boys" in American Sociological Review, based on mixed methods research

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Related material

• Jørgen has made an overview of mixed methods examples in his own work, available on his personal website
• Mario Luis Small's overview on recent trends "How to Conduct a Mixed Methods Study: Recent Trends in a Rapidly Growing Literature", published in Annual Review of Sociology
• The article "Gender and the Meanings of Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Focus on Boys" in American Sociological Review, based on mixed methods research

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Related material

• ‘It should change’: Young people on skin colour and national belonging in Norway (PRIO Blog post, co-authored by Marta and Mette Strømsø)
• Antiracism: the willingness to understand others (PRIO Blog post, co-authored by Marta and Peder Nustad)
• The Debate on Structural Racism Is Far More Polarized Than It Needs to Be (PRIO Blog post by Marta, originally published in Norwegian in Utrop)
• Project webpage for Negotiating the Nation: Implications of Ethnic and Religious Diversity for National Identity (NATION), led by Marta
• Project webpage for Governing and Experiencing Citizenship in Multicultural Scandinavia (GOVCIT), also led by Marta

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Related material

• All is Fair in Law and War: Judicial Behavior in Conflict-affected Societies project page with related publications
  

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This week, Kristin Sandvik and Ingeborg Hjorth talk about the memorial at Utøya, and the controversy iterations of it have generated. They also illuminate how the ripple effects of a tragedy like this make waves in such a small country as Norway.

Related material

• One of the key articles referenced here, "Rettens rolle etter 22. juli: Minnearbeid, overlevende og gjenoppbygging", by Kristin Bergtora Sandvik, Ingunn Ikdahl and Kjersti Lohne, published in Norsk Sosiologisk Tidsskrift
• The Aftenposten article by Per Anders Madsen from 2017, also referenced in the episode, Nå må Utøyastriden løses

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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.

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In this episode, Kristin Bergtora Sandvik and Sissel Haugdal Jore discuss how the rebuilding has been planned and envisioned, and what this can mean for the security of ordinary citizens – both in their everyday lives, and in how we conceptualize safety in cities.

Jore was part of the concept assessment for the future government quarters, and also conducted a research project on the consequences of security in Oslo. Sandvik leads a new project on the attack, titled "LAW22JULY: RIPPLES: Rights, Institutions, Procedures, Participation, Litigation: Embedding Security".

Related material

• Here is more on the Y Block
• Morgenbladet-piece discussed in the episode, co-authored by Jore "Sikkerhet er ingen unnskyldning for å lukke debatter om nytt regjeringskvartal"
• "Troublesome trade-offs: balancing urban activities and values when securing a city-centre governmental quarter" in City, Territory and Architecture
• "The contribution of foresight to improve long-term security planning" in Technological Forecasting and Social Change

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Related material

• PRIO's Collection on Racism, Inequality and Discrimination posted to the PRIO Blog in October 2020
• A PRIO Policy Brief by Ilaria and Marie on the topic: Studying Diversity in European Academia: Transparency and Access to Syllabi on African Politics, Peace and Conflict

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In a new report for the United Nations Development Programme, Tora Sagård investigated just that, and in this episode she discusses her thoughts on the results.

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Today, Hassan Aden takes us into his research from Dadaab and launches a new animation made in collaboration with Hanna Ali and the PositiveNegatives team.

Related material

• The REBuilD project webpage
• Refugee Education: A Long-Term Investment, a PRIO Policy Brief by Hassan and Cindy Horst and Hassan
• Watch "An Agent for Change" on Vimeo
• You can find more PositiveNegatives work at positivenegatives.org

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Related material

• The underlying data and visualizations on the Uppsala University website
• The referenced Peace in a Pod episode 37 on ISIS (or listen in any podcast app by searching for the episode title "Jihadism's Rise and Spread")

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Related material

• Deskilling unpacked: Comparing Filipino and Polish migrant nurses’ professional experiences in Norway in Migration Studies (Open Access)
• Is a nurse who migrates to work abroad an expat? (WELLMIG Blog Post)
<li>On not getting lost in translation (WELLMIG Blog Post)

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Related material

• The 'All is Fair in Law and War' project webpage, with related publications

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Wenche Iren Hauge currently leads the project Minors in Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) Processes – The Gender Dimension and has just released a paper detailing the experiences of minors in Nepal and Colombia. Their experiences don't match the narratives most are familiar with. Today she discusses her findings and how the international community can adjust DDR processes based on these minors experiences.

Related material

• “Nobody Listens to Us”: Minors in DDR Processes – The Gender Dimension (PRIO Paper)
• A Neglected Agency: Female and Male Minors in DDR Processes (PRIO Policy Brief)

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To explain the role of paramilitary groups and the way forward post-Brexit for northern Ireland, I’m joined today by Kristin Bakke and Kit Rickard, who have recently written an article on the topic of paramilitary groups and punishment attacks.

Related material

• Kristin and Kit's article, "Northern Ireland: how to understand the influence of paramilitary groups", published in The Conversation
• More about their Northern Ireland research on Kit Rickard's personal website
• More about the PRIO project Attitudes for Peace

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Related material

• The original study, published in Nature: "Climatic conditions are weak predictors of asylum migration"
• Or you can read a more popularised version in this PRIO Blog post

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PRIO's Kaja Borchgrevink talks about zakat and Muslim charity along with one of her project members Amelia Fauzia, a Professor of Islamic history at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Jakarta.

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On this episode you'll hear Mona Kanwal Sheikh and Dino Krause, two experts on transnational jihadist networks, explain how these groups work together and apart.

Related material

• More about Mona and Dino's research on the DIIS website

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What are the future prospects for International Humanitarian Law in settings of urban warfare? 

What does this imply for the regulation of uses of explosive weapons in populated areas?

These were the questions addressed in a recent virtual roundtable on the Protection of Civilians and the Future of Urban Warfare that was hosted by PRIO in collaboration with the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies and the Norwegian Red Cross. In this bonus episode of the podcast you can hear the conversation led by Kristoffer Lidén, Senior Researcher at PRIO, and featuring Hugo Slim, Wanda Muñoz, Radhya Al-Mutawakel, Abigail Watson, and Nicholas Marsh.

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Related material

• ‘It should change’: Young people on skin colour and national belonging in Norway (PRIO Blog post, co-authored by Marta and Mette Strømsø)
• Antiracism: the willingness to understand others (PRIO Blog post, co-authored by Marta and Peder Nustad)
• The Debate on Structural Racism Is Far More Polarized Than It Needs to Be (PRIO Blog post by Marta, originally published in Norwegian in Utrop)
• Project webpage for Negotiating the Nation: Implications of Ethnic and Religious Diversity for National Identity (NATION), led by Marta
• Project webpage for Governing and Experiencing Citizenship in Multicultural Scandinavia (GOVCIT), also led by Marta

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

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Find out more about Conflict Cartographer here: https://www.prio.org/Projects/Project/?x=1900 

Do you have better-than-average knowledge about a country in Africa? You can help out with the project by going to https://conflictcartographer.prio.org and adding your predictions.

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Related material

• PRIO's Collection on Racism, Inequality and Discrimination posted to the PRIO Blog in October 2020
• A PRIO Policy Brief by Ilaria and Marie on the topic: Studying Diversity in European Academia: Transparency and Access to Syllabi on African Politics, Peace and Conflict

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The country has a long and complicated history of protests, coups, and fights for control. To understand this latest development, three PRIO researchers. Marte Nilsen, Trude Stapnes, and Stein Tønnesson, share a multi-faceted look at the situation.

Listen to the full protest song "Kabar Ma Kyay Bu" by Naing Myanmar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsrm2DpoJwo

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To read more about mass movements around the world visit: https://blogs.prio.org/2020/01/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-twitter-revolution/ 

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Related material

• Omar Wassow's Twitter thread referred to by Håvard

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Side note: You can expect more research on this topic from Bruno with his newly-funded project RegulAIR: The integration of drones in the Norwegian and European Airspaces.

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This year's Nobel Peace Prize went to the World Food Programme, recognizing a basic human need and its role in war and peace. But what exactly is the link between food and conflict, and is this prize as uncontroversial as it may seem? Three PRIO experts on food insecurity, humanitarian aid, and international cooperation weigh in.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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If you haven't yet listened to episodes 10 and 11, you might want to check out those first before coming back to this one, since they give a good background to the UN and Resolution 1325.

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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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While you wait, here is an overview of all Nobel Peace Prize related items on the PRIO website.

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Marta will be hiring two post-docs for her project in 2021–22. If you want to learn more, please visit the Migration Rhytyhms project webpage.

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Related material

• Christian's book talked about in the beginning of this episode is Media Bias, Perspective, and State Repression: The Black Panther Party. He will release a new book on state repression fall 2020.
• This episode was also informed by the Washington Post article "It’s hard to hear ‘Minnesota Nice’ without undertones of irony and despair" by Michele L. Norris.
• Visit the PRIO Blog for an overview of racism related research at PRIO at time of publishing (October 2020).

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