Frontline Negotiators

How can mediation efforts help build trust and protect communities in conflict situations? In today's episode, we explore how mediation approaches can support protection efforts in humanitarian settings. Our guest, Jérôme Grimaud, highlights the importance of listening to communities' perceptions and adapting to their own definition of protection for a more effective humanitarian response. 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

Towards the end of 2024, we traveled to Panama to discuss with Andrehina Díaz about the complexities of negotiating in the context of migration flows through the Darien jungle.   Andrehina shared her experience working with authorities, indigenous communities and migrants, facing multiple humanitarian challenges from building trust to implementing programs in an environment of increasingly pressing needs. A conversation that reveals how empathy, adaptability and cultural respect are essential in humanitarian negotiation.    A finales de 2024, viajamos a Panamá para conversar con Andrehina Díaz sobre lo complejo que es negociar en el marco de los flujos migratorios que atraviesan la región del Darién.   Andrehina compartió su experiencia trabajando con autoridades, comunidades indígenas y migrantes, enfrentando múltiples retos humanitarios, desde la creación de confianza hasta la implementación de programas en un entorno de necesidades cada vez más acuciantes. Una conversación que revela cómo la empatía, la adaptabilidad y el respeto cultural son esenciales en la negociación humanitaria. 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  

Local and national humanitarian staff play an essential role in negotiation processes because of their critical insights into the context and the key connections with their communities. However, especially when working for smaller organisations, they often face barriers in accessing inclusive professional development opportunities. In this episode, our guest Arquímides Farías – a Venezuelan working in his own country - explores how humanitarians can leverage their expertise to support local colleagues in developing their humanitarian negotiation skills. 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  

Lorsque Mariama Sawadogo, humanitaire burkinabée et formatrice avec le CCHN, a constaté que très peu de femmes africaines participaient aux ateliers de négociation, elle a voulu en comprendre les raisons et y remédier. C'est ainsi que son atelier, conçu pour les professionnelles francophones en Afrique, a reçu un nombre record de 350 candidatures pour 50 places en seulement deux semaines. Dans cet épisode, elle aborde les obstacles qui empêchent les femmes professionnelles d'assumer des rôles de leadership dans la négociation humanitaire et les nombreux atouts inestimables qu'elles apportent au processus.   When Mariama Sawadogo, a humanitarian from Burkina Faso and workshop facilitator with the CCHN, observed that very few African women were taking part in negotiation trainings, she took it upon herself to find the reasons behind it and come up with a solution. Her workshop, particularly aimed at French-speaking female professionals in Africa, received a record 350 applications for 50 spots in just two weeks. In this episode, she reflects on the obstacles that prevent women professionals from taking on leadership roles in humanitarian negotiation, and the many invaluable assets they bring to the process.   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

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.      

What is humanitarian diplomacy and how is it different from humanitarian negotiation? Are they complementary strategies or rather overlapping tools?  In today's episode we'll try to answer these questions with the help of Juliet Kenechi Unubi, a humanitarian negotiator and diplomat who has spent over a decade navigating the complexities of influencing her interlocutors. Juliet will help us explore the critical intersection between the two domains and discuss how she manages to transform challenging conversations into successful outcomes.   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    

A successful negotiation relies on strategy just as much as on the way you interact with others. “Soft” skills like emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and active listening can be powerful tools to connect with the counterpart and create a relationship of trust.  In this episode we hear from Carol Torres Tovar about how she navigated complex negotiations by leveraging her body language, identity traits and communication skills. This is part of the second 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.    frontline-negotations.org  

Language differences can represent a real hurdle when negotiating in a context that is culturally not our own. In these situations, interpreters and local colleagues can play a key role by conveying nuanced meanings, navigating diverse body language, and bridging cultural divides. At the same time, working with an interpreter also means possible shifts in meaning, less spontaneous interactions, and a risk for misunderstandings. In this episode, Pascal Lagneble shares some practical tips on harnessing the power of language in negotiation, turning potential obstacles into opportunities for deeper understanding and connection. This is part of the second 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.  frontline-negotations.org

'Red lines' are uncrossable limits you just can't push past. For humanitarian negotiators, red lines also define a delicate balance between upholding a mandate and compromising on the very principles this sector stands for.  In this episode Marika Armento reflects on the challenge of negotiating on behalf of migrants and asylum seekers within the red lines set by ethical values, legal frameworks and humanitarian norms. This is part of the second 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.  frontline-negotations.org We'll be back with our next episode in January 2024.  

When humanitarian agencies come together to negotiate for the same outcome, their leverage is stronger. But how do you coordinate a team of negotiators from different organisations? In this episode, Maria Duncan explains why carefully composing the team and taking advantage of each member's expertise can do the trick in a complex negotiation. This is part of the second 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.  frontline-negotations.org  

Sometimes negotiating means finding creative solutions to get around a deadlock. In this episode we hear from Rehan Zahid - Deputy Director of the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN) - whose expertise is lent by our partner, the World Food Programme. Rehan has been involved with the CCHN since its creation. He has agreed to share some of the most interesting negotiation processes he experienced first-hand, when creativity really made a difference for many people in crisis. This is part of the second 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.  frontline-negotations.org

Great negotiators know how to make tough conversations easier – for example by picking the right interlocutor, the most convincing team members, and the least controversial topics. In this episode, Julia Paola Garcia Zamora provides some great examples of how one can de-politicise a difficult negotiation by shifting its focus to more practical matters. This is part of the second 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.  frontline-negotations.org

When men in uniform stopped her at a checkpoint and refused to let her through, Raquel Moreno was quite surprised to see her fellow bus passengers step up to help. However, just a few years later, it was a group of civilians who blocked her truck and forced her team to flee, leaving all the humanitarian assistance behind.   Whether as sympathetic allies, tough counterparts or go-betweens, local community members play a critical role in most humanitarian negotiations. Let's hear what Raquel has learned from her experience negotiating with and for people in crises.  This episode is part of the second 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. 

It can be hard to create rapport and find a shared interest between people who see the world very differently. In this episode, Luca Falqui,  a medical doctor with a 30-year long humanitarian career mostly spent around Asia,  explains why empathy, strategic thinking, and even a white beard can help deliver life-saving healthcare in crisis situations. This is part of the second 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.  frontline-negotations.org

People were quickly running out of water in a camp in Iraq. The tankers stopped getting in. The authorities were tense. That's when Precillar Moyo decided to sit down with her team, analyse the situation and come up with a negotiation strategy.   In this episode, Precillar shares how teamwork and reflection can positively impact the outcome of any negotiation process. This is part of the second 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.  frontline-negotations.org  

Stephen Kilpatrick first arrived in Tehran in 2003 to start a dialogue with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. He did not expect he'd be left waiting for a meeting for 28 days.  We're about to hear from this former British army officer turned humanitarian professional as he recounts incredible negotiation stories from the time he spent in Iran, but also Africa and the Balkans, and the many learnings he picked up along the way. This is part of the second 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 enviroments in the world. The series is produced by the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation.  frontline-negotations.org    

Valerie Guarnieri is the Assistant Executive Director at the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). In this episode, we talk to her about her first experiences negotiating on the ground, her many lessons learned, and the enormous challenge of setting up institutional policies and red lines for thousands of frontline negotiators all around the globe.   This is part of the second 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.  frontline-negotations.org    

Season 2 of Frontline Negotiators: Stories from the Field is coming on September 6th 2023. Hear more personal stories told by humanitarian professionals as they negotiate to access, assist and protect people in crisis. The new episodes feature people from a range of organisations all over the world who work in the frontline conducting humanitarian negotiations in armed conflicts and other situations. As well as their personal stories, episodes will also include how negotiations require professional skills, a solid methodology and lots of preparation. The series is produced by the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation.  frontline-negotations.org  

Mariana Ariestyawati, from Indonesia, tells us how she used her interpreting skills in a time of crisis and helped her team build trust with people they had to negotiate with.   In her career, she's been an interpreter and teacher. She started out in Journalism, where she realsed she was interested in humanitarian work. 

The Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation conducts research to better understand the challenges and dilemmas faced by humanitarian negotiators on the frontlines. Interviews are conducted with not only humanitarians but also academics, policymakers and civil society workers.     Currently, the CCHN is researching the response to the refugee crisis in Ukraine and surrounding countries. The Research team travelled to Moldova, where people are taking on new 'professions' overnight to support the displaced as best as they can. One of them is Igor Hincu, a social entrepreneur who is helping refugee children express and relieve negative emotions thanks to his toy-making business.

Working in a European country in times of peace can be just as challenging as in any other crisis around the world. In this episode, we hear the story of medical doctor Apostolos Veizis, who returned to his native Greece after many years spent on humanitarian missions abroad. He tells us about negotiating with people escaping disasters and conflict, but also - and most importantly - with his own self. 

Dariha Erketaeva is a humanitarian professional from Kyrgyzstan – a country that, she says, “very few people know about”. Throughout her career and many negotiations, she's often found it challenging to be taken seriously as a young woman, as a person from a distant Asian country, or as a non-Arabic speaker. In this episode, Dariha reflects on how the way one looks, acts, and is perceived by a counterpart can impact dramatically the outcome of a negotiation process, and how she found practical solutions to overcome the problems. 

In 2016, Innocent Sauti left his home in Zimbabwe to take up a humanitarian mission in Myanmar. Originally a teacher, he had seen the positive impact of international aid on school attendance and had decided to switch careers to join the World Food Programme.   In this episode, Innocent shares what it meant for him to leave the African continent for the first time and to start anew in a very distant and unfamiliar part of the world.    

Just like many of her colleagues, Nana Kharbedia – a humanitarian professional from Georgia - was often thrown into a negotiation without getting much preparation beforehand. In these situations, she had to make do by relying on her expertise and gut feeling. From dealing with tribal leaders in South Sudan to ministers in Bosnia, Nana shares how she learned to prepare for a negotiation process in a strategic way. 

How do humanitarians build their negotiation skills? Most often, it's not about reading books or going to school; you learn by doing.   Amro Tarrisi is a former English teacher from Syria who wished to support others who, like him, had to escape the conflict. In this episode, Amro shares how he built a humanitarian grassroots initiative from scratch and learned to confidently negotiate along the way.   

Kiran Kothari began his humanitarian career in the early 2000s in the context of the Sri Lankan conflict and has since then worked on several humanitarian missions internationally.  In this episode, Kiran shares about relying on the “Naivasha Grid” - a strategic methodology developed by a group of humanitarians meeting in Kenya in 2014 and a useful tool to handle humanitarian negotiations.

Ana Daza, a former video-maker from Colombia, completely turned her life around when she took her first humanitarian job. She now works in challenging, high-pressure conflict situations amidst armed groups. She takes care of her mental health by cultivating her passion for art and relying on the support of her team. 

Coming on September 29th 2022: Every day, humanitarian workers negotiate with different counterparts – from armed groups to local communities – to deliver aid in crisis situations.     In "Frontline Negotiators: Stories from the Field", we will discover how these professionals remain inspired to assist people in need in spite of the many daily challenges and the very high-pressure situations.    This podcast series is hosted by Sofia Mueller, Research Project Manager at the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation.