In this episode, we hear from Arwa Alzraiy, an UNRWA teacher from Gaza and PhD scholar at Durham University, who travelled to Gaza for her fieldwork but had to interrupt it when the 2023 war began and she returned to her UNRWA duties. Still trapped in Gaza, she is now slowly returning to her research.

Arwa is researching peace while living through war. Her story raises urgent questions about the responsibility and power of international universities to support students and researchers from conflict zones. She reflects on the challenges and contradictions she faced, how she does not feel she has “survived,” and how she draws on her faith and her commitment to be useful to her community, and to the research she believes can serve it.

--Join Mona Jebril in Conversation with Arwa Alzraiy

This episode delves into the fierce determination of learners in Gaza amid the gravest times. What drove them to keep learning when everything around them was collapsing? Were there singular forces of motivation, or many, and which proved strongest in such a harsh reality? How can motivation survive, or even rise, under conditions this extreme? We explore what these insights mean for policymakers, the far-reaching implications they carry, and how they challenge the global pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

(Mona Jebril talks to Tahani Al-Dahdouh)

Foreign aid to higher education in conflict zones often bypasses local priorities, even when universities are crucial for rebuilding and recovery after violent conflict. New research reveals the limitations of aid where it is most needed, showing that much of it is directed toward scholarships rather than strengthening local institutions. This episode explores the latest findings on this issue, highlighting the need to rethink that balance so aid can truly support the reconstruction of higher education, and the future of the people it is meant to serve.

In Gaza, people with hearing loss are experiencing a crisis within a crisis. Already navigating a world that demands extra resilience, they now face bombardment, displacement, and the destruction of the institutions that once supported them. Blast injuries and trauma are creating new cases every day, leaving more people isolated in silence. This episode shines a light on their daily struggles — and on the urgent protection gap for Gaza’s community living with hearing loss.

Mona Jebril talks to Fady Abed (Director of Gaza Atfaluna for Deaf Children)

In this episode, we explore the situation for women in Afghanistan under the Taliban, comparing the present to their previous rule. We discuss the severe restrictions imposed on women, the reasons behind these measures, and how women are responding to these challenges. The role of men in supporting or resisting these changes is also examined. Additionally, we consider the impact of the U.S. invasion and withdrawal, whether online education can offer temporary relief, and the potential pathways for Afghan women to reclaim their rights and freedoms.

(Mona talks to Weeda Mehran)

Coding Hope: Digital Economy in the OPT for Post-War Revival

Digital economy initiatives such as Gaza Sky Geeks, works to offer a dignified life for thousands of well-educated Palestinian youth, who cannot find employment in the OPT, particularly in the besieged Gaza Strip. At this difficult time, as well as empowering these young people to gain some income, relevant training, work experiences and stay connected to the world, digital economy could act as a fast-track horizon for Gaza post-war economic revival. Despite the devastating consequences of Israel's ongoing on the Gaza Strip (October 2023-present), Gaza Sky Geeks remain determined to continue with their mission, expanding their programmes in the West Bank and to East Jerusalem, and in the meantime, remotely supporting Gaza youth, coding hope for tomorrow.

Israel's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip since 7th October 2023 has caused devastating consequences to Gaza's universities including their students. I speak to one of the Gaza students, who was studying for her second year of the undergraduate degree at the medical school of the Islamic University of Gaza, with high interest and expectations, and yet her study was violently interrupted by the war. She later had to evacuate the Gaza Strip to Egypt, but she missed a whole academic year of study, and currently struggling to start her undergraduate level, all over again. Between dreams and despair, the student speaks about her experience.

Welcome to A Life Lived in Conflict (ALLIC) Podcast, where we delve deep into the realities of conflict through the eyes of those who live it, study it, and work to change it. Our guests are students, researchers, academics, practitioners, and policy makers -individuals with insight and experience from different disciplines and backgrounds. Our mission is to give voice, raise awareness, foster understanding, and reshape perspectives on these regions by bridging local, regional, and international viewpoints. Engage with us, and be part of the conversation.

Covid-19 pandemic has increased the vulnerability of people who live in conflict affected settings including the Occupied Palestinian Territories. This episode explores the situation of mental health in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the support available for people, the healing mechanisms that they use,  and the gaps in knowledge and protection. (Mona talks to Yasser Abu Jamei and Hanna Kienzler)

"One politician asked me: Is there a culture in Gaza at all? I was surprised and said: Yes of course, there is art and culture wherever people are!" (Guest 2). This episode explores some of the initiatives, as well as the challenges for Art and Artists in the Gaza Strip, and whether Art can live under siege and occupation? (Mona talks to Mohamed Abusal and Mona Kriegler)