Podcasts about cyclone nargis

Episode #338: “[The quake] revealed the tragic disconnect between the government's understanding—or perhaps, willingness to communicate—the severity of the disaster and the actual level of risk facing the population.”In a compelling analysis, Professor Dean Kyne critiques Myanmar's disaster management, highlighting how decades of military rule have prioritized authoritarian control over public welfare. He illustrates this with the 2008 Cyclone Nargis, when the junta ignored early warnings and downplayed the storm to proceed with a constitutional referendum ... and over 138,000 people died.Kyne argues that instead of learning from this tragedy, the regime has doubled down, now weaponizing disaster response. Following the recent earthquake, search and rescue was blocked, aid was withheld, and military authorities even prevented international teams from entering. Humanitarian responder Kiran Verma, for instance, was stopped at gunpoint. “This wasn't logistical failure,” Kyne says, “it was humanitarian suppression under authoritarian rule.” He notes that corruption further undermines aid distribution: local junta-aligned leaders steal and resell aid. Worse, young male relief volunteers are reportedly being forcibly recruited, and legitimate aid workers face harassment from pro-junta paramilitaries.Kyne proposes a three-part framework for international response: pragmatic, political, and moral. He urges aid agencies to bypass the junta, work through opposition-held zones, and commit to long-term recovery. Community resilience, he emphasizes, can start with education alone—empowering locals through training and digital platforms.He closes with a message of solidarity: “To the people in Myanmar, you have to be very strong. And for the international community members, please continue with what you have been doing, and please support the affected individuals.”

Episode #332: “We should do something to change, or we should have [an] alternative way to do something,” says Lily, a Myanmar-based artist and documentary filmmaker who has turned from observer to humanitarian in the aftermath of Myanmar's devastating earthquake.Originally intending to document the destruction in the Sagaing region, Lily quickly shifted focus confronted by the chaos on the ground. Filming became too risky due to military surveillance, and the humanitarian need was overwhelming. She began working alongside monks and volunteers, distributing aid and conducting needs assessments. Traumatized survivors, collapsed buildings, and the scent of death painted a grim picture. Yet what struck Lily most was the spontaneous community response in the absence of government leadership—monasteries, mosques, and local volunteers self-organized to help.Lily emphasizes the importance of asking communities directly what they need, even when survivors are too disoriented to fully articulate it. She believes that showing care and listening is a powerful act in itself. However, she's concerned about inefficient donations and the sustainability of relief once panic subsides. Memories of Cyclone Nargis, when military corruption diverted aid, still haunt locals, making many donors wary of formal channels. Though international support has been modest, mostly through grassroots networks, Lily stresses that solidarity—not pity—is essential.This experience has changed her: no longer just documenting from a distance, she is immersed in the rebuilding process. “If we have some intention—to change or to transform or to rebuild or to reconnect—we have some direction… That's, I think, what I'm doing.”

Episode #330: “When President Bush called that morning and said, ‘Pull back [away from Myanmar],' I just couldn't compose myself. I broke down in front of all the Marines, and so I had to run into the bathroom and I just cried and cried,” says Mie Mie Winn Byrd. “I knew we had all the capability to help them, to relieve suffering and provide aid, but there was nothing I could do.”In a powerful and emotional reflection, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mie Mie Winn Byrd recounts her role in Operation Caring Response, a U.S. humanitarian relief mission following Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which killed over 135,000 and displaced millions. Born in Burma, Byrd brought vital regional expertise to the U.S. effort. Yet despite American readiness to help, Myanmar's military regime blocked aid access, allowing only limited deliveries of critical supplies, which it then left to rot on—or disappear from—the tarmac.Byrd draws clear and direct parallels between Cyclone Nargis and the recent earthquake in Myanmar, underscoring the military's pattern of paranoia, cruelty and obstruction. Byrd calls the junta not a legitimate government, or even a legitimate army, but rather a Mafia-like, organized crime syndicate.In contrast, she finds inspiration in Myanmar's civil society and diaspora, whose grassroots response has saved lives despite immense hardship. She urges international donors to bypass the military and support trusted, local actors: “They open up their hearts, their purse, and [are] doing it again.”

Episode #274: Kyaw San Han, a former police captain turned dissident, offers a stark narrative of courage amid systemic oppression. Fleeing Myanmar with his family, he now lives in Japan, where he continues to advocate for democracy and resistance against the military junta. His journey began in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, a natural disaster that exposed the military's indifference to civilian suffering. Motivated by a desire to help, he joined the police force, only to encounter a regime intent on perpetuating fear and corruption. The police training he underwent was akin to prison, filled with physical abuse and brainwashing, designed to mold officers into instruments of oppression. Despite these challenges, Kyaw San Han remained steadfast in his commitment to justice. His pivotal role in aiding the Australian economic adviser, Professor Sean Turnell, underscores this dedication. Facing threats from superiors and navigating a treacherous escape to Thailand and then Japan, his story is a testament to resilience. In Japan, Kyaw San Han now collaborates with the National Unity Government, tirelessly advocating for international support against the junta. His narrative illuminates the profound courage required to stand against tyranny and the unyielding hope for a democratic future in Myanmar. “I would like all of you understand the brutality of the Myanmar junta and Min Aung Hlaing,” he says. “He is using his last strategy to make civilians fight each other! So, please, share my voice and my message to your friends and your family and everyone you know. If there is no dictator Min Aung Hlaing and his brutal regime, Myanmar will be a beautiful a peaceful country as we used to be in the past. Now the people of Myanmar are suffering a lot from the dictator Min Aung Hlaing. But the people of Myanmar, actually, we are kind and we are very friendly. So, now we need help from all of us from all of you.”

Kelly speaks with Richard Horsey, Myanmar expert and advisor to the International Crisis Group, for a deep dive into the history of Myanmar's ongoing civil war.  Richard is a political analyst and has been a close observer of Myanmar for over 25 years. He specializes in the politics and political economy of the country, as well as armed conflict and the illicit economy. Since 2009, he has been Myanmar adviser to the International Crisis Group, and also advises a number of other organizations on political and conflict risk issues. He was formerly the Myanmar representative of the International Labour Organization working to end the practice of forced labor imposed by the previous military regime. He was subsequently a senior adviser and spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs following Cyclone Nargis. He is the author of more than a hundred reports on the country, as well as numerous articles and opinion pieces. He is a fluent Burmese speaker and holds a PhD in psychology from University College London.  Read Richard's recent article on Myanmar in Foreign Affairs here: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/burma-myanmar/myanmar-fragmenting-not-falling-apart  The opinions expressed in this conversation are strictly those of the participants and do not represent the views of Georgetown University or any government entity. Produced by Freddie Mallinson and Nicole Butler. Recorded on July 9, 2024. Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. For more, visit our website, and follow us on Linkedin, Twitter @GUDiplomacy, and Instagram @isd.georgetown  

Episode #224: Saw Htee Char, working under a pseudonym for safety reasons, has been heavily involved in Myanmar since the devastating Cyclone Nargis in 2008. Recognizing a significant gap in accessible, reliable information about the conflict in Myanmar, Saw Htee Char established the Substack page, Burma Coup Resistance Notes. Contrary to the often simplistic and misleading interpretations of the conflict as an internal issue with blame on both sides, Saw Htee Char presents a starkly different picture. He exposes the brutal and sadistic nature of the military regime's efforts to monopolize power, and highlights the desperate struggle of the Burmese people for a return to the semblance of democracy they experienced between 2015 and 2020.Saw Htee Char's analysis delves into the military's strategic and operational failures. Despite its significant manpower and armaments, the military has consistently lost territory and failed to suppress the ethnic militias it has faced for decades. They now face widespread resistance that has grown in sophistication and determination, challenging the military's control even in traditionally Bamar-majority regions. Saw Htee Char points to Operation 1027 and subsequent actions that have fueled momentum for the resistance, leading to a progressively shrinking sphere of control for the military. The junta's reliance on air power, he explains, is a sign of desperation rather than strength, drawing parallels with historical lessons on the limitations of air superiority in achieving control without effective ground forces.“I just consider this this story so inspiring,” he says in closing. “And you also have to acknowledge that the people of Myanmar have received very little support from outside! They've been left to themselves and they've done it anyway, and that's even more incredible, given that they've got some powerful countries against them: China, Russia, India, Thailand, those who have supplied weapons to the junta or diplomatic recognition, even United Nations agencies that have played into the hands of the junta... So the people of Myanmar have carried through the struggle on their own against some very powerful foreign forces. And when they win, this victory will belong entirely to them. They will not owe anybody anything!”

Episode #206: Soon after Delphine Schrank arrived in Yangon in 2008 as a Washington Post reporter to cover the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, she realized that life under the brutal military was a big part of the story there. Her curiosity led her to uncover a thriving underground network of dissidents committed to building democracy. Her resulting book, The Rebel of Rangoon, delves into the lives of two main protagonists, Nway and Nigel, offering a nuanced perspective on their sacrifices and struggles.Nway's commitment to the movement stemmed from a pivotal moment in medical school when he chose activism over a comfortable life. Nigel, on the other hand, was initially disillusioned by politics but found his calling during the Saffron Revolution. Delphine also writes about other key figures, such as Win Tin, who dared to speak out against the regime, and Aung San Suu Kyi.The role of Buddhism and meditation in sustaining activists even behind bars is also explored. Delphine dispels the misconception that Burmese Buddhism leads to passivity, highlighting how it strengthens resolve and encourages self-sacrifice.While nonviolent resistance defined the pre-transition period, the post-coup resistance and National Unity Government (NUG) now considere armed resistance as necessary to confront the military's unrelenting duplicity, violence and brutality.“They haven't got to the destination,” she says in closing, “but they're getting there eventually, so I still have huge faith in them. And because of the sacrifice, the understanding of that long struggle, and all the other things that many of them have, and even the Buddhist philosophy underlying all this, they're going to get there, it just might not be in their own lifetimes. And some of them are willing to accept that. But they're going fight like hell until they get there and lose a lot of people along the way.”

The Eco-Leadership Institute has recently entered into a partnership with the Humanitarian Leadership Academy with the purpose to re-enchant the sector. This podcast was recorded in the Save the Children London office as part of a workshop for international humanitarian staff. The aim was for Gareth to introduce Simon and his ideas on Eco-Leadership to those working in the humanitarian sector.  In this podcast, Simon shares his personal work journey, showing how his experience shaped the project of Eco-Leadership. Gareth and Simon then discuss the challenges in the humanitarian sector and they explore how the new partnership aims to meet these challenges with some new ideas that are already having an impact. The Eco-Mutualist manifesto below summarises some of this thinking. Enjoy the listen! Eco-Mutualism: A Manifesto for a New Age of Humanitarianism Bio Dr. Simon Western is the founder and CEO of the Eco-Leadership Institute, a leading academic and practitioner in coaching and leadership. He is the author of "Leadership: A Critical Text" (3rd ed., Sage 2019) and "Coaching and Mentoring: A Critical Text" (Sage 2012) plus many book chapters and journal articles.  He has also contributed to the development of a new paradigm in leadership through his work on Eco-Leadership. Dr Western is a Past President of the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organisations, previously adjunct Professor at University College Dublin, Director of Coaching at Lancaster University Management School, and Director of Masters in Consulting and Leadership at the Tavistock Clinic. Gareth Owen OBE is the Humanitarian Director of Save the Children UK. Over the last two decades, he has led responses to numerous emergencies all over the world including the Boxing Day Tsunami, Pakistan and Haiti earthquakes, Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, East Africa and Niger food crises and the Somalia, Angola, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria conflicts. Today, he leads a team of 190+ humanitarian professionals and in June 2013 he was awarded the OBE for ‘For services to Emergency Crisis Response Abroad'.

Erin Murphy has been involved in Asia issues since 2001, and Myanmar, in particular, since 2008. She relates all this in her recently released book, http://cup.columbia.edu/book/burmese-haze/9781952636264 (Burmese Haze).   She contrasts the somewhat distorted, emotionally charged view of Myanmar held by American policy-makers during the transition period with the harsh, even brutal military reality in Myanmar that was lurking just under the surface. Murphy recalls the sheer callousness of the military government's refusal to accept humanitarian aid in the aftermath of the horrific and devastating Cyclone Nargis in 2008.   Regarding sanctions, for some in the American government the push for sanctions against the Tatmadaw has become almost a moral crusade. However, Murphy explains that the effect of any sanctions imposed on the regime will not be that onerous if other countries do not follow suit. As for any role that China might play, Murphy states, “I think one word that summarizes [the relationship between Myanmar and China] is ‘complicated'.”   When asked to speculate about the motivations of Aung San Suu Kyi, Murphy says that we may never know exactly what she was planning. She believes that The Lady has had to walk a fine line, balancing priorities, and no one really knows what her internal calculus was.   As for the Rohingya, it is but one of many decades-long, ethnic wars waged by the Burmese junta. Murphy says many in the international community should have seen it coming, but did nothing to stop it. Besides being an overall global failure, more recently it's an instance of unfortunate timing, in which international attention got distracted by Myanmar's nascent yet fragile democracy period.   On a sobering but positive note, Murphy concludes by saying that none of the protests have been in vain. “These are lessons; I don't see them as failures. Did they succeed in getting a democracy? No. But did they succeed in getting their cause recognized by the world? People know about it. And that's important, laying the groundwork… What you do is you keep getting new generations of people interested and then they bring in their tools, and their thoughts and their experiences.”

This interview is with Bryan Berenguer at Chemeketa and Human Cellars. In this interview, Bryan begins by speaking about his life before wine. He discusses traveling to different places in the world, including Myanmar where he lived for several years. During his time in Myanmar, Cyclone Nargis hit and Bryan took a job at a Nargis Recovery Program in a German company. He describes his experience living there for over three years, what it was like working there, and what it was like leaving. He goes on to tell us about his visits to Germany and France and his first real introduction to the wine industry, as well as what it was like went he went back to visit Myanmar once more. When he begins speaking about the wine world, he describes getting a degree in viticulture and enology, managing a vineyard in Germany, and finally getting a job teaching at Chemeketa. He goes over how biodiversity and biodynamics can be improved in the vineyards, how new technology can be included, and what practices he employs. He also talks about the effects of smoke from the 2020 summer fires, and what effect they had on the grapes and the classroom environment. He ends by telling us his predictions for the future of the Oregon wine industry and how 2020 may affect the Oregon wine community. This interview was conducted by Rich Schmidt at Bryan's home in Dundee on February 26, 2021.

This is the third episode in our ongoing series “Love Letters to Myanmar.” Our recent run of longform interviews has tried to realistically portray the terror and suffering that so many Burmese people have been facing during this four-month long siege, since the military initiated their coup on February 1. As critical as it is to tell these stories, we feel it is important that this platform not reflect a one-dimensional view, just airing stories of pain and carnage. So this current series is meant to remind us of just how much the Golden Land has offered those who were fortunate enough to have visited or lived there, and to help us remember the country during its better days, to appreciate and celebrate Burmese culture and community. Today's first guest is Johanna, a young German college student who went to Myanmar as part of her college internship, and so fell in love with the country that she ended up going back, staying on during the pandemic and even after the coup, while virtually attending university back in Germany. Next up is Sue Mark, who arrived in Myanmar in 2008 in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, and decided to stay on to support the country's nascent democratic reforms. And lastly, we check in with Keshav Mohta, an Indian currently living in Peru who traveled to Myanmar in 2010, and speaks fondly of the strong sense of spirituality he felt while interacting with different communities there. In addition to the guests, there are other special sound features on this episode, including: samples from the protest anthem “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab19a2pX8PE&t=58s (Doh Ayay),” (meaning “Our Cause”); the reading of a poem penned by Khet Thi, a Monywa-based poet was recently arrested and tortured to death in prison; several tracks of defection messages produced by https://www.ophanoihannah.com/ (Operation Hannoi Hannah), which makes audio files that Burmese protesters download and broadcast to soldiers through hidden speakers; and finally, scattered throughout this current episode, ambient sounds from some of the protests in Myanmar, courageously recorded at ground level by Thar Nge. If you are moved by the stories you hear today, or the on-going plight of the Burmese people, please consider https://insightmyanmar.org/donation (making a donation) on our Better Burma website! Support this podcast

Sarah Ireland is the CEO of One Girl, an Australian non-profit organization that harnesses the power of education to drive change for girls and their families in Sierra Leone and Uganda.  We fell in love with Sarah’s story from questioning her ability to be a CEO to breaking her own glass ceilings and redefining what a CEO should be and thus paving the way to inspire females of all ages to never shay away from their dreams. Who is Sarah Ireland, Anyway? Sarah is currently the humanitarian representative on the Red Cross Australia Victorian International Humanitarian Law Advisory Committee. She has a Bachelor in Journalism, a Master of International Studies (Peace and Conflict Resolution) and is currently studying a Master of International Law.  Sarah’s career began with Save The Children UK as a first-responder to the disaster zone in Myanmar following Cyclone Nargis. Since then, Sarah has built front-line experience over 10 years in humanitarian outreach and international aid. After leading emergency responses in countries such as the Philippines, Iraq and in the Horn of Africa, Sarah shifted her focus to creating long-term sustainable change. Taking on a position as a Humanitarian Advocacy and Policy Adviser, Sarah has lobbied both Australian and overseas governments to increase foreign aid budgets and the intake of refugees and to prioritize women and girls in their overseas aid programs. Connect with Sarah and OneGirl here: Website onegirl.org.au Instagram @OneGirlOrg Twitter @OneGirlOrg   Connect with Ashleigh and Verity here: Facebook @goodgirlsdontpod Email goodgirlsdontpod@gmail.com Wanna help us fan the flames? Leave a rating and review in your podcast app to help us reach more men and women all over the world!  Produced and Edited by Evoke Media   

Sarah Ireland is the CEO of One Girl, an Australian non-profit organization that harnesses the power of education to drive change for girls and their families in Sierra Leone and Uganda.  We fell in love with Sarah’s story from questioning her ability to be a CEO to breaking her own glass ceilings and redefining what a CEO should be and thus paving the way to inspire females of all ages to never shay away from their dreams. Who is Sarah Ireland, Anyway? Sarah is currently the humanitarian representative on the Red Cross Australia Victorian International Humanitarian Law Advisory Committee. She has a Bachelor in Journalism, a Master of International Studies (Peace and Conflict Resolution) and is currently studying a Master of International Law.  Sarah’s career began with Save The Children UK as a first-responder to the disaster zone in Myanmar following Cyclone Nargis. Since then, Sarah has built front-line experience over 10 years in humanitarian outreach and international aid. After leading emergency responses in countries such as the Philippines, Iraq and in the Horn of Africa, Sarah shifted her focus to creating long-term sustainable change. Taking on a position as a Humanitarian Advocacy and Policy Adviser, Sarah has lobbied both Australian and overseas governments to increase foreign aid budgets and the intake of refugees and to prioritize women and girls in their overseas aid programs. Connect with Sarah and OneGirl here: Website onegirl.org.au Instagram @OneGirlOrg Twitter @OneGirlOrg   Connect with Ashleigh and Verity here: Facebook @goodgirlsdontpod Email goodgirlsdontpod@gmail.com Wanna help us fan the flames? Leave a rating and review in your podcast app to help us reach more men and women all over the world!  Produced and Edited by Evoke Media   

David and Rachel discuss the 2008 tropical cyclone that killed thousands in Myanmar.

Vinya Ariyaratne, Nobuyuki Asai, Tara Gingerich, and Susan Hayward discuss the humanitarian crisis of a natural disaster. Diane L. Moore moderated the discussion. Learn more about Harvard Divinity School and its mission to illuminate, engage, and serve at http://hds.harvard.edu/.

Insight travels to the Myanmar/Thai border to investigate the plight of refugees made homeless by Cyclone Nargis.

Insight goes to the Thai/Myanmar border to find out how people are recovering post Cyclone Nargis

New funding announced to expand the fight against the growing use of tobacco products, specifically in the developing world; WHO and its partners shift emphasis in Myanmar from relief to early recovery, focusing particularly on rebuilding health facilities and restoring essential health services after Cyclone Nargis.

WHO makes polio eradication top operational priority; an update on the situation in Myanmar six weeks after Cyclone Nargis; and why there is a need for volunteer blood donors.

The Open Society Institute along with the Asia Society convened a panel discussion to assess the situation in Burma after Cyclone Nargis. (Recorded: June 9, 2008)

WHO sends emergency help to people affected by Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar; the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities comes into force; and volunteers help improve treatment coverage for malaria and river blindness in Africa.