Fractured

In this episode, we highlight a humanitarian crisis that has unfolded on the Polish-Belarusian border over the past five years. We examine the harsh mistreatment migrants endure from authorities on both sides, violent pushbacks, and the severe lack of essential humanitarian and emotional aid, as well as the flawed "age check" procedures that wrongly classify vulnerable children as adults, stripping them of basic legal protections and putting young lives at grave risk.

👉 Watch the full episode now: https://youtu.be/n6zo_4YWP2s?si=geMGNlfpM26eCAAS

In this episode, we spotlight the plight of the Rohingya, the largest stateless population in the world. We explore the harsh reality of living in overcrowded refugee camps across Bangladesh, where basic rights are stripped away. We discuss the ongoing lack of official refugee recognition, the severe barriers keeping an entire generation out of formal education, and what it truly means to survive without a country to call home.
👉 Watch the full episode now to hear the full story and help raise awareness: https://youtu.be/8muKotWEyfY?si=bjDUWwBoVYSTf89Z

In this episode, we sit down with Jad Sleilaty (@JadTalksPolitics) to unpack the current reality in Lebanon and the wider regional tensions affecting the country. We look at the prospects for lasting peace and discuss why Lebanon desperately needs a new way forward. Jad shares his vision for breaking the cycle of crisis and what it takes to build a stable, hopeful future for the Lebanese people.

👉 Watch the full episode now: https://youtu.be/41OI0-5wUp8?si=I6utWOYnx7wDlF7d

In this Summer Short we speak with Claude Jonkmans, founder of EmpowerVan, about their work delivering self-defence training in Kakuma Refugee Camp. Together, we explore what empowerment looks like in one of the world’s largest and most protracted refugee settings and why programs like this are critical in contexts marked by insecurity, poverty and limited opportunity. We unpack daily life in Kakuma, the realities of gender-based violence and how recent cuts to humanitarian aid are reshaping conditions inside the camp.

Watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXjcKOqv6us&list=PLIU3A1qWAMTw2W9iCAhSddO3Rq_XkWTBc&index=8

In this Summer Short, independent Venezuelan journalist Gabriela Ramírez offers an on-the-ground perspective on societal sentiment following the fall of Nicolás Maduro. We discuss the complex emotions and hopes shaping the nation’s future, while emphasizing that meaningful recovery requires deep structural reform rather than superficial shifts in power.
👉 Watch the full episode now: https://youtu.be/WB740-cdbU8?si=64IdrqHcRzZbQbpy

Since this week marks 5 years since the Taliban took over power in Kabul, we are returning to episode with Shawn VanDiver, founder of #AfghanEvac, who breaks down why international normalisation of relations with the Taliban must never happen without fundamental policy changes protecting women and girls. We discuss the global authority failure to hold the regime accountable and the urgent need for leaders to take action to save vulnerable women, children, and allies on the ground. Shawn highlights why diplomatic pressure and international accountability are critical to preventing further erosion of human rights in Afghanistan.

👉 Watch the full episode now to hear to hear even more: https://youtu.be/RH1G3ZSaz-Y?si=ncU6ISsexEpGuohI"

In this Summer Short, search and rescue volunteer Seán Binder opens up about his harrowing arrest, pre-trial detention, and the absurd criminal charges he faced simply for saving migrant lives at sea off the coast of Lesvos. We discuss how the EU is failing to uphold its core human rights obligations and why public oversight is so critical in resisting the growing criminalization of humanitarian aid.

👉 Watch the full episode now to hear Seán's story and join the call for justice: https://youtu.be/NaAzpBNDM-w?si=_3tvcJOZ9q06kYPX

At the very beginning of the civilian protest in Iran, Eli sheds light on the struggle of the Iranian people as they stand up for their fundamental rights against a terrorist regime. We discuss the frustrating silence of the international community in the face of injustice and the unwavering resilience of Iranians fighting for freedom.
👉 Watch the full episode now to hear more of Eli's story and support the conversation: https://youtu.be/oKPCE3ioj5o?si=2XyQic9ujM3qKKtt

To mark our milestone 100th episode, we are looking back to where it all began. In our very first episode, recorded just six months after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, we analyzed a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis and dared to ask a heavy question: What happens if Russia invades Ukraine? Just one week later, the invasion began, shifting the global landscape forever.

In this special retrospective, we revisit our initial debates on whether Europe’s welcoming response to Ukrainian refugees would fundamentally alter its approach to displaced people from the Global South. Four years later, we assess our prognostics, examine the reality of modern asylum policies, and reflect on what all of those episodes have taught us about the politics of human empathy.

SUPPORT FRACTURED:

"Fractured", "Humanitarian Watch” and "DisInfo Watch” are original podcast productions of ReFOCUS Media Labs citizen journalists. 

To support this program donate on ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/donate

or join us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/refocusmedialabs

HELP US SUPPORT EDUCATION FOR WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN:

Give them their voice back through support for our online media skills training courses. 

LEARN MORE- www.refocusmedialabs.org/voices-afghan-women

PRODUCTION FAMILY:

Hosts: 

Sonia Nandzik-Herman

Douglas Herman

Production Family: 

Dawoud Nouri, Yaser Akbari,

Ziad Ibrahim, Sonia Nandzik-Herman

Wassim Ahmed, Melek Moussa, Angel Sifontes

Citizen Journalists: 

Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali Alami

Mentorship: 

Douglas Herman 

Producers: 

Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman 

Graphic Design: 

Eli Fazlollah 

for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠ 

Music: 

Theme: "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound) 

Additional: "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

SPECIAL THANKS:

To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Dominika Pawlik, Weronika Pawlik, Liz Nasyrova, Evi Amersfoort,  Alina Mieniailova, Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Nazanin Foroghi, Dariia Stepanova, Rada Valchanova, Walker Watson, Eleonora Giacomelli, Joseph Murray, Omer Butt, Wojtek Paluch, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Fatima Al Ali, Karina Kozłowska, Grace Neely, Marion Olang, Beryl Waindi, Dominika Pawlik, Evi Amersfoort, Tess Scott Bell, Weronika Pavlik, Liz Nasyrova, Alina Mieniailova

CONTACT: 

Thoughts or questions about this episode? Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season? 

Contact: ⁠[email protected]

The latest UNHCR Global Trends report may suggest a slight decline in the number of refugees worldwide, but does that really mean the crisis is easing?

In this episode of Fractured, we unpack the numbers behind the headlines and explain why there is little reason for optimism. We discuss how many of those counted as "returns" were anything but voluntary, with people forced to leave host countries or returning to places that remain unsafe. We also look at the growing reality of repeated displacement, where refugees are uprooted multiple times before finding any semblance of stability.

Beyond the statistics, we examine the barriers that continue to prevent refugees from rebuilding their lives: limited access to bank accounts and financial services, obstacles to fair employment, and the legal and administrative hurdles that keep millions from achieving genuine self-reliance.

LEARN MORE: 

https://www.unhcr.org/media/global-trends-2025-report

SUPPORT FRACTURED:

"Fractured", "Humanitarian Watch” and "DisInfo Watch” are original podcast productions of ReFOCUS Media Labs citizen journalists. 

To support this program donate on ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/donate

or join us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/refocusmedialabs

HELP US SUPPORT EDUCATION FOR WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN:

Give them their voice back through support for our online media skills training courses. 

LEARN MORE- www.refocusmedialabs.org/voices-afghan-women

PRODUCTION FAMILY:

Hosts: 

Sonia Nandzik-Herman

Douglas Herman

Production Family: 

Dawoud Nouri, Yaser Akbari,

Ziad Ibrahim, Sonia Nandzik-Herman

Wassim Ahmed, Melek Moussa, Angel Sifontes

Citizen Journalists: 

Yaser Taheri, Milad Ebrahimi, Yaser Akbari, Naqib Rasuli, Mohammad Ali Alami

Mentorship: 

Douglas Herman 

Producers: 

Sonia Nandzik-Herman, Douglas Herman 

Graphic Design: 

Eli Fazlollah 

for designs by Eli go to: ⁠https://refocusmedialabs.org/shop⁠ 

Music: 

Theme: "Intro for Legends" by Bonkers Beat Club (Epidemic Sound) 

Additional: "Mogul" by Blue Steel (Epidemic Sound)

SPECIAL THANKS:

To the extended ReFOCUS Family for their dedication, passion and creativity all year long. We’re not where we are today without all the effort from Dominika Pawlik, Weronika Pawlik, Liz Nasyrova, Evi Amersfoort,  Alina Mieniailova, Florian Krauer, Louise Holm, Chryssa Kouroukli, Natalia Tsarenko, Fine Bieler, Tommaso Stingo, Nazanin Foroghi, Dariia Stepanova, Rada Valchanova, Walker Watson, Eleonora Giacomelli, Joseph Murray, Omer Butt, Wojtek Paluch, Matthew Goncalves O’Kelly, Jennifer Perez, Jule Pehnt, Majid Bakhshi, Paul “Al” Simon, Jaime Moro Saavedra, Joëlle Hübscher, Beni Rietmann, Jakob Mayr, Jurek Edel, Francisco Ibanez, Bart Van Son, Federico Bustamente, Myriam Rey, Lotta Luley, Federico Rinaldi, Fatima Al Ali, Karina Kozłowska, Grace Neely, Marion Olang, Beryl Waindi, Dominika Pawlik, Evi Amersfoort, Tess Scott Bell, Weronika Pavlik, Liz Nasyrova, Alina Mieniailova

CONTACT: 

Thoughts or questions about this episode? Suggestions for topics we can cover later in the season? 

Contact: ⁠[email protected]