Adiba Qasim has shown extraordinary courage and resilience. She narrowly escaped when her village was stormed by Islamic State militants who killed and enslaved thousands of Yazidis. This is her story.

"We were surrounded by the Islamic State. And we had no weapons even to fight. We had nothing. We were left alone."

Returning to northern Iraq in 2015, Adiba threw herself into humanitarian work, aiding survivors who had been enslaved by the militants. In this special bitesize episode she reflects on the horrors she witnessed, on battling survivors' guilt, and on her motivation to help others.

Ugochi Daniels was just six years old when her family fled the civil war in Nigeria. Now the International Organization for Migration's Deputy Director General for Operations, she is often struck by the pain of uprooted children, most recently those escaping from Ukraine.

"I noticed this woman with a 10-year-old boy. He never looked up, his eyes were down, and he never blinked. And I just kept on thinking, what has this boy seen on his journey here?"

Women and children are particularly vulnerable when they have left their home – no matter for what reason. Across the world, IOM is dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. In this episode, Ugochi Daniels reflects on efforts to meet the needs of people on the move, and on a life dedicated to the service of others.

Giles Duley used to live the rock'n'roll life of a fashion photographer, but now travels the world's war zones documenting the lives of those caught up in conflict. He stepped on a landmine while working in Afghanistan and lost three of his limbs, and very nearly his life. This is his story.

"It was a miracle I survived that day. I was just lucky, it just wasn't my day to go."

Incredibly fortunate to be alive, few of Giles' family and friends believed that he would work again after the accident. But he knew otherwise. Photographing Syrian refugees for UNHCR on the Greek islands, he found his way back into life and work. In this special bitesize episode, Giles Duley reflects on his drive to help others, tell life-changing stories, and on finding the strength to return from rock bottom.

Serge Brammertz is one of the world's leading international prosecutors. As Chief Prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, he leads the process of tracking down fugitive criminals from wars in the former Yugoslavia, and the genocide in Rwanda.

"Every single person indicted is exactly the opposite of a hero. And the only heroes in fact are the survivors and victims."

Decades on from the brutal Balkan wars of the 1990s, genocide denial and glorification of war criminals remain rife in the region. In this episode, Serge Brammertz reflects on his life-long quest to bring war criminals to justice, on working with the survivors of genocide, and what he has learned about the human condition.

Despite monitoring multiple global crises, Rebeca Grynspan has never lost her faith in the power of change. As Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), she is assessing the impact of the war in Ukraine on cash-strapped countries still reeling from the pandemic.

"We don't have to be naive, but we have to believe in change, because change has happened. And we can make it happen again."

A trio of crises – climate change, COVID-19, and the war in Ukraine – are setting global development by decades, with vulnerable countries worst affected by global food and energy shortages. In this episode, Rebeca Grynspan reflects on these setbacks, their disproportionate impact on women, and why the world can never give up on the promise of development.

Monique Sokhan survived the Cambodian genocide, having fled the Khmer Rouge terror when she was just a small child. Now, working as Senior Protection Coordinator, at UNHCR's Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, she is still searching for answers about the atrocities that killed many of her family members.

"It's difficult because you're wondering why others have died and you're alive. And for those who did not survive […] I felt like having a responsibility somehow to do something that would make them proud of me."

Dedicating her life to humanitarian work, Monique soon found herself face to face with the very people who were responsible for killing her own family and friends. In this special bitesize episode, she reflects on her quest to understand the perpetrators of genocide, on reserving judgement, and on the unanswered questions that continue to haunt her.

Osnat Lubrani knows first-hand the horrors of war. As UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, she has witnessed the dramatic changes since the Russian invasion and rapidly mounting needs as the war tears lives apart across the country.

"What is keeping me awake at night is the horror of knowing that it hasn't ended yet and that there are more people alive today that are very likely to be dead tomorrow."

At least 15.7 million Ukrainians are now in urgent need of humanitarian aid, with the UN working to expand existing programs and establish new life-saving operations. Yet access to some of the most vulnerable is proving extremely problematic. In this episode, Osnat Lubrani reflects on the frustrating battle to reach them, what it feels like to receive distressing cries for help, and what gives her hope when all seems lost.

Vladislav Kaim is dedicated to protecting the environment. A member of the UN Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, he promotes green jobs, the energy transition, and generous climate finance - urgent priorities for our rapidly warming world. Yet the war in Ukraine has blown apart regional and global networks working towards a livable future.

"The war is affecting the sustainable development of every single country in our region."

As a Moldovan, Vladislav Kaim has seen how the devastating war in Ukraine has affected the region and turned people's attention away from the climate emergency. In this episode, he reflects on the effect of the war on long-term climate action, and on his fears for loved ones in the region.

What does it take to stay calm in the crossfire?

Unaisi Vuniwaqa has witnessed terrible suffering. As the Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, she has worked as a UN peacekeeper in some of the world's most dangerous places.

"Sometimes it can be very overwhelming, you really feel for the people and the suffering that they're going through."

Peacekeepers have one of the toughest roles in the United Nations. Serving in brutal conflicts such as that in South Sudan can mean drawing on all their reserves of courage and ingenuity. In this episode, Unaisi Vuniwaqa reflects on what it takes to keep a cool head while in mortal danger and on maintaining the safety of UN staff and peacekeepers around the world.

What would it take to make that happen? Bo Viktor Nylund has always been drawn to complex, difficult places. As the Representative of UNICEF in Syria, he is a passionate advocate for the rights of children growing up in one of the world's most thorny and protracted crises.

"When I meet with children, I just see that there's always that glimpse of hope in their eyes and that drive to make a future for themselves." Children continue to bear the brunt of Syria's decade-old conflict, with millions of childhoods shattered through destruction, displacement, and death. Meanwhile, thousands of children of Islamic State fighters, some as young as 12, are being held indefinitely in camps in the country's north. In this episode, Bo Viktor Nylund reflects on their grim plight and his determination to do right by every Syrian child hoping for a better future through education.