Frontline Negotiators

How is the world of digital technology impacting today’s conflict settings, and how can we leverage tech innovations for the sake of the communities we’re aiming to support?  In this episode we’re going to explore the emerging field called "Techplomacy" together with Philippe Stoll, who is the Senior Techplomacy Delegate at the International Committee of the Red Cross.  Philippe shares insights on the intersection between technology and humanitarian action, and tackles the challenges in negotiating with Big Tech companies to better protect and assist populations in conflict zones.   This is part of the third season of "Frontline Negotiators: Stories from the Field". It features personal stories told by humanitarian professionals as they negotiate to access, assist and protect people in crisis. Across the season you will hear first-hand accounts from humanitarian workers from different backgrounds, agencies, nationalities and technical profiles who will share about the challenge of delivering aid in some of the most high-pressure environments in the world. The series is produced by the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation. More information at frontline-negotations.org  

Please note that this episode was recorded in Spanish. Negociar con comunidades indígenas presenta desafíos únicos, desde barreras lingüísticas y culturales hasta la comprensión de sus sistemas organizativos y cómo conciben sus necesidades. En este episodio, exploramos cómo Jhon Dalton Jesus, un humanitario experimentado, ha enfrentado estos retos en América Latina, utilizando estrategias que fomentan la confianza y el entendimiento. Descubriremos sus métodos para entablar un diálogo respetuoso y eficaz, y cómo su enfoque ha facilitado el acceso y la colaboración en contextos complejos y de difícil acceso.   Negotiating with indigenous communities implies particular challenges, from language and cultural barriers to understanding their societal system and how the community conceives their own needs.   In this episode we will discover how Jhon Dalton Jesus, a seasoned humanitarian, strategically addresses these challenges by building trust and understanding with remote indigenous communities in Latin America. We will explore his methods for engaging in respectful and effective dialogue, and how his approach has facilitated access and collaboration in complex and difficult-to-reach contexts. This is part of the third season of "Frontline Negotiators: Stories from the Field". It features personal stories told by humanitarian professionals as they negotiate to access, assist and protect people in crisis. Across the season you will hear first-hand accounts from humanitarian workers from different backgrounds, agencies, nationalities and technical profiles who will share about the challenge of delivering aid in some of the most high-pressure environments in the world. The series is produced by the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation. More information at frontline-negotations.org

Humanitarian professionals often find themselves in dangerous, high-stakes or pressure-intense negotiations. When this happens, they need to understand the impact that pressure has on the human brain and keep it at bay.  In this episode, we talked with Dr Elena Qleibo Kogan about the effective strategies she has developed throughout her career - not just to manage her own pressure but also to care for her team’s mental health. This is part of the third season of "Frontline Negotiators: Stories from the Field". It features personal stories told by humanitarian professionals as they negotiate to access, assist and protect people in crisis. Across the season you will hear first-hand accounts from humanitarian workers from different backgrounds, agencies, nationalities and technical profiles who will share about the challenge of delivering aid in some of the most high-pressure environments in the world. The series is produced by the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation. More information at frontline-negotations.org    

PLEASE NOTE: This episode's interview is in French. Search and Rescue operations at sea constitute a relatively new field in the humanitarian sector. Humanitarian negotiations in this domain tend to suffer from a limited ‘room for manoeuvre’ due to the maritime environment in which they take place, the actors involved, and the legal impediment increasingly posed by national authorities. Teams need to prepare strategically to reduce risks for their operations while complying with international and maritime law.  This week we discuss with Carla Melki, an experienced humanitarian who shared about the many challenges of providing life-saving assistance at sea. This is part of the third season of "Frontline Negotiators: Stories from the Field". It features personal stories told by humanitarian professionals as they negotiate to access, assist and protect people in crisis. Across the season you will hear first-hand accounts from humanitarian workers from different backgrounds, agencies, nationalities and technical profiles who will share about the challenge of delivering aid in some of the most high-pressure environments in the world. The series is produced by the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation. More information at frontline-negotations.org     La recherche et le sauvetage en mer constituent un créneau relativement nouveau dans le secteur humanitaire. Les négociations dans ce domaine sont particulières en raison de l'environnement dans lequel elles se déroulent, des acteurs impliqués, et des obstacles juridiques de plus en plus souvent posés par les autorités nationales. La capacité à préparer stratégiquement les équipes devient alors un facteur clé pour réduire les risques et maximiser la sécurité, tout en respectant les conventions internationales et le droit maritime.  Nous en discutons avec Carla Melki, une humanitaire expérimentée à la fois sur terre et en mer, qui nous parle des défis liés à ce domaine.