Surviving a genocide and then living on while your parents, husband and 5 of your 8 children have been killed. It seems impossible but this is the story of Mama Lambert. An exceptionally wise, courageous and compassionate woman who survived the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994 and dedicated the rest of her life serving thousands of other victims and genocide survivors through counselling. In this podcast we share her story with her daughter Denise, who also miraculously survived the genocide and with Anne-Marie de Brouwer one of the founders of Mukomeze, a foundation that empowers survivors of sexual violence during the genocide in Rwanda and who worked with Mama Lambert for over 20 years. It is a remarkable and moving story about a woman who showed the strength and power to live on despite the terrible fate she, her family and loved ones suffered. Mama Lambert was a finalist to the USIP Women Building Peace Award 2020 and a recipient to the 'Voice Achievers Award African Community Service 2019’. She wrote a book about her own life called “For Those Who Do Not Believe in Miracles”. She also features in other books, including “And I Live On”, as well as on coffee bags with specialty coffee produced by Rwandan women she counselled. 

Most perpetrators of mass atrocities are men. Why? Is it biology or social pressure to fit into gender roles? Together with research professor Inger Skjelsbæk, we explore masculinity, femininity, and their roles in mass violence, including wartime sexual violence.

#perpetrator #gender #war #violence

Are world leaders ever truly friends? In this episode of Terribly and Terrifyingly Normal?, we dive into the complex relationships between leaders like Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, and even North Korea’s regime. Joining us is Yuri van Hoef, a lecturer and expert in political friendships, to unpack how these connections work—or fail to work. Are these relationships real friendships, strategic alliances, or something else entirely? And what impact do they have on world peace?

Teaching is never easy, but it’s even more challenging when the subject is mass violence. With current conflicts like those in Ukraine and between Hamas and Israel, this topic is more polarized and sensitive than ever. In this episode, I talk with three experts in teaching: Alette Smeulers, Annalisa Battista, and Andy Aydin Aitchison. Annalisa and Andy share insights from a course they designed to help educators navigate the unique challenges of teaching this subject, along with findings from their research.

With the U.S. election on the horizon, we take a closer look at four key figures in Donald Trump’s inner circle: Stephen Miller, Lindsey Graham, Bill Barr, and Mitch McConnell. How have they shaped Trump’s policies, and what impact could they have on American democracy? In this episode, we explore these questions with Sanda van Dam, whose PhD research delves deep into Trump’s influential advisors. 

Do perpetrators feel remorse? In today’s episode, we try to find out by speaking with Mina Rauschenbach. She has interviewed many perpetrators from the Yugoslavia tribunal, from high-ranking officials to those lower in the chain of command. She shares with us how they reflect on their actions. Do they feel remorse, or do they believe they did nothing wrong? We also explore whether the legal system adequately takes into account the extraordinary circumstances in which these crimes were committed.

Being part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission is an intense experience. And that's all the more true if you lead the mission. What is that experience like? How important is good leadership in such missions? Are the missions useful? And how to cope with all the horrendous stuff that you experience when being abroad? Our guest Patrick Cammaert tells us about it. He has led many UN peacekeeping missions throughout the years in many different regions.

We all hope that the wars all around the world end. But what happens when they do? How should perpetrators be punished? How should victims be compensated? And what should be done to avoid a relapse into violence? We ask those questions to Professor Stephan Parmentier. He is an expert in transitional justice from the University of Leuven. With him, we discuss examples such as Nazi Germany, Spain, and South Africa. The examples show, that there are right and wrong ways of handling post-conflict situations.

There seems to be an abundance of them: bad leaders. That can be dangerous, especially when they have lots of power. But what makes a bad leader? And how can we understand them? According to Barbara Kellerman, you have to understand the system around bad leaders, including their followers. She highlights this by using examples such as Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Adolf Hitler.

Biljana Plavšić: a respected biologist, high-ranking politician, and a convicted female war criminal. But despite her role in the war in former Yugoslavia, she says she is innocent and many Serbs see her as a hero. How is that possible?

We discuss it with Associate Professor Olivera Simic. She met Plavšić multiple times over the course of multiple years. Olivera tells us more about these interactions and about the person behind the crimes.