Podcasts are a powerful storytelling format and a great way to learn more about the topics that matter to you most. We have put together a list of five podcasts (as well as a few bonus podcasts!) to help you learn more about forced displacement and the different perspectives of the people who have experienced it.
I Am Not Your Refugee
Inspired by the similarly-titled unfinished manuscript by James Baldwin, this podcast encourages you to reimagine what you think a refugee is. The podcast focuses on the life-affirming work of refugee-led organizations, initiatives, and creative collectives, which have built networks of solidarity and support despite rising hostility from European governments toward refugees.
Listen on: the OpenDemocracy Website
BONUS: Co-host Bairbre Flood has also created another highly recommended podcast series, Wander, in which she interviews poets living in refugee camps all over the world.
Displaced
Produced by the Vox Media Podcast Network, this podcast is hosted by Grant Gordon and Ravi Gurumurthy from the International Rescue Committee (IRC). The episodes feature in-depth interviews with leading humanitarians, policymakers, and public figures with personal or professional experience of forced displacement. While the podcast perhaps lacks criticism around the dominant role that international NGOs currently play, it nevertheless provides a thorough overview of the debates and challenges that key stakeholders are faced with in the forced displacement sector.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
The Wait
The Wait is a five-part narrative podcast published by The Guardian. Journalist Nicole Curby and activist Mozhgan Moarefizadeh give listeners a glimpse into the harsh realities of refugees in Indonesia, where they do not have legal status and cannot work or attend school. For most refugees in the country, the choice is between returning home to danger or waiting out years for the chance to be resettled. Mozhgan also leads RAIC Indonesia, a refugee-led organization providing vital services to displaced communities, which is part of the Resourcing Refugee Leadership Initiative.
Listen on: The Wait Podcast website
BONUS: Another compelling autobiographical podcast series is Before Me, in which host Lisa Phu interviews her mom, Lan, about her life before her escape from the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
Rethinking Humanitarianism
This podcast from The New Humanitarian takes a critical look at the global humanitarian system, bringing in community activists, academics, and journalists to discuss some of the radical reforms necessary to bring about a new, equitable approach to international development. In contrast to Displaced, this podcast series places greater emphasis on the power structures in the global humanitarian system and the efforts required to dismantle them.
Listen on: The New Humanitarian website
BONUS: What’s Unsaid, also by The New Humanitarian, is full of further insightful interviews focused on ongoing global conflicts.
Resettled
While resettlement is often hailed as a ‘durable solution’ for refugees, it also comes with its own set of challenges. Rebuilding your life while still processing the hardships of your displacement and the ongoing struggles of your loved ones back home can be immensely difficult. Resettled takes a look at the lives of new residents of Virginia who have arrived as part of a refugee resettlement program.
Listen on: the VPM website
BONUS: For a similar podcast with perspectives from forcibly displaced people in the UK and Europe, we can also recommend Integrate That! (Apple Podcasts | Spotify)
Eager for more informative content on forced displacement? Check out our list of five recommended movies.